Chapter 13:
She kept advancing on him. Palpatine was running out of walkway. He threw Sith lightning with his remaining hand. She gritted her teeth and said a counter spell. Then she advanced towards him through the lightning. She raised her saber in a killing blow. Palpatine desperately force flung a chair at her. It knocked her saber out of her hand. It hit the floor and kept sliding.
It reached the edge of the catwalk and fell down the shaft below.
"Now what are you going to use to kill me?" crowed Palpatine.
Isis smiled and pulled her anthame out of her robes. Its real metal blade gleamed wickedly in the light.
Palpatine's eyes widened in terror.
"Vader help me, I am your master!" Palpatine demanded.
Vader looked away from him. Isis kept advancing on him. She kneeled down next to him and he tried to roll away.
"No, no, please, no" Palpatine begged,
"I'll give you anything you want, please" said Palpatine.
Isis drew back her hand
"I want my friends back you bastard" she said and plunged it into his chest.
She shoved the blade all the way through him to the floor. Blood pumped out of the wound around the blade. The old man had been clinging to her robe hem. His fingers went slack at last and he slid to the floor.
Isis stood up shakily. She backed away from the corpse slowly. The adrenaline rush from the fight was slowly wearing off.
Vader and Luke stood there watching her.
"Isis?" said Luke
His voice hesitated like he was uncertain of her. She didn't blame him, she was uncertain of herself right now.
"Are you all right?" said Vader.
"Yes, yes of course," said Isis.
Luke slowly approached her and rested his hand on her arm. Isis closed her hand over his and turned towards him.
He must have seen something in her eyes that calmed him.
"It's finally over" she whispered.
Luke pulled her into a hug. Vader approached them both. Clasped her shoulder then his son's and then approached the body.
"Yes it is and I thank you for it" said Vader
Vader stood over the body for a second before he ignited his own saber and beheaded the corpse. Palpatine's head rolled down the walkway and stopped close to Luke and Isis.
Luke disgustedly force shoved it over the catwalk edge.
"You did it, I'm finally free" said Vader.
His voice sounded almost giddy. Luke had released Isis and stepped back from her to look at his dad. Vader picked Isis up and swung her around in his arms. He set her back on her feet.
"Thank you my love" said Vader
"Now according to his will and his own laws, I'm the new emperor" said Vader.
"Say what?" said Isis
"Father this is not what we discussed" said Luke.
"Never the less it is fact" said Vader
"Well I know another fact, the rebellion's planning on blowing this station up" said Isis "yes she's right we can discuss this later, for now it is best that we leave" said Vader
Luke grabbed her arm and Vader took the lead. They practically ran all the way to the flight deck. They ended up taking Palpatine's personal shuttle.
As they entered the shuttle Isis caught Luke's eyes. The boy didn't look too happy with his father now. Isis wasn't too far behind that feeling. She felt thoroughly used, again.
Though given his past track record she should have expected it. Vader opened the hatch and climbed into the ship. Luke and Isis followed.
"Luke please join me in the cockpit" said Vader.
"Isis my dear please get the door and secure yourself," said Vader.
Isis glared at him hotly but did as he asked. She had just secured her flight harness when she felt the ship leave the flight deck.
Now what she wondered was it all an act, or should she just go along with it? She was numbed by her actions and past caring at he moment. They left the base right into the first wave of on coming ships. Luke hurriedly identified himself as the pilot of the shuttle. They didn't want some well-meaning rebel to shoot them down by accident.
Vader was calculating a jump to hyperspace. Before Luke could question him about it. He made the jump to hyperspace.
"Where are we going?" said Luke
"To Bellasarius four, they have the best plastic surgeons in the universe" said Vader
"Surgeons?" said Luke
"Yes did you think I want to stay in this mask forever?" said Vader.
"I want to get the damage Obi wan inflicted on me repaired and I'm finally free to do so" said Vader
"Oh I see" said Luke
"what about the rebellion?" said Luke
"There will be time enough to deal with hem later" said Vader.
Luke unstrapped himself he looked uneasy with his fathers answer.
"I'm going to go check on Isis," said Luke.
Vader nodded for him to go ahead. Luke walked back into the cabin area. Isis was sleeping soundly in her chair. All those spells must have drained her. She looked so peaceful sleeping that Luke just leaned down and kissed her forehead instead of waking her. Luke returned to the cockpit.
"How is she?' said Vader
"Sleeping, she used a lot of spells" said Luke.
Vader nodded, he understood how much they exhausted her.
"She looks so beautiful when she sleeps" said Vader.
He sighed at the end of the comment.
"So what exactly are your plans?' said Luke.
"Well first I'm fixing myself up, then I will claim my throne and name you my heir," said Vader
"I don't want to rule anything," said Luke.
Vader sighed in irritation "son you commanded people in the rebellion, it's basically the same thing" said Vader
"Besides as my son you're already the imperial prince" said Vader.
Luke groaned out loud.
"What about Isis?" said Luke
. Vader went quiet for a second.
"Every empire needs an empress," said Vader
"She'll never agree to it" said Luke
"Yes she will because you're going to help me convince her" said Vader.
"You should just let her go," said Luke.
"Now what kind of reward would that be for someone who helped me gain my life back?" said Vader.
"She doesn't love you," said Luke
"Oh son you have a lot to learn about women," said Vader.
Luke looked doubtful but took his father's word for it. He was right about the women comment at least. Luke hoped he was right about Isis, for his sake at least. They came out of hyperspace above a small green planet.
Vader immediately requested a landing vector.
"You may wish to go wake our passenger son we are here," said Vader.
Luke sighed and headed back to the passenger compartment. Isis was tossing and turning on her seat. Luke touched her gently and her eyes flew open.
"Are you ok?" Luke asked
"Yeah I guess just had some bad dreams that's all" said Isis
"Do you want to talk about them?" said Luke
"No not really, maybe later" said Isis
"Were here by the way" said Luke
"Where exactly is here?" said Isis.
"Bellasarius four father wants to have some work done," said Luke.
"Oh hope he has deep pockets," said Isis.
The ship was in its final descent. Isis waited until she felt the craft touch down before she took off her flight harness.
"You might want to change clothes," said Luke.
Isis looked down at what she was wearing and swore. Vader came out of the cockpit.
"Please tell me there is something else for me to wear on board?" said Isis
"There are flight suits in the back cabinets" said Vader.
Isis headed towards the back of the ship. She rummaged through the cabinet pulled out a black flight suit and went into the fresher with it. She changed out of the guard costume and slid on the flight suit.
It clung to every curve she had like it was poured on. She sighed great he's going to get ideas with this outfit. She opened the fresher door and walked out. Vader and Luke stared in shock
. "Wow I don't think a flight suit ever looked that good before" said Luke
Isis blushed "thanks" said Isis.
Vader was still staring at her while he hit the open button on the ramp latch. Luke exited the ship first. Vader held out his arm to Isis. She glanced at him, clearly confused by his actions. She started to walk past him and he reached out and grabbed her arm.
She froze and glared at him. He reluctantly released her arm.
"Isis I had to register us as a married couple, the only suite they had only has two beds" said Vader
"You better have ordered a separate bed" said Isis.
"I didn't I'm sorry, we will have to share" said Vader.
Isis growled somewhat and started walking.
"Well that wasn't so bright," said Luke.
Vader snorted, "We'll work it out," said Vader.
Luke laughed at him, "good luck" said Luke.
Isis walked ahead of them. She was walking as though she were attempting to out run them or something.
"Isis my dear do you even know where we are heading?" said Vader.
"Macizee clinic, it's the only place qualified to do that level of work" said Isis
"And you know this because?" said Vader she turned and looked at the both of them. "I've been here before" said Isis
"You have?" said Luke
"How many times?" asked Vader
"I'm not telling" said Isis
Vader chuckled at her. She turned away from them and started walking again. She followed the pedestrian walkway to the transport area and waited.
"What are you doing?" said Luke
"Hailing us a cab, do you honestly think they'll stop for him?" said Isis
"Hey!" protested Vader.
Isis ignored him and waved. A cab promptly responded to her hails. Luke laughed, while Vader looked indignant
.Isis climbed in followed by Vader then Luke. The driver eyed his passengers warily. "Where to maam?" he asked.
"Macizee please" said Isis.
The driver pulled out into traffic and weaved his way on to the highway. Luke wisely kept his mouth shut the whole time.
The taxi pulled up to the unloading area. Luke got out and so did Vader, Isis climbed out after them. Vader paid the cab fare while Isis and Luke waited for him. Isis walked towards the door ahead of them both. She had just reached the front desk and was about to check him in.
"Do you even know what name I registered under?" said Vader
Isis sighed and shook her head no. The droid at the desk looked up at him.
"Lord Vader?" it asked
"Yes, I've made an appointment" said Vader
"Is it under Vader?' said the droid
"No it's under Skywalker" said Anakin/Vader
"One moment, ah here it is, the doctor will be with you shortly" said the droid.
The droid handed Isis a data pad.
"Would you please fill this out Mrs. Skywalker?" said the droid.
Isis started to protest the title it used.
"I'm sure she will have no problem doing so," said Vader.
He pressed the data pad into her hands and guided her away from the counter. Isis barely resisted the urge to hit Vader with the datapad. Luke covered his grin behind a holozine he picked up to read in the lobby. Isis sat down and began filling out the form.
She was still filling it out when the doctor called Vader's name.
"May my family come back with me?" said Vader.
"Yes of course this is only a consultation," said the doctor.
Shrugging Isis tucked the data pad under her arm, and Luke set the holozine back on the table.
She followed Vader into the back. Luke was right beside her. The doctor led them into a small exam room and shut the door. Isis had always liked their respect for privacy here.
"Now we need to see exactly what we're working with here," said the doctor.
"Can you remove the face mask please?" said the doctor
"Only in an oxygen rich environment" said Vader
"Ok, so I take it you know the extent of the damage you want repaired?' said the doctor. "Yes, extensive scar removal, I've suffered some burns when I was younger" said Vader "well hold on, we have an oxygen chamber here, lets just go see if its free, then I can grab a scanner and check out the rest" said the doctor.
The doctor led them to another room. Isis and Luke were asked to wait outside while the doc and Vader went inside. The doctor was wearing a clean suit over his clothes. Isis and Luke watched through an observation port while Vader removed his mask.
The doctor ran his scans in the room. Isis was staring at him in shock. Obi wan had done that to him? She was dismayed by the knowledge that obi wan could have left someone that badly injured. Especially some one he cared for like a son, without giving him some sort of mercy. Isis looked away suddenly uncomfortable by the view.
"Holy shit how did he ever survive?" said Luke.
His voice was a mixture of pity and awe.
"I don't know?" said Isis softly.
She sat down on the bench in the observation lounge and tried to finish the paperwork. Luke followed her to the bench and sat next to her.
"It makes you uncomfortable" said Luke
"Yes it upsets me" said Isis
"Upsets you why?" said Luke
"Because Obi wan left him like that, he used to say Anakin was like a son to him, he should have had enough mercy to finish him off" said Isis
"Then I would have never met him and you" said Luke
" I know I've just never thought Obi wan could be so cruel, I guess I didn't know him as well as I thought I did" said Isis.
She glanced back at the data pad and skipped the occupation question.
"Why did you leave occupation blank?" said Luke.
