Chapter 16
Live as a villain, die as a hero
After explaining everything to Vader, she had gone silent and took up a silent stance in front of the window, even when the emperor arrived. He observed her as if she were something he had never seen before, while Darth Vader left to check on the progress of the death star. Aspen moved only when she began to sense something, and turned to look at the elevator just as Luke appeared with Vader.
She turned back to the window as the emperor spoke to him, and she ground her teeth together to keep herself from snapping at him; she would act only if they made an attempt to harm him. The emperor advised Luke to take a look outside, and Aspen stepped aside as he passed her. She caught movement, and gaze landed on a lightsaber resting under the emperor's hand; Luke's.
" Give in to your anger." The emperor told Luke. " With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant."
" No." Luke told him.
" It's unavoidable, it is your destiny. You, like your father, are now mine."
His words made Aspen's blood boil, but centuries of practice had made her very attuned at controlling her anger. The emperor continued to bait Luke like this for several more minutes while they watched the battle outside before the Sith lord sent an order out for the operators of the death star to fire upon one of the ships; demonstrating to Luke that the space station was operational. Aspen looked away from the destruction, knowing that a few of her people had been aboard that ship.
Luke was offered the chance to save what remained of the alliance if he joined the dark side, and Aspen looked at Luke as he looked bac at the battle, before he suddenly summoned his lightasaber, and swung the blade toward the emperor, only to have his attack blocked by the red blade of Vader's lightsaber.
A fight broke out between the two of them, Aspen could do nothing but stand weaponless, and watch. Luke lowered his weapon as he refused to kill his father, but found he had no choice but to fight as Vader attacked him again. Luke climbed onto a walkway above, and tried to call out to the man that had once been Anakin Skywalker; someone that Vader denied the existence of.
Vader knocked Luke onto the floor below, and both the emperor and Aspen drew closer to watch. " Evangelium secundum Lucam, Ego tibi fortitudinem" Aspen muttered under her breath.
" Aspen." She heard someone say and glanced over her shoulder to find Isaac, who pressed something into her hand before vanishing. Aspen slipped one of the objects into her sleeve before turning on the Sith lord with the second raised in front of her, the white blade held in front of his throat.
" If something happens to him, I will gladly strike you down, you spineless slug." She told him and he let out a laugh before they both looked over as Luke cut off Vader's hand. The emperor congratulated Luke on besting his father, before ordering him to finish Vader.
Luke once again lowered his weapon before tossing it aside, and Aspen let out a sigh before she was suddenly thrown aside as Luke was knocked off his feet by a blast of lightning that shot from the emperor's hand. Aspen' eyes widened in horror as she grabbed ahold of the only thing she could as she nearly went tumbling into the reactor below. " Luke." She cried when she heard him screaming as he was electrocuted over and over again.
When she managed to climb back up, Vader lie on the ground and Luke knelt next to him; the emperor was no where to be seen. She ran over to them, and Luke looked at her in relief before trying to lift him up off the ground. " We have to get out of here, help me lift him." Luke told her and she nodded before grabbing him under the arm.
When they made it to the landing bay, Luke lied him down on the ground and Luke frowned as Anakin pleaded for him to help him get his mask off; the only thing keeping him alive. " Anakin...." Aspen said trailing off and he pleaded with them, saying that he wanted to at least see the face of his son, just once, with his own eyes.
Luke honored the dying wish of his father, and tears fell down Aspen's face she looked away. " May the force be with you, my friend." She whispered.
YOU ARE READING
The Guardian ( A Star Wars Fanfiction)
Fanfiction" I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all." Will stretch through the Phantom Menace to the Force Awakens, and possibly into the Last Jedi. Dedicated to whateveryoumakeofme ( if you like creepy...
