Happy Star Wars Day! Just for fun, here's a one-off, who-would-win fight scene I wrote a bit over 12 years ago. My writing has improved in the past decade or so, and sometimes its fun to look back and see how far I've come. Be sure to check out my completed (not related to Star Wars) novel The Rise of Azraea, Book I, on my other blog, as well as the in-progress sequel The Rise of Azraea, Book II.
The dark sky flickered with lightning over the run down industrial sector. It was strange to be anywhere on Coruscant where the wind was louder than anything else.
Peter stood on top of a high spire that supported an ancient bridge traversing the wasteland of automated factories. His fists were clenched tight, and he could feel his teeth grinding together.
“Where is she?” Peter snarled out, barely keeping his rage restrained.
“Right here,” The dark figure across the roof said in a deep voice. He swept his cape away to reveal Gwen shackled by a pair of stun cuffs, kneeling behind him in battered and torn clothing. Her lips were scabbed with blood, and violent purple marks and angry welts discolored her fair skin. She seemed only barely conscious.
“What did you…”
“Less,” Vader said, “than I should have done. She is after all a Rebel, regardless of how beautiful she might be. That marks her for re-education at the least; so far I’ve been kind, only her body has been harmed.”
“Why?”
“Because, Spider-man is far more valuable to me than some deluded terrorist.”
“So where are the shell heads? Not looking like much of a trap so far Vader.”
“You needn’t worry about that. My legion has orders to prevent anyone from interfering with this meeting, even other Imperial authorities. Only the Emperor himself could supercede that order, and he’s on Naboo right now.”
Peter stood stone still, keeping his eyes on Vader, and resisting the temptation to bolt for Gwen, “Sooo… You’ve invited me to the least public place on Coruscant, hacked me off by beating on my girl, and you didn’t bring an army to protect you? I think you aren’t getting enough air in that outfit.”
“Amazing. You fear only for her. Your anger over shadows almost all the fear you have of me. You’d make a powerful Sith.”
“Not my gig. I look terrible in black.”
Vader stared at him for a moment, examining him from behind dark red lenses; it made Peter’s skin crawl, “Enough of the foolish banter, let us discuss why I have brought you here.”
“Yes, let’s do, I’m already late for my orthodontia appointment anyway, and how much longer could a villainous monologue take?”
“You are unique, a rare aberration more amazing than any Jedi of the Old Republic. You have great power and yet no more connection to the Force than one of my Stormtroopers.”
“You know, if you just wanted an autograph...”
“Ever since I swore loyalty to the Emperor, I’ve had one dream… to destroy him, to rid the galaxy of his evil and use his Empire to build a beautiful and peaceful galaxy. I’ve faltered many times since then – I’ve lost hope, lost sight of my goals – but no matter how far I stray I return to the same path.
“I cannot defeat the Emperor alone though. The years have taken their toll on me more than him. He has used me, until little remains, and he grows more powerful everyday. At first, I dreamed of finding my own apprentice. Someone I could train, mold into a weapon and a successor. But the Force is a dying fire in this galaxy. Those few who emerge either hide, die, or are taken in by the Emperor himself. He now commands a small army of Force sensitives. So I began building my own army; a force to avenge the Emperor’s wrongs.”
“You’re awfully poetic for a mass murderer living in a hermetically sealed costume.”
“I have a great deal of time to read," Vader said casually, "The Emperor’s command of the Force is a major obstacle,” he moved now, turning his back on Peter to watch the approaching storm. The temptation to attack gnawed at Peter, but it was too risky. There was still the possibility of getting Gwen out of this without a fight. Vader continued, “I knew an army of Sith wouldn’t stand a chance against him, he knows his art too well. However, there are a few special ones out there like you; men, women, and aliens with great power that could have their hands at his throat before he could comprehend his fate.”
“You hope that arrogance could be his undoing?”
“Why not? It was mine.” Vader turned and faced Peter again, “By now I’m sure it’s obvious why I’ve called you here. If properly trained to shield your mind you’d be a formidable opponent even for the Emperor – an assassin without equal. You have fought the Empire with great ardor since the death of your uncle and aunt, but you achieve nothing but property destruction and increased tabloid sales. If you continue to fight us this way, you’ll lose everything you have left, and never be more than a mild irritant to the Emperor.
“If you join me, though, you can achieve your goal. You’d have a place of power in our new order, an opportunity to see your ideals come to fruition. You can use your power to end the Emperor’s threat, and make the galaxy a better place. You could achieve what your uncle gave his life fighting for.”
Peter didn’t know what to say; he didn’t expect Vader’s appeal to be so… appealing. He worried that Vader was using some sort of Jedi mind trick on him, “What about Gwen?”
“What about her? She is a Rebel, but eventually I will be as well. I detest their lack of direction, their cumbersome, heavy handed and pointless attacks on the Empire. Their lack of regard for human life appalls me, but ultimately we all want the same thing. Join me and I will spare her as an act of faith and gratitude. She’ll be free to walk her own path, or stay with us. She’ll be free to die fighting for a hopeless rebellion, or live well and fully, reshaping the Empire.
“And if I don’t join you?”
“If you deny the opportunity I have placed before you, I’ll be forced to regard you as nothing more than a threat to the peace of the Empire and the safety of its people. I’ll be forced to kill you, and hand her over to the Imperial re-educators.”
“So the sales pitch is ‘cake or death’ then? Well shucks Darth Helmet, you drive a pretty hard bargain, but I guess any sane person has to say yes. Unfortunately,” Peter flicked his wrist, shooting out a web-line that firmly adhered to the hilt of Vader’s lightsaber. Another flick of the wrist brought the hilt flying back to his hand before Vader’s cybernetic limbs could move, “I’m not about to sell our souls for some cake.” Peter ignited the crimson blade.
Vader didn’t move, a single word hissed out between mechanical breaths, “Impressive…” Vader lifted a hand toward him, eliciting a powerful buzzing from Peter’s spider-sense. Peter dropped and spun, flinging the glowing blade at Vader. Vader’s dulled Jedi reflexes couldn’t match the unexpected move, he tried to dodge, but the lightsaber skewered his left shoulder. He grunted in pain, and reached for the hilt, but it was already sailing back to Spider-man on his web line. Vader regained his composure, as the anger welled up inside him, ready to be unleashed in a violent torrent. Spider-man was moving cautiously toward him, spinning the lightsaber on a short length of webbing, weaving a wall of red energy around his body.
“I always wanted one of these when I was a kid. Think I’d like blue better though.”
“You are a fool,” Vader rasped. He stretched out his hand to snatch the lightsaber away with the Force, but searing pain in his right thigh interrupted the motion. The Spider had stung him again. It was so fast, Vader had barely seen it.
Vader dropped to one knee, his right palm pressed firmly against the roof top. Peter’s head buzzed as the roof buckled beneath his feet. He leapt, but it still caught him off balance as the duracrete exploded. Peter tumbled away and landed on his feet, but he’d lost the lightsaber. Vader had already reclaimed it.
“You are very fast Spider-man, but you underestimate the power of the Force,” Vader motioned toward Gwen and she lifted into the air as if held by the throat.
“No!” Peter screamed and leaped toward Vader.
The dark lord waved his right hand and sent Peter flying backwards. Peter launched a web-line as he tumbled backwards and nailed Vader’s face plate. Peter took up the slack and jerked to a halt as he pulled Vader off balance. The Sith Lord dropped Gwen, surprised by the unexpected twist, and frustrated at the sticky white adhesive obscuring his sight. He grasped at it, trying to tear it off. Peter launched himself at his opponent again. Vader lifted his hand and flicked his lightsaber on, pointed straight at his assailant.
Peter twisted his body frantically as he saw the red blade erupt before him. He spread his legs wide as he tumbled through the air, the blade passing right between them as he dropped toward the ground. He rolled forward as Vader struck downward with the blade, and leapt upward, driving his fist into Vader’s helm in a powerful uppercut.
He was satisfied by the sound of splintering plasteel and venting atmosphere as they both rose into the air. Peter pulled his knees to his chest and launched both his feet toward Vader in a vicious kick that sent them flying apart. Peter landed on his feet; Vader tumbled across the roof in a heap.
The black clad figure struggled to his feet, clutching at his ruined, leaking helmet, “I… underestimated you. Next time I will not,” He motioned violently toward Gwen and she flew backward over the edge of the roof.
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