Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Sith

Chapter 59.

Han and Kyle ran out. "Move!" Han shouted. "Move!"

They ran. Kyle helped Padma up, and they rushed across the clearing away from the bunker. The installation exploded.

Then, half the sky seemed to be on fire for a moment when the shield generator dish vanished into flames. Ron couldn't believe it. We did it.

XXXXXX

Voldemort had been knocked down, and was clambering back up. Harry processed what he saw. He knew what it meant, and it shocked him. Everything made sense.

"She's a Horcrux, isn't she?" Harry asked Voldemort. "Mara Jade. A clone of my mother. The Horcrux creation was catalyzed by the murder of my real mother. Monster..."

"Never! I will never turn to the dark side!" Luke declared. "You failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

"As," Harry emphasized, "am I."

"Really, Potter?" Voldemort sneered.

Harry walked over to Mara, who was barely stirring. A Horcrux. A piece of Voldemort's soul. A Horcrux that could defend itself, think for itself... not too much, he thought, remembering the ease with which Voldemort's Imperius curse worked on her, and his own inability to break it. And a connection to him. And then...

"You know, she's hardly innocent," Voldemort said. "An Imperial assassin, the Emperor's Hand... don't you think it would be justice?"

She is a Horcrux. Horcruxes must be destroyed. Therefore... since when am I thinking like this? I-- what? The shock of his thoughts brought him back.

"You have no right to talk about justice, or innocence," Harry snarled. But he had got the idea, and it wouldn't go away. Voldemort's words were getting to him. The end to everything... right here in his hands. He ignited his lightsaber.

"What's the matter, Potter! Can't do it?"

XXXXXX

The Rebel capital ships were among the Imperial fleet now, exchanging turbolaser fire. They would do more damage to the Star Destroyers than she ever could. Right now, her main concern was fighters. I will not lose another pilot...

She moved her squadron away to avoid the barrage from her own side. She and Lin chased three TIEs near the surface of another Star Destroyer. Tired of the pursuit, Lin fired torpedoes. One of the fighters avoided the bomb, which detonated on the capital ship's surface. It and the third Interceptor were taken out as Loth and Blade Four swooped in.

"Good job," Hermione called out. "Now--"

Admiral Ackbar's excited voice interrupted them. "The shield is down! Commence attack on the Death Star's main reactor!"

"We're on our way," Lando announced. "Red Group, Gold Group, all fighters follow me!"

Thanks, guys, Hermione thought. "Let's go," she said. "We're not out of this yet."

"Right with you, ma'am," Linra'sin replied.

"Affirmative, Leader," Loth seconded.

The squadron sped towards the Death Star.

XXXXXX

"I thought so, Potter. How would you like a new nickname? 'The One Who Let the Dark Lord Live'," Voldemort mocked him. The Emperor looked at him intently.

Harry knew he had to make a decision. He raised his lightsaber, preparing to strike. "To answer your question, Tom," he said. "Yes, I am still a Jedi." With that, he threw the lightsaber at the Emperor.

The weapon was flung aside with ease. "So be it... Jedi!" Palpatine said. He aimed one hand at Luke, the other at Harry, and streams of lightning hit both of them. Harry yelped and let go of his wand. His skin burned with pain. He now realized that the Emperor held most of his power back when Harry was his prisoner.

"Kill him, Lord Voldemort," he heard Palpatine's voice. "I have no more use for him. As for my traitorous Hand, we will reeducate her."

He stopped the lightning. He could barely feel the relief when the pain returned again. "Crucio," Voldemort said.

Harry tried to summon the Force, but he was too weak. He tried to search for something, anything to anchor him. Ginny, I love you, he thought. It only helped slightly.

"You have lived nineteen years longer than you should have, Potter. But it is over now." The Cruciatus Curse had lifted, but he was too weak to jump away, summon the lightsaber, or do anything at all. Voldemort stood over him, pointing a wand--Harry's wand--at him. "Avada--"

XXXXXX

The shield was gone. The Imperials were either killed or surrendered. The combined army of rebels, wizards, and Ewoks was certainly unusual, but it proved itself effective. Come on, Hermione, he thought, looking up at the sky, where the Death Star still hung.

"Padma!" a panicked voice shouted from the forest. "Ron!" another voice joined it.

Seamus and Parvati ran into the clearing. They looked afraid. "What is it?" Ron asked.

He didn't need to wait for their answer. Roganda Ismaren ran into the clearing. Oh, no. How did we forget about her?

"Stupefy!" Ron fired a stunning spell. Roganda, though, managed to avoid getting hit, rolling on the ground. She threw her hand out, and the lightsaber Kyle took from her flew off Kyle's belt before he could do anything. She made another force-leap, avoiding stuns from Ginny, Susan, Neville, and Luna as well as Ron this time.

Kyle and Han opened fire with their blasters, but Roganda ignited the lightsaber and sent the bolts back their way. Neville and Luna had to throw up shields.

Ron wasn't sure he had the strength for another duel with Roganda. But there were still relatively fresh members of Dumbledore's Army... Neville, Luna, Daphne, Hannah Abbot, Terry Boot, Zacharias Smith... Ron stepped forward, motioning to them. Ginny and Susan were the first to join him. Neville and Luna followed, and soon, the entire wizarding contingent was facing Roganda. Even wounded Padma tried to make a move, although she stumbled almost immediately and had to be caught by Kyle.

"Surrender, Mrs. Snape," Ron said. The whole group raised their wands.

Roganda laughed. "You don't have a chance, you know." She pointed at the Death Star in the sky.

She leaped again, right before dozens of spells were fired at the spot where she previously stood. Ron glanced, trying to determine where she would land.

She didn't land at all. Instead, a broomstick flew by, right into her. She caught it in mid-air, and sped away.

"Damn!" he cursed. "Hannah, Ginny, Terry, you're the Quidditch players here." He grabbed a broomstick, as did the others. "Let's go."

Within moments, the four of them were in the air, chasing Roganda.

They weren't having much success. Ron could see that Roganda was riding a very good broom. He was on a Nimbus 2000, still excellent but outdated by now.

Then three more broomstick riders rose from the forest to intercept Roganda. Ron soon recognized their flying styles.

"Fred! George! Charlie!" he called out.

"Ron!"

"Where were you!"

"Well," Fred said, "we were about to watch how the Imperials fell into a couple of

very clever traps."

"And then that woman just showed up and ruined all our fun," George finished.

"No sense of humor, that one."

"We chased her, but she somehow just vanished on us," Charlie supplied.

"So imagine our delight when we saw her try to escape--and by stealing one of our broomsticks."

"So we left our little forest friends to handle the Imps--what's left of them, anyway."

"Which isn't much, after the traps."

"So here we are."

"Scatter!" Terry yelled. They had to. Roganda turned around, and flew towards them, lightsaber lit.

When they scattered in all directions, Ron realized with fear that she chose him as the target. He headed towards the top of a large tree.

Roganda swung, but Ron was ready for it, quickly maneuvering below her. Roganda chopped off the treetop.

"Incendio!" Hannah Abbot, dropping from below, cried. Roganda's broomstick caught fire.

Roganda leaped off, and landed behind Hannah. She shoved the girl off, sending her into a two-hundred foot plummet.