Caedus approached the fortress on Mustafar, not bothering to disguise his presence in the Force, nor hide from the guards at the door.
"Halt, in the name of Lord Vader!"
Caedus smiled on the inside. "This is family business, gentlemen."
"Halt, or we will shoot!"
Caedus ignited his lightsaber. "Go on, then."
The pair of stormtroopers exchanged puzzled glances, and he could feel their fear peak as they raised their rifles and began rapidly firing at him. Rolling his eyes, Caedus walked forward, not even using his blade to disburse the bolts, but instead simple dodging them. As their panic rose, it fed Caedus's power. Two swift strokes of his lightsaber put an end to their fear, as their upper halves separated from their lower.
A durasteel door a meter thick, and at least ten meters high prevented Caedus from entering the fortress. He pressed his palm against the metal, closed his eyes, and concentrated. The door groaned as cracks began to appear, emerging from the center and spider-webbing out. A moment later, with sweat dripping from his brow, Caedus smiled, and used the Force to blast the door into splinters.
Stepping through the debris, he was greeted by a hallway of Imperial Super-Commandos, the 501st. Blaster fire poured down the hallway, and this time Caedus used his blade.
Directing bolts back at the troopers helped to thin out the blaster fire, but the bolts were still coming in furiously. Caedus used the Force to hurl one of the larger pieces of the door at a group of troopers, catching three of them and crushing them against the wall.
The blaster fire continued to come, and it was everything Caedus could do to avoid the bolts. Leaping, flipping, all while batting the bolts back towards their owners. These troopers were good. VERY good. He understood why grandfather used them.
The tide began to turn when Caedus took out the commander with a well placed blaster deflection.
Caedus charged through their ranks, hacking off limbs, flinging shards of metal with the Force, and even engaging in hand to hand with those who came close enough.
Finally, the last blaster bolt echoed out, and a lone trooper gurgled as the bolt returned to his throat. Caedus surveyed his handiwork. Over forty of the best troops the Empire had to offer, and he had killed every one, while only suffering minor burns from blaster grazes.
Caedus marched further down the corridor, stepping over the bodies of the fallen troops. Spying a thermal detonator, he summoned it with the Force and tucked it in his cargo pocket.
A chill went up his spine, and then he heard it. The sound of a respirator permeated the darkness at the end of the hallway, and a red lightsaber ignited to match his own.
"Hello, grandfather," Caedus said flatly.
"Who are you," replied Darth Vader, as he stepped forward.
"I am Darth Caedus, Dark Lord of the Sith, future ruler of the galaxy, and your grandson."
"There can be only two," Vader cautioned. "It is fortunate that you came to me, instead of letting my master discover you."
"Who do you think sent me? I plan to learn from your master and then kill him, just as I am going to kill you."
"You will try," Vader warned.
Caedus hurled a telekinetic blast at Vader, whom quickly raised a Force barrier and was pushed back but a few feet. Vader returned with a telekinetic blast of his own, with the same results to Caedus.
"You are strong, grandfather, but I have surpassed you in every way."
"You underestimate my powers," Vader said, and hurled another telekinetic blast at Caedus, this one breaking Caedus's guard and throwing him back several feet.
Rising quickly, Caedus ran forward and began to lash out at his grandfather. Rapid strikes to Vader's shoulder's, to his legs, all too fast for the eye to see, yet somehow Vader met every blow with absolute precision, never struggling beneath the weight of Caedus's powerful strikes.
Caedus met Vader in a bladelock, and attempted to kick Vader's knees out from the side, but only succeed in striking his foot against the cybernetic leg. Caedus faltered and now Vader was on the offensive, strong, precise strikes, not meant to overwhelm an opponent with speed, but meant to break his guard. Caedus was astonished at how strong the blows were, that shook his body to the bone.
Vader raised his saber overhead with both hands and prepared to completely break through Caedus's guard. Instead of meeting the blade, Caedus dropped his lightsaber and grabbed Vader's wrists and used the Force to augment his strength, holding back the behemoth's blade, just long enough to buy himself some time.
Caedus could feel his strength waiver, fearful that he would fall beneath the weight of his grandfather. He drew upon that fear, let it build into hate, and felt his strength renew. He smiled up at the blank mask of the broken man, and knew that he would win.
He never saw the metal flying at him.
It struck him in the head, gashing him open and stunning him, just enough for Vader to break his grip and use one hand to slash down at Caedus.
He wasn't there. Even in his stupor, he managed to roll forward and pull his lightsaber back to him, and was back on his feet, his face a mask of crimson. He used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his eyes, and regarded his grandfather once more.
"You have fought well, grandson. It is time for you to accept your destiny and join me. Together, we can overthrow the emperor. You are more powerful than you know."
"More powerful than you, yes. Surrender, Vader, and I will grant you a quick death."
Within an instant, Caedus was dodging a torrent of debris, slicing fragments in half with his saber, dodging the larger bits, and gritting his teeth when the smallest pieces cut into his skin or knocked him sideways.
Finally, he reached Vader, who had been standing silently the entire time, watching with discontent as his grandson was battered. Caedus feigned a high strike to Vader's left shoulder, and Vader fell for it. Caedus stopped midway and launched a powerful Force blast at Vader, sending him flying back.
Caedus charged, lightsaber held high, relishing in the fact that he was about to kill the greatest Jedi killer of them all. Suddenly, his breathing just...stopped. As if a vice grip had been placed around his throat. Laying on his back, Vader held one hand in the air, gripping Caedus with the Force, strangling him.
Caedus responded the best that he could, using the Force to sustain himself before he passed out. He found the controls for Vader's respirator and began to cause it to malfunction. Hopefully, Vader would release his grip and Caedus would close in for the kill.
Vader did release his grip, as he threw Caedus back out of the fortress with the Force. Caedus landed HARD.
Caedus scrambled to his feet, and became angry. Vader was advancing towards him, his respirator crackling, and there was a bit of a halt to his walk, but he advanced. Caedus rushed forward and met Vader blade to blade again. He had one goal. Keep Vader busy long enough to pull off this next trick.
Finally, he found himself in a blade lock with Vader. He shut himself down in the Force, and even though Vader was masked, he could almost see his surprise. Vader was unable to detect that Caedus had just activated the thermal detonator, until he dropped it at Vader's feet.
Caedus put every bit of Force reserves he had into a Force barrier, and closed his eyes as the world exploded into fire around him.
When he opened his eyes, he was staring up at the bleak sky of Mustafar. He barely climbed back to his feet, and observed Vader doing the same, although his helmet and mask were obliterated. The pale, scarred face of Anakin Skywalker revealed itself to Caedus for the first time.
Caedus limped forward, and began his attack once more. Vader was severely injured, and Caedus could tell. He fed off of Vader's pain. His attacks began to wear the broken man down.
Vader grunted as his left leg finally gave way from under him. Caedus hammered down on Vader's blade as hard as he could, then kicked Vader in the face with all his strength. Vader fell back, and his lightsaber dropped to the ground.
Caedus summoned the lightsaber to his hand, and stood over his grandfather with both blades ignited. Using both blades, he removed Vader's head from his body, and pulled out a comlink.
"The task is complete, my Lord."
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