Fall of Darth Sidious

Thick, black smoke turned the sky black and the heat was almost unbearable. Yet, he could not feel it; or, at least, he didn't notice it, anyway. He simply stood there, looking down at the flowing reddish-orange lava below. He had hair whiter than the snow of Hoth, eyes bluer than the oceans of Manaan, but the strength of the greatest Jedi Knights and Masters the universe had ever known. He was Kojin MacJorn, Jedi Knight and Last Protector of the Republic.

And his foe had arrived…

With a snap-hiss, a blue-white blade of plasma rose upwards and bathed his shadow shrouded face in blue luminescent glow. Kojin turned to face the disfigured foe behind him. Dressed in black and brown senatorial robes was the Emperor himself; the leader of the Galactic Empire; the true face of all that is evil and corrupt in the galaxy. Emperor Palpatine – Darth Sidious – once great ruler of the Galactic Republic… was the true Dark Lord of the Sith. That was going to change and Kojin would see to it.

Or die trying.

"I didn't think you were brave enough to face me yourself, Sidious." Kojin said and lowered his blade. "I thought for sure you'd send your new apprentice to do the dirty work for you."

Sidious cackled darkly, one hand resting at his lips. "Right now, Darth Vader is out there hunting down the rest of you pathetic Jedi. You are the last of your kind, a dying breed. Submit peacefully and I'll spare you from a painful death."

Kojin raised his blade in response and inclined his head. "I'd rather die with the Jedi than become another one of your pawns." Kojin answered and he could see Sidious' eyes flash dangerously. "You manipulated me and the rest of the Jedi Council during the Clone Wars… I will not allow it again. Today is the final stand, Sidious: The Last of the Jedi vs. the Dark Lord of the Sith."

"Why you pathetic ingrate! How dare you! I defeat your great Grand Master Yoda—" Sidious snapped his wrist and a lightsaber fell into his hand. "—and I will defeat you!!" A scarlet red blade flared to life and Sidious charged…

This is what it's like to be Kojin MacJorn, right now:

You stand at one of the Landing Pad, watching the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith raise his blade and prepare to cut you down. Yet, where one should face fear, you embrace it instead. The Jedi Calming techniques fly through your mind and an instant you transform from Kojin MacJorn, simple human of an endless universe to Kojin MacJorn, the Last Jedi Knight and Protector of a the Republic.

You understand that the foe you face has done the unthinkable, the impossible: he has conquered the Jedi Knights, completely and absolutely. A Republic that has stood for twenty-five thousand years fell to his subtle manipulations and even the strongest of the Jedi failed to prevent it. You understand that he is the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith.

And you know that he will be your end. To be Kojin MacJorn right now is to show the universe that the Jedi Knights will not go quietly into the night; that in a time when a race faces extinction, you will not go down without a fight. Twenty-five thousand years of knowledge, history and honor rests upon your shoulders… and you relish within it.

So as the Dark Lord brings his blade down, you carry out the one final option: You fight back.

Kojin's blade flashed and met Sidious' halfway. The sudden force of the blow threw Sidious backwards and sliding across the landing pad on a single knee. Summoning the force to him, Kojin charged forward, threw his blade down, and Good and Evil locked in one final battle to determine the ultimate fate of the universe.

Blue-white energy met angry red in a flurry of fatal slashes and stabs, each blow unable to drive the other back. Anger flooded Sidious' body as he parried Kojin's blade right and brought his in a whirling-slash that the Jedi easily dodged. Sidious moved quickly, avoiding a counter-stab and slashed at Kojin's knees but he seemed to anticipate it and avoided the blow all together.

Stepping forward again, Kojin threw his blade wide, aiming to cleave Sidious in two, but the Dark Lord locked blades with him and then spun away, letting the blade slide harmlessly pass. Only a desperate force push and a painful crash later did Kojin managed to evade Sidious' fatal chop. Once again, Kojin raised his blade and angled it downwards, hand drawn back to his head. Calmness once again took him as he slowly began to back away, watching as Sidious stalked forward.

A sudden clap of thunder echoed above and Sidious charged forward, blade thrown high and brought it crashing down upon Kojin again. Throwing the lightsaber into a high block, Kojin let it slide off and brought it sweeping back around and down towards Sidious' legs. Instead, he met the scarlet rod again and a vicious backhand from the Dark Lord knocked Kojin backwards and through the steel archway.

Scrambling backwards, Kojin quickly rose and drew his blade once more. Still, Sidious stalked forward, lightsaber clutched firmly in both hands and angled back over his head. He looked like an angry bull that was ready to charge in at his prey for the kill. Determined, not to be that prey, Kojin gathered the force to him and stood up, taking the same stance.

For a moment, the two Jedi stood there, sizing one another up. A Sith Lord, consumed by the power of the Darkside, and reveling within all its endless wonders stood face to face with a Jedi Knight, the Last Hope of the galaxy. So immersed in the force was Kojin, even Sidious could see the golden-white aura he was bathed in. But that only seemed to anger the Emperor. This Jedi dared to oppose him, the greatest and most powerful Sith Lord in the galaxy!?

He would have to teach him a lesson in humility, it seemed…

Sidious' blade fell as Kojin's did as they met halfway before sliding apart and striking low. Cloaks flailing, bodies a blur, the sabers struck high and remained there. Blue-white-red lightning snapped around the sabers briefly before they split apart. Again, Kojin met the Emperor's slash with a whirling slash-block and twisted it around over his back, then brought it crashing down upon Sidious once more. Cutting part of the robe apart, the blade cutting a deep scar in the floor as Sidious stepped away, backing through the door and into the hall.

Quickly, Kojin gave pursuit, walking down the hall, blade at his side as Sidious' was a mere foot from his chest. Even in the darkness Sidious could see the eerily calm look on Kojin's face and… it frightened him. How could one be so calm and at ease? Everything was riding on this fight and he was the Emperor! How could he be so damn calm!

Determined to cut that face off, Sidious' plunged his blade but it seemed Kojin had expected it. In a flash, Kojin's rose and pushed Sidious' away but the Dark Lord let the momentum take him into a full spun and once again slashed high. The results were the same as before: a steely block from the Jedi and Sidious' was forced to chop at Kojin's knees again. That, too, was blocked and a fresh wave of anger surged through Sidious' veins. This Jedi… was standing up to him.

The Force was heavy within in the halls as they clashed again. Each one drew heavily upon it, letting it flood their bodies with knowledge of generations past. One drew upon the spite, anger, greed and lust of the galaxy for empowerment while the other… drew upon its tranquility, peace and generosity. One bathed in the dark, the other shinning with the light, it seemed almost equal.

But it was not. With each strike, the darkness flickered and grew smaller while the light seemed to expand. Kojin hacked and slashed, stabbed and cut away at the darkness before him. No longer seeing the Dark Lord, but rather the aura around him… a feeling suddenly hit him: he wanted that darkness dead. That Darkness had done so much damage already; taking away the only hope an already torn galaxy had. How dare it! How could the Darkness even think it could rule the galaxy!?

Then… inexplicably, Kojin's blade cut through Sidious' saber and cleaved the Emperor clean in two. He stood there, watching the fire leave his soulless yellow-red eyes and a look of utter fear replace his damaged figure. Then, with a vicious force push, Sidious fell in half and was thrown into the lava below…

The light… had won.