Beep—beep——!
The alert for an incoming communication echoed through the cabin of the shuttle, shattering the silence.
Darth Vader sat in the shadows of the cabin, his black armor appearing particularly grim under the dim lighting. His breathing was deep and rhythmic, and the gaze beneath his mask was profound and unfathomable.
After waiting a moment, Darth Vader slowly raised his hand and accepted the communication.
Immediately, a holographic image of an Imperial officer appeared before him.
The officer in the image wore a standard Imperial uniform. He looked tense, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Lord Vader!" the officer hurriedly spoke the moment the image appeared, his tone tinged with panic and reverence. "His Majesty the Emperor requests that your fleet immediately return to its assigned position and sector. Coruscant's defenses do not require reinforcement, and—"
However, before the officer could finish his sentence, Darth Vader waved his hand, and the hologram instantly vanished as the communication was forcibly cut off.
Silence once again fell over the cabin, broken only by the sound of Vader's breathing lingering in the air.
At that moment, Darth Vader stood up, his black cape falling behind him like the dark of night, as if merging with the shadows of the cabin.
He stepped toward the rear of the shuttle, then raised his hand, the mechanical fingers lightly touching the control panel of the hatch. With a low hum, the door began to open slowly.
Whoo—!!
In an instant, a violent gust of air howled through the narrow opening, wildly tearing through the air within the cabin.
The sudden shift in temperature, combined with the swirling airflow, produced a hazy mist spilling outward.
Yet Darth Vader stood unmoved, like a towering mountain. His cape flapped violently in the wind, but it could not shake him in the slightest.
His eyes, hidden behind the mask, coldly observed the scene outside the hatch, as if this raging wind were nothing more than insignificant dust.
As the hatch fully opened and the pressure equalized, the scene outside came clearly into view.
High above Coruscant, the skyline resembled an endless steel forest. Countless massive structures pierced the clouds like the arms of giants reaching for the sky.
Between these buildings, hovering vehicles and starfighters darted about like swarms of bees, leaving behind vibrant trails of light, like blood coursing through veins.
In the distance, the sunset cast its golden rays across the metallic surfaces, reflecting dazzling brilliance, as if an unspoken grand feast was underway.
However, this majestic view did not hold Vader's gaze for even a moment.
His eyes swept downward, then turned to the swiftly approaching TIE fighters.
These fighters, part of Coruscant's local defense forces, moved like hunting raptors, quickly surrounding Vader's formation.
Their wings gleamed with a cold light, their engines roared through the air, and the pilots had clearly received orders to forcibly "take over" escort authority and guide the Lambda-class shuttle to a designated landing zone.
Seeing this, the elite stormtroopers who had been seated quickly stood and gathered behind Darth Vader.
But Vader lightly raised his hand, signaling his subordinates not to be alarmed. After all, his presence alone was like an invisible barrier, making those fighters too fearful to act rashly.
In the skies, Darth Vader's silhouette appeared particularly aloof.
He both blended with the steel forest and stood apart from it.
Beneath his mask, his gaze pierced through layers of cloud, fixed far into the distance, as if gazing at an unknown fate. The wind outside still howled, as though heralding the coming storm.
At a time when the Galactic Empire was beset on all sides, Darth Vader suddenly led a fleet to Coruscant and refused to engage with Imperial officers. This act was like a thunderbolt thrown into the highest echelons of the Empire.
Coruscant, the political and military core of the Galactic Empire, was now enveloped in a tense atmosphere.
The towering mega-structures cast long shadows under the sunset's glow, hinting at an uncertain future for the Empire.
Vader's fleet, like a black storm cloud, approached Coruscant's orbit, not docking through standard procedures with the city's command center, but instead directly occupying key strategic points in orbit.
Officers attempted to contact the fleet, but all communication requests were coldly rejected. This unusual behavior only made the already volatile situation more confusing.
Even though the various layers of Coruscant's society couldn't grasp the details or truly comprehend the Sith Lord's intent, the shockwave was immediate.
Opinions about Vader's move were divided.
Some believed it was a silent protest against the Empire's incompetent leadership.
In recent years, under the dictatorship of Emperor Palpatine, the Empire's rule had become increasingly corrupt and bureaucratic, frequently losing battles against various resistance groups. Not to mention the sudden emergence of a mysterious Human Empire from nowhere.
As a symbolic figure of the Galactic Empire, Vader may have become deeply dissatisfied with the Emperor's governance.
His arrival might be a move to reassert his own authority—or even a warning aimed directly at the Emperor himself.
Others, who believed in the Force, thought Vader's actions were closely tied to a personal mission.
As a wielder of the Dark Side, his actions were often guided by the Force. He may have sensed a potential threat or foresaw a pivotal turning point that compelled him to come to Coruscant personally.
Coruscant was not only the political center but also a vital nexus of Force energy.
Vader's arrival could be part of a secret plan aligned with Sith doctrine, using the resources here to accomplish something momentous.
As for Vader himself, his inner thoughts were not as complicated as the outside world imagined.
His goal was simple and direct—to personally kill the Emperor of the Galactic Empire, his former "master," Sheev Palpatine.
The fate of the Empire and the conflicts of the galaxy were fleeting matters to him.
The Empire was besieged and unable to resist the rise of the Human Empire—what did any of that matter to him?
Right now, he had only one thing in his eyes: to end Palpatine's rule and put an end to the long-standing master-apprentice feud.
Vader was indeed ambitious, but not reckless.
He understood well that with his current power on the Dark Side, a direct confrontation with Palpatine might at best result in a stalemate. Killing him with a single blow was impossible.
Therefore, he chose patience—enduring and accumulating strength for more than a decade, his patience like a venomous serpent lurking in the darkness, waiting for a fatal strike.
However, everything changed after his clash with Blood Raven Captain Gabriel Angelos.
That battle made him realize his strength had not yet reached its peak, and he had witnessed extraordinary powers from other universes.
Though he had led his loyal fleet to retreat from Scarif, the memory of that battle haunted him.
Even more unsettling was that ever since then, whispers had constantly emerged in his mind, as if some ancient, mysterious force was calling out to him.
"Immerse yourself in the sea of knowledge, child,"
"All life thrives, understand the essence of existence,"
"Only by feeding flesh can one ascend,"
"Kill, kill all those you hate," and so on.
These whispers were sometimes clear, sometimes faint, as if coming from a distant void, or perhaps from deep within himself.
They carried an irresistible allure, guiding him toward an unknown path.
Vader knew these whispers were no illusion—they were hints from some kind of power.
They seemed to tell him that true power was not only about anger and hatred from the Dark Side but required deeper "insight" and "breakthrough."
Vader's inner resolve began to waver.
He once believed the Dark Side was his only home, but now, these whispers showed him another possibility.
He began to doubt whether he truly understood the essence of power, whether he had truly mastered all the secrets of the Dark Side.
This doubt made Vader uneasy, but also excited.
Because if he could unravel the secrets of those whispers, he would gain power beyond Palpatine—and beyond all others.
At that time, he would no longer need patience, no longer need to wait. He would end it all with his own hands and become the true master of the galaxy!
Thus, under the temptation of those mysterious whispers and after witnessing so-called "psychic powers," Darth Vader initiated a "special military" operation.
While the Empire deployed its main forces to outer sectors to counter the combined assault of the Human Empire and the Rebel Alliance, Vader quietly summoned his loyal followers hidden across the galaxy.
These followers, loyal as shadows in the dark, gathered silently. At the same time, he absorbed the leaderless fleet left behind after the Battle of Scarif, reorganizing it under his direct command.
Vader acted swiftly and decisively, leading this massive fleet directly to Coruscant—the core of the Galactic Empire and the lair of Sheev Palpatine.
His goal was clear: since these mysterious forces from other universes were luring him, he would use them to become stronger.
And ultimately, he would personally end Palpatine's reign and settle their long-entangled master-apprentice feud.
In fact, when Vader first heard the whispers, he had already discerned their nature.
He knew this power had something to offer him—perhaps his soul, perhaps his body, or perhaps something deeper.
But no matter what it was, it was a path to greater strength.
And he, Darth Vader, had absolute confidence in withstanding any backlash.
His will was as indestructible as steel, his ambition as unfathomable as an abyss. He believed that no matter the cost, he could maintain control and emerge as the ultimate victor.
At this moment—
The formation led by the Lambda-class shuttle continued toward the most prosperous, central district of Coruscant, and the palace of Sheev Palpatine—that towering structure symbolizing the Empire's supreme power—was already in sight.
Just as the formation was about to break through the final line of defense unscathed, the TIE fighter squad tasked with interception suddenly altered their flight pattern.
They swarmed together like bees, the weapons beneath their wings glowing with a deadly light, clearly receiving new orders from above: stop Darth Vader's advance at all costs.
However—
Whoosh—BOOMBOOMBOOM——!!!
Before the TIE fighters could launch their attack, a barrage of high-powered beams rained down from above, instantly tearing through the sky.
The beams struck the surrounding area, instantly turning the space into a sea of fire.
Explosions burst into the air, searing energy ravaged the atmosphere, as if to reduce everything to ashes.
!!!
The sudden orbital bombardment threw the TIE pilots into chaos.
Their communication channels were flooded with panicked screams and garbled orders, but it was all futile. The orbital firepower descended like divine wrath, destroying everything—life, buildings, all of it.
Prepared in advance, Darth Vader showed no mercy. Beneath his mask, he coldly observed the panicked fighters.
He then slowly raised his hand and made a gripping motion.
Boom. Boom!
In that instant, the Force surged like an invisible giant hand, crushing hundreds of TIE fighters into twisted lumps of metal.
The air was filled with the screech of warping metal, followed by deafening explosions. Flames and smoke wove a canvas of destruction, with debris raining down into Coruscant's endless chasms below.
Vader moved with calm cruelty, as if all this were a mere wave of the hand.
This "special military operation" was not merely about breaching a defense line—it was a clear message to Palpatine: He, Darth Vader, was no longer a puppet to be manipulated at will.
Soon—
Under the protection of the Force, the fleet successfully broke through the final defense and landed steadily on the Imperial Palace plaza.
And Vader stepped out from the shadow of the Lambda shuttle.
Even before that, numerous transport vessels had pierced the atmosphere, landing nearly in sync with the shuttle, like a carefully orchestrated invasion.
Step, step!
The synchronized footsteps echoed across the plaza, blending with the erupting gunfire from all over Coruscant, forming a chaotic yet solemn symphony.
Tens of thousands of elite stormtroopers poured out of the transports, their white armor dazzling in the firelight.
The soldiers quickly formed units and advanced toward the various entrances of the palace, moving swiftly and in perfect order.
And in the center of the plaza, surrounded by a hundred stormtroopers, Darth Vader strode forward with steady steps toward Palpatine's location.
His figure loomed tall in the fire and smoke, every step carrying an unstoppable momentum, as if silently declaring that the final chapter of this power struggle had already begun.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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