CT What if Vader had not stopped Luke from striking the Emperor down?

Forgive me if this is already a topic. I think it is, but I can't seem to find a thread for it.

What if Vader had not stopped Luke from striking the Emperor down? (throneroom scene in ROTJ)

Was the Emperor prepared to defend himself in some manner, had Vader not stepped in?

What would have happened to Luke had he succeeded in killing the Emperor? Would that act have sealed his turn to the DS, and his fate as the right hand of Vader at the helm of the galaxy? If so, why would Vader bother to stop the lightsaber slash?

 

I typed the following in response to what I thought you had asked (what if Vader had not stopped the Emperor from killing Luke):

The fate of the galaxy would have been sealed. Luke was the last opportunity for Vader to redeem himself, and if he had failed - excluding the same scenario with Leia (the Rebel Alliance destroyed - the Force would have fallen into indefinite balance. Much like in Harry Potter I believe that one of the main factors which blinded the Emperor from Anakin's redemption was love... something his hate had blinded him to.

He knew Vader would step in however. If Vader hadn't I would assume the Emperor was capable for blasting Luke with lightning at the last second.

If he hadn't I am unsure. Maybe Vader would have been redeemed. If he would have fallen to the Dark Side then the question must also be asked would Mace Windu have also fallen to the Dark Side. I guess however it is implied that he would, indeed, fall to the dark side as per Yoda's wisdom: "If you start down the Dark path forever will it dominate your destiny". But then again Luke struck down Vader with the same 'hate' and he remained a Jedi...

 

I would have to agree to say that Palpatine would attacked Luke in some manner. Palpatine is not one to relinquish power.

 

How would Palpatine have defended himself if Vader hadn't stepped up?

 

Yes, I've wondered that too. Sure, he could have hit Luke with lightning that Luke would have had a hard time with (even with his lightsaber). But he is about half a second from getting hit by Luke's lightsaber when Vader blocks it. It shows he really does trust Vader to defend him without question, which of course shows why Vader is able to take him by surprise later when Vader throws him down the shaft.

 

Yes, good points, my friends. It was certainly a test for Vader as well.

 

I think Palpatine had everything pretty much in hand. He looks frail but he probably would've just did a mid-air barrel roll and started ultra-murdering (again).

Also, Palpatine knew Vader wanted him dead so he could run the galaxy father and son style. It's the way of the Sith, Vader knew the whole "rule of two" thing, I'm sure Palps was prepared to take them both out.

 

Killing the Emperor wasn't the plan of the Sith. Palpatine and Vader were trying to turn Luke to the dark side through his anger via his attachments to the Rebel Alliance and his closest loved ones.

Giving Luke the opportunity to strike down Darth Sidious was just a ploy, one that Vader prevented from happening. If they could boil Luke's anger to that extreme point and have Luke fight, they would have Luke lost in darkness...

 

I don't think Darth Plagueus' plan was to get poisoned in his sleep, but there you are.

It is the Sith plan for the apprentice to kill the master. I think it would've served them (the sith/Vader) much better had Luke cut down the Emperor in hatred, because it would've made him feel good, and he could justify it which would've opened up so many more questions for Luke about the Dark Side.

Also, Luke was way angrier when he was slamming his lightsaber down over and over again until he chopped Vader's hand off. I think THAT was the extreme point, and losing himself in darkness for a moment is what woke him up. Had he cut down the Emperor in one justifiable, and satisfying act he would've gone to the darkness in a more permanent way. How is that not the Sith plan?

 

Palpatine may have killed his master (Plagueis) and become the new master, but that does not necessarily mean that he really subscribes to the rule of two when it comes to himself; I don't think he had any intention of ever letting an apprentice take him down. I think he used these Sith rules and ideas when it benefited him (almost like a sales pitch), but not when it didn't.

 

I don't think any Sith Master planned on having their apprentice take them down, they're sith if you aren't strong enough to kill your master than you don't deserve the position. Becoming strong enough to murder your master is part of the Sith culture, it's their quality control.

Also, Palpatine had a couple force-sensitives as assassins and such (Mara Jade) but they weren't trained as sith but Dark Jedi, so I think Palps was def abiding by the rule of two.

 

In ROTS, during the Vader vs. Obi-Wan fight, they grab eachother's sabers. I think if Palpatine didnt use the force, he would have done that. Also, if you subscribe to the EU, he has clones of himself.

 

He would have put on Vader's helmet and started shooting down Rebel ships.

[God help us, Lawrence Kasdan]

 

In Lucas' world, he would have become an evil spawn. I presume Sidious knew that Vader would save him - or he figured he could work some quick Force magic and save himself - perhaps a little lightning zing. But assuming that turned out to = epic fail and Luke cut Sidious down, I think Vader would not have had his ultimate quandry and instead, begged Luke to join him on the dark side and rule as one. In that scenario, Luke would accept because he, like his father before him, would have tasted the glory of the kill and began his downward spiral (which, like many negative things, runs in the family).

However, what I think would have been a better storyline: Luke kills Sidious and then he and his papa go off and reestablish the Order. Additionally, they would find a means to heal Vader and return him to his Anakin state (let's face it, that was way better looking). With Darth Sidious gone, there would be no reason to hang on to the rule of two, boogie man stuff. The purpose for Vader - and Luke - in the end, was to make the world a better place. Since Vader/Anakin still had that in his heart, it would all be good.

See when GL goes in each reiteration and makes changes, he should do something along these lines...

 

Of course he was. You really think he would have been dumb enough to deliberately leave his life completely in Vader's hands?

I don't know if he would have turned on the spot, but it would have certainly made Vader's job easier.

Because if Vader had not protected his master then Palpatine would have killed Luke on the spot and then done something very nasty to Vader as punishment for his betrayal.

 

No, of course not, Mr. Crankypants. It just seems to me that he cut it pretty darn close.

I'll buy that for a dollar.

 

We've seen in ROTS that Sideous is more than capable of defending himself. He probably would've whipped out his own saber to block Luke.

 

He didn't kill Vader, though; he spared him when he recognised - quite literally - how like Vader he was becoming. Maybe that's how Luke remained a Jedi and thus on the "right side" of The Force.