"Luke," said Ben as he approached, "Sheev and Yoda might need your help with Felicity. I'll be along very soon."
Luke nodded and joined the others to free Felicity.
"Who are you?" Luke saw Reva standing at one wall inside the hut.
"A friend." was all she said.
"A fake friend," Felicity added accusingly. "With a fake name, Michella!"
"Oh, so you're the great secretive Michella Lissy has mentioned, the one who never lies."
What did you tell them about me, girl?" Reva rounded on Felicity.
"Don't even!" Luke warned her.
"Ocean says her real name is Reva - something, and that she's an inquisitor who killed and hurt a lot of people."
"Super nova!" Luke exclaimed. "That's the chick who tried to insert herself into Ben's history and screwed with our minds!"
"Reva Sevander," Sheev spoke up, "You have a lot to answer for. Luke, can you manage Felicity? I'll see to Miss Inquisitor Sevander here."
"Sure. Lissy, I'm gonna get you out of here using the force, so you won't be bumped or jarred."
"Ocean,listen, " Ben tried to assure her, "he is going to face consequences this time, now that we know he is actually Palpatine."
The elf could only sob, but even now, she didn't take her eyes off Palpatine.
The sith leared at Ben.
Ben put an arm around the elf. "I know we told you before we had said everything we had to say to him. But after what he's done since, elf, please let us deal with him, and give yourself a break. If you see things going wrong, feel free to take over."
But the sith thought he might get a rise out of them both and deliver a nasty shock. "Oh, really? For your information, I did help Slendy out of his predicament, just as he helped me out of mine when Rey was about to kill me. The wonders of sith magic power. Slendy sleeps mostly, except when I would take him to see Felicity once in a long while. She is almost ready, you know."
Both Ben and Elf glared.
Palpatine shuddered.
Bengave Elf a shake.
She glanced quickly at him in confusion, then resumed watching Palpatine impassively.
"I was going to spring him on you later, but since you are all here, I'll make the most of it." Palpatine gloated.
Ben still looked appalled, but said nothing.
"and if you don't believe me," Palpatine continued, "his summoning bell is inside. It is one of the few things Elfie did not destroy when she came here."
"The only thing that got destroyed is your plan." said the elf, with no sign of shock in her expression.
"I'm going to help the others with Felicity," Ben said. "Elf, stay here with him, and keep him on dry land. Don't wave him. He will answer for his actions."
"Oh, and Reva Sevander too, she's mixed up in this up to her eyeballs."
Ben's jaw dropped. "Don't tell me she forced you into some weird time warp as well."
"No, but she - there's no time to explain."
"Oh, you fools," Palpatine said contemptuously.
Ben ignored his outburst and left.
""I can call that bell to me right now, and give you more than you can handle. Between Reva, myself and Slender Man, your little group won't stand a chance!" Palpatine blustered.
And sure enough, Palpatine did use the force to call the bell to him.
That bell came floating out, past Ben, who frowned and said in frustration, "Criffing force abuse...!"
But the bell had the misfortune to get grabbed by the elf, who held on to it.
"Thank you," she said coolly.
"Criffing elf!" Palpatine exclaimed. "Give me that bell."
"No. It's you who is going to give now." the elf responded in a low, menacing tone. She cast the bell off to the side and moved close enough to Palpatine to take hold of him. She held on to one of his arms tightly with both hands and stared him in the eyes.
Ben joined Luke and Yoda in the cabin to help free the little girl. Sheev had teleporting capability, and Reva could not get away from him. He took her back to the compound and had her incarcerated. He then enlisted the help of Cosima from Mission HQ, to make sure Reva didn't escape..
Back at the hut, Felicity was saying, "I thought he was Anakin. Then just before Elf waved him, he said he was Palpatine. I don't know who he really is. But he is the one that judged me."
"he had us all fooled too, dear," Ben replied regretfully, "he is Palpatine."
"Revealed at last his true identity is." Yoda confirmed.
"He almost killed us." Felicity cried. And Michella. Oh gosh Michella. To think I trusted her with my life." Tears streamed down her face.
"Shh," said Luke, "They didn't succeed, thank the force. You're still here, and we will not let Michella or him get to you again."
"You'll be all right, dear," Ben tried to reassure her, "just don't try to talk or move yet."
They gently freed her legs from the shackles, wrapped her in the blanket that had covered the bed, and carried her away.
"Luke, how about you take her back home, where the medical droids and Leia can look after her?" Ben suggested. "Then, come back for us, and Elf and Palpatine."
Just then, the force-sensitive group froze for a moment at the force disturbance.
"That can't be - " Luke said, open-mouthed.
"Don't ask, just get her back home." Ben said urgently, and hurried back to where Elf and Palpatine were, with Yoda in tow.
As they ran back, they felt the disturbance change as Palpatine's force became weaker, and finally the connection was lost. They could now feel only the Elf's force presence.
"I did tell her not to wave him," Ben said urgently to Yoda, "I didn't tell her not to destroy him by any other method."
"Destroy him, Elf would not if you told her not to wave him. Understand that to mean do not kill him, she would." said Yoda, "Killing is not in her nature unless she thinks there would be certain extreme harm from an attack.
"She doesn't know what she is doing, Yoda, or how dangerous it is."
This time, Palpatine couldn't make the elf let him go. Before he knew what was happening, his vision swam, and he was hit with an immense feeling of being very unwell. Trying to strike back, he put out his free hand to force-drain the elf. That turned out to be of no avail. He gnashed his teeth, trembling violently and staring in terror as second by second, his ability to use the force was taken from him. He couldn't even summon up force lightning against her. His desperate effort to resist her and hold on to what little force he might've had only resulted in tingling and intense pain.
Finally, his body gave out, and convulsed.
Ben and Yoda rushed back to see Palpatine collapsed on the ground, pale as a ghost, eyes rolled back and staring vacantly. The grimace on his features was just turning to slack-jawed. The last bit of streaming force energy coming out of him and toward the elf.
She was kneeling next to him, holding him fast, staring into his face with a look of desperate and fierce concentration.
Ben stooped to grasp her by the shoulder. "Elf!" he called, giving her a gentle shake.
She startled and looked back at Ben, then toward Palpatine again.
"That's enough now, you have drained him of the force and his power." Ben told her.
She looked hopefully at him. "Really?"
Ben nodded.
"That's what I was trying to do."
Ben frowned in concern.
"Do you not see how weak he is?" Yoda asked.
"I thought he was faking, to make me back off." the elf replied, getting slowly to her feet.
"You didn't see the glow of the force stream come out of him and toward you?" Ben asked.
The elf stared back at him. "All I saw was him getting paler and weaker, but he's changed his appearance before."
"Oh that's right!Ben snapped his fingers. "How could you have seen it? I forget you are not force sensitive."
Just then, an offensive odor became noticable, and all three grimaced.
"Eliminations sometimes happen when going unconscious. No, there is nothing fake about this." Ben added.
"Oh, no!" the elf cried out as she drew back, a look of revulsion on her face. "Eww!"
Yoda and Ben studied her reaction for a moment.
She shuddered and put her face in her hand. "I didn't mean to have that happen," she said in dismay, "I was just trying to - "
"Blame you we do not, Elf," Yoda approached her. "But there may be something you can do to help us clean him up before Luke comes back."
Yoda loosened Palpatine's clothes and carried him using the force to the edge of where the waves were still churning. He set Palpatine down into them, but not so they would go over his head.
Ben was heard contacting Luke at the same time. "When you have Felicity seen to, bring a fresh change of clothes for Palpatine."
"Oh, she doused him good." Luke said with a chuckle. "I saw that firsthand.
"Yes, but there's another problem." Ben said, "She has just force-drained him, and - "
"Wait! Elf force-drained Palpatine? Did I hear that right?" Luke exclaimed, incredulous.
"Yes. And that brought about another unexpected situation. When he went unconscious he - well - made a mess of himself."
Luke's exclamation of "You're kidding!" was heard.
Elf hung her head.
Luke burst out laughing.
"It couldn't happen to a nicer man," Ben agreed, grinning.
"I'll be back out to pick you guys up as soon as possible." said Luke, and ended the call while still laughing.
"Now, Elf, there's no need to be so downcast," Ben reassured her, "There should still be bedclothes back in the cabin. Go get them, and we'll wrap Palpatine in them until Luke returns."
Elf straightened up and went wordlessly to the cabin. She went in, and soon came out, carrying a large white bundle.
"Thank you, Elf." Ben said. "Yoda!" he called out, "Is he ready?"
"Almost!" Yoda responded.
Ben took the sheet from Elf, folding it in half as he made his way to where Yoda sat while the force suspended Palpatine in the gentle waves that washed the former emperor clean. The dirty clothes were nowhere to be seen.
"Now." said Yoda, seeing Ben approach.
They spread the sheet out, and Yoda used the force to lie Palpatine on it.
Ben and Yoda wrapped him up in the sheet, and sat, holding him on both their laps as if he was a great baby.
It was in this situation that Palpatine regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked around, dazed and confused at first. He saw no sign of Elf. His confused stare turned quickly to a glare of indignation when he realized he was being held horizontally, wrapped in a sheet that he had no idea how it came to be around him. Worse still, looking down at him were the faces of Ben and Yoda.
Palpatine glowered.
"And how are we this fine day?" Yoda quipped.
"I would like to know," Palpatine demanded, gritting his teeth, "who is responsible for taking away my clothes and putting me in this ridiculous sheet!"
"This ridiculous sheet, as you call it," Ben replied pointedly, "is the one found on your very own bed in that shack. Your clothes have been soiled, so I had Ocean Elf wash them away. Luke is on the way with a fresh suit you can change into once we get back - "
"I did not soil anything, much less one of my suits!" Palpatine retorted, looking even more indignant than anyone could've thought possible. It was a good thing for Ben and Yoda that Palpatine could no longer use the force, or they would have been struck down dead in a flash.
"We are not in the habit of removing people's garnments and wrapping them in sheets for fun." Ben said matter-of-factly.
"When found you in a state, curtecy we showed you, which you do not to those you victimize." Yoda piped up.
Then, an unsettling rumble was heard, followed by a series of great cracking as if some large structure was falling apart. This was followed by a rush of water, and more debris being flung among itself.
Yoda and Ben looked at each other knowingly.
"Oh, no, she can't do that!" Palpatine raged, realizing from the direction and sound what was happening. "Stop that farkling elf, now!"
"Stop her we cannot. Watch her we will." Yoda replied.
Ben and Yoda stood up, and Ben carried Palpatine along through use of the force.
They didn't have too far to go before they found Elf.
She stood, gazing toward the shack, which cracked and moaned as it was being engulfed by a wave.
Stop it, stoopa sleemo schutta!" Palpatine screamed at her.
"As if that would do you any good," Ben responded, rolling his eyes.
All but Palpatine watched in trepidation as the waves pounded relentlessly at the small building.
Palpatine was so filled with rage that he went berserk. Struggling in the sheet, he managed to free one arm, and with it, he waved wildly at the elf. "Stoopa sleemo schutta!" he screamed.
"That will be quite enough!" Ben shook him.
"She is none of those things!" Yoda agreed.
But Palpatine seemed goaded into repeating those insults all the more. Stoopa sleemo schutta!" he bellowed, making all sorts of rude gestures and faces at the elf. "Stoopa sleemo schutta! Stoopa sleemo schutta! Stoopa sleemo schutta!
"Shut up!" Yoda finally shouted at him.
The elf seemed oblivious to all of this, and continued staring intently at the shack's destruction in progress.
Presently, Luke's xwing flew overhead, and landed at a safe distance away from the group and the destruction.
Luke got out and hurried toward the others.
"Stoopa sleemo schutta!" Palpatine continued to shout
"Looks like someone isn't having a good day." Luke quipped as he approached. Then, he looked at what was happening. "Super nova!"
"Stoopa sleemo schutta!" Palpatine screamed.
What finally seemed to break him out of that pattern was the sight of his nice little shack giving way and toppling.
"I'll see that karking elf hanged!" Palpatine roared.
"Your killing days are over!" Luke shot back angrily. "She's only giving you what you deserve!"
"Can you two babysit him for a moment?" Ben asked.
"Palpatine turned to glare at Ben. "You've hungered for this all your life!" he spat.
Ben ignored his outburst and handed him off to Luke.
Then he approached the elf. "That's enough now, Elf," he said, "you can hardly stand up as it is."
"There's at least some of his genetic material in there. It will be destroyed too." She replied firmly.
"Ben and Yoda exchanged baffled looks. She had a point, but she was in overdrive, and it was not good for anyone to operate in that state.
"All right, now, let's - " Ben began to say.
"Not yet...!" Elf insisted.
"Elf - "
"No!" She raised her voice, then looked apologetically at Ben, saying "Not until every last atom of his is gone from here."
"NO!" Palpatine bawled.
Luke, Yoda and Ben watched anxiously as the components of that shack were reduced to their individual parts, then broken up further and further.
But Palpatine saw something else. He saw all of his secret occult items and his cloning materials and supplies, all sources he had stashed there as a last resort for attempted immortalization and power, dashed to bits, then pulverized and churned into nothing. All he could do was glare at the elf through bitter tears of defeat.
The elf stared sternly on as everything was reduced and destroyed, and the water eventually ran clear and shimmering. Then, all began to subside. The elflet her head roll to the side and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Now, it is time to go." Ben said gently but firmly.
"I can manage." Ocean breathed, trying to get free from Ben's steadying arm.. But she wavered, and gasped as she tried to regain her bearings.
"I can see that," Ben said wryly, "at least allow me to help you. What happened has taken a lot out of you."
Ocean wasn't sure if it was exhaustion or serious anxiety that made her feel so shaky, but nodded, letting Ben and Yoda escort her to the spacecraft. She insisted on stopping to pick up the Slender Man bell, which she said she would use to locate and then end him once and for all.
Luke piloted, but he and Yoda loaded Palpatine in first, and Ben and Elf entered last.
Luke got it airborne, and Elf looked out the window at the parcel of land falling away.
Suddenly, there appeared a huge fireball, obliterating it in a spectacular explosion.
"Super nova!" Luke exclaimed.
Then all the bits and pieces of land from the explosion, and the fire itself were submurged beneath the ocean waves.