I don´t own star wars, like I state every time I write something. This short story is inspired by one scene from the novel dark lord.

One strike

It was the same old game all over again.

Palpatine stood before me, guiding me, taunting me, provoking me.

Like he did it the first time, shortly after I was first placed into this armor. Palpatine was standing only a meter before me, unarmed or so it seemed, like he did now. And like now he was asking me if I disagreed with him, if I wasn´t satisfied with my position, if I wanted more.

My lightsaber was only a few centimeters from my hand. I knew this.

The source of the power of the sith was hatred and ambition. For a apprentice, the quintessence of his own position was based on the balance between loyalty to his master, born out of respect for the greater knowledge in the dark side he possessed and the wish to overtrow him and take his place.

A apprentice needed to hate his master. At least to a certain agree.

Palpatine wasn´t making any attempt to secure himself or get into a safer position. I knew this too.

It would be against the rules of this game. He wouldn´t make any try to defend himself before I made a move.

He asked me if I wanted to kill him.

Of course I wanted.

He had started the clone wars, he had devastated the galaxy.

He had been manipulating me for years. I have never forgotten this.

I knew only one strike would be enough. He was directly before me, made no attempt to defend himself or to walk away. One strike and all the victims of the clone wars would be avanged, all his other victims and myself too. I would be free and Padme would finally find her peace.

One strike and I would be the master and I could bring this galaxy true peace and security.

All this could be if I was fast enough. If I was or better if the force allowed me to be fast enough.

Everything you ever wanted can be yours, Vader thought to himself. All you needed to do was kill.

That was exactly the way he got me in the first place. The sith master Darth Sidious and the politician Palpatine. They were from the beginning only two sides of the same medaille.

It had been so easy. Kill the jedi, who were blind and corrupt, who held the galaxy back and were a threat to the peace.

And a threat to you and Padme. They wouldn´t have done anything to help her and let her die. Just like they had let my mother die, Vader thought hateful.

Then kill the separatist leader, who had started the war in the first place.

And finally kill Palpatine. The master mind of the war, who stood behind the separatists from the beginning.

But things went wrong. I lost Padme and my plan was underbroken before I could realise the final phase.

Before I could kill Palpatine.

Since then I worked to finish what I started. I know how powerful the sith master is. Even if he acts completely helpless, he might still manage to evade my blade.

To kill him, I would need the full strength the dark side of the force had to offer. He knew that, like I do.

That was it what this entire test was about. Sidious wanted me to realize my full potential in the dark side. For that aim he was even willing to risk his own life.

The principle was simple. Should I try to kill him, actually try it, I would grow stronger in the dark side. He would have a better, more powerful apprentice and as a side effect, he would have proofed his own right to be the master.

We would both knew that Palpatine is still stronger and deserves to be master.

If I, on the other hand, succeeded in killing him, I would have proofed myself to be his worthy successor. And under this circumstances, Palpatine was even willing to accept his death.

I would have shown that I am stronger.

Behind my facade, under the surface is a power hidden that could crush Palpatine and everything and everyone else in my way. My full potential.

I can feel it deep inside of me, waiting to get out. But I was never able to realise it, because my mind was never completely pure.

All I have to do is give myself completely to the dark side. Give the last bit of resistance up and hate with my full being.

And then concentrate this hate at the man before me.

The empire, the galaxy would be mine, as Palpatine´s rightful successor. All the power in the galaxy would belong to me.

I would be the ultimate being. The most powerful sith who had ever existed.

And for that being, Palpatine was willing to surrender his throne and his life. At least if it couldn´t be avoided. But no sith would miss this chance to unleash this power.

It was a silent agreement between us. All I needed was take the weapon and strike him down with all my hate.

But did I truly want this?

If I did, I would be the master, in control of everything. Till now everything what happened in the empire was in the end on Palpatine´s authority. All the killings and atrocities were ultimately his doing.

But if I killed him all this blood would from now on be alone on my hands. All the terrible things in the empire that had to be done for the greater good.

Maybe a small part of me was glad to have Palpatine in the position, he was in. Palpatine, who was in charge, Palpatine who took the responsibility, who was at fault for everything.

Even if I hated this part of myself.

One thing was clear. If I killed him I would grow stronger in the dark side than ever before and that forever.

I felt that my hand was on the weapon, but something held me back.

Deep inside the last bit of light that was left was crying, Anakin Skywalker. It did everything to stop Vader.

Deep down, he knew that killing the emperor in this moment and under this circumstances would destroy the last bit of the light side in him and there would be no way back.

I took his hand from my lightsaber. Then I bowed to my master, turned around and left.

cc

Palpatine looked after him. His expression was showing something close to sadness.

It was closer this time than ever before, Palpatine thought.

He asked himself if Vader would ever bring himself to break through this last barrier and he wondered if he would survive it.

End