Bad Apple
The Chosen One is not the Slave, but the Senator. What would it take to bring down a champion of democracy and justice in the Galactic Republic? Inspired by a post on Tumblr by dancingloki, giving an outline of what it would be like for Padmé to fall to the Dark Side rather than Anakin. Also inspired by "Bad Apple!" from the Touhou Project. Bad Apple lyrics at the bottom of this chapter.
Author's Note: Special Thanks to dancingloki, who made the Tumblr post, seriously, the story outline is amazing. And yes, I loved my Dark Side playthrough of Knights of the Old Republic. Being bad was so fun, and had the coolest ending.
Chapter One: Latent Talent
The blaster feels good in her hands, too good, Padmé knew this was what she had to do.
She kept her blaster trained on Nute Gunray. She wanted to make him pay for making her people suffer. They died because of him, herded into camps like animals. She could pull the trigger, but Gunray wouldn't be able to explain himself to the Senate if he was dead.
She recalls the feeling of leading her men into battle, to control their fate sand achieve victory, she sees her enemies break into pieces and she feels satisfied, they're the enemy, they attacked her, they deserved to be destroyed, it clashes with her pacifism but it's justified, her righteous indignation and anger.
Captain Panaka informed her that the Federation's Droid Control Ship had exploded.
She felt elated, this was her victory, and tastes sweet, she enjoys it, more than she should, she's supposed to be a pacifist, but there's something about victory that fills her with elation.
"I have terrible news, Your Highness, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn perished in the battle at the hands of the Sith."
"He was a hero, and a good man, I admired him," she glanced over at Obi-Wan and Anakin who had arrived.
She approached them, they bowed respect.
"Are you all right?" she asked them, not as the Queen of Naboo, but as their friend.
"We will be," Obi-Wan replied, "I thank you for your concern."
That evening, they prepared Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral.
Padmé stared at the burning body of the Jedi. She heard Obi-Wan and Anakin speaking.
"Master, are you all right?" Anakin asked.
"Yes, Anakin, remember there is no death, there is the Force," Obi-Wan told him, "But I will miss him."
"I Know Master," Anakin stared at the pyre.
Mace Windu glanced over at Master Yoda, "There's no doubt, the mysterious warrior was a Sith."
"Always two there are, a Master and an Apprentice," Yoda was deep in thought. Why had they resurfaced and which one had they destroyed.
Palpatine stares at the pyre; his face is still and unreadable.
The next day is a celebration of their victory and the alliance with the Gungans, Jar Jar dismounts clumsily and Padmé laughs. The crowd cheers for her and the joy of victory is something she savors.
But deep down inside, in the back of her mind, Padmé knows that the shadow that has stalked her will never truly leave; it's the light around her that keeps it at bay.
Padmé arrived on Coruscant, to consult her mentor and friend, the newly appointed Chancellor Palplatine. She hoped that with his election, the Republic would change for the better.
"At least now our people can have peace," Padmé commented. She'd worked so hard for it, and finally, the Trade Federation was gone. Her people were free.
"Peace is a lie, there's only the pretense of peace and the ambitions and passions of schemers," Palpatine explained. "If you want to survive in the galaxy, it's the first thing you must learn as a politician."
"The democratic process in the Republic is a sham, a shell game played on the voters. It will not be long before the cult of greed, called the Republic, will lose even the pretext of democracy and freedom," Palpatine told her matter-of-factly.
"How do we stop it?" Padmé asked.
"It's all a game my dear, and you must learn to win, you and I are good people, we have noble goals, you must do whatever it takes, make sacrifices, because others won't understand, they're too narrow minded. Compromises are a necessary part of getting things done."
"I've done everything I can do, and it still wasn't enough," Padmé sighed.
"As Queen, you could do much more...as Senator, I can think of no one better to take my seat," Palpatine smiled, his warmth was something Padmé was grateful for.
"Here, have a drink," Palpatine offered her some water.
Reached out for the glass, much to her surprise, it moved, just a few centimeters, towards her hand.
"What was that?" she asked, astonished.
Chancellor Palpatine seems surprised, "Surely my old eyes have deceived me, Your Highness. I have seen Jedi do such things."
"They are very noble and admirable, Qui-Gon Jinn was a great Jedi Master," Amidala commented.
"I know," Palpatine agreed, "He's a hero to you."
Sidious had been enraged when Valorum sent a team of three Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-wan Kenobi and his Apprentice, Anakin Skywalker to negotiate with the Trade Federation.
They rescued her from the blockade and flew to Coruscant, where she addressed the Senate, only to be shot down and ignored; she'd called for Chancellor's resignation. She had returned and fought back against the Trade Federation, destroying their Droid Control Ship.
Padmé finished drinking the water and took her leave of her mentor and friend.
"I have somewhere to go," she told him.
She returned to her quarters on Couscant. She found Sabé
"I have some business to attend to, privately, please take my place, I will return soon."
"Your Highness, where are you going?" Sabé inquired curiously.
"The Jedi Temple," Padmé replied. "Please don't tell anyone, I will return in a few hours."
Padmé had a taxi speeder take her to the Jedi Temple; she approached the large building apprehensively.
Pull yourself together Padmé, you're just satisfying your curiosity.
She entered the building, to her surprise, she saw Master Yoda, the Jedi seemed to be waiting for her.
"Your Highness, good to see you it is," Yoda greeted her.
"Master Yoda, I…wish to be tested," Padmé informed him.
"Request to be trained do you?"
"I have always felt that I have been different from others, and there are the dreams…"
Master Yoda beckoned her to follow him and she was led to the Jedi Council chambers. The other council members seem surprised to see her.
"Close your eyes," Mace Windu instructed.
Padmé did as they instructed.
"Reach out with your senses," Master Windu continued. "What do you see?"
He held a datapad with images that only he could see.
"A ship…a cup…a speeder," Padmé replied, the images were as real to her as if her eyes were open.
"How feel you?" Yoda asked.
"Fine," she replied.
"Afraid are you?" Yoda continued to prod.
"No Master Yoda."
"Your thoughts dwell on the Republic," Ki-Adi Mundi added.
"I am concerned for the future of the Republic and the democracy it stands for."
"Afraid to lose it are you?" Yoda's tone put Padmé on edge.
"What's that got to do with anything?" she asked, surprised by the question.
"Everything," Yoda replied. "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you."
She was ushered out and they conferred among themselves. They called her in a short time later.
"You have great potential, Your Highness, but you cannot be trained," Mace Windu told her.
Padmé was a politician and hid her disappointment behind a mask of indifference.
"Might I ask why that is?"
"You are too old, the Jedi Order trains Jedi from when they are very young and you are a politician, others would question your motives."
"I only want to help people, that is all I have ever wanted," her explanation is clear. She doesn't care about the power and prestige that comes with being a Jedi, as a Jedi she could do more than simply negotiate, she could make a difference and help in more ways than any shortsighted politician.
"We cannot make exceptions, not even for someone with your potential," Mace told her.
"I thank you for your time, Master Windu," Padmé thanked him, bowing formally. She walked out of the Jedi Temple, she decided to talk to Palpatine, no one else would understand her frustrations, he always understood her.
She arrived at his office and announced herself, Palpatine smiled, delighted to see her.
"Padmé, I assume you're here on unofficial business as you gave your civilian name rather than your formal title. What's on your mind?"
"I went to the Jedi Council to be tested, they said I have potential but I'm too old," she sighed. "My life could be so…different; I could do more for people as a Jedi than as a Senator. Think about it, resolving conflict is their life."
"Indeed, but the Jedi are short-sighted, too stuck in their ways to see that change is a good thing, they could use someone with your ideals in the Order. But don't feel bad, it's their loss."
"Still…I wish I could learn more, about the Force, about their ways, is that wrong?" Padmé glanced over at him.
Palpatine smiled at her, "No, of course not, curiosity is always good, knowledge is power and power is a good thing in the hands of good people like you."
He walked over to his bookshelf. He removed a book from it, he handed it to her.
"Since you're so curious about the Force, I thought perhaps you would enjoy reading about it," he handed her the book, it was Sith lore, she'd read it of course, to satisfy her curiosity, because that was how must Jedi fell, they were curious and he knew that the Sith were the true seekers of knowledge. The Jedi forbade curiosity, and it would be their downfall, it always was.
"Where would you get something like this?" Padmé inquired.
"I'm a wealthy eccentric, collecting books became my hobby after I became too old for speeder races."
"You a racer, our Supreme Chancellor," she laughed mirthfully at the thought of him racing around on a speeder. "You don't seem like the sort to do that."
"I was quite a troublemaker in my youth, but please, don't feel you have to be so formal around me, we are friends after all. If you ever need anything, please come speak to me. I will do whatever I can to help you."
"Are you sure it's all right for me to borrow this?" Padmé accepted the book gratefully. She'd made a good choice in studying under him when she was preparing to run for the position of Queen, he was a good man and he was very wise and knowledgeable in everything. And he was always there for her when she needed him.
"Of course, just return it to me when you're finished."
"Thank you, I'll return it, just like you found it," Padmé tucked it away and bowing formally, she departed, returning to her quarters.
Palpatine watched her leave, mulling over the events of the past week. He was still seething over the loss of his Apprentice, Lord Maul. Still, he would need a replacement, the Skywalker boy, he had potential, but how he'd not noticed her, how the Jedi had not noticed her, shocked him.
Padmé's Force sensitivity was apparent, he'd never given a thought to her, because she was a politician, but she was powerful, her potential was beyond anything he'd sensed, but she was an idealist, and genuinely good, it disgusted him.
He would make her his Apprentice, it would take time, and he would use her political position to aid him in laying the foundations for his rise to power, she needed a mentor, a teacher to guide her through the tangled mess of politics, he'd teach her to play the game and how to obtain victory.
He already started planting the seeds in her head by persuading her to call for a vote of no confidence in Valorum. She truly believed in her ideals, and he could tweak her ideals to suit his needs.
Padmé had always admired the Jedi, he could twist that admiration to hatred, she'd been disappointed that they would never train her because she was too old, giving her the tome of forbidden Sith lore played on her curiosity and intelligence, after all, it was just a book to her, she wasn't a practitioner, Jedi or Sith.
Her thirst for knowledge would plant the seeds for her lust for power and he would offer her that, and then she would listen to him even more, and he would ensure her loyalty to him.
He smiled, she would be a great asset to him, both politically and as an Apprentice, all he had to do was bide his time and be patient and as a Sith, he had excellent patience, they'd waited 1,000 years to bring down the Jedi, he would wait four or five more.
Padmé poured over the book with interest, sure it wasn't exactly the Jedi philosophy, but it was a fascinating contrast to it. The parallels and differences, they could be studied in the finest schools in the galaxy, philosophers could debate these things for hours. Why would the Jedi suppress a differing point of view when it didn't seem so "evil"?
At least, that's what her rational side told her, but she remembered Darth Maul and the hatred in his eyes, but the philosophy she was reading and what she'd seen seemed to contradict each other.
It spoke of freedom, that the Force itself was freedom, wasn't that a good thing? Why shouldn't she learn more about the ways of the Force if it means she can bring freedom to others? The Jedi's limits on who could join the order seemed too rigid, there could be so many more of them if they would let others in, especially people who wanted to good.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion
Through passion, I gain strength
Through strength, I gain power
Through power, I gain victory
Through victory, my chains are broken
The Force shall free me"
Padmé glanced down at the book, it was fascinating, she'd heard it was supposedly a Sith philosophy, the Sith like Darth Maul who had murdered Qui-Gon, but still, she maintained her interest in the tome, it was always good to know your enemy, right? It wasn't like she was a Force user who could do the extraordinary, they said she had great potential, but she was too old, they wouldn't grant her an exception and politicians would gossip, saying that her interest in becoming a Jedi was to wield political power.
Padmé fascinated by the philosophy of the book, and there was nothing wrong with indulging one's curiosity, nothing wrong at all.
Ever on and on I continue circling
With nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony
Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing
And suddenly I see that I can't break free—I'm
Slipping through the cracks of a dark eternity
With nothing but my pain and the paralyzing agony
To tell me who I am, who I was
Uncertainty enveloping my mind
Till I can't break free, and
Maybe it's a dream; maybe nothing else is real
But it wouldn't mean a thing if I told you how I feel
So I'm tired of all the pain, of the misery inside
And I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night
You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go
But I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know
If I make another move there'll be no more turning back
Because everything will change, and it all will fade to black
Will tomorrow ever come? Will I make it through the night?
Will there ever be a place for the broken in the light?
Am I hurting? Am I sad? Should I stay, or should I go?
I've forgotten how to tell. Did I ever even know?
Can I take another step? I've done everything I can
All the people that I see I will never understand
If I find a way to change, if I step into the light
Then I'll never be the same, and it all will fade to white
Ever on and on I continue circling
With nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony
Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing
And suddenly I see that I can't break free—I'm
Slipping through the cracks of a dark eternity
With nothing but my pain and the paralyzing agony
To tell me who I am, who I was
Uncertainty enveloping my mind
Till I can't break free, and
Maybe it's a dream; maybe nothing else is real
But it wouldn't mean a thing if I told you how I feel
So I'm tired of all the pain, of the misery inside
And I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night
You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go
But I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know
If I make another move there'll be no more turning back
Because everything will change, and it all will fade to black
If I make another move, if I take another step
Then it all would fall apart. There'd be nothing of me left
If I'm crying in the wind, if I'm crying in the night
Will there ever be a way? Will my heart return to white?
Can you tell me who you are? Can you tell me where I am?
I've forgotten how to see; I've forgotten if I can
If I opened up my eyes there'd be no more going back
'Cause I'd throw it all away, and it all would fade to black
"Bad Apple!" —Touhou Project, Game four: Lotus Land Story