[Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Palpatine/Sidious, Plagueis, Bane or any other character or worldspace used in this chapter. They are owned by either LucasArts and/or Disney]

I could feel him lowering his guards. Fool! He was the one who taught me the Rule of Two. I don't even lower my guards for sleep. Soon I'll be the Master...

I crept into his quarters once I was sure he was asleep. Pulling out my little dagger, I crept towards his sleeping form. I looked around. I'd never really been in there. He always trained me in the training room a few halls over.

I was standing over him now. My dagger caught the only bit of light in there. He always preferred an extremely dark room for when he slept. Surprise and stealth attacks will give you the advantage over your opponent, young Sidious. I could still hear his voice teaching me the Sith code:

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.

Learn these words well, my apprentice. One day, you will understand their meaning.

I now understood. It was time to put the Rule of Two into action. Lord Bane, the Sith that introduced this rule for all Sith, said that once the power of the apprentice eclipsed the master, the apprentice would have no choice but to destroy their master. Some took the coward's way out. One such craven was the Lord Malak. Many years ago, as Master Plagueis taught me, Revan and Malak were Jedi. They went to war against the invading Mandalorians against the wishes of the despicable Jedi Council. When the war ended, Revan and Malak became heroes in the Republic. Something happened after that, something that caused both 'heroes of the Republic' to corrupt and become Lords of the Sith. Revan became the Master and Malak the apprentice. It wasn't long before Malak believed he'd outgrown Revan. Afraid that Revan would be able to defeat him in a saber battle, Malak fired on his Master's ship while his Master was distracted by a Jedi team sent to capture him.

I looked down at his oblivious face. I shook my head with disgust. He was the one who was supposed to be careful of himself. Didn't he notice my power outgrowing his?

I raised the dagger to gain momentum. I struck him square in the heart and he opened his eyes in surprise.

"Sidious..." he whispered painfully.

I stabbed again, watching his eyes widen. I could feel his shock and his life pass.

"My chains are broken...The Force shall free me..." he whispered, shutting his eyes. I felt him prepare mentally for death.

Then he was gone. All that was left was his pale and limp form and the blood on my dagger. I wiped the dagger clean with his bed sheets. I glared at his still face. "You held my powers back, didn't you?!" I realised then that he never truly revealed his secret for creating life from nothing. "You coward!"

I attacked his dead form in anger. When I finally saw what I was doing, his body had disappeared. All that was left was the blood on the bed sheets and on my hands.

I kneeled on the floor, dropping my dagger. I shut my eyes and concentrated.

"Peace is a lie...There is only passion." I whispered. "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. I have learnt these words well, my Master. It is time for your night to begin." I stood, leaving the dagger in his quarters and left.