"Lord Vader, is there anything you want to tell me?" Vader tried to disguise the deep breath he took before he said: "No, Master. Not yet. I still don't fully understand it." Sidious gave an annoyed sigh. "Pity. Well then ..." His yellow eyes darted to meet the blank black of Vader's mask, as it they were searching for something. His master was very suspicious, Vader could tell. But he wouldn't do anything about it. Not yet. Sidious was a patient man. He preferred to stay low and wait for his prey to run directly into his claws. He simply did nothing, at least nothing obvious, until his opponents became careless. And then he attacked.
Vader knew his master well. His attitude hadn't changed too much since he revealed his true identity to the galaxy. And Palpatine had always been like a father to Anakin, so of course Vader knew Sidious. And he knew that he had to be extremely careful. Padmé looked anxious, but determined. Sidious couldn't harm her, but she would make sure he didn't harm Anakin. Or Vader. The two were melted together to a point where she couldn't differ. But she loved Anakin too much to let this fact drive her away. Sidious interrupted her musings. "You said you wanted me to teach you. Or shall I say, you commanded me to teach you? Therefore I shall teach you the first rule for a Sith apprentice. You will always oblige and not question your master. Are we clear?" Vader bowed. "Of course, my master. I apologize and beg for your mercy."
"I will show mercy. This time. Question me again and you will learn about the full extend of my rage. But you were right. It is my duty to teach you, to make sure my knowledge will be conserved. I assume you are aware of the Jedi Code. Utter nonsense. Forget it. Far more important and powerful is the Sith Code." He got up from his throne. His presence was overpowering. The pillars lining the room seemed to bow to him. Even Vader lowered his head. Only Padmé remained perfectly straight and upright. The Emperor began to speak and every one of his words pounded through Vader's veins and echoed through his mind. "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." Vader felt it. He felt the power of the Code. He felt the truth in the words. Curious about her opinion, he threw a quick glance to Padmé. She looked unsure of what to think.
Sidious gave a satisfied smile as he felt the effect his words had ob his apprentice. He lowered himself onto his throne again. "You may be wondering, Darth Vader, why there are only the two of us even if there were so many Jedi. Well, you killed my old apprentice, on my order. I needed a new one, and I wanted you." "I – I killed your former apprentice? When? Where? Who was it?" Vader was surprised. Sidious smiled. "It wasn't long ago, on Grievous's flagship. You were saving me." The realization hit Vader like the blade of a lightsaber. "It was Dooku?" "Count Dooku is the name you and most of the galaxy knew him by. But to me, he was Darth Tyranus. He wasn't my first apprentice. Before him, I had Darth Maul, who was a good student. Before Obi-Wan Kenobi killed him. Maul proved himself to be unworthy because he wasn't able to stand his own against a mere Padawan. So, these two have failed." "I understand, master. But are there any other master-and-apprentice-duos in the galaxy?"
"No. And the reason for that is almost as important as the Code. One of my predecessors as Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Bane, created the Rule of Two. He defeated the Brotherhood of Darkness, which was weak because they were all equal. With the Rule of Two, he made sure the Sith would only be strengthened. An apprentice can only become Dark Lord of the Sith by killing his master. A weak apprentice wouldn't be able to do so. That's how the line remains strong. Always remember the Rule of Two, Lord Vader. And that's everything I'm going to teach you today. You may come back tomorrow." Vader nodded slowly, overwhelmed. He left the throne room, still lost in thought. His concentration on the Sith Code and the Rule of Two was so strong he didn't notice Padmé frantically trying to get his attention. It was only back in his meditation chamber, where he spent most of his time because he was able to take his mask off, that she succeeded. "What is it, Angel?" She looked terrified. "You-you-you can't seriously consider living by this Code! And the Rule of Two is just-just-just unnatural!"
