"Father and Son"
By EsmeAmelia
AN: Thanks as always for reviewing!
Chapter 14
As the weeks passed, the story of Darth Plagueis kept popping unwillingly into Anakin's head, persisting like a chore he was procrastinating. At first he tried to ignore it. It was a myth, a legend - it was very likely complete fiction, though something inside Anakin kept telling him otherwise. Soon he gave up trying to ignore it and simply let it exist in his mind without himself doing anything with it. After a while he discovered that odd things seemed to happen when he thought of the story. The story seemed to give him an strange sense of peace. He kept the story in his mind when he spent time with his wife, when he played with his son, and it reminded him that he could be happy with them instead of being afraid of their fates.
He even told Han the story once, changing names and details so as not to make it sound like a Sith story, and being sure to tell it when Padme was out of the room. To Anakin's disappointment, Han didn't seem too interested in the story. His only question after hearing it was, "Did it really happen?" to which Anakin had no answer.
Then the Jedi found that he didn't suffer the nightmares if he thought of the story before going to sleep. Night after night it played in his head like a lullaby, soothing him, as if the father he never had were telling him a bedtime story.
Maybe it was the father he never had.
No father...he had no father. It was something he'd known for as far back as he could remember, something he couldn't recall ever questioning before, something he'd always accepted as a fact of his existence. Conceived by the midichlorians, Qui-Gon had said so long ago...but how? Darth Plagueis had to have lived a long time ago...he couldn't have created Anakin...could he?
Could he?
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting fruitlessly for a message, the Jedi finally got word that Obi-Wan had located General Grievous, and they sent Anakin to deliver the news to Palpatine. His first specific spying assignment. His real hand sweated as he made his way nearer and nearer to Palpatine's office. The chancellor would give up his power - he would...so why was he trembling?
The chancellor rose from his seat the instant Anakin entered, as if the Jedi were an expected guest. His eyebrows straightened at the sight of his visitor, his lips curling, making Anakin almost wonder if he knew exactly what was about to happen.
"Chancellor," he began in a voice softer than he intended, "I bring news from Master Kenobi."
"Anakin," Palpatine said in a nearly monotone manner, "what sort of news?" His eyebrows straightened, as if he were a teacher and Anakin was a student who had gotten an unexpected bad grade.
Anakin inhaled deeply through his nose. "He has engaged General Grievous. Right as we speak he is in the midst of an attack."
Palpatine didn't smile - he merely stretched his lips horizontally for a moment, as if considering the merit of this revelation. "Excellent," he said in a tone lower than his usual voice. "Now we can bring an end to the fighting." He walked across the carpet with long strides, getting closer to Anakin. "I should call a special session of the senate at once."
The surprisingly casual tone in the chancellor's voice suddenly made Anakin wary, though he wasn't sure why.
"Something's troubling you, Anakin," Palpatine continued, his voice even, giving a statement rather than a question. "Are you disappointed that it's your master who ends the war instead of you?"
Anakin's stomach flinched, but he refused to let it show in his face. "No...not really."
By now Palpatine was directly in front of the Jedi, staring into his eyes. "Come Anakin, you can trust me. You've always been able to tell me anything."
"Have I?" Anakin said softly.
"Of course." Palpatine was striding past Anakin, driving the young Jedi to follow him down the carpeted floor, pausing in front of a large painting. "Anakin, ever since I've known you, you have been seeking a life beyond that of an ordinary Jedi. A life...of significance." He put his hand on Anakin's shoulder, driving his bony fingers into his skin. "The Jedi don't trust you, do they? Because they know that you could be more powerful than they could ever dream of being. They're afraid of you."
"Chancellor, I..."
Palpatine gave his fatherly smile, deflecting any further words the Jedi might have had. "By the way, how is that little boy?"
Anakin suddenly felt faint. He might have stumbled if it weren't for the chancellor's persistent gaze fixed on him. "Wh-wh...what little boy?"
Palpatine clasped his hands, as if pleased with a new discovery. "Come come Anakin, let's not pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about. It must be difficult for him, knowing he's going to lose his mother."
All moisture drained out of Anakin's throat. His lips parted an inch apart and froze, only his labored breathing able to escape them. Palpatine's words seemed to be swirling in his mind without himself able to grasp them, like a fading dream of which he was fruitlessly attempting to remember the details.
The older man's voice remained gentle, giving no notice to Anakin's silence or his shocked expression. "You know it doesn't have to be this way, don't you? Anakin, let me show you the many layers and subtleties of the Force. It could help you."
"How...how do you know about the Force?" Anakin whispered.
Palpatine's smile grew almost unnaturally wide. "My mentor taught me everything about the Force...even the nature of the dark side."
"Y-you...you know the dark side?"
Palptaine wrapped his arm around the younger man like a father. "Anakin, to truly understand the Force, one must embrace all its elements. To become a great leader, you must gain...a larger perspective, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi." His fingers stroked Anakin's shoulder with a tenderness that lacked warmth. "You know the Force is capable of more than the Jedi want you to find out...I know you do."
Anakin's world was blurring, his senses numbed, the only clear image being that of the chancellor slipping his hand off the Jedi's shoulder and beginning to circle him like an animal about to attack his prey.
"Your wife will die," Palpatine declared, his voice growing deeper, more like a growl. "Your son will be taken away. This is the future, you know this...unless you do something to alter it."
Anakin's legs shook as if they were about to cave in and send the body to the ground. "H-h-h-how...how do you know...how can you possibly know..."
Palpatine held out his hand. "Come with me, Anakin. Learn the dark side of the Force, discover its power. The power to save your wife from certain death."
Anakin stood frozen for several moments, nearly forgetting he had a body, so intense was his shock. The only movement his subconscious was capable of making was his mechanical hand inching across his torso, finding its way to his belt, but once his metal fingers brushed his lightsaber, a bolt of life shot through him, granting him the ability to activate the saber and point it at the chancellor.
"You're the Sith lord," he snarled.
Palpatine didn't shudder, didn't flinch, didn't move at all. "Your love for your family is strong, Anakin, and yet the Jedi discourage it. Why do you still believe you must follow them?" His fatherly smile spread across his face. "I beg you, for the sake of your family, don't fall for their lies."
Anakin kept the blade pointed at the chancellor's neck, though it seemed like his insides were crumbling. He could slice Palpatine's head off right now...he should...but why couldn't he move?
The chancellor slowly rotated his body, turning around until the back of his head faced the Jedi, as if inviting Anakin to run the saber through him. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked simply and calmly.
"I would very much like to," Anakin shouted, though part of him doubted the truthfulness of that statement.
"I know you would," Palpatine hissed softly. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you powerful."
Sweat was tricking down Anakin's face, with him lacking the strength to wipe it off. He kept his eyes focused on the back of Palpatine's head, but even without facing him, it felt as if the chancellor were staring at him, urging him on with something...but what?
"You have the power to save Padme," Palpatine stated. "Isn't it your duty to use it?"
Anakin's lungs emptied as he reflexively deactivated his lightsaber. He slowly stepped backward, his breath coming out in small jolts."I...I-I...I'm going to..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself sprinting out of the room.