Striding through the corridors with all the grace of a stealthy predator, Palpatine glanced in amusement at his silent companion before deciding to once again subject him to a test to determine his resolve.
"I sense that something is weighing on your mind my boy. Hopefully it has nothing to do with our upcoming meeting"?
Shaking his head at the Sith Lord's inquiry, and knowing that it was pointless for him to conceal anything from the yellow eyed force user, the boy told him.
"Not at all your majesty. I'm just pondering some of the things we went over after Mon Mothma's execution, and quite frankly, I'm somewhat confused by some of your decisions".
Raising a non existent eyebrow at the pensive looking boy, the Emperor sent a subtle mental probe at his youthful advisor, and had to keep himself from cackling as he voiced the source for the boy's discomfort.
"You're referring to what I have planned for that pitiful speck of a planet, and the fate of the young Skywalker. Aren't you"?
Slowly nodding his head, and suspecting that his benefactor wanted to know the reasons for his hesitance, the boy kept his tone respectful as he voiced his concerns.
"It's just that it seems like a bit of a waste. I mean I could care less what happens to the rest of the planet, its mostly populated by gangsters and bounty hunters anyway, but killing off Lu….I mean Skywalker, when other options are available, seems a bit…wasteful in my opinion".
Giving a non committal hum at the boy's protest, Palpatine shot a sidelong glance at the slightly nervous boy before he decided to see just how far this protest went.
"And how is killing off a potential threat to my power wasteful? You yourself has said that the boy would bring about the end of my Empire, and as I'm sure your aware, I am most willing to do whatever it takes to secure my own power".
Gulping nervously at the implied threat, and trusting in his knowledge about how the Sith operated to keep himself shock free, the boy continued on.
"I'm aware of that your majesty, but it appears to me that since you've taken great efforts to cripple any resistance to your rule, then the destiny that Skywalker would have taken is no longer valid. Once you remove Kenobi from the picture, there's nothing to prevent you from swooping in, and training him to serve you. And besides, you've already given your blessing for Lord Vader to train his daughter once she's grown up. What's to stop him from using her power to supplant you? It's the only way in his current state that he can assume the mantle of master, and like it or not, he'll probably do all that he can to keep her from being completely loyal to you".
Having come to the same conclusion himself, and pleased to see that the boy's loyalty was strong enough to inform him of this foreseeable threat, the Emperor decided to change the topic with something that was equally important to him.
"You are correct my boy. Despite his infirmities, Lord Vader nevertheless possesses the same ambitions as every Sith Lord that has come before him. And I admit that allied with his child, my apprentice would pose a credible threat to my position, but fortunately I possess 2 options on how to properly utilize his unclaimed offspring".
Relieved that he hadn't ended up on the wrong side of a lightning blast, the boy held his tongue as the Emperor proceeded to explain just what he had in mind for the young Skywalker.
"The first option I believe you are familiar with. Though his hubris proved to be his undoing, Maul was not only an efficient tool in my hand, but also an incredibly loyal one until his demise at the hands of Kenobi. Though it will be somewhat of an annoyance to train another apprentice from child hood, if the young Skywalker manages to survive the training, he will be a most useful tool in my arsenal once Vader decides to openly declare his treachery. Don't you agree"?
His mind going over the details of Maul's tenure as a Sith Apprentice before his popularity with Star War fans caused him to be revived, the boy couldn't see any problem with that particular method. Though he felt that he had to make something clear so that it wouldn't back fire on the aging Sith Lord.
"That could work, but I recommend that during his early years, you tone down the brutality of his training. You want him to be loyal to you and you alone, and the best way to do that is to foster a father son relationship during his childhood. Once that bond has been establish, you can start delving into the darker aspects of his training, but you should always stress that your only doing it so he can reach his full potential".
Accepting the advice with nod, for in truth it was similar in principle to how he had cultivated his relationship with his current apprentice, the Emperor allowed a slight frown to mar his melted features as he thought about his former apprentice.
Such a waste of effort as it turned out. But then again, Maul had been trained like the Sith Lords that had preceded the teachings of Darth Bane. He had been denied the teachings that would have allowed him to become a true threat to his power, instead focusing on the more physical aspects of Sith training.
But this by itself would be insufficient to bring the Jedi Order to its knees. For as impressive as his battle prowess was, he still was only one light saber against 10,000.
Only long term planning could have achieved the final goal of the Sith, and he sincerely doubted that Maul could ever gain the necessary patience to bring this plan to fruition, despite his change in attitude during the years of his exile.
Dismissing thoughts of his former apprentice with a shake of his head, and seeing that they had arrived at their destination, the Emperor turned towards his youthful advisor with a warning expression.
"We will have to continue this conversation another time my young friend. For now, you are to remain silent unless I say otherwise. Understood"?
Though somewhat confused by the sudden warning, the Boy nevertheless nodded his head to show that he would comply with the order before the Emperor entered the room with all of his usual grand standing.
"Gentlemen, I'm pleased to see that you are all to discuss matters that are of the utmost importance to the stability of the Empire. But firstly, I would like to devote our attention to a series of events that are happening outside our Empire. Colonel Yularen, you may begin your report".
Bowing his head towards the Supreme Ruler of the galaxy, the former admiral began his report.
...
Apologies for shortness of chapter...but currently suffering from writers block/my imagination is focused elsewhere/affected by school work.
So to keep you all happy...here ya go :)
Enjoy