Despite the fact that his adversaries, and their misguided allies, had always believed the Force to be an ally of those who obeyed it's whims, the Emperor knew that the opposite was true.
While he could not deny that the Jedi were correct in claiming that the Force was in some way's sentient, albeit in a manner that was more akin to an intelligent beast rather than any proper being, the Sith had never seen it as anything more than a tool to help them achieve their ends.
By relying on one's emotions, a skilled practitioner could bend the Force to their will, similar in practice to breaking in a spirited and rebellious Fathier. Difficult, but well worth the effort. And since he had decades of experience in exploring what he could do with his abilities, the Emperor had effortlessly slipped into the meditation technique that his last apprentice had been so found in utilizing.
Rather than connecting with the energies of the universe, Sith Meditation was intended to make its user the central hub of everything that was connect to the currents of the Force. Of course there were limitations to what this could accomplish, the most obvious one being that he couldn't influence those who maintained a rigid discipline to stay in the light, but those were few and far between now.
And through his greatly improved vision, the Dark Lord of the Sith witnessed everything with a contented smirk.
His apprentice as always was doing his best to strengthen the Empire, whether it was through his military might, or as the case was currently, overlooking the training of a peculiar, but nonetheless promising agent.
His most able force blind minion was taking the necessary steps to ensure the successful completion of his ultimate weapon. Already the currents of the future were presenting him a rather delightful image of a no longer committed Imperial scientist and his disloyal wife perishing in some manufactured accident, with their orphaned child flourishing under the care of her properly Imperial caregiver.
But the thing that drew his interest the most was the current confrontation that was happening only a few blocks away between his youthful advisor and a loose end that had previously been too insignificant to properly deal with.
He had always viewed Skywalker's former apprentice as yet another example of the Council's idiocy, for he knew full well the reason why they had decided to give perhaps the most reckless member of their order a padawan learner.
Seriously? Allowing Anakin to develop a meaningful bond with an individual only so he can learn the lesson of letting them go when the time came? It always amused him when his enemies brought about their own destruction without much effort on their part.
To retain his place in the light, Sidious knew that Anakin required strong pillars of support to do so, even if he was constantly exposed to the horrors of war.
The first pillar to go was the death of his mother. For months the boy had been plagued by dreams of his mother's circumstances, only to have them constantly dismissed by the man who tried to force him to be a proper Jedi. And after his sudden rebellion made it clear that it was too late to save the former slave woman, the frustration and anger he felt for being unable to save her had let him to for the first time embrace the darkness that had always been there.
The second pillar was the relationship he enjoyed with his Jedi master, but this in fact was the weakest one. While there had been an undeniable strong bond between them, it's strength largely depended on Anakin's ability to resist the darkness that continued to build within him.
This darkness of course was aided by the strength of his remaining two relationships.
His love for his wife proved to be a double edged sword for the prideful Jedi. For while he would brave the direst of circumstances to rescue the annoying senator, he would also willingly turn to any source of support in order to ensure her safety. And since the Jedi forbade any such attachments, the only avenue of knowledge left open to him was that which was offered by the Dark Side of the Force.
But even his wife's evident demise wouldn't have been enough to push him into the dark if his apprentice was still around to lend support to Kenobi's attempts to force Skywalker to remain in the light.
It had been a rather ingenious plan to remove the young Jedi from her master's side. Frame her for causing the death of a group of innocents. Have the entire order, except her master, turn against her. And to clear her name of all wrong doings moments after the order of execution had been carried out.
Sadly, that last part had been derailed thanks to his underestimation of Anakin's determination, but in the end the result was the same.
The Chosen One lost more faith in the council's ability to protect those he cared about, making him more susceptible to the advice of the grandfatherly like politician who had always been there to listen to his problems.
Tano's survival had presented an interesting problem, since while she was no longer part of the order, she nevertheless possessed the training and teachings of the Jedi, which meant that she was still a threat to what he intended to build.
However, if properly handled, she might still have some use.
Subtly connecting to her through the dark side of the force, for despite her best efforts she still possessed a good amount of anger for what she had been put through, the Emperor had been able to send her a force image of a rather important figure in his inner circle.
He had made sure to implement the truthful idea that the boy was a great asset to the Empire, and that his removal would cause his plans to be slower to implement.
From afar, he had watched the former Jedi sneak her way back to the capital of the Empire, recently renamed Imperial Center, and searched for the most opportune moment to get close to the boy.
Eventually, she had discovered his penchant for engaging in nocturnal activities with young, beautiful non-human women, and taking the place of a rather attractive, if slightly older member of her species, the former Jedi had managed to reach the boy's apartments just as he returned home after a rather productive day in overseeing the training of his new Stormtroopers.
Of course he had ensured that the boy would be in no immediate danger by placing his most trusted agents in a position to intervene should the girl become violent, but they would only move on his order.
Cause afterall, what better way to test a person's commitment to his ideals then by placing them in harms way.
One thing was for certain however. He would enjoy the performance.
…
Knowing full well who was standing before him, and idly wondering why the celibate Jedi Order allowed it's female members to dress in such revealing and form fitting clothes, the boy momentarily ignored the glaring Togruta in favor of flashing an apologetic look at the noticeably irritated Twi'lek.
"Anaha, why don't you take the evening off? It's been rather a long day, and as much I appreciate your willingness to participate in a threesome, I'm afraid that I only have enough energy to admire our new guest".
Doing his best not to cringe as his favorite bedding partner sent him a look that clearly promised that he wouldn't be enjoying her favors for quite some time, the boy waited untll the pissed Twi'lek had left the room before shooting a scowl at the former Jedi.
"I hope you're happy with yourself. I know your former colleagues were a rather chaste group of people, but surely you've heard of the expression 'there is a time and place for everything'? I mean, would have been so hard to do this during the…GRKKK".
Unable to continue his complaint as he was telekinetically thrown into the wall by the now glaring former Jedi, the boy silently thanked his foresight in his selection of cybernetic enhancements as he was forced to listen to the angry accusatory tone of Skywalker's former apprentice.
"I don't care what sick and twisted things you had planned for this evening. All I know is that you better answer every question I ask you. Otherwise you'll find yourself at the wrong end of my lightsaber. Understood".
Though he nodded in acceptance with the former padawan's demand, the boy was already thinking over everything he knew about orange skinned girl.
He knew that like most of the main good guys, she was largely unconcerned with material possessions, which meant that any attempt to placate her with wealth would largely be worthless. She had proven numerous times during the course of the Clone Wars that she was willing to bend the rules of the Jedi Order to get what she wanted, though unlike her master she had never done anything that would have resulted in her immediate expulsion.
So the only option left available to him would be to placate the former Jedi long enough for the Emperor to be aware of his predicament before the fallen Jedi decided to put his defensive enhancements to the test. For he was certain that sooner or later he would either sense something was wrong, or one of his numerous spies would report his situation.
Of course it was highly possible that this was simply a test, for the boy could recall all the no longer cannon missions Sidious sent Vader on to test his connection to the Dark Side, so that meant that he would have to be very careful in what he revealed to the glaring Togruta.
Luckily for him however, while he was certain that the fallen Jedi could detect any attempt on his part to deceive, he was certain that she wouldn't be able to pick up on anything that was half the truth.
Cause as Sidious had proven during his corruption of Anakin, the man never technically lied to him, he just chose to withheld certain pieces of information until the time was right.
"I understand completely. Ask your questions, and I will do my best to answer them".
Receiving a glaring nod of approval from his captor, the boy was somewhat surprised by the first question the non human teenager asked him.
"First off. Who are you? And why do I keep seeing your face in the Force"?
Eye's widening at the last question, both because he realized that the Force was now reacting to his presence, but also because he had no clear way to answer that question, the boy nevertheless did his best to placate the irritated Jedi.
"I'm a…well I guess you could call me a public relations advisor to his majesty Emperor Palaptine. And as for why you keep seeing my face, I'm afraid that I have no clue was to why you are seeing my face in some Force vision. I myself cannot use the Force, so my knowledge of how it works is somewhat lacking compared to a fully trained Jedi".
For a whole minute after his answer, the young Togruta said nothing as she weighed the validity of his answers, which were technically true if one was to view them from a certain point of view. But that reprise was proven short as she showed her reluctance to let the question go.
"Even if you're unable to access the Force, you must have some idea of why I keep getting these visions. Almost every night I see you standing right next to the man responsible for plunging the Galaxy into darkness. And since Palaptine has already revealed himself to be a far greater threat than anyone had dared to imagine, it is highly possible that your rather plain exterior conceals yet another monster".
Frowning at the backhanded insult dealt to his appearance, and sensing that Ashoka wouldn't let this matter drop until she got some more information, the boy decided to offer a suggestion.
"Again, I have no idea of how the Force works, but I might be able to offer you an idea. In these visions of yours, I'm always standing next to the Emperor correct"?
Receiving a heated glare from the girl, who nevertheless slowly nodded his head at his inquriry, the boy provided an answer that would hopefully convince her to switch topics.
"And in these visions, is it the face of the Chancellor you see? Or is it his new…public appearance"?
Seeing the former Jedi narrow her eye's in thought, the boy was somewhat surprised at the answer he received.
"Sometimes it's the face of Palpatine. Other times it's the face of Sidious. Their constantly changing, but your face always stays the same".
Humming in thought, and growing a tad more certain that this was in fact a test set forth by the Emperor, the boy told her his theory.
"Then perhaps it's because the Force believes that my efforts are necessary to ensure that the Emperor governs more humanely. Surely you can recognize that some checks are needed to ensure that the Empire doesn't become as corrupt as the system it replaced"?
As expected, his answer served to increase the confusion of Skywalker's former apprentice, who thankfully seemed quite willing to change the subject instead of believing that a Sith Lord could become a more effective leader than a bunch of corrupted officials who had been elected for the job.
"Do you know what happened to Anakin Skywalker? I'm sure a member of the Emperor's inner circle would be able to learn what happened to the most powerful members of the Jedi Order".
Conceding her point with a nod, and once again deciding to take a page out of a certain manipulative sand dwelling hermit, the boy told her.
"From what I managed to learn, Master Skywalker was one of the few former council members who managed to survive Order 66. I don't know where he is currently, but I do know that Lord Vader is currently keeping him a prisoner, and that the Emperor is most keen on ensuring that he is broken".
Again, another technical truth. For the light of Anakin Skywalker did manage to survive Order 66, even if it was currently smothered by the shadow of Darth Vader, and that the Emperor fully wished for his apprentice to rid himself of any connection to his former life. Though how that would happen with Vader being allowed to raise his daughter into a Sith Lady, he didn't know.
Luckily for him however, unlike the previous questions, Ashoka seemed to be too depressed to seek more clarification on this answer. Which wasn't all that surprising considering her reaction during one of the few descent episodes of the pathetic Rebel series.
"One last question before I decide your fate. And if you know what's good for you, I suggest you think real hard before you answer. Understood"?
…
Steeping his fingers in contemplation as he listened in to his asset's so far successful interrogation session, the Emperor found himself smirking in cruel amusement as Tano spoke her last question.
"The Younglings of the Jedi Temple. Did Order 66 manage to k…to get all of them"?
There was something particularly enjoyable in hearing a Jedi so desperately trying to deny their emotions before being overwhelmed by them. But since he wanted to enjoy the emotional breakdown of yet another Jedi, the Sith Lord used the Dark Side of the Force to encourage the boy to answer the question in its entirety.
He was already quite pleased by how the boy managed to utilize a slightly less refined method of his own way to tell a lie, but since the truth was far more delicious than a lie, he temporary removed his ability to bend the truth.
"No it did not. Though the ones Skywalker failed to protect were swiftly dealt with, their remained a small number who managed to survive Order 66 thanks to the Emperor's personal intervention".
Feeling the rather enjoyable moment of raising Tano's hopes up only to tarnish her unlooked for victory, the Emperor could clearly feel the girl's inner light slowly being overcome by the Dark Side. And since he prided himself on his ability to corrupt some of the most promising lights in the galaxy, he grinned with sadistic pleasure as she asked a question he was certain she didn't want to know.
"What do you mean? Why would the master of the Sith Order want to save Jedi children"?
Deciding that such a question deserved a rather more impressionable answer, the Emperor utilized his command of the Force to convey his commands to his hidden minion, and proceeded to enjoy the show.
…
Even as he opened his mouth to inform the former Jedi of his answer, the boy was prevented from doing so by the unexpected, but no less welcome subject of their latest conversational topic.
"I believe you already know the answer to that lady Tano. But in case it is still unclear to you, the answer stands before you now".
Throwing the female Togruta across the room, where she was soon knocked unconscious before being restrained by 2 black armored troopers, the yellow eyed Pa'un spared the surprised boy a quick look before he pulled out a mini holo projector and bowed his head.
"My lord, the former Jedi has been apprehended, and your advisor has been rescued unharmed. My mission is complete".
Pleased that he had managed to correctly identify the cause for his interrupted evening, though he was uncertain if he would be able to explain to Anaha the cause for her unexpected evening off, the boy remained still as he heard the Emperor praise his pale skinned servant.
"You have done well Grand Inquisitor. Proceed with the next stage of your operation. I eagerly look forward to see how well Skywalker's apprentice will cope with the conditioning process".
Nodding his head in acknowledgment, the former Jedi guardian responded with the only logical answer to his master's commands.
"Yes my lord".
Pleased with his servant's efficiency, the miniature projection of the Emperor turned towards the still silent boy with an oily, if approving smile.
"Congratulations my boy. You have managed to succeed beyond my expectations, even if I did end up helping you towards the end".
Nodding his head to show that he appreciated the Emperor's praise, the boy was uncertain whether he should be grateful at the reward he was being given for passing his test, or nervous at the fact that he was about to once again receive an upgrade.
"Since you've managed to prove yourself capable of operating under pressure, I believe that you've earned some further enhancements to increased your already improved durability. I do suggest you spend the rest of your evening with some amicable company, for I somehow doubt you'll be in any condition to enjoy their…charms for the next little while".
Nodding his head to show his gratitude, as well as to show that he understood that he had little choice, the boy was grateful when the Emperor decided to end the conversation without another word, leaving him alone in a room with a shattered window, and a smirking Inquisitor.
"I do suggest you hurry if you wish to take advantage of the Emperor's generosity my boy. Cause I believe that it will take you quite some time to convince your bedding companion to let you enjoy her favors after her abrupt dismissal".
Accepting the snide advice without any comment, the boy rushed out of the room, completely missing the pensive look that had fallen across the Inquisitor's face as he proceeded to think of ways on how he could convince his buxom Twi'lek companion of his sincerity.
…
ANNNNNNNNND That's another chapter done..Yay LOL.
I confess that I had some difficulty writing this chapter. Not the Emperor scenes…funnily enough I NEVER have issues writing from the view point of a villain lol…but Ashoka…she was tough to do, and still have some doubt that I portrayed her correctly.
Her character….I confess that I am somewhat uncertain of what to think of her since her character always seems to change. Sometimes she's a rebellious brat with clothing issues (Anyone else notice that a celibate Jedi Order allows its female members to wear skin tight, or heavily revealing clothing? I mean come on…a 14 or 15 year old girl is wearing a tube top in a war zone XD) other times she is a calm composed Jedi.
Plus…though I know she makes an appearance AFTER Revenge of the Sith was released….she is one of the reasons why Anakin was easily seduced to the Dark Side. She is the strongest tie Anakin has to the Jedi order (his bond with Obi Wan had weakened due to various events in the war)…and once she's gone…Padme is all that's left, and good ol Sidious is more than happy to take advantage.
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this. Til next time.
As always REVIEW….and Hail the Empire.