Title: Tales of the Sith, Chapter Two
Author: Jonathan Evans
Author email: noggins@btinternet.com
Republic Saga Homepage: http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/republicsaga
Summary: The consequences of the summoning are revealed as Palpatine
begins to act strangely and another mysterious death occurs...
TALES OF THE SITH:
CHAPTER TWO
By Jonathan Evans
All things considered, the funeral went pretty well. It
was mainly a quiet, family affair but Sara had insisted
that Palpatine came along. She needed the support desperately.
The death of her brother hit her harder than it did most
of the others. She was there when it all happened. Hell,
she may have been the one who caused it. It really was
breaking her apart.
During all of this Palpatine remained oddly calm. On the
starship back to Naboo from Gerrin and Sara's home planet
of Caprioril he said nothing to his friend until she
finally broke the silence. "I wish Troi had been able to
come. I know Gerrin would have wanted him there."
Palpatine nodded. "He still can't come out of the hospital.
It's like he's trapped within himself," he stated matter-of-
factly. Truth be told, he really didn't care about Troi.
He was the oldest of their group and took this as meaning
he was the one in charge. Only Gerrin could see the potential
leadership qualities in Palpatine, Sara was too caught up
doing whatever the hell she could with the man who was
currently on the verge of being a vegetable. Anything right
now could tip him over the edge.
"Mom tried to make me stay home," Sara continued sadly.
"She doesn't think I should start working until I've got
over Gerrin's death. Try as I like I'll never do that."
Palpatine glanced out of the window, not looking at the
girl he was talking to. "Best to take your mind off it.
It's the only way to survive."
As he glanced out of the starscape something seemed to be
in the distance heading towards them at an almost dangerous
speed. As it got closer it started to glow red until it
started to show the features of a face. A Sith's face. It
hit the side of the starship and Palpatine jumped into the
air with shock. He looked around to see everyone staring
at him as if he was mad. "Uh, nothing wrong. Just a bit
of space sickness..."
Some comments were made as he settled back into his seat.
Sara looked at him and was obiviously worried. "Are you
okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. I just saw something out of the window.
It scared me."
"We're travelling in hyperspace, Palp. I doubt there's
anything else in here." She paused. "It's starting to
affect you isn't?"
Palpatine look startled. How could she know what was
going on inside him? Was she suffering in the same way?
"What... what's affecting me?"
"Gerrin," Sara began. "How it's... our fault." She started
to cry and Palpatine did the only thing he could think of.
He put his arm around her and held her as tight as he
could. "Sshh. It's not our fault. We weren't to know what
would happen. We weren't supposed to know it would actually
work."
Sara couldn't say anything else, her voice was drowned by
the sobs that uncontrollably left her. Palpatine just
stroked her hair. A voice boomed from the loudspeaker.
"We are now leaving hyperspace. Prepare for entry into
the Naboo system."
The lights outside changed from long streaks of white
on a black backdrop to a more round and precise shape as
the vessel began to slow down to a halt. Someone behind
Palpatine and Sara began to vomit on re-entry into
normalspace but all of the other passengers seemed
unaffected.
As the aisle filled with people from dozens of different
races, Palpatine helped his friend to her feet and
guided her to the exit. He was too concerned about her
to realise how much he was shaking.
* * * * * * * *
Troi sat in the white padded room, rocking on his toes while
his arms were wrapped around his folded knees. He muttered
apologies to himself, something he hadn't stopped doing
since Gerrin's death. The only time he would rest was when
the doctor's were forced to sedate him.
The door to the cell opened with a whoosh and one of the
staff entered. "Troi, you have a visitor..." The young
man looked up blankly. "I'm sorry," he murmoured. "Oh Gods,
I'm so sorry." Palaptine came into the room but there
seemed to be no recognition. He walked slowly to his
friend and sat down. He motioned to the doctor to close the
door.
Once they were alone Palpatine spoke. "We just got back
from Gerrin's funeral. It was quiet. Everyone paid their
respects. It's quite amusing, you know... how they all
think it was a fire in the dorm. But we know different,
don't we?"
"Forgive me..." Troi said to no one in particular, his voice
shaking with each syllable. "Please..."
"If only it was that easy, Troi," Palpatine replied knowing
he wasn't the target of the plea. "Sara's in such a state.
She doesn't know what to think. At least you have insanity
to dampen your grief but I won't let you. You should see
things as clearly as I can."
With a wave of his hand in front of Troi's eyes, the twenty-
thee year old suddenly came to life. He looked at Palpatine
knowing exactly what he just did. The life came back to his
eyes but rather than joy all that could be seen was pure
panic. "We did it!" he exclaimed. "We did it!"
"*You* did it," Palpatine corrected. "You convinced us it
would all be fun. *You* are the one who killed Gerrin."
"No! It was the Sith!" Troi said as sweat started pouring
from his forehead. "You know that, don't you?"
"I really wish it was you who'd been hit in the blast. I
liked Gerrin. You were... are... a fool who's gone deeper
than they should have."
"You don't really think that?"
Palpatine frowned as he started to get more and more angry.
"You don't know what I think! Not even I do anymore. My
mind is just full of anger and, somewhere deep beneath it,
great power. Power I will now demonstrate."
Troi backed himself into a corner as Palpatine stood and
walked towards him slowly. "There's no need to call the
security," he whispered.
"There's no need to call security," Troi repeated as
the earge to do just that disappeared in an instant.
"When they let you out of here, which they will very soon,
you are going to get the first blaster you find and use
it on yourself. Rid the world of the menace you have
created."
"Get blaster... use it on myself..."
"Exactly."
With that Palpatine called to the guard to let him leave.
Troi just watched him go, dumbstruck by his cure and at
the same time filled with sheer guilt.
* * * * * * * *
Palpatine retired to his new dorm. All of the arrangements
for his new move had been made while he was away and, despite
not liking the decor of the room, he was now allowed to
stay here alone.
He took out the book of the Sith which had survived the
explosion, powered, no doubt, by the dark energies that
emminated from it. Flicking to the correct page he started
the summoning that the four friends had only two weeks
before. He chanted alone and the Sith spirit emerged from
a fire that wasn't there before the young man started
speaking the dark words.
Al-Grageth looked down on his new student. "You are
welcome here Palpatine, son of Ruk," his voice boomed.
"You have fulfilled the task I gave you?"
"Yes, master," he bowed. "Troi will be dead the moment
he leaves the hospital."
"Good... No one disturbs my slumber without paying dearly.
Still, it was not such as waste. I found you, did I not?"
Palpatine nodded. "That you did. My will is yours from
the moment you entered my soul."
The ancient Sith spirit would have smiled if not for the
evil ghostly armour that covered his entire body. "That
I know. But I have a further mission for you. On the planet
Korriban there is the only living Sith Lord in the galaxy.
With his apprentice he is waiting for the day when we
will reveal ourselves once more. You are to destroy the
apprentice and take his place at his master's side. You
are the One, young Palpatine. The blood of Bane flows
through your veins. Go..."
The Sith disappeared into the fire which eventually faded
into non-existance leaving Palpatine the only one left in
the room. He got to his feet and smiled. "But there is one
more thing I must deal with."
* * * * * * * *
Sara sat in her new sleeping quarters. The principle was
understanding enough to realise she needed company during
this traumatic time but right now her room-mate was out
on the town, what little town there was in Theed. She
had received a communication from Troi saying he
had been let out and was coming to see her. That was nearly
two hours ago.
When the door chimed she leapt to her feet and commanded
that it open. Without even looking to see who it was
she wrapped her arms around the visitor and kissed him
deeply. "Gods, I missed you..." her voice trailed off when
she realised she had just kissed Palpatine. "Oh!" she
almost squeaked. "I thought you were Troi! I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Palpatine smiled as he walked her back to the
bed she was sitting on and took a place next to her. "I
heard Troi was going to be here too and I really wanted
to see him."
"Well," Sara said blushing. "I was hoping we'd be able
to have some time to ourselves."
"I hardly think he's in any condition to do anything like
that. Last I heard he was a gibbering wreck. He may have
a a fast recovery but it'll take more than this before
he's fighting fit again." Palpatine winked and smiled.
"Oh, not that! I just wanted to talk to him. He missed
seeing us take Gerrin away and I really wanted him there.
I know it's too late now but we need to talk everything
over..."
"I was just as much a part of it. I should be there when
anything's discussed," Palpatine argued. He waited eagerly
for the communication about Troi's fate with anticipation.
Sara shook her head. "What I mean is what this will do to
what I have with Troi. You know, where our relationship
stands..."
Just on scedule Sara's personal comm-link activated. A
computer's voice was heard. "Message for Sara Prefil. D
you accept?" The girl replied "yes" and the image of the
university principle appeared from the holograph projector
on the table. "I have some rather disturbing news. Would
you like to come to my office?" Sara's eyes turned to
Palpatine who looked just as shocked as she was, something
he'd perfected on the way to her dorm.
* * * * * * * *
Palpatine waited outside the office just as he'd promised.
During it a voice was heard clearly in his mind. Al-Grageth
called him from beyond the grave. "Palpatine, your scheme
is most devious. Do away with those who are a threat to
you. Two are now gone, a third will be soon, no doubt."
The young student was able to speak telepathically, a skill
he never knew he had. "I don't intend to kill Sara. I just
want her to... suffer."
The voice continued, this time it was angry at its new-found
apprentice. "You have feelings for her? That is not acceptible.
The ways of the Sith do not allow for anything of this sort.
Prove yourself and destroy her or suffer a similar, but more
painful fate."
"You can't do that to me," Palpatine thought. "You're not
even alive."
Suddenly, sparks of electricity spread over his body, knocking
him to the floor where he writhed in agony. Thankfully no one
was walking passed during all of this encounter or they would
have feared for Palpatine's sanity. The pain subsided and
the would-be Sith managed to crawl back to his seat. He was
seething with anger at his treatment. "You can't do that to
me," he thought as loudly as he could. "I will destroy you!"
"You cannot harm me, young Palpatine, but you can use your
anger on another."
With that the door opened and Sara ran out in tears, straight
passed her friend. Palpatine tried to speak with Al-Grageth
but the spirit no longer resided in his mind. He ran after
Sara as fast as he could until he finally caught up with
her. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It's Troi," she sobbed. "He's dead."
"What? How? I heard he was going to be let out? He'd recovered!"
"He... he..." Sara broke down again and wailed at the top
of her voice. For the second time that day, Palpatine held
her. He noticed the smell of her hair, how soft it felt
against his skin. He couldn't kill her. He just couldn't.
"Tell me," he said quietly.
"They say he killed himself. He stole a blaster from someone
at a cantina. He used it on himself before they caught up
with him." Tears flowed freely from her open eyes. "What have
I done? It's all my fault. Everyone around me is dying."
"I'm not dying, believe me. I intend to live a long life and
no hocus pocus is going to stop that."
Her arms fell from around him and she turned away. "But it's
still my fault. If I didn't bring that medallion none of this
would have worked. The items wouldn't have been complete..."
"It's not your fault, Sara," Palpatine said, trying to get
ahold of her again but she pulled away.
"Then who's is it? Troi's? Are you blaming Troi?"
"It was his idea..."
"I refuse to hear you say that! You're the one who brought
the book! You're the one who saved me when I should have
died! It's you! You're the key!"
"NO!"
He never knew he could speak with such ferocity. He knocked
Sara aside and her head hit the wall. She fell to the floor,
blood coming from the side of her head. She looked up to
see something new in her friend's eyes. The only time she'd
ever seen anything like it was when they summoned the Sith.
Only his eyes were as penetrating as these. "It... it is
you. The Jedi... the Jedi... I must warn..."
She was lifted into the air by an invisible force. Palpatine
raised his arm and started to close his fist. Sara began to
feel her throat tightening. "I was going to spare you. I didn't
want to do this but my master ordered me. I could have let you
go but not now. Not if the Jedi will be involved." His hand
grew tighter leaving Sara unable to speak. She was close to
passing out when he stopped and turned away. "Go. Run. Get
away before I can catch you..."
Sara looked up from her position on the floor panic-stricken.
She was shaking all over. Palpatine span around and this
time his eyes were not only full of hate but flames were
visible in them. "GO!"
The girl got onto her feet and ran as fast as she could,
stumbling as she went. Palpatine screamed with rage as
Al-Grageth's voice pounded his brain to mush. He didn't
want to do this. He couldn't. He had to contain the feelings
that were fighting to be released. "Do it!" The Sith hissed.
"Destroy her and your journey to the Dark Side will be easy.
She will contact the Jedi. She will reveal us before it is
time. Destroy her..."
With a loud yell Palpatine let all of the rage that had been
building up in his entire life. The losses and disappointments
of his childhood, the cruelty of his family who considered him
a runt who should never have been born, the academic failure
that almost lost his place here... everything came out and
there was only one way to stop it. Kill Sara...
* * * * * * * *
Sara ran back to the only place that she knew was safe - her
room. She closed the door behind her and locked it with
every security seal available to students and sat in the
corner. How could this be happening to her. It just
didn't seem possible. First her brother died, then Troi
went mad and now Palpatine was insistent on killing her.
Not for the first time that day she broke down and cried.
The door slid open despite the lockout procedures. Palpatine
entered with a smile on his face. "I have a lot of anger
in me, Sara. I must be rid of it."
Reaching for the nearest object, Sara grabbed an alarm clock
and threw it at the deranged student coming closer to her.
He knocked it aside before it was even a metre in front of
him. She tried again, this time with a ceremonial knife from
her planet that she kept in a nearby drawer. With the most
powerful and accurate throw she could muster, it lauched
right at Palpatine's chest. He held his hand out and the
blade went right through. "You cannot hurt me. The power
of the Sith flows through me. I don't want to do this, truly
I don't, but I must..."
Sara watched as all of the fight she had left in her disappeared.
Palpatine stepped slowly towards her, his hand outstretched.
Lightening came from his fingertips and covered her entire
body. She convulsed dramatically as she no longer had any
control over her body and finally she just gave up. Everything
went black and her body slumped to the floor.
His fingers sizzled with pure energy as his former friend's
body was drained of all life. Palpatine stood amazed at what
he did. He had killed. Al-Grageth was right. After the first
time it would be easy. All that was left now was a trip to
Korriban. There a new era in the history of the Sith would be
born.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
Author: Jonathan Evans
Author email: noggins@btinternet.com
Republic Saga Homepage: http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/republicsaga
Summary: The consequences of the summoning are revealed as Palpatine
begins to act strangely and another mysterious death occurs...
TALES OF THE SITH:
CHAPTER TWO
By Jonathan Evans
All things considered, the funeral went pretty well. It
was mainly a quiet, family affair but Sara had insisted
that Palpatine came along. She needed the support desperately.
The death of her brother hit her harder than it did most
of the others. She was there when it all happened. Hell,
she may have been the one who caused it. It really was
breaking her apart.
During all of this Palpatine remained oddly calm. On the
starship back to Naboo from Gerrin and Sara's home planet
of Caprioril he said nothing to his friend until she
finally broke the silence. "I wish Troi had been able to
come. I know Gerrin would have wanted him there."
Palpatine nodded. "He still can't come out of the hospital.
It's like he's trapped within himself," he stated matter-of-
factly. Truth be told, he really didn't care about Troi.
He was the oldest of their group and took this as meaning
he was the one in charge. Only Gerrin could see the potential
leadership qualities in Palpatine, Sara was too caught up
doing whatever the hell she could with the man who was
currently on the verge of being a vegetable. Anything right
now could tip him over the edge.
"Mom tried to make me stay home," Sara continued sadly.
"She doesn't think I should start working until I've got
over Gerrin's death. Try as I like I'll never do that."
Palpatine glanced out of the window, not looking at the
girl he was talking to. "Best to take your mind off it.
It's the only way to survive."
As he glanced out of the starscape something seemed to be
in the distance heading towards them at an almost dangerous
speed. As it got closer it started to glow red until it
started to show the features of a face. A Sith's face. It
hit the side of the starship and Palpatine jumped into the
air with shock. He looked around to see everyone staring
at him as if he was mad. "Uh, nothing wrong. Just a bit
of space sickness..."
Some comments were made as he settled back into his seat.
Sara looked at him and was obiviously worried. "Are you
okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. I just saw something out of the window.
It scared me."
"We're travelling in hyperspace, Palp. I doubt there's
anything else in here." She paused. "It's starting to
affect you isn't?"
Palpatine look startled. How could she know what was
going on inside him? Was she suffering in the same way?
"What... what's affecting me?"
"Gerrin," Sara began. "How it's... our fault." She started
to cry and Palpatine did the only thing he could think of.
He put his arm around her and held her as tight as he
could. "Sshh. It's not our fault. We weren't to know what
would happen. We weren't supposed to know it would actually
work."
Sara couldn't say anything else, her voice was drowned by
the sobs that uncontrollably left her. Palpatine just
stroked her hair. A voice boomed from the loudspeaker.
"We are now leaving hyperspace. Prepare for entry into
the Naboo system."
The lights outside changed from long streaks of white
on a black backdrop to a more round and precise shape as
the vessel began to slow down to a halt. Someone behind
Palpatine and Sara began to vomit on re-entry into
normalspace but all of the other passengers seemed
unaffected.
As the aisle filled with people from dozens of different
races, Palpatine helped his friend to her feet and
guided her to the exit. He was too concerned about her
to realise how much he was shaking.
* * * * * * * *
Troi sat in the white padded room, rocking on his toes while
his arms were wrapped around his folded knees. He muttered
apologies to himself, something he hadn't stopped doing
since Gerrin's death. The only time he would rest was when
the doctor's were forced to sedate him.
The door to the cell opened with a whoosh and one of the
staff entered. "Troi, you have a visitor..." The young
man looked up blankly. "I'm sorry," he murmoured. "Oh Gods,
I'm so sorry." Palaptine came into the room but there
seemed to be no recognition. He walked slowly to his
friend and sat down. He motioned to the doctor to close the
door.
Once they were alone Palpatine spoke. "We just got back
from Gerrin's funeral. It was quiet. Everyone paid their
respects. It's quite amusing, you know... how they all
think it was a fire in the dorm. But we know different,
don't we?"
"Forgive me..." Troi said to no one in particular, his voice
shaking with each syllable. "Please..."
"If only it was that easy, Troi," Palpatine replied knowing
he wasn't the target of the plea. "Sara's in such a state.
She doesn't know what to think. At least you have insanity
to dampen your grief but I won't let you. You should see
things as clearly as I can."
With a wave of his hand in front of Troi's eyes, the twenty-
thee year old suddenly came to life. He looked at Palpatine
knowing exactly what he just did. The life came back to his
eyes but rather than joy all that could be seen was pure
panic. "We did it!" he exclaimed. "We did it!"
"*You* did it," Palpatine corrected. "You convinced us it
would all be fun. *You* are the one who killed Gerrin."
"No! It was the Sith!" Troi said as sweat started pouring
from his forehead. "You know that, don't you?"
"I really wish it was you who'd been hit in the blast. I
liked Gerrin. You were... are... a fool who's gone deeper
than they should have."
"You don't really think that?"
Palpatine frowned as he started to get more and more angry.
"You don't know what I think! Not even I do anymore. My
mind is just full of anger and, somewhere deep beneath it,
great power. Power I will now demonstrate."
Troi backed himself into a corner as Palpatine stood and
walked towards him slowly. "There's no need to call the
security," he whispered.
"There's no need to call security," Troi repeated as
the earge to do just that disappeared in an instant.
"When they let you out of here, which they will very soon,
you are going to get the first blaster you find and use
it on yourself. Rid the world of the menace you have
created."
"Get blaster... use it on myself..."
"Exactly."
With that Palpatine called to the guard to let him leave.
Troi just watched him go, dumbstruck by his cure and at
the same time filled with sheer guilt.
* * * * * * * *
Palpatine retired to his new dorm. All of the arrangements
for his new move had been made while he was away and, despite
not liking the decor of the room, he was now allowed to
stay here alone.
He took out the book of the Sith which had survived the
explosion, powered, no doubt, by the dark energies that
emminated from it. Flicking to the correct page he started
the summoning that the four friends had only two weeks
before. He chanted alone and the Sith spirit emerged from
a fire that wasn't there before the young man started
speaking the dark words.
Al-Grageth looked down on his new student. "You are
welcome here Palpatine, son of Ruk," his voice boomed.
"You have fulfilled the task I gave you?"
"Yes, master," he bowed. "Troi will be dead the moment
he leaves the hospital."
"Good... No one disturbs my slumber without paying dearly.
Still, it was not such as waste. I found you, did I not?"
Palpatine nodded. "That you did. My will is yours from
the moment you entered my soul."
The ancient Sith spirit would have smiled if not for the
evil ghostly armour that covered his entire body. "That
I know. But I have a further mission for you. On the planet
Korriban there is the only living Sith Lord in the galaxy.
With his apprentice he is waiting for the day when we
will reveal ourselves once more. You are to destroy the
apprentice and take his place at his master's side. You
are the One, young Palpatine. The blood of Bane flows
through your veins. Go..."
The Sith disappeared into the fire which eventually faded
into non-existance leaving Palpatine the only one left in
the room. He got to his feet and smiled. "But there is one
more thing I must deal with."
* * * * * * * *
Sara sat in her new sleeping quarters. The principle was
understanding enough to realise she needed company during
this traumatic time but right now her room-mate was out
on the town, what little town there was in Theed. She
had received a communication from Troi saying he
had been let out and was coming to see her. That was nearly
two hours ago.
When the door chimed she leapt to her feet and commanded
that it open. Without even looking to see who it was
she wrapped her arms around the visitor and kissed him
deeply. "Gods, I missed you..." her voice trailed off when
she realised she had just kissed Palpatine. "Oh!" she
almost squeaked. "I thought you were Troi! I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Palpatine smiled as he walked her back to the
bed she was sitting on and took a place next to her. "I
heard Troi was going to be here too and I really wanted
to see him."
"Well," Sara said blushing. "I was hoping we'd be able
to have some time to ourselves."
"I hardly think he's in any condition to do anything like
that. Last I heard he was a gibbering wreck. He may have
a a fast recovery but it'll take more than this before
he's fighting fit again." Palpatine winked and smiled.
"Oh, not that! I just wanted to talk to him. He missed
seeing us take Gerrin away and I really wanted him there.
I know it's too late now but we need to talk everything
over..."
"I was just as much a part of it. I should be there when
anything's discussed," Palpatine argued. He waited eagerly
for the communication about Troi's fate with anticipation.
Sara shook her head. "What I mean is what this will do to
what I have with Troi. You know, where our relationship
stands..."
Just on scedule Sara's personal comm-link activated. A
computer's voice was heard. "Message for Sara Prefil. D
you accept?" The girl replied "yes" and the image of the
university principle appeared from the holograph projector
on the table. "I have some rather disturbing news. Would
you like to come to my office?" Sara's eyes turned to
Palpatine who looked just as shocked as she was, something
he'd perfected on the way to her dorm.
* * * * * * * *
Palpatine waited outside the office just as he'd promised.
During it a voice was heard clearly in his mind. Al-Grageth
called him from beyond the grave. "Palpatine, your scheme
is most devious. Do away with those who are a threat to
you. Two are now gone, a third will be soon, no doubt."
The young student was able to speak telepathically, a skill
he never knew he had. "I don't intend to kill Sara. I just
want her to... suffer."
The voice continued, this time it was angry at its new-found
apprentice. "You have feelings for her? That is not acceptible.
The ways of the Sith do not allow for anything of this sort.
Prove yourself and destroy her or suffer a similar, but more
painful fate."
"You can't do that to me," Palpatine thought. "You're not
even alive."
Suddenly, sparks of electricity spread over his body, knocking
him to the floor where he writhed in agony. Thankfully no one
was walking passed during all of this encounter or they would
have feared for Palpatine's sanity. The pain subsided and
the would-be Sith managed to crawl back to his seat. He was
seething with anger at his treatment. "You can't do that to
me," he thought as loudly as he could. "I will destroy you!"
"You cannot harm me, young Palpatine, but you can use your
anger on another."
With that the door opened and Sara ran out in tears, straight
passed her friend. Palpatine tried to speak with Al-Grageth
but the spirit no longer resided in his mind. He ran after
Sara as fast as he could until he finally caught up with
her. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It's Troi," she sobbed. "He's dead."
"What? How? I heard he was going to be let out? He'd recovered!"
"He... he..." Sara broke down again and wailed at the top
of her voice. For the second time that day, Palpatine held
her. He noticed the smell of her hair, how soft it felt
against his skin. He couldn't kill her. He just couldn't.
"Tell me," he said quietly.
"They say he killed himself. He stole a blaster from someone
at a cantina. He used it on himself before they caught up
with him." Tears flowed freely from her open eyes. "What have
I done? It's all my fault. Everyone around me is dying."
"I'm not dying, believe me. I intend to live a long life and
no hocus pocus is going to stop that."
Her arms fell from around him and she turned away. "But it's
still my fault. If I didn't bring that medallion none of this
would have worked. The items wouldn't have been complete..."
"It's not your fault, Sara," Palpatine said, trying to get
ahold of her again but she pulled away.
"Then who's is it? Troi's? Are you blaming Troi?"
"It was his idea..."
"I refuse to hear you say that! You're the one who brought
the book! You're the one who saved me when I should have
died! It's you! You're the key!"
"NO!"
He never knew he could speak with such ferocity. He knocked
Sara aside and her head hit the wall. She fell to the floor,
blood coming from the side of her head. She looked up to
see something new in her friend's eyes. The only time she'd
ever seen anything like it was when they summoned the Sith.
Only his eyes were as penetrating as these. "It... it is
you. The Jedi... the Jedi... I must warn..."
She was lifted into the air by an invisible force. Palpatine
raised his arm and started to close his fist. Sara began to
feel her throat tightening. "I was going to spare you. I didn't
want to do this but my master ordered me. I could have let you
go but not now. Not if the Jedi will be involved." His hand
grew tighter leaving Sara unable to speak. She was close to
passing out when he stopped and turned away. "Go. Run. Get
away before I can catch you..."
Sara looked up from her position on the floor panic-stricken.
She was shaking all over. Palpatine span around and this
time his eyes were not only full of hate but flames were
visible in them. "GO!"
The girl got onto her feet and ran as fast as she could,
stumbling as she went. Palpatine screamed with rage as
Al-Grageth's voice pounded his brain to mush. He didn't
want to do this. He couldn't. He had to contain the feelings
that were fighting to be released. "Do it!" The Sith hissed.
"Destroy her and your journey to the Dark Side will be easy.
She will contact the Jedi. She will reveal us before it is
time. Destroy her..."
With a loud yell Palpatine let all of the rage that had been
building up in his entire life. The losses and disappointments
of his childhood, the cruelty of his family who considered him
a runt who should never have been born, the academic failure
that almost lost his place here... everything came out and
there was only one way to stop it. Kill Sara...
* * * * * * * *
Sara ran back to the only place that she knew was safe - her
room. She closed the door behind her and locked it with
every security seal available to students and sat in the
corner. How could this be happening to her. It just
didn't seem possible. First her brother died, then Troi
went mad and now Palpatine was insistent on killing her.
Not for the first time that day she broke down and cried.
The door slid open despite the lockout procedures. Palpatine
entered with a smile on his face. "I have a lot of anger
in me, Sara. I must be rid of it."
Reaching for the nearest object, Sara grabbed an alarm clock
and threw it at the deranged student coming closer to her.
He knocked it aside before it was even a metre in front of
him. She tried again, this time with a ceremonial knife from
her planet that she kept in a nearby drawer. With the most
powerful and accurate throw she could muster, it lauched
right at Palpatine's chest. He held his hand out and the
blade went right through. "You cannot hurt me. The power
of the Sith flows through me. I don't want to do this, truly
I don't, but I must..."
Sara watched as all of the fight she had left in her disappeared.
Palpatine stepped slowly towards her, his hand outstretched.
Lightening came from his fingertips and covered her entire
body. She convulsed dramatically as she no longer had any
control over her body and finally she just gave up. Everything
went black and her body slumped to the floor.
His fingers sizzled with pure energy as his former friend's
body was drained of all life. Palpatine stood amazed at what
he did. He had killed. Al-Grageth was right. After the first
time it would be easy. All that was left now was a trip to
Korriban. There a new era in the history of the Sith would be
born.
TO BE CONTINUED.....