Chapter 2 – The Emperor's Experiment
Arkus waited patiently by the secret entrance to the Emperor's throne room as the minutes passed quietly by. That he kept Arkus waiting this long meant he was displeased. It was obvious that Tarkin had already complained about events on Balitar, but Arkus was not concerned. His master always heard him out, and he was confident the Emperor would agree with his appraisal of the situation once it was explained.
~You may enter.~ The words pushed their way forcefully into Arkus' mind. He noted the usual "my young apprentice" endearment the Emperor used for him was conspicuously missing. Yes, the Emperor was most displeased with him. Arkus took a breath and prepared to face his master.
The secret door opened into the throne room from behind the Emperor's chair. Usually the Emperor turned the chair to greet Arkus at the entrance but not this time. Arkus hesitated briefly, confused by this additional slight, then strode confidently around the raised dais to kneel before the Emperor. He kept his head respectfully lowered and waited to be addressed. He was getting no sense of his master's thoughts. He had been shut out completely.
"You allowed a suspected Rebel to leave Balitar without questioning," the Emperor stated after a time.
"Yes, My Master," Arkus acknowledged. He kept his head lowered but offered nothing else that could be interpreted as an apology. He deeply respected his master, but it had been a long time since he had cowered before him. The Emperor was always fair to him. If he received punishment, it was deserved and in proportion to the offense – no more, no less. Pain simply served to ensure he would learn from his mistakes and not repeat them. If the pain ended in death, well, his life was the Emperor's to take. There was nothing to fear.
"Governor Tarkin has taken issue with your decision."
"I anticipated that, My Master."
"So you deliberately acted against his wishes?"
"I do not answer to Governor Tarkin or his men, only to you, My Master." Arkus worked to smooth the edge of his contempt for Tarkin. It was one thing for the Emperor to know he despised one of his favorite servants, quite another to express it openly.
"Then you will answer to me now. What transpired on Balitar?"
Arkus raised his eyes at that summons. He would have one opportunity to convince the Emperor that his actions had been proper. He would make the most of it.
"Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is undoubtedly the contact for a central Rebel cell; however, there is no evidence to support this. Her presence on Balitar and planned rendezvous with the traitor Termain were thoroughly covered by legitimate business. As a prominent member of the Senate, her detention would have generated additional sympathy for the Rebels, and nothing would have been gained from interrogating her. Her control is too strong to be susceptible to mind probes, and pain would only strengthen her resolve.
"Allowing her to leave has convinced her she is only suspected. She will be used by the Rebel leadership again when they have need of her. Alive and free she will lead us to the Death Star plans, her Rebel cell and the Rebel organizers."
The Emperor watched Arkus passively as he concluded his explanation, his cold eyes giving no indication of having been convinced. "The reaction of the Senate is of little concern to me. I want these Rebels crushed. If your interrogation would have been useless you should have brought her to me."
"I felt her strength through the Force, My Master. Her mind would have collapsed before she revealed anything."
"You believe she is a Force adept?" the Emperor asked, his surprise and sudden interest evident in his tone.
Arkus paused to contemplate this possibility and worded his response carefully. "Perhaps, My Master. I believe it more likely that she simply has a strong will and training to resist interrogation. If she is Force sensitive, she has no training in its use. She is not a threat to you."
'Why did I say *that*?' Arkus thought, carefully shielding from the Emperor his surprise at the conviction in his own last statement. He honestly hadn't considered the possibility the Princess might have Force talent. He didn't think it likely, but if she did … 'No,' he interrupted his own train of thought. 'She is nothing more than a clever spy with unusual strength of character.'
The Emperor relaxed again, seemingly convinced by the confidence of Arkus' spoken conclusion. "So you had her brought back to Coruscant. Surely she knows she is under surveillance. What makes you think the Rebels will risk using her again?"
The words brought Arkus' attention back to the Emperor. "They are desperate to get the Death Star plans, My Master. Once the power of the station is known their support will fade quickly. They must find a way to convince their followers they can stand against it, or the Rebellion will die. Viceroy Bail Organa has already personally arrived to conspire with the Princess."
"The Rebels believe they still have a chance to intercept the Death Star plans?" Again there was surprise in the Emperor's voice.
"Tarkin's men have only been able to disrupt the Rebel operative's plans, not eliminate them. The Rebels are convinced they still have a chance because they likely do."
"And you wish to keep the Princess under your personal observation."
Arkus flushed at the Emperor's perception of his desire. There was little he could hide from him. "I believe my abilities are well suited for this, if My Master wishes."
The Emperor gazed down at him for a time, considering his request. "You have done well, my young apprentice. Go pursue your quarry."
Arkus flushed again as the Emperor allowed his approval to be felt. He bowed his head quickly to express his gratitude, then stood and left the throne room.
The Emperor smiled to himself as his youngest apprentice left the room. The boy was maturing nicely. Not the slightest hint remained of the trembling toddler that Vader had first brought before him so many years ago.
That day had presented quite the quandary. The Emperor's first instinct had been to simply kill the boy. The persistent feelings Vader had had for Amidala had been transferred to their son. The child would forever be a weakness for Vader and, therefore, a threat that could easily transfer to him. But the boy had inherited Vader's power – a power that was far too great to be carelessly destroyed. The Emperor had needed time to consider his fate.
One thing had been immediately certain. Vader and the child had to be separated before any bond could form between them because together they would eventually be powerful enough to usurp him. So he had ordered Darth Vader on an extended assignment far from Coruscant and had turned the boy over to his priests for safekeeping. The Emperor had then looked to the ancient Sith teachings to seek a solution to his dilemma.
"Never can there be more than two Sith's," Lord Darth Bane's teachings decreed, "a master and an apprentice. Any more will bring competing ambitions and ruin."
The Emperor had never doubted the wisdom of this philosophy, but he had already violated it on some level when he had established the priests. There had simply been too many details involved in bringing down and establishing control of the Old Republic for just himself and an apprentice to manage. The priests had been trained to handle the more mundane tasks of undermining individual Republic officials and performing political espionage. They were Force adepts, to be sure, but far too weak to be a threat to him even if they did conspire to unite their power. Taking on a second apprentice of Skywalker's caliber was another matter entirely.
Nearly a year of delving deeper into the ancient Sith texts had passed before he had finally found a passage that offered a possibility. The entry had suggested it was possible to displace the consciousness of a being and insert one's own in its place, effectively changing bodies. It had promised immortality provided the new host had a sufficient midi-chlorian presence to support continued use of the Force. The Emperor had known his body would soon begin to fail with age and continued use of the dark powers. If he could take the child's body he would extend his reign by at least one lifetime.
Eager to test the possibility, the Emperor had summoned the boy before him. The child had obviously deteriorated both physically and emotionally from his stay with the priests. Cassius, his most powerful and cruel priest, had personally taken charge of him and had apparently used him as an outlet for his envious hatred of Lord Vader. Worn down by this abuse, the child had simply cowered and cried softly under the Emperor's initial mind probe and had offered nothing in the way of resistance.
But hidden somewhere in the deep recesses of the boy's mind the Emperor had run against a wall of incredible strength. Realizing the boy had retreated behind it, the Emperor had raged against it with all his power. The effort had been futile. Obi-Wan had obviously helped the boy construct the wall, and supported by all of his subconscious Force strength, it had proven impenetrable to any frontal assault. Exasperated, the Emperor had returned the boy to Cassius, hoping continued abuse would eventually weaken the boy's defenses.
Two additional years had passed before the boy had finally snapped, but it had not been in the manner the Emperor had expected. Instead of succumbing to feelings of hopelessness, the boy had suddenly ignited an inferno of calculating hatred deep in his soul. This new turn of events had ensured the boy would never be susceptible to the Emperor's occupation of his body, but it had opened new avenues for his future.
The Emperor had then begun to consider training the boy as a Sith, eventually. He still could not have risked having two Skywalkers as apprentices, and the boy had still been too young to take his father's place. In the interim, the priests were ordered to begin an intense instruction of the boy, focusing his education on traditional matters of history, government, science, etc and limiting Force training to basic parlor tricks.
Young Skywalker had still been kept locked in the bowels of the Imperial Palace but had then been allowed access to computer terminals, instructional facilities and overall better living conditions. The Emperor had scheduled regular visits with the boy to assess his progress and to establish himself as a caring master. He had been careful to always keep the boy's hatred directed at Cassius and to inspire only feelings of trust and respect toward himself.
The change in the boy's regime had quickly resulted in the desired effect. Desperate for a sense of approval from some source, the boy had fervently attached his loyalty to the Emperor and had focused every ounce of his abilities on pleasing him. So firmly established was the boy's devotion that the Emperor had decided to test it against Darth Vader's fatherly compassion.
He had arranged for Vader to return to Coruscant and had allowed him to become acquainted with the boy. Vader had been enraged to learn of his son's suffering under Cassius but had been placated by the current attention being devoted to his training. For his part, the boy had been highly suspicious of this so-called father that had reappeared after five years to suddenly become his advocate. He had sensed Vader's desire to take him from his cherished master and had met each of his continued attempts to establish a rapport with cold detachment.
The Emperor had always known of Vader's desire to use his son to establish his own claim to the Imperial throne. He had welcomed the boy's reluctance to trust Vader as a sign that it would never come to be. Still, the Emperor had needed to be sure the boy's loyalty would not change before he began his formal Sith training.
As a test, the Emperor waited until the boy had received a rather brutal whipping from Cassius for some minor indiscretion and had allowed him to be secretly present when Darth Vader had raised protest over the incident. The Emperor had let Vader rant openly then dismissed him with a promise to look into the matter. After Vader had left, the Emperor had called the boy out from the shadows and had asked him what he thought about what he had just seen.
"He is weak, Master. He lets his emotions override his judgement," the boy had replied.
"It would be a mistake to consider Darth Vader weak, child. His only fault is his compassion for you. You will be his undoing."
The boy had looked curiously back at the Emperor at the prediction. His thoughts had reflected no understanding of compassion, no comprehension of why Darth Vader would care about a punishment that he himself had not complained about, and certainly no respect for a man that would risk his station over such pathetic emotions. This reaction had convinced the Emperor that it would be safe to train the boy when the time came.
Young Skywalker had been twelve when Cassius had finally worn out the boy's acceptance of his arbitrary mistreatment. The confrontation had involved a starfighter design the boy had been secretly working on for years. Cassius had discovered it and was about to destroy his work. Pushed at last beyond his limits, the boy's temper had exploded violently in rebellion. The Emperor had felt the powerful surge in the Force and had hurried to the source only to find Cassius nearly gutted by way of his mouth. The boy had been standing over the grotesque mess still trembling from his rage.
Why the boy had chosen such graphic means to kill Cassius had been a mystery to the Emperor, but it had pleased him deeply. The profound gratification the boy had felt from indulging his anger and his utter lack of remorse indicated he was openly receptive to the dark powers. It had been that day the Emperor had given the boy the name Darth Arkus – a term from the ancient Sith language that loosely translated as "the promised future" – and had elevated him to Sith apprentice.
Six years had passed since then. Arkus had eagerly dedicated himself to the Sith teachings during that time and now displayed a level of control and calculating patience that indicated his training was nearly complete. This first assignment of his to track down the Rebels had been a test for him. The Emperor had specifically chosen it because Tarkin was involved. He had known Tarkin would deny the boy any respect. To ensure it, he had deliberately introduced Arkus in a diminutive manner. He wanted the boy to earn his own respect among the Imperial military leadership, not to have it given to him by virtue of his status as a Sith.
And Arkus had risen up to the challenge. He had patiently operated under Tarkin's rules, accepting the degradations imposed on him, until circumstances had dictated the need for him to take control. Then he had not hesitated to assert his authority. Nor had he concerned himself with how inferiors would perceive his actions. He had simply done what he had believed necessary then had come before his master for judgement. The Emperor could not have asked for a better performance.
He now knew his plan for young Skywalker would quickly come to fruition. Arkus would soon grow fully into his powers, and then he would take his father's place. After Arkus was firmly established as the Emperor's second, he would have him father a child. Palpatine would take the infants body before its mind was fully developed ensuring that no barriers to his occupation would exist.
It would be necessary to give control of the Empire to Arkus for a handful of years until his new body matured enough for him to re-exert control, but that would be a small price to pay to have Skywalker blood fueling his dark powers. And the Emperor knew he could count on Arkus' continued devotion to him. Unlike his father, he had no ambitions for power, and he had no interest in following his father's ambitions. He wished only to serve his master.
The Emperor's experiment with the boy was turning out to be a spectacular success. His separate experiment with a girl he was molding into a suitable mother was showing similar promise. Palpatine cackled maniacally to himself as he contemplated his promised future of immortality.