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Chapter 5-Oeden's Fall

The Emperor Palpatine for a second peered over the edge of his pod in the Senate chamber. If there was one weakness to be found in the Dark Lord, it was a mild dislike of heights. As he looked down all he saw was a dark shadow even as the room was brightly lit for this emergency session of the Senate. Darth Sidious finally diverted his eyes away from below and gazed around the room with a detached contempt.

"Senators! I come before you today with great urgency. Our Galactic Empire has never been stronger and more secure." He paused a minute for the applause. Fools, he thought. All fools. A mindless mob, just like the ones they serve. Palpatine delighted at how he had led the Senate to applaud its own demise for so long.

"But today we face a danger that threatens the our very existence. Today, our mighty Empire is on the verge of collapse! Not from the outside, but from within." He let the fear and uncertainty sink into every heart in the room. It was ironic that he once felt this way towards these hollow fools. He recalled the day he learned of his acceptance as a Governor's Aide of Naboo. How old was he then? Barely into his mid-teens, perhaps. Palpatine's youth seemed to be lifetimes away, separated from his present consciousness by a thin shroud of darkness.

The Governor's name was Deju Gastija. He would not forget that name. His first politician. He was handsome, smooth, eloquent, strong, and charismatic; he possessed any talent that would help him win the adoration and the votes of the mobs and masses. Oh, how they had been so ignorant. Palpatine did not understand how they could not see the empty cruelty in his eyes. But then, the Governor Gastila was a master of disguises, the friendly one for people he could use to get ahead, the darker mask he wore for the expendables he used and threw away.

If Palpatine learned anything from his hated boss, it was how and when to put on the politician's mask, the one he had on now, the one that could express genuine concern for the same Senate Body that he was accusing and attacking. "There are some of us here who would aim to recklessly jeopardize the peace that we have spent so many years building. There are some of us here who would commit treason…treason against their great Empire, treason against their own colleagues, and…I'm regret to say this, but these publicly elected officials would commit treason against their own constituents! Fellow Senators, I implore you to beware of the traitors! Beware of the traitors who may be sitting next to you, the one who you may think is your friend, who is stabbing you in the back while wearing his mask of betrayal, and who is toppling our government from its very foundations!"

Palpatine let his words resonate through the hall, then lowered his voice. "I am a reasonable man, one of understanding and empathy. But I cannot show mercy towards the traitors, not because of any personal grudge, but because we cannot risk the damages they can inflict on the Empire. We must take action immediately! We must make sacrifices to maintain stability! I have sent the Imperial Fleet to Chandrila to crush the treachery already inflicted on the Senate by one of its own. But we cannot stop there! We cannot simply take action against such traitors after they strike! We must prevent such individuals from ever gaining power in the first place."

"That is why I am suspending the sovereign powers of the Senate according to Article 53, Clause 227 of the New Imperial Constitution. There is no need for alarm, as this is a temporarily measure and will be in effect only until we have vetted and screened the noble servants of the Galaxy. Once the new Senate reconvenes it will be an improved Senate, with only Senators who possess the utmost honesty, integrity, and loyalty! I understand the dynamic nature of this action, so I will allow you all to take some time off and consider this. Look at yourselves in the mirror. Reexamine your souls so that you know you are worthy to serve. Reconsider the motives of your friends and colleagues. We will convene for the final time in two days so that I may outline the exact procedures the new Senate approval process will follow. Thank you for coming."

The Emperor Palpatine closed his eyes and felt the atmosphere of the room. He felt the uncertainty and the fear, and he smiled under his hood. His old mentor Governor Gastija would be proud of his work, his deception.

She dreamed of Naboo. It gave her comfort. She dreamed of the cool splash of the lake on a summer morning. She was swimming. The fog still lingered and she could only see the tops of the mountains. She saw her house, her mother cooking in the kitchen and her father working in the yard. Her sister Sola sat on the porch watching Ryoo and Pooja play…

…I move for a vote of no confidence in the supreme chancellor…

Suddenly the sky darkened around her house. Clone troopers started surrounding her family. Shots ran out, there was fire, and Padme woke up…it was my fault…my fault. The room was dark save for the nightlight in the corner. Her husband slept peacefully beside her. Ani, it was my fault Ani. The Empire, the Sith…

"Padme?" Anakin's eyes slowly let go of sleep. "Padme, is something wrong?"

She wondered if she wanted to tell him. "Nothing, it was just a nightmare. I'm sure it was nothing."

Anakin reached his left arm around her and held her. He ran his hand slowly through her hair until he reached her shoulder, which he began to gently massage. "Nightmares can sometimes have meaning."

Padme grimaced as memories of Anakin's nightmares came back to her. Was she dreaming of the future? The present? Had it already happened…was it too late? "I dreamed of Naboo, of my family. And the Empire came after them…" Tears came out before she could force out another word.

"Padme, we'll leave for Chandrila tomorrow. We can find out the latest news from Senator Mothma. We'll go to Naboo if we have to, and we'll get your family somewhere safe."

"I'm afraid that there's nowhere safe in this galaxy. Except for this place maybe. What a price to pay for safety."

"Don't think about this planet, Angel. Think about tomorrow. About how we're going to see sunlight again."

"Have you found what you're looking for here?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure whatever it is it can wait for a few days."

"So we have to come back here?"

Anakin stood speechless for a second. He had been so excited to leave Korriban that he forgot about how the absence was only going to be temporary. "I'm sorry, Angel." A trace of a smile began to appear on his face. "Come on, Padme, think of it like this. It's just the two of us here. Just imagine that this is our honeymoon."

"Can I picked the destination next time we get married?" The two of them shared a nervous laugh.

"You're even more beautiful in the dark, you know."

It always made her uneasy when Anakin called her beautiful, especially now as echoes of her guilt still ran through her head…

…I move for a vote of no confidence in the Supreme Chancellor…

…and she certainly didn't feel any beauty at the moment. "Beauty," she said to no one particular, reciting an old phrase she had heard when she was a child, "is in the eye of the beholder."

"Of Padme Naberrie," corrected Anakin mischievously, and immediately he felt a playful slap on his chest. At least she was smiling. "Ok, I'll admit that was a bad line. But I stand behind it one hundred percent."

She looked into his blue eyes and felt his comfort. She felt his compassion for her, how he truly wanted her to feel better. She never felt more loved in her life. "You got one thing wrong. It's Padme Naberrie Skywalker." It sounded so right.

The words had their effect on her husband as he slowly leaned closer to kiss her for a brief moment, and whispered into her ear, "the secret's out, I guess."

"The public will be shocked"

"Scandalized."

"Mortified."

"And happy, for their former Queen and Senator."

"Anakin?"

"Angel?"

"Thank you." If only I were this helpful when you had your nightmares.

"Anything for you." They bathed in each other's warmth for a few minutes.

"I think I'm ready to go to bed now." They lay back down as neither let go of the other. "Ani, when we get through all this" there was no uncertainty in her voice "you're going to be a great father."

"And you'll be the best mother." She rested her head under his chin and Anakin felt his wife breathing slowly onto his chest. He delved into her heart for a quick second. "Padme," he barely whispered.

"Mmmm."

"It's wasn't your fault. None of it was. It was nobody's fault," but mine.

"Thanks."

Palpatine paced through the palace, the adrenaline from his speech still racing through his cold blood. As he approached his apprentice's room he could not feel Darth Rache's presence. That was good, he thought, as he opened the door. The Dark apprentice sat in silence on the floor in a deep meditation.

"You are doing a fine job with your cloaking exercises, apprentice. I did not sense you until I came into the room."

Darth Rache opened his eyes. "Thank you, Master."

"Rise, Lord Rache. You will use your new abilities on your first mission."

"Really? You've found Skywalker?" He could not believe how quickly he would get his revenge. Perhaps the Dark Side did have its benefits.

"Patience, my apprentice, is the Sith's deadliest weapon. As far along as you were in your Jedi training, and as powerful as you have become in the Dark Side, you are by no means ready to face the elder Skywalker yet." Palpatine recalled how he waited seven years to kill the Governor of Naboo, how he waited twenty years to kill his father and Sith Master. And he had learned so much from them while waiting.

"Then what would you have me do, Master."

"The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and the child of Skywalker have taken refuge at a rebel base on Utapau. You will go there and cause havoc with the rebels, but only as a diversion. Your first test will be to face Jedi Kenobi. There is no way you can defeat him head on, but your weapon will be his compassion. Use the cloaking techniques I've taught you, hide your emotions, your hate, your darkness. Appeal to him, beg him for help. And once his guard is off, kill him."

"Yes, Master."

"When he is dead I want the Skywalker infant brought back to me. He will be a powerful Dark Lord and he will help us get revenge on Darth Vader."

"Yes, Master." There was more eagerness in his voice now. "But if I ask, why did we not simply get the two of them on Tatooine?"

"You will not question my judgment, Darth Rache. Remember that. But your question is a fair one. A death of a Jedi on Tatooine will go by unnoticed. To infiltrate the heart of a rebel base and kill the strongest of them will strike fear on those who oppose us, especially the ones in Chandrila."

"Yes, Master. I see your wisdom now."

"Go then. Remember, do not rely on brute force on this mission. Use your mind, use your cleverness, and use deception." Darth Sidious watched his apprentice run off. He was such a hopeless child, with nowhere to turn but the Dark Side.

When he first went to Theed to serve the Governor, Palpatine had hope. He was glad to leave his father and escape for awhile the teachings of the Sith. It was most unfortunate that his time with the Governor was even worse than with Darth Plagueis. He did mind the occasional physical beatings that much for he received those at home too. It was the feeling of utter uselessness and expendability that disgusted Palpatine, and, he noticed, everyone else who worked for the Governor.

Yes, the Governor's Office was every bit as dark as his home, and he certainly wasn't the only victim of the private side of Deju Gastija's personality. There was a servant girl about his age. Her name was Lade. He remembered her eyes, how sad they were, but how they would sparkle with hope whenever she saw him. Palpatine felt sorry for the girl; she had no family and no other options but to serve Governor Gastija, who seemed to treat her worse than anyone else.

He had been her last hope, he later found out. He did not know what she saw in a dark, quiet boy like him, and he didn't know what to say when she poured her heart out to him. She had professed her undying love for him, but Palpatine's Master never taught him about a situation like this. Palpatine didn't know how to express any compassion for her. He did not know how to comfort her, to reach out to her. He did not know how to tell her that he had observed her for so long and loved her too, as much a Sith Apprentice could love a girl. Palpatine could only watch himself mutter something Darth Plagueis had taught him, about how love was pain, how love was useless, how there was no place in the Darkness for love.

She took his words to mean rejection and ran off in tears of shame. Palpatine felt shame too. How could he drive her away like that? How could he treat her like the Governor treated her, like how his father treated his mother. He went home that night and brought with him the next day a flower.

It was a rare flower that only grew in the deepest caves of Naboo. It grew in the darkness, feeding on the crystal-filled soil of the cave. The flower was an extraordinary sight, for when the occasional explorer would venture upon it he would see it glowing, lighting up the entire cave, filling it with every color of the spectrum. What made the flower so valuable, though, was how even when picked it would retain its glow for years and years. Such flowers were treated as jewelry, given to the beloved ones of the richest and most powerful.

His mother was but a simple girl from the mountains, but she had come across such a flower one day while exploring the caves near her home. She had been lost and frightened, wandering in the darkness until she saw a glimmer far ahead of her. The glimmer of light grew brighter and brighter until she finally saw the flower, the beauty of it filling her heart with hope. She picked the flower and used it as a light to find her way back.

His mother had given the flower to him years ago, before she died, after an especially severe beating the two of them had received from Darth Plagueis. She told Palpatine that she loved her son and always will, no matter what happened to her, no matter what happened to him, no matter what he became. She had given him the flower to remind him of her love. "In even the darkest of hours," she had whispered, blood still trickling down her cheeks.

So Palpatine had brought the flower for Lade the next day, to show her its light, to give her hope, to express his feelings for her. He ran from room to room looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Palpatine was too late. She had killed herself, jumped out a window in the Royal Palace. A handmaiden pointed him to that window, a large one overlooking a cliff. The handmaiden referred to the window as something called Oeden's Fall and told him some story, but Palpatine did not hear a word. He peered out the window, down into the nothingness below. He had been her only hope, and he had failed her. She had been his only hope, he knew now, and he had failed himself. As Darth Sidious contemplated Lade's death in despair he wanted to follow her out the window and down the cliffs.

Only his soul followed her down. The rest of him stood by Oeden's Fall and stared at the flower in his hands.