Chapter 9 : The Chosen One

"You have done well, Lord Vader," the Emperor said. " Analysis of the samples you brought back on the Distant Star proves it to be the purest doonium find ever recorded. Governor Tarkin will be quite pleased."

"Yes, Master," Vader said. He had almost forgotten how much he had to guard himself to avoid revealing anything to Palpatine. Communicating by hologram was far preferable to standing in the same room as the Emperor. "Finding the route was only possible through use of the Force."

"Of course it was. Not so difficult, really," Palpatine said."Still, it will quite impress the Senate."

Palpatine's comments stung him.The Force shows me things it does not show you, Master. "What will we present to the Senate?"

"I'm going to need you to make another appearance, tell them of the great accomplishments the Empire has done for its citizenry.Governor Tarkin needs more credits, so we must convince the Senate to release funds from the Departments of System Exploration and Public Works towards the completion of his project. If his project were finished, it would make harvesting of materials from your newly found planetoid much easier. The Senate will have no choice but to vote funds for its support, " Palpatine said.

"But Tarkin's project is a weapon, not a mining tool, Master", Vader said.

"I sometimes despair that you will never be more than a Tatooine slaveboy," the Emperor said."Do you think that the Senate would vote to fund a superweapon ? Of, course they wouldn't. Things must be presented in a manner that they will understand."

"Isn't that misleading the Senate, Master ?"

"It is the absolute truth. Tarkin's project can be used to break up dead planets and asteroids to facilitate the harvesting of materials. That it can be used for other purposes is quite beside the point. Too much information would be confusing to the Senate," Palpatine said.

The truth. Like the truths you have told me ? "Yes, Master, you're right. Not everything need be revealed."

------

What a joy it was to be back amidst the Imperial Navy. As Darth Vader walked the corridors of the Star Destroyer he recognized that it had been more than a small adjustment returning from the Distant Star. The time among civilian Imperials had been a mental reprieve. Now he was back in the military limbo where his lack of formal position required him to jostle with the commanders to get his work accomplished. The protective alertness he had to maintain was a tiring thing, a habit it had been welcome to drop.

Then there was Palpatine. It was one thing to follow his command from the other side of the Galaxy, and quite another to be a lackey at his side. Palpatine's frequent verbal jabs were designed to either quell or incite his insurgency, he wasn't quite sure which. Additionally, the manner of the Emperor's rule had become increasingly difficult for Vader to stomach. The convoluted manueverings that took place instead of clear leadership. The half truths, semitruths, and outright lies. And Vader was part of that political machine, one of the coterie of seconds that surrounded Palpatine, each with their own separate use. At least, until that use was gone, and that person dropped off the edge of the Galaxy, like the long gone Mas Amedda and Sly Moore.

It doesn't have to be this way.

The thought snuck past his defenses to the front of his mind. How clear his path of action seemed to be while on the Distant Star.So simple, so clear. Kill Palpatine, become leader of the Empire, rescue his son, restore the Force. Just a few steps to change the Galaxy.

But on board this Star Destroyer, in the proximity of the Emperor, it no longer felt so simple.

Without an ounce of wasted effort to give hint of the lethality that lurked within, Palpatine was like a coiled spit adder.The wizened exterior that made him seem more ancient that he really was revealed nothing of the boundless power that waited patiently to be unleashed. But Vader had seen with his own eyes the fury of the Force lightning that Palpatine had sent forth into the body of Mace Windu. He knew from personal experience the pain of Force lightning, but what he had received from the hands of Dooku had been nothing compared to what had been dealt to Windu. The Force lightning that Palpatine sent into Windu glowed so hot that Windu's skull had been briefly visible through his flesh. Even when Palpatine appeared unarmed, he carried death in his fingertips.

Vader found that while his mind had caution, his body had fear. The organic portion of himself remembered the pain and darkness of Mustafar, how close he had come to dying. Now, even when his mind said "Go", his body shrank back, reluctant to risk itself again, preferring to live. To support its case, it flung flashbacks of agony to his mind.

He needed to meditate, to focus himself, to find that strength of connection with the Force that he had found in Wild Space. This particular Star Destroyer had no hyperbaric chamber in his quarters, but it would still afford him privacy.

Inside his cabin he removed the armored cloak that so defined his visual presence.He sat back in the chair, hands interlaced, index fingers resting on his mask at the level of his lips.He exhaled as deeply as he could, closed his eyes, reached for the sustaining embrace of the Force. He felt himself slip away towards the trance like state, drifting. The Force surrounded him, and he strained to see what it might show him.

Wmpff ! Like a blast door closing he felt a blocking presence in his head. Palpatine. The Emperor's mental cloak limited Vader's ability to see the future, much as it done against the Jedi. He stopped pushing the barrier, not wanting to cause ripples in the Force that Palpatine would sense.

His frustration made him feel like a caged Ralltiir tiger aboard this Star Destroyer, with nowhere to go, no place to escape Palpatine's presence, no task to bury himself in. If meditation could not provide the focus he sought, then perhaps exertion would accomplish it. He grabbed a bag of training remotes off of one of the cabin's built in shelves.

He redonned his cloak, running a hand down his lightsaber as he did so. His familiar weapon would be of no use against Palpatine.Even when whole, his reflexes wouldn't have been fast enough to overcome him. The time it took to thumb the lightsaber into action would be more than enough for the Emperor to generate the Force lightening that would kill him. No, to achieve the death of the Emperor would require use of his unique skill, the one that already gave the Emperor pause : the use of the Force within the body of another. He would have to surreptitiously block the air from Palpatine's lungs, bringing him to unconsciousness before finishing the deed.

Dangerous thoughts these were. He paused before exiting his room, making sure his mental cloak was securely in place.

Heading towards the ship's gymnasium he passed by the quarters where stormtroopers were housed separately from the rest of the crew. Long ago, when they were the original clone troopers, he had found such comfort in their company, in the clarity of their purpose and intent. Comfort in their reliability, in their consistency, in their courage, and in their honor. He felt to be a better man when in their presence, whether from their conduct, or from the thoughts they exuded, he wasn't sure.

But that was long ago, and now the stormtroopers were a hodge-podge of cloned templates and recruits that would have looked like a kaleidoscope, had it not been for the white armored uniforms. They were still better disciplined than the rest of the Imperial services,though, without the penchant for insolence found in the higher ranks.They would follow his command without hesitation, until a more senior officer of the Empire contradicted him. If he killed the Emperor, and assumed that mantle, would they follow him without question ? To whom was their allegience pledged ?

He had not thought through the consequences of assassination. While he pondered how to accomplish the death of Palpatine, the real danger might lay in what came after. Would the Imperial Forces acknowledge the natural order among the Sith, nod and accept his right to take Palpatine's place ? Or would the headless body of the Empire rise up to oppose him?

He stepped into the ship's exercise complex, halting conversations as he did so. He ignored the furtive stares that came from lowered heads, the open mouthed glances, equal parts curiosity and fear. At least these men would offer no resistance.

He moved to the open space of the sport court, the cushioned surface dampening the sound of his boots. The group of servicemen playing shockball halted their game. "Get out," he said, and they complied.

He knelt down to set the bag of remotes on the floor, pulling them out one at a time to activate them, setting them all to the highest speed. Their stings, if any found their mark, would not even singe his armor, but they would work as targets.

He closed his eyes, sensing the five remotes hovering around him.He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, activated it, and awaited the commencement of firing by the remotes.

As he swept the arc of the lightsaber in time to meet each shot from the remotes, he surrendered his conscious control. While his body moved swiftly to counter the fire of the remotes, his mind became smooth and tranquil. He did not attempt to see forward through the Force, knowing already the clouding effect Palpatine exerted there.

He would have to accomplish his attack in the same way, in the moment,in the now, not focusing on a future that Palpatine might detect.Unless Palpatine had already forseen his intentions. The thought interrupted his concentration, and he felt a barrage of hits from the remotes, soft, like raindrops, against his armor. He switched each remote off with his mind, and they bounced lightly as they hit the cushioned floor.

Palpatine was such an omniscient opponent. Everything was always going as he had forseen. Was it even possible to take an action that he had not already glimpsed through the Force ? Without the element of surprise, he knew he could not succeed against the Emperor. His confidence shrank.

He hated that Palpatine made him feel afraid.

He reactivated the remotes, and they sprung off the floor in a buzz. This time as he took aim against the remotes his mind was not calm, but filled with anger. With each strike of his lightsaber he battled back against his fear .His parries increased in speed as he raged against his own inaction in confronting Palpatine. Palpatine who had lied to him about having the power to stop death, about Padme's end, about his son. At each instance he should have challenged Palpatine about his deceit, held him accountable, but instead he had done nothing. Because he was afraid, afraid to fail again, afraid to die. Whatever travesty his life had become, he still clutched at it preciously.

The existence of Luke had restored his drive to live. His earliest Force vision of his child had helped through the dark times, to look forward when his mind so often had fixated in the past. He thought, he focused, he planned around finding his child. When he finally saw Luke, real, and beautiful, and full of the Force, he dreamt. He dreamt of a future in which he and his son would rule the Galaxy, bringing fairness and peace to its inhabitants.

The Empire would stand behind him, because just as surely as Palpatine had lied to him, he had lied to the Empire. He promised peace, and delivered war. He called his rule the New Order, but it was really the old chaos. He worked to maintain his own power, not be a leader to the Galaxy.He forsaw the future, but kept it for himself.

Vader's rule would be different, and the people would follow him; he felt it. No matter how fearful of him they might be at first, they would grow to respect him, just as the crew of the Distant Star had done. They would come to count on him.Yes, he would be the guardian of the Empire that Palpatine had called him so long ago.

All these things he wanted, for himself, for his son, for the Galaxy. But the man who stood in his way was a far stronger opponent than Obi-Wan could ever have been, while his own physical powers and agility had waned since Mustafar.He stood no chance of defeating Palpatine in open battle. His stumps throbbed in agreement, a sensation he had thought long gone.

If he did not confront Palpatine, he still failed, and not just himself. Inaction would fail the Empire, stop the will of the Force, and keep Luke from ever knowing his father, or of his mother.There was no one else who could stop Palpatine but the Chosen One.

The situation tormented him. It was a puzzle he could not solve. Leaving things as they were was the wrong path, but he could not stop doubting his ability to overcome Palpatine. He channeled his frustration at the remotes, and he watched each one explode in a burst of dazzling light.

He stood for a moment, breathing heavily from exertion. He turned to see men lined against the back wall of the sport court, watching him. He felt of their minds; the balance had tipped towards curiosity, and away from fear. Yes, they would follow, just like on the Distant Star. It must be done; the Galaxy was waiting.

------

Vader approached the Emperor's private office. The Imperial guards did not move as he came closer to the door, indicating Palpatine would allow his entry. Inside the chamber Palpatine was seated in his usual chair facing the expanse of space outside the viewing window. The Emperor did not greet him, but remained in intense concentration over a handheld document reader.

Vader slid quietly into a side chair, trying to see what held Palpatine's focus. He had to use the zoom function on his helmet to read the title of the document. The Collected Works of Hari Seldon. Vader had not heard of the volume, but based on how engrossed Palpatine was in the document, its information must be extremely valuable.

He turned his gaze to Palpatine's face, looking for any clue as to his state of mind. Not that the Emperor ever revealed much, but he was more likely to show a microexpression on his face than to relax even for a moment the cloak that covered his mind. He knew that he was registering somewhere in Palpatine's consciousness, but the Emperor was not to be distracted from his task.

He turned his attention away from Palpatine and inward to himself. He closed his eyes, let his ventilator take over full auto control, and made his mind very quiet. What he was about to do would require the finest control of the Force that he had ever attempted. He would have to summon its power while simultaneously smoothing its surface so that no ripples would be created for Palpatine to detect. He had never encountered a Force user more skilled at reading others than Palpatine. He was not entirely sure he could keep his thoughts hidden while he engaged the Force in action.

Very slowly he used the Force to constrict the Emperor's airways. He held them in a restricted state for a moment, trying to sense any surprise or dismay from the Emperor.Feeling nothing, he tightened his grip slightly.

The Emperor coughed, startling him and causing him to lose his concentration, and hence his grip on the Emperor. He doubled his efforts at cloaking his intent, and worked to steady his nerves.

"Do you think there is something wrong with the circulation in this room, Lord Vader ? Your ventilator seems to be triggering rather frequently," the Emperor said,as he cleared his own throat.

"I will have it checked, my Master. I had been unaware," Vader said. He wasn't doing a very good job controlling himself; his own tension had unconsciously increased his respiratory rate. He must refocus. I will never be able to raise Luke unless Palpatine is gone. Palpatine deserves to die for all the lies he has told me. He twists the will of the Force for his own use. I am the Chosen One of the Force.

Vader swallowed and began the process again, starting at an even smaller level. Carefully he called to the midi-chlorians in Palpatine's body, feeling how easily they responded to him. First he closed down the smallest alveoli in the Emperor's lungs, then continued upward to the larger structures.

The Emperor yawned. "Really now, Lord Vader, I think there's something wrong with the air exchange in this room."

"I'll have it checked immediately," Vader said, with uncharacteristic softness.

He closed the fingers of his left hand and constricted the bronchioles of Palpatine's lungs. He needed Palpatine to lose consciousness so that he could finish the deed without the Emperor summoning help. He tightened his hand into a fist, blocking the airways more completely still. Soon lack of air would bring the Emperor down.

Suddenly Palpatine spun from his seat, trying to gulp in air, but to no avail.He clutched at his throat, his yellow eyes bulging madly. Vader prepared to stop Palpatine's heart, to deal the final blow. All too easy.

Vader heard a loud crack that echoed in his jaw, then felt excrutiating pain in his neck. He winced inside his helmet, then the pain was gone, replaced by numbness. His concentration failed and his grip on the Emperor was released.

Great heaving gasps came from Palpatine as his body fought to restore itself.With one arm he braced himself on his chair, doubled over while he panted for air.

Vader felt increasingly distressed as he realized he could not move his limbs. His ventilator kicked into automatic mode, not being triggered by voluntary breaths. His weight shifted, causing his chair to whirl from underneath him, and he slid to the deck, paralyzed.

He looked up to see Palpatine standing over him, his face contorted with rage. Searing fury blasted from the Emperor's eyes.

"How dare you !" Palpatine roared. "How dare you try to kill me ! You think that you are more clever than I ? You ignorant fool. Your skills are no match for mine."

Palpatine was frothing now. Droplets of spittle hit the lenses of his mask.

Vader lay still on the floor, having no choice to do otherwise. The Emperor must have perfected the skill of manipulating the midi-chlorians within the body of another, as the crack he had heard could only have been the sound of his neck breaking.

Above him, Palpatine was still ranting. "You are the first of my apprentices to try to kill me. You think I am unaware that in Sith tradition the apprentice eventually takes the place of the master ? That is one tradition I intend to change. Except for those apprentices killed by others, I have disposed of my aides when they ceased to be of use to me.

"You, you would kill me ? And what, think that you could become Emperor yourself ? For all your Force talent, you are young and inexperienced in the ways of politics. The Imperial Senate would not accept you. You could not hold the Empire together."

The Emperor's indignation could not be tempered. The venom in his voice still issued forward at full toxicity. "You don't even know who you are. You, who is without a father, without even a shadowy name to hang paternity on."

Always the softest spots he went for, always the tenderest areas. Vader awaited the death blow he knew was coming, be it physical or psychological.

"Do you remember when I told you the legend of Darth Plagueis ?" Palpatine's voice was suddenly soft, the storytelling voice."You recall that Darth Plagueis could influence the midi-chlorians to create life. Now of course he used this skill to save people from dying; we've already discussed that. But did you ever think that skill could be used in other, more literal, ways ?

"Darth Plagueis decided to use this skill to create an apprentice who was extraordinarily gifted with the Force. Now, he already had an apprentice who was extremely Force talented, but apparently he wanted another.

"He went to a remote planet, found a slave woman, and summoned the midi-chlorians to create life within her. Is any of this sounding familiar ? Now of course, he was never able to see the outcome of his project, because his talented apprentice killed him in his sleep, as I told you before. Fortunately, the apprentice took up watching over the child.

"That's why I always had to suppress a laugh whenever I heard the Jedi call you "the Chosen One". Little did they know, but that their "Chosen One" was a Sith creation. I do love irony.

"Now as I'm sure you have figured out, your neck is broken. When we arrive at Imperial City, you will be taken to the medical center that was your place of reconstruction, and I will decide whether or not you shall have surgery to repair your neck.I like having you around, though, you who was bred to be my replacement. Having you as my apprentice reminds me that no man will ever best me. Undamaged, you would have grown more powerful than me, but destiny eliminated that possibility.So you think about your predicament a little, and I'll think about restoring your mobility. Again."

Darth Vader could do nothing but lay awkwardly on the deck floor. He had known he risked grave injury, or even death, in his assassination attempt, but he never imagined ending up in such a helpless condition. As always, no matter how well the Force let him see the future of others, it never revealed to him his own future.

He could hear Palpatine addressing the Imperial Guards. "Bring the medical droid- Lord Vader has had an accident."

Failure. It was to be his hallmark. Always he failed those most important to him, his mother, his wife, now maybe his son.

Palpatine's revelation rung in his ears. What else could be expected of someone who was an experimental creation, a mere tool for others ? The path of the Chosen One had not been his to claim. From his days as a slave on Tatooine, he had not improved his circumstances much, especially as far as controlling his own destiny.

He could not move his limbs, but he could still feel the familiar texture of the leather suit against his body. The suit had transformed from prison to trusted companion, as it sustained his life when he could do nothing to help himself.

He had never felt so alone. Not a being in the Galaxy would step forward to champion his cause, save for Palpatine, who dangled his life in front of him like a bone before Tusken massiffs. He felt as though even the Force had turned away from him. But even as the Galaxy abandoned him, he would not abandon Luke. He had not failed him yet; Luke remained safely hidden on Tatooine.He would not give up the dream that someday he and his son would stand together.

As he lay waiting for the whim of the Emperor to swing towards repairing his injuries, he broadened his vow to Luke. I will mercifully take your life before I ever let you feel the shame of being Palpatine's servant.