Chapter 17 - The Emperor's Easy Smile
With his deep tone Vader had forewarned, "Gratuitous displays of unnatural ability will be rare."
Just a taste of his power and how exhilarating it was. Never before (nor again) would Vader grant his help so thoroughly, so intimately. Her will, his strength, in a sublime coordinated dance. The melee around her was the most action she'd been exposed. To his eyes- nothing- a mere diversion before turning in to sleep.
'To the right, up on the platform,' she'd hear him say. How had he known? She wasn't even looking in that direction. And she took out all five pirates with exquisite blaster precision. A half dozen stormtroopers then descended on the alley, attracted by the disturbance. Eva distanced herself from her brethren Rebels. Out of breath –from running, from the gravity of it all - she dodged the stormtrooper's blaster hail, shot at their knees and wrists, tossed them with a flick of her hand. And though at the time she had no word for it (as surely this power was not of the same term as a Rebel sentiment for wishing one well), for one precious moment she had sensed what it was like to summon The Force.
He had shown her the satisfaction of valor. He had helped her to survive. Then in the throne room, Vader had put her millimeters within her life. So it had come to that… She was gullible and meaningless, other than a means to an end.
"If you play both sides, it's easy to win." The raspy voice broke the silence and scattered her recollections. "Pour some wine would you?"
Eva glanced into the study alcove where a single downward light set the desk surface and black robes aglow. But most of Palpatine's face was left in shadow. He was perfectly motionless and absorbed in his work. The wine meant he'd be finishing soon.
Eva stood and moved as quietly as she could. Even so, the sound of her hollow footsteps bounced off the stone floors and walls of the voluminous black spaces. She approached and set a full glass down on his desk, then poured a small amount for herself- because that was what she was supposed to do (when she'd rather just throw back the entire bottle). Then she resettled in a plush chair off in the dim with her wine and datapad.
She had been had assigned to write responses to his mundane obligations. Palpatine would offer the gist of his answer and left her to the rest. By then, she had read enough of his material that she could write with his voice. Better in fact, than the office assigned the task. Palpatine would facetiously pass her work onto Sate Pestage to see if he could determine the author.
The Emperor lifted his head to eye her from his desk—her shoes off, knees pulled up into the large chair to support the data pad. But had he not encouraged such disrespectful signs of complacently in his presence? Comfort was ruinous, he thought. It took away the edge. Served no purpose. Be it an umbrella at the landing pad, or love and family. Even the Jedi had figured out that last part. The content will be overrun. His thoughts stirred a mischievous restlessness.
The wine seemed to go to her head quicker than she expected and a few moments later it seemed even worse. Eva rose to her feet but nearly fell over. No…it was more than wine, and she spun around with an suspicious look to the Emperor. But the luminous figure in the downlight looked nothing the same.
Eva approached in disbelief, her hold on reality feeling more tenuous still. He appeared undamaged and younger, as in images of the Chancellor. There was no hood to obscure his features. In fact the apparition extended to his elegant, dark green velvet clothing. He was toying with her but she had to admit fascination with his Sith trick.
His eyes followed with interest and when she neared he began to smile. The illusion seemed as real as flesh could be and in comparison to his true self, practically a heavenly visage. Fastidiously groomed, exquisite teeth. She noticed his eyes were blue. If only the sinister had truly been cast off. Eva wanted the specter to talk and she moved right up to the desk, far closer than four arm's distance.
"Forgive my games. Curiosity." His voice matched the Chancellor's as well - less gravel, soothing and distinguished. "I wanted to isolate your revulsion to my appearance, from your repugnance to my being."
"Such a thing matters to you?" Her temples hurt terribly, more than anytime earlier as he needed to be quite invasive to twist her mind so deceptively.
Power is so obviously your aphrodisiac. Would she touch him? His nightmare premonitions hinted her willingness was needed.
Then his hair began to change, shifting from grey to a fuller red, and his face followed in kind, firming and smoothing until he appeared to be in his twenties. His smile had melded into the worrisome expression so prevalent in earlier images- the time when he had taken pains to appear wholesome- benevolent. "It's unfortunate we didn't meet when we were both young. I had few friends on Naboo, and was treated like an outcast by my own family. I've mastered the Force better than the final lot of Jedi combined, yet they looked me over as youth. I was nothing.…left to my own devices. We could have been alone, together…
"But then again, the complacency you could have provided…would have undermined my ambition." He offered a pained smile.
He had not protested so she reached out to feel the filigree trim on his shoulders that did not exist. She was frightened to be sure, her heart racing a river of blood, but there was no repulson, something more the opposite.
Abruptly he stood, knocking the desk and tipping the glass of wine. Then he dug his fingers into her shoulders and pushed her down to on her knees before him. Feeling a want rise in him, her sway over his emotions ignited a smoldering anger.
He had rested a hand on her cheek, the tips of his fingers in her hair. Then he looked down. He pushed her hair aside and had pulled her close with his hand on back of her head. And her stomach knotted as she realized what he was looking for.
She snatched his wrist and held it firmly, whilst studying his expression to see how he'd react. Then she slowly placed it behind her temple, where he'd best feel the scars than ran beneath her hair. The ones left when the device was put into her head.
Wine was flowing across the desk. It narrowed into a fine stream as it ran onto the hem of Palpatine's cloak. And wine was soaking into her robes also. When she looked back up into his face, the youth was gone.
Worse, a tempest of rage swept over his features as she had never seen. "Should I have it removed?" Eva timidly offered.
"Save Vader from himself? I'm not concerned with your pitiful, crude spy device," he spat in the voice much deeper than his slight size seemed to permit. "How foolish you've been to hide it, and now you have so disappointed me. "Vader knows if he so much uses it on me for an instant, I will cut you down before you've taken your next breath. And that, to him, is not the deterrent you believe. Why you are acquiescent to be Vader's pawn, is beyond me. Haven't you learned, he'll dispose of anyone?" Palpatine let her go. "What are his intentions?"
She was looking away. She probably didn't even know. But she was trying to block him from her mind- picturing something of no relevance. Some place far away...molten lava, lifting from the ground. Mustafar.
Palpatine was disgusted he wished to be as captivating as Vader in the eyes of this insignificant wench. He hoped she understood he was being inordinately merciful- the girl on borrowed time. She deserved to be put to death. Fitting it would also aggravate Vader for his part. But he still needed her to contact the Bothan. Another day. Savor it.
What to him was a modicum of violence, was to others decisive. If only he could make her feel the same. If only he could have his way. But the man who deceived a galaxy charading another personality for years, was not a man without consummate self-restraint.
And Palpatine extended his hand.
In reconciliation…or to help her off the floor, she wasn't sure.
If he was capable of anything, he was adept of drawing people apart. "Sometime…you should ask Lord Vader about the assault on Hoth, and the timing of the Imperial probe droid."
The worst that could happen, and she was granted benevolence she hadn't anticipated and clemency she didn't believe she deserved. The stress of having to deceive the Emperor through omission was over.
She had confided in Vader at the start of her tenure as Courtier- she hadn't been able to reach him earlier.
He had downplayed her concern. "No, you're not going to tell Palpatine about the device. We're going to see if he can figure it out for himself."
To hell with you, Vader!