The next day Sheev woke and rolled over to see Fay laying curled up on a thin blanket on the dirt floor. She slept with such peace and humility. She was not like the Jedi he knew. In truth, he did not believe in good or evil, they were all a matter of perspective. The web was evil to the fly and good to the spider. He prefered to be the spider, bending the web to his own desire. Fay was something altogether different. She was nobody's fly and not a spider, he could not discern what she was. It bothered him that he could not find a single thing to hate about her. It also concerned him that whether she joined him or not, he did not relish the idea of a universe without her, that he did not wish her dead.
Palpatine threw his legs over the side of the bed. For a moment he toyed with the idea of lifting her into the bed to rest in comfort. He wasn't ready to leave the planet yet, as he would when 'his strength returned' so he stood and went outside to relieve himself.
Returning to the small hut he saw what looked to be a band of indigenous people in war or ornemental regalia approaching the hut. Their leader was holding a young boy in his arms, the shaft of some projectile protruding from the boy's chest. Even from this distance, it looked like a mortal wound. He made haste to get closer, the need to see what his Jedi would do was great.
He arrived as the one of the followers rolled out a mat before Fay's door, and the leader lay the moaning boy on the mat. The entire band then went to their knees and began chanting, what he assumed were prayers and supplications.
Palpatine watched as Fay, who looked like she just woke up, came out of the hut. The chanting stopped, and in a language he could not understand spoke to Fay. She nodded and kneeled next to the boy, placing her hand on his forehead she closed her eyes. She paused for a moment and then opening her eyes again spoke to the chief.
The Sith didn't need to know the language to see the relief on the older man's face. Apparently there was something Fay could do. She held up her hand and the band fell silent. Moving her other hand over the shaft, it seemed to go deeper into the boy, clear to the other side. Then, she moved her hand again and he heard the muffled snap of wood from under the body while at the same time the longer length of the projectile moved smoothly upward until it was free.
The blond woman then placed her hand on the boy's bleeding chest and closed her eyes. With each passing second less blood flowed from under her delicate hands, until it stopped entirely. When she lifted her hands Palpatine audibly gasped. There wasn't even a scar on the child's skin, the only reminder that the boy had been injured at all was the drying blood on his skin.
The boy sat up and gasped, casting his eyes between Fay and the leader. She whispered something to the young man and he got up and embraced the leader. The entire band of people surrounded them cheering in their native language.
Fay stood, careful not to get blood on her white robes, watching she radiated with joy at the scene. The leader broke through the celebrating group, who was now looking at the boy trying to find evidence of any wound. He spoke a few words to her, bowed and then called for his people to leave and follow him.
Palpatine took this as his moment to approach Fay, who was already returning to her hut to clean off her hands. "Bravo, Master Fay." he began, truly in awe of what he had seen, "No Jedi on Coruscant could do such a thing. In fact, I dare say I've never seen such a powerful display of the Force, ever."
Fay dipped her hands into a bowl of water, rubbing them together to get them clean, "The injury was grievous, but surviveable."
"I dare to say that he would not have survived without your intervention." Palpatine pressed.
"Perhaps, but it was not the will of the Force that the boy die. Had it been, there would have been nothing for me to do. I cannot create life, if that is what you think. I can merely blow on the embers of life to re-spark the fire."
"What did the leader say to you?"
"He thanked me for his son's healing. There will be a feast and dance tonight in honor of his son's life. There is a ceremony involved." She smiled, "I hope you feel strong enough to attend."
"I don't want to miss it." he replied, looking at her in awe.
"Don't do that." She said wiping her hands on a towel.
"What?"
"Look at me like that. Ultimately, I did nothing. I was the conduit for the Force, nothing more." She turned to grab the bowl to throw it out onto the grass, "I think you will enjoy tonight. They are a simple people, but their food will rival any royal banquet you've attended."
"I will enjoy it, Master Fay." he said, "Because you will be there. Though, I draw the line at going bare chested as the native men are."
"That's a pity, the women of the tribe have never seen red hair. You'd make quite a stir." She winked at him, the apples of her cheeks tinged with pink. "I will make us some breakfast, but not too much, as tonight will be extravagant with food."
After they ate, Fay dug out a book for him to pass the afternoon with. It was a Jedi book of parables, which he actually found interesting. They were ancient stories which Fay had translated from older texts, that ranged from the time before the split of the darkside and lightside users into two different groups, to stories much like the one Fay told about the Jedi who kept her lover alive and then turned dark after he took his own life.
He vacillated between reading intently and watching Fay create some sort of weapon with metal pieces she has in a pouch. A few hours into this, he realized he'd been given the book as a kind of babysitter, to keep him entertained as she worked. He closed the book and sat it neatly in his lap, "Are you always this self-sufficient?"
She glanced back at him, "What do you mean?"
"The people I know talk endlessly, you haven't said a word since breakfast."
She finished tying the double dagger looking weapon off on a leather thong and wrapped it in some cloth, then she turned to him, "I have lived alone since I left the temple two hundred and fifty odd years ago. I am used to silence. I also thought you might enjoy the peace and quiet. Your eyes tell me you do not often rest."
"Are you saying I look old?" He smirked
"Not at all, just that you look restless." She put her handmade weapon in a pouch and approached him, sitting next to his chair.
He pursed his lips, "What do I look like to you, Fay? Do I look young and handsome, or old and hideous." It was the best way he knew to ask, without asking, if she saw him as a Sith or a mere man.
Fay tilted her head, "That is not an easy question with you. I think you are handsome, but I see a great darkness in your face. I have never seen a hideous being, so I don't know what you mean by that."
Palpatine sighed. That was an ambiguous answer. It didn't tell him much at all. "I'll take it as a compliment. You said handsome. That's what I heard."
Fay chuckled. Her eyes glistened with amusement. "The evening is coming. I will leave you to ready yourself for tonight's feast."
"Ooooh but I am so weak, Fay." He said grabbing onto her, "I need help undressing and dressing."
She bent down and kissed the tip of his long slender nose, "Don't be a dirty young man." Fay said, slipping from his grasp.
When she left he leaned back in the chair. He found himself intrigued at how she responded to simple bawdy humor, how innocent she was for a woman who claimed such a long life span. Women half his own age were much more worldly and aggressive, with a fraction of the power. It was such a novelty.
When she returned she had her long blond hair braided up with some native flowers, and her slender pointed ears were fully visible. He had gone to his ship and procured his black robes, so he was comfortable. He held out his hand to her, "We look like opposites, you all in angelic white, and me dressed in black." He saw that she was looking at his hand with curiosity, "My dear, when a man takes a woman to a function, there is etiquette to follow." he motioned for her to take his hand, which she finally did. He gave a polite bow and placed her hand over his arm. "You are my date this evening." he stated.
"Do I get a say in this?"
He cast a glance at her and said, "No."
"I see." she said with a chuckle.
"I would normally give my date some bouquet of flowers, candies, or if I am trying to be very dashing…" He held up one of his silver buttons from one of his articles of clothing on a simple silver chain, 'A piece of jewelry." He moved and placed it around her neck, and then replaced her hand on his arm, "I didn't have time to shop, so this will have to do."
With her free hand she picked up the button and looked it over. It was expensive, that she could tell. Some villages didn't have the money found in this trinket. It also held a signet, his she assumed. "Is this how people date where you are from?"
"Only the best people," he said with a campy flourish. "Shall we?"
She nodded yes.
"Tonight, my dear, we are going to pay honor to these native traditions while following a human tradition of our own, and that is the tradition of a date."
"I have never dated anyone, young man."
He tsked his teeth, "Please, it's Sheev tonight. And after tonight, you will be able to say you have dated at least once, and I get to be the only man in the galaxy that can say he has dated you. This appeals to my vanity you know."
Smiling she shook her head, "Jedi don't date."
He tsked his teeth again with a little more drama, "Tonight you are just Fay…" he paused furrowing his brows, "Do you have a last name, my dear?" he asked, then adding, "You see it's customary to get to know one's date."
"I see." she said walking along with him toward the small village, "I don't know my last name, if I ever had one. I was in the temple right after my birth." she paused, "Do you have a last name?"
He smiled broadly, "Now you are catching on. Yes, Fay, I do. I am Sheev Palpatine. I am telling you this now, so for the rest of the night you can try your name with my last name. Women on dates often do this to see if they like the sound of their new name."
"Fay...Palpatine."
"Goood, goood, yes you are getting the hang of this dating. Personally, I like that together."
They were interrupted by the villagers greeting them by throwing flower petals at their feet, "You see, if I were a true cad, Fay, I would tell you now that I arranged all this for your benefit, in hopes it would win me enough points to take you to my bed."
Fay gasped and he chuckled, "Does that work? And who keeps score of points?"
Palpatine laughed a touch harder, "Yes it does, and whoever is being won over keeps the points. In this case, you are trying to win me over so I am going to keep the score."
Her pink lips pursed and her brows furrowed, "That doesn't seem right…"
Palpatine couldn't react as the music of flutes and drums filled the air as they were taken to seats of honor.
He was enjoying the evening, the native dancers were unique and enthralling. The food was as Fay had said, delicious and plentiful. He did not enjoy it as Fay did though. Joy simply flowed from her. She delighted in explaining the dances to him and offering things from her plate for him to try.
At the apex of the evening, two old women laid simple stone jewelry they had made at her feet and the leader approached her on his knees. His face to the ground he held up a dagger for her to take, which she did. She then floated it carefully before her, breaking it in two and letting it drop to the ground. Pulling the blade she had made earlier in the day out of her pack she stood and showed it to the crowd who were now silent. Then, she carefully dropped the dagger so it would stick between the leaders hands, and said a single world in their language. The crowd errupted in cheers as the leader took the dagger from the dirt, stood now walking around holding it for all to see.
Palpatine leaned over, "What just happened here? It seemed important."
"I saved his son, who was too young to owe a life debt. So the debt fell to his father. He offered me his dagger, which was symbolic of his leadership, and the tool he used to feed his people. I took the dagger, meaning I accepted his life. Had I not, he would have had to kill himself. Then I broke the dagger, and that meant that I would not harm him, because once it was mine, his people and his life were mine to do with as they please. I gave him the dagger I made, symbolically giving him back his life and his people."
"What of the jewelry the old women gave you? Will you give those back?"
"No, that would be insulting. They are the healers and wise elders of the tribe. They have given me these to say they accept me as one of their own, as a sister."
"You are a politician," Palpatine said, "You gave back stability and their child."
She shrugged, "Perhaps, but most importantly-I think-I honored their customs. Often outsiders try to change their ways, and force their ideals onto them. They accept me because I accept them. Their leader would have let his son die rather than take him to someone who would not know the law of his people, because then he would owe a life debt to someone who would never understand."
Palpatine nodded, understanding completely, "He would have been a stranger's slave, and his people would have to adapt to the stranger. They would lose themselves, their identity."
Fay's face filled with warmth, "Exactly. Forgive me, but I didn't think a politician from the core would understand."
Sheev just smiled at her, "Can we leave? I would like to spend some time walking under the stars with my date."
"Oh," she said starting to stand, taking her offerings, "Yes, of course. The rest of the night will be a retelling of the story, and lots and lots of drinking."
He took her hand and placed on his arm again. Walking away from the village the cool night air felt good in contrast to the bonfire. They were silent for a time when Fay finally spoke, "So do I have...points?" she raised a quizzical eyebrow, not forgetting their earlier conversation.
"I don't know." he replied faking indecision.
She frowned, "Are points hard to earn?"
"They can be, Fay." he said overdramatically.
"None of this makes sense to me." She said earnestly.
"You are so deliciously innocent for one so wise."
She blinked, "You are teasing me aren't you?"
He laughed and turned wrapping her up in his black robes, "Yes, I am. Though people do keep score when entering into these dating rituals. In our case, I am afraid you would be keeping score of me." He pulled her into the warmth of his robes, the exact reason he wore this particular garment. Staring down at her he smiled, "The fact that I was able to trick you in this way is endearing. It makes you less goddess and more human."
"I am not perfect." she said softly, now a little self conscious.
"If anyone in the universe could find flaw in you, Fay, it would be me." He said deliberately, "And I see no meaningful chink in your armor." He was not being as flattering as he sounded, as much as he was just realizing that he could not turn her to the darkside, nor did he think he could-at least at this point- manipulate her in any meaningful way. Not the way he had Sifo Dyas and Dooku. He was not, however, being selfless. He wanted her. He wanted to possess her, that would not change. Having her would feel like having the force itself.
Fay just looked at him, unsure of what to say. As he held her she felt the force in her once again pine for him. She'd never felt anything like it before. He lifted her chin, "There is one privledge I will ask for, Fay since this is a date."
"What?"
"One kiss." he said in a whisper.
Taking the feeling of the Force inside her as a sign to say yes, she nodded.
Mindfully he pulled her upward to him and placed his lips gently on hers, he let them linger there a few moments for her to get used to his skin pressing against hers, and then opened their mouths with his lips drinking deep of their kiss. He could feel the threads of the Force within her crashing against his skin, and it may well have been his imagination but he could almost swear he tasted pure light in her mouth. The darkest parts of him wanted to keep pushing his limits, but he pulled back before the gentleman facade slipped away.
She touched her fingers to her lips, looking at him strangely.
"Have I offended you?" He asked, licking his lips.
"No, not at all." she blinked.
"Whatever else I am, Fay, I am a man. A man who has an infinite appetite for power and beauty, and you have an abundance of both. I might, with a lesser woman, tell you that if you return with me to the Core I would see to it that you want for nothing." he sighed, "But in your simplicity, you already want for nothing. I have nothing to offer you that you do not already possess."
"But you do." Fay said in protest, "It's the one thing you don't give away. Yourself." She said now wrapping her arms tighter around him, "The only thing I would truly want from you is the exact thing you will not give away. "
He buried his nose in her hair, every bit of her was perfumed by the Force. "If you came back with me, you could change that."
"I will meditate on it, but I've already seen a vision that seems to tell me that I will not now, but one day I will come to you."
The mention of a vision sparked his curiosity, "What did you see?"
She hesitated and released him, "I see that we have a future together, but it is unlike what you imagine and better than you can dream." She turned away and began walking toward the hut. He took a few long strides and caught up with her.
"Tell me how."
Fay opened her mouth but it refused to speak, "I cannot say." she said clearing her throat. "Darkness covers and follows you like a shroud, Sheev. I expect you know that."
"Does that make you fear or hate me?" He asked, turning her face toward him.
"No." she answered without hesitation, "And one day, I will love you as I have never loved another." she smiled taking the hand at her chin into her hands, kissing it she continued, "I can say no more, other than it is best if you signal for rescue tomorrow."
"I will see you again?" He asked.
"Yes, several more times before…" she did not finish.
"Before what?"
She smiled, "I saw my death…" she said almost breathlessly, "We will see each other several more times before my death."
Palpatine frowned, suspecting he would have some part in her death the way she acted. "Whatever you saw, I do not wish you to die." Even he, what others consider a total monster, could not see any benefit in her death.
She hugged him, "You have no part in my death, Sheev. It is the will of the Force."
"This is a terrible way to end a date." Palpatine said wanting to break the tension until he could meditate on these matters.
"Is it? I thought the purpose of dating was to get to know things. Is the whole death thing a...deal breaker?" She chuckled, "It shouldn't be. For people of the lightside, that's when things get really interesting." Fay closed the gap between them, and then taking him by surprise kissed him on the lips. Then pulling away she entered into the hut, leaving him in the night to ponder this enigmatic moment.