The Emperor
Chapter 8: A Father's Return
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS
The Imperial shuttle descended slowly through the air, hovering over the landing platform for several moments before it's landing gear lowered fully upon the concrete. The engine rumbled to a halt and the small procession of Imperial Knights standing on either side of the red carpet that led into the Imperial Knight Headquarters quickly quieted and stood perfectly erect. Standing on the carpet were all of the Masters of the Order that were currently planet side. Standing before them was Master Rȧo and Luke, the former looking perfectly calm, maybe even a bit relieved to not have to deal with running the Council Meetings anymore, while the latter looked slightly worried and a bit nervous.
With a hiss, the ramp lowered and the long awaited High Lord of the Empire descended, touching Coruscanti ground for the first time since he had shipped out for Cakkiiwo II. Looking annoyed, he walked briskly towards his son, ignoring the council members.
"We will talk at dinner tonight, until then, everyone is dismissed" Anakin said before walking down the steps of the landing pad and then across the carpet into the temple, not even glancing at the knights standing at attention on either side of him.
"Great." Luke muttered as Mara, having used the force to extend her hearing while she was in the formation behind them, snickered, ignoring Master Rȧo's glare as Luke mentally spoke to her.
You realize that he'll want to talk to BOTH of us about that night right? And about our relationship too.
The snickering stopped abruptly.
"Father"
"Son" Palpatine said as Anakin entered his private study, having come over after taking care of a few things at the Temple. Palpatine, though few knew of this, had a fondness for reading and mechanical devices. So it was often that Luke or Anakin might find him in his study, tinkering with a device or another while reading one subject or another. And this proved to be the case as Anakin found his father working on a black stone like object in the shape of a pyramid. Near the neatly stacked and arranged tools and pieces of stone and crystal were several manuscripts of Sith Lore, as well as a fully working holocron.
The device was open and it showed the shadowy form of the Sith Lord Revan, who had been helping the aged Emperor in the construction of yet another holocron. Shutting the device off with the force, Palpatine turned in his wooden chair to face his son, who had drawn up a chair as well.
"About Luke...what is it you have in mind to deal with his...excursion with Knight Jade while I was away.
Palpatine chuckled dryly. "I have already started with his punishment" he said. "He and Knight Jade have been assigned the task of overseeing the construction of a monument for the Empire's Birthday Ball" he explained.
Anakin smiled brightly. "You are a truly evil man" he said as he imagined his son's disdain for the long project ahead. "But it will be good practice for him...even though he slept with Mara" Anakin added, though his face darkened at the mention of said incident that had landed Luke in his current state of torment.
"Were you and Padme so much different during the War? And they merely slept in the physical sense. They at least had enough brains about them collectively at the time to not doing anything more" Palpatine stated calmly, however Anakin straightened slightly at the mention of his dead wife.
"I hope to the greatest extent that those two never end up like Padme and myself" Anakin said grimly.
"She was clouded with the ideals of the Old Republic. What happened was for the best...now, we have a dinner to attend" the Emperor said and the two left the private study together, both thinking about one blond haired boy who would one day rule the Empire.
Metal utensils clinked elegantly against glass plates as the trio began the first course of the dinner. The table was long, however only the end closest to the large window of the Emperor's Dining Room was currently occupied. The Emperor himself sat at the head of the table, lightly sipping the warm soup before him, while High Lord Skywalker sat to his right and Prince Skywalker to his left.
"So how has the project been coming along?" Palpatine asked his grandson, who winced when his father's gaze came upon him. In comparison to his elders, the youth had eaten very little, only nibbling at the small bread rolls set next to the soup by the kitchen staff.
"Most of the outer structure is finished, and we have begun work on the main banquet hall, as well as fixing some measurement errors" Luke said. "The entire thing is, in complete honesty, boring grandfather."
Palpatine nodded as he looked at his High Lord. "Perhaps we should reward your son with a military mission after the Ball?" Palpatine suggested as Luke all but leapt out of his seat in excitement, barely managing a straight face.
Anakin wanted anything but to reward his son, but he knew Palpatine would do it anyways, regardless of what he thought. "I suppose..." He said and felt the force shift ever so slightly as Luke tried to not let out a loud sigh of relief and joy. "But I do not think he should be unsupervised this time" sensing his son's hurt and surprise, he continued on. "He and his escort were nearly killed in their previous engagement, resulting in Knight Rȧo suffering a very painful transformation in which she may not recover, and there is the fact that only he and Knight Jade would be going..." He said, leaving the statement hanging in the air, letting Luke know very clearly that he wouldn't be anywhere near Mara without someone watching him for the time being.
"True" Palpatine agreed, nodding his head. "But Luke did save the library, vanquish a Sith Lord and deliver us a new race of slaves to be used as we see fit" Palpatine said. "However" He added. "I did not intend to send him off on his own anyways. You will be accompanying him and a task force to investigate a new area near the Coltos Sector" he began. "Several scientists have told me that a new cluster of planets may exist there and the pioneering ship sent to investigate it have not returned or sent word other then that they had exited hyperspace, then nothing..." Palpatine said. "But we can discuss this later, lets here about your mission" he added and looked at his son, interested in how the campaign had gone.