Him

Palpatine is a quiet man. His favorite hobby? Power. Something he hasn't quite mastered yet, but eventually will.

"Come on apprentice, think about your enemies. How will you hurt them?"

He focuses on a small baby wookie, strapped to a table in front of him. Master Darth Plagueis has been training his most vicious skills, he has increased the Dark Side in Palpatine, and soon he'd be a Master too.

The furry baby rolls over screaming in complaining mixtures of sound, known as their language. There's no pity in Palpatine's eyes, much less in his Master's.

Palpatine, young and vigorous, a red headed human with blue eyes, will soon become a true Sith Lord. A Sith who shall rule the Galaxy, a Sith on his way to Senate.

"You remember your teachings, Palpatine. My time is not to be wasted." The Master could easily get on his nerves, like a bug flying over his head, annoying, annoying, annoying. And that wasn't good for his concentration.

The apprentice raises his hand aiming it at the Wookie. He starts to close it, as the little guy twitches in his straps and the neck rises tight, choking.

"That's it. Now hold it. Hold the Force."

The furry creature screeches in pain, and after a few seconds, it falls back on the table, dead. The Master, sitting on his black stone throne, stands not noticing is very exhausted apprentice. His long head covered by a rope

"I must address some affairs, Palpatine. That'll be all for today."

Master Plagueis leaves not even facing Palpatine or his work. The apprentice breathes heavily, sweat running down his face. Once he's alone he reaches for the dead wookie and clasps his hand around the creature's neck. A smirk reveals itself on his face. Palpatine throws the corpse away, to the middle of the dark room where he hopes someone will pick it up and get scared at the poor animal.

The Lasay Swamp, a quiet place surrounded by death, Palpatine's favorite kind of environment. There are grey lakes and rotten whipping trees. He sits back on a rock thinking about what's not there, what's lost forever. In his mind, there's only darkness followed by the memories of starvation and hunger his Master helped him surpass. His family, dead by his own hands. If he keeps on dueling these thoughts, the roads to becoming a 'masterless' Sith won't be easy. But Plagueis trusts him, when probably he shouldn't. The handle of his saber grows cold in his grip.

"You're too silent."

Palpatine is taken by surprise with the female voice. There's no one behind these plants, in this dreadful place. He turns to face her.

"Who?"

"It's me Palpatine, you don't recognize an old friend?"

Beyond the shadows a slim figure crosses the trees involved in cloth and long tentacles. She's a familiar face, one that Palpatine hasn't seen for a very long time, not since he was a child, not since he enrolled in the Youth Program at Theed University. He must have been around sixteen last time he saw her. She was still owner of a hypnotizing beauty. Eleven years, an eternity marked by real changes in his life, but no apparent changes in hers.

"Marilla."

"Wow, you remember my name. Didn't think you would, after your brain washing." She swiftly sits next to him on an adjacent rock.

He's not in the mood for coded conversations. He sighs. "What are you talking about?"

"I hear you're a Sith now."

This takes Palpatine by surprise. No one's supposed to know about his training; Darth Sidious is to be a completely different person and a secret identity. Anyone knowing will hurt his chances at being a Senator. He needs to earn the people's respect before owning their fear.

"What do you mean?" He can tell she notices his worries.

"You're training with Darth Plagueis, aren't you?"

"Of course not!"

"There can only be two Sith Lords in the galaxy, Palpatine: The apprentice and the Master. You're the apprentice, I know!"

"This is absurd! What are you doing here? What do you want? After all this time!"

She flinches at that, not expecting the harsh words. "I need you're help Palpatine."

Palpatine chuckles, at such a silly statement. "Never!"

"Why not? It's everyone's dream to help a Jedi." Marilla narrows her eyes, daring.

"You're not a Jedi. As far as I know you're still learning."

"Yes, I am still a Padawan."

"And why is that Marilla? One decade has passed, you're no longer attached to your Master, but you aren't one either." He spits the words with anger and disgust. The Jedi turn his stomach around, especially this one.

"I came on a special mission, at the request of the council."

"They asked you to come and discover if I'm a Sith?"

"Palpatine, common people wouldn't know about the Sith in detail. But you do."

"I'm not a common person." He stares ahead not being able to face her.

"You know, because I told you about them. A long time ago, remember?"

Palpatine remembers it, but it's hard to see it clearly, like every other memory. It's much too dark.

"The fact that you decided to seek for this Master of yours, it's no surprise to me. I've been with the Force since I was a child, I felt it when we first met, that you were inclined to use it. Except you'd never be a Jedi. So, your secret, or whatever you feel this dark life of yours is, is safe with me."

Palpatine frowns at her, confused.

"The reason I'm still a padawan, comes from deep inside of me." She touches her chest, her eyes piercing Palpatine, glowing. "A Jedi can't show love. Even if I hold my own padawans, I'm to be serene. There is no emotion, there is peace. There's no ignorance, There's knowledge.-"

"I know the damn code!" He says stopping her.

"Okay… My Master says I can't be a full Jedi unless I remember that everyday. She told me to forget about my father. But there's one person I never forgot, someone I can't forget. And it's hurting my chances."

Marilla grabs his hand and a spark flies through both their bodies, it could be the Force, it could be something else.

"I haven't forgotten about you, Palpatine. I can't. And it hurts."

Her brows frown in a beautiful, worried and hurt manner. Palpatine stares at her trying to fight the hatred, trying to understand. But he's not sixteen-year-old Palpatine anymore. He's a Sith Lord now. He's on the Dark side.