ADAS KALLIG

I decided to immediately go to the Chancellor's office immediately after finishing my lecture. Apparently Palpatine recently returned from his "Veil destruction Trip", so I intended to ask him to fund the sith academy. He shouldn't have anything against it.

...unless he was angry at me because of my little stunt. But it wasn't a big deal, so he had no reason. I didn't know for sure, but the tear should have closed itself immediately after I stopped keeping it open, right? So there shouldn't be any complications. Probably. I think.

I approached the door to the Chancellor's suite. I left my followers outside, thinking that too many people inside would just inconvenience Palpatine, as it would look like I tried to pressure him. There was also a fact that there was already a high-level battle there once, so I didn't want to risk them being caught up on another. Not that I planned to start any fight though. I actually hoped that my visit would end much better than the previous one.

Palpatine's assistant opened the door for me. After thanking him, I looked around the room. It appeared all the damage sustained from the fight was already repaired. It looked even better than before as Palpatine apparently also decided to redecorate the place while he was at it. There were many more sith artifacts laying in the open, I also saw some banners with symbols of the sith order hanging on the wall. It all looked quite pleasant. I was happy that Palaptine was finally able to show all of this in the open. I didn't know why he didn't do it before, but he probably deemed all this stuff as too valuable to show to everyone, fearing it would get stolen. Now he was more confident.

The man I intended to talk to was sitting at his desk, visibly busy with something, probably related to his job as a chancellor. I could tell there was something different about him. He was no longer surrounded by the dark energies, instead feeling more neutral, almost like a non-force user. However the fact that I was still able to feel huge amounts of force inside him indicated that Palpatine probably just discovered how to hide his affinity from others, to better blend in the crowd. Good for him.

I wasn't sure if I should interrupt him, as he was in the middle of the work. Normally I wouldn't worry about something like that, instead confidently starting the conversation, but the situation was different at the moment. Right now I had a mission. Very important mission. I was about to do a sales pitch.

I had to convince this very important man that he should spend time, effort and money to rebuild the sith academy on Korriban. Technically I could get some funds from Nar Shaddaa, but the sith academy was supposed to be a place of learning, an honest and pure institution, so I couldn't exactly use Mobba's blood money to build it. It wouldn't feel right. I needed real, legal funds and unfortunately I didn't have enough on my own. That was why I needed to find a sponsor. And who was the better choice than the most important man in the republic and the sith lord himself, Sheev Palpatine? He could probably even make it a public project. That was why I had to be on my best behavior, so that I wouldn't offend him.

However, contrary to my concerns, the momentPalpatine saw me, he raised from his chair and spread his arms, as if to greet a dear friend.

"Ah, Darth Imperius! How wonderful to see you! What brings you to me today?" Okay, so far so good. The Chancellor seemed to be in a good mood. Time to start my salesman act.

"Darth Sidious, my friend, the day became brighter the moment I saw you!" I exclaimed, trying to subtly butter him up. I had to be careful, so that he wouldn't see it was all part of my clever scheme. "I came to you with the opportunity of a lifetime! It's time for the sith to bring back our culture to the Galaxy! I intend to rebuild the sith academy and I decided you are worthy of sponsoring the process! It's a great honor among the sith and you were the first person I thought of as a powerful, wise sith lord!" I had to delicately balance my flattery, so that he wouldn't find it unnatural.

"What a great idea! I would be honored to do that!" Responded Palpatine with a voice full of joy, apparently eager to help me. Good, my clever tactic worked! "Please tell me more!"

"Well, it would be located on Korriban, obviously. I also intend it to be a peaceful place, where children from all across the Galaxy could go to learn everything about the dark side, without any bothersome politics holding them back. That's why I would like to make it a neutral territory, where children from both Republic and Confederacy could learn and play together. Making separatists agree to it would probably be hard, but I have to try. Future of the children is on the line after all" Well, there was also the fact that I didn't really want the academy, and by extension Korriban to belong to any faction but mine, but children were important too, I guess. Palpatine's eyes sparkled at my words.

"Don't worry about separatists. I will talk to Count Dooku myself. Bringing back the sith culture is a highest priority, I am sure he will understand this as a sith himself" Wow, so nice of Palpatine to do that. I didn't even know how to contact Dooku, so it made everything much easier. "And do you already have someone in mind when it comes to teaching?"

"Of course, my ancestor, Aloysius Kallig, graciously agreed to become a principal of the academy. He told me he already recruited a talented teacher himself. I also intend to make a certain nightsister a teacher there, as I think she would be a good fit" Well, she didn't know about it yet, but I am sure she would agree. It was a great offer after all. To work in the most prestigious sith academy in the galaxy? It would be a crime to decline such an opportunity.

"Hmm" Replied Palpatine dubiously, apparently finding something wrong with what I just said. What? Did I say something wrong? There shouldn't be anything there to have doubts about. "I am not sure if it would be a good idea. Wouldn't it be seen as nepotism? I don't think it is fair to give someone such a position just because of the fact that he is a family member" Ah, so that was the problem. Palpatine was very responsible. I could respect that. Fortunately it wouldn't be an issue.

"Darth Sidious, you have nothing to worry about" I replied confidently, certain I would be able to resolve this easily. " Aloysius Kallig has great credentials. The fact that he is related to me is inconsequential. After all He was one of the three greatest sith of his era, he possesses a massive amount of knowledge about the dark side of the force and knows everything about being a sith lord. Secret sith greetings and everything" I said, finishing my sentence with a joke that would hopefully amuse Palpatine, making him more convinced to the idea that Grandpa Aloysius would be a great principal.

"Secret greeting?" He asked, seemingly not understanding it was a joke. Shit, I wasn't serious! What to do? Should I just say the truth? No, it would look unprofessional and there was nothing worse than explaining a joke. I had to press on.

"You know, May the darkness reign eternal" I said, raising my hand on the side, dying inside. What the fuck did I just say? He will think I was an idiot! Silence followed as Palpatine was looking at me intently, apparently thinking about something.

"We are the lords of the night" Responded Palpatine, raising his hand too. We stared at each other, neither of us saying anything for a while, just waiting in uncomfortable silence.

What the fuck? There really was a secret greeting?! And Palpatine knew it?! Was it some new tradition started in recent times?! What were the chances that I would guess it right?! No, I had to stay calm. He couldn't know that I said the greeting correctly by accident. It would hurt my image as a wise senior.

"A-ah, so you already know the greeting!" I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. Stay calm, he didn't suspect anything yet. I just had to act like everything was normal.

"Y-yes, of course. I am a sith lord after all. I wouldn't forget something like that" He responded with a stiff face. Did he notice? Was that why he was acting so strangely? I didn't know, but It wouldn't be wise to ask, as Palpatine could grow suspicious.

"S-so anyway, can I count on you when it comes to the funding of the academy?" I asked, desperately trying to change the subject to something safer.

"N-naturaly, you have my full support" He responded, sweating a little. Awkward silence returned, with neither of us knowing what to say. Then Palpatine thought of something. "As a sith lord I should probably send my own apprentice to the academy, right? I will have to find someone before the school year starts" That…wasn't right, but maybe something changed since my times? Maybe now sith didn't recruit acolytes from the academy, instead sending their pupils? That made some sense, probably.

"…yes, that's how it works" I had a feeling there was something wrong with this conversation, but I sure as fuck wouldn't try to find out what. I got what I wanted, so I should probably just leave when I had a chance, instead of risking more awkwardness. "As we were already able to come to an agreement, I think I will leave for now. You know, sith business and all. It was so nice meeting you"

"Yes, you too. Become one with the darkness, right?" Said the chancellor with a shaky smile. This fucker. Was that on purpose to check if I knew how to respond?

"…Yeah, May the shadows protect you" I replied, watching Palpatine's reaction. He didn't act like I said the wrong thing, but I had enough. What the fuck was wrong with this office?! Did it make every conversation conducted there extremely awkward?!

I left without another word, filled with shame and confusion.

SHEEV PALPATINE

After a nerve-wracking conversation with his fellow sith lord, he decided to acquire his own apprentice. He didn't however know how to do something like that. He searched the notes of his past self, but he was unable to find any tips or suggestions on how to find an impressionable youth, willing to join the dark side. Were there some institutions that lend them to a sith lord? Or maybe the process of selection looked different? He thought about asking Darth Imperius about this, but he decided against it. He was already lucky he was able to guess the secret sith greeting correctly. without him noticing He didn't want to risk Imperius to find out about his suspicious lack of knowledge by asking strange questions.

That was why he had to find an apprentice some other way. And what was the best place to find someone with force sensitivity, who was looking for a master? That's right, a jedi temple!

That was why he was standing in the main hall of the temple, accompanied by master Windu, who was recently released from jail. He was still quite thin, probably not being able to eat properly as a prisoner. He was also covered in various scars, with one barely missing his left eye, going through almost the entire face. These wounds probably explained why he was constantly looking at Palpatine with such a scorn. But it wasn't his fault! It was his past self!

For some reason, when the recently released jedi master heard that Palpatine intended to adopt one of the temple's wards, wanting to make them his apprentice, he became quite angry, visibly trying to restrain himself from attacking him. Palpatine didn't exactly understand why he was behaving like this. It would be a great symbol of unity and cooperation between two orders if the Jedi were to do something like this. He would even announce it publicly, so that Jedi could restore their damaged public image.

Palpatine could only assume that Master Windu was still not exactly right after his time in prison. He heard they were quite hard to live in, so maybe Windu was traumatized. He would think about it later though. He came to the temple for a reason.

Before him was a group of young, promising teens, ready to be picked by a respected ally of the order. Palpatine didn't exactly know what were the criteria for a good apprentice though, so he decided he would just go with his gut. Not like he had ever had an apprentice on his own, so he had to trust his feelings.

"…These are the younglings ready to become padawans" Master Windu said, gritting his teeth, as if what he was about to say caused him much pain. "Choose whoever you want among them" He wasn't looking so good. He was shaking and looking at him with extreme hostility. Palpatine hoped he would get better soon, as someone in his state shouldn't be a member of the jedi council. Well, it was a problem for another time.

He looked at the group before him. There were teens from various races there: humans, miraluka, nautolans and many others. There wasn't anything wrong about any of them and they all looked like they could make a good apprentice. It made it hard for him to choose, as there was nothing distinctive about any of them. Without any other option, he focused on them, trying to find something that would help him reach the decision.

He felt nothing as he was scanning the group until his eyes landed on a human girl, around early teens. She didn't look different from other younglings, but there was something about her that catched Palpatine's attention. It was faint, but something was telling him that she was the most suited to be his apprentice among this group.

Finding what he was looking for, he approached the girl. She looked at him hesitantly, but didn't say a word, waiting. He smiled warmly, trying to put her at ease.

"What's your name, child?" He asked, excited. He was about to have an apprentice!

"T-Trilla Suduri" She responded with a shaky voice, for some reason looking at Windu questioningly. The Jedi master only looked at her with sad eyes however, making her shake slightly. Seriously, why was he scaring her? What happened to that man in prison?! He would have to act friendly, to show her that he wasn't an enemy. On the contrary, he wanted to be her teacher.

"I see" He responded, with a friendly smile on his face. She was a little surprised to see it, becoming a little calmer than before. "I have a question for you, Trilla" She looked at him, not sure what he was about to say, but no longer afraid. "Would you like to become my apprentice?"