"A dyad... the power of two, restores to the one true emperor"
Darth Sidious Episode IX
Chapter Eleven
Tatooine
Jundland Wastes
Tomorrow (Eleventh day after the collapse)
Anakin continued to think sadly, Sidious's words... there was no return to the light for him... that became more than clear with his contempt.
Obi-wan hugged Anakin to console him "Forgive me Anakin, I have failed you... I should have been there for you. But I wasn't.
"No... don't apologize, master..." Anakin melancholy begins to remember.
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had not allowed anyone into his office that night when he learned that Anakin Skywalker had recovered enough from Geonosis to visit him. And he was greatly pleased that the teenage Padawan had sought him out almost immediately after being discharged from the Temple hospital ward.
In fact, he had sent his personal speeder and escort to bring the boy to him. Mas Amedda and Sly Moore had weakly protested, arguing that he had an important meeting with the Corellian Trade Union. The potential benefits of such a deal could run into billions of credits, they cajoled.
Anakin Skywalker was priceless.
The discrepancy in their schedule was not difficult to resolve: the Corellians were met by their annoying assistants and taken to a luxurious restaurant near the Galaxias Opera House. He was sure that his indignant complaints would disappear in the light of an open menu.
Just as he was sure that Anakin's problems would soon come to light. Something dark swirled behind the boy's normally bright blue eyes. Even without the use of the Dark Side, he felt impressive amounts of frustration, a bit of pain, and an intriguing level of shame. Anakin had tentatively entered his office when he arrived, refusing to meet the Chancellor's smiling face as he bowed deeply.
Palpatine had not questioned the new hesitation. Instead, he gently wrapped an arm around the taller human's shoulders and guided him to the chairs in front of his desk. Anakin fell into the seat, spiritless, blackened, and the Chancellor handed him a tall glass of Sullustan wine. Anakin barely looked at it before pouring the contents down his throat. He swallowed convulsively and set the glass down heavily on the desk, frowning at the shiny surface. Palpatine waited patiently.
The dialogue had been a long time coming. The Chancellor asked about the Jedi's arm. The Jedi muttered that he was getting used to the new electronic devices, but sometimes his hand gave out.
Errors in the system…there is always a problem with the startup. Silence reigned between them and Palpatine discerned that the hand was the least of Anakin's current problems.
The turmoil there was intense, but it was not the source of Anakin's unnatural behavior toward the Chancellor. I was nursing some kind of guilt. Palpatine gently praised him for coming to his master's aid and found that Anakin did not regret his decision to defy the Council and leave Tatooine. All very well, but what did that leave?
Tatooine... Anakin's last living relatives. His mother. Based on the latest information on the woman, Palpatine knew that she had been sold to a moisture farmer outside the city. And there Palpatine had hoped she would live out her days in ignorant obscurity. Surely the Jedi would never allow Anakin to search for her; They showed little compassion when the topic of family came up. Had Anakin somehow bypassed the Temple code and located her? And if so, why isn't it mentioned? Why wasn't Anakin glowing with happiness?
Because she was dead. Palpatine realized it with surprising clarity. Something dark had happened. Anakin's mother was dead, and Anakin's fear, sadness, and guilt revolved around that fact. How, I wanted to find out. His investigations had started innocently enough, as always.
"Tatooine...that was your mother's homeworld, right?" he had asked quietly as Anakin drank a second glass of wine.
Anakin had stared at him from across the desk. "No, no, she didn't have a homeworld. She...was...a slave." And then he slid down, falling into a mass of bone curled up in the chair, leaving the Chancellor staring at the broken form.
Now, in the present, here they sat, both waiting for the other to come out. Palpatine broke the deadlock, untangled his hands, and stood from his spot behind the desk. Approaching the chair next to the padawan, he sat down slowly and reached for the boy's shoulder. "Anakin. I'm sorry, my dear boy. What has happened to you?"
A cloudy blue eye peeked out from between his fingers, and then Anakin straightened. Tears gathered in the corners of both eyes. "No, I should apologize, Chancellor. I didn't mean to lose control like that. It's not your fault. You have many more important things to do than listen to me complain…"
Palpatine walked over and lied through his teeth. "Anakin, don't complain. And I have nothing better to do than tend to a dear friend. I hate to see you in so much pain, but I can't help you without knowing what's troubling you."
Anakin stared into his empty glass, then his tormented eyes slowly rose to meet Palpatine's compelling gaze. "My mother is dead, sir."
"Dead?" Palpatine breathed and sank into his chair, silently congratulating himself. One more potential obstacle removed and, judging by Anakin's state, a good push into the darkness. "Oh God... Oh, Anakin. That's terrible news! May I ask, excuse me, how he died?"
Anakin clung to her sympathy like a drowning man. "She was killed." His words were hard, short, bitter.
"Murdered?" Palpatine asked carefully.
"Yeah." Anakin's eyes bored holes into the Chancellor's desk.
Palpatine leaned back. "My word... How horrible for you, boy."
A tear slid down Anakin's cheek and he wiped it away furiously. "It is. I can't help but think of all the years we were apart. I wasted all those years with her, just because I wanted to be a Jedi and save the galaxy." Disappointment was always painful, but Palpatine enjoyed the fact that this time the Jedi were the recipients. Anakin's head dropped again and he muttered, "I'm not a very good Jedi anyway, sir. Not after..."
"After?" Palpatine pressed him.
Anakin became evasive. "It's nothing, sir."
The Chancellor reached out and lightly touched her arm, lowering his voice to an elegant whisper. The room became darker. "Anakin, I may not be a Jedi, but it doesn't take any Jedi skill to see that you are downplaying the truth. You can tell me anything. I will never judge you by a rigid code."
He heard a soft moan. "You'll think I'm a monster."
Palpatine wanted to laugh at the irony, but refrained admirably. If anything, his tone softened even more. "You underestimate me, Anakin. I have never seen you as anything more than a dear friend. You are like a son to me, and you will never be less. Never. I don't care what you do."
Anakin finally looked at him. "That means a lot, Chancellor. I don't know what to say."
"You don't need to say anything, if you want."
The offer was semantic. Anakin was already determined to tell him. "You... won't hate me?" he asked nervously.
Palpatine waved a magnanimous hand. "That would be impossible."
The Jedi took a deep breath and the story poured out of him in a series of faltering fragments. "When we got to Tatooine, Padmé and I, Senator Amidala and I, went to find my mother. Her name was Shmi, you know... She had a name. She was no longer a slave, but she went to a moisture farm. .and married a man there. Then the Tusken Raiders came to the area. They kidnapped her and took her away..."
Palpatine feigned uncertainty. "Tusken raiders?"
"Animals!" Anakin exploded, surprising even Palpatine with his sudden fury, but he instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry... but they're animals! Vicious brutes who only hurt people."
Palpatine's mouth moved for a second. "I understand," he finally said.
Anakin nodded. "Anyway... I went to look for her. I found her. With them. They did horrible things to her. I can't imagine it. I don't want to imagine it, but it's there in my mind like a nightmare. But I'm awake." His eyes begged the Chancellor to understand his words, and Palpatine found it too easy.
He said nothing.
Anakin's breathing shuddered. "I imagined it all that night, when I was holding her. She was dying right there in my arms. Have you ever held someone who is dying, Chancellor?"
Palpatine was surprised by the hoarseness of his own voice. "Have…"
"I loved her so much and they killed her. So I... I..."
Anxious, Palpatine bowed. "What did you do, Anakin?"
Did you just imagine the glorious flash of yellow in those dazzling blue eyes? "I killed them."
"You killed them." He kept his enthusiasm in check with ruthless self-control, Anakin repeating with all the excitement of a Coruscanti waiter taking an order.
Anakin's eyebrows rose as he considered Palpatine's calm response. "All of them," he clarified.
"Not just warriors?"
The boy's teeth ground audibly and he reached out to pour himself another glass of wine. "No, not just them. Women and children too. I've never wanted to kill anyone so much in my life. See? I'm a terrible Jedi. Now you know why too."
Have you told anyone else? This is wonderful! Is this how a parent feels when their child graduates? Palpatine fought to keep from shaking with pleasure. "How is that so terrible?"
Anakin choked on his drink. "Chancellor? I killed them! I hated them! I still do."
Palpatine wrinkled his brow in confusion. "Yes, they murdered your mother."
Anakin let out an incredulous laugh. "It was wrong! I killed them too!" He raised the glass to drink again.
Palpatine reached out and gently removed it from Anakin's grasp. The flesh-and-blood hand beneath his trembled with a sudden spasm. "Murder?" He allowed his disbelief to radiate into the boy. "From the facts, I would call that justice, Anakin. Think about it. They kidnapped and murdered your mother. Who has jurisdiction over these Tusken Raiders?"
Anakin snorted. "Nobody. Or Jabba the Hutt, which means nobody."
Satisfied, he continued, "And you are a Jedi. A peacemaker. These raiders daily threatened the peace of Tatooine, and you put an end to their threat. I daresay your actions have safeguarded the lives of countless Republican civilians."
Anakin's eyes widened. "You mean…?"
"I mean, in a right world, you wouldn't need to hide your act. What you did was natural. How cruel would it be to leave Tatooine to a band of ruthless killers? How many more mothers might have died, if not for you, Anakin ?"
Anakin stared at the desk. ''I... I don't know what to say, Chancellor.''
''Don't say anything. Just realize that this isn,t your fault. The Tusken Raiders brought this on themselves and you reacted like a normal human being. You,re not a monster''.
Anakin was visibly shaking, trying to be a good little Jedi and control his emotions, but he failed as he said, ''Thank you, sir... I appreciate his trust in me. I'll try to live up to it.''
The Chancellor patted him on the arm. ''Of that I have no doubt. I trust you, boy, and so does our Republic.''
Despite not being able to see his memories, Obi-wan was able to sense Anakin's feelings for Chancellor Palpatine. Now he wasn't surprised by the fact why Palpatine was able to manipulate Anakin all these years. "I'm sorry Anakin... I feel your feelings towards Palpatine... I know you loved him..."
"I loved him, as if he were my father. He took care of me since I arrived at the temple, taking care of all my problems and helping me get out of them. The only person who understood me and knew me better than everyone. He took care of me and was by my side all the time, until Padme arrived… I thought I was wrong…" Anakin wipes the tears from his eyes with his sleeves. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.
Planet Korriban
valley of the dark lords
Darth Sidious ordered the empire to continue with the great changes that were being imposed in the new imperial regime.
Like the creation of a large military army on a massive level in the galaxy, without any precedent.
Sidious had come to the conclusion that he had to do something about the problem he had, and it was that link with the light side that he could not quell, it was becoming more and more intense in his being.
An Imperial shuttle leaves hyperspace, heading to the ancient Sith world. Korriban, until you reach the tombs of the ancient dark lords.
Walking through the old buildings, reaching the valley of the dark lords. The dark side demanded his presence in that place. Several spirits of Sith ghosts from the past appear before Sidious's presence. Darth Zannah, Darth Malak, Darth Traya, among others and at the head was Darth Bane, the creator of the rule of two. And Sidious as a sign of respect knelt before them.
"Why did you call us? You are the last Sith in the galaxy..." Darth Bane analyzed, while the others wondered about Sidious's presence on Korriban.
The darkness emanating from the spirits was overwhelming.
"What do you want? I sense something strange in you. Something that contaminates your being."
"Yes... and that's why I came. The Jedi are extinct, the Sith once again ruled the galaxy. Our revenge has been fulfilled... we have won. Except the Jedi tried to thwart our plans. One of them did something to me... I'm sorry. a light that is leading me away from my power on the dark side. By doing that, the boy formed a dyad with me."
The dark lords saw Darth Sidious, on the one hand they were with dark joy, knowing that the Jedi order had been extinguished and the Sith once again reigned in the galaxy. But the latest news worried them, they could feel the power of the light side in that place and it came from Sidious.
Darth Bane analyzed the problem in detail, he knew what Sidious needed. "You seek the immortality that you crave as much as we once did... if you wish to end the dyad that connects you to the Jedi, you must sacrifice the people you are connected to in the dyad. By making the sacrifice you will not only be immortal, that light within from you will disappear. But you must do it as soon as possible, the longer you leave that light in you, it will consume you completely, and the dark side will no longer be with you."
Sidious was grateful for the advice, the ghosts of the dark lords disappeared into the darkness...
Coruscant
senate building
Afternoon (Eleventh day after collapse)
Returning to Coruscant, Sidious knew he had to do something about it, before it was too late, to remedy everything.
Upon entering his office and being able to rest for the moment, he dedicated himself to analyzing the Sith texts and holocrons that he had saved.
Thinking about all the options he had had in his quest to obtain immortality. Immortality was something the Jedi, and the Sith, wanted to discover. The death of other people could be avoided, but avoiding death was unknown.
But Pestage did not understand what he meant and only asked "but... for what Emperor? What is the reason?"
"That's my business, just do as he ordered."
"As you order, but there is something I must inform you of. The process of mass militarization at the galactic level is almost complete. The loyalist committee wants a meeting with you, Bail Organa returned from his mourning on Alderaan, and is back on the imperial senate."
"Alright, keep me posted."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
About three days ago, the newly proclaimed Emperor Palpatine declared the galactic empire and the end of the galactic republic.
In each world, in each system, a process of massive militarization without precedent in all of galactic history began.
The changes in the galaxy were drastic, even in the most distant, poor and isolated worlds like Tatooine among others when seeing troops and military bases of the Empire.
Only two senators were against the new system: Bail Organa, senator of Alderaan, and Mon Mothma, senator of Chandrila, had alarmedly requested a meeting with Emperor Palpatine to share their fears and concerns because
On their worlds there was already massive militarization.
"What do you think the Emperor will tell us, when we tell him what we think, Senator."
"It will not be pleasant but it is necessary, this is too much for what I even had
thought when it all started. The Chancellor converted our republic into a monarchy government. There are more military and troops here on Coruscant now, since the clone war. "I still can't believe what my aide said before the senate... he said that he himself helped the Chancellor in Republic 500, and the Chancellor mentioned that the Jedi were trying to kill him."
Bail Organa looked at her and nodded, he himself already felt that there was much more that she was hiding.
Palpatine. His trust in the Jedi order was fractured after the murder of his wife. But that didn't mean he agreed with Palpatine's decisions... he's hiding something.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
After a while, Sidious ushered the loyalist committee, or at least the senators, Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, into his office.
Bail and Mothma saw the Emperor sitting on a throne, dressed in a black tunic that covered his face, but the strangest thing was that his eyes were intense yellow, like a beast stalking its prey.
"To what do I owe your visit, Senators? It must really be very important, for you to have asked to speak with me. However, I also wanted to speak with you."
Bail and Mothma noticed that the voice that had previously sounded kind now turned sinister.
They saw it from their throne, they knew that things were going to get worse in all aspects, for democracy.
"Emperor, we came to talk to you about the process that has begun, massive militarization. In our worlds there are already bases and soldiers everywhere. We represent our worlds and we cannot agree with something this extreme, when he said he would make changes, we did not imagine anything of this magnitude. "Bail Organa said as he grabbed the Palpatine's eyes turned yellow.
"That procedure is already in place and it is the only way things will be done, it is
the only way to maintain peace and order, not to mention that some Jedi are fugitives in the galaxy. All the worlds far from the galactic nucleus are like cells of a single body and if it affects one thing in any way it affects us all. We can no longer allow chaos in the galaxy, no more conflict will be allowed.
interplanetary or between systems." Sidious with his statement left Bail and Mothma, alarmed with what he just said.
Mon Monthan felt that he had
To speak he had to do something against what Palpatine "Chancellor..." was planning.
"Emperor!" Sidious immediately corrected with an angry tone in his voice. "I am Emperor, Senator, andIt is better that they accept it. The republic no longer exists..."
None of them knew what to do, and although they tried to try to convince the Emperor, it was somehow useless. The conversation between Bail Organa and Mon Monthan was coming to an end. But they were wondering what had happened to Jedi Skywalker, they both had doubts and no one knew where he was.
"Emperor before we conclude, we have something to ask you. What has happened to him Jedi Anakin Skywalker? Because is he now wanted throughout the empire?
Sidious showed an expression of both displeasure and excitement at that question. "Young Skywalker... when I gave Order 66, he just disappeared suddenly, without a trace and it is very important to me that he is safe. Thanks to him I am still alive, and now I can create the order we need for our good."
Mon Monthan worriedly asked. "Isn't it possible that the clones have confused him with the other Jedi and been one of the victims in the temple?"
"I doubt it, they already knew perfectly well that he was the only one loyal to the regime and to me as an authority. What I fear is that the Jedi have it or something worse, that they have tried to "Take revenge on him for not being part of his conspiracy and being loyal to me." Sidious adopted a look of displeasure in his voice.
The meeting ended and both Bail and Mon Monthan left in fear of the new regime in the galaxy. The galaxy had to be ruled by the people, not by a monarch. They knew that in the coming years, without a doubt, the situation would be even worse at the head of a dictator who proclaimed himself Emperor... The senators and the people were too blind to see it.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sidious had locked himself in his office, while the great military process continued, calling Sate Pestage to his office to ask if there was a lead on Anakin's whereabouts. "There is a clue."
"No... No Emperor, we have found nothing."
The response made Sidious burst into fury without being able to do anything about it. "Look for him at any cost! It's obvious he's with the Jedi so find him! I need him for what he planned."
Tatooine
Jundland Wastes
Night (Eleventh day after collapse)
While Anakin slept after a long day of training with Obi Wan. While he slept he had visions of the Force as he had had before, such as when he saw the death of his mother and that of his wife Padme.
Anakin felt something he couldn't explain, he tried to wake up but couldn't. Anakin saw a whirlwind of whiteness, a chaos-like glow of the Force itself, where the two sides of both the Light and the Dark fought each other non-stop.
Anakin, no matter how much he tried to understand or do something, he couldn't do it, he couldn't even get out of the dream, it just seemed like the force was calling him.
As much as Anakin tried to understand that vision, he shouted to the Force that it was what he wanted, what was the reason for all this, what role should he play in all this?
Until a whirlpool of force made the two sides of light and darkness calm down and without words the force revealed the reason why a dyad had formed. There had to be a balance in the force through that Dyad he now had with Palpatine.
But even so, Anakin still did not fully understand what his vision meant. Until he heard Qui gon Jinn's voice. "Master... What is all this?" Anakin was still confused.
"It's all part of the will of the force, Anakin, you must do something about it. You are the chosen one, I always knew it, and that is your duty. You must give balance to the force, not only the Light side but also the Dark. The light and the dark... There must be balance. Palpatine has planned, something that will draw the force to the Darkness in its entirety and the light will be consumed forever. You must find balance through the Dyad."
"How? How do I do it master?"
"That you achieved that connection with him was more than an ancient technique, it was the will of the force so that what had to happen a thousand years ago would happen. The union of a Jedi with a Sith, light and darkness that It would be a balance" Qui Gon Jin said once again to Anakin.
But Anakin didn't know what to do and asked again, but he woke up suddenly... he was agitated...
Anakin doesn't know how to bring balance to the force across the dyad. Sidious needs Anakin for his evil plans, to achieve immortality.