Chapter 22: The same face
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Leia and Luke were talking privately, discussing what was planned, it was very risky and dangerous.
"Leia how far we have come. If Engel returns to the Imperial Palace... if they discover him," Luke said, worried about his friend.
"I'm also worried just like you Luke, but what other option do we have? In any case, if Engel refuses to do it, we are not going to force him… we will find another way."
"What were you thinking Leia? Engel knows nothing about politics." Luke reminded him of Leia.
"Luke will only be for a while… until we get those plans of the Emperor's chambers or office."
"Leia, you and I know that the Emperor almost never leaves Coruscant, he rarely leaves the imperial palace."
"We'll think of something... now we have to talk to Engel," Leia asked, just like Luke, she didn't like this idea.
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At night Engel met with Luke to explain what they planned to do to obtain the plans that the Emperor had on Coruscant.
"Engel, we need your help with this," Luke said with a serious expression.
"I? What can I do?" Engel asked curiously.
Luke sighed deeply before speaking, "Impersonate Emperor Palpatine."
Engel was surprised by what Luke said. "Have you lost your mind, Luke?" He asked confused.
"If you impersonate him Emperor, only for a while until we get the plans to his office," Luke explained.
"Make me pass myself off as the Emperor? He could end up dead at the very least"
"And wouldn't make you do it if you don't want to. It will be your decision…"
"My world and my brother's world are very different… I'm going to think about it," Engel said.
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Engel stayed meditating in his room, not knowing what he could do, at that moment Ashoka left him the holo photograph that he had lent him.
Engel took the holo photograph in his hands, was the day he was with Anakin in that ancient Jedi temple.
"Thank you for lending me the holo photograph, Engel." Ashoka said with a smile.
"You're welcome, Ashoka," Engel said, a little distracted. "It was the day we both visited that ancient Jedi temple. I wanted to surprise Anakin, I wanted to do something special for him..." Engel recalled with a smile, looking at the photograph. framed thought carefully, he already knew what he had to do.
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"Engel, are you okay?" Leia asked as she saw Engel's serious face.
"I'm better than ever… I'm ready." Engel said seriously.
"Do you accept?" Luke asked worriedly.
Engel just nodded his head "Count me in."
"Now we just have to figure out how to get Emperor Palpatine off Coruscant. But that is a separate problem, we will think about it later" Leia said thoughtfully.
"Ah… Luke, I think we're missing a small detail," Engel said with a worried smile. "I don't know anything about politics."
"I'll take care of that," Leia said with a smile.
"You will enter the imperial palace, but you will not be alone, R2D2 will accompany you" Luke said and R2D2 just beeped in agreement.
"Leia, when do we start?" Engel asked with a smile.
Leia let out a smile "right now."
"Don't worry, Engel, I'm sure you can do everything Palpatine does," Han said, encouraging Engel.
Engel gave a charismatic smile "Of course! "I can do anything he does."
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"Emperor Palpatine most of the time remains with a serious face and a frown, sometimes he lets out a sinister smile or laugh and his voice is rough," Leia explained to Engel.
I don't think I can do any of that... Engel thought when he heard Leia's explanation.
"It's time to practice your facial expressions," Leia said softly. "What makes you different from Emperor Palpatine is your smile and your voice"
"Leia, I don't think I can stay serious and have an evil smile," Engel said, worried that he wasn't very good at acting or lie
"Let's give it a try." Leia said understandingly.
Engel nodded and smiled, Leia saw that kind and loving smile… "Now try to frown with that smile…"
Engel tried to frown while maintaining his smile but he was having a hard time working.
"That's it, you're almost there... you can do it." Cheer up Leia to Engel.
I can't... I can't stand it anymore. Engel thought as he softened his facial features again.
"Yes... I think you have to practice a lot," Leia said with an understanding voice, after all this was not going to be easy.
Engel learned everything Leia taught him, etiquette and politics classes, and he also practiced his voice and facial features.
At first it was not easy, Engel made many mistakes in his etiquette practices and political studies, he had flaws that with Leia's help he managed to correct. Engel was studying the imperial Magna Carta and the entire economic and political structure of the empire.
Until at the end of arduous preparation work, which lasted many weeks, Engel managed to successfully learn his lessons in etiquette and politics with the help of Leia.
The only problem was his facial features. Even though Engel tried, he couldn't smile maliciously, every time he tried to get that smile his features softened again... instead of a perverse and sinister smile, a loving and warm smile came to light. .
Another problem was his voice, Engel's voice was calm and kind, showing a grandfatherly affection. On the other hand, Emperor Palpatine's voice was sinister and harsh.
Leia advised Engel that he would try to remain serious at all times without showing his typical friendly smiles that were on his lips most of the time.
His voice was a small problem, his voice was sweet and cheerful, Palpatine's was harsh and sinister… well that wouldn't be such a big problem. With Palpatine it was all about masks, at most they would think that the Emperor decided to soften his tone of voice as part of his other deceptions and manipulations.
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In the imperial palace, Emperor Palpatine was in his chambers meditating until he felt a disturbance in the force.
A warning from the dark side, the end of the rebel alliance was approaching and very soon he would have a new apprentice at his side, the son of Anakin Skywalker.
Sidious smiled mischievously, collecting the plans for his Star Destroyers in his tunic and placing new ones in his private quarters, securely secured...
It was time to leave, his imperial shuttle was already waiting for him in the hangar... "Excellent... everything is going according to plan..." Sidious said with a sinister voice.
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After two days it was established in the Empire that Emperor Palpatine had disappeared from the imperial palace two days ago.
No one knows where he was, to avoid disorder and rebellion in the galaxy in the absence of the Emperor, the regional governors and the Moffs council took their emergency measures.
The opportunity that the rebel alliance had been waiting for had arrived, Leia announced with a smile that the time had come to carry out her plan.
"Don't worry, Engel, you have learned well the things that Leia taught you, you are ready," Han said, encouraging Engel.
Luke approached Engel with a calm and at the same time worried smile. "The resemblance is amazing…"
"Except for my clothes…" Engel said with a sarcastic smile arguing the obvious while he wore his country clothes.
"We've thought about that…" Leia said with a smile, grabbing a box. "With Luke's help, we have made the clothes you will wear," Leia explained.
Engel grabbed the box and went to change his country clothes. When he opened the box he saw a dark tunic, a dark cherry-colored robe, a cherry-colored hood, a triangular brooch with the symbol of the Sith Order, and black boots. The suit was almost similar to the one Sidious wore in the Clone Wars eras.
When Engel left the room with his clothes on, Luke, Leia and Han looked at him in amazement, the truth is that if they had not known it was Engel, in those clothes they would have mistaken him for Emperor Palpatine, literally.
"How I look?" Engel asked with a slightly shy smile as he saw his friends' faces full of surprise.
Luke gave a soft chuckle. "You almost fooled us, Engel… if we hadn't realized it was you."
"Since they are identical twins, no one will notice the change, with the clothes you are wearing they will not notice the difference between you and Palpatine" Han said as he looked at Engel.
"You are ready to leave for Coruscant," Leia announced.
"How are we going to infiltrate the Empire without raising suspicion? All ships entering the capital are being checked," Engel said with concern.
"We will use a ship we borrowed from the empire, it is a Lambda-class imperial shuttle," Han reported.
A few hours later the Imperial Lambda-class shuttle arrived at Coruscant... Engel sighed deeply and admitted that he was a little nervous.
"Don't forget everything Engel taught you, don't smile, don't laugh and try to stay serious…" Leia stressed through the holographic call that R2D2 projected.
"Leia, please… I know how to behave," Engel said anxiously.
"Don't worry, you'll do it well…" Cheer up Leia.
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The Moffs council was in meeting to discuss the disappearance of Emperor Palpatine... they just didn't notice if he was leaving the capital.
At that moment a high-ranking General enters the meeting to report breaking news.
"Wait a moment, gentlemen. He introduced you to… Emperor Palpatine," the General said, bowing respectfully.
"Majesty?" Mas Amedda asked.
Engel entered the room and R2D2 stood at the door of the room waiting for Engel.
Seeing that all eyes were on him, he couldn't help but smile a little nervously. While he was walking forward he accidentally stumbled and fell on the ground.
Engel cursed himself, hearing the murmurs and shocked voices from the Moffs.
Engel stood up from the ground and gave everyone an annoyed and angry look, the murmurs that were heard stopped and all the Moffs looked at him again with fear but also with amazement.
Engel admitted that he felt a little uncomfortable, but he remembered that he was doing this for the alliance, for his friends, and for Anakin. He just had to get those plans and get out of there as soon as possible.
More Amedda saw "Palpatine" approaching him. "His highness…" Mas Amedda bowed respectfully.
"Grand Vizier," Engel responded respectfully with a slight bow. "Please stand."
Sly Moore saw "Palpatine" as a bit strange, first of all Emperor Palpatine did not smile nervously and was not careless enough to trip and fall in front of several high command Imperials.
Engel, sensing the feelings of doubt in Sly Moore, turned to her with a serious look. "Is there a problem, Administrator Moore?"
"Where was Your Majesty?" Sly Moore asked curiously.
Engel let out a mocking laugh. "I apologize, I had to attend to some urgent matters that required my presence."
Everyone in the room was surprised, as they expected a scolding from Palpatine, but this was different. Did the Emperor apologize to all of them?
"Your Majesty, there are some matters on your agenda that you have to attend to," Sly Moore reminded, grabbing a list.
"Now…?" Engel asked a little nervously but he only let out a kind smile "I will take care of these matters tomorrow, right now I wish to retire to my chambers. Thank you very much for your understanding! You may leave…" Engel said kindly.
And all the Moffs came out a little surprised, in fact Emperor Palpatine's voice did not sound sinister, in fact his voice sounded sweet. And that smile was gentle, it doesn't inspire fear like the other times Palpatine smiled at them with a sinister smile... but then they diverted their thoughts thinking that the Emperor must just be tired and stressed about the matter of the rebels and surely later he will return his usual attitude and personality.