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Chapter 18
Sidious allowed his mask to drop as he walked inside the private Limerge building. His words have made quite an impact. People across the Republic have been rooting for a stronger leader.
Yet, one thing had been agreed by all powers: the Republic needed a change in leadership.
Elections were tomorrow, and Palpatine was the top choice for nomination: he already had many deals with the local governments, those who were tightly connected with him. To add, with Damask's support, and his allies throughout the last decades along the sympathy vote, he was already all but voted to be Chancellor.
Speaking of the old fossil, the Muun "requested" his presence. He appeared as if everything was normal. That was good. It meant that he didn't keep up with galactic events.
"Apprentice." The tall figure in the shadow appeared, a red aura radiating around him, in a seat that might be yet another illusion.
The Munn's cackle cut through his hearing. "A great day, Lord Sidious. Today marks the beginning of the end for the Jedi and the birth of a new era for the Sith."
That was perhaps the final words of Darth Plagueis.
A few meters away, Sidious stopped, gazing at Plagueis for a long moment. Turning and reaching out with the Force, he glanced around the room, as one might to fix a memory in the mind.
A look of sinister purpose contorted Sidious's face.
Again, his eyes darted around the room, and the Dark Side whispered yet again: Your election assured, no witnesses, Plagueis unsuspecting and concentrating...
Instantly, before he could act, the silence was broken by the baritone voice of the Muun.
"There is but one last detail to take care of."
Plagueis pushed himself up from the chair and began moving, eyes golden and piercing.
He frowned. Something was amiss. Was it possible that the wily Muun had deceived him?! Had Plagueis unlocked the key to immortality?! Never mind that it would constitute a petty move for one so wise-for one who had professed to place the Grand Plan above all else! Had Plagueis become ensnared in a self-spun web of jealousy and possessiveness, victim of his own engineering, his own foibles?!
"Do you take me for a fool?" Despite the levity in his voice, the Muun's tone remained cold.
'He knows. He knows. He knows.'
Sidious was blindsided as Plagueis continued stalking around him like an angry predator.
'But that wouldn't make sense. He does not know,' Sidious decided. 'He would have killed me in an instant.'
"Your feeble schemes to overthrow me and using that pathetic beast of yours to fill your previous role have become pitifully obvious, contrary to their inception."
Sidious's jaw dropped slightly.
"How do I know of what you were planning to do? I'll tell you. You see, I had the most enlightening Force Vision during the Battle of Naboo. Imagine my surprise when I saw what a belligerent little rat you turned out to be."
He was spiteful. There had been something else. Faint... as if this betrayal had wounded the Sith. Why, that must have been the most beautiful thing Sidious ever saw.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, my Master." Sidious responded, feigning a lack of knowledge, while gathering the Force around himself.
"I'm sure you don't. Did you really think I taught you everything, Sidious?" Plagueis inquired.
"Master?" Sidious concentrated on the image, surprised by the attack, but allowed his senses to explore.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a shame. Do you know why we've hidden ourselves from the Jedi compared to our ancestors, fool boy? How have we implemented such an influence that even if the Jedi destroyed us both, neither they nor the Republic would ever be able to recover? When the Sith began thousands of years ago, they embraced the Dark Side, they were greedy and self-centered and they all wanted to subjugate, so they murdered each other. Eventually, there was Darth Bane, and he took on Darth Zannah. We'd grown stronger than our ancient counterparts, more powerful, smarter. Darth Malgus, Darth Thanaton, and most of the Sith of that time wouldn't ever be able to look upon Jedi, talk with them, and refrain from giving into their wretched instincts; for the Dark Side demanded more. While the Jedi stagnated, worse than their Old Republic counterparts, we grew more powerful, stealthier, amassing influence to land you into Chancellorship. So close. So close. Unfortunately, we couldn't share this momentous occasion."
Plagueis really was enjoying hearing himself talk right now, and that fear Sidious more than the Sith Lord's fury would have.
No, he wouldn't relent here.
"Don't you see?" Sidious replied. "You lost the game on the very first day you chose to train me to rule by your side-or better still, under your thumb. Teacher, yes, and for that I will be eternally grateful. But Master-never."
Plagueis chuckled. "Quite an enlightening epilogue." The Muun sighed. "No matter, you can still be useful."
"And why don't you just do battle now and try to kill me?" Sidious arched an eyebrow in actual curiosity.
Were you not listening? I considered it, but I realized that years of effort would be utterly wasted. "You come so close to completion, it would only benefit our enemies in the long run. Wound the Grand Plan. Less than a decade or two and the Jedi would be no more, less than two decades, and a new Sith Empire would rise."
Sidious huffed. "A true Sith does not divide power. They take it for themselves and cast off any weaknesses or hindrances. The Grand Plan will continue, the Jedi will perish, as will you, and I alone will rule the galaxy."
"You may not have noticed, Sidious, but you are in close proximity and need more personal allies yourself. Despite your switches and tricks, Skywalker can still morph the Order itself into a formidable threat. No matter, as the Force reacts by bringing him here, so shall the Dark Side."
"What shall we do?"
"There's 'we' again," Plagueis taunted.
"Me or the Jedi? Do you despise me more than them, Plagueis?" Sidious's eyes darkened with glee.
"An excellent question, Apprentice. And the answer may be a shock to you. As it is, I'm acting less lenient than I would normally." The tall form vanished along with his Force signature. Only his amused cackle remained, echoing through the room of the building.
Sidious had been trained to keep his Veil up, but he would admit he was decidedly tempted to destroy the building.
Deciding that to be counterproductive, Sidious reigned it in.
Sidious frowned in thought. "Hmm."
He should have kept his initial plan of getting Plagueis drunk and killing him in his sleep. Indeed, Plagueis was hiding secrets — possibly like how to cheat death — from him and that the fool never planned to teach him, so there was no point in keeping Plagueis alive longer. For a long time, Sidious felt that Plagueis was no longer necessary for the younger Sith to enact his political plans and attack against the Jedi and Republic. Since Sidious felt that Plagueis was no longer necessary, Sidious decided to grab all the power for himself. But now... Damn it. This was going to be a complication. He was going to be severed from all of Plagueis's money, contacts, allies, and servants, along with having to make sure Plagueis didn't get him into a compromised position. All of that on top of having to twist the Republic into an Empire, start working more against the Jedi, and deal with Skywalker...
One obstacle after another.
He would have to be on the watch.
This was not Sidious's week.
Over 500,000,000 people live on Naboo. It was a peaceful world. The Trade Federation devastated the entire planet, reshaping it from the inside out. That didn't account for many of the Gungans who perished, their armies diminished, and the entire fields burning within Trade Federation's fire.
The death toll in the palace alone was over a hundred, most of whom died in the simultaneous explosion.
Before all of the wars, especially the Vong War, what happened that day would have caused sleepless nights for days to come for Luke Skywalker.
What, with Queen Amidala being the lone ruler of the Royal Naboo Council, being the only straggler in this time.
Luke felt numb to the surface, for this wouldn't be the first time he felt so much death in the Force, and he had known it wouldn't be the last.
The few good things that came last time may not happen this time. The good guys weren't liable to win because they were the good guys.
Here, his knowledge of another time is all but irrelevant, save for his skills and experience.
What would be the future of Naboo now? Yet, Luke couldn't allow the Queen to live in fantasies. Had this been Corellia or Kuat, the Trade Federation would have been decimated within a matter of hours. But Naboo didn't advocate for any form of a military presence, and it... costed them. Their dependence on the Republic led to this death count...
"Oh, Luke, you're alright!" Anakin shouted, running over to his taller buddy with his mother scurrying behind him, and when he made it to him, buried his head against his side in relief.
Luke fought a pained smile, still unable to believe who he sometimes was.
Anakin was quite a catch for the Sith, a vergence in the Force, the object of prophecy, his birth deeply influenced by the Force. The Sith would be nuts to ignore that. And oh, the emotional issues the Sith had to take advantage of at an early age! Quite a tasty treat for the Sith to use as they saw fit. Just too tempting a target even though he had the visible potential to destroy both the Sith and the Jedi even the Jedi could see when he was only 10. Anakin Skywalker was a wrecking ball that both sides thought they could handle to their detriment.
His father and Obi-Wan explained what happened to him individually after Endor. His father informed him how Sidious groomed him through time, starting at the age of nine. (Of course, the man didn't put it that way.)
Kriff the "script".
He needed to get Anakin Skywalker the hell away from Coruscant immediately! He had to make sure his weaknesses, which Sidious knew about, were guarded and shielded.
Anakin would not become Darth Vader again no matter what.
"Oh," Anakin twiddled with his fingers nervously.
"Oh, my apologies, Master Skywalker, it's just my son looks up to you," his grandmother offered behind him compassionately.
Luke smiled. "It's not a problem, ma'am. I'm aware that you've just been freed from slavery."
Anakin looked at him hopefully. "Luke, are you... going to tell her?"
"I was getting there, young one," he said with a dry chuckle before looking up at Shmi. "I wish to train your son."
Shmi looked taken aback for a second, her expression breaking. It became resolved. "I see."
At that moment, the Queen and her party walked up.
"Queen Amidala," he looked at Padmé, making a vow to keep an eye on her. "I have to leave you on these short terms. My... mission calls me back. And I'm afraid a larger galaxy is calling me."
She nodded instantly. "I understand, Master Skywalker, Naboo needs to rebuild itself. The war was horrible. The entire Gungan army is dead. Multiple innocents have been caught in the crossfire. It will take a long time to recover from that." There was a haunted look in her eyes. "But you need compensation and a ship, I believe. Do you have a bank account?"
"No," Luke answered. "Blast," he had to fix that in time. His account was far too updated for this type of transaction, the dates would raise far too many questions.
She offered, "Then we'll make you one. It shouldn't take too long."
Luke nodded slightly. He'd figured such things would be useful. However, a galactic bank account would be useful for his coming plans.
"And we hope you stay through the grieving process," Padmé pushed the log.
Luke didn't have the heart to refuse her. He'd loved the woman already, even though she technically wasn't his mother. "Of course."
"Can I have a moment alone with Luke?"
Luke arched an eyebrow, but the Queen nodded. Everyone left her. Now, the Force rang sharply as she turned to glare at him.
"What? Happened? To? My? Son?"
Luke frowned. "Please elaborate."
"When we were on a ship during the battle, Anakin started screaming. What happened to him?" Shmi asked curtly.
Ah, that explained it. He saw the concern of a mother. "I suspect he'd felt the death on the battlefield." He grimaced.
"What?!" Shmi demanded.
"He connects with the Force heavily," Luke explained, "I have felt him the moment I landed onto the planet. He's very powerful in the Force. A born Force Adept."
Shmi's expression became wondering for a moment before her eyes hardened into glass yet again. "What are you not mentioning?"
Luke's lips quirked. "Kark," he should have seen that coming. Just like Leia and Jaina. "He has a midichlorian count of 27,000 midi-chlorians. It is part of a prophecy better known as the Chosen One, meant to bring balance to the Force. This connection does have its downsides."
"And?" Shmi asked through her teeth.
"The Dark Side of the Force," Luke answered, "attempts to claim hold over all. At the end of the day, Anakin is young and inexperienced to the connection. When death occurs through the Force, those naturally attuned with it would be able to feel it." He nodded solemnly. "The damage can do significant impact to someone who isn't skilled enough with psyche."
Shmi nodded. "Very well." She looked worried for him now. "Is that how it feels for you whenever someone dies?"
Luke nodded slowly. "Yes, though in a war, death is unavoidable." That was why he didn't want his son, nephews, and niece to face them. But of course, that was inevitable.
Shmi grunted. She seemed to be debating with herself again before she finally said, "Please, try to help him prepare for it. I couldn't bear to lose him, to see that happen to him again."
Luke smiled, understanding. "I have my part to play," he said, "but you do too."
"Excuse me?" Shmi asked.
"While you are not sensitive to the Force, you are bonded to him very intensely, beyond a normal familial bond." It was actually similar to what Luke had with Anakin and Padmé, though none of them felt it and knew the meaning yet. That may change one day.
"Surely you've felt it," Luke said, "Always sensing when he is close, knowing when he was troubled, wanting to instinctively provide comfort and support."
Shmi was stunned. "He senses my feelings as well too, don't he?"
"Correct," Luke confirmed. "If you were taken from him, he would be shattered indefinitely. As far as he's concerned, you're the light of his life."
This was another reason why Luke hadn't been willing to play by any of Watto's demands. Simply put, he needed Shmi. Molding Anakin into today's vision of a perfect Jedi just wouldn't work. In some way, shape, or form, it would backfire in the long run.
Shmi's face became heartbroken. "I never kne-"
"Yes, you have. You've known he was special. The Force has always been watching you." Luke answered gently. "It is why you two were never separated. It couldn't have protected you against the worst aspects of slavery, but it prevented you from being separated."
It was one requirement. Shmi Skywalker was meant to be protected, to die of natural causes. Last time, the Force attempted to find voids for Anakin, but nothing would come close to a parent's love for their child, leading him to go to the mentor he trusted.
"I just want to raise him..."
"I understand. I wouldn't let anything ever happen to you. Even if it costs my life."
Shmi's eyes became horrified. "Luke, don't talk that way. You and Ani have powers I don't understand and could never have."
"You have the capability of protecting your son in other ways. One day, you can rival the best of the Jedi with a blaster alone." Over-reliance on the Force was also a costly mistake.
Shmi's shoulders fell. "No, I don't know how to fight."
"Perhaps Aikido, Judo, and Echani can help," Luke pondered.
"I don't know what any of that is," Shmi said, baffled.
"I can and I will train you, but only if you allow me. Just because you're not connected to the Force doesn't mean you have to be helpless. You can be a great ally to Anakin and my efforts."
"Your... efforts?" Shmi asked, narrowing her eyes.
"We plan to free the slaves across the galaxy. Of course, accomplishing this, I need allies, crews, ships, vessels. I need people on my side for any crusades."
She considered what had just been told to her. He could sense her realizing that this was an opportunity. A choice, and it felt so good to have one.
She was given a chance to run off with Anakin and disappear into the galaxy without looking back. Luke would let her do that and watch them from afar, protecting him unless Anakin chose differently when he was of age.
Yet, she would barely be able to live. She didn't want to be selfish, but right now, it was about her and Anakin. If she decided to cut her losses and abandon everything, she would be leaving unfortunate slaves to their fate. Their children, the ones following, and the list goes on, didn't deserve that.
So it wasn't a surprise when she looked at him and nodded, "I'll help you."