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The Grand Reception Hall brimmed with colourfully dressed Senators, dignitaries and other prominent figures of the Republic’s high society, most – if not all – nicely toasted from the bottomless champagne and spirits served at the open bar for a good few hours now as the gathering hosted by none other than Chancellor Palpatine himself in order to celebrate yet another year of peace and prosperity proceeded apace.
However, out of all the guests present in this room, there was only one of real consequence – Anakin Skywalker, a teenage Jedi Padawan, training under the watchful eye of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and more importantly the little pet project of the Sith Lord Sidious, hidden in plain sight as the head of the Republic, he’d nurtured to one day become his ultimate apprentice since the boy was but nine years old, who tonight would finally join him on the Dark Side.
He would see to that.
„Anakin, my boy!” he exclaimed as if he were the most precious thing he’d seen all evening, when at last he managed to spot him amidst the crowd and, true to the part of his dear friend, approached to pull him into a hug. „How good to see you finally get away from your Jedi duties. It has been far too long. How have you been?”
„Well... to be honest it hasn’t been all that great” he replied airily, judging by the unmistakable smell of whisky detectable in his breath having most likely helped himself to a glass or two, and now being overcome by a mellow sort of haze, blunting the edges of his anxieties, however, Palpatine found he actually preferred it this way, for in this state he was more susceptible to manipulation. „Master Obi-Wan keeps pestering me day and night about all of those different things I apparently just can’t get right, but luckily even he can’t refuse to let me get away from them for the night when the summons comes from the Chancellor himself”
„Guilty as charged, but in my defence, you deserve the break” he chuckled, putting his hands up like a man caught dead to rights. „Not to mention, I’ve been hoping to catch you for a little chat. If you find a minute, of course”
„For you, sir, anytime”
„I’m glad to hear that, Anakin” he murmured with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth – one that to an unskilled observer appeared to spring from the fatherly affection he supposedly harboured for the boy, but in reality, stemmed from pure, unbridled delight at seeing the results of all the years he’d spent grooming him into his perfect, compliant little pet, he had already begun to embody so well, without even being conscious of it...
And now the clock has struck for him to take the last step in that direction. By the time this night is over, he shall be calling me Master.
A shudder of anticipation raced down his spine at the thought. The greatest hope of the Jedi – their Chosen One, as they called him – on his knees for him. Doing his bidding. All because those stuck-up, self-absorbed fools could not appreciate what a prize had fallen into their hands. Failed to realize the potential it carried.
Well, their loss... The Sith mused to himself, draping his arm around his prize’s shoulder and under the pretext of giving him his sole, undivided attention, began leading him to a secluded spot he’d arranged for them here in the building to ensure no one would intercede in the pledge of his new apprentice to ways of the Dark Side.
The doors sealed behind them with a quiet click, just as irrevocably as the destiny of the boy he had led into this abandoned lounge had been sealed all those years ago, when as a mere Senator he first set his sights on the latest waif of the Jedi and sensed the immense power slumbering within him. A power that with the right guidance – his guidance – would usher this Galaxy into a new era of peace and prosperity under the incontestable rule of the Sith.
That was, of course, if the said boy didn’t kill himself tripping over his own feet first.
„Here, sit, son” he rasped through his teeth, having been forced to practically lug him along on his back for nearly half of the way here, and therefore lacking the energy to keep up his usually friendly demeanour, as he all but shoved him off himself and onto one of the few plush couches scattered around the room. „Is everything okay? I must say you’re looking rather unwell. May I maybe offer you something to drink?”
„I—no. No, I’m alright. I’m just—a little tired that’s all” he slurred, making no effort to stop his body from sagging into his seat, while his head lolled back onto the rest.
„Ah, not sleeping well?” he cooed, slipping right back into the role of the caring father figure, the boy had grown to know him as, and to further bolster the illusion in slow, languid motions began stroking his head.
„No” he admitted in a little more than a whimper, leaning into his touch like a tamed Loth-cat, silently asking for more, which Palpatine graciously granted, for after all, what kind of a Master would he be if he refused such a good, little pet... „I haven’t been sleeping well for a while now”
„I quite understand, my boy. Quite”
And understand he indeed did.
His soon-to-be former apprentice – Darth Tyrannus, in his day-to-day life known as Count Dooku of Serenno – reported that his agents had successfully apprehended the boy’s mother and gifted her to one of the more primitive Tusken tribes as sacrifice for their rituals a good while ago, so if his estimates did not fail him the dreams about her terrible fate should have been plaguing his nights, depriving him of his sleep for well over three months now.
„I have faith, however, that despite these hardships your mind remains as sharp as ever and it is with this very faith that I ask you to understand that what I invited you to discuss here today will determine nothing less than the fate of the Galaxy” he paused, allowing his words the briefest moment to truly sink into the boy’s consciousness, while he himself used it to admire the beautiful, ocean blue of his eyes, which would soon be lost to this world forever, replaced by the fiery yellow of the Sith. „The final crisis is approaching, Anakin, and if we are to survive, we must be completely, absolutely, ruthlessly honest with each other. And with ourselves”
„Damn, that sounds... pretty serious”
„I know, my boy, but do not be afraid” he mumbled, rather perplexed by his response, as even despite their long-standing friendship Anakin had never used such casual language around him before, far too afraid of coming across as a boor from some galactic backwater, yet not intending to let that discourage him. „What is said between us here need never pass beyond these walls. So, please, let us start with you answering me this: how hard it has been to hold all your emotions inside?”
„It—It has been... rough, I admit”
„A slight understatement, wouldn’t you say?” he chuckled, shifting his hand from his head down to his shoulder to steady him as, perhaps due to their exchange becoming too much for him, or simply because of the state of his intoxication, which he had apparently slightly misjudged, the boy was starting to grow restless in his seat. „But you don’t feel the need to hide them from me, is that correct?”
„I—yes. But I don’t really understand what does that have to do with –”
„And you don’t have to” he cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument. „Because the only thing you need to understand – what you already do – is that you don’t need to pretend with me, the way you must with your Jedi comrades. Because you know I accept you exactly as you are. So please, Anakin, share with me the truth. Your absolute truth. Let yourself out”
„I—I wouldn’t even know where to begin” he mumbled, subdued, clearly wanting to share, thoroughly exhausted of bottling up everything that lay heavy on his soul, yet helpless to stop himself from tapping into the mental frameworks the Jedi had meticulously ingrained in him over the years.
Which, fortunately, having expected this would most likely prove to be an issue, Palpatine knew exactly how to circumvent in order to advance to the next phase of his plan to lure the boy into his fold – temptation.
Finding what it was that his heart desired most in the entire universe – be it riches, power or fame – and then simply dangle it before his nose like a carrot on a stick long enough for him to lose himself in his chase and plummet past the point of no return, where all that remained for him would be serving his Master.
All starting with the answer to one fundamental question...
„It’s quite simple in the end: tell me what you want” he responded, allowing his features to brighten with a warm, inviting smile intended to coax the boy into confiding in him – his only true friend in this wretched Galaxy – while, taking advantage of the alcohol-induced haze clouding his mind, using the Force to further nudge in that direction.
„I—I...” he stammered, torn between staying true to the ideals he knew he ought to uphold and giving in to what every single cell in his body was desperately aching for.
„Difficult, I know” he cooed, observing with no small amount of satisfaction how easily the boy began to settle the moment his hand, previously resting motionless in his shoulder, began to glide in slow, soothing strokes. „You’ve been trained to never think about that. The Jedi never ask you what you want. They simply tell you what you’re supposed to want. They never give you a choice at all. That’s why they take their students – their victims – at an age so young that choice is meaningless. By the time a Padawan is old enough he has been so indoctrinated – so brainwashed – that he is incapable of even considering the question. But you’re different, Anakin. You had a real life, outside of the Jedi Temple. You can break through the fog of lies the Jedi have pumped into your brain. So, I’ll ask you again: what do you want”
„I—I’m sorry, I don’t think I –”
„Imagine I’m offering you... anything” he muttered through gritted teeth, growing weary of the boy’s inability to stop stalling and just answer a simple question, hence taking it upon himself to make this so easy for him, that even a complete moron could manage. „All you need to do is ask and it’s yours. A glass of water? It’s yours. A bag full of Coruscant gems? Yours. Look out the window. Pick something. Anything. A star straight from the sky for all I care. And I’ll give it to you. Now, please, humour me – what would it be?”
„You really wanna know what I want?” he asked in barely a whisper, even more subdued than before, however, at this moment, Palpatine was far too fixated on the fact that he was finally making progress to give a shit.
„Yes!” he exclaimed, exasperated, exerting every ounce of his will to bite back a remark regarding his intelligence – one, that would surely cost him some of the ground he had gained – and don the mask of an attentive listener.
„I want to know what it's like to not be alone. I want to be someone's someone” he confessed, burying his face in his hands.
And for the better as given how utterly pathetic it was, despite the tolerance he’d build up over the years of patiently listening to his whining, the Sith couldn’t stifle an eye roll.
„You are not alone, my boy” he assured him, his hand affectionately smoothing over his back, exposed to his touch now that Anakin had hunched forward. „I'm right here with you. I always have been. Always will. And I would absolutely love it if you became –”
„I want to feel wanted!” he exclaimed, whirling around to fling himself back-first onto the plush padding so abruptly that Palpatine instinctively jerked his hand back. „But like... beyond what I have to offer them. Like I'm standing out in the rain at a spaceport and someone is shouting: Harriet, don't go on that ship! It's going to Mandalore and I cannot be without you!”
„So, it is romance that you crave? Like the ones you see in holomovies?” he probed tentatively, praying that his hearing was simply playing a really cruel trick on him and out of literally anything in the entire universe, the boy wasn’t asking for the one thing he was in no way able to give him – for while he possessed a wide array of persuasive tools necessary to supply him with any number of women to play into his childish fantasies of love straight out of a trashy rom-com, their ‘feelings’ for him would be nothing more than a farce, which he would inevitably see for what it was.
And when that happened, Palpatine didn’t even want to imagine the fate that would befall those who had played him; most especially the mastermind behind the deception...
„I don’t know. Maybe?” he grumbled quietly, subconsciously succumbing to the rising tide of shame at his own desires, just as he had been taught he should. „The point is... I want someone to care if I stay or go. I want someone to want me. To want to see me. To hold me. Look at me and think: Well, you're the only one I want. I desire to hold you and talk to you, never let you feel...”
„Disposable? Like a burden they can't wait to get rid of? Like your Master and all the other Jedi made you feel ever since you found yourself in their care?”
„Yes...” he sighed, as though a great weight had been lifted from his chest, appearing truly heartened that at long last, there was someone who understood.
All too well, it seemed...
„And... is there a particular someone who you would like to make you feel this way? A certain Senator perhaps? From Naboo?” he inquired with a knowing smile – a smile that only widened as, at the mention of her, with his cheeks flushing a deep shade of crimson, Anakin shifted uncomfortably in a crude attempt to conceal the thickening tension beneath his robes.
„Is it really that obvious?”
It was. His present reaction – which, incidentally, was hardly the first case of his body betraying him whenever someone brought her up – aside, the boy had been literally drooling over her since the very day he met her, completely undeterred by the harsh reality that following the Battle of Naboo their ‘interactions’ amounted to nothing more than his near-devout worship of her images available on the Holonet and quite honestly, how the Jedi hadn’t yet flagged this infatuation of his as a major issue requiring immediate curtailing was beyond him, however, seeing that it actually played right into his hands, Palpatine figured it was best to keep those thoughts to himself.
„Only if one cares enough to truly take note of you” he murmured, his smile never wavering for a second as he sought his endearingly flustered gaze – a gaze the boy scrambled to avert the moment his hand came to rest on his thigh and his whole body lurched at the contact. „There’s no reason to be ashamed, Anakin. I was once a young boy too, after all so I’m no stranger to what you’re feeling. It’s only natural. And as such should not be suppressed” he assured him, still remembering the intoxicating flood of dopamine that came from immersing himself in the heat of a woman’s body, back from when his raging hormones used to drive him into their beds, which at the time he naively thought nothing in this world would ever be able to top, yet now, having experienced the full power of the Dark Side, he could say with utmost certainty that it was just a mere pittance of the true ecstasy a man is capable of reaching.
And one day soon the boy would come to find that out for himself; but until then there was no harm in letting him indulge the primal urges stirring within him. Especially if his pursuit of them would lead him straight into his clutches...
„B-But that’s not the Jedi way” he mumbled, meekly echoing the hackneyed platitude his mentors resorted to whenever they ran out of arguments to excuse the restrictions they had forced upon him – equally meaningless as their entire Order.
„And who determined you must be bound by the narrow-minded Jedi doctrines, when there are lots of other paths you can walk? Paths that will not only not demand you renounce what you desire most, but on the contrary – will deliver it right to your feet? Your little Senator being no exception” he paused, hoping that what he had said so far would suffice to pique his interest enough for him to take the next step – making the choice to pursue what he offered and demanding to know how it could be attained – all on his own, yet apparently, he had placed his hopes too high for the boy remained profoundly silent.
And so, he was left with no other option but to give him another push.
„She can be yours, Anakin. Her body yours to use. Her mind and will yours to shape into your ideal partner. All you need to do is pledge yourself to me. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force which the Jedi withheld from you. To put it more clearly – the nature of the Dark Side. And under my tutelage, you shall possess the power that will enable you to—Anakin, are listening to me?” he broke off, taking note of his shut lids – which, as it dawned on him, he hadn’t seen him open for a while now – right before a loud snore issued from his throat.
He... he drifted off.
Just like that – dragged down into the abyss of sleep by the weight of that blasted whiskey he just had to drink tonight in the very heart of his monologue, effectively squandering all his hard effort to win him over to his side, since, as was usually the case with those dead drunk, by tomorrow he would not remember any of it.
Though, on the other hand, perhaps it was for the best.
After all, what the boy craved most was true love, and the only thing he could offer him at the moment was the ability to fashion a living doll out of the woman he pined for – hardly a compelling incentive to turn. However, if she were already his and he were faced with the threat of losing her... well now that would be another story.
„It seems that the time has come for your paths to cross again, my little apprentice. Let’s just hope you don’t mess up your chance” he muttered, gently petting his head as he summoned his specially encrypted comlink to his hand to task Dooku with orchestrating a certain assassination.