The Emperor could feel the grimace in the Force even before the young Skywalker entered the throne room. Mas Amedda stood just in front of him, doing his best to keep audiences from going too long. Imperial officers and moffs loved to talk, if they were allowed to they often would stumble over their words for what seemed like an eternity. He had time but the last thing he wanted to do was spend it listening to petty grievances and catfighting among officials and officers.
Today the Emperor barely had his attention on the officers before him, his mind focused on the younger Skywalker who was waiting his turn. Patient but disgruntled. He had long known that the Skywalkers posed a threat to him. United they could attempt to overthrow him. If he was the one to raise his hand to one, the other would strike. No, he had to be more careful. It had taken him years to cultivate and sway Anakin Skywalker, applying pressure at just the right points before he broke just right. But Vader was older now, his power in the Force was significant but he could sense it waning no matter how much Vader tried to deny it to himself and to his master.
As soon as Luke came forward, he smiled warmly despite the disturbance in the Force rippling out around Luke. "You wish to be elsewhere," he stated before turning to Mas Amedda. A few words and his councilor cleared the room despite a few muted mutterings from officers who had waited to be seen all day but were not being ushered out. Only the red guards remained, standing motionless behind the throne. "Your dedication does you credit, young Skywalker but that is not why I summoned you here today."
He stood up slowly, summoning his cane to him as he leads Luke towards a side door which swung open for them silently. The Jedi Temple had been transformed into the Imperial Palace but he had kept some of the areas almost untouched-this was an area that was only for him to meditate on the Force, uninterrupted. "It is time that you learn your strength in the Force. You have the potential to be more than you are."
Luke flinched at being called out in front of the officers; no one would ever question his dedication and, of course, he cared about as much for their pettiness as his father did, but it was taking far longer than any of them wanted to weed out the ones that were actually dedicated to protecting the galaxy from the ones that were just in it for the prestige. Piett had been the best find they had so far; it was a shame Ozzel was currently the one in command of the Executor, as the admiral was his polar opposite. Any moment now, Ozzel would screw up to the point where he would have to go, but they needed to be patient, something his father needed to remind him of every time Ozzel attempted to give him an infraction for some inane reason.
Luke stayed rooted to the spot as the room filled out, stepping up and following the Emperor at his bidding like a good little Imperial. Mention of the Force very nearly had him stiffening on the spot, and he didn't need it to know Palpatine had heard the record scratch going off in his mind. No, nope, this was bad; he should have told his father what was going on. Anything involving the Emperor and the Force usually led to bad things; the last time he had been lightyears away from him, but that didn't keep him from his slimy presence oiling its way into his mind. He had very nearly killed that damn smuggler as a result, something that would have definitely caused problems down the line.
"I was under the impression you were content with my father teaching me at his own pace, Excellency. Has something changed?"
Stall. Deflect. Think of some way to get out of this. He could handle this.
"You and I both know that your father has only so much he could teach you. And he is still my apprentice," he pointed out as the entered the dark room. A room that had once been used by members of the Jedi Council, it was now heavy with the presence of the Dark Side.
"Sit." It wasn't a suggestion. He sat on one of the seats used by a former Jedi master, leaning his cane against the cushion. He didn't need the Force to sense Luke's uneasiness. He was loyal to his father but Anakin Skywalker was ending the time of his usefulness. Luke would have to take his place soon enough.
"You can be greater than he ever was. You have sensed this." Another statement- they both knew the truth. It would be no easy task to turn Luke fully to the darkness. But he would in time, it would just take patience. "I will teach you the true nature of the Dark Side."
There was a retort on the tip of his tongue, a reminder that apprentices were supposed to overthrow their masters according to Sith ideology, but he knew that would have gotten him hurt for certain, so he held his tongue. Instead he let his hand slip to his pocket, grabbing for his comlink. Maybe he could send an SOS to Tanbris and have him call him, give him an excuse to be summoned away for some important emergency. Something felt wrong, though, and he dared a quick look... to see his comlink was completely dead. Either he had walked through something that fried it, or someone crushed the insides of the unit.
Luke narrowed his eyes at the old man's back as he entered the room. Stars, he hated him.
There was very clearly absolutely no way out of this, so Luke took a deep breath, holding onto it and letting it out slow as he entered the room. If the throne was dark, this was near pitch black; but worse than that there was a sense of solemnity that clung to the room, like if he looked just so, he would be able to see the ghosts of long gone Jedi Masters, mourning that had been betrayed and killed because of this wrinkled old corpse's machinations. It was unsettling and a little sickening, but he forced it back, letting it sit to the side for him to pick apart later so he could focus on the more immediate threat to his health and sanity.
Luke didn't dare presume Palpatine expected him to take one of the actual seats, so he sat on his knees in the center of the circle of chairs, his legs tucked under him as comfortably as he could manage in such a position. He refused to rise to the bait that he was dangling in front of him as far as his father was concerned; Vader's health was a thing, a niggling worry that forever lingered in the back of his mind, especially after Cylo had turned him off. It didn't matter how short of a time it was, Luke had seriously thought he was dead, just from the flick of a button. It had been a stark reminder of just how fragile he was, never mind all his strength and power; if anything else tried to go for him in such a manner...
Luke took a breath, shoving the thoughts aside for now. No, don't think about it, don't let it bother you, don't show it bothered you; he was better than this and he would prove it.
"Yes, Excellency," he managed to get out, trying to keep himself alert for whatever was to come.
Sidious smiled to himself, feeling the hate roll off from the young Skywalker. Yes, he could use that. It only made the darkness stronger. It made him stronger and he could feel it wash over him in refreshing waves. It was the same hatred he felt radiating from Vader despite his apprentice's efforts to hide it.
But Vader was weakening. Every day he could feel that strength faltering. Perhaps it wasn't entirely because of the state of his health but also because of the presence of his son. Vader was becoming weak in the Dark Side with such a pull towards the Light once more. Palpatine would have to nip that in the bud sooner rather than later before Vader decided to move against him in any way.
"Your father has told me what he has taught you so we will not have to start over entirely." But of course, Vader would have taught his son more than what he would tell his Master. "I will push you during your training- we will see what you are capable of," he said with a nod. "That is why, effective immediately, you are being transferred to the Imperial Court. You have served well in the field but we both know you are capable of more."
He closed his eyes with a smile, letting the Dark Side surround him. Soon the ghosts of the long-dead Jedi Masters would be entirely wiped out by the corruption of darkness- this was no longer a place of Light.
"Close your eyes, young Skywalker. Reach out in the Force, feel the Dark Side. Tell me what you feel as you surrender to it," he said softly. He was going to show Luke a glimpse of what awaited him if he was just willing to reach out a little bit to grasp it.
Luke tried -- and entirely failed -- to hide his surprise at the news. Transfer?! No, he couldn't transfer to Imperial Center, to the court itself; it would limit what he would be able to do to for his father and the Rebellion, if not destroy his ability to help entirely. This really, really couldn't get any worse right now; he couldn't even find it in him to stomach replying and he really just wanted to punch a wall.
He slowly forced out a breath, trying to calm himself, but he was only marginally successful. Where he was and who he was with definitely served as a detriment to calm, so he just took a deep breath, counting off in his head as he let it out slow, before he closed his eyes and focused on the Force.
He hadn't really consciously focused on the Dark Side before; his father was content with him just making use of the Force, and letting him decide what he wanted to do with it. He knew Luke was strong, that he as an adult capable of making his own choices on what to do with that strength. Focusing just on one side while trying to hide that strength was proving far more difficult than he would have liked, especially in present company. It felt like forever before he finally managed something, letting out a shuddering breath.
"I feel... cold," he murmured softly, trying to hide his distress at it. "I feel the death that happened here, like it's happening now."
"Can you hear them?" The smile on Palpatine's face was cruel but satisfied. He had felt the deaths of each of the Jedi Masters. All except one but that one was only a matter of time- one Jedi Master could not take on the entire might of the Empire. The Inquisitors were wiping out the remains of the Jedi Order so Yoda was alone. He would make sure that little green traitor would not get his shriveled hands on his new apprentice.
"Go deeper, feel it surround you," he said quietly. "Do you feel what is under the foundations of the temple? This was once a sacred shrine of the Sith before the Jedi took it by force. Reach deeper and you'll feel the ancient power flowing through you."
Oh, he heard them all right. Luke had no illusions about the kind of person he father was, the things he had done; he knew he had been personally responsible for much of the death here. If it weren't for the Emperor, he would have offered those hurt voices something, some apology, some words of comfort, but he couldn't, not without being heard.
As it was, he didn't want to sink deeper; it felt gross, like he needed to take a million sonic showers, and it still wouldn't be enough to get him clean. But at the same time, he couldn't help but be curious; this was built on top of a Sith shrine? Who thought that was a good idea? He fought back a grimace, hesitantly reaching out and trying to feel out this shrine, but it was beyond his grasp, at least as things were at the moment. There was no way he could keep his presence in the Force tapered down, to hide his power, and try to reach for that distant, ancient dark.
Luke blew out a breath, half tempted to give up, admit weakness, but at the same time...
He grimaced in annoyance, more at his own curiosity than at Palpatine's goading, and allowed his control over himself to slip a little. His own light steadily grew brighter as he reached out for the dark, a metaphorical hand reaching out to touch it as his real hands clenched against his knees.
The Jedi and all that they stood for, all that they once protected, was gone. It was time for what was left to be wiped away and who better to do it than Luke? The hope of the Force, the hope of the Light Side, would be the greatest weapon of the darkness now.
Anakin had been limited in his ability with the Dark Side. He was powerful but something of the Jedi still remained no matter how much he had tried. But Luke was practically a blank slate. He smirked as he felt Luke reach deeper as the palace started to rumble. Something deep in the foundations, deeper than the Jedi had dared to go
Luke grimaced, dimly aware of Palpatine's words, but not really hearing them. The Emperor and everything in the room they were in felt like it was light years away, and his voice sounded like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. He couldn't really see anything either, and felt his sense of self drifting blindly into the dark.
It was cold, so impossibly cold, to the point that his breath coming from his physical body was fogged.
"I can't see," he murmured, but he couldn't really even hear his own words.
"Yes, you can. You know not to depend on your vision but to reach out with the Force," Palpatine said as he walked around to face Luke. He could see Luke's frozen breath, knowing he was going deeper.
"The Force will guide you where you need to go," he said softly, reaching out himself to guide Luke along this dark path. He had guided Anakin down this path before, Luke would find his way as well.
Luke managed somehow to not recoil when he felt the Emperor come up behind him. Being physically before the man was bad enough, but in this... space, whatever it was, was somehow worse. Still, it was helpful, as much as he hated to admit that; something familiar, something he knew the shape of, brought what he was supposed to be looking at to clearer focus.
He wished it hadn't. He really wished he'd failed to see what the Emperor was trying to show him.
It was like a cacophony of atrocities, anger and fear and regret and something warped and twisted to the point where he was pretty sure his mind couldn't even process what he was looking at. He shuddered, hugging his arms to himself, wanting nothing to do with any of this but finding it difficult to look away at the same time.
"Don't be afraid. This power, this unlimited power, is yours to take if you dare to reach out," Palpatine murmured quietly. He knew what Luke was seeing, he had seen the same thing when he had first started down the path to the Dark Side. He saw the unlimited potential in that moment and he had done everything to hold onto it.
Now he would use this power to shape his apprentice. Where Vader had failed to fully grasp and understand the full potential of the Dark Side, his son still had the opportunity. "This is the heart of the Dark Side. This is what makes all things possible, things that you could not hope to accomplish without it."
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yesss good
Date: 2019-04-16 05:10 am (UTC)Today the Emperor barely had his attention on the officers before him, his mind focused on the younger Skywalker who was waiting his turn. Patient but disgruntled. He had long known that the Skywalkers posed a threat to him. United they could attempt to overthrow him. If he was the one to raise his hand to one, the other would strike. No, he had to be more careful. It had taken him years to cultivate and sway Anakin Skywalker, applying pressure at just the right points before he broke just right. But Vader was older now, his power in the Force was significant but he could sense it waning no matter how much Vader tried to deny it to himself and to his master.
As soon as Luke came forward, he smiled warmly despite the disturbance in the Force rippling out around Luke. "You wish to be elsewhere," he stated before turning to Mas Amedda. A few words and his councilor cleared the room despite a few muted mutterings from officers who had waited to be seen all day but were not being ushered out. Only the red guards remained, standing motionless behind the throne. "Your dedication does you credit, young Skywalker but that is not why I summoned you here today."
He stood up slowly, summoning his cane to him as he leads Luke towards a side door which swung open for them silently. The Jedi Temple had been transformed into the Imperial Palace but he had kept some of the areas almost untouched-this was an area that was only for him to meditate on the Force, uninterrupted. "It is time that you learn your strength in the Force. You have the potential to be more than you are."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-16 10:14 am (UTC)Luke stayed rooted to the spot as the room filled out, stepping up and following the Emperor at his bidding like a good little Imperial. Mention of the Force very nearly had him stiffening on the spot, and he didn't need it to know Palpatine had heard the record scratch going off in his mind. No, nope, this was bad; he should have told his father what was going on. Anything involving the Emperor and the Force usually led to bad things; the last time he had been lightyears away from him, but that didn't keep him from his slimy presence oiling its way into his mind. He had very nearly killed that damn smuggler as a result, something that would have definitely caused problems down the line.
"I was under the impression you were content with my father teaching me at his own pace, Excellency. Has something changed?"
Stall. Deflect. Think of some way to get out of this. He could handle this.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-17 02:07 am (UTC)"Sit." It wasn't a suggestion. He sat on one of the seats used by a former Jedi master, leaning his cane against the cushion. He didn't need the Force to sense Luke's uneasiness. He was loyal to his father but Anakin Skywalker was ending the time of his usefulness. Luke would have to take his place soon enough.
"You can be greater than he ever was. You have sensed this." Another statement- they both knew the truth. It would be no easy task to turn Luke fully to the darkness. But he would in time, it would just take patience. "I will teach you the true nature of the Dark Side."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-17 03:19 am (UTC)Luke narrowed his eyes at the old man's back as he entered the room. Stars, he hated him.
There was very clearly absolutely no way out of this, so Luke took a deep breath, holding onto it and letting it out slow as he entered the room. If the throne was dark, this was near pitch black; but worse than that there was a sense of solemnity that clung to the room, like if he looked just so, he would be able to see the ghosts of long gone Jedi Masters, mourning that had been betrayed and killed because of this wrinkled old corpse's machinations. It was unsettling and a little sickening, but he forced it back, letting it sit to the side for him to pick apart later so he could focus on the more immediate threat to his health and sanity.
Luke didn't dare presume Palpatine expected him to take one of the actual seats, so he sat on his knees in the center of the circle of chairs, his legs tucked under him as comfortably as he could manage in such a position. He refused to rise to the bait that he was dangling in front of him as far as his father was concerned; Vader's health was a thing, a niggling worry that forever lingered in the back of his mind, especially after Cylo had turned him off. It didn't matter how short of a time it was, Luke had seriously thought he was dead, just from the flick of a button. It had been a stark reminder of just how fragile he was, never mind all his strength and power; if anything else tried to go for him in such a manner...
Luke took a breath, shoving the thoughts aside for now. No, don't think about it, don't let it bother you, don't show it bothered you; he was better than this and he would prove it.
"Yes, Excellency," he managed to get out, trying to keep himself alert for whatever was to come.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-19 05:29 am (UTC)But Vader was weakening. Every day he could feel that strength faltering. Perhaps it wasn't entirely because of the state of his health but also because of the presence of his son. Vader was becoming weak in the Dark Side with such a pull towards the Light once more. Palpatine would have to nip that in the bud sooner rather than later before Vader decided to move against him in any way.
"Your father has told me what he has taught you so we will not have to start over entirely." But of course, Vader would have taught his son more than what he would tell his Master. "I will push you during your training- we will see what you are capable of," he said with a nod. "That is why, effective immediately, you are being transferred to the Imperial Court. You have served well in the field but we both know you are capable of more."
He closed his eyes with a smile, letting the Dark Side surround him. Soon the ghosts of the long-dead Jedi Masters would be entirely wiped out by the corruption of darkness- this was no longer a place of Light.
"Close your eyes, young Skywalker. Reach out in the Force, feel the Dark Side. Tell me what you feel as you surrender to it," he said softly. He was going to show Luke a glimpse of what awaited him if he was just willing to reach out a little bit to grasp it.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-19 04:28 pm (UTC)He slowly forced out a breath, trying to calm himself, but he was only marginally successful. Where he was and who he was with definitely served as a detriment to calm, so he just took a deep breath, counting off in his head as he let it out slow, before he closed his eyes and focused on the Force.
He hadn't really consciously focused on the Dark Side before; his father was content with him just making use of the Force, and letting him decide what he wanted to do with it. He knew Luke was strong, that he as an adult capable of making his own choices on what to do with that strength. Focusing just on one side while trying to hide that strength was proving far more difficult than he would have liked, especially in present company. It felt like forever before he finally managed something, letting out a shuddering breath.
"I feel... cold," he murmured softly, trying to hide his distress at it. "I feel the death that happened here, like it's happening now."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-23 09:51 pm (UTC)"Go deeper, feel it surround you," he said quietly. "Do you feel what is under the foundations of the temple? This was once a sacred shrine of the Sith before the Jedi took it by force. Reach deeper and you'll feel the ancient power flowing through you."
no subject
Date: 2019-04-30 12:52 am (UTC)As it was, he didn't want to sink deeper; it felt gross, like he needed to take a million sonic showers, and it still wouldn't be enough to get him clean. But at the same time, he couldn't help but be curious; this was built on top of a Sith shrine? Who thought that was a good idea? He fought back a grimace, hesitantly reaching out and trying to feel out this shrine, but it was beyond his grasp, at least as things were at the moment. There was no way he could keep his presence in the Force tapered down, to hide his power, and try to reach for that distant, ancient dark.
Luke blew out a breath, half tempted to give up, admit weakness, but at the same time...
He grimaced in annoyance, more at his own curiosity than at Palpatine's goading, and allowed his control over himself to slip a little. His own light steadily grew brighter as he reached out for the dark, a metaphorical hand reaching out to touch it as his real hands clenched against his knees.
Somewhere deep in the palace, something rumbled.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-05 03:19 am (UTC)The Jedi and all that they stood for, all that they once protected, was gone. It was time for what was left to be wiped away and who better to do it than Luke? The hope of the Force, the hope of the Light Side, would be the greatest weapon of the darkness now.
Anakin had been limited in his ability with the Dark Side. He was powerful but something of the Jedi still remained no matter how much he had tried. But Luke was practically a blank slate. He smirked as he felt Luke reach deeper as the palace started to rumble. Something deep in the foundations, deeper than the Jedi had dared to go
no subject
Date: 2019-12-09 12:33 am (UTC)It was cold, so impossibly cold, to the point that his breath coming from his physical body was fogged.
"I can't see," he murmured, but he couldn't really even hear his own words.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-14 11:34 pm (UTC)"The Force will guide you where you need to go," he said softly, reaching out himself to guide Luke along this dark path. He had guided Anakin down this path before, Luke would find his way as well.
no subject
Date: 2020-01-01 04:05 pm (UTC)He wished it hadn't. He really wished he'd failed to see what the Emperor was trying to show him.
It was like a cacophony of atrocities, anger and fear and regret and something warped and twisted to the point where he was pretty sure his mind couldn't even process what he was looking at. He shuddered, hugging his arms to himself, wanting nothing to do with any of this but finding it difficult to look away at the same time.
no subject
Date: 2020-01-01 08:32 pm (UTC)Now he would use this power to shape his apprentice. Where Vader had failed to fully grasp and understand the full potential of the Dark Side, his son still had the opportunity. "This is the heart of the Dark Side. This is what makes all things possible, things that you could not hope to accomplish without it."