Chương 142: The Sith & The Senator by WrittinInStone (Star Wars)
Summary: AU. Anakin Skywalker is captured and sold into slavery to Darth Sidious at the tender age of nine. Padmé Amidala, Queen of Naboo, faces the horrors of the Trade Federation's invasion without the help of the Galactic Senate. Both become warped by their experiences; hardened, vicious, cunning. But then they meet their match… in one another. And it changes the Republic for all time.
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7513976/1/The-Sith-The-Senator
Word count:237k(COMPLETE)
Chapters:36
Chapter 1: The Sith
Note 1: This fic is AU. Star Wars and its affiliates do not belong to me, only the contents of this Verse.
Note 2: Thank you to my betas authorwithissues and Young at Heart21; you guys are awesome.
Note 3: This fic is rated M for adult themes, sexuality, and language in later chapters. Please take the rating seriously.
The Sith and the Senator
Chapter 1: The Sith
By WrittinInStone
Darth Vader
Life is so unpredictable. More often than not, this one fact is the bane of a being's existence. It makes one question why anyone bothers to plan at all. Life is so predictably unpredictable that there are countless quotes that herald its spontaneity all the while cursing the life altering events that occur on its whim.
'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail', is a widely known saying, but, in my experience, inaccurate at the best of times. Rather, the saying should go 'if you plan at all, your plan will fail'. In my humble opinion, it is quite more fitting than the former quote.
For many years I thought I knew what my life would be like. It was all planned out by my master, after all. But then, Life looked down upon a poor slave boy, smirked and sent its chaos my way.
I could not be more grateful.
#*#*#*#*#
Perhaps a little history would be in order?
My life has been anything but a fairytale.
I have been a slave all of my life; first on Tatooine to Gardulla the Hut, then to Watto the Toydarian, and now to Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith, my current master.
The mechanics behind the transference of ownership from Watto to Darth Sidious escapes me. I don't know when or where it happened. All I know is that one moment I was in Watto's shop, the next, in this cave.
Before coming here, I never knew who the Jedi were or what a Sith Lord was. That all changed the moment I became the property of one.
I quickly learned everything Sidious had to teach me. Most of his lessons were demonstrative and brought long-term scars; whippings, beatings, starvation. But it's not like I'm not used to such treatment: it pretty much goes along with being a slave.
Something beneficial has come from Sidious' cruelty, though. After years of living with this level of abuse, I learned not only to tolerate the pain, but to gain strength from it. Before, I merely endured it, but now, I embrace it.
This is why the guarantee of physical retaliation has never stopped me from speaking my mind and has instead become something in which I take extreme pride. It makes the pain I endure worthwhile and reminds me that my will is still intact.
Of course, this only serves to infuriate my master. He hasn't yet been able to break me and it enrages him. He did not expect it to be so difficult to do so and such is unacceptable to his sensibilities; he is a Sith Lord who cannot control his apprentice.
Control is everything to my master. As a result, he strongly believes in routine, in order. This particular trait is utilized to the fullest in my regard.
Every day, he locks me in a small cell, giving him the opportunity to play puppet master with the idiots in the Senate, all the while knowing that his slave is tucked safely away in a five by five hellhole of a cage.
Sidious does not let me out for days at a time. He only feeds me enough to keep me alive, but never strong. And he has been careful to ensure that I am in active pain when released from my cell.
This level of vigilance is quite novel. He had not always been so… meticulous in his dealings with me. Such painstaking security measures were only implemented after I attempted to escape my captivity years ago.
Obviously, my attempt at liberty failed. But I had been twelve at the time, and so high on the idea of being free that I had lost all sense of control, all sense of intelligence.
Sometimes I wonder if the whole 'escape' had been a trap to crush my hope, my spirit.
I can still remember the fear that I felt as I ran. There was no happiness, no joy, just fear…and urgency, a terrible sense of urgency. I had been so frightened, so hopeful for my freedom that I fled like a lamb from the slaughter. Too bad the butcher caught me.
Sidious had smiled when he saw me round the corner like a frightened shaak; he had enjoyed my terror, my utter horror at the realization that I would not escape. I don't like to think about what happened after that. Just suffice it to say that it had been a bad day, a very bad day indeed.
The memory would not be so… mortifying if it had not been so easy to capture me. Just the thought of it angers me to the point of violence. Later, after my flesh had been whipped and my blood shed, all I could think of was killing Sidious in a particularly spectacular fashion. It would have been painful… and slow. Maybe some Force lightning; that would be irony at its finest. Or perhaps something more traditional, like a hanging; that would have been wonderfully humiliating. The thoughts had made me smile even amidst my abject misery.
What's funny is that he had hoped that my failed escape attempt would break me; that I would resign myself to a life of slavery. But it did not. If nothing else, it made me all the more determined to escape, to destroy the being that caged me night and day. Something else came out of it too. The little boy who missed his mother died that day, and I fully embraced my rage, my reckless hatred: I became Darth Vader through and through.
From that day forward, it became my mission, no, my duty to give Sidious hell. The reason is simple; after spending months watching the Dark Lord, I discovered his weakness. It was the one trait that stood out above all others: his arrogance.
Sidious he hates the fact that he is the Dark Lord of the Sith, but is unknown to the galaxy as such. It eats him alive that he so skillfully orchestrates the growing conflict in the galaxy yet no one knows that it's him pulling the strings. Although he knows he must do this in order for the plan of the Sith to come to fruition, it still kills him to be forced to smile in the faces of the Jedi and the Senate during the day, even as he seethes with poisonous hatred and overwhelming fury.
For me, this is both good and bad. Good in that it gives me the chance to test the sharpness of my barbs, bad in that his reaction to my words have brought me to death's door several times.
Since he doesn't have to hide his reactions 'at home' like he does when he's interacting with the outside world, he's rather… easy to rile. I curse him and he abuses me to his evil heart's content. Sometimes, I don't even have to say or do anything. He comes back to the cave and I'm suddenly electrocuted with Force lighting or abused in an equally horrendous way.
I guess he feel that just because he has to take it from the outside world doesn't mean that he has to take it from me. ...At least not without retaliation.
Even still, disrespect is his button, and I make it my business to push it as often as possible. The first time I purposely goaded him was a test. It was a painful yet informative day and it told me everything I needed to know.
Darth Sidious could be conquered. One day, one day, I would crush Sidious and it would be his arrogance that would be his downfall.
#*#*#*#*#
'One day' came sooner than expected, and it took both of us by surprise.
It started off the same as any other; I was awakened by the vicious, indescribable pain of Force-lightning ripping through my body. The barrage of physical agony was accompanied by the lovely sound of my master's screams of fury. I was then beaten, forced to meditate on the Dark Side of the Force and given meager scraps of a substance that would not be classified as food in any civilized star system.
Yet even as it occurred, I could not shake the feeling that something felt different. I could feel it; it was in the air, a subtle shift in the Force, a restlessness in my bones. It sunk into my skin and would not leave; it urged me on, whispered for me to act, to do something. So I did.
I used the only weapon that I had ever had: my mouth.
Normally, I would carefully ration my insults so as to not push my master too far, but today I couldn't bring myself to care. I would say what I had to say and Force damn the consequences.
Spewing out a continuous litany of obscenities and disrespect at Sidious achieved the desired effect. He lashed out at me, tearing at my skin and electrocuting me with Force lightning. Needless to say, I paid for my defiance; my badges of honor were the excess of burns and bruises mapped across my skin.
Though my body screamed in agony, and I felt an unconscionable rage well within me, I was vindicated in my efforts. Sidious' failure to cow me infuriated him to the point of incoherence and as a result, he did something he never does. He broke routine.
His mistake was so unexpected, so… simple, that it took me a while to realize that it wasn't an elaborate trap he set up to manipulate me.
An hour after he left, I glanced at the door of my cage and became curious as to why it looked strange. It only took a moment to crawl to the door of the cell, to gingerly push it open with a light touch to the metal.
My eyes widened in astonishment as I realized what it meant; so distracted and inflamed was Sidious by his inability to break me that he had forgotten to lock my cage. My master had honest-to-evil forgotten to lock my cage.
I had been astounded, had basked in the glorious surge of blind, hate-tinted joy that ripped had through me when the realization hit. I could not believe it. I had not thought that the time to destroy Sidious would come so quickly and at such a perfect opportunity as well. Who knew that a mistake as simple as turning a key would cost Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, his life?
Filled with vicious glee, I remained in my cage and bided my time, allowing my body to recover from the effects of the Force Lightning. All I needed was just enough time to heal, just enough strength in my body… I lay there, relishing the thoughts of what I would do, anticipating the dark, savage ecstasy that would rip through the Dark Side of the Force when I ended Sidious' life.
When he returned a few hours later, the Dark Lord immediately and condescendingly made his way to my cage, clearly angry and ready to torture me once again.
It was then that I acted.
As long as I live, I will never forget the look on Sidious' face when I strolled out of the cage, head high, a predatory snarl on my face. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open as I stalked toward him. He was afraid! He was afraid… of me! The feeling of being feared by my tormenter was amazing… indescribable. Mind-numbing elation ripped through my being as I realized that my time had come. It had really, truly come!
Despite my euphoria, it was not as easy to kill Sidious as expected. As I fought him, it was then that I truly appreciated his abilities and had I not been so sure of my victory, it would have terrified me.
He was powerful, immensely so, and the bastard fought me with everything in him. But although Sidious' fighting technique was perfect and his skills flawless, I was stronger. There was no way his anger or hatred could rival mine: his was a stream, mine, a tsunami. All it took were the memories of abuse; the memories of helplessness, of inconsolable fury and my anger rose like a roaring gundark.
Fueled by my rage and hatred, I channeled all my negative emotions into the Dark Side, and it immediately responded to my call. Gathering the Dark Side of the Force, I ripped Sidious' lightsaber out of his hand, then, with a leap and a flash of red, I decapitated the arrogant Sith Lord, pausing only to watch my former master's head roll from his shoulders.
It was spectacular, marvelous! Truly the most glorious moment of all my years!
When his head hit the floor with a thud, I simply stood there, frozen in the surrealism of my triumph. I don't know how long it was before I moved, but when I did, it felt like the weight of a thousand shackles had fallen from my body.
For the first time in my life, I was free.
#*#*#*#*#
It is in the late afternoon that I find myself lounging at the long table in the dining hall, sipping on the sparkling liquid in my glass. It's Corellian brandy; cheap, common, horribly made… and totally delicious.
Normally, the burn would be unpleasant, but now it is delightful. Lazily, I move the glass in a deliberate, unhurried circle, idly studying the bubbles slowly drift to the surface of the clear brown liquid.
"This has to be the best thing I've ever tasted in my life," I comment thoughtfully, moving the glass close to my nose. "It smells nice too."
I stare at the glass for a moment before taking another sip of the liquid. Doing so helps focus my thoughts. It is roughly the color of warm sand and drudges up long buried memories of Tatooine; memories of gazing upon the sand, lost in thought and dreaming of freedom. It was a favorite pastime of mine, and, apparently, the urge to do so still lies within.
A sigh of pleasure escapes my lips as I take another sip, the effect of the drink compounding my already euphoric high. It's probably not the smartest idea to imbibe, but I am celebrating, so allowances can be made.
My moment of utter victory had occurred several hours ago. It had been quite strenuous, so it's no wonder I am hungry now. And since I am leaving this place, it's only polite to have dinner with my master one last time.
I smile, showing all my teeth as I incline my head to my dining companion.
There, at the opposite end of the table, sits Sidious' corpse. I put it there myself, had even lovingly placed the detached head on the shoulders of the body, making it sit upright so that it faces me. It looks as though Sidious is still alive… well, besides the whole dead look he has going on.
I study the corpse, unable to do anything but love the look of horror and fear still etched on my former master's despicable face. He is dead, dead! I am free! It almost makes me wish for a way to kill him again, and again, and again. Surely there is nothing in the galaxy better than this feeling of power.
I lean back thoughtfully in my chair as the thought crosses my mind. Power. It is one of the greatest lures of the Dark Side. It sings in my veins, calls me to greater, darker, more dangerous heights of control, of dominance. But…
After pausing for a moment, and closing my eyes, I take a deep breath to center myself.
It is to my betterment to learn from Sidious' mistakes. Hubris had been his weakness, but I will not allow power to be mine.
It's ironic, really, that for someone who touted himself as a genius, it was something as cliché as conceit that caused Sidious' downfall. Forgetting to lock the door was a part of it, but he lost control simply because he could not handle my words. It was arrogance, pride that had ultimately been Darth Sidious' doom.
He had been a fool. Both of us knew that by last year my power had grown beyond his. Yet Sidious had persisted in his quest to beat me into submission, to break me, hoping that, in time, I would be too broken in spirit to fight him even if my strength was greater. But Sidious had been wrong and had paid the price of death for his folly.
"I am the master of my own destiny," I snarl at the corpse, hatred tinting every nuance of my voice. "I am slave to no man."
I smile suddenly, savagely, baring my teeth at him like a rabid dog. "I truly despise you, Sidious." I glare at him a moment longer before realizing how ridiculous I must look, shooting deadly looks at an already dead man. Shaking my head I allow my anger to drain away. There is no need to be angry anymore. I am a slave no longer.
I cock my head at my dead companion. "You know what, Sidious?" I muse aloud, drumming on the table. "I find myself in a conundrum. Destroying you has really been the only thing on my mind for as long as I can remember. To tell you the truth, I honestly don't know what to do now that you're dead."
I take another sip of my drink. "I'm a Sith, so I think I'm going to take over the Galaxy." I pause and add as an afterthought, "…And destroy the Jedi.
"The great thing about this," I continue, "Is that you've already told me your plan for doing all of these things. So, I do want to thank you for your contribution to my reign of the Galaxy. I'll be sure to mention you in the credits, years from now, when they make a holovid about my genius."
I push myself from the table and drop into a seat next to the corpse. "I really hated you," I murmur, leaning close and staring intensely at it. "But I do have to thank you for teaching me everything that you know. Not that you realized it, of course. You thought you were teaching me just enough to be useful and not enough to be a threat to you. But through the Force, I was able to spy on you and everything you did in this place."
I sit back in the chair, frowning at the still body. "And I have to tell you, old man. Some of the things I saw have scarred me for life. You were really, truly a disgusting guy." I shake my head, amused despite myself.
"We both knew that I was stronger than you, but what you didn't know is that I'm able to do things with the Force that you can only imagine." Smirking at the corpse, I step away from the table.
"Oh, Force!" I exclaim, stretching stiff limbs. "It's so good to be free."
I pause upon noticing the sightless eyes of the corpse on me. "Oh, stop looking at me that way!" I say jauntily. "We both knew that I would kill you one day. It's the way of the Sith, after all. You just probably never thought that it would be so soon. Well, I didn't either, so both of us are surprised."
Walking to a nearby hidden closet, I open it and take out Sidious' most prized possession: the cloak he obtained from a fallen Jedi. At a glance, the beige wool appears cheap, but after running my hands across the fabric, I find it to be of a cool, smooth texture. It is a truly eloquent garment, worthy of a Sith Lord—and now it belongs to me.
Shifting through the rest of Sidious' belongings, it is easy to decide to leave most of it behind. I'm leaving this hellhole and starting a new life; I don't want to take anything with me. And just to make myself feel utterly spectacular, I'm going to burn this shithole to the ground. Take that, Sidious.
"You know, you should be proud of me," I tell the corpse, throwing the cloak around my shoulders. "I finally learned what you wanted to teach me…and some you didn't." Grinning evilly, I trot to another hidden compartment, this time in the wall. It never would have been found if I hadn't spied upon Sidious opening it once. Its dark brown tone blends seamlessly into the wall and only opens when you press on it just so… With a squeal, it swings open, revealing credits, a bunch of papers and electric charges.
After stuffing the credits and papers into a bag, I begin to carefully place the charges all around the cave.
"Come now, don't be angry!" I call out to the form slumped at the table across the room. "Your plans are still going to come to fruition, I promise you. The Jedi will die and the galaxy will be under the reign of the Sith. Only, it's going to be Emperor Vader, not Emperor Sidious." I hold the last of the charges and place it right next to Sidious' corpse. Satisfied with my work, I head for the entrance.
Without another glance look, I leave the cave. Safe in my spacecraft, I turn the ship around just in time to see the explosion. The cave implodes in a dazzling display of light and fire. I sigh and place the transport on autopilot as I throw my legs on the console to watch the show.
"I love fireworks," I say quietly, smirking.
I take a deep breath and pull the Dark Side closer, allowing it to cradle me. This is it; I'm finally free. I take a moment to bask in the thought, to allow it to empower me. Where to start? I have been away from the rest of the galaxy for so long…
The thought briefly crosses my mind to contact my mother, but I dismiss it just as quickly. It has been years since I have seen her, but I'm not naïve enough to believe that she would be happy to see me as I am. …It would be best for me to just move on. She would be horrified at what I have become and it would probably kill her to see me as I am now.
It's strange, but I still remember the name she gave me: Anakin Skywalker. I have not heard or thought of that name in a long time. In truth, it seems like a name from another life, another person. I suppose I have no feelings on the matter, though; I'm not that person anymore, I'm Darth Vader and I quite like who I am.
It is now that I realize something: I'm the Lord of the Sith. I am Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith and, at fourteen, I am probably the youngest ever. The thought fills me immense pride and elicits a strange giddy, tingling sensation in my belly.
I am Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. I repeat to myself, enjoying the way it sounds. I am Darth Vader, Slayer of Darth Sidious.
After trying different variations of my name, I finally take control of the ship and blast away…leaving my enslavement behind. If I could have, I would have burned the damn planet, too. According to Sidious' plan, such a feat will be possible one day. The thought excites me immensely.
You better watch out, I tell the planet silently, because you're going to be the first kriffing system to go.
I clutch the controls of the ship, elated at the power that it gives. I have always loved to fly and even though it's been years since I've done it, the feeling that it elicits has not gone away. The rush of adrenaline, the acceleration of the ship pushing me back into my seat, the absolute control that I have over where I go; it's intoxicating.
Excitement pools in my stomach as the stars of space become visible through the reddish haze of the thermosphere. "Here I come, galaxy," I say, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Darth Vader has arrived."
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7513976/1/The-Sith-The-Senator
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