The Weaving Force: Interlude- Darth Sidious

Interlude: Darth Sidious

“Twenty One million is a steep increase in troops Master Kenobi. What’s brought on this sudden request by the Council.”

Palpatine made sure to keep his voice calm, even amiable, the gentle curiosity that was entirely the Chancellor of the Republic, or what the Jedi had come to know as the Chancellor.

Before him the Council members, Kenobi, Yaddle and Dallon sat, relaying the latest request by the Council for twenty one million additional Clone troops. 

Normally, it would be Master Windu or Master Yoda here. But they were absent.

They’d been absent for quite some time now. 

“These are hard targets Chancellor.” Kenobi answered with a diplomatic smile. “Anaxes, Mygeto, Felucia, Cato Nemoidia, each of these are major separatist strongholds along the outer rim.” He nodded. “As you well know, the farther we push out the more strained our supply lines become, the more troops we need to allocate to securing them and holding pacified worlds. Our current forces are simply insufficient for this undertaking.”

It was a logical, reasonable argument. Expected of Kenobi, but even so-

“The Jedi do not normally act in such haste.” He answered. “Negotiations have not even opened with Nemoidia as I understand it.”

“We wish for this war to end chancellor.” Dallon cut in, smiling with closed lips, wry and shallow, barely reaching any other part of her face. “These last targets present the opportunity to do so. And while the offer to negotiate will be made, we’d rather have the troops ready to be deployed as soon as possible in the event that they break down.”

Again, a reasonable, entirely logical argument. It would normally be very difficult to find a way to plausibly deny them. 

Normally.

“Is that the same stance taken on Zygerria, Councillor Dallon?”

He felt her go stiff, a coldness in the emotions around her and had to fight down the smirk.

True, Hebert had indeed stopped other, seedling rebellions from forming, the rumors of the ‘Eradication’ of the Zygerian people had done its job in making bids for independence less appealing with the Jedi now viewed as being on the warpath- so he could not spread their forces thin.

But there were other ways of using their short term victory against them.

He leaned back in his seat. “I’m afraid that if the Jedi’s stance is becoming so militaristic as to pre-emptively ask for twenty million clones to carelessly toss into a meatgrinder across the outer rim, I will not be complicit in your decline into warmongers and the Jedi lords of old.”

“That is not what is happening, Chancellor.” Kenobi said with a calm that was unshakeable, most unlike the quietly smoldering fury hidden behind Dallon’s now neutral facade. 

“Then open negotiations first.” He demanded. “And if they break down, then I will approve of deploying twenty million additional clones. Surely the Seperatists are as tired of this war as all of us are.”

Even the swiftest of negotiation efforts would need time. 

And time was in short supply these days. For both of them.

The pretense was wearing thin, he knew. The Jedi either suspected or were already aware, neither side able to move against the other.

What would decide this, was the one who ran out of time first.

“Concerns we have Chancellor.” Yaddle declared. “That this stance, time to rally, and organize is being given to the separatists. Time to fortify these already difficult worlds, they will have.” She shook her head. “Afraid I am, that our concerns, to the senate, they must be taken.”

Palpatine narrowed his eyes ever so subtly. 

He knew what she meant. 

Alexandria. 

She would package this… disagreement in a way that would erode his support in the senate even further.

He could argue against her, push back on her rhetoric with his own. But that would take time and there was already so little to go around.

The senate or the Jedi, he could manipulate, but no longer did he have a firm stranglehold on both.

He looked at Yaddle, who stared him down with a presence as unreadable and implacable as a mountain. 

“Do what you must, Master Jedi.” He answered, his smile still in place, the kindly veneer never faltering, even as all three Councilors watched him with eyes that knew the truth. “Trust that I will do the same.”

—

When the sun descended below the horizon, casting its fiery oranges and purples across the Coruscanti skyline, he stood from his chair, quietly leaving this life and entering into the other.

Palpatine was still present, smiling to those he met in the hallway, speaking with them as they followed him down the halls. The Jedi were not here. But they were near. Watching, always these days. 

More than that, eyes were on him now, whispers filtering through the halls.

Too long as chancellor

A power play

He’s prosecuted this war since the start and it has not ended. He prolongs it and prolongs his emergency powers.

These whispers would not have existed months or even just weeks ago. 

But they existed now.

He needed to bring this to its final conclusion.

Not long now.

As he stepped out towards the Senate landing bay he found a half smile flitting across his face, a real one.

“You know this is untenable.” 

He turned, looking over his shoulder as the woman stepped up beside him, hands clasped behind her back waiting for her own shuttle pickup. 

“I’m certain you will make it so.” He answered staring ahead as the shuttles came to and fro, picking up their passengers before leaving. 

She made a sound somewhere in her throat, he took it as affirmation. 

“I’d wish you luck.” She said.

“But we both know that would be a lie.” He answered. 

He recognized her shuttle when it descended, a sleek, black thing, self piloting. Easy to sabotage… usually at least. 

As the door opened she marched towards the vehicle, sitting down with an air of pure imperiousness, “I hope-” She finally said as the doors began to close. “You find the outcome you deserve.”

He smiled back. “Thank you. For my part, I hope you do not choke on your aspirations, Senator.” 

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly before the door sealed shut, wondering if he knew. 

But she would not get her answer, not yet. 

The day ended.

Night would soon fall. 

—

“And by when do you need this done?”

“Soon.” He answered. “The details will be forwarded to you through more secure means. But you will prepare to move imminently”

The Duros frowned. “I usually work alone, or at least pick who I’m working with.”

“With the funds on offer, you will work with who I say, and do as I say.” Sidious sneered. “You are useful Bane, but not indispensable.”

Cad Bane didn’t look any more pleased but he didn’t protest further, that was enough.

“Expect the data-packet for your target and objective to arrive within the hour.” He said before cutting off the comm-link.

He cast his eyes behind him, over his shoulder, Komari stood there, quiet, head bowed, all but invisible in the Force even to him.

To think. The lowest of the three would survive the longest.

One’s will to survive… sometimes it could be everything.

He spread his senses out towards the room beyond, more a warehouse really, deep in the bowels of the world, where no sunlight or rain would ever touch. Where even the artificial atmosphere was more air recycled a hundred times over than anything natural.

It was muggy, cloying. He could hear machinery through the walls, feel the thrum of billions upon billions of powerlines running up from the deepest generators beneath the city where only droids roamed. 

He marched towards the doorway, opening it with a wave of his hand.

On the other side it smelled of blood, of death and rotting meat. The warbling cry as the beast caught sight of him echoed somewhere deep along his insides and made him smile.

My, but they have grown these last few years.

Eyes like crystalized blood stared back at him, unblinking, the lethal intent of the beast clear in every restrained movement.

“How many?” He asked, not tearing his eyes off the monstrous dragon. They’d been breeding, propagating down in the dark caverns of Geonosis, their hunting grounds.

The place where they were the greatest predator.

Last he bothered to check, the hives were slowly being wiped out. 

Jorus’ final legacy.

And now, they would be used one last time by him. 

“Seventeen.” Komari answered.”This was the largest. There were no other Sithspawnspecies  that survived.”

“They would not.” Sidious laughed. “Those at the heights of power… detest rivals.”

He felt her emotion, the shudder that passed through her 

He looked upon the beast, bound tightly in its durasteel cage, it could not be allowed to move even a single inch lest it tear through the restraints with even a bit of leverage. Even its tail was bound. 

Its ruby red eyes stared back. A bestial intelligence lingering there as it measured him. Deciding if he was prey, just as it had deemed Jorus to be prey before the end. 

Seventeen. 

At the height of his power, Jorus, the fool, had only commanded six. 

It was certainly giving a new meaning to the term, not outliving one’s usefulness.

“The Mandalorians?” He asked. 

“What few there are-” She scoffed. “Deathwatch is barely a shadow of itself. Vizla’s last few dregs are here out of desperation, and greed.”

“That is enough.” He answered. They were fodder, distractions. Necessary distractions, but distractions all the same. 

She took a deep breath, “Last I heard, Grievous was-”

“Do not concern yourself with the machine.” He said. “You have your task. You will see it done.”

There was a pause, a tense, brittle thing, her emotions in the Force resonated clearly.

“And after?” She seemed to gasp out the question, as though forcing herself to ask. “What happens to me after you’ve won?”

He turned, looking to her fully now, relishing the fear on her face. The sheer dread as his gaze settled on her.

He smiled. “You are… my dear apprentice…” He chuckled, the sound rasping free of his voice box. 

He stepped closer, and her recoiling flinch was perfect. “There is no reason.” He drawled, hand extending to caress the side of her mask. “-that should change… is there?”

She didn’t speak, he was certain she didn’t dare even breathe, the light trembles of her body born of pure, unbridled fear were a lovely sight.

Would he kill her, by the end of it all?

If she survived what was to come, would she be worthy of being his apprentice in truth? 

Perhaps. 

Or perhaps one of the better candidates would be ripe for the plucking.  When all was ash, and dust, their true selves would emerge. And they would be as succeptible as any in their weak order had proven to be thus far.

… 

But even he, for all his powers of foresight could not say for certain what would happen.

It was exhilarating and it would make his victory all the sweeter when the dust finally settles over the ruins. 

Palpatine cast his gaze upwards, the roof of this place was pockmarked with rust holes and torn metal, allowing him to look past its boundaries towards the towering spires that blocked out the sun far far above, seeing only the drifting lights of passing speeder cars and building windows in the skies far overhead

If he loosed the beasts here… just how many would they kill? How many would breed down here in the dark before they were discovered? The thought brought a smile to his face and he was almost tempted, if he didn’t know that he needed them for his own usage. 

Or, perhaps… himself… How long could he act down in this place. How many could he murder before anyone took notice. Hundreds? Thousands? Perhaps even more. The uncountable quadrillions of beings never even noticing a single thing as he satisfied his appetites down here in the depths of this black, lightless place.

A crude, amusing little fantasy. 

But just a fantasy.

Why settle for crumbs, when he could destroy so much much more.

All he needed… was time.

He felt a tremble in the force, a quiet, whisper of a warning.

Another Jedi shadow drew close.

“Go.” He demanded. “See to your tasks.” 

She offered a hasty bow and all but ran out of the chamber, her quiet despair lingering like a perfume in the air.

For his part, Sidious took a breath, quietly letting loose the power within, preparing for the hunt.

After all, he could not allow a lowly shadow to spoil the banquet he’d so carefully prepared for all beings living on this metal rock. 

(X)(X)(X)

And so, here we have the last interlude before everything starts going down.

Now, I will try to keep the weekly schedule, but these next 4-5 chapters (how long I plan for this to be, are probably going to be CHONKY boys NGL. so I can't in good faith say "Yes I am absolutely going to nail the weekly schedule" especially with Hurricane season basically here."

So I will try but I cannot guarantee it.

Alternatively (and this will be posted on a Poll in a few hours) I could take another hiatus and just come back with ALL the remaining updates to this fic and just dump them all at once (though that means you'll be going without an update for a month at minimum, but that choice will be entirely up to the reader base.

Whatever you all decide, I remain your humble servant and I will try to keep the quality as high as I can from here to this story's very very near conclusion :)