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New fic: A Conversation Over Drinks
Sep. 3rd, 2005 06:26 pmThis takes place just after AOTC, featuring Anakin (yay!) and Palpatine (boo! hiss!).
A Conversation Over Drinks
"Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly..."
"Welcome, my young friend," Supreme Chancellor Palpatine said with a gracious smile at the doorway of his private chambers. "I am most glad you were able to visit this evening."
"An invitation from you, Sir, is always an honor," Anakin Skywalker said with a humble bow of his head.
"Do come in." He waved the young Jedi through the doorway, beaming like an uncle at his favorite nephew. "Tonight there are no guards, no politicians, no servants, just us, so we can speak man-to-man." He led Anakin into the study, a room with a breathtaking view of Coruscant's nighttime skyline, filled with more artifacts, several shelves of antique books and texts, and two highback leather chairs in front of a fireplace. A fire had been lit and a Coruscanti composition played over a sound system cleverly hidden from view.
"Sit down," Palpatine gestured toward one of the highback chairs in front of the fireplace. "Jedi are allowed a drink now and then, aren't they?"
"Of course, in moderation," Anakin smiled shyly, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Palpatine went to a sideboard and poured a rich dark amber brown liquid into two crystal tumblers. He walked over to the chairs, handing a tumbler to Anakin before sitting next to him in the other chair.
"This is fine old Corellian brandy, one of the best varieties available," Palpatine said, holding up his tumbler. "An entire bottle of this could buy you a star cruiser."
Blushing, Anakin shifted the crystal tumbler from hand to hand. "Sir, I don't know if I could drink something so extravagant in times like these," he said.
"Oh come now, son, you're an old friend and a hero to my homeworld. I feel more honored offering you the best I have than I would any of these other politicians."
"My apologies," Anakin said with a humble bow of his head. "I cannot offend my host."
"I am not offended at all although sometimes I am a bit mystified by the ways of your Order," Palpatine said, with a slight approving nod as Anakin gingerly sipped his drink.
"This is quite good," the padawan said. "I don't even taste the alcohol."
"Only the best for you, Anakin. Besides, it's the least I could do to show my appreciation for protecting Senator Amidala and your bravery on Geonosis. I trust you have been recovering well?"
"Yes, sir, as best as could be expected," Anakin said, flexing the golden fingers of his new prosthetic hand. "I've gained much of my dexterity back. I can still fly and use a lightsaber just as well as before. Still, it's been a difficult time for me." His lips pursed, hurt and anger flashing briefly in his eyes.
"I cannot imagine what it's like to suffer such an injury," Palpatine said, "Especially when one is so young."
"It's more than that." The young man paused. "I lost my mother recently." He stared down at his drink and bit his lip.
"Oh, I am so sorry, my dear boy." Palpatine's tone was sympathetic and sorrowful. "I know how much she meant to you. Was word sent the Temple? It's unheard of for the Jedi to pass news about family members to its own."
"No." Anakin was clearly struggling to maintain his composure. Frowning, he said, "It's a long story."
There was a lingering silence.
"If you care to share it, you have a sympathetic ear."
Anakin looked away as though he was trying to decide something. Sighing as though he was releasing a great burden, he turned back to the Chancellor.
"For about a month I had dreams about my mother. She was in pain and she was dying. At first I thought they were just dreams but they were persistent and vivid. Through the Force one can have visions of the past, the present, or the future. Ever since I was a boy, I'd have premonitions of the future in my dreams.
"While I was keeping watch over Senator Amidala on Naboo, the dreams became so intense I could no longer ignore them. I knew my mother was in danger. I had to do something. I simply could not let my mother die."
Palpatine sat with rapt attention as Anakin recounted leaving Naboo with the Senator for Tatooine, then tracking his mother's whereabouts from Mos Espa to the Lars's moisture farm to the Tusken Raider camp.
"I finally found her, beaten, brutalized..." Tears welled in Anakin's eyes. "I begged her to hang on, but she couldn't. It was too late." His voice became a childlike whisper. "I couldn't save her."
"Dear Gods," Palpatine gasped. "How utterly, utterly horrible. You must have been...I can't even imagine how you felt."
"There's more," Anakin said, still whispering. "Could I trust you to never speak of this to anyone, not even Obi-Wan? Or the Council?"
"Absolutely." He put a warm, compassionate hand on Anakin's forearm. The young Jedi took a deep breath.
"This...rage...came over me. I wanted vengeance, justice for what they'd done to her." His brows furrowed as though he was in deep concentration. "So I killed them. All of them."
"The Sand People?" Palpatine asked gently.
Anakin nodded. "What I did was wrong. It was against everything I'd ever been taught at the Temple. It's not what a Jedi is supposed to do. "
"The Jedi are supposed to defend the helpless, are they not? The savages that killed your mother will never harm another soul," Palpatine reassured him. "Justice was done, was it not?"
"Yes, but I can't give in to that kind of anger again," Anakin said. "It's of the Dark Side."
"What the Sand People did was cruel and unforgiveable. It would have inspired anger in anyone. You are a Jedi, but you are also human," Palpatine said.
"Padmé, I mean, Senator Amidala told me the same thing."
Palpatine smiled knowingly and nodded. "Senator Amidala is wise beyond her years. I understand you are going to accompany her back to Naboo."
"Yes," Anakin said, with a tone that suggested relief. "We depart in the morning."
They continued to chat about the Senate, the war that has broken out across the galaxy, and the Jedi.
"It is time for me to go," Anakin said, setting down his glass. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sir."
"You're welcome, Anakin," Palpatine said with a gregarious smile. He rose to his feet to accompany Anakin to the door. "I enjoyed our conversation." He leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, "Don't worry about what you have told me. It shall remain confidential."
"Thank you, Sir," Anakin said. "I knew I could trust you."
A Conversation Over Drinks
"Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly..."
"Welcome, my young friend," Supreme Chancellor Palpatine said with a gracious smile at the doorway of his private chambers. "I am most glad you were able to visit this evening."
"An invitation from you, Sir, is always an honor," Anakin Skywalker said with a humble bow of his head.
"Do come in." He waved the young Jedi through the doorway, beaming like an uncle at his favorite nephew. "Tonight there are no guards, no politicians, no servants, just us, so we can speak man-to-man." He led Anakin into the study, a room with a breathtaking view of Coruscant's nighttime skyline, filled with more artifacts, several shelves of antique books and texts, and two highback leather chairs in front of a fireplace. A fire had been lit and a Coruscanti composition played over a sound system cleverly hidden from view.
"Sit down," Palpatine gestured toward one of the highback chairs in front of the fireplace. "Jedi are allowed a drink now and then, aren't they?"
"Of course, in moderation," Anakin smiled shyly, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Palpatine went to a sideboard and poured a rich dark amber brown liquid into two crystal tumblers. He walked over to the chairs, handing a tumbler to Anakin before sitting next to him in the other chair.
"This is fine old Corellian brandy, one of the best varieties available," Palpatine said, holding up his tumbler. "An entire bottle of this could buy you a star cruiser."
Blushing, Anakin shifted the crystal tumbler from hand to hand. "Sir, I don't know if I could drink something so extravagant in times like these," he said.
"Oh come now, son, you're an old friend and a hero to my homeworld. I feel more honored offering you the best I have than I would any of these other politicians."
"My apologies," Anakin said with a humble bow of his head. "I cannot offend my host."
"I am not offended at all although sometimes I am a bit mystified by the ways of your Order," Palpatine said, with a slight approving nod as Anakin gingerly sipped his drink.
"This is quite good," the padawan said. "I don't even taste the alcohol."
"Only the best for you, Anakin. Besides, it's the least I could do to show my appreciation for protecting Senator Amidala and your bravery on Geonosis. I trust you have been recovering well?"
"Yes, sir, as best as could be expected," Anakin said, flexing the golden fingers of his new prosthetic hand. "I've gained much of my dexterity back. I can still fly and use a lightsaber just as well as before. Still, it's been a difficult time for me." His lips pursed, hurt and anger flashing briefly in his eyes.
"I cannot imagine what it's like to suffer such an injury," Palpatine said, "Especially when one is so young."
"It's more than that." The young man paused. "I lost my mother recently." He stared down at his drink and bit his lip.
"Oh, I am so sorry, my dear boy." Palpatine's tone was sympathetic and sorrowful. "I know how much she meant to you. Was word sent the Temple? It's unheard of for the Jedi to pass news about family members to its own."
"No." Anakin was clearly struggling to maintain his composure. Frowning, he said, "It's a long story."
There was a lingering silence.
"If you care to share it, you have a sympathetic ear."
Anakin looked away as though he was trying to decide something. Sighing as though he was releasing a great burden, he turned back to the Chancellor.
"For about a month I had dreams about my mother. She was in pain and she was dying. At first I thought they were just dreams but they were persistent and vivid. Through the Force one can have visions of the past, the present, or the future. Ever since I was a boy, I'd have premonitions of the future in my dreams.
"While I was keeping watch over Senator Amidala on Naboo, the dreams became so intense I could no longer ignore them. I knew my mother was in danger. I had to do something. I simply could not let my mother die."
Palpatine sat with rapt attention as Anakin recounted leaving Naboo with the Senator for Tatooine, then tracking his mother's whereabouts from Mos Espa to the Lars's moisture farm to the Tusken Raider camp.
"I finally found her, beaten, brutalized..." Tears welled in Anakin's eyes. "I begged her to hang on, but she couldn't. It was too late." His voice became a childlike whisper. "I couldn't save her."
"Dear Gods," Palpatine gasped. "How utterly, utterly horrible. You must have been...I can't even imagine how you felt."
"There's more," Anakin said, still whispering. "Could I trust you to never speak of this to anyone, not even Obi-Wan? Or the Council?"
"Absolutely." He put a warm, compassionate hand on Anakin's forearm. The young Jedi took a deep breath.
"This...rage...came over me. I wanted vengeance, justice for what they'd done to her." His brows furrowed as though he was in deep concentration. "So I killed them. All of them."
"The Sand People?" Palpatine asked gently.
Anakin nodded. "What I did was wrong. It was against everything I'd ever been taught at the Temple. It's not what a Jedi is supposed to do. "
"The Jedi are supposed to defend the helpless, are they not? The savages that killed your mother will never harm another soul," Palpatine reassured him. "Justice was done, was it not?"
"Yes, but I can't give in to that kind of anger again," Anakin said. "It's of the Dark Side."
"What the Sand People did was cruel and unforgiveable. It would have inspired anger in anyone. You are a Jedi, but you are also human," Palpatine said.
"Padmé, I mean, Senator Amidala told me the same thing."
Palpatine smiled knowingly and nodded. "Senator Amidala is wise beyond her years. I understand you are going to accompany her back to Naboo."
"Yes," Anakin said, with a tone that suggested relief. "We depart in the morning."
They continued to chat about the Senate, the war that has broken out across the galaxy, and the Jedi.
"It is time for me to go," Anakin said, setting down his glass. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sir."
"You're welcome, Anakin," Palpatine said with a gregarious smile. He rose to his feet to accompany Anakin to the door. "I enjoyed our conversation." He leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, "Don't worry about what you have told me. It shall remain confidential."
"Thank you, Sir," Anakin said. "I knew I could trust you."
