The Man Who Would be Emperor

Authors introduction:-

Watching Star Wars again I was struck by the Emperor's machinations. Lets be honest here; it's very ambitious. Were the Jedi even sightly competent they should have seen it. If nothing else the fact that they just happened to have an army ready when they needed it should have rung alarm bells all over the show! Also I know that hindsight is 20 twenty, but even the blindest of fools should have seen Palpatine was evil, manipulative and up to something.

That he got away with the whole thing wasn't a sign he was skilled at manipulation, it was that our heroes are idiots. You want a manipulative villain? You want someone that has complex plans and is pure evil? You want someone that can plot with the best of them, but is more than willing to get his hands dirty?

Disclaimer:-

I don't own any of the characters used here. Darth Sidious/ Emperor Palpatine was created by George Lucas and is currently owned by Disney. Doctor Who and all related Characters are owned by the BBC

Darth Sidious, High Dark Lord of the Sith. Known to the galaxy, far and wide, as the newly appointed Emperor Palpatine of the New Order. Had done it. Decades of scheming, deception and manipulation had paid off. The Galactic Republic was no more and the failed experiment that was democracy had been shattered. True there would be those that held on to the old ways, but they would be swept away.

He would rule supreme over the Galaxy and through his mastery of Sith magics and his unmatched power in the Dark Side that rule would last. Not even death could stop him.

Flying his private shuttle in Coruscant's industrial sector Sidious made his way to his private base. Secreted in an old smelting works he had acquired after succeeding his Master, the base was his hidden retreat. Not even his own apprentices knew the full extent of the facility, or how deep it truly went. Coming in low, under the dense clouds and Skyhook loading docks Sidious landed his shuttle in the hidden hanger.

With the Death Star's construction already underway it was only a matter of time before he could disband the senate and turn complete control over to his Moffs. With idealistic young Anakin broken and rebuilt, quite literally, into Vader there was nothing to stop him.

As he strode confidently to his innermost sanctum Sidious heard something, something impossible. Breaking into a run he saw that the encrypted security door was wide open and the lights were active. Barging into the one room on Coruscant more secure than even the Chancellors what Sidious saw was impossible.

A man, dressed in a stiff collared black suit with bright white cuffs around his wrists, was sat in an ornate chair that had replaced Sidious's own. It was large, high backed and made of some sort of animal hide a green so dark it was almost black. It appeared both primitive, almost rustic, but at the same time well crafted.

The thing in the chair was applauding Sidious. The impossible intruder's clapping slowed down, as if a droid with it's power cell depleted. 'Welcome, Emperor Palpatine. I was expecting you.' They announced with a sardonic tone of voice, their eyes flashing dangerously. 'I hope you don't mind that I made myself at home.'

Sidious could feel this creatures presence in the Force… It was wrong. It was as if the Force itself was twisted around them. bent out of shape. Almost coiled, warped in some fashion that defied description. Always shifting and changing as if reacting to them in ways that shouldn't be. Feeling the reassuring weight of his lightsaber Sidious snarled:- 'Who, what are you?'

With a dark chuckle the thing shaped like a man stroked his greying beard. 'Hah, as there are those that call you Emperor I am known as the Master.'

'Master? Master of what?' Sidious challenged as he took a deliberate step forward.

The creature stood up, as if preparing for a fight. 'Of all I chose. Fortunately for you, I have no interest in this corner of existence. Instead I offer an alliance.'

'An alliance?' Sidious asked skeptically. 'And why would I chose to agree?'

'Because the alternative is your destruction.'

No one threatened him. Nothing and no one. 'I am a Dark Lord of the Sith, foolish creature. I cannot be destroyed, not by the Jedi and certainly not by you.' With that he jabbed a jagged hand at them and lashed out with a bolt of Force Lighting. Instead of hitting the intruder the sapphire bolts scattered as if deflected by something. It was like some sort of invisible shield was covering the creature.

With a theatrical sigh they looked at him as if studying a small insect. 'Originally, when I first learnt of your accomplishments, I was almost willing to be impressed. After carefully planning, preparing for and then instigating a pointless war you assumed control of both sides. Manipulating them both so that the only result would be mutual destruction, where your political and theological enemies would be the front line casualties. In the aftermath you were ready step into the power vacuum, by remaining in command of whichever side survived you could forge whatever rule you wanted. Very cleaver, a bit derivative, but if you live long enough I suppose everything is.

'I saw potential in you, with time and effort you could have even been amusing. However, in person, I see that like most of your kind you are too narrow of vision for that. You cannot see beyond your own boundaries.' The monster brushed imaginary lint of his spotless cuffs. 'My fault I believe; I expected too much.'

Resisting the urge to send another wave of lighting Sidious slowly reached for his lightsaber 'I might not be able to destroy you, but I will not be so easily defeated.' Activating his blade he was ready for the inevitable counter attack.

'Defeated…' the intruder shook his head sorrowfully. 'No, not by me. I was going to help you with that, but now… I will say this; your New Order will collapse. Within a generation all you have achieved will fade and vanish under the wheels of history.'

'Never. Never!' he spat back.

'My dear Emperor, those wheels are already turning. I would wish you good luck, but that wouldn't be much use now would it?' With that the creature stepped behind Sidious's chair and simply vanished.

The sanctum was filled with the sound of grinding gears and machines. The ornate chair flickered and disappeared, returning his own far more familiar seat. the twisting in the Force flowed away, like it had never been there.

'No, no creature. I am Lord of the Sith I, I make history! Fate will serve me and my rule will last. I will make sure of it.' He threw a lighting bolt at the empty chair. 'I must make sure of it.'

End The Man Who Would be Emperor