The Darker Side: Musings of the Master

Chapter 7 | Rise of the Sith

LORD VADER, RISE

By the title of this entry, you may safely presume that this is when Anakin Skywalker became my Sith Apprentice. Finally!

I sat in my office reading over some of Coruscant's energy consumption reports when I sensed the Jedi enter the building. I became giddy when the significance of the moment overwhelmed my mind for a moment. At long last, the Sith would rise again and reclaim the galaxy.

I stared at the reports, but my mind was distracted with the arrival of the elite Jedi who would attempt to arrest me. Focus, Palpatine, I remember telling myself. Time seemed to move slowly, but eventually, Master Mace Windu stepped into my office with three other Jedi Knights—Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin. They tried to arrest me but instead I caught them off guard and slaughtered three of them within seconds. What they failed to realized is that despite my mature appearance, I can still wield a lightsaber two to three times faster than a pathetic Jedi with remarkable precision.

Of the four Jedi assassins, only Master Windu proved to be a formidable opponent whose skill with a lightsaber matched my own. I could sense his patient resolve as we dueled. It was quite annoying.

When I sensed Anakin's presence in close proximity to us and realized he was about to enter the room, I became momentarily distracted. The Dark Side of the Force was fighting for supremacy within Anakin, and at that very moment I knew what I had to do.

I let Windu kick my lightsaber out of my hand. It went flying out the window. He advanced with his purple lightsaber and I withdrew to the corner of the open window, making sure my cries of desperation carried into the hallway Anakin ran through to get to us. When he arrived, I tried to convince Anakin that I had been right all along and the Jedi were taking over and trying to kill me, but I don't think he believed me.

This was not good.

Windu tried to arrest me, but as you can imagine I wasn't having that. As Anakin listened, trying to assess the situation, I played the victim and faux-cried for help and mercy from him. Master Windu caught me off guard when he told me that the oppression of the Sith would never return, and that I had lost. Refusing to accept his convictions, I reacted without thinking. Dark plasma energy ignited the air between us as it leapt from my hands and charged at him with intense ferocity, but he skillfully deflected the blast with his lightsaber.

It seems I underestimated Windu's knowledge and perspective of the Force.

Windu folded my Force Lightning back at me, and I felt my own rage surge through my own body. It was like an adrenaline rush that tingled and flashed over my exposed skin. I screamed out that I was the only one who could save Padmé, and Anakin's emotions surged. I was winning. Playing the victim again to deceive the emotionally distraught Anakin, I claimed I was too weak. I begged for mercy (loathsome as that may be) as Windu's thoughts (surprisingly) shifted and he decided to murder me.

Anakin refused to allow that.

He ignited his lightsaber and swung up, cutting off the lightsaber wielding hand that Windu swung at me. I suppose that Anakin intended to block Windu's blade with his own, but in is agonized state, he missed, and that's how Windu lost his hand. When the Jedi Master screamed at me in agony, I blasted him with unlimited and raw Dark power. Then I defenestrated him. Needless to say, there's one less Jedi Master in the galaxy to deal with now.

Anakin immediately filled with regret and collapsed on the floor. In some ways he is still the small boy I met years ago—whiny and petulant. But, he was finally fulfilling his destiny. I pushed myself up from the floor and stood tall over Anakin's crouched form. I invited him to join me and become my Apprentice. He accepted on one condition—that I help him save Padmé.