Death of the Sith

Chapter 19: Sam and the Dark-side

Desperate for a new vessel, the Emperor's gaze fell upon Sam. Time was a luxury he no longer possessed. Training a new Force adept was unthinkable - no Jedi Knight could match her raw potential. Yet, brute coercion held no appeal. Like his own machinations, the Emperor craved a willing participant. He understood her inevitable recovery; in fact, he thrived on it. A broken shell wouldn't suffice — that would be a mere possession, a mockery of the symbiotic bond he envisioned. Forceful subjugation was out of the question. To unlock her true power, her complete allegiance was paramount.

Vader's ultimate betrayal, his fall back to Anakin Skywalker, cost him everything, even his own clone shell. The possibility of a similar rebellion from Sam was unthinkable. This vessel required absolute commitment; even the slightest flicker of defiance could prove catastrophic. He reviewed the meticulous preparations — everything was in place, save for the one crucial element: Sam's unwavering consent. Cloning, unfortunately, presented a significant hurdle. Unlike the mass-produced Stormtrooper replicas, his clone body exhibited a concerning degradation factor. A rudimentary shell, like those of the Stormtroopers, wouldn't suffice. A symbiotic bond necessitated a fully willing participant, a flaw the Goa'uld persistently grappled with.

Sam's destiny had been intertwined with his long before she ever set foot in Stargate Command. The machinations of fate, not his intervention, placed her within the halls of the SGC, even the SG-1 team. Perhaps, it would have been simpler had she remained untouched by these matters. Yet, the path she carved led her unknowingly towards Jedi training, in a galaxy far beyond Earth. He had initially underestimated the significance of her military prowess, but that was a past oversight. Throughout the years, a meticulous plan had taken root, one that would secure Samantha Carter's allegiance, irrespective of the course of her life.

A well-executed plan would secure her before any intervention, Jedi or otherwise. In her thrall, she would become an instrument of eradication, eliminating all who oppose him. The groundwork had already been laid, her past hardships merely the foundation. Securing her willing participation wouldn't require exploiting past trauma. Her conditioning, though she may believe herself recovered, had subtly primed her for this moment. He had, after all, successfully swayed Anakin Skywalker to the darkness by exploiting his vulnerabilities. Years of observation had revealed her susceptibilities. When the opportune moment arrived, her loyalty wouldn't simply shift; it would become absolute, a weapon pointed at both the Jedi and his long-held adversaries.

His ultimate victory over the Jedi hinges on the eradication of another obstacle: the Asgard and these self-proclaimed Ancients. With the Dark Side coursing through her veins, she would be the instrument of their demise. Unlike others, he recognized the singular truth — once she embraced his will, no power in existence could challenge him. This explains his unwavering pursuit of her; no other vessel could hold such potential.

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The training that both Grand Duchess Jedi Sam O'Neill and Barbara Bowers were getting from Master Jedi Anakin Skywalker had been turning out better than expected. In one of the training sessions, Barbara told Sam, "It appears you're doing better."

Sam said, "Yes, I am, but I can feel he won't stop him one bit."

"He will not. If that was the case, then I would not need to train you two in the way I am. You see Sam, Emperor Palpatine realizes how powerful you are. With that power in his control, he will be unstoppable." He paused and continued, "you need to know this. The training I am giving you will help you both, but please understand, he is still after you. He cannot take over the universe with anyone else."

She stopped what she was doing. "I'm very much aware of that. If he could get me, then what I even learn here, he can use against you all." She looked right at Barbara, "I promise you this. I'll do everything in my power to protect you and your family...... even from me."