Silver-Tongued Company Devil Ch.5 (Patreon)

In the infinite expanse of the multiverse, anything and everything was possible. Coincidences were inevitable, not a matter of if but when. Strokes of impossible luck were practically commonplace in the grander scheme of things. Even just the Star Wars universe had an unfathomable number of versions under Company control. It was only a matter of time before an impossible collection of circumstances turned out something familiar.

I knew all of that and yet I was still surprised to run into a deviation from the norm like this one. Diana was native to this universe. She wasn’t a crossover character or a transmigrated soul. My version of the Star Wars universe just happened to have a place called Themyscira with a Queen named Hippolyta who had a daughter named Diana.

Perhaps there was some resonance at play. Some echo or bleed-over between universes. Or perhaps there wasn’t and this was simply a lucky combination of unlikely circumstances. In the end, it really didn’t matter all that much. No matter how this came about, I now had the not-quite-bootleg Star Wars version of Wonder Woman in my debt.

“The ship should be ready to leave in an hour or so,” Qui-Gon said as Padme and I returned from our walk. He paused upon catching sight of Diana, “… And who is this?”

“My bodyguard,” I bluffed nonchalantly. “Quite the coincidence that she just so happened to be on the same planet as us.”

“I see…” Qui-Gon was obviously confused but didn’t question Diana’s inclusion any further. “Very well. We shall be leaving as soon as the ship is ready.”

“Good. I’m tired of this planet. I can’t wait to get to Coruscant and finally be back in proper civilization. No offense, Ani.”

Little Anakin shrugged, “Tatooine sucks.”

I sighed, “That it does, Ani. That it does.”

Shmi chuckled, “Normally, I’d tell you to mind your language. But the prospect of finally leaving this place behind has me in a good mood.”

Anakin lit up with a devious little look on his face. Shmi stopped him before he could do something he’d regret, “Don’t even think about it, Mister. I know all the words you’ve heard in Watto’s shop and that wasn’t permission for you to say any of them!”

Anakin pouted, grumbling how that wasn’t fair at all. Smiling at his childish frustration, I turned to Shmi, “So, all packed?”

She smiled back at me, sharing the same twinkle in her eyes as we watched her son pout, “Indeed. Everything of note we own is in these three suitcases and Ani’s backpack.”

I hummed, “Now, that’s just an utter shame. We’ll have to see about getting the both of you some proper belongings when we get to Coruscant.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. I’m sure we’ve already troubled you enough, Sir.”

“None of that,” I mock glared at Shmi. “I’m not nearly old enough to be called ‘sir’ and the both of you are free now. You don’t need to bow to anyone, especially not me.”

“I-I-…” Shmi stuttered. “That… will take some getting used to.”

“Well, you’ve got plenty of time to start right now,” I gave her a smile. “Call me Dick.”

A powdered blush appeared on Shmi’s cheeks, “Dick. It’s a pleasure to meet you. And thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and Ani.”

I turned to Diana, “And you. You’re free now as well.”

“Free from bondage but not debt,” Diana retorted formally without an ounce of resentment in her voice. “Honor demands I repay you for your aid in my time of need.”

“And you will be repaying me,” I nodded. “You’ll be guarding my body until you feel the time is right to renegotiate our arrangement. I happen to be quite fond of my body so you’ll be repaying your debt quite handily.”

Diana just nodded with that stoic, serious expression of hers, “It is a fine body.”

Shmi and Padme shared a giggle. I pretended to preen over myself like a peacock, “It is, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Diana said matter-of-factly without a hint of humor in her expression.

“Oh, a challenge~? We’ll have to see about developing a sense of humor for you and getting you to unwind a bit.”

“You will likely fail, Son of Man. But I will not stop you.”

“Hmm,” I changed the subject. “Tell me, what are your qualifications for this role I’ve given you? Will you have any issues performing your duties?”

“I am a strong and capable Amazon warrior. The best of all of my sisters,” Diana answered soberly and without any obvious exaggeration.

“An Amazon?” Qui-Gon asked, interjecting himself into the conversation. “I was not aware any of your kind had left your isolated homeworld, much less the Hapes Consortium.”

“I am an exception,” Diana didn’t say anything more.

Qui-Gon nodded, addressing me, “If the rumors I’ve heard are even half true, you’ll be in good hands, Dick Jackson. The Amazons are formidable Force Warriors. The Jedi Order has speculated that their species are naturally gifted with physical Force abilities but we’ve never had the chance to confirm that hypothesis.”

“I know not this ‘Force’ but all Amazons are blessed by the gods themselves. And we are trained from birth to be the best we can be. Personally, I am proficient in every type of weaponry you could put before me, from blasters to vibro-blades to even just my own fists and feet.”

Qui-Gon’s communicator dinged, disrupting the exposition of Diana’s backstory. He checked it, “That’s the ship. We are ready to leave whenever.”

I puffed myself up theatrically, getting giggles from Ani and Padme and a soft smile from Shmi, “Then we shall not dally! Goodbye, cruel world! I do not want to see another grand of sand for years to come!”

“Wooo~!” Anakin cheered. “I hate sand. It’s coarse and rough and it gets everywhere…”

Laughing, I picked him up and spun with him in my arms. He’d said the line! “Good man, Ani! You get it!”

Anakin wriggled and squirmed, trying to sound like he wasn’t whining, “Diiiiick~! Let me down! It’s embarrassing!”

Shmi sighed fondly in the background, “Oh, I wish I had a cam to record this with.”

Discreetly, Qui-Gon handed her a small handheld device. I grinned at that and went about keeping Anakin’s attention on me. I let the cam click quietly a few times before finally setting Anakin down. He stumbled slightly, dizzy before recovering enough to glare up at me.

“Uncalled for, dude,” He said, trying to appear grown-up and serious despite the pout that was taking a spot on his face.

I grinned unrepentantly down at him, “Rule one of Family: older siblings will always take the chance to embarrass their little brothers.”

The pout shifted into a blinding smile but he still tried to pretend he was angry, “I’ll get you back for this.”

“Revenge is fair play, lil’ bro,” I teased. “Only tattling is against the rules. And even then, rules are made to be broken.”

“Moooooooom~!” Anakin cried with mischief in his eyes.

“You’ll have to try something else this time, sweetie. I got some good pictures out of that,” Shmi said absently, absorbed with looking at the view screen on the handheld cam Qui-Gon gave her.

Anakin growled and lunged at me, “Grrrrr~!”

I laughed and danced away, declaring, “You’ll never catch me!”

Anakin raced after me. I took off in a playful jog in the direction of the ship, teasing him as we went. The others started after us. They walked sedately as we played. All except for Diana who effortlessly matched my pace, taking her new bodyguard role very seriously.

I grinned to myself. Having siblings was fun. Thanks to my father’s ‘one-at-a-time’ policy, I’d grown up without any siblings my age. While I loved my family, found family was just as good. After a heavy day of freeing slaves and exercising only a fraction of the true extent of my Essence, this was exactly what I needed.

IIIII

“We’re ready, right?” I asked. “What are we waiting on?”

“Master Qui-Gon stopped to test Anakin on something. They’re nearly aboard,” Shmi answered.

Something about that statement tickled my memory. Ah, the ‘Midoclorians’ business. Qui-Gon was making his move. Or more accurately, he was testing his suspicions that Anakin would make a good Jedi.

Right, might as well cut that off at the knees. Partially, at least, “Shmi? Are you aware your son is Force-sensitive?”

She hesitated, “… I’ve always known Anakin was special. Does that mean he’ll become a Jedi?”

I nodded, “If Qui-Gon has his way. But you should be aware of what that would mean for both of you.”

“Wouldn’t becoming a Jedi be a good thing for Anakin?” Padme asked. “He said it was a dream of his.”

“Maybe. The training would certainly be good for him. But it comes with drawbacks all the same. For one, he’s a bit older than the younglings the Jedi usually take in. And for another, the Order will interfere in his relationship with his mother. It’s a flawed practice based on a generally poor understanding of the current Jedi Code but the Order’s usual method is to take the younglings from their parents to avoid ‘Attachment’.”

Obi-Wan interjected himself into the conversation and I realized this was the first time I’d really spoken to him so far, “How is that a flawed practice? Attachment leads to the Dark Side.”

I shook my head at his well-recited statement, “No, loss — the fear, anger, and despair that comes with it — leads to the Dark Side. Attachments themselves aren’t the issue. Not knowing how to let go and actually process your emotions is.”

Obi-Wan fell silent at that, obviously turning what I said over in his mind. He was a smart guy, not nearly as straight-laced and traditional as the later movies made him seem, especially not when he was still this young. He’d no doubt figure out what I meant by that pretty quickly and perhaps even internalize it. That’d be good for him. It was the correct interpretation, after all.

I directed my attention back to Shmi, “The Jedi Order on the whole tends to misunderstand that bit of wisdom. They try to avoid forming any attachments at all, which is obviously impossible. But it means they would likely try to completely cut you off from Anakin if he joined. I just wanted to warn you about that now. The final choice is ultimately up to you and Anakin.”

Shmi worried at her lip, glancing out of the ship to where Qui-Gon and Anakin were making their way toward us. She looked just in time to see a speeder zip up from behind them and for Qui-Gon to yell for Anakin to duck. The speeder flew over Anakin as he dropped to the sand.

The pilot dismounted with a flip. Two lightsabers ignited. One green and one red. The dark-cloaked figure of the pilot engaged Qui-Gon in vicious Jedi combat.

Shmi gasped in horror at the sheer superhuman strength and speed of the lightsaber duel. The assaulting pilot battered away at Qui-Gon’s defenses. Qui-Gon held fast against the ambush, with fluid grace against savage force.

“And then there’s that,” I said almost absently. “The life of a Jedi is a dangerous one. Especially in the times we live in. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.”

Anakin ran onto the ship and straight into his mother’s arms, panting, “Qui-Gon said to take off!”

Obi-Wan ran off to relay the orders to the cockpit. Shortly after, the ship shuddered beneath us and lifted off with the boarding ramp still down.

“Give me the cam,” I ordered Shmi.

“What? Why?” Even as she questioned me, she was already complying with my order.

“I have a feeling Qui-Gon is going to need tangible proof of this encounter,” I answered, setting the cam to record video and snapping pictures at the same time with the futuristic device.

The ship flew low, passing directly overhead of the fight. Qui-Gon disengaged with a Force Push that made his opponent stumble for a moment. That moment was all Qui-Gon needed to make a superhuman leap onto the ship’s still-open boarding ramp. With him aboard, the ramp began to close and the ship’s pilot punched it, accelerating to leave the dark-cloaked figure in the literal dust.

“Are you okay, Master? What was that?” Obi-Wan asked, returning from the cockpit.

“I do not know. They were trained in the Jedi arts. Well-trained. I feel we must report them to the Council,” Qui-Gon answered, only slightly out of breath by the whole ordeal.

“Here,” I offered him the cam. “A little something that might help you prove what you saw.”

Qui-Gon blinked, “That’s very helpful, Dick. Thank you.”

I shrugged, “Someone had to think of the little things. Like proof. This way, the Jedi Order has something to go off of other than your word.”

“Uhm… This might not be the best time, but I’d like to talk to you about Anakin becoming a Jedi,” Shmi hesitantly cut in.

Anakin perked up at that, coming out of the slight funk being in danger had put him in, “Oh yeah! Mom, Master Qui-Gon says I’m special! Like, big-time Force-sentient!”

Qui-Gon chuckled, “Force-sensitive, Anakin. But yes, that is something we should talk about. As his mother, you should be included in this decision. And I feel the need to outline what it will mean for you and Anakin both.”

“Yes, Dick told me about the Order’s view on relationships,” Shmi said. “I worry that I’ll never see Anakin again.”

“W-What?” Anakin asked, surprised by that news. “Why wouldn’t I be able to see Mom again? Is that true?”

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” I excused us. “This will be a rather private conversation. Come along, girls. Let’s leave them to figure this out for themselves.”

“I do not understand,” Diana said in a deadpan voice as we left the Skywalkers to talk to the Jedi. “Why does anyone think they can interfere in the mother’s matronly right to her son? In Themyscira, that would see them hung and quartered.”

“Just silly things from Man’s world,” I answered. “When men get too old and complacent, they start to think they can do anything.”

“Ah,” Diana nodded knowingly. “Truly, the worst of fates for any society…”

“That’s why Naboo’s Queens are all young and female,” Padme agreed.

“And why I’m more than happy with my decision to never join the Jedi Order and avoid responsibility wherever I can!” I added faux-dramatically.

“Indeed. You are very wise, Son of Man,” Diana complimented flatly and earnestly at the same time.

“Bah! Perish the thought!” I exclaimed. “You’ll discover it’s the opposite soon enough.”

“Joy. I believe I shall have my work cut out for me in this new role,” Diana deadpanned.

Padme giggled. I grinned. Diana’s serious and sober personality made her fun to tease. I couldn’t wait to drive her crazy and make her fall in love with me at the same time.

IIIII

It only took a day to travel from Tatooine to Coruscant. Most of that day in hyperspace was spent bugging Padme so she wouldn’t worry herself to death over the current fate of Naboo. I also consulted with Shmi and Anakin a bit and Diana always seemed to be lurking around me like a silent, moving statue.

It was decided that Anakin would give being a Jedi a shot. Qui-Gon was convinced he had a greater destiny awaiting him. He was right but the real deciding factor was Anakin’s dream of becoming a Jedi.

I personally promised Shmi that I wouldn’t let the Jedi Order completely restrict her access to Anakin. Alone, I might not be able to do much to ensure that. But a similar promise was extracted from Qui-Gon.

If all else failed, I’d just smuggle Anakin in and out of the Temple. The security there wouldn’t be very strict until the Clone Wars at least. It should be easy to arrange some off-the-books visits for Shmi and Anakin.

Before I knew it, we were in orbit around Coruscant and then coming in to land at the political center of the planet-sized city. Coruscant was an impressive sight. I’d certainly never seen anything like it. A whole planet covered in industry and urban development with a population in the trillions.

There weren’t enough words in the Basic language to accurately describe Coruscant. It was believed to be the original homeworld of Humanity in the galaxy and civilization on the world could be dated back 100,000 years and easily beyond that. Layer after layer after layer of habitation, ruins, urban decay, and planning reached from the planet’s surface to kilometers into the sky. The current top level of Coruscant was high and dense enough to quite literally move the clouds upward with it.

We landed on a floating pad and were immediately greeted by Senator Palpatine and the Supreme Chancellor himself. Padme’s body double still acted in her place, greeting them both. I stayed off to the side with Diana, Shmi, Anakin, and the Jedi as the necessary formalities were observed.

My first look at Palpatine was underwhelming, to say the least. But I knew that was because he’d carefully curated his image to present that first impression. He was a kindly old Senator, nothing more. To think he could be the hidden Sith Lord mastermind that orchestrated the fall of the Jedi Order was preposterous. Preposterous, I say!

The Jedi stayed back to talk to the Supreme Chancellor. Qui-Gon would be reporting everything he’d found out to the Council shortly. The rest of us went along with the Royal Retinue, climbing into an air speeder after a bit of hesitation from Anakin.

Seeing Coruscant from the sky and flying through its towering heights were two completely different experiences. Up close, the city planet was even more impressive. And this was only a tiny slice of the planet. Knowing that there were hundreds of millions of square kilometers just like what we were flying through was humbling.

“Woah…” Anakin muttered in awe.

I couldn’t help but agree with him, “It’s certainly like nothing else I’ve ever seen.”

“Man’s World is startingly advanced,” Diana commented blandly.

“In some ways,” I said. “Not in others. What we’re seeing now is just the highest level. Everyone here is a big shot in some way or another. But the vast, vast majority of the planet and its population exist below this glittering surface. Most places will never see the sky.”

Palpatine set us up in his Senate apartments, regally decorated with crimson wealth. The body double Queen, Padme, and the rest of the handmaidens disappeared briefly, leaving the rest of us to wait for the inevitable switch to happen. Of course, that also left us with Palpatine and I’d be a fool to waste that opportunity.

“I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with all of you. Why are you traveling with Naboo’s Queen?” Palpatine asked while we waited.

I pointedly noted that he said ‘Naboo’s Queen’ instead of ‘my Queen’. Even with his near-flawless Senator persona, a bit of Darth Sidious’ Sith arrogance peeked through. But if I didn’t know beforehand, I would have been clueless.

“Dick Jackson, Prince without a Kingdom,” I introduced myself formally using the title I’d decided upon. “Jar-Jar here is representing the Gungans of Naboo. Anakin, Shmi, and Diana are strays I picked up along the way.”

Palpatine was very obviously only giving us a portion of his full attention, “Captain Panaka, can you vouch for this man?”

Panaka stood at attention, “Yes, Senator Palpatine. Dick Jackson was instrumental in our escape from Naboo. Just as much so as the Jedi, I’d say, Sir.”

That got a bit more of Palpatine’s interest, “Instrumental? How did a ‘Prince without a Kingdom’ end up on Naboo at such an inopportune time?”

I flashed a purposefully disarming smile, “Just good luck, I suppose. I was merely passing through when the invasion happened. A tourist, really. And may I just say, you have a beautiful homeworld, Senator.”

Palpatine’s mouth twitched into a smile. It even seemed to reach his eyes. Knowing he was putting on an act with everything he did — one I couldn’t see through without foreknowledge — was disturbing, “Thank you, ‘Prince’ Dick Jackson. It warms my heart to hear a compliment like that during our planet’s trying time.”

“Please, call me Dick. Even in my homeland, my title doesn’t matter for much more than ceremonies. And I plan to spend quite a bit more time with Naboo’s natives. Padme, at the very least,” I said with a chuckle.

He chuckled as well, “She is a lovely young maiden, isn’t she?”

My mention of my homeland got a bit more of Palpatine’s attention, though it was still mostly absent, and ‘Darth Sidious’ barely took notice of our conversation.

His tone was grandfatherly and pleasant, “Come to think of it, why do you call yourself a ‘prince without a kingdom’? Have you lost your way during your travels?”

I put on a sheepish expression, rubbing the back of my head, “Heh… Perhaps. But no matter, I’m sure I’ll find my way home eventually. If not, my father will call me back no matter the distance.”

“You are still in communication with him then? I suppose you’re not as lost as you say, Dick.”

“No, no, when I say ‘call back’ I mean so literally. One moment, I’ll be somewhere else, and in the blink of an eye, I will appear kneeling before his throne. Just a small fraction of his standard sorcery. I’ll tell you, that ability was perhaps the most annoying during my years of youthful indiscretion,” I laughed, acting as if I was humble bragging while setting bait for Sidious.

“Oh?” That was all Palpatine said but I could practically feel Sidious’ attention focusing on me and our conversation.

I puffed myself up like a prideful idiot, “Yes, my father is a sorcerer of no small power. Why, he’s ruled our lands for almost a millennium now. I’m merely the most recent of his progeny.”

If my mention of sorcery got Sidious’ attention, the mere prospect of immortality captured and sealed it onto me firmly, “How curious… May I be so bold as to assume you aren’t as purely Human as you appear? And that his long lifespan is an aspect of your near-human biology?”

“You may,” I preened, noticing the barest hint of a twitch from Sidious.

I laughed again, acting the fool, “It’s a bit unfortunate but the name of our species directly translates into Basic as ‘Devils’.”

That was a little white lie. My mother was the Devil. My father was as long-lived and powerful as he was due to the advantages offered to him by the Company. But Palpatine didn’t need to know that. Naming our ‘species’ as ‘Devil’ was the perfect bait for Sidious’ power-hungry Sith mind.

“Tell me of your homeland, Dick,” Palpatine ‘requested’, letting a bit more ‘Sidious’ take over his persona.

“Ahhh…” I sighed as if I was a homesick simpleton. “The Tri-parsec Area. It’s an isolated series of systems. Three, as the name would suggest. Each is ruled by a Queendom, the queens being my mothers. Then my father rules over all three collectively with my birth mother as his queen.

“Our domain is… off the beaten path, so to speak. Getting to the nearest Hyperlane is a feat of considerable effort. I doubt I could even point to our systems on a map of the galaxy. Why, I’ll bet I’m the only way to contact it at all and I still have to wait until my father calls me back.”

“And your father? His ‘sorcery’?” Palpatine asked.

“They are potent magicks. He can tame the elements and enforce his will on reality itself. I’m of the belief that there is nothing my father cannot do. Of course, I am biased,” I grinned. “But still, I’ve seen the man fly just as easily as he walked.”

Palpatine sniffed, a healthy bit of conceit layering his voice, “It sounds like what more primitive societies call Force abilities to me. I’m not the most knowledgeable in that field but surely, the Jedi would be interested.”

I made a show of scoffing, “The Jedi. They haven’t impressed me during my travels through the greater galaxy. I’d sooner take my father’s secrets to the grave before telling them anything.”

Palpatine chuckled, “I assure you, they are protectors of the Republic. Every organization has its issues but they mean well.”

Despite his words, I could practically feel the satisfaction radiating off Sidious. The bait I was crafting and laying out for him was perfect. A fool with connections to potentially unknown Force abilities who already distrusted the Jedi and might hold the key to immortality in his ‘Devil’ genes?

It ticked so many of Sidious’ boxes as to be almost comical. And yet, he still didn’t suspect the trap, dismissing me as an opponent thanks to his Sith arrogance and my persona as a carefree, easy-to-manipulate fool.

At the same time, I made it so he had to work with me if he wanted the potential rewards I offered. I was the only one who could find this ‘Tri-parsec Area’. I had a key connection to this mysterious sorcerer-king. While he could likely examine my genes from my dead body, he couldn’t do so and still hope to gain the other rewards I offered.

I was making myself into Sidious’ only avenue to secrets he would eagerly kill for. Force abilities lost to the Sith. An entire unknown history of a unique near-human species he could twist to his xenophobic, Human-centric ideals. Biological immortality.

The perfect prize for a seemingly simple task. All he had to do was manipulate an apparent fool onto his side. I’d even given him a place to start with that manipulation by mentioning Padme and my fondness for her. The potential rewards I offered would ensure Palpatine thought she was too valuable to come to harm or go to waste. Not when she could be used to seduce me into his camp.

It wouldn’t be a difficult obstacle to overcome for Sidious’ mind. I’m sure he’d already come up with three plans to see it accomplished. But it was enough, a mouth-watering temptation that would now linger in his line of sight. He would continue with his immediate plans but the temptation would be there, distracting a small portion of his mind.

All the while, he would have no clue I wasn’t nearly as simple as I let on. He saw a fool, an opportunity. I saw a way to distract him from his plans in the short term and a way to give myself some much-needed breathing room.

I was still mostly winging this, making it up as I went along. I had a firm goal in mind: prevent Palpatine from becoming Supreme Chancellor. But no concrete plan. I was hoping this bait would distract him just enough for me to make that goal a reality.

I could already foresee how this would go though. I just didn’t have enough time or enough leverage to truly change the events already in motion. Palpatine would still convince Padme to put forth a Vote of No Confidence and he would still likely win that vote. This bait was just a stop-gap measure of preparation until I could fire off a Hail Mary.

An idea for that Hail Mary percolated in my mind. It was dangerous. It was drastic. It would throw all my foreknowledge of canon out the window. But I was already planning on doing that by making sure Palpatine wasn’t made Chancellor. If I wanted to accomplish my goal, it seemed the Hail Mary idea was… my only hope.

IIIII

Events after that proceeded about as Dick expected. The Queen and her handmaidens returned, with Padme noticeably missing. The switch had been pulled off while they were gone.

From there, Padme consulted with Palpatine about how she should address the Senate. He advised her that the Senate was a tedious body, one mired by unnecessary bureaucracy, corruption, and self-interest. He warned her that the Senate was not likely to act to stop Naboo’s invasion and that Supreme Chancellor Valorum was a toothless tiger.

As had happened in the original canon, Palpatine put forth the idea of a Vote of No Confidence. Padme protested. Chancellor Valorum had been good to her and he meant well. However, his power was limited by the current state of the Senate.

In the end, Padme’s optimism won out. She would still appeal to the Senate, calling for them to act. Surely, she thought, the majority of them would sympathize with her cause.

The emergency session of the Senate was called that very same day. Not long after Padme and the Royal Retinue were accepted as guests in Palpatine’s Senate apartments, they were summoned to the Senate chambers to plead their case. Dick easily weaseled his way into the session as well as Padme’s guest, bringing Diana with him simply because she refused to leave his side.

“Pardon, Your Majesty, but where is Padme?” He asked as they waited for the session to start.

Padme, thinking she wasn’t recognized in her Queen attire, was both amused and uncomfortable with the question, “She has her own task to see to at the moment. I’m sure she won’t be parted from you for long, Prince Jackson.”

“That’s a relief,” Dick sighed. “I was starting to miss her already.”

If Padme’s heart fluttered, she didn’t show it, “Shall I pass on your concern along or would you rather tell her yourself?”

For some reason that Padme couldn’t figure out, Dick looked amused by that question, “I’ll tell her myself.”

“It’s starting, Queen Amidala,” Palpatine interrupted their conversation.

In the center of the impressive Senate chamber, Chancellor Valorum stepped up to his microphone and spoke, “The chair recognizes the senator from the sovereign system of Naboo.”

Palpatine stepped forward as well, pressing a button that made the Naboo pod float toward the center of the chamber. From there, he addressed the Senate.

“Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate, a great tragedy has occurred. One that started right here with the taxation of trade routes and has now engulfed our entire planet with the oppression of the Trade Federation.”

“Outrageous! This is slander! I object to the Senator’s accusations!” The Trade Federation pod and its representatives floated into the center of the chamber as well, unsummoned and speaking out of turn.

Valorum tried to keep order, “The chair does not recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation at this time.”

Palpatine continued, seemingly unbothered by the interruption, “To present our accusations, I present the recently elected ruler of Naboo, Queen Amidala. She speaks on our behalf.”

Standing steady and confident, Padme stepped forward to take Palpatine’s place, addressing the Senate, “Honorable representatives of the Republic, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by the Droid armies of the Trade-…”

The Trade Federation Senator interrupted again, “I object! Where is your proof?! Nowhere! These accusations are baseless and inflammatory! We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to reveal the truth!”

Another unrecognized representative interrupted to agree. Valorum once again tried to keep the peace. He was stopped by one of his advisors. Padme couldn’t get another word in and things descended into organized chaos.

Palpatine leaned in to whisper bittersweet advice into Padme’s ear, “This is where Chancellor Valorum’s appearance of strength will disappear.”

The chamber grew loud with delegates muttering, conversing, and even shouting things at one another. Palpatine’s predictions seemed to be coming true to a tee. Chancellor Valorum could not even keep order in his own chambers, much less rectify the wrongs Padme and Naboo had come to him with.

“The point is conceded,” Chancellor Valorum said, only just barely audible over the ruckus that the Senate chamber had become.

Thankfully, the chamber quieted so the rest of his statement could be heard, “Will you defer your motion to allow a commission to explore the validity of your accusations?”

Padme’s voice was clear and firm, ringing out more soundly than even the Chancellor’s, “I will not defer. I’ve come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty now. I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee.”

Disappointed and weathered by what she never expected to come to pass, Padme closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, they were steeled with the determination to do what was necessary for her people.

“If this body will not act, I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum’s leadership.”

The Senate chamber exploded into murmurs and chatter once more. Valorum appeared as if he was personally struck by the declaration, sitting back in his chair in shock.

This was a turning point. Many wished to try for Valorum’s seat amongst them. The Queen of Naboo had just given them that opportunity. None wished for the Supreme Chancellor’s seat more than Naboo’s Senator himself, Sheev Palpatine. He stood off to the side, masking his satisfaction with a pained face as if disappointed but willing to do what was necessary.

Keeping the peace in the chamber was an exercise in futility. Already, representatives were shouting to put their own names forth for nomination. Palpatine didn’t need to put forth his name for nomination himself. He had patsies and allies to do that for him. He’d planned for this exact turn of events. He would not be caught napping.

As the Senate’s emergency session descended into carefully calculated madness, an unknown prepared in the back of the Naboo delegation’s pod. Dick Jackson knew how this would all turn out.

Palpatine would be nominated. He wouldn’t run unopposed but he would still win, partially thanks to the moral high ground he currently enjoyed as Naboo’s Senator. He’d become Supreme Chancellor, setting the Republic on the path to its doom.

Or, at least, he would if Dick wasn’t there. Dick bided his time. He watched the situation develop in person, observing and changing his still-forming plan. In the end, he decided it was go big or go home. When in Star Wars, trust in the Force.

He mumbled under his breath, unheard by almost everyone in the chamber. Only Diana was close enough to hear him and she didn’t react one way or the other. Her only duty was to see to his protection and while she had a feeling that duty would call very soon, she wasn’t about to stop him from doing something potentially stupid.

Digging deep in an unprecedented way for himself, Dick opened himself up to the galaxy. He reached past his Company Defenses to touch the Force herself. The unfathomable cosmic essence seemed to perk up at his metaphysical touch.

For a moment, Dick just communed with the Force. His method of interaction was amateur and crude but the Force didn’t mind. It welcomed him, curiously poking, prodding, and swirling around his being.

Dick could feel something was wrong with the Force as it currently was. He knew just enough to know something wasn’t normal. A dark, murky fog settled over the cosmic entity, enforced by two measly mortals. But the Force was not one to buck or change her circumstances. What was, would be and what would be, will eventually come to pass. She always was and always would be, eternally.

The Force wasn’t proactive. But she would react to stimulus. Poke her, she poked back. Some of those pokes led to relatively meaningless things. Others led to the creation of an entirely new life out of nothing.

Dick finished his unintelligible mumbles with a powerful statement of Intent, “-And let the Veil fall.”

Dick did more than poke her. He Persuaded. Enticing influence swayed and seduced a cosmic Force. An Essence interacted with another power, wider-reaching and more diverse but just as potent. A Silver Tongue coaxed and coerced. The Force reacted.

An insidious fog faded. A Veil over the Force was lifted. Decades of Sith Sorcery crumbled like a deck of cards. The effect was temporary. Dick’s Essence wasn’t yet powerful enough to completely override and destroy the work of the Rule of Two Sith. But for a moment, the Force was as clear as it had ever been, a vast, still pond on a sunny day instead of the stormy sea it had just been.

The Force rippled from nowhere and everywhere, ripping the Veil free. Before it could settle again, several things happened at once. Every Force-sensitive in the galaxy felt it. A sudden clarity that sunk deep into their bones. This was how things were supposed to be. Not light, nor dark. Just the Force.

The Jedi saw clearly. The Sith could no longer hide. In the Jedi Temple, the Council of Masters paused as one. Shock. Awe. Revelation and understanding. All realized that their sight had been clouded. They basked in what the Force was supposed to feel like, many experiencing it for the first time.

Grandmaster Yoda had felt this peace before. But it had been centuries. Had the Veil over the Force truly gotten so bad? A slippery slope that had kept sliding inch by inch without any of them realizing its true extent?

The present sharpened and so many potential futures came into clear view. Yoda, along with all of the Council, felt a concentration of great darkness in the Force. Master Qui-Gon had given his report of encountering a potential Sith. Now, none dared doubt him. Not when they could feel another. So close. Not even a mile away. A Sith Lord resided in the Senate.

Master Mace Windu stilled. With the moment of clarity in the Force, without the Veil, Windu saw a Shatterpoint. A point of weakness — of opportunity — in the Force centered around this moment and this moment alone. Perfectly struck, everything could shatter from here and now.

There was no time to waste. The Sith would know their cover was blown. The Council had to act now if they hoped to do anything. There were a pair of Jedi Consulars assigned as the Order’s representative in the Senate. The Council could only hope that they were enough to stall the Sith until the heavy hitters arrived.

The Jedi Consulars in the Senate chamber — Adi Gallia and Jorus C’baoth — were out of their depth. They were Ambassadors. Diplomats. While trained in lightsaber combat, it was far from their main focus. Yet they found themselves as the only two Jedi who could act immediately against the recently revealed Sith Lord.

With the fall of the Dark Side Veil, Sheev Palpatine was gone. In his place, Darth Sidious froze with a snarl stretched across his face. How had this happened?! Why?! Why now, on the verge of a key victory in his Great Plan?! The Force wasn’t meant to turn on him like this! He was a Dark Lord of the Sith!

And yet, he could feel himself revealed. His Force Cloak shuddered and disappeared with the Veil. He reacted in an instant, throwing off the remains of the Cloak and falling back on one of his many contingency plans. Even as he swore revenge against the Force itself, Darth Sidious looked to make his escape.

The beings in the Senate chamber found themselves slow to react. They could feel that something had happened. But not many of them were Force-sensitive. Not many could tell exactly what was going on. They just felt a vague, esoteric wave wash over them from everywhere and nowhere.

Then all Hell broke loose. The Senate watched in shocked disbelief as the Senator from Naboo drew and ignited a crimson lightsaber. The Jedi representatives leaped into action, quite literally flying from their pod with Force-enhanced jumps, their lightsabers already out as well to confront the newly revealed Sith.

So close to Darth Sidious, Padme stumbled in a daze as he threw off his Cloak. Dick lunged for her, disregarding the dangerous Sith Lord next to them. He pulled her down to the floor of the pod before Sidious could hope to take them both hostage.

“Don’t move, Padme,” He ordered, throwing away any pretense that he hadn’t seen through her disguise. “We aren’t here.”

Padme’s mind reeled, thrown into disarray by the betrayal of her Senator and Dick’s reveal. Still, she obeyed as if it was second nature. The latter half of Dick’s order echoed, resonating with reality. Darth Sidious suddenly found himself standing alone in the pod. He didn’t have time to ponder or debate what had happened.

Jorus C’baoth reached Sidious first, his lightsaber flashing down in a wide arc. Sidious effortlessly sidestepped the leaping attack. With a mere flick of his wrist, Sidious sliced through the Jedi’s torso. The cauterized remains of Jorus C’baoth’s body tumbled through the Senate chamber’s cavernous expanse.

Adi Gallia knew the same fate awaited her. While more skilled, she wouldn’t do much better than her partner in direct combat, especially not against a true Sith Lord. She landed on the pod, grimly accepting her fate as she engaged Darth Sidious anyway.

From nowhere, Adi Gallia’s salvation appeared. Diana stepped forward. She wasn’t sure what was going on. But she knew this deceptive old man was a danger to Dick — the man she was dutybound to protect. With her debted duty in mind, the rest was made simple for Diana.

*Bam!* “Klaughk!” A choked breath was violently driven from Sidious’ body.

Diana paid no mind to the dangerous lightsaber the man wielded. She casually stepped past the blade into his guard. Her arm flashed out in a fluid motion. Diana dug her fist into the Sith Lord’s gut.

The sound of the impact was deafening — meaty and intensely satisfying. Her natural strength was further enhanced by the Force abilities of her people. With her gut punch, Sidious was sent flying off the pod as if he weighed nothing at all.

Adi Gallia hesitated to go after him for a moment, struck by surprise and a need to make sure the pod’s other inhabitants were safe. Diana turned to her boss, absently cracking her knuckles with a simple clenched fist as she did.

“Stand, Son of Man. The danger has passed,” She said.

“Are you alright?” Adi Gallia asked in a hurry.

Dick helped Padme stand, “We’re fine. Go on after him, Master Jedi. You wouldn’t want him to escape.”

Adi Gallia nodded, leaping from the pod after Sidious. Even with the injury Diana had dealt to Sidious, Adi Gallia was too slow to catch him.

Sidious himself was cursing internally. Any hope he had to hold the Senate hostage to ensure his escape was dashed. All by a woman he’d deemed as insignificant — merely the pawn of a useful pawn.

Part of him tutted at the disgrace. Most of him scowled like a man scorned. No matter. He would have his revenge eventually. His plan was in tatters. But all was not yet lost. He just had to make his escape in another way.

Like a hurricane, Sidious fled from the Senate chamber, cutting down anyone and anything in his way. As he did, his devious mind tried to find anything that could be salvaged from the situation. The bad luck of the Veil momentarily failing was catastrophic but he could already feel it settling back into place. Not all was lost. He just needed to adapt to the circumstances.

He could still corrupt the Supreme Chancellor’s position by proxy instead of doing so directly. The seeds of the Separatist movement were still in place, though they would now take even more careful nurturing to come to fruition. The playing field was still prepped well for the coming war. He’d just need to take a more open role in ensuring it came to pass.

And then there was the tantalizing prize that had been dangled before him earlier today. A prize he’d gotten a small taste of already. The way that Dick Jackson somehow hid himself and the child queen of Naboo from Sidious’ senses in a moment of panic hinted that his intuition was correct. There were lost Force abilities to be gained from the lost prince. Perhaps more. Sidious would have to carefully manipulate the situation if he wanted a chance to reap the rewards despite his failure.

Before all of that, Sidious had to escape. Even he didn’t fancy his chances alone against the entire Jedi Order. Not with Yoda and Mace Windu still in play. With the Veil settling again, Sidious wrapped himself in another Force Cloak. Hidden once more from prying Jedi senses, Sidious fled. Not upwards to escape Coruscant just yet. But downward, into the sprawling lawless expanse beneath Coruscant’s glittering surface.

‘Let’s see the Order follow me into the labyrinthian depths of the lower levels,’ Sidious thought. ‘While down there, I can even plant the seeds of my own criminal empire. Lawless power can easily become lawful power with the right touch.

‘Yes, this can still be salvaged. I just need to lay low, build power, and eventually get off-planet when the Order inevitably gets complacent. Then… I think it’s time for Darth Plageuis to meet a timely end. Surely, it was one of his Force-damned experiments that caused the Veil to temporarily fail at the worst possible time.’