[still-born futures] imagine it.

[ansketil]

Title: A Necessary Sacrifice
Disclaimer: Own Star Wars, I do not!
Prompt: No
Rating: G
Word Count: 300
Warnings: Angst.
Characters: Palpatine
Summary: Did the Emperor know what would befall Vader on Mustafar?
sw_saga_drabble . It worked out at a perfect 300 at first word count, yay! I put this drabble down to reading Dune recently. I have the Kwisatz Haderach on the brain.

A sweeping echo of quietude filled the beautiful red chambers. Nothing was out of place, no sound but the delicate rhythm of breath and the rustle of coverlets.

A single being lay entwined - neither asleep nor awake - in a tangle of scarlet sheet and trailing bed-garments: a faded creature, crinkled and pale, clipped silver hair disordered against soft pillows, hands flung outward as if swimming through a crimson sea.

The lips move - a little open - and the gingery eyelashes tremble, betraying some dream; yet to say it is a dream is to compare a holo to untamed reality; it is no distorted reflection that shudders beneath those lashes but some close or distant future, grasped through the sleep-wake of visions which may or may not be.

“Anakin…”

Lord Sidious whispers the name as he watches the clones raise his apprentice’s body from the burning sands, broken beyond repair. It is the reason for Grievous – a test for such technology – and it will be soon.

There are ways to circumvent it; they quiver before the Master, but they do not satisfy. Skywalker triumphant – an apprentice glutted on victory, too emboldened to listen, the fire of supremacy in his golden eyes. No.

It is best. Of course it is best. But the thoughts linger… I could bind him to me without it! There are other ways! But none so effective, none founded on such surety – no single future lit with such sublime control; none so perfect in every way but for this, its catalyst.

As it was with Maul; such beings are made to be sacrificed. Lord Sidious drew close to the wounded thing, observing too himself kneeling beside it, before his consciousness fled the fires into waking.

The Supreme Chancellor awoke with eyes marred by silent tears.

Comments

[darstellen.livejournal.com]

!

Good lord, the logic of this is brilliant; it never occurred to me to think about the situation this way before, to consider the possibility that Sidious already knows what is to come. A fantastic thought experiment; I particularly enjoyed the correspondence between the description of the room (orderly, silent) and the plans Sidious makes, the way everything he touches assumes the same mark.

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

it never occurred to me to think about the situation this way before, to consider the possibility that Sidious already knows what is to come.

As I say, blame it on Dune. I've been reading about the Kwisatz Haderach choosing futures and since Palpatine has a similar breed to prerecognition I realised that he could have chosen what happened to Vader. That it would make sense for him choose that.

I particularly enjoyed the correspondence between the description of the room (orderly, silent) and the plans Sidious makes, the way everything he touches assumes the same mark.

I will never get tired of writing descriptions of Palpatine's rooms! Even if I run out of shades of red, lol. I wanted that cold, silent order to come through, but also the sheets - the sea of blood that lies underneath Sidious' orderly chambers, the countless sacrifices beneath the quiet. He is truly a terrible being.

(you have such lovely icons)

[darstellen.livejournal.com]

Dune is something on my list of books to read; my other half gave me both the German and English versions, so hopefully I shall soon enter this marvellous realm of fiction.

I wanted that cold, silent order to come through, but also the sheets - the sea of blood that lies underneath Sidious' orderly chambers, the countless sacrifices beneath the quiet.

Yes - you succeeded greatly in this, and your sentence above is also extremely chilling and beautiful.

(you have such lovely icons)

Thank you! Coming from you, that means a lot - I've always admired the rich palette of your icons and the different layering effects and thereby interpretative strategies you acheive with them!

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

Dune is something on my list of books to read; my other half gave me both the German and English versions, so hopefully I shall soon enter this marvellous realm of fiction

It is a really cool book. The only think I really didn't like about it is that the main villain is the only homosexual - but it was written in the 60's.

I've always admired the rich palette of your icons and the different layering effects and thereby interpretative strategies you acheive with them!

Thank you! ^__^ I think I treat my icons/art the same way I write... I love rich colours (notice the new journal look! lol)

[pronker]

" ... through a crimson sea ... " oooh, and the idea that various methods were considered, cloning perhaps, or even letting him stay merely a torso, agh! The delicate machinations really come through here, and oh the last sentence. Great!

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

Thank you, it occurred to me late last night - of course Palpatine would consider every option.

The delicate machinations really come through here,

Yes! It's rather terrifying to think that RotS was planned to such a degree, isn't it? Even the Emperor's "loss of face" probably had a reason... poor Anakin.

[zigsternenstaub.livejournal.com]

Poetically rendered and terrifying. I have my doubts as to the validity of this theory, but it remains nevertheless quite probable, and you have written this in a more sympathetic and rational manner than most of the authors who espoused the same idea. It is Palpatine's regret, his sorrow, and his reluctant ruthlessness that makes the difference here, his desire to do anything other than what must be done.

Skywalker triumphant – an apprentice glutted on victory, too emboldened to listen, the fire of supremacy in his golden eyes. No.

This was particularly insightful. Though I do consider Palpatine a little too overconfident in his control of the young man to have in fact considered this, it is quite in keeping with the actual state of mind of the unstable, violent and supremely confident neophyte dark lord we so shortly glimpsed in ROTS.

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

Poetically rendered and terrifying.

Yeah - it is a scary thought, this one. For me, it always sat on the edge of probability, but was fun to explore. Though I think by the process of writing I've convinced myself it's true...

and you have written this in a more sympathetic and rational manner than most of the authors who espoused the same idea.

There are others? (and I am ALWAYS sympathetic to the Emperor! lol! It's one of my many faults eccentricities!

Though I do consider Palpatine a little too overconfident in his control of the young man to have in fact considered this

I disagree. He's overconfident with Vader, once he's apparently firmly in hand, but I don't think he's overconfident with Anakin at all. He puts a lot of effort into convincing Anakin with Padme and during Mace Windu duel. He knew better than anyone just how unstable the boy was.

It is indeed a pity Young!Vader was so short-lived! It would have been interesting to watch if he'd had a little more time before being fried.

Thanks for taking the time to read! ^_^

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

And that is what happens when one forgets to unstrike a strike. lol. I fail @ formatting...

[luminations.livejournal.com]

More brilliance from my master's arse! *bows*

Poor conflicted Palpy. *hugs him!* See, he never gets this far in Wendy Land. They go live their happy bunny funtiems before RotS ever comes to pass.

This fits nicely with your "red" set too ♥

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

More brilliance from my master's arse!

LOL! This actually came to me at about 11pm and I had it done by half-past midnight...

It does fit my "red" set! Dammit, I'd have renamed the thing and bunged it in there... *sigh* yeah, no happy bunnies for this Palpy...

And SQUEE you're using my icon!!

[lumy12.livejournal.com]

Me likey your icons!

You can apply it after the fact, can't you? I do that all the time with my fanfic50 stuff. Not that anyone from there actually READS anything to care, mind you.

You linked the crazy post in your next entry! Hee! *rubs hands together gleefully as computers crash from clicking on the link* (will probably comment over there after I catch up on TCW)

[wyncatastrophe.livejournal.com]

Creepy! Followed your reclist on unlimitedepower here and delighted and distraught, which is the contradictory effect very good Palpakin tends to have on me. This scene restructures the story to place Palpatine's betrayal of Anakin at its center, which perhaps where it should have been all along. Nicely done.

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

delighted and distraught, which is the contradictory effect very good Palpakin tends to have on me.

Why thank you! ... I think. ;)

This scene restructures the story to place Palpatine's betrayal of Anakin at its center, which perhaps where it should have been all along.

Yes. I just thought about it one day and couldn't get the idea out of my mind. I think its the death of the last tiny bit of conscience Palpatine thought he never had...

[wyncatastrophe.livejournal.com]

There is a strange innocence about Anakin as he grows up, an inexplicable purity. It is as though he thinks all the ugliness in the galaxy can still be conquered, and it is his job to do it. He never resigns himself to a peaceful coexistence with evil, even though he's surrounded by it every day. He believes fundamentally that the Good Guys Do Win (if they just Try Harder). And I think it is this inner goodness, his blind faith that if we all just do the right thing, things will come out right, that makes his betrayal and subversion by Palpatine so horrific. Even Palpatine enjoys Anakin's purity - his ability to see Palpatine, the most powerful man, as a friend just for his own sake. Anakin is always a little appalled at the Jedi's willingness to use friendships for political gain, and he doesn't see, until it's too late, that Palpatine is the consummate master in that game ...