Darth Plagueis

“He greeted you in front of the Senate Building like a close friend.”

“He was extending his greeting to two Jedi Masters I happened to be standing with.”

Teem’s right forefinger jabbed the air. “Don’t delude yourself into thinking that you can save yourself by lying. You and Damask have known each other for more than ten years. Ever since you were instrumental in helping him guarantee the election of Bon Tapalo.”

Sidious gestured casually. “An old rumor that has no basis in fact, begun and perpetuated by rivals of House Palpatine.”

“Again, you lie. Your treachery was to your father and his royal allies. In exchange for the information you released and the subsequent spying you carried out for Damask, he rewarded you by persuading Tapalo to appoint you ambassador.”

Sidious hid his ruefulness. That his enemies on Naboo had reached out to Teem came as no surprise. But the revelation firmed his decision to have those enemies eliminated at the first opportunity. And to see to it, as well, that information regarding his past disappeared from the public record.

“The appointment as ambassador came years later,” he said. “As a direct result of my political accomplishments on Naboo.”

Teem snorted a laugh. “In the same manner in which the appointment to the Senate was a result of your accomplishments?”

“Speak plainly, Teem,” Sidious said, his voice flat and menacing now.

Teem showed him a bitter smile. “Perhaps you had no direct hand in Kim’s death, but I suspect that you were complicit.” He paused, then added, “That little speech you gave in the Senate … I understand that it succeeded in attracting the attention of the Supreme Chancellor. Clearly you have all the makings of a career politician. Unfortunately, we plan to cut your career short.”

Sidious brushed dust from the shoulder of his robe. “Release whatever allegations you have. They will provide gossip for the day and be forgotten the next.”

Teem planted his large hands on his hips and laughed heartily. “You misunderstand me, Palpatine. We’re not interested in besmirching your reputation or holding you for ransom. We intend to kill you.”

Sidious took a moment to respond. It was odd to think now that he had once known fear. Though never incapacitating fear, and never for very long. But as a child, he’d experienced fear as a conditioned response to threat. Despite a reassuring voice inside him that had promised no harm could come, there had been, for a time, a chance that something terrible could happen. More than once his father’s raised hand had made him cringe. Eventually, he had understood that he had conjured that voice; that he hadn’t been fooling himself by exercising some infantile belief in invulnerability. And he understood now that it had been the dark side telling him that no harm could come to him, precisely because he was invulnerable. Since the start of his training, the voice had quieted by becoming internalized. Teem’s belief that he had power over him might long ago have moved him to pity instead of stirring anger and loathing. Raw emotion was a consequence of leading a double life. While he relished his secret identity, he wanted at the same time for it to be known that he was a being who could not be trifled with; that he wielded ultimate authority; that merely to gaze on him was tantamount to glimpsing the dark matter that bound and drove the galaxy …

“What is it you hope to gain by killing me?”

“Since you ask: to rid the Senate of yet another useless crony, and to send a special message to Hego Damask that his days of influencing the Senate have come to an abrupt end. For ten years we’ve been waiting to execute this … retribution, as you call it. For some of us, even longer. Reaching back to Damask’s partnership with a Bith named Rugess Nome.”

The assassination of Kerred Santhe, Sidious thought. “I fear, Senator, that you have not given this matter sufficient thought.”

Teem’s face took on color. “Repercussions, Palpatine? Ah, but we have thought through the matter, and have taken the necessary precautions.”

Sidious nodded. “I’ll give you one final chance to reconsider.”

Teem swung to someone off cam and loosed a belly laugh. “Tell that to the beings who hold your life in their hands, Palpatine. And do take heart in the fact that you accomplished so much in your brief career.”

No sooner did the holoimage dissolve than two of the security men began to advance on him. Sidious readied himself for action. A Force blow to send them reeling back toward the holoprojector, then a leap, arms extended, hands curled into claws, one for each windpipe, which he would tear from their throats—

The Force intruded, drawing his attention to the windows in the upper walls.

At once, the sound of repeating blasters and pained cries echoed from adjacent rooms; then a nerve-jangling shattering of glass as Sun Guards crashed through the high windows and began to rappel to the filthy floor, firing as they slid down on their microfilament lines, catching the Santhe men and the Rodian with so many bolts that their bodies were left quartered by the volleys.

Other towheaded Echani rushed into the landing from both sides, some carrying force pikes, others blasters. Sidious had yet to move a muscle when a silver-eyed female hurried over to him.

“You’re safe now, Senator Palpatine.”

He smiled at her. “I can see that.”

An Echani male standing alongside the holoproj was using a handheld device to extract information from it. A moment later, an image of Hego Damask dressed in a ceremonial robe genied into view where Teem’s had been; the droid 11-4D stood behind him.

“We have the source, Magister,” the Sun Guard said. “Panoply Orbital Facility.”

Damask nodded. “Rendezvous with the rest of your team and execute the assault.”

The Sun Guard nodded briskly. “Shall I leave personnel with Senator Palpatine?”

“No,” Damask told him. “Senator Palpatine doesn’t require your protection. Leave us.”

Sidious could hear airspeeders hovering outside the factory. Without further word, the Sun Guards began to race from the room.

“You’ve obviously been keeping a close eye on me,” Sidious said as he approached the projector.

Darth Plagueis nodded. “Your abduction has been in the planning stages for some time.”

“Ever since you made it a point to greet me openly at the Senate.”

“Even before that. Veruna alerted me to the fact that a group of disgruntled nobles had made contact with the Gran.” Plagueis paused a moment. “You might consider using Sate Pestage to settle the score with them.”

“The thought occurred to me.”

“As for our public meeting, I needed to dangle you in front of them.”

“Without my knowledge.” The ruddiness that had come to Sidious’s face deepened. “Another test?”

“Why should I need to test you?”

“Perhaps you thought I was becoming so enthralled with life on Coruscant that I wouldn’t recognize danger.”

“Clearly you weren’t. I could see that you were aware from the start. You were determined to please me, and indeed you have.”

Sidious inclined his head in a respectful bow.

“Even in partnership with Santhe Security, Teem and the other Gran are rank amateurs,” Plagueis continued. “Our agents persuaded them to use the eatery in Uscru, and the factory in which you find yourself — owned by us, as it were, through a holding company called LiMerge Power. We were unable, however, to determine where the Gran would be taking refuge.”

“And now you know,” Sidious said. “But why go to such lengths to set them up? Why not simply kill them?”

“This isn’t Sith business, apprentice. For the sake of appearances we need to justify what we are about to unleash on them. They failed to understand our message and now they must be taught a lesson. Still, other interests need to be convinced of our reasoning.”

“How can I help?”

“You’ve already played your part. Now go about your usual business. We’ll speak again when the ceremony at the Order of the Canted Circle is concluded.”

Sidious fell silent for a long moment, then said, “Is there an end to these trials?”