SHEEV PALPATINE - THE PROLOGUE
As the Supreme Chancellor slipped into that twisted dream and stumbled spiraling into the rabbit hole, he was met with a single dominating feeling; dread. For that brief moment, consumed by the light and by the cold, he ceased to be Darth Sideous, Dark Lord of the Sith, Ultimate Conqueror of the Galaxy...for a brief moment he let himself become Sheev Palpatine once more, the scared young Senator from Naboo.
While those around him clambered to their feet- some seeking to scream, some seeking to rebel- Sideous simply remained still. Usually, he would have been standing triumphantly on his feet, reveling in the misery and madness of those around him. He would feed on their hatred, devour their uncertainties and pick them off one by one- the suitable punishment for messing up his plans for the evening
He was meeting with the Ambassador of Quesh later that day...Now he would have to reschedule...
Instead, he remained unmoving, relaxing every nerve in his face. Something far greater was at work today- perhaps even greater than The Grand Plan. For a fraction of a second...no...a fraction of a fraction, Palpatine had been marooned. Some greater force had stripped him of his birthright, the one thing he had held dear; for a fraction of a second, he had been severed from the force.
The feeling itself was an insult
That single moment lingered on for a lifetime in Palpatine's eyes; not since the day of his birth had been felt so alone. In all of his greatest Triumphs- the murder of his father, gaining his first position within the senate, being named the Supreme Chancellor, and finally killing his Old Master Plagueis- the Dark Side had been with him, fueling him, urging him onwards. It had empowered him to do so much; it had helped him shape the galaxy. To lose such intense power- even for a moment- had struck him like the most ferocious blast of lightning...how he reveled in the pain
Yet time was slipping away outside of his meditations! Almost everyone around him had found their feet and freed themselves from their trances; they had already started to ask questions. Within the next few moments, a leader would arise. Someone with the confidence to move a nation and the raw strength to back it up. He or she would round them up and push them forward, guiding them to safety and try to keep everyone alive.
That person would not be Sheev Palpatine.
Moving troops was for generals- moving hearts was the role of a Senator. He saw no merits in wearing an altruistic mask and playing the role of 'Hero', nor did he hope anyone else made it out alive. He had one goal and one goal alone; survive. Everything else was simply a distraction. The time had come to play the role of Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, rather than Darth Sideous. Just like all good puppeteers, he would make his way in this new world through subtle manipulations and telling people what they wanted to hear. Such is the way of all politicians.
"Hell...Hello?" Palpatine's voice quivered in manufactured confusion, his thumb and index fingers massaging his brow
"My name is Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Galactic Republic...and I do not understand what is going on..."
