———
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, you gain strength. Through strength, you gain power. Through power, you gain victory. Through victory, your chains are broken. The Force shall free you. Embrace these teachings, and let them guide you on your path to mastery and ultimate liberation."
"And then … and only then Shall the world bow at your feet".
———- ——- ———
28 BBY
Dromund Kaas
Kaas City
"Such tenacity for one so young", Palpatine rumbled beneath his cloak frightening the intended.
A boy who seemed to be only nine jumped in surprise as he turned quickly to face the culprit that startled him and perhaps another potential enemy.
Staring at the cloaked figured he couldn't quite make out the obscured face but he recognized that voice.
'That grating sound, that gravelly tone.'
That style of dressing with a semi obscured face and then body frame of that one Sith he knew much about.
'It couldn't be! It was impossible!' He thought fearfully and in disbelief
'It was…..Palpatine!' he reasoned in shock as the blade he held threatened to fall from his grip.
His hands begun to shake but he used that same fear to eventually calm and ready himself for some imminent attack, but it still seemed not enough as the man had saw through it.
The pitch of confidence he tried to expel was all but seen through immediately.
And even as the man's face was shrouded by his hood with the exception of only his mouth and chin which were the only visible facial features showing.
"Impressive, very impressive". Came Palpatine's words complimenting him as he used the force to calm himself.
'The sith lord could feel the fear and unease wafting off the boy but through it all he could not see into his mind. He could not read his thoughts by some unknown reason this was surprising. He felt human, he looked human, and his presence in the force even though he tried to hide it was fairly…. satisfactory. He was human that was crude in the uses of the force yet he couldn't pierce through the veil of his mind. Even against strong Jedi masters it was a simple task for him yet he couldn't do this against a boy that didn't seem even eleven. How interesting!'
'He has potential, Stronger than a many of a many the Darkside adepts and prophets on the planet even perhaps, but still lacking of course.'
He looked to he bodies laying on the ground , both male. Both dressed in dark clothing, they remained as still as stone as they laid in a pool of their own blood no doubt.
'On one, he saw a wound to the neck and the other, he couldn't see where but perhaps a stab to chest into the heart. The man was laying face down after-all so not much opportunity to see the wound that killed him.'
"I don't want any problems", he made mention his little voice trying to sound stern and rough as he could but Palpatine continued to sense the fear wafting off him, to which he tried and failed to constantly to conceal.
No doubt the boy had been surprised at how he'd sneak upon him without his force senses ascertaining his approach.
"Trouble…? I wish none of such boy.. but you have potential….What is your name?" Palpatine asked as he shifted his gaze from the bodies laying on the ground towards him, his sulphur like eyes now peering into the soul of the youngling.
The boy visibly cringed by the face he was now seeing. Taking a step back in fright.
'Now seeing the full face and the eyes of the sadistic overlord he knew from reality. He couldn't do anything but reel back slowly all but unconsciously'.
'He regretted wanting to see the man's face and now that he had it was more frightening than he thought it would've been or what he saw in movies or tv shows.'
This was his reality now, everything was far beyond previous expectations.
Those eyes, and the subtle power now emerging from the older man was sinister. He felt to urge to run away but his feet were bolted to the ground by some invisible force.
'No…'
'Fear had once more overtaken him, and this time it was far greater, the dark energy now flowing from the demon in human form had incapacitated him he was no longer hiding his presence he realized'.
His mind was compelling him to reply to the question even as he fought mentally to push down the urge to do so.
'Move dammit!!' He screamed mentally.
And so he did.
His legs regained their strength and he turned to run away.
He sprinted between the dark alleys of stone and metal, he had been running as fast as his legs could take him and after ten minutes of sprinting he finally came to a stop when he thought himself safe.
He panted heavily, back straightened against the wall before taking a glance down the dark maze like path he emerged from.
Looking to see if that crooked creature had followed him after all that.
"Damn itttt!!!!!" He cursed out loud.
'This cursed place, this cursed land, why was he of all the several billion from his world taken from the real world and dropped here to starve and suffer. Why of everywhere else he had to be placed on this nightmarish death planet.' He thought in despair.'
'Slavers, thieves, murderers, rapists, dark side fanatics that abducted and sacrificed people as if they were sheep for dark rituals none would ever know about.'
'Why was he taken to this place, why was he brought to this world??!! I had merely fell asleep to go to work the other day and instead of my bed I had found myself on some altar in some underground temple. A place housed between sewage lines. A place he had now called his temporary home for the last few months. A place where'd he not have to worry about the treachery of the city above. A safe haven for himself and shelter from the persistent rain of Dromuund Kaas.
He wanted to leave this world ever so much. He tried a numerous times, and everytime his endeavor always ended in failure, and he almost got himself killed in these attempts. It was like something was actively preventing him from leaving.
"I commend you for your ability to reinforce your body with the force boy. But I asked for your name and I do not take kind to disrespect, so I expect an answer",
Palpatine emerged from the same alley he glanced between a few seconds ago. All calm and quiet as he was before. He no doubt had ran to reach him but it didn't show . He showed no hints of fatigue.
Instinctively he pulled the dagger from its hiding place in his chest pocket and flung it at the man with a speed that could've rivaled a bullet.
But it did not hit its mark. It slowed down like it fell in an ocean and it seemed as if time slowed and decreased its velocity. It slowly moved and moved.… until it came to a sudden pause just inches away from Palpatine's right eye.
Instead of anger at the attempt on his life, the man instead showed a crooked smile the state of his teeth and skin had been implications of how far in the darkside he had immersed himself. Its power had deteriorated and corrupted his body.
And through it all his arms remained unmoving at his sides…. just until now that was.
Blue tendrils of energy illuminated the alley and he was brought to his knees screaming.
Webs of lightning seared away at his body, and even as he cried out in pain it didn't stop, it was clear that the Sith lord was holding back and he only wished to get his point across.
"Defiance would not be tolerated"
The lines of artificial currents seized and the alley was once more shrouded into the shadows as it was before.
The boy spasmed uncontrollably on the ground, his shrieks and wails in pain had been silenced yet he was still conscious surprising even the sith lord to his pain tolerance at his young age.
"You are different boy", Palpatine spoke.
"Here on this world you'd either eventually die being what you are now or living to become what you've already seen and fought against, thus I offer you a choice . A future off this place, survival and power."
"Or you could die right now for your insolence of trying to harm me. " Palpatine declared.
It wasn't much of an option as much as ut was blackmail.
Bile continued to rise from his throat though nothing came. He coughed uncontrollably his eyes now bloodshot, Daine did the only thing that he could. The only thing that could secure his survival and his life for even a inkling more.
He nodded his head in compliance, as painful as that small gesture was. He agreed to the Sith Lord's term.