Star Wars: How to Become a Galactic Emperor

Chapter 36 | Bickering Brothers 2.0

The landing was soft to Predune's surprise. The ground was a morass which slightly unnerved him, but he was relieved to land uninjured. His brother was slower to recover as usual. Predune sighed, walked over to his brother and extended his hand to him, "Come on." he said.

Sheev's eyes darted up to the hand and to Predune's face. Predune hated it when he did that, and it was often. It was as though he was evaluating every single action or decision he made. Even one where he would take his brother's hand.

Sheev said nothing as he pulled himself up using Predune's hand. He brushed his rather unpretentious clothes which earned an eye roll, yet Predune did the same, unconsciously.

"Do you know if this maze or labyrinth or whatever this is will ever end, Sheev?" Predune asked indignantly.

"That is a question I cannot answer," Sheev answered promptly.

Predune's eyes followed Sheev's gaze which was on a rack of weapons. An ancient language was inscribed over top of it, the letters were long and jagged. It was as though they would pop out of the wall and scratch him to little bits. They didn't because that was impossible, but the thought still prodded the back of his mind.

"However, what I can say is this." Sheev swiveled on his heel to face Predune and outstretched his hands to a sealed door on the far side. "Whatever you see in there...whatever happens in there...we do not speak of it if we live to tell the tale."

Predune's heart sank, "Sheev, do you know what this place is?"

Sheev passed Predune a glowing axe that lay precariously on a rack, "Enough." he answered quickly. "Take this," he said.

Predune glanced at the words and turned back to his brother, "What do the words say?"

Sheev let out a loud sigh and read the words aloud, "Through Power, I gain Victory." He put a hand to the bridge of his nose. "Essentially these weapons should ensure us victory over whatever lies in there." Sheev pointed to the ominous door once more.

"Why would you ever want to come here, Sheev?" Predune challenged, his grip tight on the axe.

"Because I had to." Sheev said shortly.

"You had to?" Predune moved to touch Sheev on the shoulder, "Sheev, if anyone's controlling you or if something's going on--"

"Don't touch me." Sheev said coldly. It was a foreign voice, one that Predune had not heard before. A voice that was cold, so horribly deathly cold.

"I'm sorry." Predune said softly. "I didn't mean to--"

"Let's get this over with." Sheev said dully. Without warning, the sealed door slammed open. Predune jumped a step back and stared at the door.

Not much could be seen within the room. Faint spectral illumined outlines of great statues towering in the room. A shadow briefly crossed the far side of the room. Predune blinked a few times and peered to see it again. The shadow did not return.

~*~

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Predune muttered under his breath.

So do I. Palpatine agreed silently. But I can't back down. I can't. I must...I must complete Plagueis' mission.

He could sense it, whatever it was, it rippled across the room in great waves. Something was lurking in the depths of the darkness that enveloped this room in its grasp. A millennia old beast, a thing that had long slumbered here. It lay in wait...for them.

"I want you to stay back, Predune." Palpatine commanded. He put a hand on his brother's shoulder and pushed him gently back away from the threshold. "I will handle this."

Predune's body contracted with horrific shivers. He stared forward at the beckoning abyss. "You can't be serious." Predune pulled Sheev back at the scruff of his neck. "I'm not letting you go in there. There's..." Predune glanced up the abyss was now not an abyss anymore. On a pedestal a towering stone figure stood, blank eyes had now turned a horrid green. The inanimate eyes glared at the brothers from its plinth. "There's something evil. Horrific. Wicked in there."

"That's precisely why I'm here." Palpatine managed to free himself from Predune's grip and took a stance against him. "I have to go in there, Predune." His back to the green lit abyss.

"I'm not letting you." Predune vowed. "Whatever has possessed you to head straight into danger. No matter what it is...I will not let you."

"You cannot stop me." Palpatine let his hand fall to his side. He glared at his brother, firmly standing in front of the door. Palpatine took a backwards step out of the threshold and swiftly turned, his cloak whished behind him.

"NO!" Predune yelled. He leapt forward, his arm outstretched to pull Palpatine back.

Palpatine whipped around and his eyes widened. With a quick flick of his hand, his brother paused midair. Predune stared at his brother and then his own body in stasis within the air. Then he was thrown back against the wall.

For a minute he seemed to still be conscious as he looked at Palpatine, his mouth agape and then his eyes closed. He slumped and sank gently to the stone floor. There was a small smear of blood on the wall.

Palpatine peered closer at his brother. Unconscious but still alive. Palpatine paused before stepping over the threshold, tempted to look back, yet he didn't. He kept voyaging forward, right into the mouth of his enemy.