text: The red glare of his lightsabre shone against the pale skin of his face as a young Palpatine stood at the doorway of his Masters chamber. A silent whisper from the Dark Side Nexus beneath the palace whispered to him, “What you do when you cross this bridge will determine the fate of the Sith Lord that will incinerate you. Remember Sidious you are the culmination of what we’ve been dreaming. Fulfilling the jealousy bound within Rule of Two in this instance will allow the Force to birth a saviour. Find him and bring him to us. The Legions await his arrival.” Palpatine stood at the doorway, awestruck by the sensuality of the voice that had cascaded through him. He hadn’t realised that the Nexus could speak to Sith such as himself. He’d always assumed that his Master was the sole recipient of the power stored within the Nexus. He heard the soft rustle of clothing inside the chambers as he opened the door and stepped into the moonlit shadows scattered in the chamber. Holocrons, relics, masks and statues stared at the young pupil as he walked unsteadily towards his Masters deathbed. “... the fate of the Sith Lord that will incinerate you.” The voice whispered through him and he saw a silhouette of a Dark Side User in a metallic black, robotic mask lingering against the outline of the moon. Hatred and fear courses through him as he raised his light sabre above his head, his eyes locked onto the heart of Hego Damask. His hands shot downwards and the light sabre stopper an inch above the heart of the Muun. His Masters eyes shot open and a kind smile crept across his face. “Good. You’re fulfilling the Rule of Two. You’re still not strong enough for what must be done young Sidious.” Darth Plagueis reached upwards and clasped the hilt of his disciples light sabre. “One day I will see you across the aisle child. I will be very different then. You will not even know who I truly am then. And yet balance will be fulfilled. Let that jealousy inside you flourish. I’ve seen that it will do wonders for the Dark Side. Remember do not mourn my passing.” The Muun slowly lowered the light sabre through his chest with Palpatines hands still clasped around the hilt. The Apprentice stood transfixed as he watched a transcendent smile overwhelm his Masters face. The body of Darth Plagueis disappeared. Palpatine stood still. The palace trembled and cackled. Far away, the energy around the Senate shivered as a youngling Emperor was born. The moon before Palpatines eyes had a red glow around it now. The silhouette of the future Vader shattered into dust and crept into the wind. *** 9 years later, the spiritual essence of Hego Damask was instantly teleported by the Force to the planet of Tattooine. The former Sith Lord smiled as he saw a serene woman kneeling on a stretch of sand dunes staring at two suns. He glanced briefly at the golden haze of the setting sun and entered the womb of Shmi Skywalker.