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ladyofleithianIn which the meeting between Terminus, Ventress, Vader and the Moffs goes wrong, and Vader and Terminus have a little talk.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: So, this was another chapter that I sort of wrote when I was feeling more than a bit angry/sad. I think this NaNo in general was sort of good for venting my feelings of anger and sadness -- didn't help that this year was just rough, really. Some bright points in it, but yeah...it was more of a rollercoaster ride than I really wanted it to be.
Also, sort of drew on Terminus' dislike of politics for this here -- I think even when Obi-Wan's the servant of the Emperor, he would still absolutely loathe politics. At least, he wouldn't be terribly fond of them. And Vader -- I think here, Vader's definitely more of his Morality Pet than anything else; the one thing keeping him sane. Which isn't exactly something that a Sith should have, but Vader, Terminus and Ventress...well, they're not typical Sith, really.
And I admit there were actually some parts of the chapter that really did hurt to write -- outlining the full extent of Terminus' injuries, for example. I don't know; I guess there's something about that that's just pure Nightmare Fuel. And it's one of many reasons I wasn't comfortable with the Mustafar scene in canon when I first read it; the very idea of what happens to Vader is just pure Nightmare Fuel. Yes, Vader definitely committed horrible crimes, but he didn't deserve that. So yeah, recreating that for Terminus was enough to scare the living shit out of me in some parts. But I really liked fleshing out the matter of the Empire and how it worked, including Motti and Tagge sort of distrusting Terminus to say the least -- sort of based off a scene in the radio drama where Motti tries to get Tagge to overthrow the Emperor, but only sort of.
Anyway, hope you enjoy. (Also, I'm sorry if I got Tarkin, Motti and Tagge wrong)
If there was something that didn’t seem to change in the slightest, Darth Terminus thought if only bitterly, it was the politics.
He had never really had much patience for politics when he was back in the Republic, when he had been serving the Jedi Order, the side of good – or at least that was what they wanted to think of themselves as, really, he thought if only darkly. If nothing else, they had started out good, good and righteous, but by the time the war had drawn to a close, they had become corrupt, all too willing to do whatever they could if only to stop the Separatists and the Sith threat alike, even assassinate the Chancellor. Even commit torture. Even step over the lines that they had set for themselves. They were willing to do anything if only to win this war, and it was the same for the Republic, for that matter. Except at least the Jedi, for all their faults, had good intentions at heart. The Republic, however…
The Republic had always argued. Obi-Wan knew that, more than anything else. They loved to argue, they loved to squabble over power and whatnot like rancors or kath hounds over a piece of raw meat. It had been one of those things that he had hated about politicians, he thought darkly – they didn’t care about the people. They were nothing but greedy, power-hungry monsters, and for all Sidious’ crimes, Terminus thought, he was still better than the Republic ever was.
Sabe liked to say that for all the Republic had decayed, its morals still remained. But Terminus knew more than anything that that was a lie. Because even their morals seemed to have decayed. War made monsters of everyone no matter who they were. He supposed that the Republic was no exception.
The only ones who didn’t seem to do so were Bail Organa, Fang Zhar, Sabe Amidala, and the late Satine Kryze. Even remembering them, there was something in Terminus that didn’t seize up – after all, his body was all but mechanically regulated now – but his breathing grew short if only for a moment. It was reaching further into the Force, focusing more on the rage, really – after all, Sith Lords could not afford to feel pain. Rage was what drove them. Rage, power, passion. Things such as pain and love only weakened them. It was almost strange, though not surprising, that in a way, the Jedi and the Sith were dark mirrors of one another. – everything that he hated, that he was at least able to somewhat center himself once again. And fortunately, there was something in the next room that at least justified his rage.
Admiral Motti. And Commander Tagge.
Terminus’ fists clenched at his side. If he had it his way, he thought, he wouldn’t even have the two of them there. They were just like everyone else that the Emperor hired. He couldn’t say who was worse, Motti with his smugness and his sliminess, or Tagge and his constant distrust of Terminus, Vader and Ventress, almost as if believing them to be sorcerers. At least Tagge seemed to have some degree of devotion to the Empire, Terminus thought, but that didn’t exactly make it better.
“…and I tell you,” Tagge was saying, “The Sith Lord – this beast sent by Palpatine – he’ll be our undoing. You’ve heard the stories about this man – what he’s capable of. You’ve heard what he can do, what he’s done. Who knows how long it takes before he betrays us?”
A snort from Motti. “You really fear the Sith Lord and his sorcerer’s ways?”
“Not without reason.”
Irritation spiked in Terminus again. Did these men really think that he was a sorcerer? That he should be feared, or, in Motti’s case, him being a complete and utter imbecile, be ignored? Did they really think –
Still, he thought, it was best to keep calm. He could confront them about this later. For now, he thought, he needed to report on the interrogation of the Tantive IV crew.
Even thinking about it, he couldn’t help but shiver. He hadn’t wanted to do this – to use things such as the probe droids, and the chemicals, and so many other instances – but in the end, what choice did he really have? The crew of the Tantive IV were stubborn, almost admirably so, Terminus couldn’t help but think. They were supposed to fight the Rebellion, not praise them, and yet there was something in Terminus that could not help but praise them.
What a warped and strange position to be in, really.
He entered the room with Vader and Ventress, and Tagge and Motti’s conversation stopped immediately. They looked up at him, seeming, if nothing else, fearful of what news he was going to bring. Tarkin followed him shortly after, and their fear seemed to grow into a sort of anxiety. They turned to look towards Tarkin, bowing to him even as the tall, gaunt, severe-faced man sat at the table. The way that Tarkin seemed to look at them, almost like a vulture surveying its prey, was enough to make even Terminus feel almost cold. Vader sat beside Terminus now, along with Ventress, and he couldn’t help but sense Vader’s restlessness and almost unease. He knew that more than anything, Vader didn’t seem to be entirely happy in regards to the incident with the crew of the Tantive IV.
That was Vader’s problem, Terminus supposed. He supposed that he could at least admire the young Sith’s idealism, but there was no room for idealism in the Sith. The life of a Sith was, if nothing else, a trying business. One couldn’t love, one couldn’t feel anything more than rage, desire for power, hatred, and so much more. One couldn’t show mercy. For all intents and purposes, it was the same with the Sith as it ever was with the Jedi – either way, Terminus thought, your hands were chained. And Vader…the younger man didn’t seem to comprehend it. Ventress, meanwhile, seemed too devoted to the cause – too devoted for her own good, Terminus thought. He could only pray that it wouldn’t be her undoing. He couldn’t bear to think of it being her undoing – to really notice what was happening. And Terminus did what he had always done as Obi-Wan Kenobi – he went through the job, pretending to not care, serving the cause and simply doing what he was told because what else could he do but his duty?
“What news of the interrogation of the crew of the Tantive IV?” Tarkin, this time.
“The interrogation was unsuccessful,” Terminus said, “No matter how we attempted to extract the necessary information about the location of the Rebel base and the Death Star plans, they refused to talk. They put up…quite an admirable resistance. A lesser being would have no doubt fallen apart immediately.”
Even saying it, however, he felt something akin to a pang of doubt. All of this – was this really worth it? He could still remember Padme’s terrified reaction to Mace’s interrogation of Cad Bane (not that it had been unjustified, her reaction. After all, the Jedi were supposed to be keepers of the peace, those with respect for all life. They weren’t supposed to torture another being, no matter what their crimes. It was one of those instances where, no matter how Terminus regretted killing the Jedi in the Temple, he didn’t regret turning his back on them. It had been one of those factors that allowed Terminus to, if nothing else, turn his back on the Jedi without even bothering to reconsider) and he couldn’t help but wonder, really, if that was what was happening to them now. If he had swapped out one corrupt government for another, one set of we-will-win-no-matter-what-the-costs for another. It had been one of those thoughts that could not help but torment him in the night after every subjugation of a species, after every killing of a traitor or a Jedi that had managed to escape the initial massacre at the Temple. It had been one of those thoughts that kept him awake at night, when he wasn’t having nightmares about the matter of the Temple in flames, and the Jedi falling to his blade. The younglings, being so very expectant that General Kenobi would come to save them…
What he was feeling must have been all too obvious in the Force, because Vader turned to look at him with concern. Of course he wouldn’t understand, Terminus thought. He was a naïve thing, and completely unaware of what was really happening – for all intents and purposes, he was very much a child in a man’s body, unable to really understand the horror of what was happening, believing that if nothing else, they were going to put everything right – almost, Terminus thought, like a hero out of a fairytale.
It was an odd way to describe one of the Sith, but if nothing else, it was the truth. The way that Vader seemed to regard things, making them right, making the galaxy better…for all intents and purposes, Vader seemed to belong in a fairytale, a story that parents would tell to their children late at night, a story that ended “…and they all lived happily ever after.” Terminus knew full well that that would never truly be the case for him. Whatever innocence he had had, back when he had been Qui-Gon’s Padawan, he had lost, and he doubted that he would ever get it back.
It seemed almost impossible, at the very least.
And what did it matter, really, what could have been? He was here, he was now, he was working if only for a better world – there wasn’t really any room to focus on what could have been. He didn’t have time for this.
And yet he couldn’t help but wonder, really, what if? What could have been if not for everything that had happened? If Qui-Gon hadn’t died, if Sidious hadn’t manipulated everything, if Ahsoka hadn’t died, if –
Terminus supposed that he should be grateful for his time in the Jedi Order. Otherwise, he thought, he doubted that he would be able to keep his control.
“But the plans that you want,” Terminus said, “The plans that we need, will be back in our hands. I promise you that.”
“Indeed?” Motti’s voice was disdainful. “Will your sorcerer’s clairvoyance allow you to find those plans? Will your mystical powers manage to conjure up the Death Star plans and – ’’
Terminus couldn’t say that he knew exactly what he was doing, except now, almost in spite of himself, he had reached through the Force and grabbed Motti by the throat. He couldn’t even describe what had come over him in that moment, but a sort of righteous fury, a desire to somehow punish Motti, to vent his anger, to teach him a lesson. Even as the Admiral writhed in his grip, trying vainly to wrench the invisible hands away from his throat, Terminus was completely calm. For all intents and purposes, he was an all-seeing eye, looking down at the scene. “I find your lack of faith,” Terminus said, “Disturbing.”
“Enough of this!” By the time that Tarkin had intervened, Motti was practically turning blue. “Terminus, release him!”
And there was something about Tarkin’s voice that jarred him back to the present. To what he was doing. To the fact that he was strangling an Imperial officer. “As you wish,” he said, and he released Motti, although there was something in him that could not help but be frightened by what he had just done. He was all too familiar with using that technique on his enemies – after all, that was only given all things considered. But using it on an ally, of sorts…
What am I even doing?
And the way that Vader and Ventress looked at him, he could only assume that they were thinking the same thing. Although there seemed to be a sort of seething fury mixed in as well, almost as if if Terminus hadn’t done it first, they would have attacked Motti, and gladly. After all, no one truly doubted the Force. They could try – and the fact that the Emperor had all but outlawed being a Force user, more specifically, being a Jedi, no doubt contributed to the matter of some viewpoints, such as Motti’s, about the Force having no place in this galaxy – but in the end, they could never truly do it. That would be the Emperor’s downfall, in time. At least, Terminus only hoped. The Emperor had proven himself unworthy to lead through his actions. He had started out stable at first, or relatively so, but over time, he had only become madder, more unsteady, and more of a ruler in the lines of Freedon Nadd and King Rash than anything else. He wasn’t even worthy of the title of Emperor.
“This bickering is pointless!” Tarkin said. “Lord Terminus, Lord Vader, and Lady Ventress will extract the location of the Rebel base as well as the Ambassadors Organa and the location of the Death Star plans by the time this battlestation is operational.”
“What of the dissolution of the Imperial Senate?” General Tagge, this time.
“There’s no need for them,” Tarkin said. “Fear will keep the populace in line. Fear of this battle station. And when we crush the Rebellion once and for all, they will understand truly why we’ve always won.”
Perhaps you will, Terminus thought darkly, Or perhaps the Rebellion will crush you first.
It was long after the meeting finally ended and they were leaving that Vader turned towards Terminus, utter concern in his face. “Are you all right? I mean, I thought…”
“I thought that anger was a required trait for most Sith,” Terminus said, if only wryly.
Vader took a deep breath. “Would you stop joking? I was being serious.”
“Right. I’m sorry.” Terminus sighed. “I suppose I went too far in that meeting. It was…it was a good thing that Tarkin intervened, I assume.”
“You shouldn’t let ignorant comments like that wind you up like that.” Vader’s voice was gentle. “I mean…” He took a deep breath. “You’re brilliant. You’re a genius. You really are. As far as I know, Motti’s just…mediocre.”
“Quite the accurate word for him.” Terminus’ breathing was at least becoming more regular. He wished, almost, that he hadn’t lashed out like that. He supposed that he had Tarkin to thank, if only grudgingly, for rescuing him. He doubted he would ever think about Tarkin somehow being a rescuer, and yet, at the same time…here he was.
“I don’t understand what the Emperor sees in the two of them.” Ventress’ voice was soft, bitter, with a hint of sarcasm behind it. “I can’t believe that they’re in charge of what’s supposed to be the most important weapon in the entire Empire either.”
Vader merely nodded. “I can’t disagree,” he said. He turned towards Terminus. “Honestly, I can’t help but wonder – why don’t you fight back against him? Take the throne for yourself? I mean…”
There he goes, talking fairytales again. “I want to,” Terminus said, “But I can’t. You know too well how…limited I really am.” For all intents and purposes, though he didn’t want to acknowledge it, his Force powers were severely diminished now that Padme had wounded him, as well as the metal replacements that now served as his limbs. Technology and the Force simply did not mix. In a way, as a shadow of his former self, he doubted that he could stand up to the Emperor, a man who could shoot lightning from his hands, a man who, for all intents and purposes, was the Dark Side personified. Terminus was not afraid, but he was not a fool either. For all intents and purposes, he was a slave.
“Don’t talk like that. Please.” Vader’s voice was soft. “You’ve always been brilliant, Terminus. Brave, wise, powerful – you’ve always been worthy. You’ve been willing to stand up where others would just turn and run away. You’ve never given up. Just…” He took a deep breath. “You are not limited.”
And despite himself, there was something in Terminus that could not help but feel a sudden warmth at Vader and what he said. “Thank you,” Terminus said, and even speaking felt almost difficult. “Thank you.”
Perhaps he could overthrow the Emperor. It would take a long series of planning, a long series of making sure everything fell into place, but he had done things like this before. He couldn’t afford to lose hope again. To be weak.
He would find a way to overthrow Palpatine. And from there…from there, perhaps, things would be right again.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: So, this was another chapter that I sort of wrote when I was feeling more than a bit angry/sad. I think this NaNo in general was sort of good for venting my feelings of anger and sadness -- didn't help that this year was just rough, really. Some bright points in it, but yeah...it was more of a rollercoaster ride than I really wanted it to be.
Also, sort of drew on Terminus' dislike of politics for this here -- I think even when Obi-Wan's the servant of the Emperor, he would still absolutely loathe politics. At least, he wouldn't be terribly fond of them. And Vader -- I think here, Vader's definitely more of his Morality Pet than anything else; the one thing keeping him sane. Which isn't exactly something that a Sith should have, but Vader, Terminus and Ventress...well, they're not typical Sith, really.
And I admit there were actually some parts of the chapter that really did hurt to write -- outlining the full extent of Terminus' injuries, for example. I don't know; I guess there's something about that that's just pure Nightmare Fuel. And it's one of many reasons I wasn't comfortable with the Mustafar scene in canon when I first read it; the very idea of what happens to Vader is just pure Nightmare Fuel. Yes, Vader definitely committed horrible crimes, but he didn't deserve that. So yeah, recreating that for Terminus was enough to scare the living shit out of me in some parts. But I really liked fleshing out the matter of the Empire and how it worked, including Motti and Tagge sort of distrusting Terminus to say the least -- sort of based off a scene in the radio drama where Motti tries to get Tagge to overthrow the Emperor, but only sort of.
Anyway, hope you enjoy. (Also, I'm sorry if I got Tarkin, Motti and Tagge wrong)
If there was something that didn’t seem to change in the slightest, Darth Terminus thought if only bitterly, it was the politics.
He had never really had much patience for politics when he was back in the Republic, when he had been serving the Jedi Order, the side of good – or at least that was what they wanted to think of themselves as, really, he thought if only darkly. If nothing else, they had started out good, good and righteous, but by the time the war had drawn to a close, they had become corrupt, all too willing to do whatever they could if only to stop the Separatists and the Sith threat alike, even assassinate the Chancellor. Even commit torture. Even step over the lines that they had set for themselves. They were willing to do anything if only to win this war, and it was the same for the Republic, for that matter. Except at least the Jedi, for all their faults, had good intentions at heart. The Republic, however…
The Republic had always argued. Obi-Wan knew that, more than anything else. They loved to argue, they loved to squabble over power and whatnot like rancors or kath hounds over a piece of raw meat. It had been one of those things that he had hated about politicians, he thought darkly – they didn’t care about the people. They were nothing but greedy, power-hungry monsters, and for all Sidious’ crimes, Terminus thought, he was still better than the Republic ever was.
Sabe liked to say that for all the Republic had decayed, its morals still remained. But Terminus knew more than anything that that was a lie. Because even their morals seemed to have decayed. War made monsters of everyone no matter who they were. He supposed that the Republic was no exception.
The only ones who didn’t seem to do so were Bail Organa, Fang Zhar, Sabe Amidala, and the late Satine Kryze. Even remembering them, there was something in Terminus that didn’t seize up – after all, his body was all but mechanically regulated now – but his breathing grew short if only for a moment. It was reaching further into the Force, focusing more on the rage, really – after all, Sith Lords could not afford to feel pain. Rage was what drove them. Rage, power, passion. Things such as pain and love only weakened them. It was almost strange, though not surprising, that in a way, the Jedi and the Sith were dark mirrors of one another. – everything that he hated, that he was at least able to somewhat center himself once again. And fortunately, there was something in the next room that at least justified his rage.
Admiral Motti. And Commander Tagge.
Terminus’ fists clenched at his side. If he had it his way, he thought, he wouldn’t even have the two of them there. They were just like everyone else that the Emperor hired. He couldn’t say who was worse, Motti with his smugness and his sliminess, or Tagge and his constant distrust of Terminus, Vader and Ventress, almost as if believing them to be sorcerers. At least Tagge seemed to have some degree of devotion to the Empire, Terminus thought, but that didn’t exactly make it better.
“…and I tell you,” Tagge was saying, “The Sith Lord – this beast sent by Palpatine – he’ll be our undoing. You’ve heard the stories about this man – what he’s capable of. You’ve heard what he can do, what he’s done. Who knows how long it takes before he betrays us?”
A snort from Motti. “You really fear the Sith Lord and his sorcerer’s ways?”
“Not without reason.”
Irritation spiked in Terminus again. Did these men really think that he was a sorcerer? That he should be feared, or, in Motti’s case, him being a complete and utter imbecile, be ignored? Did they really think –
Still, he thought, it was best to keep calm. He could confront them about this later. For now, he thought, he needed to report on the interrogation of the Tantive IV crew.
Even thinking about it, he couldn’t help but shiver. He hadn’t wanted to do this – to use things such as the probe droids, and the chemicals, and so many other instances – but in the end, what choice did he really have? The crew of the Tantive IV were stubborn, almost admirably so, Terminus couldn’t help but think. They were supposed to fight the Rebellion, not praise them, and yet there was something in Terminus that could not help but praise them.
What a warped and strange position to be in, really.
He entered the room with Vader and Ventress, and Tagge and Motti’s conversation stopped immediately. They looked up at him, seeming, if nothing else, fearful of what news he was going to bring. Tarkin followed him shortly after, and their fear seemed to grow into a sort of anxiety. They turned to look towards Tarkin, bowing to him even as the tall, gaunt, severe-faced man sat at the table. The way that Tarkin seemed to look at them, almost like a vulture surveying its prey, was enough to make even Terminus feel almost cold. Vader sat beside Terminus now, along with Ventress, and he couldn’t help but sense Vader’s restlessness and almost unease. He knew that more than anything, Vader didn’t seem to be entirely happy in regards to the incident with the crew of the Tantive IV.
That was Vader’s problem, Terminus supposed. He supposed that he could at least admire the young Sith’s idealism, but there was no room for idealism in the Sith. The life of a Sith was, if nothing else, a trying business. One couldn’t love, one couldn’t feel anything more than rage, desire for power, hatred, and so much more. One couldn’t show mercy. For all intents and purposes, it was the same with the Sith as it ever was with the Jedi – either way, Terminus thought, your hands were chained. And Vader…the younger man didn’t seem to comprehend it. Ventress, meanwhile, seemed too devoted to the cause – too devoted for her own good, Terminus thought. He could only pray that it wouldn’t be her undoing. He couldn’t bear to think of it being her undoing – to really notice what was happening. And Terminus did what he had always done as Obi-Wan Kenobi – he went through the job, pretending to not care, serving the cause and simply doing what he was told because what else could he do but his duty?
“What news of the interrogation of the crew of the Tantive IV?” Tarkin, this time.
“The interrogation was unsuccessful,” Terminus said, “No matter how we attempted to extract the necessary information about the location of the Rebel base and the Death Star plans, they refused to talk. They put up…quite an admirable resistance. A lesser being would have no doubt fallen apart immediately.”
Even saying it, however, he felt something akin to a pang of doubt. All of this – was this really worth it? He could still remember Padme’s terrified reaction to Mace’s interrogation of Cad Bane (not that it had been unjustified, her reaction. After all, the Jedi were supposed to be keepers of the peace, those with respect for all life. They weren’t supposed to torture another being, no matter what their crimes. It was one of those instances where, no matter how Terminus regretted killing the Jedi in the Temple, he didn’t regret turning his back on them. It had been one of those factors that allowed Terminus to, if nothing else, turn his back on the Jedi without even bothering to reconsider) and he couldn’t help but wonder, really, if that was what was happening to them now. If he had swapped out one corrupt government for another, one set of we-will-win-no-matter-what-the-costs for another. It had been one of those thoughts that could not help but torment him in the night after every subjugation of a species, after every killing of a traitor or a Jedi that had managed to escape the initial massacre at the Temple. It had been one of those thoughts that kept him awake at night, when he wasn’t having nightmares about the matter of the Temple in flames, and the Jedi falling to his blade. The younglings, being so very expectant that General Kenobi would come to save them…
What he was feeling must have been all too obvious in the Force, because Vader turned to look at him with concern. Of course he wouldn’t understand, Terminus thought. He was a naïve thing, and completely unaware of what was really happening – for all intents and purposes, he was very much a child in a man’s body, unable to really understand the horror of what was happening, believing that if nothing else, they were going to put everything right – almost, Terminus thought, like a hero out of a fairytale.
It was an odd way to describe one of the Sith, but if nothing else, it was the truth. The way that Vader seemed to regard things, making them right, making the galaxy better…for all intents and purposes, Vader seemed to belong in a fairytale, a story that parents would tell to their children late at night, a story that ended “…and they all lived happily ever after.” Terminus knew full well that that would never truly be the case for him. Whatever innocence he had had, back when he had been Qui-Gon’s Padawan, he had lost, and he doubted that he would ever get it back.
It seemed almost impossible, at the very least.
And what did it matter, really, what could have been? He was here, he was now, he was working if only for a better world – there wasn’t really any room to focus on what could have been. He didn’t have time for this.
And yet he couldn’t help but wonder, really, what if? What could have been if not for everything that had happened? If Qui-Gon hadn’t died, if Sidious hadn’t manipulated everything, if Ahsoka hadn’t died, if –
Terminus supposed that he should be grateful for his time in the Jedi Order. Otherwise, he thought, he doubted that he would be able to keep his control.
“But the plans that you want,” Terminus said, “The plans that we need, will be back in our hands. I promise you that.”
“Indeed?” Motti’s voice was disdainful. “Will your sorcerer’s clairvoyance allow you to find those plans? Will your mystical powers manage to conjure up the Death Star plans and – ’’
Terminus couldn’t say that he knew exactly what he was doing, except now, almost in spite of himself, he had reached through the Force and grabbed Motti by the throat. He couldn’t even describe what had come over him in that moment, but a sort of righteous fury, a desire to somehow punish Motti, to vent his anger, to teach him a lesson. Even as the Admiral writhed in his grip, trying vainly to wrench the invisible hands away from his throat, Terminus was completely calm. For all intents and purposes, he was an all-seeing eye, looking down at the scene. “I find your lack of faith,” Terminus said, “Disturbing.”
“Enough of this!” By the time that Tarkin had intervened, Motti was practically turning blue. “Terminus, release him!”
And there was something about Tarkin’s voice that jarred him back to the present. To what he was doing. To the fact that he was strangling an Imperial officer. “As you wish,” he said, and he released Motti, although there was something in him that could not help but be frightened by what he had just done. He was all too familiar with using that technique on his enemies – after all, that was only given all things considered. But using it on an ally, of sorts…
What am I even doing?
And the way that Vader and Ventress looked at him, he could only assume that they were thinking the same thing. Although there seemed to be a sort of seething fury mixed in as well, almost as if if Terminus hadn’t done it first, they would have attacked Motti, and gladly. After all, no one truly doubted the Force. They could try – and the fact that the Emperor had all but outlawed being a Force user, more specifically, being a Jedi, no doubt contributed to the matter of some viewpoints, such as Motti’s, about the Force having no place in this galaxy – but in the end, they could never truly do it. That would be the Emperor’s downfall, in time. At least, Terminus only hoped. The Emperor had proven himself unworthy to lead through his actions. He had started out stable at first, or relatively so, but over time, he had only become madder, more unsteady, and more of a ruler in the lines of Freedon Nadd and King Rash than anything else. He wasn’t even worthy of the title of Emperor.
“This bickering is pointless!” Tarkin said. “Lord Terminus, Lord Vader, and Lady Ventress will extract the location of the Rebel base as well as the Ambassadors Organa and the location of the Death Star plans by the time this battlestation is operational.”
“What of the dissolution of the Imperial Senate?” General Tagge, this time.
“There’s no need for them,” Tarkin said. “Fear will keep the populace in line. Fear of this battle station. And when we crush the Rebellion once and for all, they will understand truly why we’ve always won.”
Perhaps you will, Terminus thought darkly, Or perhaps the Rebellion will crush you first.
It was long after the meeting finally ended and they were leaving that Vader turned towards Terminus, utter concern in his face. “Are you all right? I mean, I thought…”
“I thought that anger was a required trait for most Sith,” Terminus said, if only wryly.
Vader took a deep breath. “Would you stop joking? I was being serious.”
“Right. I’m sorry.” Terminus sighed. “I suppose I went too far in that meeting. It was…it was a good thing that Tarkin intervened, I assume.”
“You shouldn’t let ignorant comments like that wind you up like that.” Vader’s voice was gentle. “I mean…” He took a deep breath. “You’re brilliant. You’re a genius. You really are. As far as I know, Motti’s just…mediocre.”
“Quite the accurate word for him.” Terminus’ breathing was at least becoming more regular. He wished, almost, that he hadn’t lashed out like that. He supposed that he had Tarkin to thank, if only grudgingly, for rescuing him. He doubted he would ever think about Tarkin somehow being a rescuer, and yet, at the same time…here he was.
“I don’t understand what the Emperor sees in the two of them.” Ventress’ voice was soft, bitter, with a hint of sarcasm behind it. “I can’t believe that they’re in charge of what’s supposed to be the most important weapon in the entire Empire either.”
Vader merely nodded. “I can’t disagree,” he said. He turned towards Terminus. “Honestly, I can’t help but wonder – why don’t you fight back against him? Take the throne for yourself? I mean…”
There he goes, talking fairytales again. “I want to,” Terminus said, “But I can’t. You know too well how…limited I really am.” For all intents and purposes, though he didn’t want to acknowledge it, his Force powers were severely diminished now that Padme had wounded him, as well as the metal replacements that now served as his limbs. Technology and the Force simply did not mix. In a way, as a shadow of his former self, he doubted that he could stand up to the Emperor, a man who could shoot lightning from his hands, a man who, for all intents and purposes, was the Dark Side personified. Terminus was not afraid, but he was not a fool either. For all intents and purposes, he was a slave.
“Don’t talk like that. Please.” Vader’s voice was soft. “You’ve always been brilliant, Terminus. Brave, wise, powerful – you’ve always been worthy. You’ve been willing to stand up where others would just turn and run away. You’ve never given up. Just…” He took a deep breath. “You are not limited.”
And despite himself, there was something in Terminus that could not help but feel a sudden warmth at Vader and what he said. “Thank you,” Terminus said, and even speaking felt almost difficult. “Thank you.”
Perhaps he could overthrow the Emperor. It would take a long series of planning, a long series of making sure everything fell into place, but he had done things like this before. He couldn’t afford to lose hope again. To be weak.
He would find a way to overthrow Palpatine. And from there…from there, perhaps, things would be right again.
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Date: 2013-12-18 12:49 am (UTC)I think you wrote Motti and Tagge brilliantly (they are slimy haha) and I love the concern Vader shows for Terminus, and how even Ventress does, in her own way.
I wish he would overthrow Palpatine!
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Date: 2013-12-18 02:10 am (UTC)And thanks! I was definitely worried about capturing their voices and making sure that they were in-character. And yeah, they definitely are slimy creatures, they really are. I think what's really fascinating about the Empire, in my opinion, is how they kind of aren't really entirely evil -- you've got the genuinely villainous like Palpatine and Tarkin, you've got the slimy like Tagge and Motti, and you've got the people like Mara in canon as well as Admiral Piett and Admiral Pellaeon -- not really bad people in the slightest; they're just working for the bad guys. * Sort of different parts of the morality spectrum. So that was definitely fun to play with during my writing this.
And I'm really glad that you loved the Vader and Ventress scene. It was definitely one of my favorites to write too -- then again the Vader and Ventress scenes are really some of my favorites.
And yeah, I definitely want him to overthrow Palpatine too.
* In fact, I think it's one of many reasons I loved Pellaeon when I first read about him, as well as Mara; the both of them were just really complex, really well-rounded characters.
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Date: 2013-12-18 02:47 am (UTC)Haha, I agree! Palpatine and Tarkin were just twisted. Then there's slimy ones looking for power and content to hover around its edge like Tagge and Motti.
I really loved Mara, Piett and Pellaeon (OMG PELLAEON, HE WAS SO KICK ASS. I love his way of not taking crap from anyone) in the extended universe :). There's just so much there!
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Date: 2013-12-18 04:12 am (UTC)And thank you so much! I think that's definitely what made me love Terminus while writing this too -- even in spite of what's happened, there's a lot of Obi-Wan in him. He's a genuinely good, kind, strong-willed man; he's just broken by what's happened to him, as well as restricted by the circumstances.
And you definitely nailed it! Especially regarding Tagge and Motti.
And yes, these characters were freaking awesome. So very much agreed with what you said regarding Pellaeon. He was amazing. Not to mention his loyalty to Thrawn; I remember reading the Thrawn trilogy (I think I might have read it out of order, though. Mostly read THE LAST COMMAND after I had eyedrops -- I think I was in middle school at the time -- which wasn't exactly a fun experience. The eyedrops, that is; the book was brilliant. :) and being really touched by how loyal he was to Thrawn. Speaking of Thrawn, he was also a good one. He just really struck me as a really fundamentally noble guy who was working for the bad guys. (Even when he dies, he's just so gracious about it. Also known as one of those reasons it really sucked when he died) I think a lot of the Imperial characters in the Zahn STAR WARS novels I read are a lot like that (with the occasional simply twisted character); they're fundamentally decent people, even if they happen to be working for the bad guys. It's definitely one of those things that really makes me love Zahn's writing. (That and great characters, great stories, great everything, really)
*Hopes she made sense*
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Date: 2013-12-18 05:13 am (UTC)Ah, The Last Command was brilliant. But I also loved Pellaeon in the Legacy of the Force series, I'm not sure if you've read that or not?
I would like for Thrawn to potentially show up in the movies because I think he is a brilliant and complex character and he's just not a 'villain' as such, he's so much more than that. I don't know if they could translate that to screen though? And then I don't want Benedict whatever his name is from Sherlock to play him which is what all the fancasting on Tumblr thinks will happen >.>\
Haha, your comment made sense, I hope mine did too :D
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Date: 2013-12-18 03:37 pm (UTC)And yeah, Pellaeon was awesome in LOTF. It really sucked when he died, really. And yes, so very agreed with that. Thrawn really does need to make an appearance. And he really isn't just a bad guy; he's way more layered than that and that's really why he's one of my favorites in the Expanded Universe.
And I'd definitely pick Wayne Pygram to play him; I know he played a similar character on the show FARSCAPE. Who would you pick? :)
And thanks! And your comment made a lot of sense, no worries. :)
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Date: 2013-12-18 11:14 pm (UTC)