Palpatine could hear Boda’s words coming from an indeterminate location on the second level. Some kind of auditory illusion was involved, making the voice hard to pinpoint. “Highness, there’s no use fighting this. The Force itself wants you gone. I was chosen by the Force to do it, that’s all. It’s time for it to happen, so you can’t avoid it. It’s your destiny, and mine. I came back from death itself for this. Do you think I would have left you a way out?”
“You took your brother’s body, didn’t you?” Palpatine shot back. “Is that the behavior of a servant of the light side?”
“So what if I did? He was dead already, so he didn’t need it any more. That didn’t harm anyone.”
By now, the rumbling above them was steady, and getting louder. Palpatine extended his senses outwards to see what was happening, and he was appalled at what he found. The Palace was on fire at it’s peak, and the upper floors were collapsing onto one another, driving a shock wave of destruction down towards the throne room.
“Servant of the light side indeed!” Palpatine cried hastily. “You have deceived yourself, Vantos Boda! Do you think I do not understand? The dark side has you! You think you are a savior, but that is only the sense of self-importance that the dark side gives to its servants. You were never able to prevent the future you saw. It all happened just as your vision told you it would. I have seen the same kind of visions, old fool, and I know they rightfully predict my victory! You were never meant to change any of it! The dark side showed you that vision to seduce you, and now it has you, totally!” Palpatine lowered his voice dangerously. “I will give you one chance to keep on living, so listen carefully, Vantos Boda. Serve me, your rightful Master in the dark side, and I will not destroy you. Surrender your knowledge to me, and I will not torture it out of you. Resist me any more, and die.”
There was no answer. Palpatine closed his eyes and concentrated. He did not need to see Vantos directly in order to attack him. He thrust out his arms and sent a wide wave of terrific pain rushing in Boda’s general direction. Vantos screamed in agony, but didn’t emerge. The Emperor was torn with indecision. Should he stay and try to capture Boda alive, or leave the throne room? He was surely in danger if he stayed—the collapse of the room was imminent. But Boda was valuable to him. Palpatine now knew that Boda had the secret of transferring his life essence to a new body. If Boda died, that would be lost. He decided he had to risk it, and attempt to subdue and capture Boda before leaving.
Vantos was sobbing somewhere above him. “Only now do you begin to see yourself,” said Palpatine as he walked up the stairs. “You are no savior…you are only a killer.” It was clear to him that Boda was nearly defeated, perhaps from the attacks, or perhaps even from the Emperor’s cutting words. Good. There was a good deal of both left to give him. Preparing another bolt of Force Lightning, the strongest yet, Palpatine continued his verbal lesson. “Reach out with your senses, murderer. Let the Force be your eyes, servant of the dark side. The Palace you are destroying is full of Imperial citizens who have done you no wrong. They appeared in no prophetic vision, yet they are dying right now by the thousands, at your hands. Come, Vantos Boda. Follow me, now. There is no shame in serving the greatness of the dark side! Only admit what you already are. You cannot say you serve the weakness of the light side—you cannot! Come and kneel before me, and I will remove your pain.” The Emperor moved among the high-backed benches, closing in on his crying adversary.
Vantos thought he might be going mad. He sobbed in his confusion, hating the Emperor’s words. He was the Son of the Suns! He did not serve the dark side! He was only using the dark powers to accomplish the light side’s goals. Surely, when it was done, his spirit would return to the light side’s oneness. He would be welcomed back, even in death, to the belonging that he had once felt.
But Palpatine’s words raped his convictions. Boda was unable to resist opening the Eyes of the Force to see the Palace above him. The dead were everywhere. Bodies…crushed and mutilated bodies, burned bodies, broken bodies by the thousands. He had never imagined this, never! He had thought the end would come quickly for Palpatine and himself, but he had not reckoned with the sheer size of the Palace. His Phelarion moss was working, but the collapse of the immense structure was taking much longer than he had expected. He and Palpatine were still cursedly alive, and there was time, damnable time, to see the terrible dying of all the other victims of his plan. With the anger of a mob, the victims seemed to tell him the same things the Emperor was saying…Killer! Murderer! Servant of the dark side!