“These are all lies, Lord Vader-“
“No!” Anakin interrupted, pointing one finger directly at Palpatine. “That is no longer my name, old man. If you use it again, I will give you to the Jedi Legion myself. I am not proud of what I was.”
“You mean, what I made you,” sneered Palpatine.
“No. That is only another lie. The responsibility for what I did with my life was my own, and belonged to no one else. Not even you. You may have thought I was your slave. Indeed, you held my life in your hands. I had to obey you, or else die. What you did to the Sith, and what you tried to do to my son, was for the same reason. It was so I would be left with nothing of my own. No Sith followers. No son. No one but my Master, the Emperor Palpatine. But a part of me was always free. It was that part of me that killed you at Endor. And I would do it again, the same as before.”
“I should have seen it coming,” said Palpatine bitterly.
“Yes, maybe you should have. My son was right about you. Your overconfidence was your weakness.”
Palpatine’s lips tightened as he glared at Anakin. Then he cocked his head and smiled ironically. “Ah…but in spite of everything, we had such a long time together, did we not? So many years as Master and servant. We accomplished great things, you and I. The destruction of the Jedi, the creation of an Empire. You served me well, Lord…Anakin. I had good reason to be confident in you. Did you understand, my servant, that knowing you were mine to do with as I wished was one of my true enjoyments in life? An Emperor has so few real pleasures. And so little time to enjoy them.”
Anakin frowned, but restrained his own anger. “Mock me all you wish. It changes nothing. Look at the end result of things in the galaxy. You are dead. Your Empire is replaced with a New Republic. My daughter is one of its leaders. My son has recreated the Jedi order, and he will be a Master teaching new students. What did you leave behind you that was permanent? Nothing but death and destroyed lives, mine among them.”
Palpatine’s face darkened as he withdrew deeper into the shadows of his oversized black hooded robe. “Don’t be a fool, Anakin Skywalker. I leave behind the dark side of the Force, and that is eternal. It is a great injustice that neither a man nor his accomplishments can live forever…although I made a very good attempt. But I was the greatest Master of the dark side who ever lived. So long as the Force exists, the memory of what I was will live!”
Anakin was silent as they stared at each other. Finally, he said quietly, “It’s not the legacy I would choose.”
Of course not, thought Palpatine. One does not choose such a legacy. One is chosen for it, as I was chosen by the dark side. He had only scorn for the things Anakin was proud of. And why was Anakin speaking as if history was over? There was still a chance…there was always still a chance. To return and destroy the New Republic and the new Jedi. To continue his own story, which was not yet ended, but merely interrupted.
“We should join the others in the cave,” said Anakin. “I do not see any pursuers, but they cannot be far behind.” He seemed to be dismissing the argument.
p; “How far away is the cave,” asked Palpatine sullenly.
“Not far. In fact, we’re already there,” said Anakin. He crossed to the other side of the plateau and pointed to a half-hidden man-sized hole in the ground.
“That’s a cave?” said Palpatine doubtfully.
“There’s a huge sinkhole below. This is just the way in. I’m afraid you’ll have to jump a little ways, but there is a slope to slide down to the bottom.” Anakin gathered his robes, sat down with his legs in the hole, and pushed off to drop in feet first.
Palpatine heard a clatter of pebbles as Anakin landed somewhere within. He walked to the hole and peered into the darkness, but could see nothing. Briefly, he considered simply taking his chances and walking away on his own. But he found that he desired the safety of numbers more than he mistrusted his old servant. Also, Palpatine resented the reversal that left him weaker than Anakin. He decided to stay by Anakin’s side and wait for a chance to hurt him and reassert his rightful dominance.
He sat down at the edge of the hole, and with a final look at the silver sky, pushed off and dropped in. He fell for a short distance and landed heavily on a steep slope covered with round stones. Helplessly, he slid down into the darkness, battered by tumbling rocks all the way. Painfully, he landed on a level stone floor, sprawled without dignity at the feet of Anakin Skywalker. As he gathered his robes into a semblance of order, he dimly saw Anakin hold up his hand. A brightly glowing ball of light appeared above his open palm, illuminating the cave to its farthest corners.