Assassinating the Emperor

Master Yoda sighed at Anakin’s refusal.

But he did not give up and continued trying to persuade Anakin.

"The Jedi Temple is the best place for you, child. Perhaps you still do not understand what you refused today."

"But one day, you will come to your senses. By then, however, it will be too late. There will be no chance to make amends."

"The Force within you is powerful. Only the Jedi Temple can teach you how to control it."

"No." Anakin shook his head. "I trust Mr. Raven more, and I like being with him more. He would not lie to me."

Anakin’s eyes were full of trust in Raven.

Growing up, he had never had a friend.

So far, Raven was the only one willing to share delicious food with him.

Raven folded his wings and landed on young Anakin’s shoulder.

"Master Yoda, the Jedi Temple is not the only place in this universe that understands how to use the Force. And even if someone possesses the Force, that does not mean they must become a Jedi."

"Anakin is very talented. In the future, he will become an outstanding person."

"To be honest, instead of worrying about this child, you should spare some time to think about the future of the Jedi."

"The Force is balanced. Darkness and light coexist, and once that balance is broken, chaos and death will follow."

Seeing how resolute both Raven and Anakin were, with no intention of backing down at all,

Master Yoda could only give up.

He left with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, returning to the Jedi Temple.

When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan went to Naboo, they encountered an enemy suspected of being a Sith Warrior.

The Jedi Council had to know about this and make preparations as soon as possible.

Raven and the others followed Queen Padmé to the Republic Senate.

The dome of the Republic Senate hall rose a thousand meters high, grand and magnificent.

Countless hovercars and shuttles came and went.

This was the center of power for the Republic.

Any decision made here determined the fates of countless people.

When Raven’s group arrived, Senate Chairman Valorum had already been waiting for them.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty." Valorum shook Padmé’s hand in a gesture of goodwill.

"The pleasure is mine as well, Chairman Valorum," Padmé said.

"I deeply sympathize with Naboo’s tragic plight. I immediately convened a special session to hear the opinions of representatives from all sides."

"However, the Trade Federation has also sent representatives. They are skilled at cultivating relationships and have gained the support of quite a few senators. The situation does not look favorable for you."

Valorum’s words brought a worried look to Padmé’s face.

"The Trade Federation maliciously started a war, sent droid troops to occupy my homeland, and slaughtered my people. Can such a heinous act truly receive no opposition? Must we simply let those people run rampant?"

"I am sorry." Valorum shook his head, looking helpless. "But this place does not speak of justice. It speaks only of interests and politics."

"Let the Senate convene. I will do everything I can to help you and have the Senate pass a bill sanctioning the Trade Federation."

Padmé sighed softly and nodded. "Thank you for your help, Chairman."

Valorum left to prepare for the special session.

Palpatine, who had remained silent until then, walked over to Queen Padmé.

"The Republic has changed. Those senators are all greedy, useless fools who care nothing for the interests of the people."

"Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty, but the Senate cannot stop the Trade Federation’s invasion."

"Senate Chairman Valorum is still trying," Padmé said.

Palpatine gave a scornful laugh.

"Valorum has very little real power. Those corrupt officials have hollowed out his authority, and the senators do not obey him. He can do nothing and has no power to change anything."

Padmé looked lost.

"Then what should we do?"

"The first option is to hold an election and choose a stronger Senate Chairman. Someone who can suppress those greedy people and uphold justice."

"The second option is to petition the courts. But the Republic courts have an unwieldy ruling process. Until the Final Judgment is issued and enforced, Naboo will have to remain under the Federation’s rule."

Seeing Padmé fall into thought, Palpatine said no more and chose to leave. He gave her some time to think.

"No matter where you are, there will always be dramas of fighting for power and profit."

Raven grumbled as he ate fries.

He could see Palpatine’s little scheme.

He also knew Palpatine’s true identity.

No secret could be hidden from Raven.

The Jedi were not the only ones in this universe who knew how to use the Force.

Sith Warriors also knew how to use and develop the Force within themselves.

The Force was divided into darkness and light, and the two maintained a delicate balance.

At the beginning, Jedi only developed the power of the light side of the Force.

They lived disciplined lives like ascetics.

Later, some Jedi sensed the dark side of the Force.

Through constant experimentation, they discovered that the Force could not only be guided through meditation and self-discipline, but also controlled through anger, desire, and other means.

Thus, the first Dark Jedi appeared.

They sought to replace the Republic and rule the entire universe.

The Jedi who used the light side of the Force rejected that ideology.

As a result, a thousand-year war broke out between the two sides.

With the Republic’s help, the Jedi Masters ultimately defeated the Dark Jedi.

The surviving Dark Jedi fled to a barren planet—Korriban.

There, they joined forces with the locals to establish the Sith Empire, calling themselves Sith Warriors.

Later, the Jedi and Sith fought several more large-scale wars.

In the end, the Sith Empire was destroyed.

The Sith Warrior organization was uprooted as well.

After that, Sith Warriors vanished without a trace.

No one knew how Palpatine had managed it, but he had actually infiltrated Coruscant and even become a senator.

Clearly, he wanted to bring down the current Senate Chairman, Valorum, and take his place.

"Why? The bad people were clearly the ones bullying Sister Padmé, but those people said they could do nothing. Do we really have no choice but to watch bad people commit evil while being powerless?" Anakin looked at the worried Padmé, his heart aching for her. "Mr. Raven, can you help her?"

Raven smiled. "That is reality. We have to do everything we can and make all kinds of efforts just to keep things from getting worse."

"Let us see what the Senate says first! Before we have the time and energy to rebuild an entirely new system, we must learn to solve problems within the old framework."

Anakin widened his eyes, unable to understand Raven’s words.

Raven did not explain much either, only telling him to remain patient.

If he wanted Anakin to become a ruler, he first had to let him understand what politics was.

This was a very good opportunity.

It would make him realize that politics was not simply black and white. Like the Force, it required balance.

An hour later, the special session convened.

Numerous representatives gathered in the Senate hall.

They sat on antigravity senatorial platforms.

Like a swarm of bees, they surrounded the central speaking platform.

The first matter on the agenda was the invasion of Naboo.

"Now, let the representative of Naboo speak."

Valorum’s voice echoed through the grand chamber.

Palpatine rose and walked to the speaker on the floating platform, speaking as Naboo’s representative.

"Honorable Senate Chairman, distinguished senators, something terrible has happened to Naboo. The Trade Federation violated Republic law, illegally blockaded Naboo, and launched an invasion with the intent of oppressing Naboo’s innocent people."

"That is slander! I object to the Naboo representative’s statement!" shouted the Trade Federation representative.

Valorum looked toward the floating platform where the Trade Federation representative stood. "The chair has not yet permitted the Trade Federation to speak."

"This is slander against the Trade Federation. We must argue our case." The Trade Federation representative ignored Valorum’s words, showing just how far the Senate Chairman’s authority had declined.

"Are you challenging the Senate?"

Valorum suppressed his anger and issued a warning, finally making the Trade Federation representative fall silent.

"I now request that Queen Padmé of Naboo make a statement," Palpatine said.

Valorum nodded. "Granted."

Queen Padmé stepped forward. "Honorable representatives of the Republic, I have come here in the gravest of circumstances to request aid. The Trade Federation’s droid army has invaded…"

Before she could finish, the Trade Federation representative interrupted her again.

"I object. These are baseless slanders."

Valorum’s expression turned grim.

The Trade Federation had challenged his authority for the second time.

"We request that a committee be sent to investigate the truth, rather than allowing a woman to slander us here," said the Trade Federation representative.

"That is the proper procedure."

"Then let us do that. Hurry up and move on to the next matter."

The other representatives spoke up one after another.

They all supported the Trade Federation.

They did not want to keep wasting time on Naboo.

Padmé did not know what to do. She looked at Palpatine, hoping to receive a little help.

A faint smile appeared in Palpatine’s eyes. Just as he was about to have her propose an election to remove Valorum from office,

"Everyone."

A deeply penetrating voice rang out, silencing the noisy Senate.

At some point, the Emperor had taken Padmé’s place and stood before the speaker.

"I do not quite know why the Republic Senate exists, but the innocent people of a planet are suffering, and their ruler risked her life to come here seeking help."

"Yet the Senate does not even have the patience for this. It intends to turn away someone asking for aid. I believe that was not the original purpose behind the Senate’s founding."

"The Trade Federation claims that Queen Padmé’s accusations are slander and refuses to trust the evidence submitted."

"Then why not seek more authoritative witness testimony? Queen Padmé was able to arrive here safely only because two Jedi Masters escorted her all the way. These two Jedi Masters surely know the full course of events. Why not ask what they saw, and why they traveled such a long distance to bring Queen Padmé here?"

"We have already agreed to form a committee to investigate this matter," shouted the Trade Federation representative. "There is no need to keep dwelling on it."

"People are dying," the Emperor emphasized again. "For every minute of delay, more people will die."

"When there is a simpler way to verify the truth, why choose a more cumbersome procedure? Is it because those who die are unimportant, so no one cares?"

"Or has the term Jedi become synonymous with frauds within the Republic, to the point that their testimony cannot earn the trust of the Senate’s representatives?"

The Emperor’s argument was logical and highly persuasive.

Representatives throughout the Senate fell silent.

No one dared refute his reasoning.

The Jedi held an exalted position in the Republic. They had saved the Republic many times and were recognized as messengers of peace.

To deny the Jedi was to deny the Republic’s foundation.

"Then bring in the two Jedi who escorted Naboo’s queen," Valorum said.

The master and apprentice, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, were quickly summoned.

Before the many representatives and senators, they recounted their experience of being sent to Naboo.

They had made contact with the leaders of the Trade Federation at the first opportunity.

They had intended to stop the invasion of Naboo.

But not only had the other side refused to accept their peace proposal, they had even ordered an attack on them.

After a fierce battle, they escaped the Trade Federation’s ship, went to the surface, rescued Queen Padmé of Naboo from an encirclement of droids, and escorted her here.

Their testimony corroborated the evidence Padmé had submitted earlier and convinced the majority of senators.

"Today, if the Senate remains indifferent to Naboo’s hardships, then tomorrow, when disaster befalls the worlds you represent, will the Senate truly offer aid?"

The Emperor’s final words caused the neutral senators to choose one after another to support Naboo and sanction the Trade Federation.

Seeing the senators shout for sanctions against the Trade Federation and for the defense of Republic law, Padmé’s face lit up with joy.

The Trade Federation representatives looked grim.

They had carefully prepared everything, only for the other side to disrupt it all with a highly persuasive speech.

Now, they had to face the fury of the entire Republic.

The session ended.

The Trade Federation was found guilty of war crimes. Several representatives had barely walked out before Republic law enforcement arrested them.

The Republic would also send a team of Jedi and military forces to stop the Trade Federation’s atrocities.

Everything was perfect.

Palpatine returned to his residence.

The smile vanished from his face.

He stood by the window as neon lights outside shone through the reinforced glass and cast themselves across his gloomy face.

"Damn bastard. Everything had been going according to plan."

Palpatine was furious.

To seize Valorum’s position, he had meticulously planned everything.

He had thought that a disillusioned Padmé would propose removing Valorum from office.

Who could have imagined that the man calling himself the Emperor would persuade those senators with only a few words and reverse the course of events?

"We absolutely cannot let this guy keep living."

Palpatine felt murderous intent rise within him.

He immediately issued an order to his apprentice, Sith Maul.

"Root them out completely. Leave no clues behind. Make sure it is done cleanly."

After resolving the matter on Naboo, Raven began training Anakin in how to use the Force.

He had absorbed a vast amount of knowledge from the Jedi sanctuary—not only the Jedi Knights’ training methods, but also the Sith Warriors’ techniques for wielding the Dark Force.

"The Force is divided into darkness and light, but neither is inherently evil or just. You cannot understand them through a simplistic black-and-white mindset; you must understand balance."

".."

The Emperor, Waldo, Supreme Lord Taijun, and Primal Heavenly Venerate did not accompany Raven in training Anakin. Instead, they went to Coruscant’s library, preparing to absorb the Republic’s accumulated knowledge.

Sith Maul also seized this opportunity, planning to carry out the assassination at the library.