Title: Sunrise On Coruscant

Author: Selina Enriquez

Summary: Would he be able to see the light on his path towards the darkness?

Timeline: 10 years before ’The Phantom Menace’

Rating: T

Pairing(s): Senator Palpatine/non-canon character

Characters: Senator Palpatine, Sly Moore, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, et cetera.

Author’s notes: This is my first piece of fanfiction I have ever written. My English was rather bad back then. I was intrigued with the idea that the Jedi are actually not as good as they seem to be and the Sith are actually not as bad as they seem to be. Thus, the story was born.

Illustrations: You can find the illustrations for this novel in my Deviant Art gallery in my author profile.

Disclaimer: The following fanfiction is non-profit. I am not making any money on it. Senator Palpatine, Sly Moore, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, et cetera are the copyright property of Geogre Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. May the Force be with them.

Senator Palpatine stood in his large and elegant office eyeing the infinite pulsating life of Coruscant. The evening sun caressed his aging face. He slowly stared at his own reflection in the glass. Not that he ever considered himself being a handsome man, his powers lay in his charms and the ability to speak. Manipulate would be a more appropriate word. His best facial feature were his deep azure eyes, once described as the oceans of Iego by a long-gone teenage romance. But many years passed since then, as many as the wrinkles on his forehead.

He was getting old.

He unfocused from his reflection and watched the Coruscant skyline. Which time of the year was it... late summer? Autumn? He didn’t care anymore. Coruscant was one big city covered in endless buildings as far as the eye reached. Senator Palpatine was far away from his home, the small green planet of Naboo. He sometimes missed it. Most of all he missed the nature and the silence. Coruscant had nothing to offer on vegetation, and the very little vegitation there was, was artificial.

Palpatine sighed. He had to focus. He was on the verge of being a Chancellor, and if the plans with Trade Federation succeed, he would win this opportunity. Soon, after all these years, the Sith will have their revenge. A warmth slowly spread through his body, making him forget the loneliness, the inevitability of age and the lack of silence. Soon, the Galaxy will be his and his only. And then, he shall have peace.

A disturbance in the Force made him snap out of his trance. Momentairly, he was focused again. The source of disturbance led in the direction of the docking bay on the building. Usually, he woudn’t bother to see the arriving ships. There were way too many Force-concentrated individuals on Coruscant – most of them were Jedi knights. Yet, Senator Palpatine had a nagging feeling in the back of his neck that this large concentration of Force did not belong to a Jedi.

Putting his appointments on hold, Senator Palpatine hurried outside his office, towards the docking bay.

Coruscant.

The playground of politicians. The hive of intrigues and masquerades. Corruption and betrayal. Idealism and anarchy. Lies and verisimilitude. Jedi and Sith.

It greeted her in all its artificial glory. The endless city streched for kilometers, moving, infinite like a large mechanical organism. The sun was about to set as her ship entered the atmosphere of the capitol of the Galactic Republic.

She was tired. Another world. Another planet. Another system. They were all the same. Just another drop in the ocean. The ship glided soundlessly through the atmosphere, maneouvring through the evening traffic towards the large spherical building.

The Galactic Senate.

Some would have said that the building was legendary. Historical events took place there. Political descisions, declarations, treaties. Wars. A soulless place for the soulless creatures which feeded off power and dominance. Words like love and compassion were long forgotten there.

Her gaze slowly moved onto the tall building towards the East. Its five towers erected proudly among the Coruscant skyline.

The Temple.

Yet another absolution of power, another absolution of Good, another system of control. The cradle of the ancient Jedi order, the self-proclaimed protectors of the universe. It never ceased to amaze her how many Jedi knights went to war, killing thousands across the universe in the name of Good. And having a title of a Jedi to wash away their sins was never questioned by anyone. Whether it was of fear or of respect – no one dared to question the Jedi.

The ship landed on a large platform of the docking bay of the Galactic Senate building, pulling her out of her musings.

Senator Palpatine’s personal assistant Sly Moore entered an empty office. Senator was nowhere to be seen and his office looked deserted. Sly Moore knew that the Senator would never leave the office without notifying him. Yet she stood in the abandoned room, without any clue of Senator’s whereabouts. Slowly, she scanned the room, and not finding anything suspicious in perticular, she made her exit.

Meanwhile, the Senator has fastened his pace towards the docking bay. In the large windows he could see the outline of the ship approaching the building. The ship was sleek and narrow, most probably not the cheapest one on the market. The last rays of sun illuminated its metallic surface and made it glow like a space angel. He suddenly remembered the stories of space angels he once heared as a child. They were large glowing creatures that slowly floated through space and traveled from planet to planet. Palpatine always wished to see such a creature, but the opportunity never presented itself.

Still keepping a consiredably long distance, Senator Palpatine narrowed his eyes as the ship’s door slowly started to open.