"Pretty much figured that," Luke said, setting forward, unsure why he was doing this but enjoying setting her off-balance all the same, his mood still light from seeing Han.
"And don't call me Red," she clipped, dropping into pace as he passed her, two Royal Guard falling in behind them.
"How about Rusty?" he teased quietly as they walked. "I gotta call you something and you won't tell me your name, so take your pick."
"I'm Commander Jade," she said haughtily, eyes straight ahead.
Luke waited until he was almost at the far door to preclude any comeback from her. "Nah... I think I like Red better."
Then he was through and she dropped back, remaining near the door, and Luke cautioned himself to concentrate; this was no longer a game.
Palpatine's eyes were dangerously narrowed as Luke entered the room and turned to him, his stare cold and ominous. Directed not at Luke but at Jade, who bowed deeply, some undercurrent of apprehension in her sense now.
Palpatine remained staring at the woman as she straightened, her eyes to the floor so that Luke, aware that he had caused this and feeling suddenly protective even of her, spoke out.
"Excellency," he acknowledged as he'd heard others do, bringing the Emperor's baleful yellow eyes to him.
The Sith Emperor stared, and for the first time, Luke recognized his individual accent in the Force, as if he had neglected in that instant to hide it completely. It roiled in fury at the woman, some sense of possessive ownership being infringed. Then it was gone, hidden away completely as he too brought his attention to the moment.
.
.
Palpatine turned and walked slowly to his chair, taking the time to regain equilibrium before sitting and looking to the boy.
"Sit," he commanded simply. And the boy did--as easily as that. Perhaps it would be no struggle after all, to gain his obedience.
"You spoke with your companion today?" Palpatine said.
"Yes, " the boy replied. Then, because he was uncertain what else to say, "Thank you."
Palpatine kept his eyes steady on the Jedi, but was pleased.
.
.
"I would...like to see the others, if I may?" Luke was wary, unsure if Palpatine would want something in return.
"Others?"
"Leia and Chewie."
"They are gone, Jedi." There was a self-congratulatory note mixed in with the Emperor's politely feigned confusion.
"Gone?" Luke asked, alarm giving his voice volume.
"Of course--that was the agreement. That you would stay for twelve weeks if they were let free. They set out to Neimoidia before dawn this morning and chose to leave the transport at Cat Dato Spaceport. They were not followed, as we agreed, so I have no information as to where they are now. But I'm sure your little Princess is already..."
"This morning!" It was a stupid thing to say in the face of this torrent of information, but Luke was genuinely surprised that they were gone--that he hadn't realized that they had been taken.
He reached out now with the Force, his urgency slicing so easily through the murky susurration which clouded about him, but was unable to find any trace of Leia. A memory hit him in that instant; of waking in the early hours of the morning, sure that someone had called out his name. Not in fear, just...realization. It must have been Leia, she must have recognized they were being separated and thought of him in that moment.
Luke chided himself for not recognizing it was her at the time or realizing they were gone, angry at his own lack of vigilance, determined that it wouldn't happen again. He'd allowed this static fog of Darkness to hold his own abilities in check, permitted it free reign when he should have been aware.
Not again--that lesson was learnt.
Palpatine's words broke into this rush of thoughts.
"We had an agreement, Jedi. I have fulfilled my part of the bargain willingly, without delay and to the letter. I expect no less from you."
And suddenly Luke realized what Palpatine had done--that he had pushed the deal through, bringing it into immediate existence...effectively tying Luke in before he'd really had time to consider its implications.
Now he was committed--he had given his word.
.
.
Palpatine watched the rush of anticipated thoughts and realizations cross the boy's face; watched him search for some way out and recognize that there was none. Before the boy's reactions had time to spill over into anger he spoke out, gravelly voice neutral and calm. "Eat."
This brought the boy's eyes up to his own and again, Palpatine watched the run of considerations play across his face as he took everything into account--the agreement to stay without contention, his own hunger, the fact that he was trapped here by his own hand now...
Whether to honor the agreement at all...
All these considerations shifted through his mind, the moment stretching...
Finally Skywalker reached out, took a single small flatbread from the warm serving dish and put it on his plate.
Palpatine allowed his own expression to change not a whit. Instead, he nodded to the servers, who filled the goblets with wine, bowed and left, the Royal Guards who had flanked Luke doing the same. He let the silence hang for a long time, wondering if his Jedi would feel compelled to speak. Skywalker remained silent though, staring steadfastly at the table ahead of him, eyes and thoughts distant.
The stillness stretched into minutes, in which neither moved.
Finally, Palpatine spoke out. "Placing food on your plate does not constitute eating, Jedi."
The boy looked up as if startled from private thoughts. He looked back down at his plate for several seconds...then broke off a corner of the flatbread and ate it, neither reluctant nor resigned.
Palpatine smiled, settling; that fight was broken now. Whether his Jedi ate further tonight was irrelevant and they both knew it. There was a war to be fought, a battle at a time.
And Palpatine had scored a resounding victory within minutes of meeting, today.
"It's perhaps better that they are gone," he offered at last, keeping any trace of triumph from his voice. "They were a leash about your neck, tying you down, holding you back. Your pretty little Princess was using you. Using you to fight battles she could not."
"You don't know anything about her," the boy said, offended.
"On the contrary, I know her very well. Long before she was forced to fall back on her blindly devoted Rebel band to protect her, she was a Senator here on ImperialCenter. She was aggressively self-serving even then. Know your enemies, Jedi," he lectured.
"And your friends?"
Palpatine only smiled, dismissive. "You have no friends, Jedi. It is time you learned that. Only those who would use you, in some way or another. Only your peers can be trusted--only they do not need your abilities."
"Leia needed nothing from me."
"Of course she did," he held easily. "Her petty little Rebellion was nothing before you arrived. What little it was would have been wiped out at Yavin. They were less threat to my Empire than a flea on a bantha. But give them a Jedi--someone who could pose a real threat, someone whom the disaffected of the whole galaxy could rally around--and they became a force to be reckoned with. That is why she held you there."
"I stayed by choice."
"Yes, of course you did," Palpatine smiled indulgently. "The question is, why? I'm sure she went out of her way to encourage you to do so. Princesses do not generally consort with common pilots, my friend. Or did you not notice that? How many other pilots did she know by name? She needed you and she knew it. She needed control of you, just as Kenobi did."
"She didn't even know about my abilities."
"Are you sure? You traveled with Master Kenobi, you wore a lightsaber. I'm sure you must have provided all kinds of subtle signs. What conclusions was she supposed to draw? Give her some credit, Jedi. Enough to see what you were...what you could be worth to her."