THE OBSESSION
by HannahMa

Description:  Palpatine experiences the love of a good woman, and
behaves even worse than usual.
NC-17 for explicit nonconsensual sex. Hint of slash, nothing graphic.
Palpatine and the Empire belong to George Lucas (bow, scrape).
I'm
not making any money from this.

I
      Leonara thought of herself as a simple trader, though she had
acquired a thriving little fleet and many employees. She had tried
for a long time to remain neutral in the struggle that was taking
place between the Chancellor of the crumbling Republic, and the
breakaway worlds that refused to accept his seizure of ever more
power. 

      Still, when unknown saboteurs caused a disastrous hull breach
in Chancellor Palpatine's personal flagship far out near the
Galactic
rim, she didn't hesitate at picking up the lifeboats. She had her
reasons for keeping the dictator alive-- reasons she was barely
willing to admit to herself.
      Leonara made sure her people disarmed the guard that
accompanied the Chancellor, and escorted them politely to quarters
behind a locked door. There they stayed until her ship made
planetfall, knowing little but their captor's name  and business
reputation.
      When at last her important captive was brought before her,
she made sure that there were two handcuff droids at the side of the
room—- not human-shaped, but simple multifooted robots. She
wanted
him to be clear that he was a prisoner, not a guest.
      Leonara' base on this lightly-colonized world was small, but
the room they  were in was comfortable; the floors carpeted, the
heavy drapes finely embroidered with flowers, the wide window seat
made into a soft divan with thick cushions.
      The chancellor stood just before the window, dressed in the
ceremonial robes of Naboo. He stood looking out the window, holding
the drapes slightly open with one hand. For a moment Leonara watched
him. This, then, was the man to whom she had been so strangely drawn
for so long...
      As a girl she had been kissed by the boys, and found it
interesting in the usual way.  Growing up, Leonara began to get some
inkling of the feelings men could stir in her.  Then one day during
her college years, in a noisy bar, Leonara and some friends were
celebrating the end of exams with a drunken line-dance. A pair of
fellows who had been quietly drinking were swept into the circle. 
One of the men had also had a few too many, she realized; he threw
off his long cloak and joined the hilarity.
      "Hey, little one,"  said the man, grabbing her hands. When
he
picked her up and swung her around, she giggled.  "Put me
down!" she
squealed,  but when he laughingly kissed her, she felt an electric
shock run through her.  Suddenly she felt a mind-touch.  No words,
but a sexual thrill that made her eyes widen.  She hastily backed
off.
      Later she heard that the cloaked men were Jedi knights. 
Leonara had heard about their powers.  For a time she wondered if she
were Force sensitive... but there was no other communication, with
any other Jedi she met as the years passed.  No, it was the touch of
bodies alone that she could recognize, and not only recognize, but
amplify.

      Then, when she first traveled to Coruscant, it was easy for
her to identify the startling tremor she experienced when she first
laid eyes on Senator Palpatine.  It made her uneasy and slightly
ashamed, but she wanted more of that feeling. She began to seek him
out: standing in the crowds in the plaza, spying on him during his
public appearances, recording his speeches and playing them back
until he appeared even in her dreams. When at last she understood
that she possessed a few primitive fragments of the Force, that those
fragments pulled her toward certain people, that this man was the
most powerful pull of all for her, making it impossible to respond to
any other man...somewhere in her heart, she knew that if she ever saw
her chance, she knew what she would do.
    Now, she was alone with him. There was the hawklike profile, the
reddish hair curling over his heavy collar, the penetrating gaze as
he turned to her, letting the curtain fall.
      Leonara's head lifted. <What does he see?> she thought to
herself. <A smallish, curly-haired young woman in a plain grey gown
and silver metal bracelets, no possible threat to him?  Or an enemy
to be disposed of quickly?>  She spoke.
      "I am Leonara, owner of Komox Fleet and this house. Well met,
Chancellor Palpatine. Or should I call you Emperor? It's said
you're
about to claim the title you've meant to hold for some time."
      Palpatine apparently decided to be pleasant. He said, with a
winning smile, "I cannot control what people say, my lady
Leonara. I
simply try to organize the systems efficiently. And what, pray, does
a neutral trader, or so you claim, like yourself want with me? What
right do you have to detain me?"
      "Actually, I have business with you," she said.  "You
owe me
restitution. You see, when I was somewhat younger, some of your
troops paid a little visit to my home, which happened to be in a
little spaceport on Dantooine. They were supposedly looking for some
troublemakers—meaning rebels—on the run, but they got good
and drunk
first, and then romped through the settlement raping and looting.
They killed most of our animals, burned the house, roughed up my
parents. Maybe they did worse because I know they raped a couple of
neighbours, but my mother hid me until they were gone. After that I
knew I'd no desire to get in between fighting forces ever again.
I
grew up a trader, put together a little commercial fleet and somehow
I ended up as basically a mercenary commander. I delivered goods for
whoever paid me...mainly the breakaway states, I will admit.  But I
kept tight control over my people, and anyway they were too proud to
act like your men. None of my people ever shamed the rebel name."

      She stopped and looked Palpatine up and down.
      "Unfortunately for you, today I'm in the mood for a little
raping and looting myself."

      He blinked.

      "What do you mean?"

      "I mean that I've spotted something that  <I> want."

      "What?" he asked. But he already knew.
      She moved to stand very close to him. She saw her face
reflected in those steady green eyes.
      "You," she said, very low.

      "Me?" he replied with in a tone of polite interest.
"Isn't
this a trifle—er—impulsive?"
      "Not as a sudden as it may seem," she said. "I first saw
you
some years ago, and even then I was caught. There was something about
you that drew me, somehow. You never saw me—I was just a face in
the
crowd—but I was able to see and hear you. I was puzzled at
myself,
but when they picked up your ship and I watched you from my office
vid, I understood what I wanted.
      "Have sex with me. Now. Tomorrow I'll let you go, unharmed.
All your men, too."
      Whatever he was feeling, he showed only mild amusement.
      "And if I refuse?" he inquired.

      "Then I'll use force. But have you I will, and then your men
will be made to suffer."
      This threat had no apparent effect, but he pursed his lips
thoughtfully and appeared to consider.
      Leonara smiled. "You're thinking that I'm a lunatic and
you'd
best make your escape quickly. But I assure you that I'm asking
very
little. After tomorrow, I'll not bother you again." She
walked away
from him a few steps then turned back. "Come, Chancellor, this is
the
quickest way out of here without trouble. You might even enjoy
yourself.
      "Let's face it, Chancellor, you may not get many more
chances
to be with a woman who's really interested in you."
      She stood close, looking up at him.
"As you become more ambitious, your romantic interludes are
going to
be mostly prostitutes and rapes. Half the women-- or men— you
meet
are afraid of you, you know, they believe you have magic powers."
He
did not flinch at these words, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
"The
other half just despise you as a lying, evil toad."
      "And which half are you in, my dear?" he asked politely.
      "Oh, both," she said easily. "But I still want you, and
I
mean to have my way. It's the only way I'll get rid of this
obsession
I have with you. Look here." She touched a stud on the wall and
the
curtains swept back. Through the tall view windows the could see the
sweep of the mooring dock and the graceful curve of a shuttle.
"At
dawn tomorrow an ambassadorial ship leaves the port fifty klicks
away. We'll take that shuttle and wait for dawn near the port,
I'll
sneak you aboard, and you'll be gone before the rebel authorities
know you were ever here. And that will be the last you'll see of
me."
      He gave her a charming smile. "Oh, I think not," he purred.
"I think I'll deal with you right now." His left hand
moved subtly.
"You want to get rid of me now. We'll take your shuttle."
      "So you can space me the minute we're past the guard ships?
I
think not," she purred back. "Oh, by the way, did I  mention
I have a
few magic powers of my own? The first one is, that your mind tricks
don't work on me."
      His head snapped back, the smile vanished, a near-snarl
contorted his features as he *thought* at her. She stood calmly
before him with folded arms, watching realization take hold of him;
he could not Force her.
      "It's true," she said softly. "It must be some sort
of very
rare mutation. I have no training in the Force,-- I have never wanted
any— but what there is is definite; I cannot be influenced. To me
you're no magician. You're just a man. But what a man."
She gave him
a frankly admiring look up and down, and he flinched.
      "You're now wondering how to kill me with the usual
methods,"
she commented. "Naturally you've not faced many situations
where your
superior strength in the Force didn't matter. No doubt you're
clanking with weapons, but before you stick a knife in my ribs,
consider my second magic trick; to a limited extent I can read the
future."
      Palpatine stood still, mastering himself. "Oh?" was all he
said.
      "Oh, yes," she said. "I foresee that we will both leave
this
room alive; that you will live a long time; and that you will achieve
the total control of the Galaxy that you seek."
      That got to him, but he allowed only a tiny flicker of
excitement to show; within seconds she could see him thinking again.
Plotting. She watched him come to a conclusion.
      "Well, perhaps we can come to some arrangement," he said,
spreading his arms. She didn't give him any time to move; a
gesture
to the two silent robots in the corners, and they slid rapidly
forward and seized his wrists and ankles with metallic snake limbs. A
second later, and a Force-blocking collar went around his neck. This
rare artifact had cost Leonara a good deal, but she had kept it  for
just such a time as now.
      She said, "I understand you were searched by human guards,
but of course that means nothing, so if you'll pardon the
liberty...
" and with that she approached him and slid her hands under his
cloak.
      Palpatine managed to hide his anger as she ran her hands over
his chest, smiling into his eyes. Without haste she pushed the cloak
off his shoulders and felt down the full sleeves. Nothing.
      She undid the lower front of the heavy velvet tunic, just
enough to let her hands explore underneath and around his waist until
she had her arms all the way round him. Carefully she controlled the
emotions she showed him while her fingers slithered under his belt.
He didn't look aroused, he looked tense, and no wonder, she
thought,
as her  fingers found the sheath hidden in the back of his pants, and
pulled out the dagger that the searchers had missed.
      "Take off his rings, and any metal you see," she told the
robots. They unclamped his wrists one at a time, long enough to let
the cloak fall, and removed the jewelry. Leonara was aware that any
of those baubles could contain tiny weapons, circuitry, who knew?
She  herself was wearing a dart ring, and her bracelets could throw
up a small energy shield.
      "Let go of him," she commanded. Once more she walked away a
few paces, then turned to face him. Without the Force, without
killing weapons, how dangerous was he? Very, she answered herself.
Don't assume anything, not for a second. Don't let your guard
drop.
This would take delicacy. Perhaps he could yet be persuaded that
cooperation would be best.
      "Sit down," she invited him, waving at the divan. "Take
off
your boots." He sat slowly, lifted a foot onto his knee, tugged
at
the boot.
      What warned her? Nothing, perhaps, but nevertheless she
gestured at the robots to move in. The boot came off, he placed it
carefully on the floor, he removed the second boot and leaned down
with it. She was watching, but she couldn't even see his finger
and
thumb slip inside and snatch the knife hidden there, turn and throw
it like a flash of lightning straight at Leonara. But her body-shield
was up, and the knife glanced off, deflected into a corner of the
room. Palpatine looked alarmed; she laughed.
      "Good, very good!" she applauded. "But not quite good
enough
to discourage me... or you." Excited now, she came quite close,
and
the robots hauled him to his feet. She reached up, took his face
gently in her hands, looked into his green eyes.
      "You see," she whispered, "my third magic power... is
this."
With that she let  desire for him flow out, invade his mind, set up
reverberating currents there that awoke his own lust, and she felt
that happen, felt his response as she kissed him.
      He responded instantly. He strained forward against his bonds
and parted his lips. When her tongue explored his mouth she felt a
thrill shoot through her, a thrill that she immediately sent him with
all the force at her command. He moaned into her mouth. Her hands
slid to the back of his head, caressed his neck. She broke the kiss
and began sucking and biting his neck while she sent an urgent
command for him to do the same. He complied; she felt the urgency of
his erection pressing against her. Another frantic, groping kiss and
they were both gasping.
      She tugged at his belt, undid his trousers and pulled them
down a short way, his drawers too, ran her fingertips up and down his
stiff cock while she kissed him, flicked his lips with her tongue and
then pressed her mouth hungrily to his. He was groaning incoherently,
awash in a sea of Force-driven lust that she knew he was drawing from
her own; what she felt he felt, and then he had his own arousal
doubling that.
      His excitement was unbearably exciting to Leonara. She pushed
him backward onto the divan; the robots effortlessly lifted him,
still restraining his wrists and ankles, so that he was spread-
eagled, almost fully dressed, his erection standing up stiffly, his
head tossing from side to side in his frenzy. She was upon him in a
trice. She straddled him, lifting her gown, pressing forward until
his cock was just touching her wetness, for she wore nothing
underneath. He could neither touch her nor hurry her, and he was
frantic by now. His cock slid up and down her labia; she closed her
eyes in ecstasy. She let her hunger and desire and pleasure crescendo
and she fed it to him. She wanted to torture him, but  could not hold
back another instant. His cock was poised at her entrance and she
slowly, ever so slowly, enveloped it, inch by inch, all the way
inside her, until he filled her completely.
      She gasped with her head thrown back and her eyes tight shut,
reveling in the sensation: lifted herself up and plunged down,
surrounding him, totally swept away by the torrent of pent-up desire
she was experiencing and simultaneously pouring into his willingly
invaded mind. The Force dragged them both onward, frighteningly, at
twice the speed she expected; she moved, faster and faster, he was
shouting, she cried out too as orgasm seized her and wrenched his
climax from him.
      For long moments she knelt over the man below her, her arms
tightly round him, pressing herself to his body, head bowed on his
shoulder.
      Only now, as her turmoil subsided, did Leonara comprehend
what she had done.  Now that she knew what the Force could show her..
how would she live the rest of her life without it? And
Palpatine's
consent... had it only brought him useless longing in the future?

      When at last she turned her head he was staring silently up
at the ceiling. He said nothing as she unraveled herself and stood
up. The robots freed him at her  gesture—now he knew why she
wanted
simple machines, not humanoid-faced witnesses! Palpatine pulled his
clothing together. Never before, it was clear, had he been invaded
and possessed so; but it seemed to Leonara that he wasn't about
to
despise her on moral grounds; that wasn't his nature. Her remorse
didn't interest him.
      He looked puzzled, if anything. Leonara thought to herself 
that this was an ego so enormous  that the whole comedy— the
seizure,
the shackles, the violation itself— were to him simply proof of
his
power to enthrall, the tribute desire paid to prowess. The amazing
sexual pleasure, he must now understood, was the product of her
longing for him, plus the Force. She could not receive thoughts, but
she could certainly send. He had pleased her, and had received the
pleasure back a hundredfold. Each  had given the other an
overwhelming power.
      *******

      Getting Palpatine out of the base and into the forest by
night was not easy, but Leonara knew her little ship well. She landed
as close to the lights of the port as she dared. From there they
hiked. Near the fence she pitched a little tent and sat outside it
for a while, looking up at the stars. Not much longer; a few hours, a
few bribes and her friends would have smuggled his crew aboard the
ambassador's ship. At the last minute she would take him to the
barrier. No sense leaving him too early—without a doubt he would
hijack the ship, given time to plot.
      She dared not light a fire. The night was cold. Inside the
tent she spread the sleep furs, lay down, and watched him hungrily as
he undressed. When he stood with his back to her, her eyes measured
the width of his shoulders, the firmness of his stance, the muscles
of his back. She liked what she saw—loved it— wanted it—
sent him her
longing, forcefully. Again he consented at once to the touch of her
mind. He stripped more quickly, threw himself down beside her,
already erect and already trembling and breathing hard as he gathered
her into his arms.
      What followed was ecstatically right to Leonara. Separated
from  their homes,  worlds, responsibilities, everything but their
desires, they lived those few hours in the here and now of passion.
All of him, every inch of his skin was now hers to caress as she
wished. Everything he allowed her, he experienced himself in a rush
of lustful projection. She held nothing back. This was no time for
portioning out the pleasure, nor was this the man for that.
      When dawn began to touch the sky she quietly took a
stimulant, for she dared not fall asleep. He thought she slept; she
peeked covertly as he very quietly rose, dressed, and slipped out of
the tent. A moment later he was back. With an effort Leonara
controlled her breathing and kept her eyes shut. She never doubted
for a second what was coming. What would be more natural than for
Palpatine to think of revenge even in her arms, to free himself on
his own terms? Yet perhaps he was surprised that she accepted it all,
that she did not move when she opened her eyes to watch calmly as he
slammed the heavy rock down on her face.
      She had her repulsor shield up, of course. She had kept on
her electronic bracelets. Careless of him not to strip her
completely! The rock bounced up and hit Palpatine himself. He tumbled
backward, she sat up hastily, activated the dart in her ring, and
that was that. He was paralyzed.
      During the short time that it took the bribed ambassadorial
guards to answer her summons, she held his head in her lap and
stroked his brow. He could not open his eyes but she knew he heard
her when she bent low and whispered, just before they dragged him off
to the ship:
      "I forgive you."


II

TWO YEARS LATER:
     
      From where Leonara stood behind the Rebel officers on their
ship's bridge, she could see the viewscreen well, though she
herself
was mostly concealed-- or so she thought.  She could see the image of
a serene Emperor Palpatine, no longer pretending to be a mere
chancellor, no longer hiding his determination to rule, and no longer
a captive; now he was the jailer. To prove it, huddled at his feet
was the battered, bleeding body of a Jedi knight.
      The officers on the bridge controlled their fury poorly at
the sight of their injured brother. Some clenched their fists; all
wore tight, angry expressions.
      "We demand the return of our knight," Captain Ordin was
saying.
      Palpatine gave them a charming smile. "I'm afraid not. He
was
caught infiltrating our command post. Spies, I'm afraid, must be
dealt with summarily; those are the rules of war, as you rebels must
expect."
      "The rules of war don't allow torture," grated Ordin.
      "Of course we had to interrogate him," said Palpatine.
"He...
resisted somewhat. No, I'm afraid ransom is out of the
question... on
the other hand, perhaps some sort of exchange might be possible."
"Exchange?" said Ordin blankly.
      "I see behind you there, someone with whom I have some
unfinished business," said Palpatine.
      Oh no. Oh no. Leonara hastily pulled her hood further over
her eyes, but it was too late. How had he sensed her over such
distances? The Jedi were turning toward her.
      "Correct. The merchant Leonara. No longer pretending to any
neutrality, I see. A straight exchange, then, will suit the Empire
admirably." Another charming smile.
      "Out of the question," snapped Ordin. "She is not a
soldier,
not a combatant. Her ship was disabled on Lotree and they simply
rescued her. They won't turn her over to you."
      "Then I'm afraid your knight's spying days are
over," said
Palpatine. At a gesture, two black-clad troopers hurried forward and
began to drag the semiconscious figure away.
      "Wait,"  said Leonara.
      Another gesture, and the troopers dropped the man.  All could
hear a moan escape him as he fell to the floor. The face he turned to
the viewscreen was pulpy with bruises, unrecognizable.
      "Don't do it," he croaked. "Don't."
      "I must," she said, to him as much as any of them. "I
will go
freely. Emperor, send a shuttle with the knight, and I will return on
it."
      "I would really rather have you come for him," was the reply.
      "Not a chance. After all, I keep my promises, as you may
recall, and you do not, as you may recall."
      "Very well," said Palatine with a bow. His minions picked
the
Jedi up and dragged him out of sight. "I do look forward to
seeing
you again, Trader Leonara."  He bowed deeply.
      "What on earth is he talking about?" hissed Captain Ordin.
"When did you two ever meet?"
      "It's a long story," she murmured. "The Chancellor,
as he
was, was an unwilling guest of mine once. I was happy enough to see
the back of him."
      "Then why would you do this? If he has a grudge, he will kill
you, and our brother knight may not even survive."
      Leonara sighed. The Emperor had turned his back to the
screen, but she could still see him, his deep blue cloak, his hands
clasped behind his back.
"I love him."
****
      It was a silently disapproving detail of rebel soldiers who
unloaded the semiconscious Jedi from Palpatine's shuttle and
waved
her aboard. Her sacrifice, she knew, would go unremarked in the
general distaste for her presence. They couldn't get rid of this
pervert Leonara fast enough, she thought sadly. Why was she doing
this? What fatal charm drew her to another entanglement with the
Emperor?
      Yes, she had wronged him with that selfish assault. She
writhed with shame at the thought of her behaviour. But hadn't
she
made it up to him with the gift of a ship and all his men? (He had,
of course, hijacked the ambassador's ship.) No, she could just as
easily have let him alone and negotiated his freedom in some sensible
way. She knew she was, in her way, as guilty of self-justifying
selfishness as the Emperor himself, and now the time had come when
she had to pay.
      ****
      And now she was being hustled along the corridors of an
Imperial star destroyer, then through the doors of a quite elegant
suite. Palpatine turned from contemplating the star-strewn view
window and gestured for the guards to leave. They looked at each
other. Slowly she went down on her knees.
"What is thy bidding, my master?"




III


      "My bidding?  Why do you ask me that?"

      Leonara looked wearily up at the Emperor's face, surprised
not to see a triumphant smirk, but he looked sad, if anything.
      "Perhaps, master, I still have hopes to go on living," she
said quietly.
      "You expect death?" he said.
      "When first we met," she reminded him, "you tried to
take my
shuttle and planned to stuff me out the airlock as soon as I'd
outworn my usefulness. You threw a knife at me. The last time you saw
me you smashed my skull with a rock."
      Palpatine sighed.
      "Circumstances... have changed," he said carefully.
"Besides,
to be precise, the last time we met you told the whole galaxy that
you loved me."
      Her eyes fell. She said nothing.
      To her surprise, Palpatine knelt down himself and faced her.
      "You lied, didn't you?" he said. "You love the Jedi,
isn't
that so? You came here to what you believed to be your death, to save
him."
      She looked up once more, feeling a great calmness.
      "Master, I never met that man before. I have said goodbye to
life. You may do with me what you will. But I will go on telling the
truth. I love you."
      She waited for him to draw his knife and run her through; but
all he did was put his hands on her waist, lightly, and at this she
lost control and threw her arms around his neck, bursting into tears.
      "Why could you not love me?" she sobbed. "I never hurt
you, I
never betrayed you, in me you never found anything but a loving
heart."
      Why she showed this weakness she never knew. She could not
possibly have thought it would affect him in any way; yet perhaps it
saved her life.
      Palpatine held her, patted her back soothingly, comforted
her, then drew back and smiled at her. "I love you too,
Leonara," he
said.
      For a wild instant she thought all was well, but immediately
she understood that he was lying. What possible reason... .
      Oh.
      <Well, best be completely honest,> she thought, <for he can
certainly read liars as well as I can, and if I lie to him, he
certainly won't let me live long. If not his own hand, then one
of
his crowds of minions would happily strike me down at his command.>
      "Palpatine," she stammered, "I can be your ambassador if
you
wish, but I cannot be your ally. You know that I cannot betray you.
That must be enough."
      He paid no attention, but kissed her, and she could not
prevent the thrill that went through her. Immediately she pushed him
aside and rose to her feet.
      "You love me? Then let me go," she commanded. "Give me
my
freedom, as I gave you yours."
      "Very well, but not right away. Stay with me a while," he
said, reaching out a hand with a winning smile. <He's shameless,>
she
thought. <He can't possibly think I can fall for this. Oh well,
in
for a penny, in for a pound. >
      "Then treat me as your empress," she snapped. "Fine
robes, a
gold crown, a seat by your side. Show me respect. Get rid of all your
other... friends aboard."
      "Certainly, Leonara, whatever you wish, just stay a while,"
he said, sweeping her into his arms. He kissed her urgently. She gave
him nothing, not even the tiniest leak of emotions. He crushed her in
his arms, kissing and biting her neck. "Leonara," he
breathed. "Give
me your desire. Give me your wanting as you did before."
      Aha, she thought. At last she knew what he craved, what would
keep her alive.


IV

      Weeks had passed, days she spent alone in Palpatine's
quarters, nights passed in delirious delight in his arms. When, she
wondered, would they make planetfall? It amused the Emperor to tell
her nothing of his plans, but he did eventually allow her to visit
the officers' lounge. As he had promised, he treated her with
respect. He introduced her to his officers as "my friend and
guest,
the lady Leonara." She kept modestly silent most of the time,
exchanging a few pleasantries with one officer or another about the
ship and its travels.
      It was a shock, then, to overhear a group of them talking on
the other side of a pillar one day. Palpatine was not there, having
been called to the bridge.
      "The bridge, hmm?" said one young voice. "What for, to
decide
who to exile next? Poor Naykol. He couldn't have said anything
but
"good morning" to that Leonara and the Emperor fires his ass
off to
the fighting in the Elsewhere Sector. He'll be lucky to get off
with
a whole skin."
      "To think he was heading for higher rank, until she came
along," snapped another man. "For God's sake, keep away
from her."
      "Not her fault," murmured a third voice. "She never
makes a
peep— afraid to, I suppose. Can't help it if the
Emperor's jealous.
Lucky he didn't just drop Naykol off on the Invisible
Planet." Their
word for being put out the airlock.
      "Better he should get rid of Akson. The girl has my sympathy.
I don't envy her when she finds out."
      That was enough for Leonara . She slipped away to her private
room, where she called up the ship's roster. Akson, she thought.
Yes,
the young, darkeyed man I'd seen once or twice on the bridge.
Palpatine bending over his screen station to speak to him. So.
      Very quietly, she sent for Akson, using the code for the
Emperor's suite.
      "Come in," she said when the young officer appeared at the
door to her quarters. He came a short way into the room and stood
stiffly at attention, staring straight ahead. She saw his eyes slip
nervously sideways at her as she closed the door.
      "Don't be alarmed. I don't want to harm you, or your
career."
She gestured for him to sit. He shook his head and continued to stand
there in silence.
      <Best take the bull by the horns.> "You're sleeping with
him,
aren't you?"
      The youth's eyes blazed, but he said nothing.
      "Well, you were, until I came, isn't that so?" she asked
as
gently as she could.
      Akson compressed his lips. There was another silence, until
he said formally, "I request permission to leave, my lady."
      She sighed. "Look. This is important to me. Do you like him?"
      Akson started, and for the first time, looked her in the eye.
"No," he blurted.
      <Aha>. "Do you want him?"

      "No."

      "Then how..."
      He faced the wall, rocked back and forth on his heels, and
eventually said, "He caught me with another man.. a married man,
whose family was important."
      "So," she mused, "he's blackmailing you both."
      Akson gave her a sideways look and nodded.
      She clenched her fists. "He enjoyed forcing you. He enjoys
continuing to force you in secret. He really is a lying, evil
toad."
      Akson seemed taken aback by her vehemence. He said, "I
thought, when you came..."
      "That it would stop?" she finished for him.
      A nod.     
      "And instead it's got worse?"
   Another nod.
      "Stars and spirits," she said with a shudder. Truly, she
thought, Palpatine is a hollow man, whom no tribute could ever fill.
Had no one ever loved him?  Did he need more and more of what
obedience he could extract, even from such a victim as this?

      Akson fell into a chair and put his head in his hands. After
a while he said hoarsely, looking up, "What are you going to
do?"
      "I'll kick up a fuss. I'll demand that he transfer
you."
      "On what grounds?" he asked fearfully.
      "I'll tell him the truth. I always do, you know. I'll
tell
him that I want him all to myself." Akson looked really alarmed.

      "Why?" he gasped.

      "I love him," she said quietly. "You see, Akson, I'm
a
monster too."
      Akson tried, but he couldn't hide his expression of pity and
disgust.

      "He'll know I told you. He'll kill me!"

      "Don't worry, I'll warn him not to hurt you, I can tell
if he
does. He'll have to promote you. Your friend too. As for his
knowing
you talked, well, he's probably listening to us right now."
Akson's
frightened glance skittered over the ceiling and walls, looking for
spycams.
      "What's the difference if he is?" she said calmly.
"He knew
I'd eventually get it out of you, or somebody, and that I'd
catch him
breaking his promise to get rid of his little friends. We've done
nothing disloyal."
      "You are quite correct, my dear," said a familiar baritone.
A
wall panel slid aside and Palpatine stood there, smiling charmingly.
He strode forward and clapped her on the shoulder, even as he kept
his eyes on Akson's ashen face.
      "So our little interlude is over, Akson? And you'll be
leaving us? Well, we both heard what the lady said, and I  must let
her have her way. You and your... associate... will receive official
notification of your posting to your new commands tomorrow. What a
pity that they won't be together. And now you'll want to go
and
celebrate. Do take care of yourself, my boy. I shall miss you."
      Silently, Akson bowed and withdrew. As the door closed behind
him, Palpatine's hand tightened on her shoulder.
      "Well, Leonara, I suppose I should be flattered. And yet,
somehow, I'm not. Loyalty is exactly what I expect. What I
demand. Do
I make myself clear?"
      "You have my loyalty, as you well know," she said calmly
without looking at him. "And that young man's too. Had he not
been
loyal, he would have done the logical thing: he'd have killed
himself."
      Palpatine put both hands on her neck and gently massaged her
neck. "You were right, Leonara, on the occasion of our first
meeting.
You predicted that my sex life would consist of my forcing myself on
people who consider me a... what was that phrase? a lying, evil
toad."
      Leonara did not move. "Do you remember what I said next? That
even that did not stop me from wanting you." And with that she
gave
her full attention to his hands. At once the familiar desire flowed
over her and she let it spill into his consciousness, spreading and
growing. When his breathing behind her became ragged she cast off his
hands, jumped up and whirled to face him.
      "How many more like him are on this ship? And can any of
them—
anyone anywhere—swim in the Force with you as I can?" She
moved
closer. "You know we're both addicted to it, that you kept on
humiliating that boy out of habit when you could no longer even want
him, that it's me you want. Me."
      She took his head in her hands. She pressed her mouth to his.
A dark wave of desire poured over them and hid the whole world.
                        ***