Paths in the Dark

by Notty

Palpatine waited in the shadows outside his masters chamber. With all his strength he had cloaked himself from the force. His master would never know until it was too late. He could feel his master asleep, surrounded by swathes of the living force, black and heavy. The Dark side was with him, but not for much longer. Palpatine's hand gripped his lightsaber reflexively, his hand sweaty. He could never hope to beat Darth Agon in open combat. So he would do it through stealth and machination and all the things he knew better than the old Sith. The young senator snorted quietly to himself. He was in his thirties now, and grated at the thought of calling anyone master. Times had changed. He opened the door a crack and slithered in.

The bed chamber was in darkness. He could hear the shallow steady breathing of not just one but three people. His master slept in the deep sleep of post orgasmic lethargy, flanked on each side by two boys, barely old enough to shave, all three naked as the day the were born. Palpatine was not surprised. Agon had had him in similar ways many times. Palpatine had not minded, his master was a skilled lover, but he bore his affections as something to be endured in return for power.

All that was over now. He held his lightsaber a hand's width from his master's chest, and ignited it. The bright white lance flared and plunged straight through the older Sith, boring a tunnel through his heart, instantly cauterised. Agon opened is eye's instantly, gasped for a few moments in breathless surprise, glaring at his apprentice in surprise, rage, fury even, and then acceptance. With that came hatred, hatred was followed by death. Darth Agon stared sightlessly at the ceiling for a moment, and then his body crumbled away to nothing, and there was no more of the Sith Lord.

With his passing the two boys who had slept in his arms stirred. They immediately became aware of the lightsabre that Sidious still held between them, spearing the bed with it. Scared, they yelped and whimpered, skittering of the bed and into each other's arms on the other side of the room. Cowering there, Palpatine watched their eyes dart about the room, searching for something, or someone.

Palpatine cast his eyes about, was there another witness to his acts. He felt at the force, and the thick heavy pall of the Dark side stirred. It swirled in the air and began to concentrate itself in one place, over the bed. it coalesced, forming a rough shape from wisps of dark smoke, and then solidifying, the details becoming more and more focused. The force had taken the form of a woman. She lay on the bed his master had occupied only a few moments earlier. She was humanoid, tall with sharp features. She was marked with strange tattoos, black on white, covering her body so she looked like some exotic tiger. Apart from them, she was naked and brilliant white, her skin, her hair, even her eyes, which looked like milky sightless pearls, lacking any form of iris. One long fingered hand rested between her legs, lazily stroking at her sex. "So," she murmured, "Once again the courtship dance of the Darth comes full circle."

Palpatine raised his blade ready for an attack, "Who are you? What kind of spirit are you?"

"I am A'dune Fazoul. It is a pleasure to meet you at last Darth Sidious, in the flesh, that is."

"A'dune?" The quick mind of the senator raced, he had heard the name, his master had mentioned it in connection with the histories of the Sith he had provided it. "I thought the A'dune were wiped out by the Jedi?"

"Just like the Sith," her voice had a lilt to it that suggested a smile, but her lips barely moved.

"What do you want?" He asked, unsure of what to make of this woman. Moments before all that she was had been pure force energy, yet here she was, as solid as him.

"Well, I was watching Agon fuck two of my little angels. But I guess now I'll talk to you instead." She eyed Sidious carefully, "Do you know anything about what I am?"

Palpatine started to lower the blade, he did not entirely trust this creature, but if she wanted him dead, it was not to be immediately, she wanted to tell him things. "The A'dune were ascetics, monks?"

"As much as anyone devoted to the Dark side can be ascetic." She beckoned, and the two boys ran to her, climbing on the bed, and curling up against her. "Before there were Sith, there was A'dune, and Darth, and Jedi. The Jedi feared the Dark side, the Darth embraced, but used it purely in the pursuit of power over others. The A'dune gave themselves up to it utterly. We are very few now, but it matters not.

"How did I not sense you before?"

"That is the power of the A'dune."

"I seem to remember that they were the reason the Jedi formulated it's Code to forbid passion and emotion."

"We are sensualist's Palpatine," she smiled as he started, "Yes, I know who you really are too. Passion and emotion are the ways to the strongest powers of the dark Side. But it demands a great sacrifice. You gain total mastery over yourself, but at the sacrifice of ever ruling over others in great number."

"I don't understand, fear and hate has ruled on thousands of planet's across the republic.."

A'dune Fazoul laughed, and the two boys coiled about her, shifted, and started to plant soft careful kisses on her white flesh. "Anger, fear, hate, yes they all lead to the dark side. But so does love, and devotion, and lust. My people love me, and that gives me more power than you can ever posses. But love requires intimacy, and you cannot have that if you would rule the galaxy."

Palpatine looked uneasily at one of the boys who had snaked his way down the bed to start lapping at the slit between her legs.

"So we A'dune forsook such worldly power, and took to taking their powers from devoted, loving worshippers, willing slaves. We used it to shape the Dark Force as never known before. We discovered how to take the force and turn it to lightening that can strike down your foes, and taught that to the Darth. We learnt how to read the emotions coming from many people, and manipulate it, and taught that to the Darth. In return, when Darth Bane decided that to survive the Darth would become the Sith, he promised that he would not move against us, for we have no desire for their power. And when we learnt a new trick, we would teach it to whoever was the Master of the Sith."

"What can you possibly teach me?" he asked her scornfully.

"I am A'dune Fazoul. I am beyond age," Her form slipped slowly as she spoke, shifting around liquidly as her frame changed, first shrinking into the body of a child, then expanding upwards into the fragile frame of an old woman, "Beyond gender-" her shoulders widened, hips narrowed, muscles built up into the hard lean form of a humanoid male, ,, warm hues coming to the white skin. A human male now smiled at him, lazily stroking the engorged member tat had swelled from between his legs. the male A'dune was handsome, in a sharp thin way. Without hesitation, the young one sucking at her clitoris had taken the new organ into his mouth, slurping enthusiastically and hungrily. Their own erections were just a strong. "And species-" she concluded, dropping the humanoid form to quickly possess the hirsute wildness of the Wookie, the compact huge eyed baldness of the Bith, the long sensuous tentacles of the Twi'lek. "Their love and devotion gives this power to me. That love, and the pain from it's betrayal are my strength, Lust and desire and devotion are my allies. These boys will do anything for me. Dane," The boy mouthing the Fazoul grunted acknowledgement; he had never let his mouth leave her body for a moment, only shifting back and forth to accommodate it's transformations. "Show me how much you love me."

Without hesitation, the boy slid off the bed, and moved to Sidious side. He pried the light sabre from Palpatine's fingers;. Palpatine knew he was in no danger, and let him take it. In a breath, Dane had turned it on himself and thrust it through his belly. Gasping in pain, he let it fall aside, and turned back to Fazoul clutching at his wound.

"I love you, Fazoul." He painfully returned to his position, using the last of his fading strength to try and urge her to orgasm with his tongue. In a few moments he had expired.

Palpatine felt his death, and gasped from shock.

With his death a surge of Dark side rippled across the force, it's power eclipsing anything he had experienced before.. It surrounded A'dune Fazoul, filling her up, empowering her. Under it's touch he heard long gasps as Fazoul attained release.

As the sensations faded, she looked at him dreamily from under hooded eyes. "I live only for that now, Darth. That is the price of my power. The only thing that matters is the force, certainly not ruling the galaxy, certainly not these boys. Would you want such power knowing that the only think it is for is for experiencing it, It's a drug, the only thing that matters, not your petty power plays." She sighed. "that is what it is to be A'dune. The Darth are warriors and leaders, we are lovers, addicts, purists, libertine's. Paedophilia, necrophilia, betrayal, trust, devotion, these are our powers. Fear and Hate never serve us as well as it does you. We are corrupters, we seek only to bring people in, to open their senses to all their bodies can give them, and live off it. Are you prepared to surround yourself, with creatures with whom you must nurture their love and devotion until they are slaves to your will?" She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. "I think not. I think you prefer to crush and conquer. Fear is quicker."

Palpatine hesitated. He could feel this creature's power, yet he was unconvinced she was no threat. At a word a follower had slain himself. even as they talked his body was cooling. "Yes, and my power will reach further."

"Have you heard nothing that I said?" She sighed, and with a ripple she was back in the old female form, save that the black marking had not returned, dazzling him with the harsh brightness of her pure white flesh,. "But I will never face rebellion, or challenge or mutiny. I will never have to worry about my apprentice sneaking into my room and sliding a weapon into my slumbering heart." She shrugged, "I do not need an apprentice. I do not die. There will be no physical death. I will remain. You, like your master before you, will be slain by your apprentice. To whoever that may be, I will make the same offer I make to you now. All the knowledge I have is yours, in return for two things."

Palpatine's mind leapt, what was she plotting. Could she be of any use to him. There was no doubt that she was strong with the Dark side of the force. If he could learn a handful of the tricks she knew he would be the most powerful Sith to ever be, He could crush the Jedi, rule the galaxy. He was trembling, he realised, excited beyond his ability to comprehend. This was certainly shaping up to be an interesting night. "What do you want?"

"One, that I and all my followers are to be left in peace, and not persecuted by you, or any you control."

"And two?"

"Secondly, I want you. Your body. Surrender yourself to me. For this night."

Palpatine almost laughed. Was that it? What a small price to pay? Damn, he'd probably do it without the offer of her knowledge. He hesitated a moment, casting a nervous glance at the beautiful corpse that nestled against her. Would that be the result of a tryst this evening?

"I have no designs on your life, young Palpatine. Have no fear of that."

Not really reassured, Palpatine looked her over, and began to feel his body stirring. There was no denying she had a certain marble beauty, cold and hard, she would be an interesting conquest no doubt, this creature of the Dark side. "If that is what you desire then ." He put down his lightsaber, and reached up to the collar of his shirt, unfastening the button.

"Thank you," she smiled, and put her hand on the boy who remained "Angel, my darling, be good to our guest."

The boy slipped from her arms and over to Palpatine. He smiled shyly up at him through thick lashes and took his hand, gently leading him towards the broad soft couch that stood against one wall. Palpatine was surprised, having assumed that she would his partner, "He's still a child," he protested, but without much effort. The boy had charm; his body was mature enough, if whippet thin; lean hard muscles defined clearly everywhere. His long russet hair hung to his shoulders. Palpatine reached out to touch it. Soft and silken between his fingers, Palpatine stepped close to the boy, pressing his growing erection into Angel's tight buttocks and inhaled the scent from the auburn hair. Angel had a warm musky scent that was like fine perfume. "I'm old enough," Angel whispered, reaching behind his head to stroke the Senator's neck. His lust further enflamed, Palpatine dropped his protest, pressing kisses to the soft nape of the boy's ivory neck. The boy wanted him, and that was enough to sate the few shreds of conscience the Sith had left.

Angel seated him on the couch, taking the hand that he held to his mouth, kissing the palm and then scooping a finger gently into his mouth. He sucked gently, tenderly, wanting to make sure this lasted as long as possible. Palpatine gazed into the boys large brown eyes, watching his reflection in them. "What's your name?" he asked quietly.

The boy shrugged, "whatever makes you happy," He smiled at Palpatine with his adoring brown eyes. "Call me Angel, everyone does."

"Angel." Palpatine repeated, pulling back his hand. Angel moved forward, not letting go of the senator's finger. Then when he was closer than ever he reached out and put his lips to the senators bared throat, and kissed him gently. Angels warms lips moved up, tracing the line of his chin, then pressed against his own. angel tasted so sweet, his kiss almost tentative, as if looking for permission. Palpatine opened his mouth and let the boys questing tongue inside, stroking it gently with his own. Angel sighed, pressing his body against Palpatine's, arms around his neck, pushing his own erection against Palatine's body. The softness and tenderness in the boy surprised him. In all his life he had never once made love to anyone. He had let other's use him, sending his mind elsewhere as they spent their sweaty lusts on him. There had been fumbled gropes from Coruscant's debutantes, looking to make an interesting escape from the boredom of their lives before they were married off, drawn by the promise of power a senator offered. There was Darth Agon, who sought to escape the demands of his lust by relieving his needs with his young apprentice. No one had ever come to him with anything other than lust. Angel only looked at him with tender adoration. Palpatine shivered with new pleasure. Within him, he felt the force begin to stir, his connection to the Dark side beginning to burn.

With practised fingers Angel unfastened the loose shirt Palpatine wore, pushing it down from his shoulders, showering them with small gentle kisses. Then it was Palpatine's turn to sigh happily as he felt the boy's warm mouth on his nipples, suckling gently. In a few moments his nipples were so hard they hurt. as angel moved back and forth between the swollen lumps Palpatine tangled his fingers in the russet hair to hold him in place, shut his eyes and let his head fall back to revel in the sensations, every so often disturbing the silence of the darkened room with a moan and a gasp.

Angel took his time, carefully disentangling himself from the senators touch to kiss him again on the mouth, holding it as long as he could, until the older man pushed him away to gasp for breath. All the time he focused on how much he wanted to show this man, to show him the same tenderness and love Fazoul had shown to him; to climb inside his skin and let their minds and bodies be one.

Palpatine moaned. Now it wasn't just the soft skilled fingers of his lover that stroked his body. Soft velvety tendrils of the force curled up to him, wrapping themselves about him, penetrating him, filling him up. His awareness of the world around him began to fade. There was only the gentle pressure from Angel's ministrations and soft heat from the force that settled over his senses. Palpatine gasped, his body stiffening, a wave of pleasure shuddering the length of his body.

All the time Fazoul only watched silently, swallowing down the waves of energy that radiated from the two, drinking greedily at the power, herself lost on the sea of sensations that had claimed the new Sith Master moments before.

Angel's experts hand had snaked over the senators bare torso and wormed inside his trousers, freeing his genitals. The boy rubbed gently with his thumb at the head and Sidious shuddered again under his touch. Angel reached behind him, encircling Palpatine's waist, and slipped long fingers under the waist band. Without haste he eased the clothes down, Palpatine raising his hips to let them pass over his buttocks and down to his knees. Angel bent and removed his shoes and socks, discarding his pants onto the floor beside them. Then he gripped one of Palpatine's feet between his alms and began to massage, easing away small aches and knots as the older luxuriated in the feelings, hot erotic shivers shooting from his toes to his groin and back again.

The Sith lord made no sound as a warm wet mouth closed over his toes and sucked gently. It was heavenly, and he tensed his muscles, pushing his foot deeper into the boy's mouth, wishing he would move up and put his wonderful pouting lips around his stiff prick. Angel moved to the other foot, nibbling gently at his toes, then sliding a kiss up the bridge of the foot, pressing a nose then a tongue into the crook of one knee. Palpatine opened his legs wider and Angel's mouth moved higher, the senator reaching down with both hands to draw him upwards, marvelling at the sensation of the boy's smooth face against his legs. Angel's tongue teased the inside of his thighs, flicking gently through the short soft hairs.

With infinite slowness, which was a well-intentioned torture to the senator, Angel lowered his head onto the Senator's rock hard, needful prick. Relaxing the muscles at the back of his neck, he took Palpatine's entire length careful not to let himself bite or graze the precious flesh with his teeth, swirling his tongue over the length of his dick, tasting the salty drops of pre-cum , savouring the sensations it produced. Then he began to withdraw, just as slowly, holding a gentle suction all the way until the head slipped back out of his lips. He kissed the tip, and ran his tongue over the slit, pressing deeply into it, trying to demonstrate with his mouth, just how much he loved him.

Palpatine sighed, flexing his hands which had balled into fist to stop himself from driving to hard into the boy's face. He smiled through a strangle moan of pleasure. He thought he had known what it was to have to control your body and your needs, but nothing Darth Agon had shown him had prepared him from this, for the touch of a devoted lover, for the seductive touch of the dark side, stroking him everywhere the young Angel did not, calling to him, asking him to let go so it could swallow them both, to give up all he was physically and become nothing, pure force, unlimited.

But Palpatine knew the seductive siren song for what it was, and refused to surrender, focusing on the enormous tightness in his groin. Again and again, Angel's slow movements pulled Palpatine to the edge, but never over it. Palpatine was gasping, desperate for relief, wanting to come badly, to spill his hot seed into the warm mouth.

"Angel, please, unngggrhhh," his request dissolved into a moan of ecstasy as his balls began to tighten. "Finish this."

Angel pulled back with another of his teasingly slow movements, lapping at the shaft as it left his mouth. "No, sir, this isn't over yet." Palpatine whimpered, but had nothing left to force the boy with, and could only lie there, not ready to beg for release.

Angel slurped a ball into his mouth and licked at it, then moved lower, pulling Palpatine's legs up onto his shoulders. His wet tongue slid through the crack of the older man's arse, causing him to moan again. Angel smiled, knowing that the more he pleased Palpatine, the more both he and his beloved mistress would adore him. He loved hearing the other man gasp and he tickled the puckered muscle of his anus with his tongue, coating it liberally with his saliva. Gently he pushed his index finger in, the muscle parting easily before it. Angel smiled to himself. Darth Agon had obviously enjoyed this man as often as the dead Sith had enjoyed Angel and his friends. A second finger joined the first, stretching, stroking, preparing, moving back and forth. Angel raised himself up, positioning himself. His eye's met Palpatine, "can I?" he asked.

Palpatine, who had never been afforded the luxury of permission before, gasped out "Yes, yes, please, more," before putting his head back against the back of the couch, eyes dreamily closed, listening to the murmuring of the force filling his ears.

Angel took firm hold of the other man's hips, and gently pressed forward. As the saliva slickened muscles gave way, feeling himself slide into Palpatine. When he had pushed in as far as he could go, he waited a moment, watching the expression of sheer ecstasy on Palpatine's face with a smile. Then he withdrew, always slow. "Harder!" Palpatine gasped. Angel was happy to oblige, bucking back into his lover with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Keeping one hand on the senators hips as he thrust, the boy reached forwards. He wrapped his spare hand around the moist wet prick in front of him, and began to stroke it as he moved. His efforts were rewarded with another gasp, then a moan, then a long drawn out wail of frustration. Palpatine wanted it badly, he could see. Angel let go of him, there was no way it was going to end so quickly. For endless minutes the boy ground his hips against the senator, his testicles slapping against him, listening to the Sith lord gasp in rhythm with his wildly beating heart.

A'dune Fazoul could sense the approach of his orgasm. She could feel the soft tendrils of the force clinging to the two sweaty lovers like smoke, radiating power and energy. Singing to all of them to let go, to surrender utterly to the darkness. Angel couldn't hear it, and that saved him. A'dune Fazoul had no such protection, nor did she want or need it. She closed her eyes and let it take her, becoming one with the force, something others could only do with Death.

Her ecstatic cry seemed to act like a trigger to Angel, whose own balls tightened up in response, he threw himself forward into Palpatine's body one last time, spurting his cum deep inside the senators arse, his orgasm gasped out in a series of quick guttural moans. The sensations of hot cum blasting at the sweet spot behind his member was all that Palpatine needed. He could no longer hold himself back, and his own orgasm took him.

At the moment he felt the Force rise up and fill him, felt himself slipping away. For the first time in his life he understood how powerful the dark side was, limitless possibilities opened up before him, stretching away before him. Just a tweak here, and a touch there. Here he was a God.

A god without worshippers he realised, alone and unloved, and without that power he was nothing, just a lost spirit once this epiphany had faded away.

Just enough of Palpatine remained to say no.

No!

NO!

"Nooooo!!" He screamed. reaching out into the void and dragging back his senses to the moment. The endless possibilities collapsed and folded down, telescoping back to the moment.

He lay on the couch, covered in a cold sweat that had nothing to with passion, panting. His legs had slipped from Angel's shoulders, dangling wide open. Angel had folded forward, exhausted, head resting on his chest, covered with Palpatine's own seed.

As Palpatine's thoughts stilled he head the siren song of the dark side, no longer felt the taste of decadence that was A'dune Fazoul's presence. He shuddered, and this time not from pleasure. He closed his eyes, and let himself fall into a healing sleep.

Epilogue

Senator Palpatine sat in his office, overlooking the busy 3rd Forum square, watching the traffic circle overhead. He hadn't been able to concentrate all week. Every time his mind stopped long enough to concentrate, he was filled with a craving for more direct oneness with the force. He knew what he had to do to get it too, and that filled him with a cold dread. He had made so many plans, wheedled his way into the power structure of an alien nation, spent time fostering trust and connections and reputation. Could he throw it all away to start a cult to give him that?. Could he trade fifty lovers for fifty million slaves?

"Now you understand me?" From the shadows of his office purred the honeyed voice of A'dune Fazoul. He turned towards her, standing there in the dark cowled robe that was common to the Sith. He caught a glimpse of her face beneath it, the dramatic markings of black on white making her seem even more surreal. "All your speeches and machinations, ha! I have no need of such things, only the love of my angels. Do you believe now, that I have a power greater than yours?"

Palpatine nodded. "How do you stand it, I've been able to think of nothing else."

"I don't fight it, I give in." She smiled dreamily, giving the senator the image of a drug addict in his mind's eye."

"That is something I cannot do."

"Then forbid yourself love and tenderness. Live without lust, or devotion, or sensuality. Remember only your mind and forsake your flesh. Give yourself to fear and anger. They will serve you. They will not devour you. Become ice cold and iron strong. As you do, the cravings will fade."

Palpatine nodded. He wasn't really surprised. She had said as much before. "What of you?"

"I am corruption and debauchery. I can use all those things that could destroy you, and make mortals my loyal slaves, my adoring angels." She smiled, cocking her head to one side and staring out over Coruscant. "I am sure a man like you would find some use for me, in return for certain protections."

Palpatine nodded, the possibilities opening up before him. "I am sure we can come to some sort of adequate arrangement"

"You have only just begun to understand what I am capable of, I promise you that." And then she was gone, vanishing completely into thin air.

Palpatine swivelled back towards the view of Coruscant, already his mind turning over his machinations adding this new factor. A life without love and warmth. What a small price to pay for power.

SPEB