by: DarklordZor
date posted: Aug 12, 2005 11:17 PM
archived from: http://blogs.starwars.com/darklordzor/23

 

Palpatine The Planner, Meets Padme...The...Bait
by: DarklordZor

 

I was reading my emails the other day (I've never received so many until I started doing these blogs), and I had one person ask me my thoughts on this particular topic. After thinking for a while I had gathered enough information (I thought at least) to write a blog about this.

 

I have spoken much about Palpatine's big plan, and his subsequent downfall, yet I have not spoken about Padme (at all really, except in context to Anakin). Well today I get to combine the two together, in how Padme fit into Palpatine's plans, and machinations.

 

Now I have read many things suggesting that Padme's death was completely part of Palpatine's plans, and that it was his true intention for her to die, as a way to keep his new apprentice loyal. Now for myself, I am among the people that feel that Palpatine was not behind every evil misdeed that befell our heroes, or happened in the galaxy. While many things were caused because of him, there were many things that happened outside of his control. His best quality and the reason I believe he did so well with all of his plans, was his ability to adapt to any situation that presented itself, for even the best laid plans, the unexpected happens (trust me, my lesson plans for karate don't always go as planned either, and those are only for an hour!). I have talked about this already so I won't go into that again (if you feel you just can't live without them these are the two entries that talk about his plan at length: Part One , Part Two)

 

This is what I feel happened with Padme's death, he adapted his plan to fit his needs. I believe that it was Palpatine's plan for Padme to live. I know many of you are ready to hit the close button at the top of the Internet window, right now and stop reading my entry, but bear with me here, allow me to explain.

 

We have to remember that Palpatine used Anakin's love for Padme as a way to lure Anakin to the Darkside in the first place. He used the possibility of her death, playing on Anakin's fears; to draw him over, tempt him with certain powers to keep her alive. I feel that if he went to all of that trouble, laying out plans for her, he wouldn't have wanted to kill her off, at least not immediately. I believe that he wanted to keep her alive so that he could continue to hold the possibility of her death (not just death from her pregnancy, but her death in general) over Anakin. This is how he could have kept Anakin loyal to him. By making it seem that she would die without the powers and knowledge that Palpatine possessed, Anakin would have no choice but to be loyal to the Emperor (I know this seems to go into more speculation, which I am normally uncommon in doing, but continue to bear with me).

 

My real proof of this, is that Palpatine knew about the dreams Anakin had about Padme, that's why he mentioned it as a way to get Anakin to lower his blade in ROTS (while some contend that it was he himself who gave Anakin those dreams, I'll try not to go into that potentially volatile issue). Palpatine was a true master of using what was at his disposal, and manipulating it to his advantage, and that is exactly what he did with Anakin and his dreams. He understood the fears Anakin had, and used those to draw him over to the Darkside. If he could use that fear to lure Anakin, he could use that same fear to keep him loyal, keep him from trying to turn against him.

 

I don't feel that Padme being alive was all that great of a threat against Palpatine, at least not in his mind she wasn't. He had control of the Senate; there really was nothing that she could do. With the possibility of her death hanging over his head, Anakin would not do anything against the Emperor (at least not until he had learned everything he needed to from Palpatine), so she couldn't turn him back. If you remember she tried to turn him back, tried to get him to go away with her, and he believed that only his powers could save her; powers that Palpatine would teach him.

 

Something happened, however, something that Palpatine hadn't counted on. Anakin lashed out at his own wife, in his own anger he choked her. This was Palpatine's underestimation, for I don't think he ever counted on Anakin doing such a thing. But Palpatine can adapt to changes, he's incredibly good at doing that, and making it still work to his advantage. I believe Palpatine was aware that Padme had died (when he told Vader, after the operation, and Anakin had been put in the suit. You know the famous "NOOOOOO" scene), for a lie like that could more than likely blow up in his face. If she hadn't died, and Palpatine still had said that, there is no doubt that eventually Padme would come back into view of the rest of the Galaxy. The galaxy is not small enough for her to disappear in and never come back. There would be too many questions, too many people searching for her (I mean look at how many people went to her funeral). Once she was discovered, or came back into the spotlight, Palpatine's lie would have been uncovered, and Vader would have been really...upset. The point here is that a lie like that, would have been too risky for Palpatine to make. For all of his power, Palpatine is still practical, at least until the end (which has already been covered in the links above).

 

But I digress. Once Padme had died, and Vader had been told, he was angry...very angry. Because of what Palpatine said, however, "It seems that in your anger, you killed her" (Once again sorry if I didn't get this exactly right), Anakin was not angry at the Emperor, but at himself. With her dead Vader had no one left to him...no one but Palpatine that is. Palpatine used her death as a way to keep Vader filled with rage, filled with self-loathing, filled with the thoughts that he killed Padme, but the Emperor could have taught him to save her. See where I am going with this? Through this the Emperor could keep Vader loyal to him, until the love of Vader's son taught him the truth (I have talked about this at length too, in another two part series, which are personal favorites of mine. If you want to see those, here they are for you: Part One , Part Two)

 

I know that you're now saying, well what about the children? What would he do once Padme had given birth? Personally, I feel that he would have had the children killed off, quietly, and in a way that wouldn't have revealed his hand in it, but killed them nonetheless. My reasoning for this is because in the OT, when Ben is telling Luke more of his heritage on Dagobah he says, "The Emperor knew that if Vader were to have children, they would be a threat to him." (Once again, so sorry if this is not 100% correct). Palpatine would have had them killed, so that they couldn't be a threat, so that they wouldn't become a reason for Anakin to turn away from the Darkside (which is exactly what one of Vader's children did). By killing them, this would also be another thing to make Anakin more fearful for Padme's life, for if his children could be killed, right under his nose, so could she, which would once again make Anakin more loyal to Emperor. Make him want to continue to learn more, so that he could protect the family he had left.

 

So was Padme part of Palpatine's plan? Sure she was, but her death was not something that I feel was part of that plan (it could have been later, but not so soon). Her death was unexpected, and something Palpatine had to adapt his plans to, and something that he used to his advantage, completely.

 

Well, I suppose that's enough of my ramblings for one evening. As always I am open to comments and welcome them heartily. Just remember....well, you guys have read my disclaimer several times, so I don't feel the need to repeat it here. I hope you enjoyed tonight's entry, as I hope you have enjoyed the others I have written (that is if you got through any of them), and I hope that means you'll come back tomorrow for me. I will be discussing the power of the Force, and the symbol for which it was created (I have touched on this many times, but haven't written a full entry about it yet).

 

Hope to see you there!

 

--DLZ

 

Source: http://blogs.starwars.com/darklordzor/23