Saga All The Emperors Men (Diary Entry Challenge) NEW POST UP JANUARY 20

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/25809540/p1/?74][/link]Title: All The Emperors Men
Author: Aiden Sanic
Genre: Reflections, Journal, Flashback
Timeline: That ever-Dark area between Episode III and IV, One Year
Characters: OC's, Palpatine
Summary: A Journal Chronicles the rise and fall of a once-humble politician.

Notes:



FIRST NOTICE: This is a response to the[link=http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/25809540/p1/?74]2007 Diary Entry Challenge [/link] In which one must come up with a series of diary entries that will last until 2008. That is once heck of a long time, but here goes nothing.


SECOND NOTICE: Although this is a challenge response, this is meant to be a fan-fic, hopefull it will deserve that recognition.


THIRD NOTICE: This is loosley based on the Book/Movie ALL THE KINGS MEN, do not compare that to this Fan-Fic. It's gonna stand alone.



With that enjoy.....

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ALL THE EMPEROR'S MEN



Entry Two:




Time brings all things to light...




It is the one universal truth of, well, the universe. A truth that was given to me by ironically, one of the most untruthful human beings I've ever met.

In the shadows, where lies, deceit, and secrets dwell; it is time that drags them out of their dark prison and into the embrace of justice and light. Where secrets whither and die in a matter of seconds, evil is extinguished, and the world becomes a better place. Time, is just that powerful. More powerful than any Baron, politician, or Emperor could ever hope to achieve.

Sounds nice doesn't it?

Yet this universal truth, It is the only truth I know, that in reality, hides another truth.

They never quite tell you, exactly, how much time goes by. In reality, a secret, a foul misdeed...a very foul misdeed, can go unnoticed for months, years, centuries...

And in the end, time can be a very fickle thing...



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I still remember the first time I met that man, Ylliw Krats. I had just flown in from Courascant as a reporter from the holo-net. I had found out that there was a large explosion that was responsible for thousands of deaths on the planet of Dantooine, aparantly a large steel factory (during this time, the people of Dantooine were shoveling up underground steel by the gallons. It was a grand, yet short-lived experience for them.) had undergone a cave-in when ironically, the dura-steel structure supporting it was to weak to hold the factory up.

I was in the city of Dantoona, Dantooine's main capital, and was sitting in a cafe that was close to the spaceport. I had just gotten off my shuttle and was incredibly thristy at the time....

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Adriev looked at Dantooine with a typical Courascanti look of awe and slight disgust, though he dared not show it. It wasn't that he hated Dantooine at all, in fact he rather liked the fact that as his Shuttle was landing, he was actually able to see hills, grass, and trees for miles on end. It was just the fact that after living on Courascant for so long, anything that did not have 50 mile high skyscrapers was a bit...


primitive.


Adriev was standing under his shuttle in the center of the landing platform, taking in the new sight. A much, different sight, than one he was used to seeing. The ground was different, the sky was different, even the people ( though still human ) were different. His mind wandered.

"Echuta!"

Adriev was taken out of his private moment, "What?"

"Echuta!" The shuttle pilot yelled from his cockpit, " You want me to pop your ears out? This engine can do it if you want to stand under it!"

Adriev ran from under the ship as it gunned it's engi

 

I really enjoyed the story section. Your descriptions of the characters made them seem very real and the dialogue was very natural. You creating a very nice atmosphere on Dantooine. Very nice. PM list?

 

Oh yes of course, I'll put you on right away.

 

Entry Three:



If there's anything in my life worth remembering, it is one simple statement.


What you don't know, can't hurt you.


Krats told the city of Dantoona during one of his campeign speeches that he was going to build a 1000 miles of concrete roads extending to all the small towns within 50 miles of Dantoona. That way everybody from the farms wouldn't have to hike through marshes, and
'angry rivers' (As Krats put it) to get to the big cities. Turns out he was telling the truth, and he was already gathering road crews in secret to get ready to build them. How he managed to do it without even holding any real power, I'll never know. But I don't want to.

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" So tell me, Adriev, you say your visiting the factory?" Krats and Adriev were outside The Tatooine Sunrise and walking down the city's largest street that extended from one end of Dantoona, to the other.

"Y-yeah," Adriev said sickly, still a little shaken from the drink.

Krats made a sound like a wince, "Sorry son, you just missed it. An explosion came across that place 'bout a week ago."

" I know, I'm a holo-net reporter, I was sent here to write a story on it," Adriev said, trying to sound a bit more official.

Krats' gaze seemed to harden a bit, but Adriev hardly noticed, " your a city slicker?" Krats asked. Adriev was still recovering and didn't notice Krats voice dropped an octave.

" Well, yes. Yes I am, Dantooine is mostly a rural planet. People are interested when a planet tries to 'modernize' itself and then goes wron-"

" Modernize? Son, most people aren't gonna like he way your talking down here. I'm a nice fellow so your lucky. But most people here would of already given you a good deck in the face," Krats said with a wink.

_________________________________________________________________


He always has a way of making me feel comfortable, like a parent would say "it's okay son. Just try again." Never raising his voice, never lashing out.

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"Oh," Adriev shifted his eyes towards the ground a bit," sorry. I've got a lot to learn don't I?"

" No kidding."

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Yet like a parent, he would never let you completley off the hook.


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As the two of them were walking down Dantoona's Leora st. Adriev noticed what was located at the end of the street. It was city hall. Adriev noticed Dantooine had a very unusual way of representing it's leaders. Typically, a planet will have its leader reside in the capital of that planet. In this case, the leader of Dantooine did not want the publics eye's upon him so he resided somewhere else. The senator of Dantooine lived in Dantoona however. He actually lived in city hall, which was rather unusual for most people but it was Dantooine. Which was getting more abnormal by the second.

" Like what you see?" Krats asked as his eyes looked at City hall, it's central spire hiding the rising sun, as if challenging the fire ball to shine around it. Adriev noticed Krats' eyes were shimmering, as if about to shed a tear.

" I do," Krats murmurred, " you know I've always wanted to live there. I've imagined the scenario a hundred times in my head. I'd wake up in that room on the very top of the spire, I'd raise my head up high, change my clothes, and look upon my city with pride and joy. There'd be miles of green surrounding me, wind coming in through the window, sun shinning in my face. Not too bright mind you, just right. No matter which way my head would turn, as long as I was up in my tower, I would look through the windows. Nothing but green, and the endless horizon." Krats turned away from city hall, not becuase he was tired of the sight, but because the sun had risen above the building and was getting in Krats' eyes.

"

 

Thanks for the pm.

You've gotten me quite interested in Adriev's story. I like how you mix in the author's thougths from future in with the narrative. It's a very effective device. You're doing a good job of developing the characters as well.

 

Entry Four:



I really got to be more expressive with this journal. I feel like I'm pouring too much negativity into it. A journal must be a river, it's pages showing a multitude of flow and rhythm. And I here I am playing a one note song. Well, to heck with the philosophy, at least... for now.

I saw one of my best friends the other day. Sebel Tang, an old whither of an Ithorian. He's really more of a father figure, but he's been by my side since my parents passed away. (Another story, another time.) He's an retired judge actually, living a rather comfortable life on the lake retreats of Naboo. I left Dantooine for a few days to visit him. Krats said I could use a good break, he's got everything under control.

It's important you get to know who Sebel really is, most people take him as a senile old fool. I'll admit, the last time I went to his house, I was about ready to say the same thing. But that's far from the truth. His voice rings of power and warmth, forcing you to hear every last waking word, every detail of it, for if you don't he will bring his hammer down on you, like he's done with countless other criminals before him.

A life of getting to know the deepest of crimes and criminals has not made a malicious monster out of him either. He's still the same kindhearted soul I knew when I was a boy, and always will be.

I miss him...

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" I have a proposition for you Adriev," Krats leaned his head back towards Adriev as he was driving the ground-car towards the explosion site. His face reminded him of a mischevious child who stole money from his mothers pocket.

" Yes?" Adriev said, head looking out the window, taking in the still-foreign sight of rolling hills and grass.

" Their will be plenty of hills you'll be seeing, now I want you to listen," Krats said, eyes now on the road, " god I hate driving. Anyway, you saw city hall right? Nice building right?"

"Oh yes, very nice."

" Your a reporter, you know how to get the people all riled up when they need to be, say the right words to get them to do things right?" Krats asked, and Adriev could see that he was looking straight into his eyes from the rearview mirror. They bored right into him.

" How so?"

Krats raised an eyebrow, and the twitch of a half-smile came into view, " don't try and play the fool with me son, I've dealt with people like you before."

"I'm sorry, then yes. I know how to get the people, 'riled up'," Adriev said, the edge of sarcasm faint, but detectable. Krats picked it up in an instant, and smiled fully.

" Oh, you might be the one boy, I think your the one," a pause settled in the air before Krats continued," It's been a while since I've tried politics. I tried running for Mayor of Drayson city, that's back where I grew up mind you, but that... that didn't turn out well," Krats' voice dropped an octave again, and his eyes seemed to grow darker, impossible yes, to Adriev anyway. But it happened.

"I'm trying it again, 'cept I'm going for senator. Senator of Dantooine, people tell me they see Ylliw Krats that way. They say I'm too good to settle for mayor of anything. Well, Adriev my friend, I'm inclined to believe them," Krats smiled grew a bit wider, his slightly beady eyes grew wide with excitement.

"And Adriev, I think you can help me do that. After I give you what you want of course," Krats added quickly, but not desperatley, Adriev might of known Krats had been planning a speech like this for a while had he not been focusing on what Krats was saying.

" Well Krats, how do you know what I want?" Adriev said, trying to size up Krats.

" You want a story to give back to them lickspittle, nose-wipers back in tech-town right?" Krats asked, his voice full of confidence and conviction, " your not gonna give em a story Adriev. Not anymore."

Now Krats had Adriev's full attention. He sat upright, head forward, clear of mind.

"Your gonna give em a damn good story my friend. Come outside, I got something to

 

And I here I am playing a one note song.

Nice imagery here.

" Their were other circumstances. Another story, another time. As I said, I'll give you your story, if I get a little help myself."

Seems like Adriev is making a deal with the devil here.

Can't wait for more.

 

He might be.

Glad you like the story, I'll come up with something soon.

 

Entry Five:


Writing a diary can be a slow time-staking thing if you don't have a lot of time on your hands. I don't think I'll be able to write in this thing a lot of days as much as some people can, every day. Hell, every minute with some people.

I came back from my visit with Sebel Tang. He's that nice judge I wrote about a couple weeks ago. I wish I was back there again, I'd love to just kick my heels back and relax by the lake once more, to hear that kind and thoughtful soul just tell me stories of his past. Like it used to be back when I was a kid.

But I guess things aren't meant to be sometimes....

Some...Times...

Times....

Time....

God damn Time.....

God Da-

 

But I guess things aren't meant to be sometimes....

Hmm, Adriev seems to be in quite a pensive mood here.