Beyond - Legends Saga - Legends The Emperors Shadow: Diary of old Sheevs Cousin

Title: The Emperors Shadow
Author: Anedon
Timeframe: 32 BBY to 55 ABY
Characters: Maximillian Palpatine, Cosinga "Sheev" Palpatine, Padme Amidala, others...
Genre: Diary
Summary: As the younger cousin of the Senator/Chancelor/Emperor Maximilian Palpatine's life isn`t easy... not one bit.

This story is part of the Dear Diary Challenge, as a quick note the story mostly uses Legends lore, but also includes elements of the new canon.


Diary of Maximillian Palpatine

Why am I doing this? Why now? Well I try to tell myself its not the Trade Federation ships in orbit of our world that make me nervous… that inspire me to write my feelings down. But if I`m honest, and I feel that´s what a diary is supposed to be. This is the place were I can actually express my feelings, feelings that I have to hide from the outside world. As a senators cousin I´m expected to always compose myself after all.

It was dad who talked me into doing this, cause he does the same thing, ever since he lost almost his entire family in that hyperspace accident that nearly wiped out the house of Palpatine. Left only him and his young nephew Cosinga alive, cause they weren't on that thrice damned ship. Cosinga, to some nicknamed Sheev, don't know why, is now the head of the family, and as such our, younger, branch is expected to support him in his endeavours. He is now the senator of our world on distant Coruscant, while mum, dad and me are holding the line here on the home world. Which usually means attending at least three ceremonial dinners a week and in general keeping up appearances.

Meaning our private life is pretty much open for everyone to see and we are expected to always properly behave ourselves… So maybe this diary is actually a good idea to have at least one place were I can actually be myself.

Myself… guess its a good place to start explaining who I even are. Who is Maximillian Palpatine? Well I´m the thirteen year old youngest member of the most noble house of Palpatine, and as long as Sheev has no kids of his own the heir to the family. I studied politics, have been taking part in social work for pretty much all my life, a life that has always been closely related to politics, in what free time I have, I go water skying, sing in a band or read about galactic history. And, well ever since that youth camp two years ago I´m hopelessly in love with Padme Naberrie, well Queen Padme Amidala these days… but sadly she prefers my friend Palo Jemabie over me… well guess that´s life…

Actually just saw her again tonight, during another formal banquet in the Royal Palace, yet another measure to show the people that their queen isn’t intimidated in the slightest by the Trade Federation blockade. Yet… at the same time, behind the strong and confident smiles the topics at dinner were worried, I talked with a young royal guard, Tonra I think is his name, about the state of our armed forces… and its frightening how little chance we actually had should the Neimodians choose to attack us… Basically just the Royal Guard and our Security and Police Forces… But the Queen reassured us that there would be no conflict, she expects two ambassadors of the Chancellor to arrive for negotiations with the Trade Federation early tomorrow, so who knows, maybe this whole mess will be over in 24 standard hours… I truly hope it will.

 

This is an intriging start to the challenge-- I look forward to reading more!

 

I love to see a nice Palpatine. Maximillian is one of your great characters

 

Thanks, more will come

Indeed, that´s why I´ve decided to now write down his story.





I don't know what day it is, nor when I slept the last time. I'm just feeling terrible and tired, beyond tired. I don't know what to do, I don’t know if my parents are okay, if anything is, if I will live to see another day…

Guess I should start at the beginning, at the morning, well today morning I think. Mum awoke me in the earliest hours to run some errand to the Naberrie family. I really got angry and cursed, less at her and more at being born into an important family, but still… that might have been my last words to her. Cause I had barely arrived at the Naberries when we heard it, the Trade Federation has dropped the pretence and instead decided to invade our world! And being the family of the current queen the Naberries were one of the first targets,

Thankfully their older daughter Sola kept her head clear, cause I for sure didn’t. If she hadn’t been there… guess me and her parents would have been arrested by now, maybe even worse… But she imminently took charge, her father Ruwee and me managed to barricade the door to buy us some time from the battle droids, enough for the four of us to escape the house through the backdoor, running through the extensive garden at the edge of their mansion until we reached a small shed with a speeder. Using it we got out of Theed and up into the mountains were the Naberrie´s home village is located. Thankfully it so far hasn't been discovered by the Trade Federation but that´s probably only a matter of time…

I… I just don`t know what to do… I want to know what happened to my parents, feels like this uncertainty is the worst. The Narberries tell me not to worry, that my parents are surely okay. But… I just can`t help but have a bad feeling about this.

 

Difficult times for him. I like his diary

 

Max! I remember finding this guy curiously likable in your other stories and I'm glad we get to see more of his life and what shaped him here. Most Imperial warlords wouldn't have just fallen into it haplessly by being handed the responsibility, but this guy... yeah. I'm worried for what happens with his family too - it's not the safest thing being related to Palps. Max and Rey should make an interdimensional support group.

 

Indeed, not an easy time at all...

Nice to see that you are intrested in Max, he is definetly one of my most intriguing OCs to write about as well.
Guess if they create that group they need to invite Ken as well... https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ken



They are dead… they are dead, I… I just can`t write about it.

 

Wonderful update! I missed it in a sea of notifications, but I'm glad I found it. I really feel for Max here, trying to make sense of what is happening, and almost talking to his diary like the friend that he needs right now.

 

He does need one, yeah...


It seems I`m getting finally some order in my life again, finally able to continue this silly diary. I think the only reason I even consider doing this is because dad encouraged me to do it, in fact that was our last conversation. The next morning the Trade Federation invaded. At least my last words with him were friendly, unlike mum who I cursed for awaking me so early in the day. Well for what its worth that she did that saved my life. If I hadn`t gone to the Narberries…
Turns out someone in the Trade Federations must have it out for our family, as where other prominent citizens where arrested and held hostage during the occupation my parents were given no such mercy, with them the droids shot to kill. Maybe because my cousin is a Senator… Its just me and him now, just the two of us, two Palpatines against a horrible galaxy. There are some distant relatives left of course, like that guy Volpau, our third cousin? Or thirtieth, have no idea, just met him once on a family gathering, think we are also related to the Pallopides family but again its distant. Why am I even thinking about them? Well I don`t know, maybe seeking what little stability and family is still left for me. And it might come into play soon, I am still a minor in the eyes of the law, even if our Queen is barely older than me, but I apparently need a guardian, and it seems cousin Sheev won`t be able to be it himself.
Cause in a truly cruel turn of fate, the same crisis that robbed me of my parents allowed him to rise to the position of chancellor… Honestly a cruel, cynical part of me wonders if this is the universe balancing itself out, a great success for House Palpatine being followed by a great catastrophe, or the other way around, I don`t know… I guess I should be happy for him, but currently I just don`t feel like it. Cosinga was surely surprised to see I was still alive, he was certain I would have died alongside my parents, guess he can feel relieved that at least some silver lining was left. I just wish I could say the same…

 

Was Cosinga really happy to see him alive?

 

Well is that even a question?


Five

Its really great, truly. I am the cousin of the most powerful man in the galaxy… And yet he apparently can`t even find a proper caretaker for me! Seriously, a lot would have been okay, but this? That woman is barely three years older than me! And no, just because the queen is even younger doesn`t excuse him getting some kriffin punk to care for me! She must have been the cheapest that jerk found. And now that teenage punk sits on our couch and looks only on her holopad and I feel like a stranger in my own house. Honestly, right now I could just punch my ‘dear cousin’… I want my parents back, and that stupid brat gone. I… I feel so alone. The loneliest boy in the galaxy. I just hate this…

 

that's just Palpatine not caring about his cousin at all giving him a modern brat (only the holopad is important)

 

Hmmm..... Okay, right now I am cautiously optimistic that Max might turn out to be a half decent guy, in spite of his unfortunate family ties. But of course whether or not that proves to be true remains to be seen.

 

That´s what they say about the modern generation don`t they?

Well, let me spoil you this much: he has a long way ahead of him.


Six

Okay… I messed up, messed really up. There was a large banquet tonight to celebrate my dear cousin and mourn that Jedi Knight who died. And I was just so angry at my current situation that at one point I jumped on my chair and yelled straight at his face that he was a horrible cousin and that I hated him… Followed by complete silence, with everyone staring at me, the queen, the Jedi Masters, the nobles, and most of all my cousin. He looked at me with a gaze that made me choke, honestly it felt like he was squeezing the life out of me in that moment. I couldn`t talk, was just suffering. Reached the point where I almost wet myself… I could see the anger and resentment in everyone’s faces. In that moment, only one person helped me. Off all those good people, it was Nadja, the punk my cousin got to watch over me. In that deafening silence she stood up and excused me, said that I was a traumatized boy and they shouldn`t judge me for being upset. She pointed out that said Jedi was by far not the only victim of the conflict. Even got them to speak a toast for my parents.
Then, well after we came home, we talked all night, I just wanted to thank her at first, but then we got talking. She did admit that she had just taken this job for the money my cousin offered, maybe the first time someone has been truly honest with me since my parents died. So its something I really appreciate. Makes me at least think I have one friend left in this galaxy. Even if its just a lazy, money focused punk. But hey, better an honest punk than a uncaring Chancelor…

 

Palpatine is nasty treating him like this. But he has a friend in that punk.

 

Yeah, hardly a cousin you would want to have.


Seven

Just stumbled across my old diary again yesterday, stars its been so long since I last wrote something in it… Was a completely different person back then it feels like. A worried, scared, almost broken young teen. And with good reason given I had just lost my parents… something like that is to leave a scar on everyone. Took me several years to really get out of the hole. Thankfully my family is rich, so I actually got the time, I guess. One of the perks of being the closest remaining relative to the chancellor of the Galactic Republic. So not complaining too much about the fact he barely seems to notice my existence most of the time.


Still I really feel I owe him for the support he does give me, the patience he has with me. So I started to doing lobbying for him, here on his own home world. Meeting people and supporting his cause as Chancelor. He still barely seems to acknowledge me but I kind of hope that he at least appreciates my efforts, we are the last Palpatines after all, we should stick together.


Nadja is actually still here, even though I have long since become an adult, but… ever since she stood up to me during that banquet, she kind of became my closest friend, and so I just couldn`t bring myself to send her away. Instead, she is now employed as my ‘personal secretary’ even if there is barely any work for her to do. Its really more her companionship that I pay her for.

 

Eight


Hasn`t been very long since my last entry but I seems things are now escalating all over the Galaxy, our former queen, and my lifelong crush, Padme Amidala has been attacked! On Coruscant just as she was traveling there to attend the debate over the militarization of the Republic. Thankfully she seems to be okay, but the attack makes me quite nervous. If she has become a target, who else has too? Cousin Cosinga? Me myself too? Must be all because of the growing threat of the Separatists. I just hope we don`t stumble into a galactic war… But I guess if someone can prevent such an escalation it is my dear cousin. He sure is a jerk, but he knows the political game better than most.

 

He is giving support but has independent thoughts . Great observations