Right as Alina raised the blade to kill him, the Darkling saw the shadows and stopped the dagger.
Palpatine once fooled a woman into marrying him. Her name? Shmi, Shmi Skywalker. Together, they had a daughter, and Palpatine took her and tried to train her to be a Sith. And then, in 22 BBY, she has a dream about a woman tortured by Tuscan Raiders. Deciding to investigate, the daughter, Aishling, has a chance at the life she never had - a life of love and hope, as a Jedi. . . .
Alina's power of the dark grows over time, not enough to be noticeable until years later.