Darth Plagueis

by James Luceno

“This army must not be traced to us. But there is someone I might be able to persuade to place the initial order.”

Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth, who had been enlisted to arbitrate a dispute among some of Alderaan’s royal houses. An arrogant, wild-eyed human, C’baoth was cut from the same cloth as Dooku,

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“Deception begins with bureaucracy,” Palpatine said.

“One word of advice, Palpatine. Prepare to be thrust into the spotlight.”

“I will see to it that Maul is ready.” Plagueis pressed his hands together. “It is the will of the dark side that we finally reveal ourselves,” he said in a solemn voice.

Sidious had formed an almost filial bond with Maul. Attached to the present, he failed to grasp the truth: that this was the last time he and his apprentice might see each other in the flesh.

“Qui-Gon returned from Tatooine with a former slave boy. According to the boy’s mother, the boy had no father.”

“On Tatooine, Qui-Gon dueled with an assassin who is well trained in the Jedi arts. But he dismissed the idea that the assassin is some rogue Jedi. He is convinced that the warrior is a Sith.”

He fought to repress the truth. The boy would change the course of history. Unless… Maul had to kill Qui-Gon, to keep the boy from being trained. Qui-Gon was the key to everything.

That Plagueis’s death and Maul’s defeat had occurred in relative simultaneity could only have been the will of the dark side of the Force, as was the fact that, until such time as he took and trained a new apprentice, Palpatine was now the galaxy’s sole Sith Lord.

Palpatine smiled inwardly. Guide you to me, young Skywalker.