Darth Plagueis

by James Luceno

In his mouth, Sidious tasted the tang of blood; in his chest, he felt the monster rising, emerging from shadowy depths and contorting his aspect into something fearsome just short of revealing itself to the world. The dark side had made him its property, and now he made the dark side his.

To be strong in the Force is one thing. But to believe oneself to be all-powerful is to invite catastrophe.

Later it would be said by Naboo and Gungan alike that they couldn’t recall a colder winter than the one that followed Hego Damask’s autumnal visit to their world.

“Some of us are required to do what others cannot,” Plagueis added in a conspiratorial way.

Remember why the Sith are more powerful than the Jedi, Sidious: because we are not afraid to feel. We embrace the spectrum of emotions, from the heights of transcendent joy to the depths of hatred and despair.

Its topography of cloudcutting edifices was a microcosm of the galaxy: swarming with beings who were willing to do whatever was necessary to claw their way from the depths, overseen by a tiered elite that nursed on their misery. If Coruscant was a magnet for those without skills or promise, it was also a paradise for those with credits and connections.

Dooku was said to be one of the Order’s finest lightsaber masters, and he had earned a reputation as a skilled diplomat, as well; but his passion and restlessness were what had captured Plagueis’s attention.

“As I told you on Naboo, Anakin,” he said finally, “we will continue to follow your career with great interest.” And assure that it culminates in the ruination of the Jedi Order and the reascendancy of the Sith!