Star Wars - Darth Plagueis

into the future, only to discover it clouded and unknowable. Only to discover that complacency has opened the door to catastrophe.
    “If indeed they have been acting in accordance with the Force, how could we be succeeding in tipping the balance? How could the dark side be gaining ground? In fact, the Jedi have fallen away from their self-assigned duty, their noble path. Could they have prevented it? Perhaps by having remained in control of the Republic, by electing and reelecting Jedi Supreme Chancellors. Or perhaps by absenting themselves completely from the affairs of the Republic, and attending to their arcane rituals in the belief that right thinking by them would keep the Republic strong and on course, the galaxy tipped into the light, instead of having allowed themselves to become marshals and enforcers.”
    He cast a questioning look at Sidious. “Do you see the grand error of their ways? They execute the Republic’s business as if it were the business of the Force! But has a political body ever succeeded in being the arbiter of what is right and just? How easy it is for them to bask in self-assurance in their castle on Coruscant. But in so doing, they have rendered themselves ill equipped for the world we have spent a millennium bringing into being.”
    He cleared his throat.
    “We’re going to back them into a contradiction, Darth Sidious. We’re going to force them to confront the moral quandary of their position, and reveal their flaws by requiring them to oversee the conflicts that plague their vaunted Republic.
    “Only Dooku and a handful of others have grasped the truth. All those years ago when I first met him on Serenno, I thought: What a blow it would be to the Order if he could be enticed to leave and embrace the dark side. What a panic it might incite . For if one could leave, then ten or twenty or thirty could follow, and the hollowness at the center of the Order would be plain for all to see.”
    The Muun’s eyes narrowed. “One can’t be content to abide by the rules of the Jedi Order or the Force. Only by making the Force serve us have we prevailed. Eight years ago we shifted the galaxy, Darth Sidious, and that shift is now irreversible.”
    Approaching, he rested his bony hands on Sidious’s shoulders. “On my first visit to your homeworld I recognized it as a nexus in the Force. And I remember thinking how appropriate it was that the dark side should be hiding on such a beautiful planet.” He paused, straightened, then asked with sudden gravity, “Is Veruna ready, Sidious? I’m concerned that he might be as uncontrollable as the Yinchorri, and that a more malleable leader would better serve our interests.”
    Sidious considered the question. “It may not be necessary to remove him, Master. Like Gunray, he favors wealth over honor.”
    Plagueis nodded his head slowly. “Then nudge him, Darth Sidious. And let us see which way he leans before we decide his fate.”

24: SITH’ARI
    Their targets were only asteroids, but the chromium-nosed yellow starfighters attacked the microcratered rocks as if they posed a threat to Naboo itself. Products of the Theed Space Vessel Engineering Corporation and Nubian Design, and King Veruna’s pet project since his coronation, the sleek, short-winged craft exemplified Naboo’s infatuation with classic design and flagrant extravagance. The starfighters’ engines were said to have set a new standard for emissions control, but for a world that prided itself on environmental awareness, the N-1s seemed entirely out of character and out of place.
    “We’re expected to have two additional squadrons ready for flight by the start of the year,” Veruna told Palpatine as they stood at a dorsal viewport in the King’s even more grandiose, mirror-finish Royal Starship. “All will feature twin laser cannons, proton torpedo launchers, and deflector shields, along with R-two astromech droids.”
    “A dream come true,” Palpatine said. “Both for you and for the Nubian Design Collective.”
    Veruna arched a bushy, gray-and-white eyebrow. “Our deal with Nubian Design was mutually beneficial.”
    “Of course it was,” Palpatine said, wondering how much Veruna and his cronies had pocketed on a contract most Naboo had opposed.
    Palpatine had arrived with Pestage, and had met downside with Janus Greejatus before rendezvousing with Veruna and some of the members of his advisory council at Theed Hangar, including PrimeCounselor Kun Lago and the