Consciousness returned to me as suddenly as it had left. As if someone powerful had flipped a switch. I still had my memories of what happened before I lost consciousness, though. And there was only one sufficiently strong Force adept in mind who could have pulled a trick like that on me.
Valkorion.
Just the mention of the Emperor made my jaw instinctively clench.
I didn't know what game he was playing, but the Sith hadn't lured me here just to teach me a lesson for making him repeat his order to acquire a ship.
That was too petty for a ghost nearly four thousand years old, who'd been killed twice but was more alive than the living.
The Emperor had dangled a candy in front of me. Promised to make me significant in this galaxy. Give me what I hadn't had in my previous life. Played on my greed and ambition.
I gnashed my teeth.
No, it wasn't from realizing that Valkorion had fooled me. No. A Sith was destined to be cunning and treacherous.
I was angry at myself. For so stupidly falling for his bait.
The Sith had used me as a courier to deliver this body to his true apprentice. Exar Kun, the fallen Jedi. Judging by the obsequiousness with which the ghost had stood before the Sith, they'd planned this long ago. Maybe that's why Kun's ghost had been so stunned by Vitiate's words about a duel...
Then I stopped to think. This version was flimsy.
Suppose I had crossed the line, and the Sith no longer considered me useful. Valkorion could have easily thrown me out of this body — after all, he was the one who'd dragged me here in the first place. And it wouldn't have cost him anything to stuff Kun in there. He hadn't done that. Instead — he'd set up a duel. Given me a hint on how to kill the ghost. Even supported me when I was trying to absorb him.
The Force was tearing my body apart because it couldn't digest the energy accumulated by the fallen Jedi. There was no doubt that I needed to get rid of this excess energy. But I couldn't simply throw it away — that would leave Kun free to attack me. And since the Force was inside me... I could use Kun's own power against him. Rebuild my body with it, cell by cell. I began pumping the Force through myself, regenerating damaged areas. No longer locked inside me, the Force flowed freely through my arms, legs, torso, renewing cells and tissues. Over and over, cycling the Force through myself, I reduced its explosive potential.
Illogical actions for someone who lured me to Yavin 4 just to deliver my body for a ghost. If my memory serves me, Kun's ghost isn't tied to Yavin 4. Or is it?
Or did Valkorion miscalculate, underestimate me, and after it became clear that Kun was no match for me, the Sith simply changed course mid-air?
One riddle after another. Enough lying down, I ordered myself. Time to get up and solve problems.
But the moment I tried to stand, I realized my body wouldn't obey. I could feel it, knew all my limbs were in place, but I couldn't move anything except my head. It was as if everything below my neck was disconnected.
Well then, let's open my eyes.
I was lying on the stone floor of the Great Audience Chamber, on my back, arms and legs spread out. My lightsaber lay nearby, just a couple of meters from my right hand.
Sunlight streamed through the window frames into the chamber, driving the thick darkness into the corners. My eyes watered slightly from the light, but they adjusted almost immediately — I just gave them a little push with the Force.
An early dawn illuminated the planet. Bright, warm rays from the east. Like searching spotlights, slow and imperceptible to the eye, they explored millimeter by millimeter of the floor and walls. Desperately trying to make my body move, I raged at the lost time. How long had I been lying here?!
My body felt like wood. A chill ran across my face. The tip of my nose was so cold I began to doubt I'd be able to keep it.
A thin crust of dust and a few tree leaves covered my armor and cloak. Apparently, I'd been lying here for no less than a day. Because I don't recall any dry leaves lying in the central part of the chamber. Even if there had been any — the Force energy that had raged here would have simply vaporized them. No, these leaves were carried in by the wind after I'd blacked out.
"Quite an interesting way to absorb a Force ghost," Valkorion appeared beside me. "Darth Nox would have paid a fortune for a technique like that back in his day."
The ghost glowed with a blue-violet hue, like a neon statue. Only now did I start to realize that, unlike the ghosts of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Skywalker in the original trilogy, Valkorion's ghost seemed... worn. It didn't have that saturated brightness the Jedi ghosts had. None of that glossy contrast. It felt like the ghost had grown tired from everything it had been through.
As if he, like a living person, had lived through all those thousands of years.
"What's wrong with me?" I gestured at my body with my eyes alone.
"Temporary paralysis," Valkorion explained. "You channeled so much Force through yourself that your nervous system eventually just gave out. I shut you down, otherwise you would have fallen into a coma. One you'd hardly have come back from."
"You can do that?" I wanted to ask, but bit my tongue. Before me wasn't some fallen Jedi who'd soaked up knowledge from ancient Sith. Over his years of life, Valkorion could have forgotten more about the Force than the entire Jedi Order could ever learn.
"Your body hasn't fully recovered from digesting the ghost's power," Vitiate explained. "Draw on the Force and channel it through your body in small doses, relaxing your organic tissues."
Silently, I followed the ghost's advice. I didn't feel the restriction of the Light Side like before, so I intuitively directed it through my veins. Like life-giving moisture in a scorching desert, the Force flowed through my body. Battered by hundreds of thousands of microscopic injuries, my carcass responded with a dull, background ache in every cell.
With a quiet groan, I gritted my teeth. I focused on my pain, leaned on it like a crutch, and suddenly my body, obeying my fleeting wish, jerked.
Valkorion, standing nearby, smirked. Turning his back to me, the ghost leisurely strode toward the window openings on the western side of the chamber.
Following his gaze, my eyes landed on the Massassi corpse lying at a distance. The body, separated from its head by the Sunbeam, was also covered in a layer of dust and debris.
"How long was I lying there?" I felt the Force putting my body in order. The overall pain was fading, and with it, my rage was subsiding. My mind was clearing, and along with it, feeling was returning to my limbs. Soon I'd be able to regain control of my body.
"Six days," the ghost shrugged. "Plus or minus a couple of days. Time flows differently for us."
"Six days?!" I exclaimed. "My droid! My ship!"
Valkorion chuckled.
"Your corvette and mechanical servant are exactly where you left them," he explained. Snapping his fingers, he summoned a small bolt of lightning. "A little short circuit in your droid's processor — and there you have it, he's calmly waiting for you, powered down. Don't worry, you won't be stuck on this moon."
I sighed with relief. The last thing I needed was to be stranded in this damn world.
"You performed brilliantly in your trial," the long-dead emperor continued. "It's gratifying to know you can be something more than just an errand-running Jedi."
"That wasn't a trial," I snorted contemptuously. The Force was gradually reviving my body. By my estimate — ten minutes or so, and I'd be able to move my arms. "You just wanted to kill me. And implant Exar Kun's ghost into my body."
"Conflict allows us to grow," Valkorion declared, with the air of delivering a lecture. "Both you and I know where the dogmatism of the Jedi and the fanaticism of the Sith will lead the galaxy. This stagnation can't be resolved any other way than through the bloodiest of conflicts."
I fell silent, thinking.
Valkorion's words must have some foundation.
First, with the Jedi's help, Palpatine will break the CIS and take control of the entire known galaxy. The officers and soldiers forged in the Clone Wars will become the core of the Imperial Army and Navy, which will rule the galaxy with an iron fist.
And then the "Original Trilogy" will begin... But what happens after the destruction of the second Death Star? Thrawn? The Yevethan? The Jedi Academy? The Yuuzhan Vong invasion? Or is it "The Eagle Shooting Heroes" and a hysterical, incomprehensible, unknown war?
"Regimes are overthrown by idealists," Valkorion noted. "But behind them stand pragmatists, power-hungry men, and parasites who, after the regime change, will take the helm of the new state. And everything will be as before — only the sign will change."
"You said we could fix this," I recalled. "What's my role?"
The Force helped me regain control of my body, and, holding my aching stomach, I rose to my feet with a groan. My body hurt like a tank had run me over.
Obeying my command, the lightsaber returned to my hand and then took its place on my belt. Slowly, with small steps, I walked over to Valkorion's figure, stood beside him, leaning against the stone wall.
"I granted your predecessor, and by extension you, much knowledge of the Dark Side of the Force," he said. "But Jedi dogmas still resonate in your body and mind, preventing your potential from unfolding. I cut you off from the Light Side so you would turn to the Dark. You're the one to blame for the fact that I had to act this way. But there was no other way."
"But I could have refused," I noted. "What then?"
Valkorion looked at me with an infinitely tired gaze in his crimson Sith eyes.
"What use is an apprentice who can't unlock his potential?"
I felt my mouth go dry.
"So you really planned to stuff Kun's ghost into my body if I lost?" I exclaimed. It came out a bit shrill.
Valkorion smiled condescendingly and stared back at the jungle.
"At the dawn of the invasion, I sent thousands of agents into the Republic. One of them came to Yavin 4 to destroy the spirit of the one who caused the fall of the Old Sith Empire."
"What for?" I was surprised. "I remember it was the spirit of Naga Sadow. But a single spirit can't threaten the invasion of an entire Empire."
"Nothing was to threaten my power in the galaxy," Vitiate explained. "Even dead, Sadow could cause a great many problems. The Sith were attached to their traditions, and if he remained alive, Sadow could find himself an apprentice, resurrect himself, gather supporters, and challenge me."
"You got rid of a competitor!" I realized. "I remember that Sadow's apprentice, a former Jedi, studied Sith alchemy and was preparing his student to create a body capable of containing his spirit."
"If that had happened, the bastard could have shown up at my palace and demanded the Kaggath," Valkorion said, practically spitting the words. "I could have easily splattered him across the walls of the Dark Temple and locked his soul away for centuries of torment, but that would have meant diverting my attention from my plans to create the Eternal Empire of Zakuul. No matter how great Sadow was, my plans were more valuable than the time I would have spent destroying him. And besides... if you draw blood from a god, in full view of his worshippers, he loses his power."
"So..." it dawned on me. "You deliberately lured Kun here to deal with him?"
Valkorion answered with a pleased chuckle.
"Not only that. Revan put a great deal of effort into my resurrection," Valkorion explained with a sigh. "But the intervention of the Jedi and the Sith disrupted the ritual. Part of my power went toward awakening that worthless ghost. In my true body, with most of my strength, I could, of course, do more than any living Force adept, but I was no longer as strong as I had been before. Ambition clouded my mind. And as a result — I suffered severe damage, which took me several thousand years to recover from. As a ghost, I watched the galaxy. The device Revan used to resurrect my spirit, despite the Republic's efforts, still saturated this moon with the Dark Side. Here I could absorb the Force, recover. Kun's ghost kept me company for many years. And although he is far more experienced and cunning than you, he remained a timid, cowardly Jedi. One who, moreover, had absorbed part of my power. And I don't forgive that."
"I absorbed his spirit," I narrowed my eyes. "Does that mean the part of your power that he took now belongs to me?"
"Exactly right," the ghost nodded. "Not only part of my power, but also Kun's knowledge — it's all yours now. Your predecessor wielded a very mediocre form of Niman. The first level, and even then — just the basics. By assimilating Kun's memories and knowledge, you will also gain knowledge of the second level of Niman — now lost and firmly forgotten."
"Wow," I whistled. "Thank you for such a generous gift. But why didn't you absorb him yourself and become stronger?"
"I am a Force ghost," Valkorion chuckled. "No one can cause me trouble. But my apprentice will find new knowledge useful."
I bowed silently and waited for him to continue.
"Many of my secrets and vaults were saved from plundering by the Republic, the Imperials, the fighters of the Eternal Alliance, and common looters. They will become the foundation for creating our new Empire," Valkorion finally said. "We should visit them."
"Our Empire?" I doubted. "You are powerful enough to rule the galaxy. Why do you need me?"
"You are my will in this world," Valkorion said, with a hint of pomp. "My children, in whom I placed my hopes, did not live up to them. Thexan, the most rational of the three, could not withstand the rage of Arcann, who was broken by the Dark Side. Both of them proved weak. Vaylin, too insane, turned into a bloody tyrant and sadist. None of them could become my heir." The Emperor's voice began to take on metallic notes. "I saw their future and knew where it would all lead. I knew that under the guise of the Outlander, my longtime ally in the matter of setting the galaxy in order, would surrender, go soft. He knelt before me, and I was ready to share the galaxy with him. But the carbonite freezing, captivity... all of that changed him. And I renounced my plan — to make him my heir. I realized I was wrong about him, and everything I planned to give him will become yours."
I remained silent, understanding the Emperor hadn't finished his thought.
"He shamelessly took my power when he needed it, but completely ignored my guidance. My past life clouded his mind. And so, I betrayed him. No body is ready to absorb my power, so I began to reshape him. Every time he used my power, I strengthened his body, preparing to take it over. But I underestimated the hatred my own family felt for me. Blinkered and soft, they couldn't understand the depth of my plans. Using the holocron with which I tormented my father's spirit, they scattered me across the galaxy, feasting on my bones."
"Quite a family," I admitted. The ghost seemed not to hear.
"I waited thousands of years," Valkorion sighed. "I drew the Dark Side from this world. I prepared. I waited. The descendants of my trusted servants, the Nathema Zealots, secretly pushed this galaxy in the direction I needed, hidden from the Jedi and the Sith. And then, one day, Rick Dougan was born. Billions of variables had to align for him to stand beside me and guide this galaxy into the future. But the Jedi took my creation from me. They killed my servants, the last zealots, took the child to the Temple, where they broke his will. They wanted to make a Jedi Shadow out of him and gave him to the one who had brought him to the Temple for training. And even after my child returned to me, Rick proved incapable of fulfilling his mission. He completely surrendered to the teachings of the Jedi. And even on the verge of death, he refused to accept his fate. One-sided, with the mannerisms of a dark Jedi, he would have brought more harm than good to my cause. His fate was sealed the moment he turned to the Light on the Geonosis Arena. The Light Side couldn't save him from blaster fire."
Valkorion fell silent. Strangely, at that moment, I almost felt sympathy for the ghost. Planning to make the galaxy stronger, in his own image and likeness, he had been killed, betrayed, and discorporated more than once. Maybe not on a yellow brick road, but on bones and oceans of blood, he had planned to lead this galaxy to greatness. It was clear that for this, he needed a loyal ally. A direct continuation of his will.
If the Zealots were still alive, he might have continued his work with them, but the Shadows had killed them all.
"Through the Void, I sensed your mind," Valkorion's voice rang out again. "I see your potential and your drive. I gave you the opportunity to move forward, to prove your usefulness. And you did it. Without hesitation, you ended the life of one who could become an obstacle in the future. Without regret, you absorbed one who would not have regretted you. But you also did not destroy one who might still be useful. You are worthy of ruling this galaxy," Valkorion finally declared, turning his head toward me.
To be honest, I was stunned.
There's no other word for it.
No, I understood that the Emperor was playing his hand, which went against the plans of both the Jedi Order and the Sith. I understood that, for some reason, I was important to him. And I even understood his twisted test of my abilities.
Recalling his words on board the gunship on Geonosis — that the teacher and apprentice should fix the galaxy — I wasn't deluded about my fate. You know, bring the trash out, carry the bucket for the Emperor.
An errand-running Jedi. Can you expect more when you've barely been in the galaxy a week?
Well, you can. You can expect something. But not this!
To learn that the Sith who built two Empires was ready to build a third. And intended to place me on its throne...
Fate hadn't prepared me for this.
"Why me? You..." I stammered, repeating my question. It just happened. Well, my conscience no longer allowed me to address him informally. "You have enormous experience in ruling. Why don't you ascend the throne yourself? You, more than anyone, understand the essence of rule. Your experience is priceless..."
"Neither the Jedi nor the Sith can ever be completely destroyed," Valkorion said. "Even now, that monkey in the Senate and his aristocratic acolyte consider themselves true Sith, unaware of my brethren on Kesh. My figure on the throne would only ignite the flame of civil war, just like Palpatine's. The Sith would strive to serve me, the Jedi — to destroy me. That is their nature. But you — you are something else..."
"I don't understand," and now I was genuinely ashamed. They wanted to make me the ruler of a new state, but I had absolutely no idea how. Had Valkorion overestimated me? "How can I surpass you?"
"At the beginning of the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi were despised. The Republic was on the brink when Revan managed to snatch victory. By an act of will, he crushed the Mandalorians and broke their spine forever. Until the end of the universe, the Mandalorians will never again achieve the greatness of their ancestors. But something else is important," Valkorion leaned slightly toward me, clenching his hand into a fist in front of him. "Revan became an icon. He was revered. The Republic followed him into the Unknown Regions without a second thought. A whole fleet of supporters. Many Jedi. Even when he ordered them to kill their brothers, they obeyed. When Arcann captured the Outlander, his name became a symbol of the Alliance. Its soul. His reputation attracted people to the Alliance's side. Even the Hutts, who don't care about anyone, helped him. His inner strength allowed him to break Arcann's will and burn the Dark Side out of him. Envious and short-sighted, Arcann fell to the Light. Even at the cost of losing some of his abilities, he remained loyal to the Outlander until his death. Both Revan, and the Outlander, and the Hero of Tython created their own fame. And people followed them through the crucible of wars."
"We'll use the Clone War to create our supporters," I understood.
Valkorion smiled. His smile was like the grin of a corpse, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Victory after victory, you will become an icon to them. A god in the flesh," he intoned. "Saved planets will fall at your feet, and their inhabitants will fill recruitment centers, eager to join your army. Ruthless to enemies, humane to allies, you will become the new hero of the era. And when the time comes, you'll show your cards. A war manipulator at the head of the Republic. A corrupt and bought Senate. An inert Order. The hearts of beings will fill with righteous anger. They will carry you into the Senate on their backs. Together, with your potential and my knowledge, we will tear the heart out of the chest of Bane's trash and bathe in his blood," Valkorion's eyes burned with mad fire. Growing more inflamed with every word, he became shrouded in the Dark Side of the Force. Even by the most conservative estimate, if he let it loose now, all life on the moon's surface would die. "We will create a new Empire, without corruption and bureaucracy. We will create an Order without arrogant and stodgy ignoramuses. We will create a society that stops stagnating!"
I felt the Darkness swirling around us, so impenetrable that the Light Side didn't show even a hint. But it didn't frighten me. I accepted the Darkness, opened myself to the Darkness. I concentrated it within myself, mixed it with the Light, gaining unimaginable power. And I liked it.
I saw my path in this galaxy. I understood my goals. The future appeared before me. Too blurry, but still clear.
Hammerhead-class cruisers and Harrower-class dreadnoughts carried flags unknown to the galaxy. Armadas of ships from the depths of the Unknown Regions flooded the galaxy, sweeping away or capturing Republic and CIS vessels. Dozens of gifted beings stood at the head of these armies. Familiar faces flashed by, replaced by unfamiliar ones... But they all drew energy from the single Force. Grim resolve, forged by necessity, made them raise their weapons against their brothers of yesterday of the Order...
The vision ended. The glimpse into the future stunned me. Valkorion's plan would succeed. Even though I hadn't seen the final outcome, there was no doubt left.
"You will create a new state on the ruins of the Republic and the Confederacy. The Eternal Empire," Valkorion intoned. The cyclone of Darkness around him abruptly subsided, as if he had cut off its supply. "With the Eternal Emperor at its head."
"I... I saw it, Master," I said, my voice trembling with awe. Prostration, shock, delight... all of it raged within me, boiling with fervent passion. Without noticing it myself, I found myself on my knees before Vitiate.
"I swear allegiance to your teachings," the words flew from my lips of their own accord.
"I accept your allegiance," Valkorion proclaimed in a thunderous voice. Raising his arms upward, he illuminated the Great Audience Chamber with a Storm of Lightning. Branching streams of Force melted the stone like plasticine. Standing at the center of the Storm, I felt the Temple's walls filling with the Force, creating an aura of power within it. Like a signature, it bore the shades of Valkorion's individuality. The Emperor had marked the Temple, claimed it, spat into the Void, and trampled those who had built this and other Temples on Yavin 4 in their own honor. Naga Sadow, Exar Kun... Tenebrae had desecrated their memory, showing the failures their place in the food chain.
"Rise, my Apprentice," the Emperor emphasized the last word. "From now on, this world is ours."
* * *
A sharp surge of the Dark Side caught the Chancellor of the Republic, Sheev Palpatine, in his secret hideout.
The man listened to his sensations with curiosity. A pure, untamed power of the Dark Side emanated from the Unknown Regions. Someone very powerful was announcing themselves. But the surge was so brief that it didn't allow the Sith to track it.
Darth Sidious wearily leaned back in his chair. The secret base, created in an industrial, sparsely populated district of the city, ensured his safety. Neither the Jedi nor the Separatists knew his true identity, nor did they suspect that he was the one behind the start of the Clone Wars.
Only in his secret hideouts, which reliably shielded the Force within, could he open himself to the Force without fear of detection by the Jedi. Every time, shrouding himself in the Force that concealed his true nature, meeting with Jedi, senators, shaking their hands and holding meetings, he couldn't help but gloat, watching the Jedi's attempts to uncover the identity of Darth Sidious, which Count Dooku had reported to the Order's representative.
From an early age, Palpatine realized that he was different from his peers. An unknown force seethed within him, and by turning to it, he became stronger, smarter, better than the rest. He had managed to deceive the Order's seekers, hiding his Force-sensitivity. He understood that his destiny would be different. He would not serve. He would rule.
His family irritated him with their inertia. His father could not, or would not, increase the wealth and political capital of his family — one of the prominent aristocrats on the planet Naboo. His mother meekly followed him in his blindness. Only Sheev, driven by ambition and inner strength, desired greatness.
And the Force gave him a Teacher. The Muun Hego Damask. Darth Plagueis, Dark Lord of the Sith. He saw great potential in the boy. The youth gladly and reverently agreed to become his apprentice. All that remained was to cross the line. The very line that would forever give him over to the Dark Side.
He killed them all. His entire family. At seventeen years old, Palpatine became a cold-blooded killer who had exterminated his entire lineage.
Having become Plagueis's apprentice, Sidious gave himself over entirely to the Dark Side of the Force. He studied Sith history, absorbing the precepts of the ancient Order. Plagueis didn't let him relax for a second. The Sith teachings broke a man, humiliated him, stripped him of everything he held dear. Plagueis took everything from him. And in return, he revealed the secrets of the Dark Side.
The destruction of the Jedi, the subjugation of the Galaxy — that was the goal of all the suffering he had endured for thirty years. The Sith had evolved. They took a step into the future, abandoning open confrontation with the Jedi. Cunning — that was the weapon of the Baneite Sith. The Republic would fall, struck from within. The Jedi would die trying to save it. And on the ruins of the old world, an Empire destined to last thousands of years would rise.
Plagueis controlled not only the centuries-old accumulated wealth and knowledge of the Sith, but also the vast capital of the bankers. The Muun poured all available resources into the implementation of the Plan.
And, of course, the teacher betrayed him, Palpatine.
Secretly from Sidious, he began to learn the secrets of immortality. Forgotten and forbidden knowledge of the Sith and Jedi became the object of his study. Palpatine didn't know when exactly his Teacher became obsessed with this idea, but he saw the results of these attempts.
Anakin Skywalker. The Chosen One, created by the Force itself. Raised by the Jedi, he nonetheless wasn't subject to their dogma. And he often heeded the advice of his friend — the Chancellor of the Republic.
Palpatine killed Plagueis without hesitation while he slept, and appropriated all his endeavors. There was no remorse or torment.
The Sith way is betrayal.
Sidious bound together all available Sith resources, all cults, and all followers. Despising other races, he nonetheless allowed them to help carry out his Plan.
Only a few were privy to Palpatine's true intentions. Sly Moore — an Umbaran capable of penetrating the minds of living beings. Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda, who didn't possess any extraordinary abilities but was a loyal political ally. Sate Pestage. Kinman Doriana. Count Dooku.
Palpatine slowly but surely plunged the galaxy into chaos. Easily manipulating the invasion of Naboo and Valorum's resignation, he moved toward his intended goal.
The Prophets, dwelling on the ancient Sith planet Dromund Kaas, had warned him. An invasion from outside was coming. A race alien to the Force was planning an invasion. Their ideals were beyond comprehension. Negotiations were pointless. They could only be destroyed. But the Republic was too weak for that.
The Force didn't give a clear understanding of time in its visions. Therefore, the Plan required maximum speed of execution.
Darth Maul fell on Naboo. It was on his home planet that Sidious noticed Skywalker.
The information was valuable.
He already knew the answer.
The task was difficult.
Over the years since then, he had irrevocably bent the boy toward the Dark Side, marveling at his potential and sensitivity to the Force. It was still too early to reveal himself. Palpatine waited.
But he needed a follower. An executor of his will. Someone who would become a red rag to the Jedi, drawing them away in pursuit.
Count Dooku became that suitable follower. Palpatine could not help but be amused by how easily Dooku had deceived his friend Sifo-Dyas, using him to create the Clone Army. And with what ease he had disposed of his former friend. Jedi…
It had to be admitted that Dooku had proven excessively useful. He had found countless puppets that, like chained beasts, eagerly tore at the Republic and the Jedi. Grievous. Ventress. Tyranus reported on Jedi who had taken an interest in the Dark Side.
The Count had witnessed with his own eyes how one of the Jedi on the Petranaki arena had unleashed the Dark Side, crippling hundreds of battle droids. Destruction of the Force. A technique as ancient as it was dangerous and powerful. Was it possible that one of the Jedi had fallen to the Dark Side on Geonosis? Most likely. And if so, Dooku would find him, and the army of dark followers would gain a new recruit.
Palpatine had not forgotten that incident with that Jedi; he had only briefly released it from his attention. Now, with the Dark Side appearing in the Unknown Regions, it was time to gather information about the possible fallen one. But it had to be done secretly. He summoned his mantle, letting the hood cover his face.
"Darth Tyranus," he contacted his apprentice through the holoterminal. "Have you sensed the surge of the Dark Side in the Unknown Regions?"
The aged Count nodded briefly.
"Yes, my Lord."
"The source must be found," Palpatine smiled. "Nothing must interfere with our Plan."
"As you command, my Lord," Dooku inclined his head in respect. Satisfied, Palpatine disconnected the transmitter.
Having shifted the problem onto his apprentice's shoulders, he returned to studying the reports from the fronts.