A New Player in the Force

3.07 Chancellors and Royalty

... ...

Feeling a gentle prod against my mind from a familiar source, I slowly pulled back from the deep meditative trance I’d been in. While I felt safe against losing myself to the Force, at least barring something dramatic affecting those I cared for, or a large enough group of people that it echoed through the Force across the galaxy, I was still mindful of my actions.

The Force was, for the most part, there to help me, but I knew that it wasn’t always going to agree with my intentions and ideals. I had to secure myself against it, and others who could wield it, if I wanted to survive the coming decades. As one such situation was fast approaching, that was why I’d been in a trance every time Raven soared through the mysterious energies of Hyperspace.

As my eyes opened, I looked at the cockpit’s chronometer and a small smile came to my face. Moving one hand to an organic section of the room, I reached through the Force for Raven, letting her know I was pleased and thankful for her alert. Around my hand, lights flickered and danced as I felt her pleasure in serving me. We were still a short while from emerging from hyperspace, and I wanted to be alert when I did. Not only to handle the system’s flight operations but to prepare myself for what awaited me in the Republic capital.

Checking the displays, I ensured that everything was working within expected parameters and that nothing had changed too dramatically while I’d been meditating. Nothing was, but a few readings were slightly out of sync with where I’d wanted them to be, so I’d have R2 check the mechanical systems linked to those readings once we landed.

Along with HK, the astromech were the only other ones coming with me to Coruscant. The droids were the only ones that the Banite Sith couldn’t read with the Force. Or at least the ones least likely to be at risk of being probed by the Banite Sith. There were accounts, according to records I’d read not long after being knighted, that spoke of a Dark Art that allowed a Force user to sense, manipulate, and even control mechanical devices such as droids. I’d never spent any time learning how that was done – mainly as the knowledge of Mechu-deru was restricted to Jedi Masters – but it was something Plagueis and Sidious might well be able to do. Because of that, and wanting to ensure no one tampered with Raven while we were on Coruscant, the droids would remain with her.

Anakin, as intended, had remained on Mtael’s Gift with Simvyl and Fenrir also remaining behind. The Cathar chose to stay as he wanted to atone for what happened to Anakin about half a year ago. I’d told him several times that I didn’t blame him for the Trandoshans kidnapping him, but it seemed he still needed to absolve himself. As for Fenrir, the tuk’ata had never felt at ease on Coruscant, choosing to spend most of his time on Raven. Allowing him to stay with Anakin, and thus free to hunt on the various uninhabited continents of Gaia, would keep him happy. I just had to hope that he didn’t pick a fight with something that was currently too great a challenge for him. Dooku had assured me that when Fenrir travelled to the planet, either he or Vosa or both would remain nearby to protect the creature. While I was reluctant to have that bitch anywhere near Fenrir, Dooku felt she was trustworthy enough to do so, and I was willing to accept his word that she wouldn’t step out of line around the tuk’ata. Of course, I might’ve suggested to Fenrir that if Vosa got too uppity, close, or aggressive, he was free to remove a limb or two to remind her of her place.

As Raven raced toward the hyperspace exit point for Coruscant, I again wondered if perhaps I should’ve waited a few more days before arriving. There was still a week to go until the premiere, and the less time I spent around the Co-Chancellors slash Banite Sith, the better it would be. However, arriving the day before the premiere and then leaving the day after carried a chance they might fear I no longer trusted them; or at least was distancing myself from them without reason.

When he’d contacted me, Chancellor Damask had hinted that he and Palpatine wished to speak with me about a private matter, which I inferred was a reference to the Vong. I didn’t know what the pair had dreamt up to counter an extra-galactic race of invaders who were seemingly unconnected to the Force, but I wanted to remain in the loop regarding those plans as, regardless of which of us won the coming war, the galaxy needed to be ready for the threat the Vong posed.

According to Dooku, the shroud I’d created around my mind – to hide both the change in my Force connection and my thoughts – was acceptable. He did, however, warn, that when pressed even gently by a Jedi Master as experienced as himself, to say nothing of a member of the High Council, there was a good chance they’d detect the slight flaws in the shroud. While he felt a Jedi wouldn’t choose to slip through those flaws, I knew the Banite Sith wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Because of this, I’d spent the voyage to Coruscant meditating on both strengthening that shroud and also on creating a partially false layer just behind it. The layer drew on the truth of what I was hiding, but only exposed some of it while mixing in falsehoods that, I hoped, would shield my deeper, more dangerous thoughts and memories from all but the most concerted of mental probes.

If either of the Banite Sith, never mind the pair working together, tried to smash through my defences, there was fuck all I could do to stop them. However, if that happened, Raven would sense it. She was under orders if the connection we shared felt broken or suppressed she was to alert the droids. They had a set of protocols – which, for safety, I wasn’t aware of – to use, with the worst-case scenario being to contact the Jedi and, I suspected, alert the High Council to the fact the Co-Chancellors were Banite Sith Lords.

Returning my thoughts to Dooku, with him now safe from becoming Darth Tyrannus, I had spent time wondering just when and how deeply I should bring him in on my concerns and plans. I trusted him, but I knew he saw the galaxy through rather blunt lenses. Either someone was a useful tool or a potential threat. I had caught the faintest of hints during the times he’d been testing my mental defences, where I felt he might feel I was something different. That didn’t mean he necessarily cared for me, more that he saw me as someone who could, maybe, carry forth his ideals and legacy.

I knew that he maintained great doubt about the Jedi, and while I’d not asked directly about it, I suspected it would only be a few years at most before he left the Order. If he returned to Serenno and became Count, that was something I could greatly use to my advantage. Not least the access to credits that would dwarf anything I’d earned or would earn, from the Lord of the Rings and Knights of the Old Republic series and my various musical creations. However, there were a few issues with that happening.

The most pressing was that, when he was taken as a Jedi, he’d forfeited all claim to becoming Count of House Dooku. While he was still a member of the house, which was the greatest of six houses that ruled the planet and accompanying sector, his younger brother had inherited the title a few decades ago, and he had a son who would inherit after him. In the other timeline, I suspected that not caring about them, Dooku had them removed, probably via an accident. While the Dooku I knew might well see no issues with taking such actions, I couldn’t count on it.

While he’d not clearly stated his intention to leave the Order, the way we’d spoken about how certain artefacts inside the deeper sections of the Jedi Archives, and how he wished to ‘redistribute’ them, hinted that when he did leave the Order, he wanted to take those items with him. I didn’t know what they were exactly, but I suspected some, if not most of them would be holocrons. While I’d only scratched the surface of what Adas could teach me, mainly as I was concerned that learning more from him risked heading down a path I wasn’t certain I wanted to travel, the idea of hidden knowledge appealed. Not just because it might help me defeat the Banite Sith – and if needed, the Jedi Order – but because lost abilities and techniques might help with whatever came after the wars were over and I had to rebuild the galaxy.

The biggest issue with gaining access to any of that knowledge was where it was located. Breaking into the Jedi Temple was something few people were brave or crazy enough to attempt, and the Archives were one of the most heavily defended locations in the Temple, and located deep inside it as well. There were two powers I’d had before taking Natural Selection that should be of use – those being Phase and Teleport – but they were also two that I’d not begun anything more than considering relearning; or in their case, determining how the powers should work.

I’d spent a short amount of time speaking with the Dark Woman about phasing as she was one of the few Jedi Masters who could phase which meant I had some ideas to work from. I’d also had lessons with Jedi Masters such as Plo Koon and Giiett about the laws of science for this universe, however, most of my theoretical understanding of how those powers worked was linked to memories I retained from before my rebirth. Other verses had used powers with similar effects, and I was basing my understanding on how the Force allowed those powers to work here on those sources. Or more accurately, I was using them as a working base until I discovered something better.

However, for both powers, there were major issues as to why I’d not moved beyond theoretical consideration. The biggest was that, to put it simply, I instinctively knew that I wasn’t quite ready to begin reusing them. Another major issue was overcoming the fear that when I next used the powers, I’d fuck things up somehow, and thus either end up trapped halfway through a wall or teleport to the wrong location.

Yet, before either power was relearnt, I had to rebuild my lightsaber. My initial plan, of somehow repairing the damaged crystal from my blade, had been shot down. First by Dooku and then by Adas. While I could, in theory, create an artificial crystal to replace the damaged one, doing so was considered something only a Sith did. That meant that even though I had the other crystal, a replacement krayt dragon pearl, and had the Mantle of the Force aligned entirely with me, I wasn’t yet able to build a new lightsaber.

Well, technically I could as I had a half dozen crystals that would work in a lightsaber. However, none of them had a connection to me, like the other crystals – including the ruined miniature crystal – held. Because of the feeling of finding one that I was drawn toward and that I was still considering the materials to use in its construction, I was holding off on building a replacement main lightsaber.

Those thoughts were pushed from the front of my mind as Raven reached out to me. My hands moved toward the controls as I understood what was happening, a few seconds later the familiar rush of alternating energies that occurred when moving into or out of hyperspace rushed over Raven’s hull. After that, the stars returned to their expected locations and a quick check of the navigation computers confirmed we’d arrived in the Coruscant system.

Information quickly filtered in detailing the various comings and goings of ships of virtually every size and function. They moved around in lines controlled by the system’s sprawling flight control organization, reminding me of workers moving around a hive; all serving the queen, which in this case was Coruscant.

The area we’d arrived in was one set aside for people with connections. Be that members of the Senate, special guests, or members of the Order. Even then, I wouldn’t be allowed to approach the inner system without approval, and almost on cue, the communication console beeped for attention.

Opening the channel, I was greeted by a Togruta in the uniform of the system’s defence fleet. “Please confirm your identity,” the alien asked bluntly, sounding bored of their job.

“Jedi Knight Cameron Shan aboard the Jade Raven,” I replied while Raven transmitted out ident codes.

“One moment.” The Togruta looked down, working at whatever console he was stationed at, going over the code I’d sent and confirming it against those on records. “Identity confirmed. Welcome back to Coruscant, Master Jedi. Your ship has been expected for some time. As such, you have Cresh-One clearance.”

“Understood.” Cresh-One was one of the higher clearance codes and a standard code for Jedi and important visitors.

“There is a request from Chancellor Damask’s office to both alert him of your arrival and request you alter your flight path for the Senate. Is this acceptable?”

“Yes.” I couldn’t say no to the Chancellor, even if I’d have preferred a few hours planet-side before having to go face to face with the Chancellors.

“One moment. Flightpath and clearance altered. Besh-One clearance granted.” I blinked in surprise as that clearance code was used only for special guests of Senate members. Amusingly, it meant that not only wouldn’t I have to worry about customs searching Raven, but that I had a direct flightpath to the Senate building. “Please stay upon your assigned flightpath.”

“Understood,” I replied as I pushed power into Raven’s engines. While getting there early would mean facing the Banite Sith before was ideal, it would let Raven enjoy herself a little before spending a week or two grounded.

The Togruta glared at me. “That was not a request. Your vessel has thirty-four infractions registered against it. Even with Jedi and Senatorial clearance, that sort of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, tossing the bureaucrat a mock salute before closing the channel. “Thirty-four, huh?” I added looking up at the ceiling. “Let’s see if we can get that up to forty before we land.” Raven’s amusement and agreement radiated through the Force. “Kicking in the burn.”

… …

… …

(Hego Damask’s POV)

His eyes were scanning another round of mind-numbingly pedantic reports submitted by various members of the Senate and the frankly improbable number of sub-committees that required his signature. Some even insisted that he provide an opinion. Plagueis had grown used to dealing with such reports while in his guise as head of Damask Holdings, however, the amount of needless paperwork that the Senate produced, which Sidious claimed was done so the Senators, their adjuncts, and other members of staff, could feel important, was on a level that made clear that even without the Grand Plan’s actions over the last millennium, the Republic would’ve fallen into chaos. All that had come before himself and Sidious had done was simply accelerate that decline and direct it along paths that best served the interests of the Sith.

He knew this was not all the paperwork he had to face, as Sidious had an equal pile arriving daily in his inbox, however, in the year since becoming Co-Chancellor, Plagueis had moments where he considered if the plan that had placed him here had been worth it. Decades had been spent shopping events to ensure Sidious, in his guise as Sheev Palpatine, could be elected Chancellor of the Republic, and from there have Plagueis’ public persona appointed as Co-Chancellor, yet when he had time to review the various steps that led to this time and place, Plagueis did wonder if there might have been a wiser path to take. Or at least one that would save him from devoting so much of his valuable time and focus to the pathetic mewing of beings as far below him as a beast of burden was to any sentient.

Yet, for all that dislike of his new position, Plagueis knew the benefits outweighed his distaste for the drawbacks. Not only did he, along with Sidious, have complete access to any record the Republic held – most of which was, sadly, less accurate than what the Order of Darth Bane had gathered over the last thousand years – but it allowed him the chance to shape and influence events in ways he could never do as head of Damask Holdings. One of those ways was the individual that Plagueis sensed approaching his office. The Jedi Cameron Shan.

There was no way the descendant of Darth Revan – the Sith Lord whose ideas had helped shape the Order Darth Bane had created a thousand years before – would remain with the Jedi. Even lacking the ability to peer into the future, something Plagueis’ former Master, Darth Tenebrous had stripped from him, it was clear to any that Shan’s path lay away from the inward-looking and distracted Jedi. Yet the Jedi continued to not only allow him to remain within their Order, but they foolishly believed Shan was their Chosen One.

Shan was powerful for his age and had the potential to surpass any Jedi, but he was not there yet. Nor was he the Chosen One. That prophecy was a false one that was nothing more than a pale imitation of the concept of the Sith’ari. That title, in theory, might have belonged to Darth Bane for his actions in showing the Sith the true path. However, Plagueis believed that he was the Sith’ari, or that in the decades to come, he would become it. And, amusingly to him, it was because of Shan’s emergence and changes that Plagueis was on the path needed to be the most powerful Sith to ever live.

His research had accelerated in the years since he had first met Shan, to the point he could manipulate the midi-chlorians within his body; granting him an ability no Sith had ever wielded. In time, Plagueis knew he would rise to a level of power that none since the Celestials had wielded, and with that, he would shape the Force to his will, bend it for eternity to his desires.

That didn’t mean that the plan of him sharing power with Sidious was in any way being discarded, or that Shan might not have a role to play in the new era Plagueis was creating – every empire needed a Wrath to enforce the will of its Emperor – just that, Plagueis felt he would be the first among equals in the New Order.

Turning his mind fully to Shan – whom he had been alerted to having arrived in the Senate building and was being escorted to this office – Plagueis wondered what the changes he had sensed meant. Plagueis had sensed Shan’s arrival in the system; the way the Shroud of the Dark Side that he and Sidious had placed over the Force alerted him to the Force user’s arrival. However, the more Plagueis had probed the Shroud, the more intrigued he found himself growing about this upcoming meeting.

In preparation for it, Plagueis had slowly grasped control of the Shroud, ready to use it to determine what changes had occurred to Shan. The change in Shan’s Force presence, even though the Human attempted weakly to hide it, by itself was worthy of research. This was, after all, the second time Shan had altered his connection to the Force in ways that Plagueis had yet to determine. That this latest change generated ripples in the Shroud, something only the most powerful of Jedi Masters – or those that posed a threat to the Grand Plan – could do, was another matter that needed to be carefully examined in the upcoming meeting. Along with that, however, Shan had discovered some form of Sith training to hide the fury that, even half a star system, Plagueis had sensed that vibrated within the Human’s core.

Plagueis remembered vividly the first time he had encountered Shan, and how under the flaws in his style, the inklings of one who enjoyed battle – found a thrill in the hunt – existed. Plagueis and Sidious had seen how that thrill had grown when Shan spoke of his battle with those strange aliens who were unconnected to the Force, and then when viewing the recording of Shan’s defeat of Sidious’ assassin, how he embraced the ethos of the Mandalorians – a group the Sith had employed often in the past to weaken and kill Jedi – into his combat style. Everything since that first meeting had made clear that Shan’s path lay toward how the Force was meant to be wielded, yet as he felt Shan moving in an elevator toward this office, Plagueis knew Shan was aware of this path and felt as if he was close to embracing it. The question, or the latest one to add to the list that surrounded the enigma of Darth Revan’s descendent, was how and where Shan had learnt ancient Sith teachings on hiding the truth of the path he was close to accepting.

Around half a year ago, a wave of pure, unrestrained rage had pulsed over the Force, the Shroud making it clear to Plagueis and Sidious while muting the Jedi’s chances of sensing the event. Through meditation, Sidious had determined that the wave of rage was, as both he and Plagueis had believed, generated by Shan. The Human had, for reasons that neither of them had yet been able to determine clearly, snapped.

The flood of rage and destruction Plagueis had felt had been almost unstrained. A few weeks later, Plagueis had sensed the rage come forth once again, though this time, without mentioning the matter to Sidious, Plagueis had been able to determine that Shan’s rage, once unrefined and unfocused, had hardened. This second event had seen Shan channel his desires into a cold, brutal edge. One that only someone with training in the ways of the Sith could develop, at least in such a brief period of time. That the hints of that training were seeping from Shan as he approached Plagueis’ office, only increased his interest in determining when, where, and how Shan had gained that training.

Plagueis would not be forcing the matter today. Shan’s purpose in the Grand Plan, while still unsettled, was clear. However, he intended to probe cautiously to see what he could learn from the false Jedi when they met. That Sidious would not be present for the initial stages of this meeting – instead, distracted by a minor matter that he could not avoid – granted Plagueis the chance to investigate Shan in isolation. He knew that he and Sidious would, within a decade or two, rule the galaxy in a New Order that would rise from the ashes of the Republic and Jedi. However, Plagueis wanted to see, without his apprentice’s presence, how Shan fit into the Grand Plan, and how the Human might be subtly directed toward the choices that best helped Plagueis’ vision for the future.

Plagueis placed down the report – one detailing a request from the senator from Corellia for lowering their tax burden further – on the to-do pile on his desk. His hand was over the small console on his desk before the intercom beeped and flashed for attention. “Yes?” He asked, making sure to not respond too quickly and generate any hint of surprise from his assistant.

The Munn that manned the outer office was one of several that Plagueis had brought with him from Damask Holdings. As Plagueis lacked the figures who’d spent decades around the Senate, he had drawn from his former public role. Like Sidious, many of Plagueis’ upper servants knew the truth of who Damask was, and had sworn themselves to his service, and the outside team he had brought from Damask Holdings had helped to enforce one of the major reasons Palpatine had pushed for Hego Damask to become Co-Chancellor: That the Senate, and those working in and around it, had grown self-interested instead of serving the people who elected them.

It had not taken Sidious much work to gather support for Hego Damask to become Co-Chancellor. The groundwork for generating a lack of trust and support for the Senate and the office of the Chancellor had been laid down over the last fifty-plus years. While Hego Damask was a shadowy figure to many, Damask Holdings was a reasonably well-known, highly successful, and respected entity; the appointment had generally generated positive reactions. The only worlds that had expressed concern were those in the Core and along major hyperspace routes, that exposed a Human-centric ideology. That, however, played into the plans Plagueis and Sidious were developing for how to enact the final stages of the Grand Plan, as did the fact all of Damask’s staff were non-Human.

“Jedi Cameron Shan has arrived.”

“Send him in.” Plagueis rose before the doors slid open, his tall form casting a long shadow across the polished floor. The Human entered with steady, unhurried steps. "It has been some time, Master Jedi," Plagueis greeted, stepping forward, a gesture meant to communicate a sense of equality. A minor courtesy, perhaps, but one he had yet to extend to any other Jedi.

Shan offered a thin smile as he strode into the centre of the room. “That it has, Chancellor,” the Human replied, extending his arm in the age-old gesture of camaraderie. “And might I offer my congratulations on the, if not direct promotion, then change in direction?”

A chuckle rumbled low in Plagueis’ throat. “Thank you for being one of the few to phrase it as such.” Most others had either fawned or fumbled, offering hollow congratulations while subtly hinting at the favours they sought from the new Co-Chancellor. He’d grown accustomed to that, after decades running Damask Holdings, yet he anticipated that this conversation with Shan would not tread that familiar, tedious ground. “I must admit, when Chancellor Palpatine extended his invitation for me to join him as co-Chancellor, I was... hesitant.”

“Changing a tank of sharks for an arena of kath hounds?” Shan’s smile widened.

Plagueis allowed himself a soft laugh. “A succinct metaphor, though not how I might have phrased it.” He broke the handshake, turning slightly to gesture toward the comfortable arrangement of sofas near the far side of the office. The circular glass table, encircled by three sofas large enough for three men apiece, was where Plagueis liked to put those he wished to consider him a friend—or where he and Sidious encircled a sentient in their coils, without ever making it seem so. “I understand business, economics, and the way the Republic’s machine functions on a grand scale. Some of that carries into politics, yet most of it... does not. As we’ve seen with the recent debacle surrounding Naboo.”

“Has Damask Holdings’ association with the Trade Federation caused you trouble?” Shan asked, his tone casual, though the question was laid bare early in their exchange. It gave Plagueis pause. Shan was no fool, and his inquiry, though gentle in the Force, struck at the core of what others feared to speak of openly.

Plagueis hesitated only a heartbeat before answering. “A few murmurs, yes, from those who enjoy shouting scandal without cause. Some, in less... reputable publications, even hinted I played a role in orchestrating the blockade.” He dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. “But such voices are distant echoes, drowned out by the educated and the reasonable.” Reaching the sofas, Plagueis halted and gestured toward a well-stocked stand, brimming with exotic bottles. “Might I offer you a drink?”

The display was designed to impress—a selection of rare spirits from every corner of the galaxy. Plagueis himself had little interest in such indulgences; the taste and texture of alcohol held no appeal, not after his injuries on Sojourn, now healed. Still, he had learned to play the part. Among the bottles was a Nabooian whisky that Sidious favoured—dangerous, but not without refinement.

“Sure,” Shan said, his eyes drifting over the unfamiliar labels. “It seems I’m uncertain of my options.”

“Might I suggest Nabooian whisky? Chancellor Palpatine holds a particular fondness for it.”

“Thank you.” Shan dipped his head in appreciation.

Plagueis moved to the bar with the ease of long practice, selecting the cleaner of the two bottles. The other, lightly marked near its rim, held something a little extra—something for those more easily swayed. Shan, however, was no such fool. A trained Jedi, he would sense anything untoward before it touched his lips. No, this was not the time for trickery. Plagueis poured two glasses and returned, offering one to Shan before settling himself into the opposite sofa.

The Jedi took the glass with a nod. “I notice you no longer wear your mask.”

Plagueis took a measured sip of his own Munn brandy, the taste wholly irrelevant to him. “After Mandalore, I began an intense regimen of treatment. It took years, but the damage healed in time.” He tilted the glass toward the mask on display near his desk. “Yet, the mask remains close. A reminder of what I am. Power, no matter how vast, cannot make one invulnerable.” He smiled faintly; the gesture steeped in meaning. “Not yet at least.”

“A feeling I can relate to.” Shan’s smile faltered just slightly as he raised his artificial arm, drawing attention to the replacement limb.

“Such scars remind us of our missteps. Of the lessons we must learn and never repeat.” Plagueis' gaze lingered on the false limb as Shan took a sip of his whisky.

“Ooh, that’s nice,” the Human muttered. “But yes, this is a constant reminder of my weakness,” he continued, lifting the glass. “Thankfully the replacement doesn’t force me to switch arms, ensuring I can continue to savour something this delightful.” He smiled again, this time more genuinely. “Might I ask the name of this brand so I can add some to my stores?”

“I shall have a crate delivered to your apartment,” Plagueis countered smoothly, seeing an opportunity to ingratiate himself further. The Jedi Temple or Kaldani Spires—wherever Shan chose to reside—it mattered little. Either way, it was a gesture of goodwill, a favour that could be called upon later. He might even arrange for a small, discreet device to be hidden within the crate. If Shan detected it, well, it could be written off as a mistake, an error on the part of some underling. But if not...

“That’s too generous,” Shan said, brow furrowing slightly. The brief slip in his composure revealed something Plagueis had long suspected. For just an instant, the Jedi’s defences wavered, allowing Plagueis a glimpse into the depths of his mind.

The power radiating from Shan was raw, primal—unrefined but vast. Like a reservoir barely contained beneath the surface. It thrummed with an ancient cadence, far older than Shan himself, far more dangerous than his outward appearance suggested. Intriguing.

“I can’t accept it,” Shan said, the trace of unease in his voice undeniable now.

“Consider it a gift between friends,” Plagueis replied smoothly, maintaining the air of warmth and hospitality. Inwardly, he was already dissecting what he had sensed, what he had glimpsed. There was more to Cameron Shan than the Jedi let on, something Plagueis would uncover in time. “And friends should not stand on ceremony.”

Shan paused, then nodded. “Then, in the spirit of friendship, I gratefully accept.”

Plagueis settled back, his mind already turning over the implications of what he had felt. Whatever secrets Cameron Shan harboured; they were more than worth the pursuit. Perhaps more dangerous than even Sidious had imagined.

Shan had learnt Sith teachings. Not those of Darth Bane, but those that lay at the core of the Sith ideology. Ones that traced their roots back, if Plagueis recalled correctly, to when the followers of Bogan were expelled from the Je’daii Order and exiled, eventually discovering Korriban and the Sith species. Plagueis had to restrain his curiosity to dive any deeper into Shan’s mind. As much as he wanted to learn the answers to this new riddle, he knew that doing so now carried risk. The Force warned him that Shan had done something to protect himself, though if Plagueis was interpreting what the Force was sensing, this protection was not aimed at him and Sidious, but at protecting Shan from the Jedi.

For a moment, Plagueis wondered if perhaps choosing a young rebellious boy from Naboo as his apprentice was a mistake. That thought was dismissed in the next instant, as without the way Sidious had played career politician and inserted himself into the heart of the Republic, the Grand Plan would be nowhere near as close to completion as it was. Still, the idea of taking Shan as his apprentice was one that held appeal to Plagueis. Shan had the potential to match Sidious, surpass him even, but any attempt to cultivate that potential would have to be done so remotely. The final stages of the Grand Plan had to take priority.

As they sipped their drinks, enjoying a moment of comfortable silence, Plagueis considered the differences between his apprentice and the young Human sitting opposite. Sidious had a natural ability to hide his Force presence that even now, decades after he had begun the Naboo’s training, he still could not fully pierce the protections Sidious generated. Sidious was powerful, but he chose, much like Plagueis and Darth Tenebrous, to hide that power; to present a public persona of one far less threatening than they truly were.

Shan was an entirely different breed of creature. He was power, aggression and fury that was as of now, still unrestrained. It was, Plagueis realised, like gazing into the first stages of a solar storm as it began to form. Yet, while Sidious kept his power hidden, misdirecting others from its devastating potential, Shan chose to simply hold it back. The process Shan used was a poor, barely held-together facsimile of what he had once appeared as; something distant and isolated within the Force. Yet Plagueis could see that, if the power Shan held back was ever unleashed, it had the potential to shatter worlds with simple effort.

Either Shan would harness his power properly, as it had seemed he had begun to do, and rise to be a powerful Dark Sider, or he would lose control and become a wild beast. Either way, Plagueis could see paths down which to guide Shan that would decimate the Jedi and Republic, and make the Grand Plan’s final act a thousand times more devastating than it currently was intended to be.

“Will Chancellor Palpatine be joining us?” Shan asked, breaking the silence.

“He shall be joining us shortly. There was a matter regarding the invasion of Naboo that needed his attention that he was unable to avoid.” Plagueis knew Sidious would explain the details once he arrived, and that it would draw Shan’s attention.

“How is the investigation into the Trade Federation progressing?”

“About as slowly as one would expect,” Plagueis replied. “The exact details are a personal matter for my Co-Chancellor, and I feel it is best I allow him to bring you up to speed once he arrives.” Shan nodded, accepting that and took a fifth sip of his whisky. While not the strongest drink that a Human could have, the Nabooian variety was potent. If he were not a Force user and thus trained to purge the toxins from his system, Plagueis might fear Shan would be inebriated before Sidious arrived.

After another ten minutes, in which Plagueis and Shan had spoken about several mundane events relating to their lives over the last year, the door to the office slid open. Plagueis turned, seeing his apprentice entering in a slightly hurried fashion. While he might not be able to pierce the protections Sidious used to hide his Force presence, after decades of training him, Plagueis knew how to sense the faint fluctuations Sidious generated within the Force when nearby.

“I do hope I’m not late,” Sidious said, using that silken smooth grandfatherly tone he favoured when speaking with those he wished to ingratiate himself with, as he moved into the Force.

“Not at all uncle,” Shan said as he stood, moving to greet Sidious. “I was just learning about the changes that have been forced upon the Senate due to their being Co-Chancellor.”

Sidious’ expression faltered, some concern slipping through. “I do hope such an irritating and boring discussion hasn’t in any way soured your mood,” he replied, grasping Shan’s flesh and bone forearm with both of his hands.

Shan chuckled. “No. Thankfully Mag… Chancellor Damask was able to explain the rule changes without me feeling an urge to finish my glass.”

Sidious smiled widely. “Thank the Force for that. I know that when I had the changes explained to me and was required to explain the rule alterations to the Senate and then get their support for my decision, I struggled to make it through the presentations without boredom overcoming me.”

“I suspect that, given the Holonet reports about the Senate, that is something you have faced for some time, and, without it sounding as if I wish to cause you pain, that you and Chancellor Damask endure for years to come.”

“We understand your meaning, even if the idea of spending anything more than a single term as Co-Chancellor has yet to become appealing,” Plagueis interjected from the sofa where he remained sitting. With the attention of Shan returned to him, Plagueis gestured to the other sofas, suggesting the pair sit.

Sidious moved to Shan’s side, and after placing a gentle hand on the young Human’s back, guided him toward the sofas. Once closer, Sidious smirked. “I see that my Co-Chancellor has suggested a familiar drink for you.”

“Indeed. The whisky is one I am quite enjoying,” Shan said as he moved back to his seat.

Sidious stepped around the sofas and moved toward the stand behind Plagueis. “Then it would be remiss of me to not join you in sharing a bottle.”

Shan sat down, offering Plagueis a nod which he returned, and then picked up his glass enjoying another sip of the whisky. “Oh, before I forget,” He said just as Plagueis heard Sidious pick up his glass. Shan shifted, his artificial arm sliding into his robes. Plagueis watched carefully, curious as to what the Human was doing even as the Force assured him there was no incoming threat. “I wished to thank you, Chancellor Damask, for the ancient Jedi blade you gifted me for what happened on Mandalore, and to celebrate the ascension of both of you to the position of Chancellor.”

Plagueis, sensing a faint shift in the Force – one hinting at a not-unwelcome surprise – placed his glass on the table between him and Shan. At the same time, Sidious moved to the third sofa and settled down as Shan searched around inside his robes.

“There is no need for you to feel obligated to return the favour. Your actions on Mandalore saved my life whereas this position isn’t one I, thankfully, had to fight for my life to acquire.”

Shan chuckled at Plagueis’ comment. “True, but it is still a momentous moment to have two of the few people in this galaxy I consider colleagues hold the most powerful office in the Republic.” It was interesting to Plagueis that Shan used colleagues instead of friends, but from the probe he had behind Shan’s outer mental barriers, the Muun knew the Human was being trustful.

Plagueis nodded, accepting the reasoning only to then freeze as Shan pulled two wrapped objects from his robes. When the hand had searched for the gifts, there had been no hint in the Force of anything occurring, yet just before the objects appeared in his view, Plagueis had sensed an odd shift in the Force. That, however, was quickly ignored as the objects radiated in the Force in ways that Plagueis should’ve sensed before Shan had even entered the office.

Plagueis, along with his equally surprised – though only they knew the other was surprised – watched as Shan placed the objects on the table between the trio. The one that instantly had Plagueis’ attention – which had a triangular shape was closer to him while the other – which was a cube – was placed near Sidious.

“What exactly are these?” Sidious asked with curiosity in his tone. That curiosity wasn’t for the gifts, as both Sith could sense them through the Force and were well aware of what lay under the covers, but for how Shan had snuck them so close without either Sith Lord sensing them. Another wrinkle in the enigma that was Cameron Shan, and one that, along with the others, Plagueis assured himself he would uncover.

“As I said, I wanted to celebrate your position as Co-Chancellors, uncle, and when I was in your former office, I noted several pieces of art there. Forgive my prying, but I searched for them on the Holonet and was surprised to discover that they held connections to the Jedi.”

Sidious gave the younger Human a warm, grandfatherly smile. “I had no idea you were that interested in my passions.”

“I’m not, but the random burst of curiosity I had in a moment of solitude led me to research the items that decorated your former office. Then, after your elevation to Chancellor, the idea of offering something to celebrate your position.” He paused and looked at Plagueis. “Your positions, I should say. The idea of celebrating that felt the right choice to make.”

“Your actions in freeing my home from the illegal shackles of the Trade Federation are worth far more to me than my current position,” Sidious replied, being the consummate politician.

“Perhaps, but I still felt I should honour our friendship with these gifts,” Shan countered, showing some skill in convincing others. That was a subtle change in the Human, but one Plagueis had expected as Shan was now a Jedi Knight, and the Order, for all its flaws, made sure its members were decently skilled in public discourse as they rose through the ranks.

“Then in the spirit of friendship and the alliance we share, I am honoured to accept this… whatever it is.” Sidious chuckled gently, gesturing at the still-covered object. The ease with which Sidious could convince others of his sincerity continued, even nearly half a century later, to impress Plagueis. While the Muun knew how to pretend to be Hego Damask perfectly, Sidious was a born master at the art of subtle misdirection and verbal trickery. The very reason that when Plagueis had searched the Force for his apprentice’s true name, the word Insidious had come to mind. The Human from Naboo was born to slide his way into the graces of any around him; an effect that had advanced the Grand Plan to the point where Plagueis knew he would be the one, alongside his apprentice, to bring it to fruition. “May we uncover what you have brought us?”

“Of course,” Shan replied with a good-natured smirk. The Jedi was enjoying the moment, and Plagueis made sure to reward him with a look of a seemingly genuine smile.

His arm stretched out, his long thin fingers grasping the cover and lifting it clear. Even though he knew he’d see a familiar red triangular pyramid under the cover, when his eyes landed upon it, Plagueis inhaled genuinely. Being gifted a Sith holocron by a Jedi while sitting in his office as a Co-Chancellor of the Republic was an ironic moment of such proportions that it deserved a truthful reaction.

“Oh my.” Plagueis turned at his apprentice’s authentic-sounding reaction. “Is this…”

“A Jedi holocron,” Shan finished with a wide amused grin. “And that, Chancellor Damask, is a Sith one.”

“I have never seen such a thing in person,” Plagueis replied convincingly even as, in the deepest part of his mind, hidden from even his apprentice, he laughed at the sheer absurdity of the moment he was experiencing. Yet even as he did, the question of where Shan had acquired these holocrons danced around his thoughts. “Is it permissible for you to grant such objects to us?”

Shan shrugged. “What the High Council doesn't know about won’t hurt them,” He said in a quieter, conspiratorial tone. “Besides, knowing the Jedi Chief Historian, if I handed them over to her they would be locked away in some vault for years, if not decades. I’d probably also be dragged before the Council for days explaining where and how I obtained them. Specifically, that one,” He added pointing at the Sith holocron in front of Plagueis.

Shan then leaned forward. “It would be wise to ensure that they aren’t present in your offices if a member of the Order comes to speak with you.” As he finished he offered an exaggerated wink, which drew an honest amused reaction from Plagueis.

“As much as the reaction of Masters Yoda or Windu to seeing such a thing in my office intrigues me, I accept and understand your caution,” Plagueis replied. One day, he would display the holocron openly, but for now, he would heed the young Human’s caution. Not least because having the Jedi learn about the holocron and how it came to be in his possession would place Shan in a position that currently didn’t serve a useful purpose.

“As do I,” Sidious agreed, his fingers brushing against the surface of the inferior Jedi copy of a Sith holocron. “That said, I am curious to learn how and where you discovered these marvellous items.”

Sidious leaned closer, adding to his inquiry and Plagueis was pleased to see even during this moment of surprise, his apprentice was continuing to strengthen the connection he shared with Shan. Plagueis’ connection to the Jedi wasn’t as strong, as it lacked the personal connection that Sidious had developed with Shan while the younger Human had posed as his nephew during an assignment from the Jedi. Still, Plagueis intended to maintain and strengthen the connection as Sidious was doing so that Shan might unwittingly be brought into enacting the final stages of the Grand Plan.

“Yours I found many years ago on one of several expeditions I took part in below the Temple.” Plagueis’ brow rose, not expecting to hear that such items had been abandoned in such a location. “From what I’ve learnt, the tunnels there were once used by the Order thousands of years ago. Over time, and after multiple wars, they were abandoned and are now overrun by various creatures.”

Shan turned to Plagueis. “This one, however, was one I discovered by chance. During a recent voyage of self-discovery, the Force led me to a location that subtly radiated the Dark Side. I faced a few challenges there, but in the end, clearing the area was a simple matter. That holocron, which is inert as far as I can tell, was the only thing I found there, and when combined with the other, I felt it would make an interesting gift for you Chancellor.”

Thanks to his mental probe, Plagueis knew there was more to the story Shan was telling, but not enough to suggest that the Human was attempting to deceive him. If he wanted, Plagueis could discover what was being withheld, but doing so would require a more potent analysis of the Human’s mind. Doing that would alert Shan to the truth of who Plagueis was, and while knowing the truth appealed, Plagueis knew Shan had a role to play still in the Grand Plan and that removing him from the equation could cause unexpected, and potentially devastating, ripples to that plan.

“Then like my Co-Chancellor, I am honoured to accept your gift, and will ensure that the Jedi remain unaware of its existence.” Shan nodded, pleased with Plagueis’ words. Plagueis knew that, once this meeting was over and he could withdraw to a more secure location, he would examine the holocron Shan had gifted him, but he doubted there would be anything of value held within it. Still, the item would have a place of importance in his residence simply for the improbable amusement of a Jedi gifting a Sith holocron to a Sith Lord. “I have seen images of holocrons, but I never expected to physically see one, much less be its owner.”

“Then I’m happy to have fulfilled a long-held desire,” Shan offered with a wide smile, enjoying the moment even if he might not understand the full depth of it. “If you have further questions about them, such as how to activate the Jedi one, I would be happy to demonstrate that to you. Though I would suggest we do that somewhere further from the Jedi Temple than our current location.”

“Perhaps your apartment at Kaldani Spires?” Sidious offered.

“I do intend to stay there while here. The Temple… there are several members of the Order I would prefer to avoid,” Shan offered, piquing Plagueis’ curiosity. From the probe he was using, the Muun knew senior members of the Jedi would be able to pierce Shan’s defences and sense the same darkness that Plagueis did. However, the brief images of several – some familiar – other members of the Order suggested that wasn’t Shan’s primary reason for staying clear of the Temple. “If it is acceptable, Chancellor.”

“But of course,” Plagueis responded. “The apartment – one of the best in the building besides my own – was transferred to the ownership of one Cameron Williamson not long after I granted it to you.”

“Thank you,” Shan said, not concerned about Plagueis using his penname. As he spoke, his flesh hand moved to the replacement limb and scratched at the metal as if it itched.

“Has the arm been causing you any issues?” Sidious asked, changing the subject based on Shan’s actions.

“No, just a few lingering phantom pains.”

“From what I hear that is something that continues for some time,” Sidious said, his gaze on the replacement limb. “I note that you haven’t chosen to have synthflesh placed over it.”

Shan smirked and lifted the arm, using his other hand to pull back the sleeve of his robe and expose the full device. Plagueis noted the distinctive rippled effect of beskar covering the surface; a wise precaution to add to something that was both a weakness and a clear target for an opponent. Plagueis had known his mask had presented a target for any targeting him. That Shan had taken that flaw and turned it into an advantage, one that would allow him to grasp a lightsaber was another sign that the Human saw things through the eyes of a warrior.

“I did consider it. However, with the, shall we say extra features, then any time I use those the flesh would rip,” Shan answered. “It’s simple enough to hide its presence by wearing a glove so others are unaware of it.” Shan turned the arm around, exposing the underside. That then slid open, revealing a chamber that was currently empty, but Plagueis noted was large enough to hold a lightsaber hilt. An interesting design choice, and reminiscent of how Plagueis hid his hilt inside a seemingly innocuous location. “Thank you again for the design,” Shan added as he closed the section and lowered his arm.

“It was the least I and the Republic could do to honour your sacrifice in freeing Naboo,” Sidious countered. “Much as Queen Amidala and the Naboo Ruling council by granting you citizenship on Naboo along with a residence in the Lake Country.”

Shan chuckled. “I’ve yet to visit the place, but according to the details, I’m led to believe it’s located close to both where the Queen grew up and your family’s manor.”

“It is, though I have not had much time to return to Convergence in the years since I became a member of the Senate. Perhaps, if time ever allows, we might arrange a shared vacation to Naboo. While far different from where Chancellor Damask lived, I believe he would enjoy the solitude of the region.”

Plagueis lowered his head, accepting the idea put forth by his apprentice. It was unlikely to occur, as the demands of State and whatever plans Shan had for his future would take precedence. However, the idea of spending even a single week on a remote planet around Shan would be an ideal location to delve into the mysteries that seemed to swirl around the time-displaced Force user.

“On the chance the Republic is free of a crisis that requires the attention of its Chancellors, I shall endeavour to find time in my far quieter schedule for a shared vacation.” There was humour at the idea in Shan’s tone and facial expression, but underneath in, at the edges of what Plagueis could sense in the Human’s mind, hints of concern, if not outright fear, flickered. Why that would be, Plagueis couldn’t sense, but it was something he would need to meditate on later, on the remote chance that, for a currently unknown reason, Shan was in some way frightened of Plagueis and Sidious.

“Might I ask what other features the Mandalorian engineers added to your arm?” Plagueis probed. He expected Shan to be hesitant about directly answering, and before a verbal response came, Plagueis sensed that uncertainty from the Human’s mind.

“I would prefer to keep such things unsaid, Chancellor. A few of the suggestions they offered, and that I may or may not have taken onboard, skirt Republic law.”

“Understandable,” he replied, accepting the excuse. Many parts of Republic law were, even ignoring the twisted logic applied after the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, so flawed and outdated that Plagueis still struggled to understand how they remained active. Yes, previous Sith Lords had influenced events to ensure the Reformation remained in place, but until Sidious came along, the direct ability to guide the Senate had never been present, meaning moves should have been made to lift some of the Reformation’s restrictions. That they hadn’t was both a blessing and curse that Plagueis and Sidious would have to untangle over the coming years for the Grand Plan to come to fruition.

“How has the Jedi Council reacted to your limb?” Sidious asked, taking control of the conversation in the way Plagueis had intended. Sidious would lead Shan down certain paths of inquiry while Plagueis would interject at times to probe for kernels of information that might be of use. “I suspect they would be concerned about more Mandalorian influence on your choices.”

Sham bit down back a bark of laughter. “Much like the holocrons,” he gestured at the table where the objects still rested, “The Council is unaware of the design and features of my new limb. As they haven’t asked for details, I have chosen to not offer them.” That had Plagueis smiling, as it was another sign that Shan was distanced from the Council, meaning he was free of their illogical thinking. With time before events reached their crescendo, that distance could be exploited to turn Shan into a useful element of chaos in the Republic, if not shape him into becoming an instrument of his and Sidious’ to enforce the new order once it came into effect. “If I must speak with them, I will wear a glove and avoid drawing any attention to it.”

“A wise choice,” Plagueis offered while raising his glass. Shan returned the gesture.

“Chancellor Damask mentioned you were handling something relating to the invasion, uncle. Is there anything you can tell me about how the investigation into the Trade Federation is progressing?”

Shan’s change of topic was a logical one, and that he was comfortable shifting smoothly, another sign he was learning the art of controlling – or at least guiding – meetings. Another small facet that could be turned to the Sith’s benefit.

Sidious sighed loudly, showing annoyance. “Sadly, no. With the death of the Viceroy Gunray alongside that of his senior commanders, the trail has gone cold. Ideally, we would gather the files from the command vessel the Federation used to find more information. However, the Mandalorians are reluctant to provide the Republic access to the core of said vessel. So much so that when the Jedi assigned to that sector attempted to access the vessel, the Mandalorian leadership expelled him from the sector and filed a formal petition with the Senate.”

That petition had not been one aimed at the Senate or Jedi overreaching, but at the fact that the Lucrehulk was private property. Even though the two most powerful figures in Mandalorian society had been involved in the battle for Naboo, they had acted outside diplomatic channels, and as such the Jedi who had trespassed had inflamed tensions between the Order and the Mandalorians. Plagueis already saw ways to use the strengthening and boisterous Mandalorians to help with the Grand Plan, but it was not yet time to antagonise those in the Outer Rim, not with the issues the death of Viceroy Gunray caused.

The new directorate of the Trade Federation, while not having the spine of even members of the Senate, wasn’t as weak as Gunray had been. Sidious was working to bring them into line for what was to come, but the death of Gunray would push the project back slightly. With Master Dooku no longer a viable figurehead for the insurgency that would challenge the Republic, the delay caused by Gunray’s death was manageable. Additionally, with him now as Co-Chancellor, it was conceivable that Plagueis could remain in office alongside his apprentice for longer than they might otherwise be able to by exploiting the rules of the Senate to their advantage.

Shan grunted at Sidious’ description of events in the Mandalorian sector. “That the Council didn’t see that reaction coming is embarrassing. The Mandalorians have long memories and still resent the actions taken by the Republic and Order centuries ago.”

Plagueis nodded at Shan’s words, remembering the flawed action taken during the Mandalorian Incision. While it was an unusually proactive one for the Jedi to take, there was some logic behind them having done so. The Mandalorians were rearming in the Outer Rim and the Jedi feared another conflict only a few centuries after the New Sith Wars. The flaw in their action was not in striking at the Mandalorians, but in believing that not wiping out the culture would somehow ensure the Mandalorians came to heel. They were a warrior people and the only way to break that resolve was to shatter their will to fight. Something Darth Revan had done millennia before over Malachor V.

While it was a minor point, Plagueis found it an amusing point of symmetry that the Jedi had tried to destroy the Mandalorians with the Incision. Yet now, with the chosen template of the Clone Army that was being constructed for the coming war, a Mandalorian would be the form of the Jedi’s executioners. The Mandalorians would be a minor threat; the new order would have to be ground to dust after the Republic and Jedi fell, but before then they would have the chance to enact their revenge on the Jedi. In the service of the Sith, of course.

“Yes. The current Senator for their sector was quite clear in stating that when the incident was brought before the Senate,” Plagueis offered, remembering the rather colourful language the Human had used to describe the Jedi, and by extension the Republic.

“Still, if those files would help the investigation, I can reach out to those who took the Saak’ak as payment for their help. While I don’t think they’d allow Republic technicians to examine the core, I think I could convince them to provide a copy of it for a price.” Shan rubbed his chin the way many Jedi did only to stop almost instantly and look at the hand as if offended by it. “At least if the vessel hasn’t been broken apart and sold for scrap.”

“It has not,” Plagueis offered. “Our most recent intelligence reports suggest the Mandalorians are converting it into a defence station over their capital. Technically the armaments on the Lucrehulk violate the Ruusan Reformation. However, as it was the Trade Federation that armed the vessel, and with the Senate distracted by other matters – most of which are irritatingly irrelevant – no formal vote has been taken to demand the Mandalorians de-arm the vessel or hand it over to Republic security forces.”

“Probably for the best,” Shan commented with a chuckle. “Duke Adonai and the others are… less than impressed with the Senate. As their ancestors never agreed to the Reformation, instead having it forced upon them by the Republic and Jedi after the Dral’Han, I suspect that any request to disarm would be met with the opposite.”

Sidious pulled back, seemingly shocked by the statement. “You think they would declare war on the Republic?”

“To conquer it? No. The majority of the Mando’ade have little interest in returning to those ways. However, if the Republic and Jedi demanded they disarm, insisted that they give up their spoils of battle and ignore their history and culture, they would fight.” Shan paused there and as he ran a finger around the rim of his glass, Plagueis sensed the conflict this topic was causing within the young Human. “They couldn’t win,” Shan said as he continued, “but that has never been an issue for them before. Nor would it be again. However, if they went to war, defending their rights to self-governance in their sector and the apparent overreach of the Senate, they would not hesitate to fight as brutally as the legends claim that they did. Nor I suspect, would they do so alone. Many in the Outer Rim have grown, to put it gently, disenfranchised with the Republic.”

“Would you stand with the Jedi or the Mandalorians in such a conflict?” Plagueis asked, taking the opportunity to see which way Shan’s loyalty lay.

“I… I don’t know,” Shan said after a few moments of looking down at his glass. He sighed loudly and then looked up at the ceiling before continuing. “I’m Mando’ade yet a Jedi. To fight for one means betraying the other and the friends I have there. Either I become labelled a Dark Jedi – at best – by the Jedi, or marked as dar’manda by the other Mando’ade.” He sighed and shook his head again. “That is a choice I pray I’m never forced to make.”

Everything Shan had said was genuine, but through the crack in his mental defences, Plagueis sensed that he was holding something back. Images and feelings for people in both ideological camps fluttered through Shan’s thoughts, with the daughter of Duke Adonai Kryze and A Jedi Padawan by the name of Serra Keto – the one taken by Master Windu as his apprentice – being the most prominent. Along with those images were the faintest of hints that, if the matter were forced, Shan would side with the Mandalorians. A useful titbit Plagueis felt he could use to shape Shan’s path as he desired, and one that brought some amusement given Darth Revan’s work to shatter the clans so long ago.

“While we cannot place you above the values this Republic holds dear – values that I freely admit have fallen far from the core of the Senate’s thinking – I want you to know that I,” Sidious paused and gestured at Plagueis, “That we will do what we can to ensure you aren’t forced into that position.” Plagueis nodded, agreeing with his apprentice’s position. “There are voices in the Senate calling for attacks on the Mandalorians because of their choice to fight for Naboo. Thankfully, they are a very minor minority, and I have personally made sure their demands are kept from the Senate floor.”

“Thank you,” Shan said after Sidious’ statement.

“Since we are all now present, and other matters handled, perhaps it might behove us to move to the reason we wished to speak with you before the Holomovie premiere of your creation,” Plagueis said, shifting the conversation along. “A matter that brought us together in the first place.”

Shan looked at him carefully, being mindful of his expression. “You’ve located more Vong?” Through the probe Plagueis had in his mind, he felt the pleasing flickers of rage hinting at the Vong brought forth. Shan kept it deep within himself, but now that he knew what to look for, Plagueis could sense the well of anger that rested at the very base of Shan’s core.

As before, images of Duke Adonai’s daughter and Shan’s fellow Padawan flashed through Shan’s mind, including a few that showed Shan indulging in more emotions than just his rage. There were hints of others that Shan had enjoyed carnal pleasure with, but it was the Mandalorian and Jedi that Plagueis sensed were Shan’s greatest weaknesses.

Shan would turn from the Jedi, of that Plagueis was now assured. The Jedi would never allow him to remain in their ranks if they learnt of his connections to the two Human females. Yet, Plagueis also felt that Shan would jump before he was punished or imprisoned. That was an interesting facet that he would have to discuss with Sidious. Shan would be a useful tool, and potential ally, for the fall of the Republic. The trick was going to be guiding the young, and potentially immensely powerful Human in ways that helped more than hindered the Grand Plan.

“Sadly, no. If they have agents in Republic space they are doing an excellent job of remaining far from any light,” Sidious replied with a shake of his head. “However, another Jedi has approached us about a project that has the potential to be turned to our advantage. Potentially even allowing us to locate Vong bases beyond Republic space.” There was a flicker of curiosity from Shan; something that reminded Plagueis much of himself when a project grasped his attention. “Are you familiar with Jedi Master C’baoth?”

Shan paused, his eyes narrowing as he thought about the name. From behind the Human’s shields, Plagueis saw an image of the Jedi Master hazily form. Shan was well aware of C’baoth but wasn’t saying so instantly. That was very interesting.

“I’ve met him once or twice, though I know his Padawan, Lorana Jinzler better.” As Shan replied, Plagueis sensed that C’baoth’s Padawan was close to Serra Keto. Another small thread that might be of use.

“He has approached us with a rather interesting proposal. One that involves setting up new colonies beyond the Republic’s borders and expanding our intelligence in the process.”

“What exactly is he proposing?” Shan asked carefully, hints of doubt forming in his mind.

“An expedition, one of considerable but not insurmountable cost – in credits, resources, and people – into the Unknown regions. The base proposal would see around twenty to thirty thousand sentients, mainly civilians but accompanied by experienced hyperspace explorers and Jedi, into the Unknown Region. The current plan has them departing from Fondor, and with each new jump beyond Republic borders, navigational beacons would be deployed. The expedition would explore the systems surrounding those beacons, but their mission is to find the hyperspace lanes for others to follow while, if a suitable world is located, establishing a colony to act as a hub for Republic expansion into the area.”

Shan leaned back, taking in the description of C’baoth’s proposal. Even without the silver of connection through Shan’s mental defences, Plagueis would have sensed Shan’s scepticism of the idea as the Human didn’t fully hide it from his expression. “While ignoring the Vong, it has some merit. The Republic has been almost embarrassingly reluctant to push into the Unknown Regions or Wild Space for the last few hundred years,” Shan said slowly, surprising Plagueis in that he knew of this. The reason, beyond the Senate being engulfed in factional infighting during that time, was because the Sith had actively worked to prevent the Republic and Jedi from creating hidden colonies. Such things had the potential to cause unneeded complications for the Grand Plan, and if not for the threat of the Vong – and a few other considerations – Plagueis and Sidious would already have dismissed C’baoth’s proposal. “However, if we consider the Vong, then the expedition is a waste of time.”

“You maintain that the Vong came from beyond our galaxy?”

“Yes,” Shan replied instantly to Sidious’ query. “As I mentioned when we last spoke on the Vong together, Sekot was quite clear in referring to the Vong as Far Outsiders. That name alone makes clear that the Vong come from somewhere beyond the Unknown Regions.”

“Are you certain the planet spoke to you, and it wasn’t just the Force offering some form of insight or suggestion?” Plagueis asked. The concept of a world strong in the Force – beyond through the fauna and flora that lived upon it – wasn’t as uncommon as many might believe, however, he retained doubt that any planet, even one as strong in the Force as places like Tython and Ossus were said to be, could communicate with a Force user.

“While the conversation took place within a fraction of a second for everyone around me, I know that I spoke to Sekot. Raven allowed me that connection as she was born of myself and Sekot.” Plagueis nodded at Shan’s words, accepting. While he and Sidious had yet to convince Shan to allow them to travel aboard his unique vessel Plagueis knew it was the only surviving Sekotan ship in the galaxy, suggesting that the planet held a connection to everything it created.

“If I might ask,” Plagueis began, deciding to explore a train of thought regarding Shan’s vessel, “I am curious as to how your vessel still functions. Others owned a vessel built by Sekotans, yet now, from what I have discovered, all have essentially withered and died.”

Shan smirked and Plagueis sensed his amusement at the Jade Raven being one-of-a-kind. “As I said, it was through Raven that I was able to speak with Sekot. The planet warned me that my vessel would die when it left, and aware of that – and having no interest in dying in deep space – I acted.” Plagueis leaned forward, curious as to how Shan had saved himself and his vessel. “I used the Force to shift the bond Raven held with Sekot to me.”

Plagueis blinked, surprised at hearing that. A moment later, he sensed a shift in Shan’s mind and as a different, yet almost familial presence reached through the Force to Shan, Plagueis was pushed from Shan’s mind. Plagueis blinked, shocked at what had happened, though he recovered as he understood that it was the vessel that had helped Shan push away Plagueis’ probe, using the moment of astonishment Plagueis had experienced at hearing how Shan had survived the departure of Sekot.

“I… I had no idea that such a thing was possible,” Sidious said gently, wonder and disbelief clear in his tone and body language.

“Nor did I at the time,” Shan replied with a chuckle. “Master Fay was also less than impressed with my actions, but as it saved our lives, and that of the others with us, she chose to absolve me of punishment for my recklessness.”

Plagueis nodded, both in agreement with Fay’s choice and at how Shan described his actions. Reckless was an apt word for doing what he had done, yet as he thought on the matter – and his interest in observing the Jade Raven closely actively grew – Plagueis realised that Shan’s actions were another moment where he failed to act like a Jedi. Instead of following their pathetic ideal of allowing the Force to decide their fate, Shan had lashed out and bent the Force to his demands; an action that had saved him, Master Fay, the vessel, and others. An impressive, if dangerous for one so young, display of power and another hint that Shan was destined to step away from the Jedi.

“Well, I…” Sidious paused and looked at Plagueis, “We are glad that your instinctive choice worked. Without it, we would have remained blissfully unaware of the threat to the Republic these Vong represent. And we would have lost a young friend.”

Shan nodded, accepting the comment and he seemed pleased to have Sidious and Plagueis consider him friends. Plagueis wished he were still inside the outermost defences of the Human’s mind, as he wondered if there might be something Shan was hiding from them. However, he knew that unless another moment of shock occurred to Shan, he’d be unable to slide past the barriers the Jedi had around his thoughts without alerting him.

“Is there anything else you can add that can support your theory that the Vong come from beyond our galaxy?” Plagueis asked, shifting the conversation back on-topic. While there was still a decent amount of time until either he or Sidious would need to end the meeting, if they tallied too long on a side issue such as Shan’s starship, it would cost them that time. It might also make Shan even more reluctant to allow either of them access to his remarkable vessel.

“Beyond the fact that Sekot referred to the Vong as Far Outsiders and that their technology, unless you’ve discovered anything about it, is entirely unlike anything in the Republic, no. However, I know in my heart, and in the Force, that the Vong aren’t from our galaxy or even one of the satellite galaxies nearby.”

“I still find it hard to comprehend that any species could endure the centuries, if not millennia, that it would take to traverse the distance between our galaxy and its comparable neighbour.”

“As do I, uncle. However, when one eliminates the impossible…” Shan trailed off.

“… all that remains, however improbable, must be the truth,” Plagueis finished. He was well aware of that statement, in the various forms that it existed within the Republic. Hearing it from one so young was unexpected, but in this situation, it was logical that it was used.

Shan nodded, pleased to see Plagueis finish what he was saying even as Plagueis continued. “Like both of you, I remain reluctant to accept the concept that the Vong originate from beyond our galaxy. Such things are beyond my areas of expertise.” True for Hego Damask if not so for Plagueis. “That said, if the Vong are preparing to invade the Republic, then they would need some form of forward operation. If that was inside Republic space, or in a system known to us, then it would only be a matter of time until rumours would begin to swirl in cantinas in the Outer Rim of a new species existing beyond the laws of the Republic. While I admit that, given our positions in society it is unlikely that such rumours would reach us directly, the various sources that Damask Holdings have spread throughout the galaxy have heard nothing. Based on that, it is not logical to accept that the Vong’s base is somewhere beyond the Republic’s influence. Such as the Unknown Regions?”

Shan took his time considering the matter, showing once more that he was mature enough to understand that careful consideration was required for any major decision. While he thought on the matter, Plagueis considered C’baoth.

Sidious had cultivated a friendship with the Jedi Master; a title C’baoth had appointed for himself, and the Jedi Council had allowed him to keep. That made clear that C’baoth had an arrogant streak that was exploitable, and he had a natural capacity to persuade others to his side. That would serve him well if he were convinced to play the role Plagueis had hoped to place Master Dooku into. That it was because of the Human before him that Sidious had to shift from Dooku to C’baoth was not lost on Plagueis.

“It does. It would also allow us to scout out other potential threats that might exist beyond the limits of Republic sight.” Plagueis nodded in agreement, pleased to see Shan had a small streak of paranoia and caution. Those might well allow him and Sidious to further manipulate Shan to accelerate his departure from the Jedi. “While the final choice lies with both of you, I see no harm in allowing Master C’baoth’s idea to be further considered. Though I can see ways to enhance the project.”

“It is probable that, given his ability to convince others of his point of view, Master C’baoth could gather the funding needed for this project without Senate approval,” Plagueis offered honestly. “That said, if we do offer our support, we would, of course, demand greater input into the project and its goals.”

“Which is where I see ways to enhance things,” Shan offered almost conspiratorially. As if he enjoyed the idea of corrupting C’baoth’s project to serve his interests.

“Such as?” Sidious asked gently, taking the final sip from his glass.

“Expanding the number of people involved, be they civilians, explorers, and Jedi, in the mission. Adding dedicated reconnaissance vessels to probe further from the main vessel after each successful jump. Researchers trained to spot signs of advanced civilizations in these remote systems the voyage would travel near to. Maybe even adding a decent military compliment on the chance a hostile threat is discovered.”

“All very sound suggestions, and ones we will pass along to Master C’baoth when we next speak with him about the project.”

Shan nodded at Plagueis taking on his ideas. Those ideas were ones he and Sidious had already considered, but there was value in letting Shan believe he had come up with them. “That said, I still doubt they’ll find any sight of the Vong. Fondor is on the wrong side of the Core. Even if they do, I suspect that the Jedi assigned to the mission, unless able to think laterally, will stand little chance against a decently seasoned Vong warrior.”

“I concur that the chances of locating the Vong in the Unknown Regions are remote. As you said, there is the potential that this proposal might reveal new threats to the Republic, but might I postulate another theory? That the Vong’s use of organic technology and immunity to the Force isn’t unique? There may well be a race in the Unknown Regions that has similar abilities. Discovering them would, in theory, allow us to create a base to work from for countering the Vong whenever they make their move against the Republic.”

Shan inclined his head. “There is wisdom in your words, Chancellor, and it is another reason that support for Master C’baoth’s project has merit. My concern there would be getting the Senate to do anything about it. From what I have read on the Holonet, the attempts by your Co-Chancellor to advance any form of re-armament of the Republic have met with stiff resistance.”

Sidious sighed loudly at the reminder of the delays and misdirection the Senate was inflicting on Chancellor Palpatine’s attempts to strengthen the Republic’s security forces. “Sadly, you are correct on that,” Sidious replied in a tired tone. “Like yourself, I remain convinced that increased security for the Republic – in the Core and beyond – is the best way to secure the galaxy. However, many are reluctant to see the wisdom of this position.”

In truth, the reason measures for increased funding for security or military projects had failed to make it from the Senate floor was that Sidious was acting from the shadows against himself. Plagueis was also working, though his focus was on business leaders elsewhere, getting them to pressure their Senators to not support Palpatine’s proposals. If they moved too soon, then the spark needed for the destruction of the Republic would fail to ignite as intended. That would dent the levers they needed to pull to initiate the fall of the Republic while ruling it from its centre.

“I have faith in you uncle, in both of you,” Shan added, giving Plagueis a nod to make clear he wasn’t favouring one Chancellor over the other, “That you will bring the changes needed for a safe and secure galaxy through the Senate. I just hope that they arrive before the Vong make their move.”

“You flatter us with your faith, Cameron,” Sidious replied with one of those warm, grandfatherly smiles that no one who didn’t know the truth of the man could ever believe was anything but genuine. “While the Senate is designed to serve the people of the Republic, many of its members are more interested in self-gain and influence than pursuing the duties expected of them. It grows more complicated in that, with my elevation to the Chancellorship, every position on every panel in the Senate is now up for grabs. Each Senator is out for themselves, seeking a position of importance on various sub-committees and tribunals. Once Magister Damask was approved as my Co-Chancellor, that chaos only grew more powerful as now the Senators had two figures to not only seek patronage from but attempt to turn to their agenda.”

“The more things change,” Shan muttered with a grunt of annoyance. Plagueis was not sure where Shan had experienced the rantings and ravings of such self-interested fools as he had been dealing with in the Senate, but it was clear his dislike of the current setup of the Senate was genuine. “I wish there was something I could do to help, but beyond suggesting taking some Senators out the back of the building and convincing them to see reason, there’s little I can do to help.”

Plagueis allowed a true smile to spread over his face at the idea. He wouldn’t deny that he had considered arranging meetings between his true self and a handful of Senators and knew that Sidious regularly felt the same. The pathetic mewling of the various so-called civilised sentients that composed galactic governance was a test of his patience that Plagueis had not expected to have to endure at this point in his life. Sadly, as much as the idea of dismembering various Senators wasn’t possible, nor was Shan’s factitious suggestion of other persuasive methods, the fact the Human had gone there as a joke was an interesting and amusing moment.

“Perhaps there is something you might be able to do,” he said slowly as an idea came to mind. “I understand from my Co-Chancellor that you have no interest in setting foot inside the Senate Chamber and addressing its members.”

“Not unless it’s to burn the place down, no,” Shan shot back with a smile that made it clear he was joking.

Plagueis nodded, putting aside the ease with which Shan could joke about violent options. “Then perhaps you might be willing to speak to a handful of reporters? There you could put forth your opinions on how the failings of the Senate, and the lack of proper security for the Republic, created the situation which placed a peaceful world like Naboo ended up in the crosshairs of a galactic conglomerate.”

Shan tapped his chin until stopping suddenly and again looking at the hand as if it had done something to insult him. “I’m uncertain what good that would do, Chancellor,” he said after lowering the offending hand. “I’m only a Jedi Knight and a young one at that. And then there’s how the Council would react to me making policy without consulting them on the matter. Without going into detail, I have little interest in being pulled before them yet again.”

“That is indeed an issue, and as all Force users are nominally under the control of the Jedi Order, there is little we could do to influence their decisions.”

“Probably would make it worse,” Shan added with a sigh and a shake of his head.

“Indeed, though perhaps I can see a way around at least the latter of those issues,” Sidious offered, taking the point over as intended. “When we attend the premiere of your creation, we will no doubt be asked our opinions on it and several other matters. It would not take much for a rumour to be released regarding the investigation into the Trade Federation to reach the reporters. With that, they would ask our opinion. If, while one of us answers that question, you were present behind us, perhaps even offering a few nods of agreement, it would provide extra weight to our words and grant you protection from the threat of the Jedi Council questioning you for speaking on the matter.”

“In theory, that should work,” Shan said slowly, once more weighing his thoughts before speaking. “However, wouldn’t using such a public event to call out the inaction of the Senate cause those members loyal to the Federation and its allies to become more stubborn in their resolve to deflect and obstruct your work?”

Sidious laughed softly. “Once more you show an understanding of how politics works while having no apparent interest in stepping into the arena.”

“Some of the first lessons of my grandfather and then from you, uncle, have had more of an effect on me than perhaps I would like,” Shan explained with a smirk, drawing a chuckle from Sidious.

“It seems they have. And to answer your question, while there is a risk that having you subtly support our position regarding the Trade Federation and increased military spending will alienate and harden the stances of the more disagreeable Senators, it is not them we need to convince. Public support for increased security has risen steadily since the invasion of Naboo, and while there is not yet majority support for any sort or restoration of a centralised military, there is a large and growing minority who back the concept.”

“I hadn’t realised the public, or at least those on Coruscant, clamoured for such things,” Shan said slowly, faint, indistinct hints of worry emanating from him.

“Nor do most of the Senate and their adjuncts. However, polling carried out over the last year backs up my words. Indeed, support for increased security spending stands at around sixty-five per cent.” The polls Sidious was mentioning were ones discretely supported by Damask Holdings and phrased in such a way that the idea of increased security and military forces held a greater appeal than the other opinions.

“Then, so long as I’m not asked for a direct opinion – in which case I will defer to the position of the Council to not interfere in affairs of the Senate – I see no issue with this idea. Even if I’d prefer to avoid the limelight altogether,” Shan added with a disarming smile.

It was obvious to anyone that Shan had no interest in being drawn into the political arena, but as Plagueis had observed today, on occasion before, and from talking with Sidious, the young Human had a spark for knowing how the game was played. It was a shame that he was just barely an adult by Human standards, as with another decade of training and guidance, there was a path where Shan would be a greater orator than Master Dooku was and would have made an excellent figurehead for the internal threat the Gran Plan needed for its final execution.

“There is one other concern I have,” Shan continued slowly, his smile falling away. “By standing so firmly in your camp I might draw attention to both of you that I’d prefer not to do.” By the time he finished, Shan’s focus was purely on Plagueis.

“I have spent my life living with the threat of assassination by lesser beings,” Plagueis replied, “my mask is a reminder of that. Therefore, I fail to see how having it publicly known that I consider the Hero of Naboo a friend would increase the threat against me. Particularly considering the threat has risen significantly since becoming Co-Chancellor.”

Shan inhaled deeply, his artificial limb reaching toward his belt. “The reason I say this Chancellor, is that after the events of Naboo, and my battle with the Sith there, I discovered something deeply concerning.” Shan pulled a small datacard from a pouch on the belt. “You and the Jedi Council are not the only ones to have seen the recording of my duel. Master Dooku was also given a copy, one he shared with a former Padawan of his that he has been… counselling.”

Shan leaned forward and handed the datacard to Plagueis. As he did so, the Muun saw his eyes glance at Sidious. Plagueis’ brow rose as he took the datacard, wondering where Shan was going with this. Around them, Plagueis sensed a faint shift in the Force; one almost imperceivable but to those with decades of experience listening for such minute alterations.

“Beyond a rather unenjoyable review of my technique in the battle,” Shan continued with another disarming smile once he had leaned back, “it seems his former Padawan, one Komari Vosa, had seen the Zabrak before.”

“Who is this Vosa?” Sidious asked, his face curious even as the weak ripple in the Force grew fractionally stronger. Plagueis knew these gentle changes often lead to something major, but he currently failed to see where Shan was taking this discussion.

“Beyond having been part of the failed Jedi operation Baltizaar,” Plagueis knew instantly of the operation in question, “Vosa was the head of the Bando Gora during my… residency with the group.”

Plagueis’ brow rose, both at learning the failed Jedi had been the Bando Gora’s leader – as it was probable she was a figure of importance during their involvement in the attack on his compound on Sojourn – and because Shan’s fury was rising. It was understandable Shan held resentment toward the one responsible for his torture by the Bando Gora, but that was a minor issue as Plagueis sensed he knew where this topic was heading, and he could feel flickers of his own, deeply controlled rage shifting.

“I’m not sure if you’re aware Chancellor, but it seems the Bando Gora under her leadership were involved in the attack on you that left you needing your mask.”

“I was not,” Plagueis replied honestly, allowing a hint of his anger to slip into his tone. Between them, Sidious sat perfectly still, no hint of anything amiss in his body nor within the force. Yet, as his master, Plagueis knew this was a sign Sidious was either hiding something or bracing for an assault. That, when combined with Shan’s words created some rather concerning questions; ones that seemed to feed the infinite pool of rage that Plagueis kept under control within himself.

“Ah, then I shall have to reach out to my Master and see if she would be willing to provide full details of the attack.” Plagueis nodded his thanks, though it was immaterial. The others involved had all been dealt with. Or at least the ones that Sidious had managed to locate. It was strange, in many ways, that he would fail to learn of the involvement of a Dark Side cult in the attack. “Anyway, it was just before my time under her care,” Shan made little effort to hide his feelings on that, though he pushed them aside as he continued, “that she met the Zabrak. Indeed, according to her, and that datacard holds a recording of her report to Master Dooku, he was involved, indirectly it seems, in the attack as well.”

Plagueis blinked, letting a hint of his surprise and rage slip out. “I was unaware that I had acquired the attention of the Sith,” he said slowly, his eyes staying on Shan and not, as he wished, his apprentice. The barriers he placed around his mind to both hide his true persona from others and maintain external composure were at their fullest; a position they had not been in several years and one only used when either his impulses threatened to overwhelm him, or he was about to step into a true test of his abilities.

To his side, Sidious showed shock at Shan’s words, yet Plagueis couldn't tell if this was an act or a truthful reaction. Voices whispered that his apprentice had attempted to remove him from his position of Dark Lord of the Sith; to usurp his position and power without directly challenging him. Plagueis was enraged that Sidious would both do so without directly facing him and that it suggested Sidious no longer wished to rule the galaxy as equals. If he ever had.

“Nor did I Chancellor,” Shan replied, granting Plagueis something to focus on and prevent the cold fury of a raging star that dwelled within him from engulfing the room they were in, and the planet they stood upon, in his desire for answers and vengeance. “However, once I learnt of it, I felt I had to inform you of it. The issue was that I couldn’t risk sending such dangerous material over the Holonet. Nor even by a secure courier.” Shan glanced toward the large window that was behind Plagueis’ desk before continuing. “I feel the Sith are watching me closely, and I didn’t want them to be aware that I knew of this, thus I felt it best to deliver it personally.”

A few minutes ago, Plagueis would have been amused at how right Shan was about the Sith watching him, and how blissfully unaware he was that he was speaking with the sentients in question. However, with the reveal of Sidious’ assassin’s involvement in the attack on him, Plagueis found nothing even remotely amusing. Indeed, the only thing that swelled within him was a desire to learn the truth from Sidious, and if necessary remind his apprentice that while they were Co-Chancellors, he was the Master and Sidious the Apprentice. “I thank you for this information,” he said to Shan, separating the rage directed at Sidious from the persona of Hego Damask, “and I will speak with my personal security about increasing their efforts to protect me.”

As he said that, Plagueis slipped the datacard in his hand, one he had almost come close to crushing at the shock of learning Sidious had a hand in the attack on Sojourn, and his desire for vengeance, into his pocket. He would be reviewing the recording on it carefully. Ideally, while Sidious was writhing on the floor in unbridled agony as Plagueis reinforced that he was the Master.

“This is troubling news and something that needs further investigation,” Sidious said slowly, no hint of fear of Plagueis slipping into his performance nor leaking from behind the immaculate defences he had around his Force presence. If not for knowing that Palpatine was a stage for Sidious, Plagueis would have believed his Co-Chancellor was shocked and deeply concerned by what Shan had revealed. “While it isn’t your forte, perhaps you might speak with Senate security to see if there are any flaws in the protection – both in the Senate and at the upcoming premiere – around Chancellor Damask and myself that a Sith could exploit?”

Shan nodded. “I doubt there is anything I would find that could be exploited, but I see no harm in doing so. The Sith now seem to prefer moving from the shadows than open declarations of war.” Again, such a statement should have brought Plagueis some amusement, yet it failed to do so. The persona of Hego Damask simply nodded in response as Plagueis fought to retain control over it, as for the first time in decades, he questioned his actions with Sidious and wondered if he, like everyone else, had been deceived by the Human from Naboo.

“Excellent,” Sidious reached into his robes, and for the faintest of seconds, the Force whispered to Plagueis that his apprentice was going for a lightsaber. That he was going to attack both himself and Shan here and now. Plagueis pushed aside those feeble whispers from the Force. He had long ago mastered his control over it and would never return to the mindless creature he had been in those early years under Darth Tenebrous’ tutelage. “Sate,” Sidious said into the small communication device he pulled from his robes, “bring in a copy of the security for the premiere later this week along with the layout of protection in the Senate.” He closed the link without waiting for a reply from his primary adjunct.

An idea formed in Plagueis’ mind, one that might allow him to learn the truth of Sidious’s role from one not nearly as skilled in misdirection as his Apprentice. Sate Prestage knew the truth of who Palpatine was, and while he had training to serve the Sith, he was not sensitive enough to the Force that he would be able to resist Plagueis’ questioning. The same was true of the others that Sidious had relied on for years as first a Senator and now Chancellor. The others might know something, but if any of the group was aware of Sidious’ plans, it would be Sate. From the simple Human, Plagueis would learn the truth, or at least move a step closer to discovering it.

Plagueis pulled his hand from his pocket, releasing his grasp on the datacard. He didn’t wish to damage it, not before he could examine it carefully and go over the events that resulted in the destruction of his compound on Sojourn.

As Sidious shifted the topic, asking Shan about what he had been doing over the last year, Plagueis’ mind rewound to roughly the same amount of time. Back to the evening after Sidious had been confirmed as Chancellor, and Plagueis had arrived to celebrate the next step in the Grand Plan coming to fruition.

They had shared a toast over Sidious’ success in manipulating events to serve their purpose and wondered how the assassin would do against Shan on Naboo. While they enjoyed a drink, there had been a moment when the Force had shifted, and they had felt ripples of rage reaching across the galaxy. Shan had, for a few moments, lost his control and in those moments, Plagueis had sensed the Force tensing: as if expecting some grand change.

At the time, when nothing had seemingly happened he had dismissed it. Afterwards, once news of Shan’s victory reached them, he believed that was what the Force was readying itself for. Yet now, with this additional information of Sidious’ assassin being involved in the attempt on his life, Plagueis wondered if the Force had been expecting Sidious to make his move against him. To alter the plans by striking him down and becoming the new Dark Lord of the Sith.

He would not be sure of that for some time, perhaps not even after interrogating Sidious and his minions, but Plagueis now had to consider the possibility that Sidious was not as committed to ruling as an equal as he had claimed for several decades.

That drew Plagueis’ thoughts back to Shan, and to the young Togruta Padawan who had been captured when Master Sifo-Dyas had died. Perhaps, just perhaps, he would need to implement a contingency plan, much as Tenebrous had done with Venamis. A second apprentice to gain revenge if Sidious proved as disloyal as he might well be.

… …

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