I thought some of my fellow Star Wars geeks might find this interesting. One of the things I did enjoy about Episode 3 "Revenge Of The Sith" was Palpatine (or "Darth Sidious" who would of course become The Emperor) relating part of the tale of Darth Plagueis to Anakin. I thought it sounded like a great story since anything to do with the origins of The Sith always piqued my interest. Well now in a new novel James Luceno will go into more detail, while also telling the early history of Palpatins - how he came to be a Sith Lord, how he entered politics, and how he first came to train Darth Maul. Here is an excerpt thanks to EW..
“You have made him fearsome,” Plagueis remarked without turning from the recording, as the athletic Zabrak cleaved a Colicoid Eradica-tor droid down the middle and whirled to cut two others in half. The yellow-eyed humanoid’s hairless head bore a crown of small horns and geometrical patterns of black and red markings.
“Fearless, as well,” Sidious said. “Still, they are only droids.”“He’s even more formidable against living beings.”
Plagueis looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed in question.“You’ve fought him in a serious way?” Reconstructed vocal chords and trachea imparted a metallic quality to his voice, as if he were speakingthrough an enunciator.
“I stranded him on Hypori for a month without food and with only a horde of assassin droids for company. Then I returned to goad and challenge him. All things considered, he fought well, even after I de-prived him of his lightsaber. He wanted to kill me, but was prepared todie at my hand.”
Plagueis turned fully to face him. “Rather than punish him for dis-obedience, you praised his resolve.”
“He was already humbled. I chose to leave his honor intact. I pro-claimed him my myrmidon; the embodiment of the violent half of ourpartnership.”
“Partnership?” Plagueis repeated harshly.“His and mine; not ours.”
“Regardless, you allowed him to believe that he is more skilled than he actually is.”
“Did you not do the same for me?”
Plagueis’s eyes relected disappointment. “Never, Sidious. I have al- ways been truthful with you.”
Sidious bowed his head in acknowledgment. “I am not the teacher you are.”
Plagueis spent a long moment observing the holorecording. The Zabrak’s fsts and legs were as lethal as his lightsaber, and his speed wasastounding. “Who applied the markings?”
“The mother did—in keeping with rituals enacted shortly after birth. An initiation, during which a Dathomirian Zabrak infant is submerged in an oily bath, energized with ichor conjured by the Nightsisters’ useof magicks.”
“A peculiar decision, given her hope to send the child into hiding.”
“The Nightsisters rarely leave Dathomir, but Nightbrothers are sometimes sold into servitude. I believe the mother wished him to beaware of his heritage, wherever he ended up.”
On seeing the Zabrak’s lightsaber produce two blades, Plagueisdrew in his breath. “A saber-staff! The weapon of Exar Kun! Did he construct that?”
“The prototype was two lightsabers he had welded pommel-to-pommel in imitation of the Iridonian zhaboka. I furnished the knowl-edge that allowed him to improve on the original design and construct the one he is using.”
Plagueis watched as droid after droid was impaled on the oppos-ing crimson blades. “It strikes me as unnecessary, but I won’t deny his mastery of the Jar’Kai technique.” Again, he turned to Sidious. “Nimanand teräs käsi will never substitute for dun möch, but I appreciate that you have trained him to be a fighting machine rather than a true ap-prentice.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Plagueis’s eyes wrinkled—in suspicion? In amusement? “I agree with you that he should bear witness to the Yinchorri attack on the Jedi Temple.”
“I will tell him. He already thinks of the Jedi as abominations. The sight of their sanctuary being violated will quicken his blood.”
“Even so, hold him back. Let his anger and hatred fester.”
Sidious bowed his head. Plagueis deactivated the holoprojector. “The gift you requested for him is nearly complete. Raith Sienar has agreed to have the ves-sel delivered to Sojourn, and I will arrange to have it brought to theLiMerge Building.” He made a beckoning motion with his fingers.“Come, Darth Sidious, there is much to discuss.”
I don't usually go in for much of the expanded universe stuff but that seemslike it could be pretty good to me, might have to check it out. What do you guys think?
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