The prequels will never be the same. After reading this novel I
know two things for sure: 1, this story line could replace episode 1, Phantom Menace, and do much more justice towards the eventual downfall of the republic
and the Jedi, as well as the rebirth of the Sith. 2, if you don't appreciate
the prequels now, after this novel, you will.
From The Author:
"The principal story arc in 'Darth Plagueis' spans several
decades. The challenge was to create a 'history' of a kind without eclipsing
the characters who are in effect making history. Fortunately, the Star Wars
universe is so large that I was able to research the book almost in the same
way I would have a more traditional historical novel. As it progressed, I was
forced to hew more closely to established lore, but even then it proved
possible to shed light on what was going on in the wings behind the scenes."
Darth Plagueis.
The apprentice, Sith Lord, investment capitalist, mad scientist, and
manufacturer of the machinations that eventually destroyed the Republic. Darth
Plagueis's transition thru this novel is full circle. From his beginning
tutelage under the Bith Darth Tenebrous to the fatal ending at his apprentice's
hand, this story leaves no undesired detail unturned. Although this is the
story of Darth Plagueis, I found what captivated me most about the novel was
how his actions molded the outcomes from episodes 1 to 6.
THE PREQUELS - how
the past explains the future. The events in Darth Plagueis are pre-Phantom
Menace by 100 years up to the Gungan and Naboo celebration in Theed. These are
what redefined the prequels for me:
Why Palpatine?
With a galaxy filled with force sensitive sentient beings, what makes one truly
worthy of the Rule of Two? Whether it be his training under Plagueis or the
will of the Dark Side, Palpatine had all the tools to live a fulfilling,
lucrative life before the Sith. Much like Padme, Palpatine comes from one of
the most noble, aristocratic families on Naboo. It is the will of the Force
that Plagueis and Palpatine's path cross during the prospecting of plasma on
Naboo. Plagueis entices Palpatine with the benefits of a greater calling and a
more galactic influential role in galactic politics. Plagueis knew that for the
Sith to come out of their 1000 year hibernation it would take a full
reconstruction of the republic and a Sith Lord in full control of all the strings
that connect the galaxy to do so, and Palpatine was the poster child of
political greatness. His goal was a co-chancellorship with Palpatine.
Palpatine's path from student to Sith Lord is complete after his brutal
killings of his family after they try and wedge a gap between him and Plagueis.
As Sidious and Senator Palpatine, his master’s influence as part of the
International Banking Clan help create Palpatine's constituents as well as
those backwards deals with the Trade Federation. It is Palpatine as the face of
the Sith's swift, cunning, and secretive actions, it was Plagueis conducting
the master plan from start to his finish.
Why Naboo? Does
Naboo strike you as an odd place for a bunch of neimoidians to create a
blockade? What are they taxing? Why does this matter? Prospectors on Naboo
discovered a great galactic resource of plasma that was to be harvested from
the planet and sold among the stars. Plagueis was the broker that was helping
fund the deal that would put Naboo on the galactic commerce map. There was
resistance from the elder family's on Naboo to sell and harvest the natural
resources until the Sith helped get a new ruler on Naboo that would play this
puzzle to their favor. After the approval to begin mining, Naboo had no method
of dispersing the plasma. Introducing the Trade Federation. Naboo was part of a
trade free zone thus not subjecting it to taxation. The Sith's plot was to
plant the seed I the senate to create taxation in trade free zones, leading to
the blockade of Naboo that would get deliberated in the senate until either the
queen signed a peace treaty or the senate over through the current chancellor
and elected a New Democratic leader. All parties necessary in the reimergence
of the Sith.
Why Dooku? Both
Sith sensed the discontent in Dooku with the Jedi and the current state of the
republic. Plagueis knew with the events of corruption in the senate he
influenced and the upcoming actions on Naboo, the he would have the would-be
Count Dooku of Serenno, helping Palpatine with the rebuilding of the republic.
Palpatine also had his own agenda, not revealing his true identity, while
pulling the Count closer as an adversary and possible partner as the face of
the seperatists and possible apprentice. He knew there was a darkness to Dooku,
but need to learn more about the Count before creating an alliance.
Why Syfo-Dyas? For
the pivotal character that Syfo-Dyas was, i do not think any of the movies gave
his role the true justice of how important of a role he played in the Clone
Wars. Everyone knows he order the Clone Army, but why? Plagueis met many Jedi
in testing the hiding in plain view of the Sith. In his discussions with
Syfo-Dyas , he saw the clairvoyant views of the Jedi Master and agreed that the
Republic would eventually need an army that is much larger than what the Jedi
could ever handle. With much persuasion, Plagueis's own funds would help assist
in payment for the purchase of the clone army. Syfo-Dyas's fate was not
revealed in this novel but we eventually know it is at the hands of Dooku as a
test by Sidious, where the procurer of the clones meets his end.
Why Maul? Maul has
an interesting beginning with the Sith. Much like Ventress from the Clone Wars,
he was viewed by Plagueis as Sidious's assassin. Sidious learns of Maul on a
political venture on Dathomir. A Nightsister senses the darkness and force
sensitivity of Palpatine and gives up her child. Maul was born a twin and would
have been sacrificed based on Nightsister traditions. Maul was unaware the
Sidious had a master but Plagueis approved of Sidious's apprentice while he was
still valuable. Sidious treated him like a true apprentice and intended on
ruling with him after overtaking his master, but did not expect his failed
against Obi-Wan on Naboo.
The Force - the
give and take relationship with Plagueis. The Sith Lord was facinated and
studied the nature of midiclorians and the force with in many different species
in his private sanctuary on Muunilist. His experiments could be classified as
the most extreme forms of torture; bringing beings as close to death and
bringing them back to life to study the life forms that bind all life together.
His cruel experiments and manipulations of the dark side were all at the
principal of finding a method to preserve and prolong his life. Through his
many experiments his theory on the balance of the force maintained the same;
for each evil action there was a counter action to offset the prior. His most
evil action, was undone by his own doings.
The
Prophesy....The Chosen One....A Vergence of
the Force....There was no Father.... Anakin Skywalker's tale has no truer
beginning than as the counter action of all the vile, cruel, and perverse
experiments of Darth Plagueis. Coinciding with Plagueis's belief that for all
the sinister manipulation of midiclorians experiential he performed, that there
was a counter action to balance his dark plans. After learning that a child was
born, of the highest concentration of midiclorians, a true birth of the force,
he knew that this was the retaliation of all the plans he had set in motion. In
Plagueis's words, "this will be our undoing". Palpatine took another
stance on this child, that he would let the Jedi train him, as he could not
train him in his current political stature. He would be the kind, nurturing
father figure and earn his trust, the same way Plagueis had lured him.
The apprentice
becomes the master, the master falls to his apprentice. The final moment
between the two Sith was more than just "being killed by his apprentice in
his sleep". Plagueis vowed to not rest until all their work had seen the
triumph as co chancellor Sith Lords. It was that venerable moment as Palpatine
is elected chancellor that he reveals his plans that no longer include his
master. I won't spoil that thrilling moment but I do want to mention that
Palpatine was not the Sith Master during Phantom Menace. He was an apprentice,
with his assassin/apprentice Maul acting for Plagueis and the greater good of
the Sith.
My final thoughts:
James Luceno does a brilliant job of linking the expanded universe novels,
clone wars saga, and the movies in this novel. I guess you could say it would
be easy to write stories based in other works of literature, but were this
succeeds is with its gracefulness. Even though I knew the outcomes of the major
events in the story, a different perspective made me feel like I was reliving
some of those scenes for the first time. There are only a few Star Wars novels
that would top Darth Plagueis, but none that make episodes I to III more than
this.
Star Wars
Hitchhiker
