This is a work of fan-fiction. Star Wars belongs to LucasFilms, Disney, and George Lucas. The author received no monetary gain from this and lays claim to none of it.

"Tell me, Master Yoda, what does Balance mean to you?" Falay was staring thoughtfully out at the Senate Building, her expression thoughtful and her tone introspective.

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes at the Chiss Jedi, a faint misgiving forming in the back of his mind.

"What mean you, Master Falay?" Yoda met the red eyes unflinchingly.

"What is your definition of Balance?" One blue hand was playing with something on a chain around her neck, the eyes were still thoughtful but now held a hint of challenge.

Yoda exchanged a glance with Windu and opened his mouth to answer but Falay got there first.

"You say this Chosen One- Skywalker- is supposed to bring Balance to the Force, yes?" Falay paused and glanced at Lorana who nodded faintly, then continued, "So you expect him to bring Balance back towards the Light, yes?"

Obi-Wan's misgiving exploded into a full-bore uneasy almost-headache. Somehow, he wasn't going to like what came next.

Falay's gaze had returned to the Senate Building and her fiddling had settled to simply grasping the object, as if for comfort, "But why would he?" The red eyes tracked around the circle of Masters, making contact with most of them.

"Balance favors no one. The Jedi have stood at the pinnacle of power for more than three hundred years, have you considered that perhaps the Force wishes for the Balance to come back to the favor the Sith?" Falay frowned down at the floor, "If Balance is impartial, then this prophecy may be a warning, an omen about the return of the Sith."

Lorana raised an eyebrow and her expression became that of a proud Master at the Knighting of her apprentice, before turning a slightly amused and a little concerned glance at the other Masters, "She has a point."

"But the Darkness already clouds-" Obi-Wan leaned forward, in some way he almost agreed with what Falay was saying. But they were speaking of Anakin.

"Only because you are not used to it, Master Kenobi." Falay turned to face him. "Who is to say that this Darkness you feel is not the natural state of the Force? Or that Darkness itself is the natural state. We can say that interstellar space is 'dark', but only in comparison to the stars." Falay was completely sincere in what she said, and believed every word of it.

"But Anakin is a good Jedi, I do not think he would fall to the Dark Side. Not on his own." Obi-Wan felt he should defend his former apprentice.

Falay shook her head, heavy, black braids swinging ponderously with the motion, "Perhaps he will not. Perhaps it is that he does not kill someone he should, or that he does kill that someone when he shouldn't." The Chiss shrugged, "Either way, the Force does not discriminate between Light and Dark. They are equally as strong, it is simply the number of followers each has that makes one side stronger than the other."

Lorana was now nodding, "It is our actions that determine Light and Dark, not the Force itself. Anakin may use the Light in the wrong way and trigger this Balance."

Obi-Wan swallowed and tried not to let his dismay show, he knew these two were trouble.

Authors Note: Master Chaf'ala'yantari is an OC from another story but Lorana Jinzler is a canon character from the amazing novel Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn.

This occurred to me while watching Phantom Menace and I couldn't help but think 'you guys seriously never considered that "Balance" might mean that it's the Sith's turn to rule the galaxy for a while?'

Thanks for reading, and please review with your thoughts.