Chapter 22
Anakin stumbled into the Chancellor's box in the theatre, still shaken from his dream. His talk with Master Kenobi had not gone well, and he needed the Chancellor's reassurance that he was not an enemy. Anakin refused to believe that the Chancellor would ever do anything to betray the Republic. "You wanted to see me, Chancellor?"
"Yes, Anakin, come closer, I have good news." Anakin knelt beside the Chancellor. "Our clone intelligence units have discovered the location of General Grevious. He's hiding, in the Utapau system."
"At last!" Anakin exclaimed, relieved. Now the war could end, and he and Revan could spend more time alone. "We'll be able to capture that monster and end this war."
"I would worry about the collective wisdom of the council, if they didn't select you for this assignment. You're the best choice, by far."
"On the contrary, Chancellor, I think Master Star would be a far better choice for such a dangerous mission. She is far stronger than even I."
"Mmn." The Chancellor did not sound convinced, and Anakin enjoyed the thought that someone believed him to be better than Revan. "Sit down." He dismissed the others in the box quickly. "Anakin, you know I'm not able to rely on the Jedi Council. If they haven't included you in their plot, they soon will."
Anakin paled. Did the Chancellor know? "I'm not sure I understand."
"You must sense what I have come to suspect. The Jedi Council want control of the Republic. They're planning to betray me."
"I don't think that-"
"Anakin. Search your feelings. You know, don't you." It wasn't a question.
"…I know they don't trust you."
"Mmn. All the Senate. All the Republic. All democracy, for that matter."
"I have to admit, my trust in them has been shaken."
"Why? They asked you to do something that made you feel dishonest, didn't they?" For a non-Jedi, the Chancellor could be very astute sometimes. Anakin looked down. "They asked you to spy on me, didn't they."
Anakin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't…uh, I don't know what to say."
"Remember back to your early teachings. All who gain power are afraid to lose it. Even the Jedi."
"The Jedi use their power for good!" Anakin exclaimed, but then he remembered Revan's point…The Jedi were afraid of the Sith…Afraid of those who were strong enough to take their power from them…
"Good is a point of view, Anakin. The Sith and the Jedi are similar, in almost every way. Including their quest for greater power."
"The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards, only about themselves."
"And the Jedi don't?"
"The Jedi are selfless. They only care about others." Anakin turned away.
"Did you ever hear of the tragedy of Darth Plageus the Wise?"
"No."
"I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plageus, Dark Lord of the Sith, was so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side, he could even keep the ones he loved from dying."
"He could actually…Save people from death?" But…couldn't Revan? She had said she could, but if the only one who could was a Dark Lord long after her time…
"The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some would consider to be …unnatural."
"Wha…what happened to him?"
"He became so powerful, the only thing he became afraid of was losing his power. Which, eventually, of course, he did. And fortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew. Then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. It's ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself."
"Is it possible to learn this power?"
"Not from a Jedi."