Angles on a nine year old Palpatine. He is standing in the center of a sparring circle, clutching a lightsaber that looks oversized in his childish hands. An ominous shadows emerges from the foreground and swallows the child in darkness.

Young Palpatine ignites his lightsaber.

Young Palpatine is a bit unsure, but he charges anyway. The fight is fairly short. Plagueis knocks the lightsaber out of his hands and kicks him to the ground, placing the heel of his boot into Palp's Adam's Apple.

Plagueis unleashes an unending stream of Force Lightning onto the boy. Palpatine curls into a ball, screaming frantically.

Plagueis intensifies the lightning. Palpatine's screams become louder.

Palpatine lies in the guest bed, his head turning back and forth as he dreams. Jennis enters, carrying a wet towel. She starts to apply the towel to Palpatine's forehead, but he wakes up and grabs her arm. He rises suddenly, but a searing pain in his abdomen forces him back down.

Palpatine looks shocked.

Palpatine sinks his head further into his pillow. This is the first act of compassion he has ever received, and he is quite unsure of the feeling. Jennis lays a soft hand upon his forehead, and walks to your door. Reaching it, she turns a moment to ask a final question.

She exits, closing the door behind her. Palpatine lies there, silent, unsure of the feeling coursing through his entire body.

Jennis closes the door and turns to face Virzi, who has been standing there the whole time.

Jennis takes Virzi's hands into her own.

Ronan is in the dining room with Marzan and Warren. He is scurrying around, packing up papers. The three of them are in mid conversation when Virzi and Jennis arrive. Virzi notices the looks of disdain upon the Jedi's faces at the mere sight of him.

Ronan kisses her forehead.

Ronan exits, followed by Marzan and Warren. Jennis and Virzi stand side-by side, their expressions blank.

The warehouse is deserted save for Tam. He is pacing back and forth, muttering to himself and shaking nervously. A door on the far side of the warehouse opens. A jumpy Tam jerks backward, knocking over a stack of barrels. Barlis enters, with seven goons at his side.

He pulls the holocron out and holds it up. Light dances off of it in a dazzling display, and Barlis and his men are drawn to it. Fascinated, they stare into it, almost trancelike.

The main receiving doors to the warehouse rise up. On the other side stands a figure silhouetted by the light of the moon. One of Barlis's goons runs up to him, blaster drawn.

Goon 1 is force pushed into a stack of barrels. The mysterious figure strides into the warehouse, and as the light washes over him he is revealed as Darth Plagueis. Tam turns a very unique shade of pale.

Darth Plagueis unclips his lightsaber and fires it up.

Barlis's goons (Including Goon 1, who has picked himself out of the barrels) surround the Dark Lord of the Sith. Some carry blasters, others wield vibro-axes and pikes.

Barlis shoots him in the chest.

Laser bolts fire at Plagueis from all directions. He blocks a few of these, then force jumps backward over the head Goon1, stabbing him in the back as he lands. He deflects another blaster bolt into Goon 2. Goon 3 charges him with a vibro-ax. He swings a few times, with Plagueis deftly dodging each blow. He levitates him, and plunges his lightsaber into his chest. Three barrels rise on their own and crush Goon 4. Goon 5 has his pike extended, until Plagues force-pushes 6 onto it, impaling him. 5 drops the pike, unholsters his blaster and moves beside 7. The simultaneously fire shots at Plagueis. He runs up on them, deflecting the shots as he advances. He reaches them, and with one swift stroke of the lightsaber he decapitates them both. The bodies fall synchronously, like graceful dancers in a macabre play.

Barlis is the only one left. He and Plagueis stare each other down. As Plagueis moves to attack, he is brought down by the disease that threatens his life. He falls to his knees, clutching his stomach and shaking uncontrollably. Barlis walks up to him.

Barlis's face turns red. He stumbles backward, clutching his throat.

Barlis crashes to the floor. Plagueis rises, stumbles, picks himself up again and limps over to Tam. Mr. Whiting is not completely dead. He stares up into the Sith's eyes. Plagueis reaches down and removes the holocron from his right hand.

Plagueis looks down at Tam, who has died.

FADE