The meeting room's walls were a shining black, broken up by strip lights. The standard style of Imperial architecture – austere pragmatism, as Grand Moff Arenus Tarn liked to call it. He had never thought that the events that had brought him there would actually come to pass. It was always a possibility, but…

The messenger droid had arrived aboard his Star Destroyer, the Adjudicator, a day earlier, confirming his worst suspicions about the events above Endor. He had followed its instructions to the letter, and that had brought him here, convening a meeting aboard the Adjudicator with some of the most powerful Imperial leaders in the Outer Rim.

His eyes flitted around the room, taking in the small, rectangular table, with its polished surface. Four of the high-backed chairs around it were full, with the seat at the head of the table left empty for him. As Tarn sat down, he surveyed the others before him. To his immediate right was Admiral Sealus Irato, a small but extremely capable woman, known for her aggressive tendencies. Her gaze was moving from person to person, examining each of them closely. It lingered for a while on General Rars Kerklan. The man had earned a reputation for his brutal tactics when quelling Separatist holdouts in the early days of the Empire, but now he was growing old, and stubble lined his chin whilst lines of grey shot through his dark hair.

Next to Kerklan was Moff Uran Feng, the most unpredictable of the group by Tarn's estimation. The man had an almost fanatical devotion to the Emperor, and was a strong believer in the Dark Side of the Force. Why exactly he had been posted so far from the Core was anyone's guess, but there were rumours he was undertaking a secret project for Palpatine himself. Regardless, Tarn knew the Moff wouldn't react well when hearing the news.

Finally, he turned his gaze to Director Ayla Pardein. A small, thin woman with a shock of red hair, Tarn had never even spoken to her before, but he knew from his files that she was highly intelligent and an astute organiser. She had rosen to prominence a few years earlier when she took the position of Orson Krennic shortly after his death on Scarif. She was an unknown quantity, but could be a powerful ally.

Tarn cleared his throat, before speaking with the most authoritative voice he could muster, "I am sure you know why I have brought you here today."
"It's about Endor, isn't it?" asked Irato. He glanced at her before replying, "I have just received confirmation that the Second Death Star has been destroyed, along with the Executor and a large portion of the fleet stationed at the Sanctuary Moon." Mutters and whispers went around the table before Feng spoke up, "What of Lord Vader? He is still alive, I assume? "
"I'm afraid not."
"I can't say I'm not glad to see him go," quipped Irato, "I never bought into his superstitious nonsense anyway."

"You take that back!" snarled Feng - the reaction Irato had clearly been hoping for, because she smirked and replied, "Why does it matter now? He's dead and gone."
"If the Emperor could hear your treasonous words- "
"He wouldn't care that I was insulting the memory of the follower of some old, misguided religion," interrupted Irato. Feng went to rise from his chair, but Kerklan placed a hand on his shoulder, admonishing them both, "Listen to the two of you. You're squabbling like younglings."
Irato, clearly wanting to get one final jab at at the Moff, said, sarcastically, "I'm sorry for insulting the foolish disciple of a long-forgotten cult with who happened to own a relic of the Old Republic-"
Feng interrupted, "If you dare to dis-"
"Silence!" commanded Tarn. The other stopped to look at him.

"There will be a time for your squabbling later. There is a far more important matter to discuss." There was a short pause.
"And what would that be?" asked Pardein, quietly. Tarn remained silent for a moment, ensuring he had their full attention. Then he broke the news.

"The Emperor is dead."