Taking a moment to savor the combined smell of plasma and burning flesh that wafted up from the sight of his latest execution, Palpatine turned his back on the corpse of the former senator as he made his way over to the throne.
In truth, while he was most satisfied by the death of another one of his former political colleagues, the true reason for this spectacle was to see whether or not the boy's commitment to the Empire's growth would falter if he witnessed the less…diplomatic results of his provided knowledge.
And through the use of his eyes and his other talents, the Emperor was able to discover his answer. And what he found pleased him immensely.
Oh sure the boy currently had the same shocked expression that raw soldiers possessed after they had just committed their first kill, but the Emperor could sense no traces of pity within the boy. Only a feeling of satisfaction at having done his part to help rid the Empire of an intelligent and charismatic enemy.
In fact, though the context was far different, the boy's current feelings were remarkably similar to those once possessed by the younger version of his now kneeling apprentice. For despite being raised in the harsh realities of slavery, Anakin Skywalker had still possessed a great deal of nativity after his introduction into the Jedi Order. But thanks to constant exposure to violence, corruption, and heart ache, his apprentice no longer resembled the wide eyed boy he had once been. In body and in soul.
Speaking of his apprentice, he could sense that Vader was still curious about the nature of his relationship with the boy, as well as what other secrets the boy may possess.
Unfortunately for the cybernetic Sith Lord, Palpatine had no intention of sharing the true nature of the boy's knowledge, since he suspected that such an exchange could very well lead to the same sort of fate he himself had inflicted on his own master.
No, for now he would simply dole out to his apprentice any information he deemed was nesseary to know. Perhaps if he proved that he could efficiently use the boy's latest bit of knowledge, he would pass off the boy as an extremely powerful force sensitive whose only accessible ability was the power to gaze into the future.
Yes, that would probably be the best method at this point in time. But for now, the Emperor of the Galactic Empire had more pressing matters to consider.
"Now that we no longer have the pleasure of watching a former traitor meet their deserved fate, it is time to discuss the true reason I summoned you Lord Vader. I trust that your admirable devotion to your living blood relation hasn't interfered in your efforts to prepare for the coming campaign"?
Grinning as he sensed Vader's momentary feeling of rage before he managed to force it behind his mental shields, and using his own abilities to shield the boy's confusion from being picked up by his armored apprentice, Palpatine nodded his head in satisfaction as he heard the monotone reply of the younger Sith Lord.
"The assembly of the fleet is proceeding on schedule my master. By the end of the month, we will have amassed enough forces to finally put an end to those corpulent slugs once and for all".
Pleased with this piece of information, the Emperor turned his attention away from the towering form of his apprentice and directed it towards the thoughtful looking boy.
"Something on your mind my boy? I can sense that you have a slight disapproval for our current operation. Which is surprising given that the origin for the upcoming campaign was your idea".
Shocked out of his musings by the sinisterly chiding tone of the Sith Master, and doing his best to ignore the fact that he had captured the undivided attention of his terrifying childhood idol, the boy moved to explain his thoughts.
"Its not that I disprove of the operation your Majesty, it's just that I wonder if the Empire truly needs such an overwhelming force".
Steeping his fingers in amused contemplation at the boy's concerns, and doing his best not to smirk at the clear irritation of his current apprentice, the Emperor decided to test if the boy was truly reluctant with the plan, or simply enjoying another sudden burst of inspiration.
"Do you now? Despite the fact that the Hutts possess none of the necessary manpower to directly challenge the might of the Empire, they do however possess enough power to make the task of eradicating them difficult. And since we want to deprive them of the chance to regroup, we have to ensure that our forces possess enough strength to continue their campaign until they have dealt those criminals a crippling blow".
Nodding his head to show that he understood the rationale of the Emperor's argument, the boy moved to voice his own idea that would hopefully be met with approval by the dual Sith Lords.
"I get that, really I do. But what I was wondering if there was a chance to use your…unaffiliated forces to weaken their defences before you send in the Star Destroyers and Storm Troopers. I mean, it would be fairly easy to hide a couple of battalions of B1 battle droids in some overly large transport vessel. And since I sincerely doubt that Hutt security forces are trained to combat an army of mindless robots, it stands to reason that they will suffer a substantial amount of causalities before you start the official campaign.
Pleased to see that the boy's scheming mind was once again making itself known, and smirking slightly as he sensed a grudging respect coming from Lord Vader, Palpatine had to fight the urge to cackle as he was presented with yet another brilliant deception.
"Our, what you could do is quietly sell the Hutt's some of your droid forces. Yes it would greatly enhance their ability to defend themselves, but if you were to imbed a undetectable code in their programing, like you did with the Clone Troopers, then you can have the droids turn on their masters when their attention is focused on your troopers".
Steeping his hands in amusement as he thought of having the battle droids pull the same sort of unlooked for treachery he had sprung on the unsuspecting Jedi, the Sith Lord could only see one slight problem with the current plan, but was sure that the boy already had a solution for it.
"A most ingenious plan my boy. However I do foresee one potential issue with your reasoning. Order 66 was a success not only because I was able to catch my enemies unaware, but because I was able to twist the information to make the public think that the Jedi had indeed dared to rebel against my rule. If I was to use the droid armies in a similar manner, more and more people would begin to suspect that the Separatist Remnant is in fact under my control, and that the continuing attacks are merely a means to justify the continued buildup of the military. I trust you are aware of the value of a carefully crafted image"?
Receiving a swift nod from his youthful advisor, the Emperor remained silent as the Boy proceeded to explain how he could go about solving this potentially dangerous dilemma.
"What if you were to say that after much time and effort, Imperial Intelligence had finally managed to find a way hack into the droid control signal and had developed a machine that would allow your forces to take control of the enemies droid forces? Of course you can say that such a device is still in the prototype stage, and would need some time before it becomes available in large numbers, but I think that would be the best way to utilize this option. And I point out, if you wanted to continue using your clandestine Droid Armies, you can always say that terrorists stole copies of the signal hacking device, found out how it works, and developed appropriate countermeasures to keep it from effecting their troops".
Smirking at the deviousness of the Boy's plan, Palpatine nodded his head in approval before moving on to more pressing matters.
"A most ingenious scheme if I do say so myself. I do believe that if we were to implement such a plan, our timetable could be sped up considerably. But for now, let us get discuss the other factors of the coming operation. Since some planets under Hutt control are far less valuable than others, I think it is safe to say that the methods of dealing with them do not have to be similar to how we treat the more developed systems. Don't you agree Lord Vader".
Inclining his helmet forward to show that he concurred with his master's reasoning, the cybernetic Sith Lord had to tighten his control over his emotions as the elder Sith Lord proceeded to inform him of what he had in mind.
"Since I know how attached you are to your place of origin Lord Vader, you'll be pleased to learn that the opening phase of our campaign will involve a heavy orbital bombardment of that desert planet. Of course you'll be nowhere near that planet since I intend to have you command of our drive to Nal Hutta, but I'm sure that our young friend here will conduct a most efficient operation in your absence".
Smirking as he sense both the Boy's shocked confusion, as well as the barely controlled anger of his most powerful apprentice, the Sith Lord allowed the pair of them a moment to digest that bit of information before continuing the briefing.
"Since we need a suitable excuse to convince the average Imperial citizen of the worthiness of our cause, I think a properly staged demonstration of the Hutt's corpulent nature is needed. And thanks to the information you provided me my young friend, I already have an idea where we can find our sacrificial actors".
Curious as to the direction of the Emperor's thoughts, the boy found his question being asked by the robotic breathing Sith Lord.
"What do you mean Master"?
Choosing to indulge in his apprentice's curiosity, Palpatine's grin gained a slightly sadistic edge as he told the fallen Jedi what he meant.
"I mean Lord Vader that in order to ensure our continued expansion in that arm of the galaxy, certain treacherous individuals will be given the chance to redeem themselves by playing the part of loyal Imperial citizens who have suffered the misfortune of being executed for the enjoyment of the people of Hutt Space. Such a blatant insult cannot be tolerated of course, and we must do what we can to avenge the lives of those who can no longer contribute to the Empire".
Understanding, if not necessarily agreeing with the logic, Vader allowed his curiosity to once again overtake his senses as he asked his master the logical question.
'And what planet would this be master"?
Smirking, the Emperor flashed a brief look at the understanding boy before deciding to answer the question.
"Why Lothal Lord Vader. Lothal".
…
And I think I'll leave it their for now.
Hopefully you all enjoyed this.
Hoping to either have an Aphra centric scene next chapter...or a Death Star planning session. Cause even though my OC has not seen Rouge One (the story being written before the film came out) his ability to use common sense is still present...so MAYBE (not sure yet) he'll get a certain scientist in trouble when he points out that NO Man whose lost his family can be loyal to the very people who took them away...Just a thought.
Anyway til next time
Keep Reviewing.