Bowing his head in gratitude towards his sovereign, the rising star of the new Imperial Security Bureau began his report.
"Thank you your majesty. Now Gentleman, though the prerogative of my division usually deals with ensuring that the members of the Senate remain loyal to our government, over the past few weeks I have tasked my agents with obtaining information from the systems that lay outside our borders".
Glancing around the room to see that he had their rapt attention, the former admiral continued his report".
"From what they were able to ascertain, there is a strong feeling of resentment among the local populations against their rulers, and there is also small, but vocal minority demanding that they ceded from Hutt Space and join the Empire".
Pleased that he had managed to cause his colleagues to break out into debating mutterings, though he correctly guessed that some of them were dismissive of his information, Wulf Yularen had to keep himself from smiling as the Emperor decided to steer the conversation in a direction that could only aid his cause.
"And why would the Empire wish to acquire these mutinous territories? And further more why should we expend the effort into save those who are not Imperial Citizens"?
Seeing that a good portion of the room shared the opinion of their sovereign, though oddly enough the Emperor's young attendant appeared to be somewhat more open to hearing his reason, Yularen provided the explanation that he hoped would bring about the resolution he had desired.
"Because your majesty from what I have been able to ascertain, the Hutts appear to be the one's responsible for funding the Separatist Remnant".
As expected, this information caused the majority of the room to cease their dismissive attitude towards his report.
"From what my contacts have been able to learn, it appears that the Hutt Clans have been providing our enemies with the necessary resources to maintain their forces. So if we were to come to the aid of those wishing to free themselves of those gangsters, we would in effect be crippling the Separatist's ability to continue harassing our borders".
Steeping his fingers together in contemplation, the Emperor voiced one final question towards the now slightly nervous Colonel.
"And these rebellious elements you mentioned, I trust that these potential subjects of the Empire will do their utmost to aid our efforts in freeing them from the shackles of their Slug like overlords"?
Receiving a confident nod from former admiral, the galaxy ruling Sith Lord gave his decision.
"Then it would be remiss of us to let these brave souls struggle for their freedom without any aid. Governor Tarkin, you are to coordinate your efforts with Lord Vader in assembling the necessary forces needed to liberate these systems in 3 weeks time. I trust that this a sufficient period for a man of your talents"?
Seeing Tarkin nod his head in agreement, the Emperor turned his attention towards the man who the Moff had placed in charge of his secret project.
"Director Krennic. I believe it is time to discover what progress you have made with your assignment. I trust that everything is proceeding on schedule"?
Though somewhat nervous to receive the undivided attention of a man whose appearance lacked any of the fatherly aura that had helped propel his political career, the white uniformed officer nevertheless answered the question with a high degree of confidence.
"Yes your majesty. Thanks to the influx of new workers towards the project, I predict that the majority of the station will be full completed within 10 years".
Pleased by the approving nod he received from the man who had approved the decision to construct the moon sized battle station, Krennic barely managed to suppress his scowl as Tarkin decided to interfere with his moment of triumph.
"And what about the rest of the station director? From what I understand, the scientists involved in in constructing the primary weapon have run into some difficulties. Your head researcher in particular no longer seems to possess the same amount of enthusiasm he once had, so your prediction for the project's completion might be a little off with its timing".
Offering a glare at the condescending tone of the Moff, and conscious of the fact that he now had the full attention of his fellow officers, as well as an amused looking Emperor, Krennic attempted to defend his position.
"Your concerns are hardly warranted Governor Tarkin. Since this is a new revolutionary example of technology, some delays are not unheard of. But I assure you, that Galen Erso will successfully complete his part in the Death Star's construction, I guarantee that".
Fighting the urge to cackle at the bickering of his subordinates, the Emperor cast an eye towards his confused looking aid and decided to gauge his reaction to this piece of information.
"I sense your curiosity my boy. I grant you permission to share your concerns"
Jumping a little at having the weird sensation of having someone else speak in his head, and grateful that no one had seemed to notice his involuntary action, the boy thought back his question.
"Its just a feeling I have your majesty, but why is this Galen Erso no longer happy with his job? Also, whats his primary role in the Death Star's construction"?
Recognizing that the boy's questions where valid, and feeling a slide prod from the Force that it would be wise to pose this question, Palpatine directed his full attention towards the defensive looking Director.
"If you would be so kind as to tell us Director Krennic, why is your head researcher no longer as effective in his work as he once was? I trust that there are no external influences that might force his attention elsewhere"?
Growing increasingly uncomfortable as he endured the full scrutiny of the Emperor, and doing his best to ignore the slightly superior smirk of his superior officer, Krennic reluctantly divulged the problem.
"It appears that his troubles stem from his home life your majesty. Erso's wife lacks the necessary vision to fully appreciate how we can benefit from her husband's work, so it stands to reason that his enthusiasm for his work has been slightly degraded in order to maintain his marriage".
Ignoring the disdainful mutterings of the gathered officers as he processed this information, the Emperor raised another question.
"And how easy would it be to have someone else fulfil his position? I know all too well the effects of a stressful marriage, and what it can mean for the galaxy as a whole".
Hearing a barely audible snort of laughter from his youthful aid, for the boy had correctly determined which marriage he had been referencing, the Emperor remained silent as Krennic provided his answer.
"It would be difficult your majesty. Not only is Galen Erso considered a genius when it comes to the study of kyber crystals and their application, but he is also responsible for designing the energy source that will allow the station to function as intended".
Sensing the boy's sudden suspicions, and feeling the force clarify that he should pay attention to this piece of information, the Emperor made his decision.
"Since Galen Erso had done nothing else to indicate that he is no longer capable of continuing his work, he will be allowed to maintain his position. However, in addition to having a separate team of scientists go over his work in secret, I want him placed under surveillance. For I suspect that should his wife's protest grow beyond simple disapproval, they will attempt to flee. Is that understood Director"?
Receiving a shaking nod from the white uniformed Krennic, Palpatine turned his attention towards the sole man in the room who, while not a formal member of the Imperial Military, would nevertheless play a crucial role in its development.
"Now that we have gotten those two items out the way, I believe it is now time to hear from someone else who has his eyes on the future of growth of the Empire. Mr. Sienar you have our full attention".
…
She knew she would probably get punished for her desire to wander away from the group, but to be honest, how could they blame her when her care taker was as annoying as a prissy protocol droid?
Besides, she had already come across some impressive displays of technology that would make any punishment she would inevitably receive be totally worth it.
Training rooms filled with weapons that could impress even the most blood thirsty of bounty hunters.
Computers that were so far advanced that they had managed to thwart even her best efforts to hack into them.
For a techie like her, it was a dream come true.
Only downside was that there were far too many bucket head patrols for her to properly utilize her developing skills. She had almost been captured at least twice during her little independent foray, but thanks to her ingenuity of using the vents, she had been able to avoid detection, and now currently found herself in an area of the palace that had not been part of her tour.
Most people would be too daunted to try and slip past the pair of security droids that stood guard outside a heavily locked room, but not her.
Indulging her curiosity was perhaps the only worthwhile thing she had inherited from her father, and since she had already come all this way, she Aphra figured she might as well see what sort of secret Darth Vader wished to keep hidden.
Fiddling with a specially modified ion bomb that, hopefully, would disable the droid bodyguards for a period of 2 hours, the 7 year old girl waited for the familiar sound of clanking metal to fall to the ground before she began to fiddle with the coded alarm system.
It took her nearly 20 minutes, but she had nevertheless managed to break the code.
However what she discovered was something that she would never have expected to be in the possession of the Emperor's right hand man.
But as she took a step away from the gratefully still silent nursery, the room was soon filled with the distant, but unmistakable sounds of explosions going off.
…
AND that's enough for now :P. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, sorry for the delay.
Reminding you all that the boy came to the Star Wars universe before the release of Rouge One, so he is not familiar with characters from that film. HOWEVER…he is aware of the fact that it is NEVER wise to trust a man with the mission of creating a weapon that will smite the enemies of the very government who lost his family because of said government.
So believe that I discovered an excellent way to prevent the Death Star's reactor problem (which in cannon was designed to blow up should the simplest explosion happen).
Apologises for cutting the scene short during the point where the developer of the Tie Fighter is introduced. But I believe I make up for this with the Aphra part and my method of having her introduced to Darth Vader.
As always, Keep reviewing :)