AN: Slight change in cannon this ch. Grand Admirals aren't introduced until decades later, but they're just so cool, Palps added them early~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darkness pervaded the high-vaulted chamber like a shroud. The obsidian walls of the Emperor's private cabinet room seemed to swallow the light from the hovering lights above, casting the long polished table in shadow. High-ranking officers and administrators sat still, eyes forward, the very air weighed down by the presence at its head.
Emperor Palpatine, cloaked in his typical attire, sat motionless upon his elevated chair, his gnarled hands folded before him. The holoscreen before him flickered with scrolling numbers. They showcased economic projections, trade deficits, energy outputs, and a thousand other woes. It was a pitiful parade of weakness. His yellowed eyes scanned the data in silence.
The highs he experienced from his speech were long gone as the reality of his Empire's true state was more than any gilded words could hide. Those fools that were enamored with his speech would prove to be willing tools in the coming days. Yet for all their borrowed might, and fervent loyalty, the fact remained. Their economy was on the verge of collapse.
Internally, he seethed.
'Collapse.' The word rang through his mind like a curse. 'How can a galaxy-spanning financial institution bend so easily?'
His silence broke with a sharp, cold rasp.
"Sate." He said, the name of his closest confidant, and long time friend. His voice cut across the room like a vibroblade.
Sate Pestage-a skinny middle aged man dressed in fine purple velvet-flinched ever so slightly. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Regarding the friend whom he had placed his trust in-a trust that included the economy-he could only feel disappointment. Upon his return two months ago from Mustafar, he discovered that this loyal servant of his had done little to mitigate the economic bloodshed. Compounding upon this point was the continued survival of the Jedi & CIS. To say he was irate would be an understatement.
Palpatine's voice turned acidic. "Explain to this cabinet how the Galactic Bank-a millenia old institution-was brought to the brink of insolvency under your stewardship. Do not think for an instant that one insignificant Jedi has the ability to do more damage in a handful of hours than the entire Seperatist army could not accomplish in five years. I want the truth."
Pestage cleared his throat and rose slowly. "My Emperor." He began, clasping his hands before him. "The war has drained many liquid assets. Trade between the Core and Mid Rim has nearly collapsed, and several Corellian subsidiaries have defaulted. Additionally, the seizure of Muunilinst disrupted interbank settlements-"
"Excuses." Palpatine growled, fingers tightening. "Your task was to stabilize the transition. Trillions have been lost. Contracts remain unfulfilled. The army & navy grind to a halt as supplies rot in warehouses."
Pestage bowed his head humbly but quickly rallied. "I have drafted a series of measures. Immediate nationalization of the entire banking sector under the Ministry of Finance. Emergency currency controls in war zones. And perhaps most importantly, resuming trade guarantees with neutral systems-"
"Neutrality is treason, Pestage. This late into the war, they are either with us, or against us."
"Of course, my lord." Pestage said quickly, and bowed. "Then perhaps incentivizing reconstruction loans through captured Separatist assets will do? Your subjects live in fear, Your Majesty. Many planets suffer. Your speech inspired billions, by granting these loans, the economy would jumpstart itself. The war can pay for itself." Pestage spoke in a calm, reasonable tone, several finance ministers slowly nodded along with his plan.
Palpatine's eyes narrowed, but he gave no further rebuke. There was merit in what he said. There would be no punishment. For now.
"Make it so." Palpatine commanded.
With a breath of relief, Pestage resumed his seat.
The Emperor turned to his left. "General Kaine."
The Grand General of the Imperial Army stood, his sharp grey-green colored military uniform was festooned with medals, reflecting a glint of pale light. A rugged, war-hardened man, Ardus Kaine carried the smell of battlefield grit with him. Even here, in the sanctum of political power, his martial bearing stood out over most others present in the room.
Pulling up a map of the galaxy, the Grand General began his presentation.
"My Emperor, the war proceeds... grimly. Of the thousand Legions deployed, a quarter of them are on the brink of destruction or are totally dissolved, merged into another unit. A further quarter are undergoing refits and are crippled due to the economic crisis. They cannot rejoin the battlefield for at least three months. Someone sent millions of beach towels, rubberbands, sandals, sunblock, and other useless miscellaneous objects to be sent to them, canceling the orders of weapons! By the time new orders were placed, it was discovered that our payment systems were being declined!" Kaine said with an ever mounting fury and rage. His steely eyes practically laser-beamed the various ministers within the room, blaming them for this catastrophe.
"Regrettably, this leaves another quarter stretched thin playing defense. Only some 250 Legions are available for offense, and the regulars-about 100 billion men & women are almost all limited to home defense. However, thanks to Your Majesty's rousing words, recruitment is up, it is estimated that 100-250 billion life forms will have joined the army or navy by the end of next quarter. Finally, there is a glimmer of hope. The CIS has been bloodied, and are barely holding out against our sieges in the Galactic South, and East. It is only the North, and South-West where Tann & Revan are present that we are on the backfoot."
"What about the clone attack on the Wookies?" A minister enquired.
"We have nearly encircled the Wookiee defenders on Kashyyyk, but jungle resistance is heavier than predicted. Orbital bombardment is limited due to terrain complications. Jedi insurgents delay our advance." Kaine explained in a sour tone.
Palpatine's lip curled in distaste.
"Unfortunately, this is but the tip of the iceberg." Kaine said, lowering his voice. "Jedi saboteurs led a devastating assault on Kamino. The cloning facilities are gone. Our production capabilities are crippled."
A hush fell over the chamber. Pestage straightened his posture, and standing behind Palpatine-his seneschal, Mas Amedda-couldn't help but gasp.
"The Jedi are so formidable?" Palpatine said softly, venom in every syllable.
"Yes, sire. They continue to coordinate from hidden enclaves. It is believed that Kamino in particular was razed by that hateful figure, Revan. In addition to the loss of Kamino-" Kaine tapped a holomap on the table, changing the map to display footage of combat, and a Chiss female slaughtering clone troopers. "-the Confederacy's Supreme Commander, Sev'rance Tann, has taken Onderon and Mygeeto. Our garrisons fell with minimal resistance. We estimate her next strike will be on Dantooine. With the starship manufacturing capabilities of Mygeeto under her heel, it is anticipated that her offensive shall be crushing." Kaine analyzed.
The Emperor's eyes darkened further. "What more of Revan?"
A palpable silence followed, as one did not need to be Force Sensitive to feel the Emperor's displeasure.
Kaine bowed his head. "As was seen in the preliminary report, he was last seen on Eriadu…now it has been confirmed. Eriadu is his. He did not lose a single man, or fire a single shot. Our communications blackout failed to hide his so-called miracles. Many people cheer his name in the streets, or speak highly of him in the comments, and Jedi-ism is on the rise."
Palpatine's fingers twitched upon the table. 'Revan…' The name echoed in his mind like an ice pick to the brain. A ghost from a thousand years past. Could it truly be him? Or some upstart zealot using the mask as a symbol of defiance? He had meditated on the man, yet the Force was blank every time he sought him out. For more than a decade, he had relied upon his foresight to outmaneuver foes, and position himself optimally. Yet Revan eluded him…only one other figure had so thoroughly evaded his foresight. That was Anakin Skywalker, The Chosen One. By that metric, this truly must be Revan, who according to ancient Baneite texts was the so-called Heart of the Force.
The revelation was stunning, and for the first time in a long time, a feeling of uncomfortableness gripped his heart. He hadn't felt this way since his Master was still alive and vying for control.
How he hated it.
The light in the room flickered, and a thousand different plots surfaced to the fore. Cold hatred coursed through his veins, refining his focus to untold heights. A calm clarity suffused his mind as he came to one solid conclusion.
Revan must die.
He said nothing for a long while, and stewed in his thoughts. The fear from his cabinet members was like a tonic. Yes, let them stew in their failures. If not for them, his boundless future-his Force Sensitive clone bodies-would yet remain!
During his internal seething, a voice spoke from the opposite end of the table. Palpatine slowly looked up, a faint grin spread across from his face.
'This had better be good.'
"My Emperor." Grand Admiral Octavian Grant said, rising crisply to a bow. His uniform was all white, and pristine. Grant'a voice was unwavering, carrying with it a great degree of confidence. "Allow me to deploy my Sector armada. The Excise battlegroup will retake Eriadu, crush this Jedi scum, and restore order."
Palpatine turned his gaze slowly toward him. The man was a professional. Despite his silver spooned upbringing, Grant was a veteran with many accolades. Yes, it was possible, but to destroy a Jedi, more was required. Closing his eyes, he briefly reached out with the Force, but felt a blank spot when he thought of Revan.
"You will have your battle, Grand Admiral." Palpatine declared, eyes glinting with malevolent light. "But you will not go alone. The 501st will reinforce your offensive, alongside ten T-1,000 prototypes. Furthermore the Malacant battlegroup stationed at Utapau, the 212th shall pincer Eriadu. Grand Admiral Grunger shall be your reinforcement, as well as my greatest confidant, Lord Vader shall handle Revan. Leave nothing behind but ash."
Many people looked confused at Palpatine's declaration, but none spoke out to contradict him. The 501st were renowned as the premier Legion. As the darling of Anakin Skywalker, there wasn't a soul alive that wasn't aware of their exploits.
Grant was slightly peeved at the competition-he believed bringing 20 Legions to Eriadu was overkill-yet he bowed all the same. "As you command."
Palpatine ominously leaned forward, and spoke in a grandfatherly tone: "See to it this resistance dies screaming."
Grant lowered his head even further, and didn't utter a word.
Based upon his posture, the rest of the cabinet members seemed to exhale in relief. That none of them had been targeted, or brought forward for censure was a blessing. It appeared that he was going to leave the room, yet that wasn't the case.
"Ysanne, please." Palpatine's voice sonorously echoed.
A moment later, a section of the office which was covered by a black curtain was revealed. Five naked men & women were bound and gagged. The mutilation done to their bodies was intense, causing many civil officials within the room to pale or wretch. Furthermore, many of these officials recognized the bound individuals.
"Is that Rampart?!" One minister gasped.
Palpatine grinned at the scene, and basked in their fear. He then nodded at the 16 year old girl who he had named just now.
Ysanne Isard, daughter to the former intelligence chief, Armand Isard was dressed in an all red uniform. Strutting toward the cabinet table, she withdrew a blaster, then twirled around, and placed five accurate shots directly into the captives' heads.
"Such is the fate of all traitors. Well done, Director Isard, for spotting this cancerous treachery before it had the opportunity to matasticize." Palpatine applauded.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, I only did as a loyal subject should." Ysanne bowed in thanks.
Many eyes in the room looked on in envy as a child gained the Emperor's favor whilst they had been chewed out.
"This is the daughter of your late colleague, Armand. Her discovery of the spies implanted by Revan has uncovered a plot to see me assasinated. The entire Inspectorate shall be cleansed from the root, she has my full permission and trust in this matter. Please, Ysanne take your seat."
Ysanne arrogantly strutted to a chair occupied by the current, temporary Director of Intelligence. Unloading her blaster once more, she kicked the still smoking corpse of her predecessor off her chair, and took a seat.
"Your Majesty, there is more to the Kamino incident than was first imagined. My Agent, James Bond has uncovered a dastardly plot involving the clones' inhibitor chips. The Jedi, Revan, used his Jedi tricks to turn loyal troopers into religious fanatics. It is my recommendation that an immediate order be relayed to all forces. Do not remove them."
Palpatine revealed a wide, ugly grin as her words made everyone in the room stiffen. Kamino had been destroyed two weeks ago, and they were only just now understanding the truth on the matter. By a girl no less! The cabinet members' fear was palpable.
"See to it, Ysanne. As for the rest of you, this meeting is adjourned. I look forward to your good news, Grand Admiral."
~~~~~~~~~~
AN: Read upto chapter 234 at: patreon.com/KarpQQ
I update every Mon, Tues, Wed, Th
May Fourth sale, $5 or $2.50 for a sizeable chunk of content~
I'll be publicly double releasing chapters every day until May Fourth (ch 85 will come later today~)