Anakin's Empire: A Star Wars Alternative

12: Government Secrets

In the Emperor's Star Destroyer, the secret chamber in which he had had a conversation with his apprentice opened its doors to receive less informal visitors. Palpatine sat on the tip of the metal table, as he had done on a previous occasion, and invited the rest of the members to take a seat.

"Gentlemen. I'll be honest: big inconveniences are right under our noses these last few days."

The members of the long table were surprised to hear those words. These people were tall human figures dressed in purple and black, some with hats that stood out from the average Imperial officer. One of them decided to respond:

"Tell us, Palpatine. I don't think anything could make the current situation in government any worse. The situation under your government's responsibility, I must clarify."

The Emperor stared at the man, as if he did not believe what he was hearing:

"I understand you, Khale-Ji. You're still learning your role here. When you grow old enough, you will understand how my government's chain of command works, which certainly saved the Republic from mass treason. How would you have solved that if you were in my position?"

Although the Empire's ultimate figure was wrapped in disguised anger, he had to remain calm. Khale-Ji was an annoying rookie who had just obtained his place in the Empire solely because of his honorable family lineage. The Ji had pushed for multiple reforms within the Separatist Alliance, as they wished to impose order by force at all times and with cautiously calculated measures.

"One of the things I have come to tell you is that you must be alert in case you witness any sightings of the Grand Jedi Master Yoda. He's not giving up yet and he's going to try to cause chaos at all costs. If you find him, you have my exclusive permission to order your troops to fire without thinking twice."

"I approve," they all answered.

While the meeting was coming to an end, Darth Vader was organizing the papers he had stolen from the Emperor's chamber in his meditation room. Before processing the truth about Kira that his master had revealed to him, he decided to read some documents to clarify a part of what his master had probably hidden from him. He opened a document called "Government Mechanism No. 129 of the Ji Manual." He didn't hesitate for a second to read that confidential document:

Mecanism 129 of the Ji Manual consists of a chain of command system organized in a safe and reliable manner. The system is composed of positions of authority called Imperial Ministers. These Ministers fulfill certain roles, but the main one is direct control of most actions and decisions taken by the current Emperor of the Galactic Empire. The current Emperor is obliged to convene meetings with Ministers to propose the actions he will take or ideas he wishes to share that involve a modification of the functioning of the government.

On the other hand, Mecanism 129 has a contingency plan in case the current Emperor abuses his power and/or makes decisions or acts on his own. Each Minister will be in charge of a specific galactic system, which includes the military forces, the population it contains and its economy. In the event that the current Emperor commits any of the above-mentioned infractions, the Imperial Ministers are fully authorized to block the system for which he is in charge and to dispose of all that it contains (Imperial troops, resources, etc.). This state of autonomy by the Minister is called a "secluded government", and may continue to operate as long as order in the Galactic Empire is not restored. If a secluded government exceeds its operating date, the Minister must be arrested and penalized with death for treason and unlawful control of a secluded government.

A secluded government implies a total blockade of civilian or infantry transport wishing to leave or enter the system. The Imperial troops of the secluded government will be placed under the direct command of the Minister, who is responsible for directing the infantry within the system. If any government forces that may continue to be under the Emperor's control attempt to enter the system, the secluded government troops will be ordered to confront the invading forces, even if both opponents come from the same government. If the corrupt Emperor is in a system run by an Imperial Minister, that Minister shall order the Imperial troops to arrest or eliminate him if necessary. Secluded government troops will continue to function as a separatist army until order is restored in the Galactic Empire.

The secluded government system serves to protect the population and economy of a system, preventing a corrupt Emperor from attempting to pillage or invade any system in the galaxy that is under the control of an Imperial Minister. However, systems that have not accepted an Imperial Minister prior to the state of emergency will not be protected from the aforementioned invading forces. Nor will an attempt be made to restore that system after the emergency. Any corrupt Imperial forces housed in that system will not be removed by the restored government, unless the corrupt Emperor is in one of those systems.

Last but not least, the secluded government system will only be applied in those systems that demonstrate to all ministers of the galaxy in a communiqué that their system is at risk of attack by the corrupt Emperor or his troops. If the evidence is real, all Imperial Ministers of the galaxy will vote whether or not to allow the system in need to enter a state of secluded government. If the number of systems in need of a secluded government exceeds half the galaxy's systems, all galactic systems which have an Imperial Minister will automatically become a secluded government until order is restored in the Galactic Empire.

Vader slowly closed the document and was struck by what he had just read. However, he held in his hands the perfect mechanism that would allow him to dethrone his Master and bring Kira to her knees. But the truth that had impacted like a torpedo inside him did not allow him to conspire anymore. His mind was very saturated, so he decided to stop thinking and go to rest. What he would never have imagined were the years ahead, in which he would experience dozens of shocking changes. Perhaps, for the first time, the dreaded Darth Vader was not fully prepared for what the Dark Side began to demand of him. Maybe Obi-Wan was right: there was still light inside him.