Emperor Palpatine, the Emperor of the Great Galactic Empire looked over that tactical displays while sitting astride his throne. He had the appearance of one frail but he was strong where it mattered. The force buoyed him, kept him strong and protected him against the ravages of time. Hate had kept him strong, his giddy glee at being the most powerful being in the cosmos kept him young.

Now, without any warning, without preamble, he lofty position had been taken from him. He silently bore witness to the invasion of his Galactic Empire- his Empire. Rage possessed him, moved him in ways that he hadn't felt in almost two decades. For far too long he had been complacent. For too long he had nothing with which to vent his rage. Already he felt a century younger.

"So... my new mysterious adversaries. You would take that which is mine?" the Emperor cackled, "You shall have to fight for it."

The old man cackled, his raspy voice expressing not anguish but glee. Already the dark side of the force was feeding him visions of a galaxy on fire, of untold wanton death and destruction the likes of which it had never before seen not in any of the wars since the dawn of the Great Galactic Empire or even the Republic's twenty five thousand year rule.

Gesturing to his red robed guardsmen the old man brought himself to his feet in one swift movement and hefted a small cylindrical rod. HIs lightsaber, he had not wielded it since that night when the Jedi came for him in the High Chancellor's chambers.

"Ready my ship," Palpatine rasped, still mirthful as he strode across a cold grey steel bridge without railings that spanned a shaft so deep the bottom could not be seen, "Coruscant is lost but no matter. I am the Galactic Empire. This world is but a bauble."