No one is quite sure how Palpatine was first introduced to the power of
the dark side. He is the most powerful practitioner of the
Sith ways
in modern times. He studied the ancient ruins on the Sith mausoleum world of
Korriban. He unlocked secrets of the Force from a captured Jedi Holocron.
The dark side energies flowing through Palpatine's body were so intense,
that they ravaged his mortal frame. The very source of Palpatine's strength
was killing him.
To counter the dark side's consumption, Palpatine turned to a bizarre
combination of technology and Sith magic. Palpatine used Spaarti cloning
cylinders to create a store of younger bodies, and employed an ancient Sith
technique to transfer his consciousness into a waiting clone. Thus,
Palpatine could avoid death indefinitely -- as long as his supply of clones
remained intact. He would change his form again and again, prolonging his
life. Palpatine constructed a secret throne-world deep within the galaxy's
core, on a shadowy world called Byss. Here, he kept his clones safe,
protected by a loyal cadre of Dark Side Adepts.
Although Palpatine called for the extermination of the Jedi and any
Force-sensitives who could conceivably challenge him, he did keep a few
loyal agents who were trained in the Force. Darth
Vader was chief among them, as his primary lieutenant and Sith
apprentice. Palpatine also had a string of loyal, deadly agents referred to
as his "Hands." Mara
Jade was foremost among these dedicated enforcers.
At the Battle of Endor, Palpatine
found himself facing death yet again. Betrayed by Vader, Palpatine's body
was destroyed aboard the second Death
Star. Separated from his clones, Palpatine was forced to survive in the
maddening, bodiless existence of the void. Through sheer will he retained
his identity, crossing the gulf of space to again take residence in his
clone body. He barely survived Darth Vader's treachery. Palpatine remained
sequestered at Byss while he rebuilt his strength, and his Empire.
Palpatine's rule was so absolute that his apparent death at Endor
fragmented the
Empire. With no obvious heir, opportunistic moffs and warlords set out
to carve their own private fiefdoms where they could. Years of infighting
worked to the advantage of the fledgling New Republic, who proceeded to
reclaim three-fourths of the galaxy. One warlord who succeeded where
imitators failed was Grand
Admiral Thrawn, the only non-human to hold that rank. His cunning
tactics and unerring strategies brought the Empire to the brink of victory
five years after the Battle of Endor. Only a last minute betrayal spelled
his defeat.
Spurred on by Thrawn's victories, the remaining Inner Circle of Imperial
warlords staged a devastating attack on Coruscant.
Whereas Thrawn sought to take the capital world intact, these Imperials
attacked without compunction. Much of Imperial City was laid waste by the
fighting, and the New Republic was forced to evacuate. Once on the surface,
the Imperials splintered yet again, and skirmishes dragged on in amongst the
ruined skyscrapers.
It was then that the resurrected Palpatine struck. Using his dark powers
to invoke a Force storm of great magnitude, Palpatine swept Jedi
Master Luke
Skywalker to Byss. There, he revealed himself to Skywalker, and unveiled
the true strength of the dark side. Faced with an immortal enemy, Skywalker
did the unthinkable -- in order to defeat the dark side from within,
Skywalker knelt before Palpatine, and declared himself his new apprentice.
In these dark times, it seemed the Emperor had finally won.
Skywalker was too enmeshed in darkness to successfully rebel against his
master. Although he sabotaged some of Palpatine's military ventures --
namely those involving immense war factories called World Devastators -- he
still could do not draw himself from the pall of the dark side. It was only
his sister, Leia
Organa Solo, that gave him the extra strength he needed. With her
presence, the two Skywalker twins were able to temporarily repulse
Palpatine.
Unabated, the Emperor continued his scourge. Armed with an incredible new
superweapon, the Galaxy Gun, Palpatine forced numerous New Republic worlds
to capitulate to Imperial rule. Despite his growing Empire, Palpatine was
again growing frail. His clones were failing him. He needed new blood.
Palpatine targeted Leia's newborn son, Anakin Solo, as the next
receptacle for his dark spirit. During an attempt to possess the child, Han Solo shot
the ailing Palpatine in the back. Before his soul could enter Anakin's
body, Palpatine was intercepted by a newfound Jedi, Empatojayos Brand. Cut
off from a host body, Palpatine's essence dissipated, to be consumed by the
madness that is the dark side. After so many years of bloodshed, the Emperor
was truly dead.