2718. Early signs (middle)
Coruscant The first ray of sunlight in the Eastern Hemisphere passed through the window and shone on an ancient book page. This was a very rare paper book. It was very thick and full of tiny characters. A robot no bigger than the palm of your hand is using a high-precision optical magnification device to assist reading, well, it's called a magnifying glass.
With a clatter, the page was turned, and the small robot immediately returned to the beginning of the page. The precise sensor scanned the direction of the reader's pupils at all times and adjusted the position of the magnifying glass in real time, so that the other person could read without any lag.
Misi-ro-Nurudo-Thrawn looked at the ancient words on the page, and suddenly felt a little anxious in his heart. He stood up and went to the window. Through the alloy fence, he looked past the rows of modern buildings and fell on the looming triangular figure in the morning clouds...
Imperial II-class Star Destroyer, it is suspended in the morning light, and the triangular outline of the ship reveals a terrifying coldness.
"The storm... is coming." Thrawn murmured to himself.
Then his eyes dimmed, and he understood that no matter what was about to happen, it had nothing to do with him as a prisoner.
Ever since he was relieved of command by the latter due to conflicts with Dunn-Vesex while he was at Northern Territory Campaign, and was charged with war crimes for causing the destruction of Palin-Minor's satellite - Iron Moon, he was arrested by Imperial Inquisitorius and has been detained here.
But what made him a little strange was that he was not treated as cruelly as expected. On the contrary, he was just locked in this single cell with pretty good living conditions. Even his Imperial Navy uniform was not confiscated, just the badge was removed.
Not only that, his needs were met as much as possible, and he was not prohibited from browsing Galactic HoloNet. Even this time, he asked to check the ancient books of Galactic Republic, and his request was approved. This book from more than 20,000 years ago was taken out of the museum and handed into his hands.
However, no one ever visited him regularly, and it was as if he had been forgotten.
Suddenly, a distorted and greasy voice appeared behind him without warning, "Ah..." The Founders of the Galactic Republic". I remember that this book should have a scanned electronic file, which will be more convenient to read."
Thrawn suddenly turned around, only to see a man covered in a black cloak and exuding a dark aura standing there, flipping through the book he was reading just now.
The door of this single cell was still closed and extremely strong, but how he got in could not be explained.
But Thrawn knew who this person was. He knelt down on one knee and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty the Emperor."
Palpatine just held the book and flipped through it. After a while, he dropped the book and said slowly, "I heard that when you face an enemy, you will first study their history and culture. So... does this mean that your next target is Galactic Empire?"
"That's not the case. I just think that in order to better serve the Empire, I should also know more about the Empire himself." Thrawn responded neither humble nor overbearing.
"No..." Palpatine came to Thrawn and looked condescendingly at Thrawn, who was kneeling on the ground. "You are right. Our enemy is Galactic Empire."
Thrawn frowned, but he did not raise his head. He just kept his head bowed and knelt on one knee, not exposing the shock in his heart.
"Do you know why I want to reorganize Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire?" Palpatine asked.
Thrawn thought for a moment and gave a very neutral answer, "Because Galactic Republic is dead."
"That's right, hehehehe." Palpatine sneered, his voice distorted and greasy, making people feel uncomfortable all over. "Before I took the last step, Galactic Republic was already dead. This huge Galactic Republic had long been completely corroded by the powerful, privileged classes, capitalists, Mega-corporations, and bureaucracy, and became nothing more than an empty shell with a grand appearance."
"At this time, Galactic Republic is like a crystal cup, bright and bright, but extremely fragile. With just a gentle push, it can be shattered into pieces. When disaster strikes, those nobles and wealthy businessmen who have become fattened by sucking Galactic Republic's flesh and blood, Will they stand up to defend Galactic Republic? No." Palpatine asked himself, "In fact, Galactic Republic has become a fictitious collection of countless interest groups, and it has long since fallen apart."
Thrawn lowered his head and said nothing. An invisible force helped him stand up. He put his hands behind his back and stood as straight as a compass.
"You should still remember that after Galactic Republic was reorganized into the Empire, the first military plan I implemented - Outer Rim Reconquest Operation." Palpatine said, "Because after the reorganization of the Empire was completed, Outer Rim of the galaxy, although nominally still the territory of the Empire, in fact, in Outer Rim Territories, the Empire's government orders were divided, and the order collapsed. I used my iron fist to destroy the Empire's authority. In fact, you saw it - even when the fleet came, Outer Rim Territories still resisted fiercely. But who gave them the courage? Is it Kingdom of Dawn?
"Clone Wars just ended, Kingdom of Dawn didn't have this power." Thrawn replied calmly.
"Yes, our real enemy has never been outside, but inside." Palpatine said, "Starting from Jedi Order, I have been eradicating those parasites in within the Galactic Republic. But then I discovered that these parasites have long been deeply bound to Galactic Republic. To eradicate them is to harm Galactic Republic itself."
"So you reorganized the Empire to better attack internal enemies?" Thrawn asked in return.
"This is just the beginning... Galactic Empire inherited everything from Galactic Republic, including those internal parasites." Palpatine raised his hands and said, "You should be able to understand, I I have nothing. Are those nobles and Mega-corporations my people? It's just that my position can bring them more benefits. So, what do I have?
"Army." Thrawn spit out a word.
"That's right! The army! When I was Naboo Senator, I was secretly promoting this plan." Palpatine said, "Galactic Republic has everything, but there is one thing, and only one thing, that it doesn't Yes! That is... the army! I started from scratch, from a member to the speaker, just for the birth of "Military Creation Act". Only this bill can give birth to another true army of Galactic Republic!"
"You created this army, so the army is absolutely loyal to you." Thrawn said.
"So, my road of conquest is definitely not just a re-conquest of Outer Rim Territories, nor is it just a war with Kingdom of Dawn! My road of conquest should start from within the Empire!" Palpatine's voice was full of fanaticism, "Only by completely eradicating the parasites inside the Empire, the Empire, can we truly become... the Empire! And you, Thrawn..."
"You are my secret weapon to reconquer Galactic Empire..."