Meerkat Prompts: Imperial Elections

Hmm. Providing a challenger to Vader who might be able to win an election, not least of all considering Palpatine’s endorsement, would be a big challenge. Fear of Vader, and for that matter fear of the Emperor, means the challenger has to play it smart.

Any would-be opponent to Vader would also need to show they are capable of ruling over an empire filled with ambitious, power-hungry commanders. Who can command respect and display authority to rival Vader? Who can look like they can hold the Empire together?

Personally, I’d nominate Governor Tarkin. The man who oversaw the Death Star project, as well as countless other Imperial plans, proved himself to be an intelligent and ruthless leader. He possesses experience and is prepared to make big decisions to get things done. He holds enough authority that even Vader was prepared to listen to him.

Indeed, Tarkin was respected by Palpatine, which says it all. Whilst Tarkin and Vader might both inspire fear, Tarkin would also have the respect of his officers, whereas with Vader, it’s almost exclusively about fear. It also fair to say that Vader as a political leader falls short; he is intelligent where it comes to managing battles and strategy, but he lacks Palpatine’s cunning and guile. Tarkin on the other hand, has more of those qualities.

So, that’s my nomination, I guess the question is whether Tarkin ends up being assassinated by Vader in the meantime!

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