If there's one thing I've learned from the old man, thought Prince Xizor, it's that ambition is as infinite as the universe itself.
That was a lesson much to Xizor's own liking. He could endure a good deal of petty humiliations, at Palpatine's and Vader's hands, in order to see the day when he would put that education to use.
Patience, the control of one's anger and thirst for vengeance, was one of the greatest of all martial skills. And the most difficult to master: he had but to glance at the holo image of Lord Vader standing in the Emperor's throne room, for his own hands to clench into tight-knuckled fists.
Someday, Xizor told himself again. Until then-watch and wait.
"As you wish, my lord." Xizor brought his gaze up to meet that of the Emperor.
"Perhaps," spoke the holo image of Darth Vader," the Emperor would care to determine the quality of Prince Xizor's service. It was not so very long ago that Xizor told us of his great plans to destroy the Bounty Hunters Guild, and all the benefits that would thus flow to the Empire." Vader's image looked contemptuously toward the Falleen prince." Surely by now, those plans would have shown some results. Or were they as insubstantial as the prince's loyalty?"
"Excellent, Vader." The Emperor nodded in approval." You anticipate my desires; such is the true sign of a valued servant." Palpatine's gaze sharpened as he peered at Xizor." So? Your speech then, Xizor, was most. . . entertaining. By virtue of its grand conceits, I granted you my permission to carry out your scheme. I would be disappointed to hear that there has been no progress in this matter of disrupting the bounty hunters' organization. And yet. . ." The Emperor's eyes narrowed to slits, like small knife wounds in the wrinkled flesh." I have already received contradictory reports, concerning what has come from all your plans." He turned toward the other figure in the throne room." Is that not so, Lord Vader?"
"That is exactly the case, my lord." A note of triumph sounded in Vader's rasping voice." I previously advised against investing any of your time and energy in these vain, pointless pursuits. The Rebellion must be our first priority; it grows in strength while Prince Xizor squanders our resources on a quest that, even if it were successful, would give us nothing."
"Control your anger, Vader. You come perilously close to questioning my wisdom when you continue to attack the merits of Xizor's scheme. I saw it as sufficiently intriguing, when he first presented it to us, that I found your protests to be founded more in spite and jealousy than in true strategic analysis."
Vader made no reply, but Xizor could detect in the holo image a stiffening of the spine inside the black robes, an indicator of the Emperor's words having struck their mark.
"Perhaps," Xizor said mildly," the difference between Lord Vader and myself is that I have no doubt of the Empire's imminent victory over the Rebel Alliance. That is why I find it worthwhile to turn our attention to the governing of the Empire after its dominion has been established as an irrefutable fact."
He could tell that his words pleased the Emperor; a thin smile lifted one corner of Palpatine's mouth.
"You see, Vader?" The Emperor gestured with one hand toward Prince Xizor." That is why my mastery of the Force is greater than your own. There can be no true power without certainty. It is not enough to try to suppress the Rebellion, we must do so."
Vader's holo image stood unflinching against the Emperor's tongue-lashing." You speak of the difference, my lord, between Prince Xizor and myself. Yet there is another difference that must be considered. And that is the difference between a childish faith and wise preparation. Even the admirals of the Imperial Navy, with their trust in mere technological contrivances such as the Death Star, still know they must fight and destroy the Rebels before the Empire's victory is accomplished."
That, thought Xizor with a mixture of both disbelief and satisfaction, was not a good move. It had always been clear to him that Darth Vader considered himself as being above the niceties of diplomatic speech. For all his loyalty to the Emperor, he was still capable of angering his master. And Vader had surely done so now: the Emperor's face darkened with fury.
"Even a child," said Palpatine in a low, ominous voice," should know how foolish it is to contradict one such as myself. You consider yourself wiser than that, Vader, do you not? Yet you persist in bestowing your unwanted advice upon me, even after I have warned you of the consequences."
"I do so, my lord, not to contradict, but to-"
"Silence!" The single word of command snapped through the throne room's air like a whiplash's cutting tip." I know better than you do yourself just what your intentions are." The Emperor's hands tightened upon the arms of his throne." Your thoughts are an open book to me, with the words written large enough for an idiot to perceive. You have let your hatred of Prince Xizor lead you into a dangerous territory, one where the life of an unruly servant such as yourself is mine to crush within my fist." The Emperor raised one hand, its clawlike fingers compressed into a rigid, white-knuckled ball." Your usefulness to me, Vader, is not such that I can tolerate your insubordination."
As Xizor watched, his own heart filled with the gloating pleasure that accompanies an enemy's humiliation. Darth Vader's holo image stood like a black rock at the edge of a storm-lashed sea, enduring silently the waves dashing against it. But when the Emperor's wrathful words ceased, Vader's image lowered itself onto one knee, its black-helmeted head bent in submission.
"As you wish, my lord." All emotion was drained from the image's relayed voice." Do with your servant as you will."
"All in good time." Palpatine's voice actually sounded sullen, as though he were barely satisfied with Vader's acquiescence." Until then, you still have some measure of worth for me."
I've won, thought Xizor. This round, at least. He hadn't even had to do much for it to happen this way,
merely let the arrogant Lord Vader dig his own grave. The Dark Lord of the Sith was so used to other sentient creatures, all of whom he considered inferior to himself, giving way before his undoubted powers that the least resistance threw him off balance. That was what had led to his saying such rash and ill-advised things to the Emperor. His only mode is to attack, Xizor had judged correctly. For a combatant to have no capacity for strategic retreat, to bide his time and wait, was a liability rather than a strength. As long as Emperor Palpatine was so much stronger than he was, Vader could be easily maneuvered into incurring that scathing wrath. Which deflects it from me, thought Xizor with pleasure. A fall from grace, however temporary it might be for Vader, was a comparable elevation for his opponents.
The only thing that Xizor had to remember, that he could never allow himself to forget, was that such a momentary advantage came at a considerable price. Whatever enmity Darth Vader had borne him before was now magnified many times over. For Xizor to have witnessed Vader's humiliation, that proud spirit crushed beneath the Emperor's boot sole, was to have had his own death warrant sealed-if Vader could bring that about. And Xizor knew now, even more than before, Vader would turn as much of his powers as possible to that task. The only thing that could divert Vader from his commitment to Xizor's destruction was the growing threat of the Rebel Alliance to the Empire. If the Rebellion should be crushed-and Xizor felt the chances were good that it would be-then in whatever aftermath followed, Xizor would have a formidable enemy indeed, facing him.