He had plenty of masterful plans during his long lifetime, but he also made plans for after his death, and they weren’t for the benefit of those who came after him. Look at the far-reaching contingency plans Sheev Palpatine made in the event of his death.
Palpatine was a talented manipulator, from killing his own Sith Master, to creating conflicts and conspiracies within the Republic senate, to orchestrating a galaxy-wide war and taking power as the Emperor. As a Sith Lord, Palpatine craved power but feared losing it. This compelled him to design a backup plan, officially known as “the Contingency.” In the event that he died, Palpatine’s plot would go into effect.
Originally introduced in Claudia Gray’s Star Wars: Lost Stars as a concept, the Contingency itself began in Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy. After Emperor Palpatine was unexpectedly betrayed and killed by Darth Vader, and word of his death, along with the destruction of the second Death Star, traveled across the Empire. The Contingency unfolded as planned: Sentinel droids were dispatched to Imperials throughout the galaxy and advised them on next steps, starting with Operation: Cinder.
