After the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, pre-recorded messages from Emperor Palpatine were sent out using sentinel droids, depicting his contingency plan for the Empire. Operation: Cinder was relayed to some of the Empire’s top officers, including Admiral Garrick Versio, with the stated goal of punishing the Empire for failing to prevent the Emperor’s death, then rebuilding it with only the strongest Imperials that remained. In the process, Palpatine ensured that during his recuperation, the Empire couldn’t simply continue without him with a new leader. However, it turns out his plans weren’t perfect.
