I’m saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Sheev Palpatine. We had our differences, but he was a true pleasure to work with. I recall fondly how he brought a much-needed sense of humor to our good-faith negotiations that ended with his decision to bless the military operation to destroy Alderaan. Though I respectfully voiced my objections, I appreciated his principled honesty in his push to replace the outdated democratic republic with the Empire. He was a strong advocate for his beliefs, and I admired his power of persuasion that included force-chokes and blue-lightning beams that inflicted significant pain on his political opponents. He will be missed - the Imperial Senate won’t be the same without him. He was the best of us.