A non-believer, you are. Most disturbing. Unforseen, this was. Meditate on this, I will.

>< grinning > yes, we could argue over items like these ad infinitum. :-) Nevertheless, though assuredly powerful, I don't think Darth Sideous was as powerful as you view him, though he certainly presented that air. Mace Wendu had him and he was toast if Anakin had not intervened. :-) But, after all, it is only a movie (series). Things could have been done any number of ways at the whim of the writers/directors and as much as I like SW, there are inconsistencies that none of us really care about simply because we love the story, characters, etc. :-)
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>>The Emperor, who was Darth Sideous, is inferred to be in complete control, all the way to Episode 6, due to his ability to forsee the future. The ultimate goal was never Vader, but Luke. Luke was a far more powerful Jedi than his father (final battle, Episode 6).
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>>The Emperor more than likely knew of Padme's twins, and their births, but withheld this knowledge from his apprentice, until the time was ripe to pluck Luke. Vader was a violin, that Sideous played to perfection, until Vader's last spark of humanity resurfaced unexpectedly, due to the love of his son, much to the chagrin of the Emperor.
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