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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
"You haven't proved that Vader doesn't see Tarkin as any more than a subordintate."
"(hypothetically) the Emperor were to die of a heart attack, you're thinking is that Tarkin would become Emperor and Vader would still sit there all the while thinking: yes I could force choke this dude, and yes I an the 'chosen one, but I better not since Palps liked him? Correct?"
"What-ifs" don't do the job. This is mere reasoning, not proof. Lucas wasn't concerned about such "Chain of Command" questions when he wrote the film. He put Tarkin in for a very specific reason - to temper Vader's character. Your question has nothing to do with the scope of the films. Hell, we don't even know if Tarkin is the only person between Palps and Vader. Fact is, neither of us know the answer to this question, and never will, so it's a waste of time trying to answer it.
And what if Vader was dead who then would rule the Empire.