Moff=Darth?

[Drooling Iguana]

By ANH, Vader has pretty much outlived his usefullness. The Jedi were extinct, Vader hadn't turned into the uber-Sith that Palpatine hoped he would be and, despite their bravado, the ability to choke someone telekenetically is insignificant next to the power of a heavy turbolaser. Of course, then the events of ANH revealed that Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn't quite as dead as everyone had originally thought. Not only that, he'd been training an apprentice in his spare time, and that apprentice had managed to turn the crowning jewel of the Imperial Starfleet into so much space dust with nothing more than a tiny snub-fighter and a proton torpedo. Suddenly, Vader's skills were back in demand, so Palpatine let him throw his weight around a bit more in ESB and RotJ.

[Lord Zentei]

By ANH, Vader has pretty much outlived his usefullness. The Jedi were extinct, Vader hadn't turned into the uber-Sith that Palpatine hoped he would be and, despite their bravado, the ability to choke someone telekenetically is insignificant next to the power of a heavy turbolaser. Of course, then the events of ANH revealed that Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn't quite as dead as everyone had originally thought. Not only that, he'd been training an apprentice in his spare time, and that apprentice had managed to turn the crowning jewel of the Imperial Starfleet into so much space dust with nothing more than a tiny snub-fighter and a proton torpedo. Suddenly, Vader's skills were back in demand, so Palpatine let him throw his weight around a bit more in ESB and RotJ.

Interesting hypothesis. Note that at the end of RotJ the Emperor basically wants Luke to kill Vader "and take his place". Was he planning to kill Luke afterwards or replace his apprentice with a more powerful one?

[Elheru Aran]

Interesting hypothesis. Note that at the end of RotJ the Emperor basically wants Luke to kill Vader "and take his place". Was he planning to kill Luke afterwards or replace his apprentice with a more powerful one?

Considering he more or less totally jumped at the chance to have Luke as his main man in Dark Empire? I reckon Luke was pretty much just plain the most powerful guy available after Vader; plus, he was healthier and younger, and much more physically capable. It's pretty telling that Palpatine's Dark Side Adepts on Byss never served in the capacity that Luke filled-- controlling the World Devastators, and basically serving in the same role as Vader had in the glory days of the Empire.

[Lord Zentei]

Considering he more or less totally jumped at the chance to have Luke as his main man in Dark Empire? I reckon Luke was pretty much just plain the most powerful guy available after Vader; plus, he was healthier and younger, and much more physically capable. It's pretty telling that Palpatine's Dark Side Adepts on Byss never served in the capacity that Luke filled-- controlling the World Devastators, and basically serving in the same role as Vader had in the glory days of the Empire.

Of course (slap). I've only got limited exposure to EU, but that I should have figured out from what snippets I've got.

[Publius]

Considering he more or less totally jumped at the chance to have Luke as his main man in Dark Empire? I reckon Luke was pretty much just plain the most powerful guy available after Vader; plus, he was healthier and younger, and much more physically capable. It's pretty telling that Palpatine's Dark Side Adepts on Byss never served in the capacity that Luke filled-- controlling the World Devastators, and basically serving in the same role as Vader had in the glory days of the Empire.

It is not necessarily a question of "power" alone. The Dark Side Sourcebook indicates that Jerec was a full Jedi Master (allegedly Obi-Wan Kenobi refers to "Master Jerec" in an issue of Rebellion). Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II clearly indicates in so many words that Jerec's "embrace of the Force's dark side gives him powers that rival Vader's," and The New Essential Guide to Characters adds:

Jerec bore Sith tattoos on his face, as Darth Maul had before him, though Palpatine never named Jerec a Sith Lord. Darth Vader already held that title.

In terms of strength in the Force, Jerec was obviously greater than Skywalker, the latter's greater overall potential notwithstanding. Indeed, Jerec was a Sith linguist and was already a quasi-Sith Lord, evidently already knowing some of the Sith-specific doctrines and secrets (note in Yoda: Dark Rendezvous that dark Jedi Asajj Ventress obviously regards being a Sith Lord as something altogether different from simply embracing the dark side). The NEGC claim strongly implies that Jerec would have been the Sith Apprentice if Lord Vader had not already held the title.

Perhaps more important is the question of loyalty and obedience; Skywalker is still young and impressionable, as opposed to the cynical and treacherous Jerec, an apostate Jedi whose trustworthiness was considered nil even among practitioners of the dark side of the Force (cf. the Baron Harkonnen's maxim "Never trust a traitor, especially a traitor you created"). The Galactic Emperor may have wanted Skywalker as his new Apprentice in order to provide himself with a more palatable alternative to Jerec (by the time of Dark Empire, Jerec was dead anyway, rendering the question moot).

[Kurgan]

I missed that... so the NEGC now paints Jerec as a Sith-wannabe huh? If we had only known... ; )