A prototype patrol-grade Flash was the personal vehicle of Palpatine, a young Naboo aristocrat who ultimately became the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and Galactic Emperor.
Palpatine's prototype patrol-grade Flash was a triple-finned landspeeder with a pointed nose. It was painted in a bright color and powered by a repulsorlift engine that appeared strong enough to heft a loadlifter droid, according to Darth Plagueis. The vehicle hovered at one meter above the ground surface, and was designed for speed and maneuverability. Around the year 65 BBY, the landspeeder's rearview mirror was adorned with a pure aurodium coin, a gift given to Palpatine from Plagueis after their first encounter in Theed.
Cosinga Palpatine, a Human male descended from the aristocratic line of House Palpatine—one of the royal families of the planet Naboo—was the ultimate authority figure within his own household. His wife was an obedient woman who accepted a position of subservience; his children were raised to be equally obedient—all except for one, the rebellious and wayward Palpatine. Born with a hidden, yet extraordinarily powerful connection to the Force, Palpatine was an independent-minded youth who refused to allow the imposition of his father's will on himself. Despite the fact that Palpatine was a juvenile delinquent as a child, Cosinga used his wealth and influence in many attempts to "buy" his firstborn son's loyalty.
On one occasion, Cosinga purchased a prototype patrol-grade Flash and presented it as a gift for his son. Palpatine interpreted the gesture as a bribe, but ultimately accepted it due to his fascination with flying. After an incident that involved the deaths of two pedestrians, both inadvertently killed by Palpatine's landpeeder, Cosinga forbade the younger Palpatine from ever flying again. Later, Cosinga reconsidered his decision, allowing Palpatine to gain a winning streak in competitive racing, all the while developing a passion for the sport. For a time, he had aspirations to become a professional racer. Yet his ultimate ambition—the desire to rule with absolute power—exceeded his interest in racing.
At the age of seventeen, Palpatine met a Muun named Hego Damask, the magister of Damask Holdings. Unknown to Palpatine, Damask was actually Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord dedicated to the destruction of the Jedi Order, although Palpatine had in fact awaited the opportunity to join the Sith. After gaining the young Naboo's confidence, Damask was given a tour of Theed's outskirts in Palpatine's prototype patrol-grade Flash. Palpatine's talents behind the controls of a landspeeder aside, Plagueis became far more interested with inducting him into the Order of the Sith Lords as an apprentice.
The prototype patrol-grade Flash landspeeder was created for the novel Darth Plagueis, written by James Luceno and published in 2012.