Planet Gand, Pef Empire

Celestial Throne.

24 BBY, sixth month.

My Voices are all coming home, almost at once. Lira finished her tour of the Centrality, Wialu has finished harvesting the Bota plants, and is detouring to pick up Bendu on her way back.

Solana has finished her own task and drained Gupta, saving the Centrality of another series of genocides. And Luxum, she wants to introduce me to her mother, Illum.

Ray is still searching the lanes in the Galaxy North, collecting Vong samples, and avoiding their large ships. Vera is trying to uplift her people, but doesn't have enough resources. She'll be back soon. Celine has established an Art College on Toong'L, and seems happy to nurture young artists from the various species in our empire. Angie is on the same ship with Lira, while Vette...

Vette has found a another Jedi, living alone, on a planet called Cophrigin V. Those gloves of hers are cheat codes I swear. Got to get my mitts on a pair as well.

She sent me a short holo, saying "Found a cool girl, living alone in a garden. Gonna plant some of those bota saplings here and figure her out. The garden is nice too, why don't you have a garden, stupid dro...". Then a lightsaber swhooshed and interrupted the transmission. Purple lightsaber, like Kraya's. God, I hope it's not really Kreya.

Make a note, get myself a garden. Maybe even a large park, in the center of the Celestial Throne. Order transparisteel plates for the roof and armor and gravity plates for the upgrade. 100 million budget. Damn, a garden is just a bunch of seeds and some soil, why does it cost this much?

The Findsman captain on Vette's ship reported everything is alright, my blue twi'lek and a woman with silver hair are just chatting and exchanging stories. Kriff, if I get an introduction by Vette, that loner Jedi will be assaulted with fake notions that flit through Vette's leku.

Mostly fake. Some of them are true, even if I'm not gonna conquer the galaxy with guns. Not unless I have to.

"Jedi should be avoided, you said, sometime-wise Emperor" Zuckuss commented, playing the transmission again.

"The main Jedi order, for certain. There are other groups, like Green or Altisian Jedi who are less fanatic. That's why we have a base on planet Dweem, after all. To keep in contact with them, and help if needed" I said with a sigh.

"Zuckuss sees. Shower them with gifts and luxury, till they become dependant and join us anyway. Very wise, for someone who doesn't eat with his fingers" My Hand commented, possibly sarcastic.

Yeah. But what I noticed, was something else. The woman was kneeling and meditating about 15 meters in front of Vette, then the Jedi was instantly present to my maid's side, and cutting through the holotransmiter.

A real teleport ability. The second she heard Vette describe her intention...that same second she had already moved.

Her stance hasn't changed at all. Not jumping to her feet, not opening her eyes...just gone.

'Wialu, after Bendu, collect Vette and her new friend too. She knows how to teleport' I sent to my Voice, along with a memory of the holo. A pulse of excitement.

'Purple lightsaber...those are the ones sick and oscillating in their minds, like Revan and Kreya, right?' she asked back.

'Or worse. Yes.' I replied with another sigh.

Star wars. Why did it have to be so complicated?

"What is our stance on spice trade, Immortal Pef?" My Hand Zuralee asked, while working on some projections about trade.

"High tax product. Free access only to medical or research labs. The vendors must have proof of origin and quality, along with 90% taxation. Adminstrata Servants and ship officers are restricted from use." I decided after a second of calculations. Keep my leaders clean, and profit from the addicts.

"Okay, taxing and confiscation of undeclared cargo, resell on market and give premiums to custom officials. The rest of the funds I will send to hospitals and schools. The Hutts will pay for our education and health budget. Not so stupid after all, Emperor" My second Hand concluded, patting her inflated belly. Seems we're gonna give birth about the same time.

Dora is reading something on her pad, like always, while Ventress...is poking at Darth Maul lightsaber, with such a strong desire it breaks my heart. If I had one.

Ok fine.

"Change the red crystals and you can train with it. Pick different colors though." I muttered with sadness. Some things won't change, after all. Ventress will still be Ventress.

The woman jumped to hug me, clutching the stick with adoration. "Thank you, thank you. You're not such a dumb droid after all !"

"10 hours per day. No more, no less. And make them white or something." I muttered, patting her back. Huh, she was crying with joy.

"Gonna have to tinker with it, make it split into two sabers when I need to. And then practice energy absorption, till I can block them with my neck. Not gonna die, if I can help it" Ventress sobbed into my neck, her breathing calming down.

"No rush, adored maid. Maybe you'll fall in love with my Avatar, if my big hulky frame isn't to your liking..." I whispered back.

"Haha, as if! I'm not gonna love anyone. I will be the Sword Maiden, defending the Empire from all enemies, billions of years from now. Nothing will be able to stop me!" she proclaimed dramatically, punching the sky.

Okay...push the crazy away.

"Shark pool first. You're not even remotely fast enough!" I commanded with a sinister laughter.

"I hate you! Please use the lightning instead, please!" Ventress cried with desperation, as I chased her towards the door.

Ah, being an Emperor had its perks.

Planet Gand, Pef Empire

Celestial Throne

24 BBY

Illum has arrived to visit us.

"Mom, this is Pef, my...soulmate" Luxum said, pointing at me. Okay, that was nicely put. We were soulmates, and forever will be.

"He keeps your saber on a pillow, at his feet. Is that customary here?" Illum asked with a bit of irony.

"That...Pef says, sabers make you rush into danger and die faster. Once I learn everything he knows, I'll take it back, as a defensive tool" Luxum muttered, somewhat ashamed.

The assassin droid housing the shard named Illum looked around, checking out my Throne room, with various pirates weapons ornating the walls.

Gold plates and gems and crystals too, along with some works of art like paintings, that my maids have bought and hang on the walls to make them look less rigid and oppressive.

"Pef is the richest person in the galaxy. But his capital is made from two rusty transport ships. He built us a brand new trade station on Dweem instead. He's always this parsimonious?" her mother wondered, talking about me like I wasn't here.

Probably a test. To see if I react. So I did.

"Honored Illum. Let me ask you this. The Jedi Order excommunicated you, and Master Aqinos, for melding the Force with technology. But when they call you back, and ask you to die for the Republic, what will you do?" I asked politely, then rose and walked on my thick silicon soles to hug Luxum. Barely any sound.

"They won't. Made it quite clear..." the mother Shard said with sadness.

"In less than 18 months, they will. And soon, all your children on Dweem will die, gloriously and with a lightsaber in hand. But dead, nonetheless." I said softly, calling the blue saber, from the pillow to my hand, and then placing it in her droid's hand.

"The rumors about a secessionist movement...they're true after all. You must have quite a lot of sources in the Senate, Emperor Pef" the Iron Knightess muttered, now a bit more impressed.

"We have some, willing or unwilling, that's true. We trade heavily with Mon Calamari and Saleucami after all. Not quite as heavy as with the Centrality, since I also own half of the big factories there..." I said, letting a hint of amusement out.

"You want us to join your Empire then. Stay out of the war, and collect the winnings after." Illum said, revealing her suspicions.

What? Why would I not take part in the Clone wars? Those were gonna be the hype for a few years.

"Not at all. We will side with Corellia, whatever they decide. The Green Jedi there can marry and have public office. Much less fanatic than the main order and more centered. My aim is to keep them safe, during the conflict. And the Iron Knights too. We are almost family, after all" I explained, patting my Iron Maiden. Luxum leaned on me, and pulsed embarrassment and adoration.

"Corellia? And if they remain neutral?" Illum asked, quite astutely.

"That might happen, yes. But it won't last long. They will join the Republic side, once the Republic starts losing" I answered confidently, and turned on the Galactic Map holo. A rough outline of the CIS forces from my memories.

My Empire was placed in critical junction point, to reach Saleucami or Mon Calamari fast, and decide a quarter of the war.

We were already constructing a trading station at Boonta, to establish legal reasons to position a fleet there, once we were at war. Mining the huge scrapyard in orbit of Boonta. Allowing our citizens to visit the Boonta races and encourage trade routes to Junkfort.

The Hutts were happy to receive bribes and more customers. Although, cyber attacks and robberies were ongoing continuously there, it was also a good place to train the VSS and the police forces. Live training, all day long.

Mon Calamari in the north was also in fast range of our nearest naval base, which might be New Alderaan, but for now had only a string of code as a designation.

And maybe, if we expanded fast enough, we could be in range of Ossus and Lianna, by the time the war began.

A deal was being negotiated with Hutts, for the purchase of Annoo, a barren planet devasted during a civil war. I was certain to be able to terraform it back to usefulness.

The Servant I sent had a 50 millions credit chip, and was told to keep whatever extra he negotiated for himself. The Hutt will find out, no doubt and be amused. Hutts would appreciate it as a contest, and not force the price too much, just make the Servant sweat, and work hard for his winnings.

"You want to obtain Mon Calamari and the Centrality from this war. Maybe even Boonta and Saleucami" Illum said after a few minutes of observing the green stars on the map. Clever shard, all right.

But she was thinking too small.

"If they ask to join me, they can. There are a billion stars inside my Empire's borders already. In time, we will have hyper-routes to every single one. The Republic has barely a million planets." I said with a soft voice, and closed the hologram.

"Your gand Findsmen...you plan to train and grow them. Send millions of them to explore..." Illum said with more awe.

"Much better, honored shard. I'll await your answer, in two years. Luxum, I think it's time you visited Orax. I saw your homeworld used for slave labor and the ambassadors murdered. Let's try to prevent it, okay?" I said with sadness, turning towards my Voice.

"Yea. I'll drop mom back on Dweem, and stop on Corellia for a short visit, to buy planetary shields and ground to orbit lasers. Nobody is gonna enslave my people. Not while I live." Luxum declared with conviction.

"Of course they won't, dear maid. You will live forever." I added with a short laugh.

The throne room doors opened, and Wialu entered along with a few strange beings.

The woman from the holo, a Bendu and Vette. Sigh.

This was gonna be interesting.

"What is this, more abominations?" the woman demanded, before getting slapped gently by the Bendu, and bit the metal floor.

"You're the abomination, broken woman. Now, let's see...an Altisian Knight, another one with a Voice, and whatever the hell you are, young man' Bendu muttered, examining each of us in turn.

Planet Gand, Pef Empire

A week later.

The woman with silver hair thrashed Ventress again with only kicks and punches and using her lightsaber only once.

"Dead. Your not-droid master is right. A lightsaber will just kill you faster" she declared, pinning Ventress under her knee, and sizzling the skin on her neck with the purple flashlight.

For a few seconds, my maid resisted, coating her neck in Tutaminis, but didn't last long.

"Okay. The creepy jedi with no name wins. Hmmm. I guess we will call her Zero. What do you say Zero?" I asked politely, and separated the women with a force push.

Ventress rolled a few times, till she fell in the nearby pool, then jumped outside in a fraction, with a shark going 'snak!' on her ass.

She did get faster, but still not enough. Compared to what monsters some water worlds like Naboo or Mon Cala had, these things were just guppy or goldfish. I drew my maid to me, since she seemed in a bad shape.

"Zero...it will do. Let me ask you something else Pef. Where did you say you found this double lightsaber again?" Jedi Zero asked with a stern voice, while examining the Octo-bladed lightsaber that Darth Maul had used.

"Wialu obtained it from some scrapyard world. A man with red skin and no legs had it. Quite an aggressive fellow even like that. My Voice obtained some scraps of information from him, mostly about his old ship, called Scimitar, and the padawan who mutilated him. The name was Kenobi." I explained in a polite tone, while hugging my dear Ventress and healing her.

"And now, the red man is dead. You're certain?" the woman not named An'ya Kuro asked, with suspicious eyes.

"Oh yes. My Empire is not like the Jedi Order, Miss Zero. We don't allow enemies to survive and come back later." I explained amused.

"Y-You...What do you know, damn droid?" she asked with a shocked voice.

"I know you failed, Miss Jedi. And the girl you lost. Miss Aurra Sing is quite famous now. If you follow my plan, we can rescue her and make peace between you two. Or let her die...either way, her career will end soon" I mused, patting Ventress on her muscled bottom, as she used my healing as an occasion to rest and draw her breath.

"Don't take liberties with my ass, you idiot droid!" Asajj yelled, and rolled away at speed.

"I take whatever I want, my maid. You're lucky I'm pregnant, or I'll show you who the idiot is..." I answered amused, and shot a few thin lightning bolts at her.

Ventress absorbed them and stuck her tongue at me. Great, really mature of you. I bet Vette taught her that.

"How long till you give 'birth?" Miss Zero asked curious, sitting beside me and poking at my inflated armored belly.

"Three weeks, or so." I answered, then turned. "Enough rest Ventress, jump in the pool and run ten laps!" I yelled at my maid who wasn't training. My maid dove deftly in the pool, avoiding the sharks and running along the metal bottom 10 meters deep.

"You're being too kind to her. A pool filled with sand, and scorpions will be better." Zero mused, somehow not happy with my training schedule.

"I am making scorpion-shark hybrids. They should be ready next month" I said with a wise nod.

"Hmmm. Maybe you're not such an abomination, after all. Not many Jedi approved of my training methods. And lightning to train the students to absorb energy, quite revolutionary..." the sadistic Jedi praised me, and I pretended to listen.

"I'd like you to train my Avatar, Miss Zero. For two years or so." I asked shamelessly. The Jedi didn't even ask for payment.

She blinked confused. "But, it will be a small baby..."

"The first day, yes. But he will grow fast. In two years he'll be about twenty years of age. And he'll start fully conscious and with most of my memories. Just not very mobile, the first year" I replied patiently.

"Oh. That's...unheard of. Unnatural. Almost like...it's a clone?" she asked and hesitated.

"Yes, of course. I'm just a droid after all. I have no heart and carry a soul made of stone. And while half of my family is happy with me as I am, the rest will need a more, human interface" I answered with a fake sob, and a pulse of heartbreaking sadness.

"And, you give me back my girl. Aurra. Or, no deal!" the dark woman argued forcefully.

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" I answered truthfully, holding my hand out for a handshake.

Miss Zero shook my hand and smiled sadistically. Hand Zero. I almost had her.

Just a little tiny problem, finding Miss Sing, in a galaxy full of criminals and bounty hunters.

Okay then, I had to take a page from Dooku, and hold a contest. Boonta seemed a good place to hold it.

Planet Gand, Pef Empire

Redbox, the secret intelligence deck. (surrounded by red energy shields, and ysalamiri and armor)

24 BBY

I mused over a few more variants, but an infiltration on Ord Namurt then returning to Boonta with the fake holocron was still the best one. And it may jog some memories for Miss Aurra.

But I had to cheat the odds anyway.

"Our agents will plant 10 holocrons, with a lethal coating each. Contact toxins, irradiated paint, and so on. Only the one with Miss Zero's image will be less than lethal. Let's make it... fever and vomiting. Easier for our agents to approach the target and propose a cure." I decided, holding a model of said holocron in my hand. Made it myself.

My third Hand stared at me for a long minute, and I began wondering if I said something stupid again.

"My surviving agents get three females each. The returning mercenaries are grabbing every pretty female around." he demanded, in a crass case of...meritocratic service. I approved whole-heartedly.

"Sure. Though I'd recommend force-sensitive females over pretty ones. Looks at my maids if you don't believe me" I said, in a wise tone.

"We noticed, Metal Gand. Your metal maids are even more creepy than you. And Angie and Vette...we have not invented yet the words to describe them. Perhaps spitting-death-in-the-eye-to-see-if-death-cries-like-mammals?" he wondered, and I nodded wisely. They did exactly that. And weren't even immortal yet.

"Okay, how is the VSS doing? Any problems?" I asked, changing the embarrassing subject.

"No real tests, yet. Voice Solana is capable of ripping starships and people apart, so the VSS is kinda wasted on her. Voice Wialu is stronger and more capable than the whole VSS at once, so...if she gets taken out, it wouldn't be in VSS powers to stop it. Voice Luxum is at limit here, as her armor and crystalline nature protects her already from most threats.

Master class opponents or starship levels of firepower won't be stopped by our agents anyway. But, they may secure enough time for an escape. Voice Dora and Voice Lira are the highest risks. We recommend full power armor coverage, at all times, plus ysalamiri backpacks. Even then..." He concluded his report, with a shrug.

"And Jaybo?" I asked, noticing he was missing from the list.

"The gene donor holds no power in the empire. The VSS is assuming this is training for the Avatar protection." he replied, logically. Hmmm. The Gand had a really pragmatic view of the universe.

"Correct. But, he may become a powerful technopath and weapon designer in the future. Able to hold a star system by himself and a few tactical droids." I explained, and my Hand nodded.

"Your Hand sees. A future Hand, when little Jaybo grows up. A builder and droid admiral for our empire. Again, your nuggets of wisdom surprise us, Immortal Gand. Please show us more of this kind, and not the other. This Hand will supervise the Holocron operation himself. We expect problems, from Jedi, Sith and Hutts alike. Casualties projected to reach 80%. For the empire!" he declared and vanished with a slight wobble in the air.

My Hand understands the situation better than anyone, better than me even.

Just the word holocron will attract the wrong kind of attention. Jedi, Dark Jedi, other force-cults, then bounty hunters and collectors.

The Findsmen that survive will have proven a better force connection and thus be worthy of propagating their genes even more.

And thus, the next generation will be stronger. No wonder they never complain I send them on missions. Their leaders and their whole race wants the weak to die. They see the green fields of Gand, and don't want them full with weaklings.

Wialu entered the redbox too, and came to hug me. Her hair was now fully brunette, and her face and body, even prettier.

"Our Miss Zero, knows some Fallanassi teachings. Invisibility and mind shield. And perhaps phasing through walls. My teacher knew it too, but she never got to pass it onto me. She died from a lightsaber." Wialu said softly, her voice remaining calm.

"Could have been Darth Plagueis. He was a Muun and Dark Jedi after all." I muttered. Probably not.

"Perhaps. But I want you to make sure." she asked me seriously.

"Okay, love. I will use my Avatar and search her memories, maybe next year" I said with approval.

"Your droid is wearing synthskin?" Wialu asked with a slight frown, as she sensed under my armor for something.

I nodded hesitantly. "Ion weapons can still fry the chassis, but it helps."

"Hmmm. Fully functional synthskin, I assume?" Wialu asked with a wry smile.

"Only the best for the best. And you are better than the rest. I hold you to my chest and..." I started reciting a silly poem.

"Shut up! And lock the room." My force waifu demanded, and began taking off my armor.

I knew having skin would pay off. Damn I'm so smart!

'Say that again, and I'll set you on fire' Wialu replied in the Voice bond.