Planet Orion IV, Pef Empire

In orbit aboard the Orion Belt

23 BBY, third month

I have bought 2 more damaged Lucrehulks here, to build another large space station around Orion, but sadly I don't have a million tons of carbonite, to create carbonite strings for a skyhook. Skyhooks are space elevators and make lifting mass into orbit trivially cheap.

Still, once I went over it, repairing systems with telekinesis and technopathy, the Orion Belt station works mostly fine. I'm painting it violet, and gifting 1% of the station's future profits to my new maid, Na-jia. I get hugged and of course, I get to sample her bouncy...

"Try that again, you slimy droid, and I'll steal your Meteor and give it to Dooku. Just to piss you off!" my maid whispered politely, as she felt my tender, armored fingers on her butt.

Sigh. Eternal grace, denied!

"Oh, cruel fate, why, oh why? To be blessed with immortality and be deprived of love!" I orated dramatically and offered my maid another pair of aurodium jewelry, this time earrings.

"Tchhh. Fine, you get 10 seconds. But, only because I really like these earrings!" my maid replied graciously and basked in the glory of being fondled by her Emperor. For 10 seconds exactly.

I wouldn't allow her too much glory, yet. I'll have to dig through the Dellalt treasures and find something nice again. One day.

For now, I was running the memory of the first contact on twenty-nine partitions, using different angles from different recordings made by my VSS droids.

This should last me months maybe. Possibly. Not likely.

Grow up already, Peffy!

Those tiny hands can barely pet the amazing chests your face is stuffed with.

Is that the Living force I feel, trying to burst out? Sadly, just a symptom of bare necessities.

"Your adored Avatar needs to pee." I whispered to Dora, who came to Gand for a short visit. Just to see my Avatar.

"No worry, I'll help you and hold you tight. Let's aim for the red flowers!" My Voice encouraged me, with a pulse of amusement in her bond.

At least someone was having fun. I was quite busy with work.

988 partitions are cleaning up pollution and fixing the planet below, brick by brick.

76 partitions maneuver the ops towards the Hutts, gently probing for weaknesses and secret treasures.

12 partitions manage my wealth in the Centrality, making sure nobody steals more than they should.

198 partitions manage the cold war with CIS, which has grown even colder, as every system that joins CIS is immediately defended by warships and droid armies. Damn it. They are adapting.

It also slows them down, making them invest heavily in defense and shields at least in the sectors we are contesting for.

It won't help them much once my Meteors are ready, but it will help the Republic a little, by delaying some critical shipyards.

A number of poor or unlucky planets have decided to join my empire, instead of CIS, just to receive immediate boosts in agriculture and industry.

Still, no luck in finding an alternate route to the core. More explorers die, while some luck out with brand-new routes to new systems, never appeared on any map.

Possibly the bota plants started working, or the neural training in astrogation, or the R2 astronav droids assisting the jumps?

Maybe a combination of factors, or simply the weakest ones have already died.

Either way, there are special social clubs now, where successful Explorers get their well-deserved rewards, from various Servants with generous and patriotic inclinations. It also helps as they receive a substantial stipend for getting pregnant with those Explorers. Some people prefer working on their backs, and be lauded as Heroic Mothers, or even Fathers, in rare cases.

Female Explorers are kinda rare though, for some reason. Mostly come from human or near human species. And those female Explorers rarely need paid gene donors, for some unknown reason.

Then again, the majority of humanoid females force-users are stunningly beautiful.

The Force is with them, I'm almost certain.

Planet Ingo just asked to join the empire as well. Welcome!

We'll get rid of those pirates and fix you back to greatness again.

Almost 1000 planets now, and far over parity with the Centrality, although they are more laissez-faire and only bought 5 cruisers while I bought 200. A single Meteor would crush all their combined fleet, poor guys.

I still need my Avatar to grow up, before I make my play for the leadership. Meanwhile, I just buy politicians and arrange deals with various groups. The Centrality is 95% inhabited by humans so any new leader has to look human. Sigh.

Planet Resilon just asked to join, since there's some strange problems involving droids revolting.

They hope I can fix the problem. Sure thing, I'll pay a visit next week and decide what to do, once I have all the facts.

The droids also sent the same request, asking me to solve the droid exploitation in the mines. Can't have that, can we?

Elsewhere in the galaxy hundreds of Rangers and Jedi attacked Antar 4 who also tried to defect to CIS and retook the planet, losing many of their own and killing much more of the insurgents.

Palpatine himself did a magnificent speech on holonews which can be read here

HoloNet News | Palpatine to Separatists: Let's Talk

Such drama, such poetry.

Planet Af'El, Pef Empire

23 BBY, fourth month

While traveling to planet Resilon my fleet passed through many systems, and during the trip I naturally abused my technopathy to slice and steal all data from trading stations and nearby ships. A random such ship was a freighter of Vulca Minerals just returning from their yearly trip to Af'El .

I copied their route, and promised myself to idle around some major trade route for more secret routes.

Imagine this. There is a single planet in the galaxy which contains natural deposits of Meleenium, which is needed to make durasteel. And now, the planet has joined my empire.

Absolutely and grotesque cheating. I know.

The locals, called Defel, are all a little force-sensitive, being able to hide in shadows, due to a lack of ozone in the planet's atmosphere. They can also see from shadow, or rather they see in a range of ultraviolet light.

Since the planet has to import food, I immediately arranged a contact Lucrehulk to bring precious fertilizers and agricultural equipment like droids and tractors.

I bought the Toxis Metals Co. too, since they owned most rights to the meleenium mines, and hired some immigrated Svivreni for my Exploration Corps, while a few orphan minors will be sent to Sanctuary to become really strong.

The tiny beings are also force-sensitive as a species, receiving immunity to mind alter, along with a gift for prophecy and locating valuable minerals.

Not immune to greed and getting their own ships though. Not many species are immune to that.

The Defel recruits will make a great addition to Sanctuary, since Fallanassi and Findsman teaching should come naturally to them.

So many gifts, from a single goodwill trip to reprogram some droids.

I'll have to arrange the Resilon 8D smelter droid to relocate to Af'el and mine the precious meleenium for me, while replacing them on Resilon with hardy pit droids and B1s, which will be happy to be rescued from dangerous battlefields.

Everyone will be happy, and richer and thank me for it!

Truly, civilization is the gift that keeps on giving.

More Defel will be recruited as scouts and recon operatives, and receive hypno training and customized gear for infiltration work.

Cause, invisible spies? Quite efficient, I say so myself.

And being promised access to holocrons and advanced learning, while defending their planet and the empire from ruthless corporations of the CIS? Who would let their families and children be exploited like that?

"Not us, not while we live!" I proclaimed in my own speech towards the planetary audience.

Ah, bask in my glory, poor rodents.

And if my citizens need a few forests or skyscrapers? I can stay a week and help out. I'm the Immortal Emperor after, not like I don't have time. Time will wait, if I ask.

I'll even add wardroids factories and some shipyards for free!

"Yes, I know I'm too generous. But, I'm the richest person in the galaxy! I can spare a few billions for my new friends" I concluded, waving regally at my adoring servants. And citizens.

'Stop grandstanding so much, it's embarrassing!' Wialu ordered me through the Voice bond.

"Your words are my own, beautiful flower. Your will, it will be done, as best as this poor droid can, Misstress" I answered immediately. And with earnest words too.

'You even mean it, don't you? So afraid of being alone. Poor Immortal Emperor. But keep bringing me new abilities, and I'll keep you as my vibrating toy, for eternity' Wialu answered with a strange pulse, between pity and awe. Quite confusing, but then women...always a mystery even to an AI intellect.

'Vette says hi, and wants her own Meteor. And has brought more friends of hers.' Wialu added as an afterthought. Of course Vette is back and wants an ever bigger engine of destruction. And finding more strange cults? Just normal for her.

Hmmm. I looked over my new city, called Qua'Tahc and thought about it.

A Meteor...it would make her a target, for anyone wanting to hurt me. When the first one, with a Rakata shield finishes the trials.

Vette will probably stumble into a Dark Reaper or such. Better make sure she can survive anything.

Also, Vette will possibly never be a Voice, but she was too much fun to lose to negligence.

Hmmm. Her hugs are nice though. Even if Peffy is too small to grab anything properly.

'Fine. When Meteor One is ready. And if Solana goes with her' I agreed with sadness.

'Okay, she wants your babies now. Have fun!' Wialu transmitted as a parting gift, along with an image of Vette-like horde of kids running around shooting real blasters. Ah, they would, wouldn't they.

Dozens of little Vettes, armed with functional weapons.

I would need a thousand droids per day...

Planet Sanctuary, Pef Empire

Silent Circle

23 BBY Fifth month

The CIS growth rate has accelerated immensely, and they outnumber us already. 30 Meteors have joined the Navy, and undergo trials in empty star systems. Wouldn't do to frighten my prey too soon, after all.

Various bugs and calibration problems need fixing, so I called a thousand cyborgs to look into it. They're so fanatically loyal that they'll rather die than betray my trust and ZIMM's final plea.

But a few sensitives are still sent to Sanctuary, to test implants and force connection and abilities interactions. Jaybo also got chipped and sent to Sanctuary, once the neural indoctrination was complete. He seems fine, no headaches or problems from inserting a foreign object into his brain. Tech here is quite advanced, if you haven't figured it yet.

Bendu has promised to look after him, and guide him away from extremes. Quite the best thing on that planet the huge gorilla.

Being a sort of immortal grey mage also helps.

And he was greatly amused by my attempts to balance and restrict the old holocrons to not damage the pupils too much.

"Good idea, poor implementation", he said, somehow bypassing Adus and allowing most of the Sith, and some Master class users to read everything on that holocron.

Sadly, he's not a true expert either. He read all my notes on the force, and said it was the first time he heard of such things, except the Je'daii and the Rakata, of which he met some personally.

Not everything is perfect, since he doesn't approve of my militarization, being content to just be.

"Trillions will be killed in the wars to come. The Jedi will be gone. A dozen extragalactic invasions already in progress. I can stop some of those deaths.

Stop some of those invasions. Even just with Solanus by my side. But doing nothing, not preserving what I can, what knowledge of the force and a few people on Sanctuary? No. There's five concentric planetary shields around us, and we're still not safe" I said, shaking my helmet and petting a curious ysalamir.

"A worthy goal, yes. But warships? Droid armies? Trust in the force, new immortal. There is no need for those" Bendu argued, making another tree grow in seconds. He's making an orchard, just for fun...

Then again, I can germinate millions of trees at once. Just not grow them.

Different abilities, for different bodies and species.

"Here, an empty holocron just for you, Bendu. Teach us" I said, placing a dodecahedron glowing green at his feet.

"Toys. Rigid lines and no life. No Center. Make me one like an apple, and I'll teach you what you need" the old being answered, placing a red apple next to my holocron.

Yeah, sure. If I could do that, there will be nothing left for him to teach me.

But maybe Peffy could, one day.

He can make ants dance for him already.

An apple holocron may be just a thousand years away.

"Don't step on the new kids Bendu" I said, flying up and boarding my frigate.

The new additions to the Sanctuary stared at the huge gorilla with wide eyes.

"Who wants to ride on my horns?" he asked as my ship started moving. Guess he did notice them, after all.

I floated to the bridge and looked around.

The Kuat tech clashed violently with the Calamari made ones, rigid lines appearing out of place among the soft melted look of the squid tech.

Just like a crystal wearing a droid, wearing synthskin and over it power armor. No center.

Was there any real Pef inside?

The human who was sent to be a champion?

When was the last time I meditated, 2952 hours? Kriff.

No wonder I felt lost.

"Where to, Immortal Gand?" my captain asked, looking strangely at me. Is this my 'quo vadis' moment?

"Home, Honored Captain. But land at the Avatar garden" I demanded, running away from my officers and Servants, and hiding in an empty fighter hangar.

Breathe. In. Hold. Out. Begin Meditation Form III.

Now...where do I need to be? What do you want me to do, dear force?

Where is my center? The Force sent back visions, jumbling around incoherently. Only a few ideas were intelligible. But it was a start.