Planet Duro, Corellian Space

21 BBY

A massive CIS fleet coming from the south of the Galaxy, and aiming to terrorize the Core worlds.

It seems the Separatists were a bit surprised to find just 30 Meteors here, and only a handful of corvettes.

The Duro planetary defense fleet, with a couple of Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser and a host of small ships produced by Duro Starshipwright Shipyards couldn't hope to stop 4000 vesels of the CIS.

But my Admiral listened to my suggestions, removing himself and all organics from the Meteor Two, Three and Four, and left only tactical droids in command. Then sent them forward, trying to remove most of the smaller ships of the Confederation, while enduring turbolaser bombardament from 600 Lucrehulks. 240000 turbolasers would evaporate most ships in seconds.

But, not this time. Duro was a former Rakata world, after all. The Force was immensely strong here,

and the Rakatan forcefields felt at home. They wailed in pain, and fired furiously.

The Meteors fired, less accurate and wasting maser and ion cannon shots by saturating one ship or ignoring another. But it didn't matter. In 15 minutes, all 3000 Munificents were listing, venting air and droids, and hopefully adding 3000 more Muni destroyers to our future fleets. And this time, we'll also keep the long range turbolasers they had, for a special project.

6000 guns could fit on our 300 MC80 Calamari cruisers, 200 guns, 100 on the top and 100 underneath and make them perfect flankers. Just had to figure how to upgrade them, so they don't melt anymore when fired at maximum power.

The smooth lines of the aquatic made ships will suffer a little, but I could use ovoid turrets. And thus increase the firepower of those cruisers from 48 to 250 turbolasers, now that we began extracting tibanna gas ourselves, it won't be such a logistic burden anymore.

The Dornean Admiral began advancing with his other Meteors, while the 500 Muni escorts appeared from behind the 20 orbital cities of Duro, and 500 more emerged from hyperspace behind the CIS fleet and began melting their engines to scrap.

The Vultures of the Separatists were entangled with our own fighters, plus the cutters and frigates of the Duros.

We lacked corvettes for this battle, but had plenty destroyers, each carrying 100 missile launchers.

And then, hundreds more CR90 and CR70 corvettes and CEC cruisers began emerging coming from Corellia, although the Corellians kept their heavier vessels back home. No matter, we can beat them.

Corvettes were actually ideal for defending the cities from starfighter strafing. And seems the Corelians did listen and added 10 missile launchers to their ships. Not as many as I did for my own Orion corvettes, but they didn't know what was coming.

Then, a brand new Victory-class Star Destroyer appeared, and started engaging the Providence-class carrier/destroyer , the flagship of the famous General Grievous , called the Invisible Hand.

My Third Hand really wanted to bring him that ship, but it might not be possible now...

Our few Reapers were keeping an eye out for when the mass-murderer will try to flee again, while the Torrents launched by the

Republic star destroyer were busy fending off the more manoeuvrable geonosian starfighters. Seems a little flood hasn't kept them out of the war...

The cyborg General again ordered his Lucrehulks to bombard the planet, as they attempted to pass through our fleet.

Bad move, you monster! The Meteors yelled in anger, firing 3000 ferrous screams of liberty, obliterating 200 Lucrehulks battleships moving in a straight line. Ion cannons battered the shields while masers melted guns and armor, and 100 more CIS battleships listed to a side, now useless.

The rest of them began turning, to run away, but found out their engines were missing, most of them.

The battering continued for another hour, then the Meteors reloaded and recharged and fired again, obliterating the remaining 200 Lucrehulks.

Ah, there it is! The sneaky cyborg trying to run. My first Reaper missed, having fired too soon.

The second clipped the starfighter with his gatling laser, and the third Reaper unloaded 5 missiles from spit range, blowing up the fighter, and then the escape pod.

Rest in pieces, bastard!

Now, let's move in front of that Victory star destroyer and claim the Invisible Hand as our prize...

'Our orders are to capture Grievous, and bring him to stand trial!' some unknown Jedi demanded on the allied net.

'The cyborg is dead, Master Jedi. A hundred kilometers to your port. You might find some bits and pieces, maybe even a dozen lightsabers...' My admiral explained patiently, after his Findsman confirmed a scattering of kyber crystals in that direction.

I counted the total loses, as much as I could, due to some ships still transmitting positional and IFF codes, but being broken in three or five.

300 Muni destroyers, 56 Dakka corvettes and 5 crippled Meteors, most of them the ships blocking the retreat. Oh well.

I'll just have to replace them with 3000 more, which the CIS just provided.

I know. I'm a bit of a bastard too.

Planet Gand, Pef Empire

21 BBY 2 weeks later

I had just finished creating 3000 more Muni destroyers and 100 more Recu carriers when news came of a major Republic defeat at the Battle of Formos . Seems the CIS has a new type of droid, the Scorpenek annihilator droid . I kinda want some too.

Very well then. I knew where the send a new fleet to expand the empire. And secure access to Kessel.

1000 Muni destroyers, the 100 Recu carriers and 50 Lucrehulks were sent to claim the important trade nexus to our south, along with all the minor worlds on the way. Again, only 100 corvettes and a single Fade frigate could be spared as escorts .

Sigh, I really need more Dakka. And Orions. And everything...

Make a note, start building a hundred new shipyards at every world with decent minerals or population.

That should increase the corvette production from a meager 2100 per month to over 20 thousand.

Another fleet of 100 Lucrehulks and 1000 Muni destroyers was sent to take Boz Pity where the CIS were staging for another invasion. The Sultan will be happy to keep his title and his daughter safe from scoundrels. Maybe. I'll visit with my Avatar in a decade and see if Han Solo has good taste or not.

A small fleet went to liberate Sneeve and secure my empire a legion of ultra speed freaks, perfect for driving light tanks and starfighters. And prevent them losing a billion of their species in another of Palpatine's genocides. They could die with honor and glory, in battle.

And the last fleet was sent to rescue planet Randon and secure a major trade hub with no less than 5 trade routes. Wialu took a volunteer brigade of those humanoid shaped rocks from Vaathkree to test them in ground combat, and also make them feel part of this effort for the liberation of galaxy.

When they return, they'll be the best advocates for a MPT with my empire, upon seeing the dastard acts of the CIS. We gave them fiber uniforms and shields, to make sure at least some survive. And perhaps save themselves from a genocide at the hands of the Galactic Empire next year or such.

I can't really save those who don't want to be saved.

My Hutt Ambasador, the Honored Proto One managed to buy Nwarcol system and Akrit'tar from a stupid Hutt and secured the Centrality borders on that flank. But, trying to buy Boonta is not working, not even for a 50 billion credits.

Planet Solacton was not claimed and a single contact Lucrehulk was enough to raise the flag.

The Novor system was also claimed freely, and with 16 planets shattered by a red giant, it will be a perfect forge world. I mean...orbital shipyard systems.

But the Houks on Reibrin system will regret shooting my B1 Rei ambassador. Soon, they'll become experiments for Galactic Empire. Sigh.

I may need those master poisoners and change the leadership of Boonta a few times, untill one of the next heirs will get smart and sell me the system before he dies as well. Maybe the same for the Houks as well. Though, their whole race seems to shoot first as a rule. Anyway, their Neuronic whip will make a great start for a melee weapon.

'That Officio Assassinorum guild seems to enchant the creepy Malkii ones. If you're sure, they'll be on board. They also want personal cloaks and some Reapers...' Solana whispered, while sampling every type of poison these guys added to her tea with a large blue smile. Soon, she'll be able to produce the toxins and the antidotes as well.

'Personal cloaks and stygium and hibridium crystals for their best assassins. For insertion we can give them the Greymists. Once the navcomputers are scrubbed clean. And...tell them I need them to prove themselves. That giant Sarlacc from the Great Pit of Carkoon first, to test what works or not, and then, the big one on Felucia. The Ancient Abyss. You can pay them a billion in advance, then go to Ranroon.

See what you can do' I sent back, with a pulse of affection. Yes, my own Assassins!

'Sure thing, my tiny green crystal. By the way, when your Avatar's tongue is so deep into that woman's mouth, it means they gonna marry, right?' my water maid asked with a tinge of curiosity.

Peffy? I take my eyes off for a second and you romance the Centralian Minister of Intelligence?

Well, she is pretty and we need to secure her loyalty...good job Peffy!

The Emperor needs more children too. One for every star in the galaxy...for now.

Planet Gand, Pef Empire

Celestial Throne

21 BBY, next week

"The glorious liberation of the so called Corporate Sector continues even today, with 11 more planets welcoming our Imperial troops with..." Pef Holonews' anchor said gravely, this time a Calamari celebrity. Gotta get the audience used to hearing about the Empire from familiar figures. And get the squids to at least, patrol the trade routes to the Core.

I turned off the news, and raised my photoreceptors toward my Hands.

The CIS welcomed us with lasers, of course. And mines and proton bombs.

"Well, at least we captured Bonadan. We'll need to print more Stingers and Biplanes. Ground troops are too exposed to massed artillery" I mused out loud, looking at the holomap in disgust. A master general, I was not.

"Why are you not sending in the heavy tanks, or the new Droidekas?" Mujilik asked, totaling our loses and dividing by zero. We were losing more droids than we had landed.

We were back at using their own droid factories to push certain directions of attack. It worked, but it was slow.

"Tanks should be used in defense or open terrain. Forests and canyons, not so much. We need our own walkers. Something small and agile, but armored enough to withstand mines." I explained calmly, going over the thousands of battlefields in the database.

"Or gunships and bombers. Too bad we lost them, almost all" Zuckuss said wisely.

"Well, we knew they will adapt, eventually. Missiles are pretty basic tech, after all." the Third Hand answered from behind me, playing with a plasteel model of the Invisible Hand.

Yeah, I get it. You've won the game again. And you had a cloaked battleship to play with.

"For this campaign, we'll start using the Brubbs and the Gbu and whatever client species we need to test out. With light tanks in support, and whatever stocks of Droideka I and commando droids we can spare. I want to test the new personal weapons as well." I answered, coming to a difficult decision.

Spending lives was harsh, and inefficient. An adult soldier took 20 years to print, after all. But we needed veterans as well.

The wars might end soon.

"Three, prepare a recon op for Reega system. The seventh planet" I added with another flash of memory. Something was hidden there, and we may need it.

"Roger, roger. Sending five good agents to die, as ordered" my Black ops Hand answered without humor.

Indeed, we were losing as many agents as the enemy did, most of them due to wrong intel provided by the emperor.

"Send three organics on this kind of missions, my friend. A R2 droid pilot and an assassin droid might help, and find an unexpected victorious return. " I answered with a bit of amusement. It sure worked for some Jedi.

"Good news though, we placed a force marker on the Devastation. We'll attempt a takeover the first time the ship stops somewhere. And once we capture it, and install a cloak..." he said, with a wistful voice.

"If, we capture it with our specials ops. Chances are below 20%, I'd guess. But yes, if your people fail, I'll go on a trip and capture it myself. That thing might kill my Voice with a lucky shot, and growing them back is a pain." I said softly, and thinking of my dear Lira, who died in vain.

'I'm 17 now, you emotionless robot. One more month, and that sweet Peffy is mine' my Togruta maid muttered in the bond, still on Sanctuary.

"That is a good news indeed. Our lazy emperor is doing something, with his own...appendages" Zuckuss added constructively.

"Our team on Comemnor is still trying to find this Scepter of Ragnos , that you described for us.

No deaths yet, only some credits spent on bribes and gifts. The changelings are quite good at infiltration" my Third Hand added with a sad tone. Gand Findsmen were pretty hard to disguise, after all.

"It is there, or will be, in the next months. Have a backup team prepared though, some dark jedi are also looking for it" I explained softly, creating a hologram of the approximate shape of the object.

"I hope the effort is worth it, mystical droid. I could use my best teams on more important tasks..."

Ha. Not really.

"The item can revive the dead. It can cleanse whole planets of sick dark jedi spells and distortions, what they call the dark side.

It can give anyone the dream. The force-sensitivity that Jedi or Findsmen have. I say it's worth it" I said softly, as my Hands realized the exact value of the thing.

"Perhaps, this time the Immortal Pef is right. Recovering dead agents, then reviving them..." Three said with wonder and hope.

"A million Explorers, not just a pitiful thousand" Six muttered looking far away.

"Erasing the dark side...we could colonize the Sith space, learn all their knowledge free of risk..." Zuckuss concluded, most wise of them all.

"The risk will not disappear, not for organics. But it will make it easy for us to ensnare the dead dark jedi and drain them. Maybe jedi spirits as well. And other evil items like the Darkstaff might be drained as well. That's why I sent Master Zao to Cularin, and didn't go myself. That thing can shift and distort the universe itself. I'm not stupid enough to take it, till I have a counter" I said with a another hologram from my memories.

"Roger, Gamma threat levels. I'll send some droid ships to interdict the system. No doubt some idiots will try to take it." Zuckuss said first, closing his eyes to construct the orders via his biochip.

Some psychological hang-up no doubt, my Avatar could use it with his eyes open...

Ah, why did I have to look, just now. The woman was pretty, nonetheless, with the right curves and generous...

"Hey, don't start again, scoundrel droid. We have 54 more missions to plan for today. Then we can share female conquests"

Zuckuss yelled at me, a second after checking the spycams he installed in his apartment. Hypocrite!

"All right. There is a plant which can disable and kill Vong bioarmor. The Bafforr tree on Ithor.

They're also sentient in large numbers, which is great. I want a few million saplings and a hundred old trees resettled in the empire, on every world with forests. Miss Zero will be perfect as a plant negotiator, once I convince her. Just, have a Fade ready in a week" I demanded, pointing a gloved finger at my Third Hand. She won't like leaving her garden, not one bit.

"Oh, a special mission, with a Jedi...Ok, I have a changeling agent I need to test. But the rest only droid crew. That woman gives me the creeps" the most scary killer in the galaxy said with a shudder.

Yea. She was a bit...a bit more...very scary.

Not very smart though. Teleport and phase...even with a lightsaber she would be dangerous, if she used them at once.

"Yes, she is quite creepy. And I'll need Aurra to go with her as well. If she's ready..."

"Well, on technical levels she's very good. Aiming skills are perfect. Law knowledge is perfect. Loyalty imprints are still shaky. Only the Avatar and Miss Zero arise over the threshold.

Miss Na-jia is close to the moral horizon, and...nope. No one else. She would kills us all for a few credits" Three proclaimed, flicking an aurodium coin up, then straining to slow it as it fell into his palm. Nope, didn't quite work.

Maybe telekinesis wasn't a good skill for Gands?

Their gene alter though...if polished, could they gain the vongsense?

Maybe even more, loyal shapers?

"Try telekinesis with living things, my Hands. Leaves and fruits and insects and eggs. You already know it works with ammonia mist. But, behind the mists, there are green pastures and beasts for meat and new females..." I whispered, forming a mist of water vapor, then parting it like a magician.

"See. Not exactly stupid, our emperor. Just...a metal gand, dreaming of mist, like we do" Mujilik concluded wisely, then sipped another shot of brandy. And it was my bottle! That I kept ready if a lady ever visited me...

'Keep dreaming simdroid! Peffy is alright, but you're never having this...ass. Damn flagship is back. Got to chase it again, busy...' Asajj sent with a distracted tone. At least Dathomir was a huge force nexus. Her Meteor will be fine.

"And next op I want, we take New Canistel and start biolabs for the Senoti trees. Their sap is quite similar to bacta. And again, massive sapling transplants elsewhere, where we have alkaline soil" I ordered, pointing at Zuckuss.

The planet was unoccupied, so why not. Free planets again.

"Sure thing Pef. But, we'll need some corvettes for the pirates at Demigue and an invasion fleet for Liul . Maybe take Belthu as well, and support the new sector shipyards from their durasteel foundries? " Zuckuss asked, checking some maps with his eyes closed.

Sure, why not. Free planets are free.

"Of course. We'll take them all, if a single Lucrehulk and its droids complement suffice. Because what we take..." I declared, letting them form a chorus and a punch at the ceiling.

"Is forever taken. Forever and ever, for the Empire!" We chanted in a single united voice.

Ah. Maybe not exactly forever, cause even stars died and stuff. But a long time.