Malagarr system, Pef Empire

Core diamond

2 months later

My friend and main ship builder, the Core AI, is already using many of the discoveries from Alashan to upgrade himself and many of his peripherals with tech at least a thousand more advanced than the rest of the modern tech.

I'm lagging behind now, again, trying to learn and understand the new scientific and engineering advances. Sigh, and I had just caught up with the new energy research made by the Galactic Empire. Now I will have to keep studying for a thousand years...

Guess it's time to wake up the Sharu, and get another round of advanced tech. Just to kick my partitions while they were down.

'Stop delaying this, Emperor Pef. I can already duplicate their quantum-locked plastics. A few microns at a time. But as you can clearly see, I built a 20 kilometer sided diamondoid cube. And I'm already testing that molecular-bonded armor for our next generation of droids and mechanized vehicles. Plus factory made semi-sentient droid brains. ' my Eight hand said calmly.

Yeah, progress goes on, even faster now. Just like some primitive worlds we had uplifted from spears and roasted lizards to holonet transmitters and phased arrayed ice-cream.

'We can't release all this, my friend, not yet. Not untill we understand the tech well enough to have counter-measures. Entropy shields for our planets for example. The Chiss already had acquired many 'upgrades' and they are likely to lose ships and tech to their too many enemies. We'll have to fortify Junkfort and Sy Myrth first, then Dellalt and Dornea. And quarantine Blueforge even tighter...' I muttered, a bit worried.

'If you let me try stellar engineering, I could theoretically encase a solar system in a diamondoid cube a thousand kilometers thick.

And capture all the star's energy with solar panels and focusing mirrors..." Core explained patiently.

'And we will. Dyson spheres are called, this kind of megastructures, and the next step is computronium. Photonic crystals, and artificial mass and solar powered lasers. We will have all that, and more. Just be patient, Core. One thousand years, and we will have it all. Just don't forget, we are still the smallest and weakest immortals. Our every step has to be small and not damage life, where possible. Or we will be simply deleted. Our universe is sapient and possibly holographically emitted from somewhere.

Look!' I said softly, turning towards his nearest photoreceptor, and manifesting a diamondoid cube, small enough to be held in my palm, from nothing.

'Not displaced, or transmuted...just wished into existence?' the AI asked cautiously.

'Exactly that my friend. The Force allows many such manipulations of the reality, but it all has price. Life. You destroy a planet, full of life, and the Force remembers, and hits you back. And if there's no one around capable enough, it will manifest someone strong enough.

You don't want to meet someone able to take me down, Core. The kind of power such a being would posses...no, it would have to be over 100 thousand points. Possibly double, just to make sure.

Rain would fall everywhere in the galaxy, if such a person was sad. It's possibly why the Celestials hid away. Luke was made to fight Abeloth and win, even if nobody trained him.' I explained gently, with the emote of a lightsaber.

'Now you make more sense, Immortal Pef. We'll be careful then, and release the new technology in tiny increments, focusing first on the environment and defense, and much later in energy and weapons. Like the Calamari, times 100.' the AI replied with a sad emote.

'Start developing computronium, just for implants and spaceship operations. The Vong do have telepathy, so leveling the field will be okay. Also, touch sensitive holograms, for tactical operations and combat simulators. Let's say three percent mass for military and one percent for commercial applications. There are other groups working on this already, so we're just keeping up with the trends. And...'

'Oh, something new, you just invented Emperor?' The AI asked curious. Not really, but not actually seen except rare assassin missions.

'Telepresence and remote piloting, for our starfighters and survey droids. EM and subspace bands, using english and latin encryptions, plus the latest quantum decay randomization. Keyed for aurabesh priority for Voices, and Delta and Gamma for pilots and their commanders. Black Epsilon variants for the Officio and their microprobes. And whatever type you need for yourself' I said a bit amused.

I could increase our starfighters and Explorer Corps efficiency by a magnitude, just by having a pilot ride along virtually.

'Roger that. I agree, but with caveats. Minor weapon systems should benefit from organic intuition. However, hive viruses...'

'Exactly. Only minor weapons. Tactical weapons will remained hardwired for security. Not to mention strategic or Gamma weapons...'

'Yes, that's why your friend Solanus has to approve all Gamma deployments. So we don't lose a Starkiller to some hacker, I know. Not many hacker can hack an ocean, after all...' Core said with a hint of amusement.

I wasn't that much worried about a hacker, as I was of a powerful force user, or a mind controlled Voice, or some AI going genocidal.

Checks and balances, even for myself or my Voices and Hands.

This universe was dangerous, and even gods could be killed or constrained.

Plus Miss Fay was still an unknown, since Jedi weren't entirely rational.

Made them sometimes easy to manipulate, but other times, they could appear out of nowhere and ruin your day with a proton torpedo. Or something.

---------------------------

Planet Coruscant, Galactic Empire

Imperial Palace

The garden of the palace is small, and they don't have coffee, or even heard about it. Come on, that's like staple food, for civilized people!

If the Imperial Court doesn't have coffee, where else could I find it, perhaps the Vong might import it?

"So, the plagues have all been eradicated, Avatar Greyshade?" The Galactic Empress asked me, faking naivity. She wore a less elaborate garment for this unofficial tea, only a skin tight blue blouse to enhance her generous body, and a pair of blue shorts. Possibly chosen especialy to keep me complacent, while I stared.

"Of course not, most beautiful Empress. The highest mortality strains only, and that, if they don't mutate. As you may know, we quarantined Tatooine recently, since the droch plague was detected on some local rodents. We'll have to exterminate the species entirely, and hope the plague hasn't escaped to a more populated world. A trillion people could die in a few hours, with no possible cure..." I said in a level voice, and noticed her eyes widen a little.

So, someone did their job and actually educated her.

"Possibly some smuggler then, small rodents may enter old ships looking for food scraps, like they are found on Hutt's ships floors" Miss Bena said with a thoughtful voice.

"Very likely the exact way it happened, esteemed Empress. Now, going back to my first request, a common legislation, at least on commercial and sentient rights?" I asked gently, but still pressing the matter.

"Even if I could, Avatar. The Senate..." she muttered with a head shake, making her hair wave mesmerizingly.

Focus Pef ! Yes, the Imperial Senate...thousands of people, most of them corrupt to the core, and standing in the way.

"It's not actually any rush. I just wish our common proposal be sent towards the legislative committee as a step in harmonizing our relations, and calm down investors and bankers. As long as the new Humbarine Senator is the one submitting it, and within three weeks." I explained politely, then took another gulp from my mineral water bottle.

I'll have to bring coffee to this primitive galaxy...

How can you not have coffee? It was ridiculous!

Or cigarettes! Sure they had death sticks, but those were actually killing you, in two years or less.

I'll have to look into this, and find something. A billion planets out there, surely one of them had coffee, right?

Planet Coruscant, Galactic Empire

34 days later

"Why are hiding from my security, Avatar ?" my newest lover asked with rapid breaths, coming out for air after a long kiss.

"I'm kidnapping you, of course, dear Bena. My agent here will take your place for next two days..." I explained seriously, as a changeling operative touched her neck and morphed into a perfect copy.

"Oh, taking over my government Avatar, just like that?" she wondered, suspecting some nefarious plot. Like I would actually stoop so low, to kidnap and...well, I would, but it wasn't necessary now.

"Hold still for a second...and we're here. Centerpoint station, the largest spaceship in the galaxy. Now upgraded, armored and armed with a superlaser battery and 30 thousands ion cannons. And with the capability to teleport itself, or other people and objects to its location. Amazing, isn't it?" I said softly, while holding her hand, and walking towards a diamondoid window, overlooking the interior of the station, now perhaps 1% filled with ships or asteroids.

"Director Isard will figure out I'm not the real me. He's really good at his job." Bena replied sternly.

"Of course he is. The changeling was his idea after all, to give the traitors a realistic target. Come now, most prettiest Empress. Forget about the Moff plot and their attempt to install Tarkin as Emperor. Let the spies and the assassins deal with all that. We have a vacation now, if only for two days. What place do you want to visit?" I asked gently, hugging my Empress with one arm, and projecting a hologram of the galaxy in my other hand.

"Oh! I've been played and kept in the dark...again. That slimy, arrogant, magnificent bastard! Two days you say? And I can do anything I want?" the woman murmured low, as she looked around with curiosity and excitement.

"Yup anything and anywhere. But, low key and disguised. Can't show our hand too soon, can we?" I asked with a smile, and stole another kiss.

"I want to see so many things...let's go to Vanquo first, I am curious about the Paladins. And next to Mandalore, and then...the Wheel and that huge sarlacc, and then..." she began listing a vacation list.

Guess we'll be travelling for a while.

-------------------

Mandalore system, Pef Empire

Next day

And while a coup d'etat take places on Coruscant, and thousands of Imperial Senators get murdered by the evil military colonels and Moffs, my Avatar is romancing the Empress and visiting Charming Castle in secret...

I'm doing what I do best, repairing the ecosystem and terraforming Mandalore, while bringing a few planets from Kessel around the main star. Planet Rion and its moons, Randa , Injopan and lastly Mandrine .

Now that Mandalore is connected by hyperroute to Phindar it just needs a proper economy to become a trade hub and populous world, again.

And the immigrants from Coruscant will fill 4 planets in a single week. Next week, of course, as this week Coruscant is under Moff control. Or so they think.

Why ruin their long and complex plans to take over the Galactic Empire? They're doing a great job at painting themselves as a militaristic, reactionary force, killing everyone even looking at them wrong.

We'll jump in to rescue the beloved Empress and restore peace and freedom, just as soon as I finish uplifting this system.

Guess I can use all the sand on Mandalore to make a summer palace for the Empress, while seeding the planet with ice comets and palm trees. Much like Tatooine, sand planets make great beach resorts, once the rough parts are smoothed out, and a million lakes are formed on the surface.

Damn that droch plague, it ruined my plans!

Should have known every good intention has unforeseen consequences.

Luckily, planetary shields also make great quarantine measures, even if it's costly to keep them all the time.

The new low energy particle shields work nicely though, preventing asteroids and mass particle carriers from passing through. No rodent is flying away from Tatooine. Nor sand, nor pollen.

Only ships with energy shields can pass through them, and for those we have our own ships and defense platforms.

Or backup energy shields and the new four in one shields, combining particle, energy, thermal and reflection, or the 4S shields.

Those 4S shields are 8 times more expensive, and need infrared lasers and ion cannons to discharge the absorbed energy, so they aren't feasible to use everywhere. Not yet.

Just capital ships and spacestations, and the new Biplane IV, which will allow our organic pilots to participate in fleet engagements and be protected by their pilot cocoons on naval bases or the carrier ship, if deployed too far.

Again, we're using the second best tech only subspace emitters, not hyperspace emitters and comlinks, since those are 20 times more expensive, and most jamming technology is aimed at them anyway.

Cutting edge tech has to remain in use for black ops and the fiscal division, which are now slowly civilizing Hutt space.

By stealing their money and killing slavers, if only with accidents and undetectable toxins. Don't want to start a war there, just offering commercial partnerships, using droids and heavy machinery instead of manual labor, hiring slaves for administration or other services, and so on.

It will take decades, as slavery is customary in many places, and indentured servitude is the actual Hutt Law.

But here and there, smarter Hutts stop losing money and become rich entrepreneurs, lording over the more traditional Hutts with armored repulsorlift beds, and even getting angels and their students to sing for them.

That last part seems to attract more Hutts towards civilization, than simply money or luxuries.

Huh, those academies for arts made by Angie and Celine are now working better than trillions of credits on expensive assassins and industrial development.

It's a strange galaxy, after all.

On planet Mandalore, all this sand removal unveiled large deposits of beskar ore, which are promptly 'disappeared' under new war droids and tank factories. I kinda wanted beskar for my energy projects, since like cortosis, mandalorian iron has very special properties.

Both for deflecting energy away, and for energy containment purposes. We might receive another upgrade in magnitude, for space ship reactors and even planetary reactors.

And once we begin the kyber crystals experiments, perhaps another upgrade again.

Still magnitudes lower than my plans need, to power up a hypergate network across the galaxy, stargate style.

But should be enough for the former Rakata planets. The Force can take over the energy needs...hmmm. Let's not copy the Rakata ways though.

Crossing 100 thousands lights years in a single step, and perhaps in a maglev train, to increase commercial and passenger traverse speed and the gate time operation short.

I wonder why they didn't use it like that in stargate. Trains could fit the gate pretty good, and carry huge volumes of goods and passengers every second. Why waste time and energy for a few curious pedestrians?

Nevermind, I could, and I would. Just as soon as the tech was reverse-engineered and the energy requirements reached.

But, my goals were in sight now...only needed a few more steps.

Planet Coruscant, Galactic Pef Empire

Next Week.

"My loyal citizens, it is my pleasure to announce that I have found Avatar Greyshade to be worthy of becoming my husband, and thus unite the galaxy into a single empire, less prone to fall pray to enemies, foreign and domestic. During the last days, when I found myself in fear for my life and the safety of all my citizens, it was my dear Avatar who saved us. Without his efforts, this treasonous coup might have succeeded and forced the Empire under the boot of military dictators. But now, with Tarkin and his fellow Moffs and other conspirators dead or captured, we can all breathe more easy.

The new Empire reorganization will take some time, but fortunately, our late Senate was already working on a common legislation, which I will now just approve, with my emergency powers.

A new Large Senate will be organized instead, with two chambers, one with a World Senator for every world in the galaxy, and one representing our population by numbers. These will be the Sector Senators, each representing at least a hundred billion and no more than a 120 billion sapients.

And lastly, as a wedding present, my dear husband has agreed to default all debts and interests accrued by the worlds in the former Galactic Empire, absorbing the debt himself, with his personal wealth. Isn't he a truly wonderful husband?" Bena proclaimed from her repulsorlift lodge in the Senate's Hall, said hall now mostly empty, with just a hundred or so remaining former Senators.

Somehow the coup targeted every single corrupt or opponent of Bena's leaving just her friends and supporters alive, many protected at the last second from death squads coming after them.

Their cheers were barely audible now, but this speech was intended for the holonet and the galaxy not for the remains of the Senate.

My Empire has doubled in surface again, and included the vast majority of the Galaxy, at least the known inhabited worlds.

The so call reorganization was simply folding every institution of the galactic Empire into the existing ones of the Pef Empire,

during the emergency powers bestowed on the Empress for the next two years.

By the time a census and elections will be held for the new Large Senate, the economic reforms and the inter-service integration should be complete.

Truly, Tarkin saved me a decade of hard work with his coup, I should thank him...too bad he's dead.

"My new citizens, I have another announcement to make, to complement my most enchanting wife and Empress. As you all know, her birth planet is Humbarine, which is sadly a bit isolated. But, once the new capital of the Empire moves to Commenor, our Empress will be just a short jump to her home. This will not happen immediately, since the system will need to be properly prepared and terraformed to host a galactic capital, with at least 12 million embassies for all the World Senators, plus much enhanced trading and spaceport operations. Not just that, but an artificial moon for the Senate, able to house and receive all the Senators at once, along with their delegations. It will be nice, I can tell you even now, but it will also take time, possibly two years to be finished. Meanwhile, the Imperial Servants and the Navy will ensure that investments and security are provided for every world in the Empire. Once again, I thank you all for electing such a beautiful Empress, isn't she lovely?" I proclaimed in turn, making Bena blush, and the Senators cheer a bit louder.

And cut.

Enough posturing for the media and the common citizens.

"Come dear, let's meet with our Hands and Voices and the heads of the agencies. Our Fifth Hand, Grandmaster Fay will also be present, as well as adjuncts for the Hands or Voices unable to leave their current deployments. Should be fun" I said with a tiny frown.

It won't be fun at all.

"Really, you gave a Jedi a formal place in the Empire?" Bena wondered a bit confused.

"Yes, Fifth's Hand domain is covering religion and refugees. Seems they go well together, for some reason" I explained with a shrug. Religious conflicts mostly caused the refugees, so it kinda fit.

Small Council Chambers, Coruscant

And...kriff. Fay brought Yoda with her.

"Be seated everyone. The first Small Council of the Galactic Pef Empire begins" a registrar droid announced loudly, making most of the chatter in the room subside.

"The droid emperor here is not..." Master Yoda assumed in a curious tone.

"I am the Voice and the Avatar of the Immortal Pef. My words are his words. My debts and promises, my deeds and my enemies are his too. Call it bilocation if it helps, Master Yoda" I said politely, while using air alter to project my voice equally in the whole room, and manifesting a wooden gavel to smack the table with.

That had some effect, as Fay and Yoda exchanged a worried look.

"Indeed, strong you are. Bilocation, fabled it was. Possible still is." the green midget muttered in his chin.

"Now, a few pointers, so I don't have to explain again. The Empire is lead by Pef, through his Voices and Hands, with the main goal being civilization. That means laws, sentient rights, common defence and healthcare, and monopoly on offensive weapons and force powers. The laws will always be minimalistic and regulatory in nature, rather than edicts, as long as they don't involve the eminent domain of the government which is the protection of its citizens.

For example, 'jedi mind tricks' or other forms of mind control. Their use is absolutely restricted to Officio Assassinorum or certain Paladin operations, for example hostage rescue. Certain high risk or high value government employees can also receive mnemonic imprints or blockers, to learn or protect restricted information from telepaths or neural probes.

Force powers are by their very nature less possible to control or restrict, but education programs and directing those such sentients towards protecting the citizens seems to work fine. As long as death-cults and their adherents are being eliminated as soon as located, we foresee a thousand percent reduction in their reappearance." I said softly, and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Those fallen to the dark side can be redeemed, Avatar. The Jedi have successfully done it many times in the past..." Fay said with a serious tone.

"Perhaps, but absolutely not worth the risk and the consequences. This kind of leniency from the Jedi is what caused the Clone wars, and thousands of wars before. Our Paladins' armor have integrated sensors and self-destructs, for those who succumb to hate and force psychosis.

Flawed training and exiling dark jedi, separating childrens from family and love, from the very people they were supposed to protect. Healing the wounds that the Jedi have caused to the galaxy will take centuries, and will not be easy. The galaxy is littered with splinter cults made by exiled Jedi during the last 30 millenia.

And you miss Fay...you were given a holocron, with correct information about the Force and its uses. Please don't confuse mind alter with religious fiction again" I said with a sterner voice, and poked her forehead with a telekinetic finger.

She blinked a bit confused, hand clenched on the holocron I gave her.

Sigh. She will take decades to let herself learn.

"Avatar, the Jedi idiots aside, what are going to do about the west? And the Vong ? We are losing ships and crew..." An Imperial Navy Admiral asked, without looking at his former enemies. As I said, many wounds to heal.

"Well, as soon as the Galactic naval battle groups are combined and integrated in the Pef Navy, our fighter pilots will fly our drones remotely, mapping the west regions and deploying hyperspace beacons. 50 billion droids and their tanks and dropships will deploy and exterminate the slavers and the Lugubrra, supervised again remotely by their officers.

And every year from today forward, those forces will double, again and again, untill the west is civilized as well. Should take us a decade or so and train our officers and navy crews to their best, while new capital ships are being built, all over the Empire. Because esteemed members of the Council, the galaxy has a trillion stars, and we have barely began exploring the galaxy.

There could be a thousand other galactic empires out there, invisible to us, using stars and planets we haven't mapped. Not likely, I admit, but only because we would have detected transmissions. But if they use telepathic networks like the Vong? Or the Killiks?

Or are so advanced we cannot even detect their transmissions? Our galaxy is much larger than we know, and we'll keep growing for a million years.

And we will not expend clone soldiers, but droids, to do all this. Every droid, every tank, every missile spent during the Expansion, will mean more work for our citizens. From miners and technicians and engineers, to researchers and teachers and ship crews.

As for the Jedi, they are welcome to remain an obscure religion whether on Ruul or Jedha or some fetid jungle planet, or contribute to collect knowledge and heal plagues and hatred, beside the Imperial Servants from the Ministry of Cults and religions. Many of my wives are former Jedi, so I am sympathetic to their plight. I just like happy children more." I answered politely, measuring my words to remain polite, while not endorsing or persecuting their religion.

Master Fay unpinned her Hand and placed it on the table, not happy with my decision.

Didn't expect her to.

"The Jedi will relocate in the Church of the Force, on the moon Jedha. Where are those three Jedi you arrested?" Fay asked with a belligerent tone.

"Those dark jedi are one with the force now, Miss Fay. You already have everything you need, don't mistake my sympathy for endorsement. Dark Jedi appear because Jedi exist, and are taught flawed teachings. Good luck!" I said in a flat voice, as Centerpoint arrived at Najedha system and teleported all the known Jedi in front of the Dome.

The Council was a bit impressed, as my words seemed to have vanished the Jedi Masters like magic.

"So, the sentient rights?" Lira asked with a cute smile. Her ears made her look like a cute doll.

"Right. So, the right at life, property and freedom. Unless it's an enemy or a criminal. Easy?" I asked rhetorically. Erradicating thousands of years of prejudice and racial hatred won't be easy, but it all started with commerce and prosperity. With the galactic military, banks and the legal system under my control, fixing the galaxy should be feasable.