Where the Galaxy Stands

In the blackness of deep space in the Outer Rim, several Imperial Star Destroyers emerged from lightspeed. Hanging like giant birds of prey over an unnamed gas giant. It was here that the First Order high command had decided to put up a prisoner exchange between the Centerist Union and the First Order. And the highest ranking officer in the Imperial Military would be the one to oversee the whole operation.

"Sir, The Centrist Command Ship has hailed us." A female officer explained. "The representative will speak to you now."

"That won't be necessary, my dear." The blue skinned alien responded, looking out the window with a smile. "I'm certain Grand Moff Hissa can handle this messy little business. He is the First Order's best politician after all."

"Very good, sir. I'll tell him to depart for the ambassador ship right away."

"Ah, I love it when a plan comes together like a well-designed piece of art."

"Sir, I know its not my place to ask. But why do you not take part in most of these diplomatic events?" The assistant asked. "You know your presence will give the negotiations a push in our favor."

"Because I have more important things to worry about like the recruitment of troops and labor. Even though these treaties are extremely important."

"Sir, if I may so ask. Where did all of this come from?" She gestured around.

"Oh, the First Order?" Thrawn asked. "None of the officers told you?"

"I was a gunnery crew commander on a Victory-class destroyer." The officer explained. "I missed out on Endor and my ship got taken down in the Liberation of Naboo just hours after Endor. I kind of missed out on all of the politics."

"Very well, allow me to lay out the situation for you." Thrawn explained, walking back to his command chair and sitting down. "I suppose you've heard all of the stories about my disappearance after the Liberation of Lothal."

"Yes, that was five years before the Battle of Yavin." The officer replied. "Word is you and your flagship hyperspaced jumped into the Unknown Regions because of an attacking jedi padawan. Neither you nor he were ever heard from again."

"Well, that's obviously not the case." Thrawn replied. "The young man's name was Ezra Bridger and after I subdued him. I was kind enough to drop him off with some... like-minded individuals in the area and leave him there. Afterwards, I decided to map out the Unknown Regions for future conquests in the name of the Emperor."

"What were you hoping to accomplish out there?" The officer asked. "That region has no settlements and few habitable planets."

"That's what you believe. In truth, that region is home to many species not seen in other parts of the galaxy. In fact, my own people live on the very borders between the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim."

"You mean, the Chiss Ascendancy? So that is where you guys live." The officer smiled hoping the Grand Admiral can take a joke. "But why would that region be of any interest to the Empire?"

"Because there are many terrifying threats in that sector of space, that would make even Lord Vader quake in his boots; one terrifying threat in particular."

"You mean... the far-outsiders?" She asked, a tinge of fear in her voice. "I thought those were just Old Spacer's Tales."

"I assure you. Their threat is very real." Thrawn explained. "And it was during my travels out there, I met a most extraordinary being. A traveler on a strange starship whose power with the dark side made even our Emperor seem like a mere Sith Apprentice. He struck a bargain with me, telling me he had foreseen the fall of the Galactic Empire. But if I would work with him, he would ensure that a fraction of the Empire would survive."

"You're talking about Emperor Snoke?" The officer asked, understanding dawning on her face. "Then, that's why you came out here and set up the First Order."

"Think about what happened aboard your ship in the hours after Endor." Thrawn nodded. "The soldiers seemed to have woken up from a trance. The officers were dazed and confused. Nobody could mount a serious defense when the Naboo starfighter corps started shooting your ships out of the sky. Is that a good description of what happened?"

"Yes. Our captain couldn't figure out what to do. Tie Fighters were getting swatted like flies and the tiny Naboo crusiers were knocking out star destroyers left and right." The officer admitted. "It was only at the end that we survivors huddled on to the last two star destroyers and jumped to hyperspace."

"That's what happened all over the galaxy. The Emperor's will drove the fleet and all of the Imperial forces. When he died, the fleet and the army fell into disarray." He explained. "As soon as I received the transmission from Admiral Pelleion. I returned to the Outer Rim and sent out a recall order on all survivors of the empire."

"I know. Only about a quarter of the Imperial Fleet survived and made it to the rondevue point. After that you and Snoke declared the First Order; taking control of one quarter of the known galaxy still loyal to the Empire."

"Yes, a small fraction of the territory we once controlled. But its a far more effiecent, far leaner empire." Thrawn said, almost proudly. "We have shed all of the unnecessary baggage. No more Tarkins blowing up innocent worlds and murdering billions of loyal imperial subjects. No more Sith Lords pulling the puppet strings and using the imperials to hunt Jedi. And finally, no more genocides and massacres from a government that supposed to maintain law and order."

"So, we are now the Empire the way it should have been in the first place." The officer nodded, contentedly. "So much for the rebel's claim that we're a bunch of oppressive monsters. Though I won't argue with their assessment of that old sith hobgoblin. But aren't the only power in the galaxy, are we?"

"Indeed not." Thrawn explained, pushing a button. A hologram of the galaxy appeared in the middle of the room and different colored areas appeared over whole star systems on the map. "As of right now, the empire has split up into tweleve nation states. Most of them too small to be of any consequence, such as the Mandolorian Commonwealth, the Hutt Enclave, and the Hapes Cluster. But there are four large powers in the galaxy now." A blue area, a red area, a green area, and a yellow area appeared on the chart. "The first, of course, is the First Order. The largest and most powerful nation in the galaxy, marked in red."

"Impressive. We hold the most territory but its tiny compared to everyone else combined." The officer replied, sadly. "If we tried to rebuild the Empire, everybody else would gang up on us and destroy what we've managed to save."

"Indeed, from our capital world of Byss. The Imperial Senate leads us with a firm but fair hand." Thrawn continued. "Now, the blue space is the Centrist Union capitaled on Corerilla. This state sees itself as the continuation of the Old Republic. I understand that they are completing work on a new star destroyer design and ship designs based on the Grand Army of the Republic from the Clone Wars."

"Oh, I heard about that. They have restarted the clone trooper program taking genetic samples from Mandolorian house Fett to create a new clone army." She stated. "They believe that the Old Republic was unfairly destroyed by Palpatine and see themselves as the true heirs to the old government."

"Yes and that leads us to our next faction, the Populist Federation marked in green." He continued. "They are made up of worlds from the old Separatist movement and they are a successor state to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, or CIS for short. They have reestablished their old capital on Raxus."

"I've heard that they have restarted their battle droid program." The officer replied. "Is it true that they are actually going to try and fight clone troopers and our stormtroopers on the battlefield with stupid soulless droids?"

"Now, now. The droids are simply machines; they follow their programming nothing more." Thrawn reminded her. "Although, some people believe that a select few droids have been granted souls by the Force such as a certain R2 unit and gold protocol droid that belong to the Skywalker family. But other than those two, most other droids are simply appliances that act like they are alive."

"Well, I guess they are easier to produce than clones or drafted soldiers." The officer admitted. "But what's the yellow area?"

"That would be the New Republic." Thrawn shook his head. "They are the worlds most loyal to the former Rebel Alliance. The Rebellion formed their own government after the Battle of Endor but nobody would join it except the few worlds they had managed to liberate."

"That's pretty sad, even for our enemies." The officer replied. "I mean, the military force that managed to bring down the Empire only got a meager reward."

"Well, they would have merged with the Centrist Union as they both seek the restoration of the Galatic Republic... but the former rebels didn't agree with the re-activation of the clone trooper program as well as the corruption that plagued the Galactic Republic starting to set in."

"Wow, not even the traitors can get along." She stated.

"They decided set up their main city on Hosnian Prime." Thrawn finished, pulling down the hologram with the put of a button. "These four factions including our own are trying to at least maintain the status quo to that end the four great powers have established a galaxy alliance of free worlds which is capitalled on Courscant. Do you understand now?"

"I think I do." She nodded. "The Alliance is kind of like the Old Republic but its now only a meeting place for diplomacy between seperate nations rather than being a government of its own."

"Very good. Then, you are dismissed." Thrawn explained as the two saluted each other and the officer returned to her post.