After the fall of the Galactic Republic and the institution of the newly christened Galactic Empire, the Outer-Rim worlds that were aligned with the Separatists had to be more or less taken by force once more. The campaign known as the 'Second Sieges' was slow but it only lasted the span of a standard galactic year because the planets were left with token forces of untrained civilians equipped with second rate blasters after the powering down of the droid armies. So after one year the Outer-Rim was finally in the hands of the Galactic Empire.
During the campaign many of the planets had lost valuable infrastructure needed to run their economies. It was because of this and the low opinion of the recently conquered worlds that the officials such as the Senators and Moff's of the Galactic Empire were worried about a rebellion or civil war starting. Thankfully a solution to the problem had appeared right into the hands of the Imperials.
Their saving grace was a planet called Earth.
Located in the Galactic South, this planet was an early space aged society and had come into contact with the Galactic Empire a few weeks before the end of the Outer-Rim campaign. These advanced yet primitive people had colonised and taken control of an area twelve light years in diameter in space which held a dozen planets within. Unlike the rest of the Outer-Rim, these planets had a self sustaining economy and had an industrial prowess that seemed to out match those of even the Mon Calamari on Dac and the Kuat Drive Yards. Their oligarchic government was Pro-Imperial and would work with the Galactic Empire as long as they and their territory that they held prior to first contact was still controlled by those of Earth.
When the Imperial Senate first heard the Earthlings conditions, some thought it would be easier to simply annex them by force. Others thought that it was a perfectly reasonable demand since while primitive by galactic standards they had a very large military for their size ranging into the numbers of several hundred million, and the Imperial war machine needed a long rest before they went onto conquering more territory. In the end the Imperial Senate gave into the much smaller government and to the great pleasure of all parties involved the results were already starting to come in. The people of Earth looked very human but there were some differences in their biology that made them differ from thoughts already living in the greater galaxy. Their bone structure was more dense and had greater scenes such as smell, hearing, and sight that no standard human had ever shown before. Earth born humans also had much longer life spans with the average citizen living up to around one hundred and fifty year old with the oldest earth born human on record living up to two hundred and thirty. In most jobs, because of this, Earthlings out performed those who were born on planets such as Corellia, Alderaan and Naboo.
Five years after the Outer-Rim Campaigns, the Government of Earth had gone through a great many reforms to fit their new position in the galaxy. Now called the Imperial State of Terra, the planet Earth was now called the unofficial capital of the Outer-Rim.
The galaxy had also changed greatly in those three years as well. Earth Culture was wide spread across the galaxy with many people enjoying games, clothing, movies, music and other consumables made by the Imperial State of Terra. Companies such as Ford, Toyoda, Amazon, Apple and Google have created new factory jobs for workers in the Inner-Rim and Core Worlds while organisations and charities such as the Red Cross and The Eden Project have taken to setting up new areas in the Outer-Rim. In just three years the Red Cross became a well known and respected organisation across the galaxy as they came to many worlds to give people medical treatment and helped governments recover from having experienced natural disasters and diseases. The Eden Project had also become very popular to Outer-Rim planets with their Biospheres that yielded more than enough crops to feed the planets they were stationed on since they could be operated year around-even on frozen planets like Hoth to scorching desert planets like Tatooine.
The Imperial State of Terra had also taken up the task at policing the planets within the Galactic South from Bakura to Hypori.
To do this the Imperial State of Terra had begun construction of many Clone Wars Era ships such as the Venator, Acclamator and Arquitens class. Even going as far as redesigning the on-board weapons systems and re-classing the ships entirely. Unlike the Empire who began mass construction of the Imperial class Star Destroyer, after the institution of the Tarkin Doctrine, the Imperial State of Terra had refocused on a much older Doctrine used by the ancient water based navy's used by the many nation states that existed on Earth.
This was called the Pacific Doctrine.
This focused on the use of large carriers such as the Venators with many small support ships like the Arquitens. The Terran build Acclamators were refitted and classed as both civilian and military hospital ships mainly operated by the Red Cross who had taken a large influential role in the Imperial State's Navy. The Imperial State of Terra did build several Victory Class Star Destroyers-again reclassified as Battlecruisers-and used these as fleet flagships.
As a show of friendship the Galactic Empire had given the Imperial State of Terra three older Imperial Class Star Destroyers. Two of these were on constant patrol around the Galactic South while the third was decommissioned and transformed into a Museum Ship that became a very high interest tourist attraction. The soldiers of the Imperial State of Terra wore the armor of Shoretroopers-while new branches of the military such as the Imperial State Marine Corps wore modified Mudtrooper armor that allowed the user to be exposed to open space-rather than the standard white Stormtrooper armor and took on the name 'Imperial State Troopers.' Instead of walkers or TIE fighters they used AAT's, Vulture Droids and Hyena Bombers.
All were cheaper than standard Imperial equipment and the Terran versions were better armored. Slowly but surely, the Outer-Rim systems that resided in the Galactic South became more and more Pro-Imperial thanks to the work of the Imperial State of Terra. Those who lived in the Core Worlds and Inner-Rim couldn't help but pat themselves on the back. They were wealthier than ever and they didn't even have to lift a finger. The Imperial State of Terra did everything for them. There was even talk in the Senate to create a similar Satellite State in the galactic north however this topic was put on hold as senators who would qualify for the position seem to become hostile to each other whenever the topic comes up on the senate floor.
But the peace would not last much longer in the Galactic South of the Outer-Rim.
By now it had been nine years since the Imperial State of Terra had unofficially been given control of the Galactic South of the Outer-Rim when Pro-Republic and Anti-Imperialists had finally made their way down south.
By this point of time however, many planets didn't mind the Terran State Troopers or Imperial Stormtroopers that occupied their planets.
Systems that could barely feed themselves during the time of the Clone Wars under the rule of either the Galactic Republic or Separatists were now reaching levels of wealth and prosperity never before thought possible.
Not enough food? Well the Imperial State can help you, with either the construction of Biospheres or you can buy some stockpiled foodstuffs from another planet and pay them back immediately or at a later date.
A natural disaster destroyed a city? Well the Imperial State and surrounding systems can help you rebuild.
Is the local population stricken with a virus or disease? Well volunteers from the Red Cross will help you and your people for free.
By this point of time, the Galactic South was a very tightly knit community and any animosity from prior conflicts between the planets have been forgotten or forgiven completely. Some would even dare to say that they were better off than the Core Worlds-and in some cases that was true.
So when the Pro-Republic and Anti-Imperialists arrived they found very little people willing to support them or their cause. Many had even been reported to the authorities. While some were arrested under simple charges of disturbing the peace or carrying a concealed blaster into a public building that had a no blaster sign on the door and released a day later after having been given a warning, they were mostly ignored by both the populace and Imperial State Troopers that garrisoned the planets.
This changed however when they had attacked a fleet belonging to the Imperial State. Fleet was a modest term. In actuality it was a small group of three ships. Two Arquitens Class Light Frigates and a singular Acclamator Hospital Ship owned by the military that was called upon by the Red Cross after a large underground chamber of Carbon Monoxide had been released in a mining accident on Utapau.
Since the ship was close by conducting a training exercise over Mustafar with the fleet it was with, it was the closest medical ship military or otherwise.
The military owned Acclamator-class Hospital Ship named Safety and two Arquitens-class named the and Pluto came with to escort the larger ship.
Even though the crew of all three ships were green and not yet out of training they crews of the three ships arrived to the system in record time.
The Safety had managed to evacuate those who were in immediate danger or in critical condition while its escorts had moved anyone else who were unaffected or at low risk out of the area. Soon a nearby Red Cross fleet had joined in. This allowed the Safety, Saint Paul and Pluto to leave and send those affected to a proper medical facility in orbit around the planet Eriadu.
Because of the position of Utapau, the three ships had to jump to the Triton System to access the Rimma Trade Route. This meant that they had to leave hyperspace and traverse the system before entering FTL once again.
When they arrived in the system they were not alone. At almost the same time a Rebel-as the Stormtroopers liked to call them-fleet arrived as well. The fleet was composed of one MC-75, four CR-90s and several squadrons of X-Wings. The Rebel fleet thinking that they were tracked somehow by the Galactic Empire attacked the Imperial State Navy ships. They managed to destroy the Safety and the Pluto before the captain of the Saint Paul had retreated out of the system.
It was twenty four hours later when the news of the attack spread throughout the Galactic South. The Imperial State Troopers began cracking down on almost anyone who spoke about the Rebellion in a positive and sometimes even a neutral light. The people of many worlds had lost any sympathy they might have held for the Rebellion and its cause. All throughout the Galactic South, Rebels were being attacked with aggression never seen before by the Imperial State of Terra, routing many hideouts and secret bases.
The People also noticed a change in the attitude of the local garrisons as well. They were better armed and there were more of them both on the ground and in space and many seemed to be tense. The rebels were seen as nothing more than Terrorists and thus beasts to be slaughtered by the Imperial State Troopers whose original government had experienced the effects of terrorists and insurrectionists many years prior. Propaganda had worked in favor of the Imperial State of Terra as many people joined the army and navy to fight this new war against terror.
The Imperial State had also sped up their integration of drones-or Droids as the greater galaxy liked to call them-into their armies as support and mechanized infantry. These included BX Commando Droids, Viper Recon/Probe Droids and IG Series Assassin Droids.
When rebels were discovered in the Galactic South, barely any ever survived. In space the Rebel fleets were not used to fast and nimble shielded droid starfighters and their fighter pilots couldn't keep up with the sheer volume of Vulture droids used either, making the number of rebel pilots dwindle. On the ground, rebel soldiers were either bombarded into dust by orbiting ships or artillery. If they were in a more public area then Imperial State Troopers or Marines were sent in and had a ninety six percent success rate of total extermination of rebel holdouts with the other four being that a few rebels had been able to escape.
During this, both Civilian and Military leaders of the Galactic Empire have been seeing the Imperial States of Terra's progress with stomping out rebel forces and many have began to question why they were even building large hulking ships such as the Imperial Class Star Destroyers when the Imperial State Navy and Army was doing just fine and in some cases even better at crushing the rebellion without them. While some may think it was a strange thing to talk about it was a valid point as the construction and upkeep of a single Imperial Class was long and costly and most of the time the large warship couldn't keep up with the fast Rebel fleets.
As a test a Imperial Moff had used the tactics and fleet composition that the Imperial State used to attack a Rebel base. The results were promising. A fleet of one Imperial-Class acting as the flag ship, two Acclamator-class fitted with a high number of TIE fighters to take the role of fleet carriers, two Arquitens-class and four Gozanti-class ships as anti-fighter support had engaged in combat with a rebel fleet of almost equal size. The end result was the total annihilation of the rebel fleet but at the cost of twenty eight present of the fleet's TIE squadrons, one Arquitens and two Gozanti Class.
When looking at the After Action Report of the battle afterwards, the Imperials of the Galactic Empire found what went right and what went wrong as most battles that the Imperial State Navy engaged in ended with few if any losses to their own side. It came as a conclusion that the Imperial State of Terra made Arquitens Light Frigates that were slightly better armored and shielded than those made by the Galactic Empire. The other was that the Gozanti class had too few anti fighter weapons leaving them as a poor ship to screen fighters with but made up with their speed as they can reposition themselves quite fast if one is destroyed. The last and most painstaking one was the use of TIE fighters.
The Imperial State Navy's use of modified Vulture and Hyena Bombers were much better than the standard TIE fighter because they were a lot faster and better armed and armored than both their Rebel and Galactic Empire Navy counterparts. After looking at this, those in the Imperial Navy had begun to increase funding for the TIE/Defender Project led by Admiral Thrawn.
After what was known as the Triton Massacre, the Imperial State of Terra increased their role as protectors and managed to climb very high in the Galactic Imperial Navy's Moff hierarchy to where they learned about Project Stardust also known as the DS-1 or Death Star.
When they learned about it they were appalled. But for all the wrong reasons. They were appalled at such a weapon being built when it was unneeded. When asked why it was being built, Director Krennic stated that it would scare planets into submission. Those of the Imperial State Navy and High Command simply responded that most of the galaxy was Pro-Imperial with a few exceptions in the galactic north and east and that building the weapon would actually do more harm than good. It was like bringing an unstable hydrogen bomb into the Imperial Palace and expect people not to freak out or get nervous wanting to evacuate as soon as humanly possible.
Hearing this analogy, Moffs and Admirals began to also express concerns about the project. As such the nature of the Death Star was changed. Gone was the ability to destroy planets. But that didn't mean that the death star was gone as well. Renamed Deep Space Stardust - 1 the former planet killer had its super laser downgraded.
While not able to destroy planets it held the ability to vaporize a good portion of a small moon and with the help of the Imperial State of Terra the super weapons targeting system was upgraded allowing it to hit medium to large flag ships. With the changes made the estimated build time of twenty years was brought down to sixteen and was to be completed by the end of the next year.
The DS-1 Stardust was now going to be used as the mobile center for all Outer-Rim military operations. The changes within the Galactic Imperial Navy didn't stop there. After seeing the plans for the Super Star Destroyer the project was shut down due to concerns that in the case of one being destroyed that the loss of life and assets would heavily demoralize those in the Galactic Empire. Instead, the funding was sent to create more of the Bellator-class Star Dreadnoughts.
With the Imperial State of Terra spreading throughout every nook and cranny of the Galactic Empire, the Galaxy became more prosperous and everyone within felt safer. The rebels had even gone silent in some places.
During this time though the Imperial State of Terra and the Galactic Empire were planning the largest operation in the history of the galaxy.
Operation Liberum Stella.