Author's Note: Well, happy Friday everyone! We have reached 250 views, and just wanted to say even though that this hasn't been this hasn't been the most successful story, nor my most popular, but I thoroughly enjoy just knowing that at least some people are interested in reading the idea. So with that, I am happy to bring you this chapter, and to just keep it nice and short, I will say enjoy the chapter!

While landing at the Governor's Palace on Eridau, some thoughts began to cross my mind. One of the first things that came into fruition is the thought that my father wasn't a Senator anymore due to the Senate being dissolved by the Emperor, and I could only imagine what had happened to my family, and to where they might be at a time like this. The first thing I did when I entered the Palace was to go to the holotransmitter and ping their signal, and I waited for the moment they would pick up. It pinged…and pinged, until the signal was interrupted and ended due to no response on the other side, and I slowly collapse on the sofa that was near the transmitter. I tried again for the next few minutes, until finally a signal must've gotten through and I remember seeing the precious face of my sister. My fear was quickly washed away with relief, and a sense of my utter stupidity, since I had noticed that it was still very early in the morning.

As I calmed myself back down, and looked back to my sister that had been confused by my actions for the past few seconds, I finally began to explain how I thought something horrific had happen.

"Oh, don't worry about me, sis…I just thought…I just had a feeling of unsureness when I heard the Senate was dissolved and I just needed to make sure you guys were okay. Where are you?"

My sister replied that they were at their home on Eridau, which mother had nearly sold if it wasn't for a very hasty transmission from our father that he had lost his position in the Senate due to the new system that the Emperor had switched too. I felt terribly bad for my father since his entire goal was to become part of a bigger political game than just on the planet, only to have his chance completely ousted by the new government. In-fact, the new chain of command that I had read included such a complex system of responsibilities and authorities. At the very top was the Emperor and the Grand Vizier, which were then followed behind by the Imperial Ruling Council, Emperor's Hand, and Royal Guards, in that direct order and then the last of the head of command in the Empire, was the Grand Admirals and Grand Generals, only seconded by the Council of Grand Moffs. The highest obtainable position for myself would have to be me becoming a Grand Admiral, for that was the highest a military officer could achieve, unless somehow the Emperor recognized you as someone of importance and placed you in his personal circle.

I concluded the exchange with my sister and told her that I would be along back home in a few days or perhaps sooner and I ended the transmission after telling her that I loved her. I turned around to me to see the Director looking at me with a devious smile and he crossed his arms while looking at me.

"Having a family will definitely make you vulnerable as a Grand Moff, Reylan. I hope you can see that."

I shrugged off the comment and stated, "This is my home planet. If someone was to try something here, not only would I have control of the courts, but I could literally make the entire planet sympathize with me if need-be."

The Director uncrossed his arms and walked over to me and added on, "Then say someone in the high command killed your family, and possibly even tried to eliminate you. What could you do aside from survive his wraith, because I don't think you'd have much of a chance."

I threw up my right hand, whilst trying to negate my annoyance at the Director.

"If someone were to do that to me, or my family, they would be picking on the wrong person…I don't care if it was the Emperor, or the Vizier, or even someone else. If someone wanted to take my life, and wanted to take my sister's life…then they would surely pay for it, in whatever way imaginable."

He seemed unconvinced by my statement and responded, "If it was the Emperor, or Lord Vader, you wouldn't stand a chance…I've experienced first-hand what Vader can do, and if the Emperor can command the force, as he does, then you wouldn't stand a chance, assuming you could get past his 'castle-full' of Royal Guards, and the Emperor's Hand."

I eventually nodded my head and concluded, "Perhaps, Director…Perhaps you are right, so for my sake, and whoever else's sake…I'm sure they wouldn't want to mess with me, or my family for I will try to make their life miserable as miserable as I can inflict, or simply kill them if they weren't the 'addressed' people."

I exited the room with the Director at my side and I began to explore the Palace. To be honest, Tarkin sure through all expense out the window, and decorated the entire palace with as much materialistic and beautiful things he could find in the galaxy, and then only abandoned it with his death on the Death Star. It's kind of funny and a great example to my ideals, for once you die, all your materialism that you believed in has no value in death, and only your legacy of your family, or your names in the history book matter more or less if you don't want to be remember as just a simple person in the clockwork of history. Sadly, so many heroes and noble men die in the combat of war without ever being recognize aside from their own men or friends, and their friends carry the burden to make it right for the unfair death of his comrade. That could also be argued for why the rebellion still lives and continued to live despite the Death Star being constructed and hope seemed to be lost for them.

The very thought of being a Grand Moff though was still a bit shocking to me for I never thought in a million years that I would achieve the rank of this title, let alone get a meeting with all the top political and military figures of the Empire. Which brings me back to the blue-skinned Chiss that had somehow obtained the rank of Grand Admiral, for it is so interesting in how a human dominated dominion somehow had a single alien inside its ranks. However; if you are dedicated enough, I am pretty sure you can get anything accomplished, no matter what race, or what background you come from, there is always that hope in the galaxy. I began to let out a deep and long-denied sigh as I entered my office, looking at the previous sculptures and paintings that littered Tarkin's old office, before sitting behind the desk.

"So, what is your first big plan, Grand Moff Praxon?"

I could hear the uncomfortableness in Director Krennic's tone as addressing me as someone higher than him, however; he tried to maintain his respect and his gratitude and at least the formality that he had those qualities.

"My first big plan is to make sure that Eridau is a prime example to what the Empire can bring to an outer rim world, one that isn't construed by crime and chaos and terror, but of one that can be shown as economic opportunity and a way to get out of their poverty stricken lives. What Tarkin see fit to terrorized the outer rim with brute force, and install brutal tactics and the imperialization of a planet's industry, I intend to make it a little more independent, while the Empire remains the main benefactor."

I pressed my finger down on the intercom, and after a few seconds of pinging, a voice came onto it asking what I needed.

"I require my advisors and the admirals of the Second Fleet to my office immediately. Please carry along the message and tell them to make due for this is a very important and mandatory meeting."

The voice said that he would do so right away and I withdrew my finger on the button as I looked at Director Krennic who seemed busy in thought. I pulled up my datapad and began to look through the recently declassified materials that had been opened to me. For a vast majority, a big majority of the Empire's database had been opened to me, however; certain things pertaining to some Grand Admirals, Grand Generals, and the upper ladder of the Empire was of course closed off to me. However, something caught my eye as I was scrolling through the resources and that was an order requested by the Emperor for the manufacturing of five vessels that looked awfully familiar to the one that Grand General Tagge brought in when he told me of my meeting with the Emperor.

There was no real-name for the 'Super' Star Destroyers yet, except for the coined name I had just said, and yet…nothing expressed it more clearly than calling it exactly that. Buffed up, elongated Star Destroyers with the destruction power of an entire fleet. I also began to look through more documents relating to certain classified projects such as new ship ideas, new fighter constructions ranging from some sort of new interceptor, to something called the Tie Defender which was still in its writing form, with a hundred or so prototypes. These caught my eye particularly since the Tie Defender was apparently shielded, and had a hyper drive, not to mention proton torpedoes and a magnitude of different weaponry that could be attached to the fighter, which has never been seen before on a Tie Fighter. I also came along another document, however; everything was classified in it and there was nothing I could see but the concept idea of a fighter with three pronged-wings, and an odd like cockpit.

To say the least, the benefits that came with being a Grand Moff were looking at all the new research and technology and under the rug conversations and ideas being talked about or recorded throughout the galaxy and the Empire. I placed down my datapad, only to see that Director Krennic had left my office, and I pondered to where he might've gone, but it wasn't my place to question where he goes too, at least inside the Palace that is. I began to look through the desk, looking through old resource managing papers from different planets, outputs of factories, statistics and graphs from economic ups, down, and anything that the planet was outputting, to a drawer with a blaster and the like inside it. I did, however, come across a drawer that was locked, and upon looking at the very odd compartment that was durasteel protected instead of the regular wood, my interest got peaked.

I pulled on the handle to pull it out, yet that didn't work so I called up some engineers with cutting tools to come inside the office. It took them over an hour to cut the actual compartment out of the desk, only for me to find that it was some sort of strongbox that was sealed, so I ordered them to cut open the top. Upon the top being breached, I pulled off the now loose piece and placed it on the side, only to find a briefcase that was filled to the brim with stacks upon stacks of credits, some odd artifacts of some sort, a datapad, along with some document folders. I thanked the engineers for their help and I sent them out of my office immediately, and upon their leave, I locked the door behind them. The first thing I opened was the briefcase and inspected the credit stacks more, only to find they were the rare 10,000 credit chips, and there were at least a hundred rows stacked ten up throughout the entire case. I then went to inspect the artifacts that were lying down in the strongbox, which seem to consist of odd little figurines of something. The first one I picked up was a marble construct of what appeared to be a Jedi. The only reason I knew it was a Jedi is from the multiple stories and records I had read that weren't completely destroyed or erased in the infamous Jedi Purge; that could be a reason all in itself also. Yet, they were proclaimed Keepers of the Peace, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of Democracy, and Guardians of the Republic. Infamous warriors that were unmatched by most people in the galaxy for over five thousand years, and were users and bearers of the Force, the 'mythological' entity that surrounded all things, or something like that.

Personally, I didn't think the force was such a big thing…I mean, sure it is probably real since the Jedi have done outrageously dangerous things, and have used their 'so called powers' on a whim and have come out above all else. Yet, aside from what my father told me when I was a child, most of the Jedi are dead; except for one he supposedly knew when he was a coming up politician that he had the honor of meeting. If I remember correctly, his name was something along the lines of Obi-Wan or somewhere around that, and my father said he was a great Jedi Guardian, who was wise, and a good friend to those he had the chance of meeting him, and whenever meeting him, the Jedi would say in his starkly humorous voice, "Hello there, my friend." Sadly though, my father said he lost contact with him after the Jedi Purge, and he is assumed dead. I placed the artifact back inside the strongbox and pulled out another who I recognized as the founder of the first Eridau colony and is recognized as the planet's founding father.

The other artifacts were little trinkets and odd and ends that didn't speak to me, or I just didn't know the history or research behind it. However, I pulled one of the document folders out of the strongbox, only to find an entire folder dedicated to Director Orson 'Callan' Krennic, and Galen Erso, the traitorous architect that put the flaw inside the Death Star. I began to read the tragic history, and the very rough upbringing and fight he had taken to get to where he is today, and I felt I had a new felt respect for the Director, despite his sometimes 'uncharitable and cruel' personality.

Supposedly, the Director was born on a planet called Lexrul in Sativran City, where he grew up in a lower-middleclass family. His father was a mason, but since the job was sometimes fickle, he took up odd-jobs here and there, and worked as a waiter in a restaurant to provide for his only son. His mother on the other hand, was home-bound due to her multiple illnesses and diseases that didn't give her the luxury of really leaving the house, yet despite these, she still was a more than capable homemaker and prided herself on it. As for the Director, he had a rough history with beating up children at his schools, and didn't take school the serious way a person should, yet somehow had a knack for math and physics. When he was fifteen though, he enrolled in the Galactic Republic's Future Program, where he saw more stunning progress at the hands of getting into architecture, and from what the headmasters claimed, had the ability to manipulate multiple people with ease.

Funny the headmasters noticed his manipulation, but I suppose he doesn't cover his tracks very well, not to mention the Director from what I could see was very volatile and hot-headed, yet…that would work to my advantage at any rate. He also meet Galen Erso, which was kind of a surprise to me, inside that facility and as the Director went into the Engineering Corps and oversaw many Republic projects, he eventually was tasked early on with the Death Star. The rest is history I suppose, when it came to getting the Geonosians to construct the Death Star at a fast pace, to manipulating Galen Erso to research and help produce the superweapon he admired to bringing him back after he had fled. Galen Erso on the other hand, there wasn't much of the documents except an annotation that I recognized as Tarkin's handwriting stating that he would be a valuable asset after the completion of Project Stardust.

I gently placed the document back into the strongbox, and took out the datapad, somewhat interested in what secrets Tarkin could've written down in this, not to mention the dirt I could grab to further my ambitions to make the Outer-Rim safe and secure for the Empire. The datapad was locked, but upon looking at some documents in other desks, it seemed Tarkin was usually forgetful of his datapad's password and placed it underneath his desk. The first thing that lite up on the screen was a welcome message for the previous Grand Moff, and a plain screen that had the simple icons for display, such as notes, the database, Holonet, etcetera. I went into the notes that the Grand Moff must've taken as some point, and found over a million entries and I was flabbergasted by the sheer amount of notes he took. As I scrolled through the different profiles that the Grand Moff had built on certain people, especially a lot of blackmail worthy material, I came across certain notes relating to the company his father was in-charge of, and family related memos. In addition to those, there were also many banking clan accounts made underneath their vise to store millions of credits that couldn't be found or taxed, or at least back in the Galactic Republic era, that was necessary.

One note though, was extremely specific and very intriguing to say the least, for Tarkin wrote about some place called the 'Maw Installation' that anyone could pass by and not even know it existed due to a specific wormhole needing to be taken to reach it, and any exit wormhole or any entrance wormhole that wasn't exactly that one, has led to multiple scout ships and men getting lose and never being heard from again. It supposedly had numerous pet projects that Tarkin himself was funding, and due to the Installation abundance in resources, no outside help was needed to fund the projects, just time, resources, and the occasional clandestine ship to slip in years' worth of food, and the like to make sure the people didn't starve to death while at the facility. I was curious to even if the Emperor knew about the whereabouts of this facility as it seems this was a Tarkin expenditure instead of an imperial-related one.

I made a note to myself that I would need to visit this installation, despite its risk due to the fact that if there was weapons and projects that have been built, or are currently being built, I could use those to my own advantage and ascend in the hierarchy, to perhaps if one of them were to the scale of something like the Death Star, I might gain the Emperor's favor enough to become part of the Grand Generals or Admirals, or even higher if I played my cards right. However, these thoughts were unwarranted since I have no idea since the last time someone was sent there, and let alone the last shipment and last transmission someone has had with the people there. I decided to upload most of the data from Tarkin's datapad to my own so I could use its resources wisely and to my own advantage, and after the transfer of data, I quickly destroyed and discarded the remained of the datapad, especially the main storage unit for the datapad. I looked through the remaining documents, only to find other 'blackmail' worthy material that Tarkin had in his possession, and after seeing enough, I placed the strongbox underneath the desk, awaited my council of advisors and admirals to finally arrive.

The first one to arrive was about ten minutes after I was finished, and I started to write down some accomplishments I hoped to have finished by the end of the year. The man that had entered the room was the Advisor of Economics and Production, and I asked him to sit down in the seat so we could talk while we had the time.

"So, tell me…how has our production levels been, let alone the economic status on my planets?"

The Advisor seemed to swallow coarsely as he stated, "There has been…strikes and certain riots in factories on Tatooine, Lothal, Sullust, and Bothuwai. Not to mention the…numerous attacks that have plagued the far outer rim territories, Grand Moff…I'm sorry…but…we've lost control on a great many planets in the past five days…but, that's probably due to the absence of a governor for the Outer-Rim and the lack of Senators to…"

He ended his report there as he recognized that I had been silently venting from the news of losing control of planets and territories that were undoubtedly tied to my career.

"Hmm…that's rather unfortunate…but I suggest we wait til we have the full council in session, then…we should talk more about this issue. Therefore, let us go to the conference room and await everyone."

It took about twelve hours before everyone had congregated inside the massive room, and after counting roughly about seven hundred people, I stood up from my chair and began to address the crowd of admirals, generals, field commanders, my advisors, and prime ministers.

"Let me start by welcoming you all to Eridau, my home planet and my now acting planet to ensure the Outer-Rim is brought under control again. I will warn you all right now, this is going to be a very long fight, I can already see it, and I want you all to know that as well. Therefore, I will make sure that everyone is doing their best and most efficient tactics to combat the rebellion, the constant attacks, the riots and the strikes, anything that will dare oppose the Empire's agenda. Now, I will make this the first priority and a reminder to any of you. If you betray me, or cross me, or even dare to think to go underneath my orders and do something without my okay, I don't care if it results in the entire planet being placated. You will regret it for the rest of your life. Now, aside from that note, I'd like us all to be very close consultants and comrades to each other, for fighting amongst ourselves make the rebellion stronger."

I cleared my throat after a second of looking over the entire crowd, and then I continued.

"Now, Admirals, this is directed solely to you. You will all report every rebel incursion, every pirate incursion, and any skirmish that occurs under your command and you will address a full report on how the rebels were playing out their tactics. Generals and Field Commanders, same applies for you on the ground, if they do guerilla combat, then so be it. Prime Ministers, you are the planet's greatest strength, for you make the Empire look positive or negative in the eyes of the people. I don't care if you have to change social policies or take a different approach to things, just so long you notify me beforehand. Lastly, my advisors, I suggest you consult with everyone I had just previously addressed to get a good prospective and solid data and statistics for me."

I paused for a second, as I slowly folded my arms looking at the expression of most of my subordinate's faces. Fear, Anger, Hatred, Sadness, and other emotions seemed to stick out like a sore thumb through-out the entire crowd, yet I shook off that feeling and finished up my speech.

"Lastly, forget all about Governor Tarkin for he was militarily inept, and made the Empire suffer a crushing blow due to the death of his person, and the death of the Project he supervised since its inception. Under me, we will change the Outer Rim, and if everything is done so according to plan, we will not have to worry about rebel insurgency or the fear of losing ships or dying, for my plan is absolute and with all of you with me, we will execute that plan to utter perfection. On a last note, where Governor Tarkin stayed in his office and inspired fear through each and every one of you, I will be there on your planet, your starship, your battle, and everywhere we have conflict, for where he cowardly stayed behind the safety of his palace and garrisons, I will be there with you in the front-lines."

My last statement left everyone in bliss of joy and utter loyalty to my cause as I heard the hurricane of applause and affirmations with yelling and cheering. I dismissed everyone and told them to return to their duties, their planets, their ships, and the area of their expertise, as I retreated to my office where a speechless Director Krennic was currently in.

"Do not ever doubt me, Director Krennic. I have a war to wage and an enemy to take into consideration, and I do not need you to be swayed in your resolution and resolve for I will need you to make this plan become a living breathing machine."

The Director stayed there with his arms conjoined together while he observed me walk over to my desk, and upon sitting down he approached the desk and stated, "Grand Moff Praxon, I will just let you know…you are a hundred percent better than Grand Moff Tarkin ever was, and you hit on those key ideas on what he ran on, and I guarantee you everyone in that room agreed with you."

I replied, "I am aware of that Director Krennic, however; this is what I require you to as a first step to my master plan. I need you to establish a very large and experienced spy network in the Outer-Rim. With your current status of Director, and your standing with the ISB, I am pretty sure you can do something with the Outer-Rim resources I can provide, no?"

The Director nodded in affirmation and stated, "Of course I can do that, if you need me to work on it right away, I will call up my old 'friends' that still owe me a favor or two, and I am pretty sure I can get a head-start on the recruiting for the spy network you want."

I dismissed him with a command to do it with wise choosing and to exclude the incompetent people that wouldn't do anything but stand around and type in information on a console, and to look for ISB agents and spies that looked like the ambitious type. With that, the Director exited the office and I sat down in the chair and let out a sigh. If this is what I was going to have to do daily to make sure my position was concreted and to await the chance for me to increase in rank, then so be it, despite its tiring effects. Yet, as soon as I got up to go to my quarters to take a nap, I heard the door to my office open, and I sat back down. The man who walked in however, was yet again, the person who seemed to come in at the most 'opportune' times.

"You have made quite a jump from your previous position as Commander, Reylan Praxon…and I must say; it's been most entertaining to watch you rise."

The man was no longer dressed in his grey robes from Coruscant, or the brown-uniform of a Grand Moff, but instead, he elected to select the attire of an Eridaun Nobleman and walked over to my desk, and sat down without regard for my apprehension. His face carried the same cheeky smile that he always seemed to have, and his black cropped hair was now abnormally long considering the last time I had meet him, it had been just above his shoulders, to now, where it was down to his chest.

"I suppose you came here to want something from me, because why else have you been bothering me, you obv-…"

I was cut off by the man as he said in an equally booming voice, "No, I haven't come here to get something from you, Reylan Praxon. I simply came here to tell you that you are doing such a swell job in uncovering the little tracks and clues, and finding even more things of interests that I-…well, that would be spoiling things, but I have to say, you are definitely entertaining to see as you literally go step and step into this game."

I jumped out of my seat and yelled, "A Game? You think that this is a game? Hah! I must say, you are one seriously disillusioned individual. What is your damn name, I never even got it."

The man slowly relaxed into the chair and grinned at me, while I started to become un-composed and flamboyant.

"No, you know what; I've had enough of this. You have stolen a Grand Moff's uniform, you have infiltrated the Imperial Palace, and you went onto my shuttle. This ends now."

I pulled out my SE-14C sidearm, and took aim at the man and quickly pulled back on the trigger, sending a 5 shot burst into the man, yet…it didn't even seem to have affected him, until I blinked my eyes, and felt a ping of rage fill me.

"Ughhh! What the hell are you?" I said as I quickly shoved all the materials off the top of the desk, as I glanced at the now empty seat, and the five blaster holes imbedded in the seat.