Author's Note: Happy Monday everyone! I want to form a very deep apology for not being able to bring you a chapter for the past three days, but I have been very busy as of late, and I told you in I think four chapters ago that my frequency would begin to get affected, BUT in spite of that, today I bring you the next chapter to the story, and what I hope I can give you in this chapter by the end is a plot-thickener and perhaps some more, but we shall just have to wait and see. At any rate, hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope you get rested for the coming week whether it is work, college, or school. Enjoy!

The thought of that man never seems to leave my thoughts anymore, I could be working on twenty different tasks, and yet in the back recesses of my mind, I have that ever looming question roaming throughout my mind thinking the five questions of who, what, where, why, and how to the mysterious stranger. Not to mention the fact he seems to come and go as he pleases, and somehow manages to just disappear in the midst of everything. My only conclusion is that either he is some sort of anomaly or perhaps something supernatural, but…the real question is what the hell does he want from me? There are definitely more illustrious persons than myself in the galaxy, so why would he come and observe me is the thought that resurges with the previous questions. I couldn't allow myself to focus on this anymore, as the uprisings that have been happening on over fifty worlds has been draining, and Second Fleet has been less than efficient in dealing with them, so the past week or so has been grueling.

I suppose I can thank the Field Commanders and the Prime Ministers on the planet to at least quell the threats and uprisings while I suggest the possibility of getting rid of the imperialization and subsidizing of major corporations and businesses on the Outer Rim worlds and slowly allow independent financers and business leaders to come in and in-part rule them, while giving tributes and cuts to the Empire. At least if this was to take effect, not only would I predict approval rating would go up, but rebellions would be put down on multiple poverty-stricken worlds due to the fact there will be some economic opportunity now, but that isn't always the 'grass-root' as dissidence and political issues seem to be the main problem of the Alliance, and the other rebelling factions are either doing it for more freedom, or economic opportunity, so if I could convince the people to live in ignorance, and convince them that living under the Empire isn't so bad, so long you don't look up, that could convince a lot of people to abandon these 'problems.'

In the meanwhile, Director Krennic informed me that he had over 2,000 employed spies under his jurisdiction and has sent at least four per planet to infiltrate and listen to local band leaders and travel to cantinas, and to get a feel for what their grievances are. So far, he has been doing a great job, along with most of my advisors in advising certain actions that might've lead to chaotic results that I would've never known if it wasn't for them. Along with that, I am not the only Grand Moff who is having his fair share of issues, due to the Mid World Grand Moff being completely new to such a rank, much like myself, and not having the advisors who have had the experience to deal with these problems, like the Outer-Rim ones I have obtained who have dealt with these ever since the start of the Empire. The only Grand Moff that seems to not even need to get his hands dirty and can just relax is the Core-World one, and if anything, it really shows in his hair color and his gluttonous appetite.

I suggested to also put in place at least a Class-I or Class-II Cardan Space Station above each Outer-Rim planet to secure trade, and planetary affairs, however; so far only Class-I's have been erected in the most hostile planets, and it has been relatively ineffective, so small support fleets have been dispatched to deal with their inefficiencies. On the other hand, the least thing I need is for a rebellion fleet or alliance fleet to jump out of hyperspace and land right outside my palace and off me, so with the approval of Mas Amedda, he has in place to send over a Cardan Class-III Space Station that will be towed to Eridau within the next week or so. Regardless if the Space Station were to be there or not though, I guaranteed myself that every Eridaun citizen below me would at least fight for me considering how fair my father was to the people, and how 'lenient' and 'public-serving' I have been to the people so far.

All these projects would sadly affect each planet since constructing them would require that planet's resources, but in the long run, after everything is constructed and in place, I shouldn't have to fear trade routes being plundered, or ships being utterly demolished by a surprise attack from a superior fleet. I read a case report from two days ago that detailed a very large guerilla attack consisting of Corellian Frigates and a very rare Quasar Fire-class bulk cruiser, which annihilated two Victory-II Frigates and a Victory-I class Star Destroyer. The battle took place around the pirate-infested Florrum, and the small fleet was carrying some very important V.I.P's and a Prime-Minister from the planet of Taris, and when the fleet was intercepted, the opposing fleet left no survivors and destroyed the escape pods. I suppose we weren't the only ones who were brutal and could be not merciful sometimes.

To top all of those off, there was a Council meeting between the Grand Moffs on Byss in two days and it was a mandatory meeting that we had to go too, so we could bicker about our problems, and have the Grand Vizier allocate what resources he saw fit to give to everyone. If anything, it was a meeting of addressing the multiple issues, and the limit of the empire itself, but with the addition of those new Super Star Destroyers, and what may lie in the Maw Installation, I couldn't help but feel a ping of hope that perhaps the Empire wasn't putting its one hundred percent into this war, and everything has just been minor inconveniences that could be fixed with adding more ships and men, however; if I were to look at the graphs and the statistics I had available to me, it seemed like the peak of the Empire's power was post-Death Star construction, and now everything is slowly starting to rescind. More riots and strikes are happening in factories, resources are being lost, and the only part of the galaxy that seems to be in an order fashion and giving any much needed help to the war machine would be the Core-Worlds.

Despite these setbacks, the core-worlds make up for about forty percent of the Empire's industry and factory-based production, so even if we were to lose an entire region to the rebellion, we'd still have enough to re-take those sectors with the help of whichever regions we still had left. The Mid-Rim, Expansion Region, The Inner Rim, and the Western Regions were the remaining sections, and the second highest in production is the Outer-Rim, hence why it is so important to the stability of the Empire. Yet, the Inner Rim and the Mid-Rim more or less equate what the Outer-Rim would lose, since the Outer Rim has about twenty-five percent production, and the same with the two former sections, and whatever last ten percent is left or so, goes between the Expansion and Western Regions. Yet, with the increasing problems I have, we have lost a lot of production and sometimes you just want to off yourself from the amount of stress one in this position has to live with.

Eventually, Director Krennic came back into my office for a daily report, and sat down in the chair adjacent to mine.

"Reylan, my spies have uncovered a very serious plot to undermine the system of Sullust, and to liberate it for the Alliance."

I froze up at the startling words he proposed, and I placed down my cup of water on the desk and looked at him with wide-open eyes.

"What? They uncovered…what?"

He repeated what he had said previously, and I got up from my desk and let out an irritated sigh.

"I thank you for this information…it seems like I have a personal visit to Sullust in order. Would you like to accompany Director?"

The Director nodded his head as he replied, "It's been a while since I've knocked some heads…it'd be very fitting to do something like that again."

Before we boarded the shuttle, I made it very clear to the receptionist that I was going to be away for quite some time while I settle some ordeals going down on Sullust, and he said he was going to keep me posted. As Director Krennic and I came out to the shuttle platform, that had Krennic's personal shuttle, I turned around to the Director and after much needed thought; I stopped him in his tracks and told him a proposition.

"Listen, Orson. I believe that I have the resources to in a way make my own personal transport shuttle, so…as a token of good faith and just returning the favor, considering it served you well in the past, you can have your shuttle back. Plus, I found it unnecessary to have such a ship as it must be very personal to you."

The Director visibly was unfazed, but I knew I struck a nerve or something in his system because without a second's notice he did something…rather interesting and unlike him. All he did was come up to me and give me a quick wrap-around, and patted me on the back before pulling away and said that he was grateful for the reacquisition of his shuttle and that he will definitely be able to rule more efficiently, and that it might've been a mistake to offer it to me in the first place. I couldn't agree more with him, but joked that I would keep the Death Troopers since they would server a particular purpose, and just as I said that, the two of them exited onto the platform, and came with us into the shuttle. The Director quickly told the pilots to head for the Sullustan System and to make undue haste.

The light humming of the shuttle powering up was a little feature that I enjoyed about this shuttle being it wasn't the annoying and obnoxiously loud version of the Lambda or Sentient. You could hear the sound of the gear retracting into the chassis of the shuttle, and with a sudden jolt, we were off into the atmosphere, while the two Death Troopers sat adjacent from the Director and I.

"So tell me, Director…I'm a little curious, but did Governor Tarkin ever mention a 'Maw Installation' to you in your line of work? Or did he ever keep that from you?"

The Director turned to me, with a glint in his eye cueing interest in the sudden bringing up of Tarkin.

"No…he never told me about such an installation. Why? Did you find something important or interesting in his office?"

I smiled to him and answered, "Indeed…and I believe in line with your abilities as a Director for my spy network, I may have another need for you at this place…but for now, you are the only one who knows anything about this installation. So I intend for you to keep it that way."

I quickly eyed the Death Troopers and stated that they weren't ever to utter a word of what they had just heard, and after a single scrambled chatter from both of them, I nodded towards them, and returned my attention to Krennic.

"As for this possible problem on Sullust, what did your agents discuss with you about the problem?"

He crossed his arms as he stared at one of the walls inside the ship, before returning his focus to my face.

"My agents said that many Sullustans, especially those working in the shipyards were talking about certain sabotage about the shipyard that wouldn't hinder production, but more or less stop it from going on until fixed, and following that, they also said something about sabotaging multiple garrisons across the main home world, and destroy the Space Station through use of high-yield explosive devices…aside from that, my men didn't get any more information, so I see it prudent that we get there as fast as we can."

The information was very startling to me for losing Sullust was something the Outer-Rim could not allow, especially after Mon Calamari's rebellion succeeding, Lothal, and multiple other worlds slowly starting to fall out of my grip due to the incompetence of the Second Fleet.

"Hmm…then you are right, we need to get to Sullust as fast as possible and inform the people stationed there. The last thing we need is this thing successfully going through, and while we are crippled the most, an Alliance fleet to just come in and sweep through us like spice."

After a debatable judgement of time, we eventually came out of Hyperspace near the planet since the shipyard and the space station was in view. Two Victory-I Star Destroyers, and a support fleet of Gozanti's, Arquitens, Acclamators, and even an Interdictor were presiding right over the shipyard and very near the Space Station. I sat down in one of the spare crew seats in the cockpit, while Director Krennic held onto a bar that was in the overhead space.

"Never thought for one minute that I'd be back here where that situation with that mysterious stranger also occurred."

The Director turned to me and asked what mysterious stranger and what had happened, but before I could even answer, a bright light illuminated the cockpit as something happened on the horizon.

"What in the…" I heard the Director mutter as his breath took a very sharp inhale.

On the horizon, the Cardan-I Space Station had literally blown into a million pieces, and started a complete and horrifying chain reaction of the entire fleet that orbited above the shipyard, and the previously standing station blew up in one consecutive minute. The shipyards and there unfinished frigates, fighters, and cruisers all went up like a flame on paper. I felt my mind go blank at the thought that I had literally lost so many resources, and practically a planet, and I just witnessed it happen. Without a second of relaxation in all the chaos to top it off, I had unintentionally predicted exactly what would happen, and a fleet of three Mon-Calamari Class Cruisers came out of Hyper Space, along with an insurmountable amount of frigates, fighter carriers, and freighters. I gawked in the face of such forces, and the destruction I had just witnessed. The ships must've seen the shuttle as laser bolts started flying past the ship, and one of them hit the shuttle head-on, which depleted part of the shields, and that is when the Director yelled to the pilots.

"Get us out of here now! Make the jump to Hyperspace and get us back to Eridau! NOW!"

I stood frozen in my seat for what felt like hours on end, and it until I was finally shaken out of my stupor by the Director who got my attention.

"Reylan…there was nothing we could've done…the admirals of that fleet were idiots to place the fleet next to the shipyards and the Space Station, and I will definitely vouch this to the Council of Grand Moffs if you need someone to help explain this catastrophe."

I nodded my head and said, "Those rebel scum…they are going to pay for making a fool out of me like that."

I got up from my seat and retreated back to the passenger bay where I looked at the two Death Troopers who were looking at me, before returning to their forward-facing stare. I sat back down in the seat I choose before leaving Eridau and sulked in my failure for not bring additional units or something with me so that we could've actually combated the fleet. Yet, in retrospect, unless I had all the Imperial-Star Destroyers with me, there would've been no way I could've taken on all those forces, unless I had an ensemble of fighter squadrons.

Eridau was coming into view as the precious green landscape and the planet's beautiful rivers and lakes began to scatter the surface. The gleaming silver city that was built so beautifully above the environment was directly ahead, and the Governor Palace laid bare straight in the middle of it, with its landing pad near the top of the Palace. With a very light touchdown, the ramp opened to the Landing Pad, and the Director and the pilots exited the shuttle, as I was left there with the awaiting Death Troopers.

I addressed the two troopers, "Go back to what you were doing before we left…I need time to think."

The two got up from their seats and walked behind the three that had previously left, and I stood there inside the bay, thinking to myself in silent thoughts, and a deep rage plotting the revenge plot to take back Sullust, but then again, with the major shipyards utterly destroyed, the planet held little value now as it would take a year or more to rebuild those shipyards back to full capacity. With all of this in mind, I got off the shuttle and walked back into my office and as soon as I sat down, I lightly slammed my head into the desk, uttering a low groan.

The dull pain in my head, and my silence wouldn't remain permanent as eventually, a rather annoying beeping sound that I deduced was my intercom continued to buzz until I finally pressed the button and asking what trifling matter could require my attention in a time like this.

"Grand Moff Praxon…I just wanted to make sure you were aware of lost of the Sullustan system as reports from our field commanders have al-…"

I quickly shut down the man's concerns, and stated, "I am aware of the problem on Sullust, Derryn. Just get back to your duties and leave me be for the time being."

He didn't hang up and I quickly asked if there was something else, which he replied in a fearful way, "Darth Vader…has requested your presence in his Mustafar retreat…Grand Moff."

I immediately fell silent yet again and gulped as I asked, "Lord…Vader requested my presence to Mustafar?"

He affirmed my worst fears and I let out a sigh of exasperation as I laid my hands on the desk-top. I told the receptionist that would be all and that he would immediately go to Mustafar, and to direct a message to Lord Vader that I would be there as soon as hyperspace would allow, and hung up. As soon as I hung up, I quickly called up Director Krennic's quarters and told me to meet me on his ship as we were going to Mustafar and to call forth the two Death Troopers also. Upon hearing what I had said, the Director told me that he was not going to confront Lord Vader again and that he was sorry for the insubordination for this one moment and hung up on me. I held a stoic face as I let out a sigh, expressing my stress and lack of action for what had happened at Sullust.

I boarded a regular Lambda-Shuttle and told the single pilot about what I had been called for and that he was to take me to Mustafar immediately without any delay. I could never see what the pilot's expression was since he wore the infamous black armor with the support unit helmet, so I was at a loss for any support or condolences that I may owe the pleasure for the Dark Lord for casting on me. I went back into the passenger bay of the Lambda shuttle and sat down on the seat I had personally furbished for myself, and upon sitting down, I pulled out my datapad and decided to take a glance at more of Tarkin's hidden secrets that I had downloaded and see if anything of worthwhile was to be known about Lord Vader; something that may save my life is something was to arise between the two of us, so that I may have a bargaining chip of some sort.

Apparently, Tarkin had a very numerous and overwhelming file on the Dark Lord, from the exploits both of them performed in the booming years of the Empire, to its adolescent years of pain and struggle. Whether it were some failed missions that only gave experience to both of them, or to a successful mission that cemented the Grand Moff into the ruthless individual he was, it all seemed to be recorded here. One log I came across though was my checkmate I was looking for as the Grand Moff hinted around that the Dark Lord and the Enforcer of the Empire, was an old Jedi by the name of Anakin Skywalker, who if I remember correctly, was said to be the 'chosen one' according to some prophecy I somehow got my hands on, but a prophecy for what still remained a mysterious to me. Regardless, if I were able to play my cards right, and strike at the right time in a verbal onslaught, I may have Darth Vader at a disadvantage where I could buy myself another chance if need be.

I also did some more research on the Maw Installation being it still had some unknowns to me, and from what some of the projects entailed, there was a starship vessel project that caught my eye called the Obliterator. It was essentially created to be a damage-taking ship with one of the strongest, if not the most durable hulls for a ship in history, which was going to be created out of a specialized method that wasn't specified in the entry here, and that if successful by his return to the Maw Installation, there wouldn't be a need for a Death Star, due to its regenerating properties and 'scientifically-diverse phenomenons' which made the ship sustainable for its crew. Other projects were simple one based around cloaking fields, similar to what I saw on the Tie Phantom project, and other odds and ends that seemed to be pushed on the back-burner.

I got up from my seat after feeling the shuttle jerk out of hyperspace, and upon entering the cockpit, I saw the red lava covered planet of Mustafar, which had a very disheartening and uninviting atmosphere to the entire planet; more or less on the lines of, 'Don't ever come here for it is inhospitable to everything in the galaxy.' The pilot said we were approaching the base, where I saw the durasteel structure on the cliff-side of a lava fall, and a very small landing pad which had Vader's Tie Advanced on one side, and odd looking Tie Fighters that weren't the regular, nor interceptor versions. In-fact, this version had five wings and a very peculiar design, so I was beginning to wonder what possible project these were a part of. The Lambda Shuttle landed softly on the landing pad, and I joked with the pilot that if I wasn't back in an hour, he'd be best to just take off without me as I probably wouldn't be coming back by then.

I stood in an observatory room as I looked out on the barren, rock-infested and lava creeping terrain, while also looking at the bizarre but intriguing moon that shined in the night-sky. However, the light from the room that was adjacent to the entrance began to fill the observatory room, and the sight of a black-cladded figure stood in the blinding light. After the entire door was open, is when I heard the footsteps begin, and the faint sound of breathing getting nearer and nearer, until the towering figure known as Vader was standing in-front of me.

"Grand Moff Praxon," he addressed me with a neutral tone by the sound of it.

I attempted to talk in an unintimidating fashion, which seem to work somewhat as I sounded a tad bit rude towards the Dark Lord, but anything than sounding like a weak and bumbling idiot.

"Lord Vader, I must say, you caught me at quite an inopportune time, but I suppose you have something of great importance to tell me."

Vader seemed unfazed by my tone and acted like there wasn't any façade hidden beneath my expressions.

"Indeed, Grand Moff Praxon. I have heard reports of an incursion in the Sullustan system, where an entire imperial fleet was decimated at the hands of Sabotage. Not to mention a hyperspace bound alliance fleet jumped out of light speed near the planet and opened fire on your shuttle. An interesting question, yet unrelated."

I affirmed the enforcer's report and replied, "You heard right, Lord Vader. I came out of hyperspace to check to see if the reports that Director Krennic had told me were accurate about sabotage being in-place on the Space Station and the shipyards, and to my disbelief, the admirals not only compromised their ships by placing them above and besides the two, but also lost the Empire, its system."

Vader showed no emotion to my response and stated, "The problems with those admirals seem to have been fixed with a single action, yet, I can't help but wonder if you are ready for such a dramatic jump. Your inadequacies and inexperience seem to show, through the loss of multiple planets in the past three weeks."

I felt a bead of sweat slowly drip from my head, whether it was from the heat of the planet, or the fear that Darth Vader might cut me down, but I answered valiantly.

"I have not compromised the empire in anyway, Lord Vader. These setbacks are only natural from what I can see, considering we not only lost one of our most important military projects, but now the rebellion thinks they are invulnerable to the might of the Empire. I will assure you that once I can get some competent officers under the Second Fleet; my executions will be more precise. In-fact, the field commanders, prime ministers, and my spy network seem to be working as efficiently as I could ever dream of, yet the admirals are the ones lacking severely."

The cape of the enforcer got pushed up from a gust of wind coming from the blinding light behind him, as he let out something I could not discern. However, after a few seconds, the silence was cut when the Dark Lord nodded towards me and began to walk away.

"Then I suggest while you are at the Council of the Grand Moffs, you make your grievances known, Grand Moff Praxon. I wouldn't want to have to dispose of you as I did a certain arrogant and delusional Grand General. You are dismissed."

Grand General? He couldn't possibly be meaning Tagge, but then again…arrogant and delusional could definitely sound like him if taking with a grain of salt. The dark figure walked into the light, the doors behind him closed with the same brief metallic thud when sealing. I turned to look at the red-lava currents and could only wonder why someone that is the enforcer for the Empire would pick a backwater planet like this. Was it for the isolation and security of not being disturbed, or was there some ulterior motive for the Dark Lord's actions…perhaps I may find out in the datapad entries by Tarkin, but from what it seems like, I am at a loss for thoughts on what could drive him to do such a thing. I returned to the shuttle and told the pilot to immediately get us back to Eridau for I had just survived the wraith of Vader, and there was no way I was going to get anywhere close to the Dark Lord ever again, unless militarily.

Upon return to the planet, I didn't spend any time or any effort to go back to my office for I knew that I was just get irritated by the receptionist, or my advisors informing me of issues I already knew too well about, so I retreated to my quarters for the night as I didn't have the patience to handle any of the things, considering my circumstances. I swiped my code cylinder into the door access pad, and with the door closing behind me, I let myself fall onto my bed with a very heavy thud.

"You are just in time for some Eridau Tea; two sugars and a tablespoon of Blue Milk. That is how you like your tea, no?"

I should've knew that this would've happened despite the past few incursions with the man, however; I got up from my bed and looked at him with daggers in my eyes, completely unamused or even tolerant that he had appeared at this moment in time.

"Hmm…someone sure is grumpy for losing an entire system before his eyes…I thought this tea might help you cool down, and get the stress of that past you."

I walked over to the small circular table, and took a seat in the metallic stool that was right beside it. Sure enough, there was a blue milk container, a sugar cube holder, and a pourer filled with the black Eridaun Tea that I had used to love drinking when I was a child. I took the cup from the man and stated, "You sure show up at the worst of my times, but I suppose some tea wouldn't hurt the mood, considering what I have been through. My real question is how the hell do you ever get here, let alone just disappear into thin air?"

He completely dodged the question and said, "I loved the Eridaun Tea ever since I was a child, even though it was such an expensive commodity back then, especially with the new formation and the like, but that is all extra facts and information that I don't feel like going into, but of course, there is no denying I put a hint in that statement somewhere."

I was completely oblivious to what the man said beforehand and asked if he couldn't repeat, but he simply smiled and shook his head.

"I still don't know whether or not to just try killing you, or just tolerate you since the past three times have been utter failures, and it definitely seems like you are around for the long-run, so you mind telling me why you are interested in me?"

He got up from the stool that was on the other side and stated, "In due time, but for the moment, I must leave, but I hope you enjoy the Tea I prepared you."

As I turned back towards the table to look at the steaming pot, I glanced back to my expectation that he would be gone upon looking back, and to no surprise at all, I was correct.