AN: Over a year and this fool who is brazen enough to call himself royal hasn't updated this story!

And now, you have it. I'm sure you didn't expect it and also sure, that you will be pleasantly surprised with my work.

New Territories, Obtrext System

Imperial II-class Star Destroyer "Hope of Empire"

So far, the interstellar journey had been going quite smoothly for Lanz, with no hiccups or unforeseen incidents. Admittedly, in the Obtrext system they encountered problems in the form of a local sector defense fleet and an overzealous commander, but it all came to an end when the Lord Inquisitor identified himself. The end result was a pathetic apology, but there was no time to make a big deal out of it.

Nevertheless, the process of bringing the officers in charge of the other ships on board the Hope of Empire, which had been planned in advance, went without any major complications, and they were all brought to the bowels of the conference room, where Lanz, without any preamble or warning, announced to everyone the death of their Emperor. This initially caused indignation, panic and finally understandable fear due to the uncertainty of their fate, but thanks subtle using the Force, the Inquisitor managed to reassure everyone and convince them that following him was their best option, and eventually they all swore an oath of unconditional allegiance and obedience to him, so Lanz dismissed most of them with the clause that they should remain silent about the event until revealing it to the crew by himself. Only the officer previously recommended to him, Captain Paul vi Obtain, was to remain for a private conversation.

All this leads to the moment when Lanz sat at the head of the table, and Commander Galak Stahl stood at attention on his right, not revealing even the slightest intention, not even a twitch. Opposite, in a smaller and less imposing swivel chair, sat the aforementioned captain. He was a calm man, with short and elegantly combed back hair, quite tall and broad-shouldered, or with strongly outlined cheekbones. However, two traits were completely unmistakable in him and caught the Inquisitor's eye with ease. The first is his indifferent expression, behind which, however, there was a constantly working machine.

It gave the impression that these two were not dealing with a human, but instead with a soulless cyborg, droid or some other form of machine or half machine, devoid of the most elementary factor characteristic of most organic beings, which undoubtedly are emotions and feelings.

"You certainly have no idea why you're here, Captain." Lanz began, a little awkwardly from an outsider's point of view, but given the helmet the Lord Inquisitor was currently wearing and his distorted voice, it didn't have that specific resonance to anyone in the room.

"I have some theories about these revelations." Captain vi Obtain observed coldly and without much enthusiasm, his eyes as sharp as before. "I can also presume that Commander Stahl has informed you of my experience and skills."

Lanz had no intention of alienating him or presenting himself as a buffoon to such a man, so he remained silent and focused on the other man. "Then I don't need to tell you that with the inevitable power struggle, I will need a capable staff officer, skilled not only as a commander or military coordinator, but also as a planner and analyst. To put it bluntly, that's the kind of person you seem to be to me, Captain."

"You do me the honor, my lord." The captain made a slight bow, using only his head. "However, you seem to be absolutely sure that I will be loyal to you and that I will never betray you. What guarantee do you have that I will not turn against you and remain loyal to the junta that will sooner or later be established in the Core worlds."

He's absolutely right about that, and he's much harder to read in the Force, which means he must have had some form of training, however...Lanz was momentarily surprised by his quick thinking, which had never been so efficient in a previous life, though that might have been purely due to the stress that had motivated him to do so. "Well, I have no guarantees, not even the slightest, and I can only rely on the common sense not only of you, but also of other officers. Reason, and loyalty to the imperial ideal."

"What you are saying now seems to suggest that I should remain loyal to any junta that may be established on Coruscant by a person or group of individuals capable of doing so." Captain vi Obtain answered him without a trace of fear or hesitation. "However, that wasn't your intention."

"You are absolutely right and I will say it directly that the imperial ideal, which until now was supposed to be the allocation of roles and responsibilities according to competence and merit, has not been realized so far." Lanz replied confidently, but once again, with the distorted voice coming out of his helmet, he couldn't use it to his advantage, nor did he think that something so trivial could move a man of his kind. "In fact, the state of some return to the days of the Galactic Republic, to the awarding of offices and functions based on descent, political connections and allegiances, will now return with a vengeance. In particular, this pseudo-government on Coruscant and its representatives will do their best to surround themselves with reliable and loyal, but not necessarily competent. In the extreme, these types of people will ignore reality or only confirm the worldview of the decision makers at the summit."

"You have made a good point, my lord, but I still have many doubts." Captain said. "First of all, why would you do anything different from them? Why not follow the lead of the Coruscant decision-makers and all the other warlords who will inevitably decide to fight for the legacy of the late emperor, or at least for what remains of him?"

Lanz then grabbed the helmet and took it off quickly and without drama movement, thus showing his point of view on the matter in its entirety, and that nothing should be left unsaid on this matter. His expression was outwardly as firm as relaxed, but on the inside he was a bit panicked, not ready for this type of confrontation with a man of his caliber. "Because, unlike them, I am not interested in fighting for the legacy of the deceased emperor or what will remain of the empire. No, there is more, much more within my ambitions."

The Inquisitor then rose from his seat, and then did everything in his power to glare at the interlocutor, to overwhelm him, but it's hard to say how effective this was, so he decided to use the Force and the possibilities that came with it . "Captain, what I am striving for, what I will pursue with all the energy and perseverance I can muster, is to gather the resources, ideological thought and people left over from the old Galactic Empire and use it according to my will. Now you understand? I'm not interested in becoming the ruler of the old Empire, but in using what's left of it and turning it into something much better for as many citizens as possible, all within my vision. With all this legacy, he will build a new Galactic Empire, the Second Galactic Empire!"

He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist to show in a blunt way all his determination and perseverance. "I cannot do this without the support of talented and distinguished individuals like you, Captain. So I am making this offer once more, and in the belief that you, too, want the vision of a better Empire to come true. Join me, be my staff officer and help me build this legacy!"

If it weren't for the Force, Lanz wouldn't have sensed the change in the officer sitting across from him, and that was definitely something positive for the Inquisitor's plans.

Captain vi Obtain rose and bowed to the man he recognized as his new superior. "Very well, then, I pledge my loyalty to you, my lord, all for the full realization of the imperial ideal."

Lanz allowed himself a fleeting smile, then put his helmet back on and sighed softly, for for a moment he felt the weight - literally and figuratively - lift from his heart. "I'm glad to hear that, and now you will return to your ship, Captain, and command it until we reach Bastion in the Sartinaynian system. After that, your successor will take command and you will be transferred to Hope of Empire, only then we will talk about the details."

The captain nodded, but clearly he was going to say something else, some other point. "However, what exactly is your intention with Bastion and this of the supersector?"

"Simple and clear, gain the support of Grand Moff Tagge and form our own Imperial faction when news of the Emperor's death becomes public knowledge."To be honest, I haven't thought much about it until now. Yes, I have an ultimate goal, survival at all costs, but what else? Everything I've said so far is primarily to keep me safe. Maybe it's time to think about it in more long-term terms."It will… it will be necessary to create a feeling… at least temporarily, and for the rebels, that we are like all those other warlords who want to grab a piece of the former empire for themselves. In essence, however... we will actively seek to gather as many fleets, armies and resources as possible, and in the event of Coruscant's fall, there should be little objection to us being declared the heirs of the Galactic Empire."

The plan was clearly improvised, but to the Inquisitor's great surprise, Captain vi Obtain nodded in understanding. "As I would expect, it's still not enough, but more than enough to start planning and preparing to regain control of the galaxy."

Lanz wasn't going to argue with that, so after a few more minutes of talking, the Captain left the room to return to his ship. Meanwhile, the Lord Inquisitor, with a smile on his lips, considered it quite a productive use of time and Galak agreed with him. Not even an hour had passed and the entire 'Fanatic' Star Task Force was on its way to its destination.

During this journey, Lanz went to his quarters and, after taking off his cloak and armor, sat down on the bed and began to contemplate the situation. He was mentally exhausted, especially since everything that had happened so far. All that,exceeded beyond the psyche of a would-be student of history, and the experiences he expected throughout his life. However, it also didn't change the fact that all this was happening here and now, and the only remedy for it - from his perspective at least - seemed to be suicide. He considered these options once, but never went so far, because the period of depression he was experiencing at a given moment,passed extremely fast.

Not knowing what to do, he lay down and slept for several hours until he woke up and started trying to meditate to make a stronger connection, or rather to open himself more to the Force. He succeeded.

"Ah." Lanz sighed with an expression of pleasure as the soothing feeling of being part of the universe and being connected to it through the Force. For someone who had only experienced part of it and had never experienced it before, it was a very refreshing experience. Never before had I felt something so calming and soothing in its essence. Being actually a part with others, feeling connected by an invisible energy that binds the world to all and sundry.

He thought for a moment about opening himself to the dark side of the Force, or at least touching on how Inquisitors should do it. He knew what it might entail, but pure curiosity prevailed, and the possibility of strengthening himself thanks to this side of the coin known as the Force.

However, how should I start… He thought about it for a split second before the obvious answer to his own question came to mind. Greed, aggression, hatred, jealousy, obsessive ambition are feelings I should be exposed to if I'm going to try to make contact with the dark side of the Force.

As he thought, he did, and he didn't have to think too hard about choosing the object of his anger. Anger at the idiots who ruled his old world and who were actually destroying the world, humanity. All for their own benefit, like the parasites they were to him. Anger at the late Emperor for creating a chaotic system that simply couldn't survive after his death, which he made sure of. Anger at those Imperial officials in the upper power structure who were willing to tear the empire apart, purely for their own ambitions and without considering the fate of the ordinary citizens of the empire and all civilians who would inevitably be consumed by the fire of the impending war. Anger at the loose, indolent and incompetent members of the administration, civil and military, who, often through complacency, have brought this situation about.

To his surprise, a few moments later he began to feel the call of some ominous, but at the same time extremely tempting force, energy, and the Inquisitor had no doubts that he had just exposed himself to the dark side of the Force.

However, it is now appropriate to be consistent and finish what I started. So he tried to grasp it and taste that dark essence, but moving in the Force wasn't that easy, especially for someone unfamiliar with it. Rather, he felt as if he were an unskilled swimmer trying to swim in a great ocean. Still, the longer it went on, the easier he found himself in it, and he began to feel the call of the darkness more and more clearly.

Once he more or less understood how to operate in the Force, it was only a matter of not too long before he began to feel the dark side of the force more and more clearly, and the ensuing call, promising him power in a short time, and the power to transcend the limits of this world. And truth be told, the Inquisitor had underestimated the power of this effect the darkness could have on a Force user.

This feeling and the promises made to him by the dark side of the Force were so tempting and so stimulating that he couldn't ignore it and he began to feel the pleasure of communing with the darkness. All until he remembered that his only purpose was to study this form of the Force, so he began to try hard to get out of it, but it turned out to be extremely difficult.

Until now, he had never considered himself a person susceptible to the temptations of power, and he always felt that no matter what happened, he would be able to remain himself and if he treated it only as a tool, he would never be corrupted. This contact changed this attitude and outlook dramatically, especially when, while trying to get out of the vortex of darkness, the darkness began to affect him more and more intensely and seemed to be more and more tempting in its essence.

Lanz, it took all his discipline not to be consumed and continue to retreat from the darkness. However, what ultimately helped him break free from the dark side of the Force was a message broadcast from the bridge to the crew of the entire destroyer.

"Attention!" He announced Galak to the entire crew, and there was no doubt that everyone would listen to him, regardless of what they were currently doing. "In a few standard minutes, we will jump out of hyperspace and enter the Sartinaynian system! Get ready!"

Lanz at the same time was recovering and taking deep breaths while his hands were shaking.This is the first time in my life that I experienced something so intense and powerful. I never thought anyone or anything could overwhelm me this much. However, I should have known it would end up like this.

After a few more breaths, he shook his head.There's no point in thinking about it now or trying to do it again. Instead, I should focus as quickly and as hard as possible on the future, not so far away. Soon, what my future and my lifestyle will be will be decided. Will I and my fleet be exiles with perpetually insufficient resources, or will we be a force influencing the galaxy and its fate.

He then donned his armor, cape, and helmet, and, after making sure he looked good, headed for the bridge as fast as he could, passing any outgoing crewmen, navy, or stormtroopers as he passed. Meanwhile, Lanz was escorted by two deathtroopers, who were supposed to give him more dignity among the crew, which was Captain Yang's idea. The Lord Inquisitor himself didn't mind, but until now he wasn't comfortable with the idea that someone would always be behind his back to watch over him.

Regardless of his feelings about it, he reached the bridge very quickly, where he quickly came across Galak, who approached him. They exchanged a few words before the ships began to emerge from hyperspace and the Hope of Empire's deck was shaken by a strong jolt. Lanz got used to it very quickly though, and stood impassively in front of the central porthole before his eyes fell on the Bastion.

The name was more than adequate, considering that it was a city-planet, almost entirely covered with buildings. It almost felt like Coruscant, except that it was located in the north of the known Galaxy. Couldn't be far from the truth. The capital of the Galactic Empire was primarily focused on the service sector, the third sector of the economy, and to a lesser extent on industry. Here, however, things were a bit different.

As for the fleet circling the planet and the capital of the oversector, it was no less impressive than the planet itself. 20 similar shapes in the shape of spearheads, but different and orbiting the planet. 16 ISD-IIs and 4 Tector star destroyers were a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention a much larger ship, reminiscent of a dagger, 19,000 meters long, with a crew that could easily exceed 300,000 men. It was the Executor-class star dreadnought, the Reaper, the flagship of the 13th Fleet, one of the three Imperial fleets stationed at oversector New Territories. Although the ships present here were only a quarter of the said fleet.

He could almost feel the physical strength and life force emanating from the mass of personnel on all those ships. The feeling, or rather the ability to sense other living beings, was both pleasant and useful. It was a reminder that no matter how big the galaxy was, he would never be alone.

"Prepare my shuttle." Was all Lanz said before he spun on his heels and headed to the hangar as fast as he could. "May Captain Yang and a few more deathtroopers from his company join my visit to the Council of Moffs this oversector."

Galak merely saluted in response, then ordered his second-in-command to do so.

Meanwhile, Lanz reached the hangar after a few minutes of walking, where Yang and 9 more deathtroopers were already waiting for him. A total of 13 men then proceeded to the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, passing technicians, naval guards and pilots on the way, the latter of whom were heading to their fighters to begin patrols around the task force ships.

After completing the last inspections of the shuttle, Lanz and a total of 16 people on board - including the officer and two pilots - set off for the planet's surface.

Although the Lord Inquisitor initially planned to stay in the passenger compartment, he could not contain his curiosity and desire to see everything live and entered the cockpit. The pilots and the officer were surprised at first, but he gave them orders to act as if he had never been here.

He paid no more attention to them and instead focused on the big ships, the two ISD-IIs and one Tector Star Destroyer as they passed in turn. It was something really amazing to be able to watch it all live.

To think that in my original universe such a thing wouldn't even be possible.He thought, a sly smile on his lips under his helmet.Well, the theory of relativity postulates relativity. In other words, we can say that due to some different laws of this universe, relative and different from mine, it was possible to create such amazing constructions. But what exactly? I won't even try to find out the answer, because I don't need it to be happy.

He shook his head, and as his shuttle approached the Reaper, a call came from the great star dreadnought. Lanz immediately ordered a party, and after a few moments a hologram was projected, showing a tall human woman in her fifties with obvious signs of graying in her hair.

"This is Admiral Cazia Recmit, who are you and what is the purpose of your journey?" She asked, but as soon as the codes of the Inquisitorius and Lanz's personal identification code were given to her, all doubt vanished. "I understand, may I know the reason for your sudden return, Inquisitor?"

"This is a matter I am going to discuss with the grand moff and I must meet him immediately." The Lord Inquisitor replied in such a way as to convey the urgency of the matter. "I know the local council is currently in session, but I need to get there as soon as possible and precisely because of the ongoing session there."

"I see, so it must be something really urgent." The admiral didn't make much trouble and nodded. "So I won't make it any more difficult and I wish you good luck."

The hologram faded almost immediately after she uttered those words, and Lanz noticed with a soft click of his tongue as the shuttle began to slowly enter the planet's atmosphere and the entire deck began to shake. A moment later, Lanz's eyes turned to the view he had been waiting for for many minutes. Literally the entire planet, built up by durasteel. What made this place different from the capital of the Galactic Empire was the small number of major housing facilities compared to Coruscant itself, and instead it was dominated by fortifications, huge batteries turbolaser, quite a number of ion cannons, barracks for garrison and personnel, not to mention hundreds of factories for ammunition, laser weapons or vehicles, it didn't matter whether they were walking or repulsorlift.

Oddly, however, the air - or rather the airspace - seemed to be slightly greenish in color and devoid of impurities, or at least with a minimal amount of them. This could be due to the use of sufficiently efficient filters in the factories. While traveling, Lanz had read a little about this technology, at least minimally. Filters weren't as expensive as you might think, but due to the air purification systems that were present on many planets, large corporations considered it a waste of money. Or should I say credits to get a better feel for this new life?

Lanz shook his head, and the next few minutes that passed after the officer in charge of this shuttle communicated to the ground crew tried to focus his mind on clearing any undesirable or potentially distracting thoughts. It wasn't long before they began to approach landing.

Finally, after another 2 minutes, the Lambda shuttle landed on one of the platforms for this purpose, adjacent to the majestic palace. A palace, mostly painted black and with a large imperial coat of arms on one of the sloping roofs.

However, no matter how fascinating the architecture was, it did not change the fact that after a while the ramp unfolded and Lanz, together with the deathtroopers accompanying him, immediately moved from the deck towards the door leading directly to the governor's palace building.

The center was exactly what Lanz expected, white walls, glossy black floor, quite tasteful artwork and to top it all off the staff, a lot of staff who were surprised by the inquisitor's unannounced appearance, along with a group of deathtroopers.

They walked for several minutes, during which the Lord Inquisitor could only be guided by memories from the past as to the layout of this room and the layout of the most important halls, rooms and offices. Despite the sheer size of the structure, it only took them a few minutes of brisk walking to reach the large conference room.

However, those who stopped their advance were a group of 8 deathtroopers under the grand moff and one senior lieutenant officer. There was not even the slightest doubt that this was the security of the room where the local council of moffs met.

"Inquisitor, what does this mean?" The officer stood in front of him, with a simple, purely military stance and his arms crossed behind his back. "Why do you want to get…"

Lanz had no intention of wasting time, especially since at any moment the rebels could announce the news of the emperor's death, which could drastically reduce the likelihood of success of his plans.

Concentrate on the intention, and give the order.He was going to do as he thought, and past Force tests had given him some experience, which made him feel much more confident about it. "It doesn't matter, and now I need to talk to the council as soon as possible."

"Yes, it doesn't matter." The officer replied meekly, then signaled the elite stormtroopers behind him to make room for the new arrivals, and hurried to open the door to the large conference room.

Lanz and his attendants stepped inside as confidently as if they were walking into each other. Very quickly, they were greeted by the surprised eyes of all the moffs present in the room, about 60 men or women, including the grand moff himself, who was seated at a separate table at the far end of the room. As for the rest of the people gathered here, they were placed in two opposite stands, each of which had three floors and a desk for each of the governors.

I don't know why, but it reminds me a bit of the common image of the ancient Roman Senate, although it may be just my imagination.Lanz took a few moments to think, then he and his men took up positions in the center.

For a few moments, no one said anything, and it was clear that Lanz would join the council in the middle of the proceedings. With that said, he turned to the moderator of the meeting and the most important official in it oversector. "Governor Ardus Tagge."

"Inquisitor." The answer came after a brief moment of hesitation, from the lips of a man of average height and graying hair with a bald patch that seemed to be characteristic of all male representatives of this family. "It's unexpected, especially since we're in the middle of discussing our situation right now of the oversector, and its finances or military situation."

"As I suspected, and from this place I must apologize for this sudden intrusion, honorable moffs." Lanz began politely to show that he had no intention of undermining their position or putting himself above them. "Nevertheless, an issue has arisen that cannot wait any longer and that has absolute priority. When you hear what I have to say, some of you may not believe it or accuse me of treason, but I can only assure you from this place that I am not lying, I am not trying to stage a coup d'état, I am just trying to find a solution that will give us all survival in the years to come."

"Inquisitor." A slim man with a face pale as a corpse and shadows under his eyes, which could make him look like a corpse, rose from behind the desk. "You talk as if a bomb is about to fall on us and you increase our hunger for knowledge. Be specific and say directly if the thing is not the circus it undoubtedly was the senate of the Galactic Republic."

The other moffs nodded their heads, except for the grand moff, who was staring at the inquisitor with a curiosity that seemed as much to read his intentions.

"Very well, if that is your wish." Lanz nodded. "Then I will say it plainly, the emperor is dead, our fleet has suffered a defeat on the moon of Endor, and our empire, for lack of a successor, will soon be plunged into chaos and power struggle."

If there was an insect flying around the room, hearing it would not be a problem. No one uttered a single word, and the governors and other imperial officials gathered here began to look at each other nervously. Only the grand moff stared expectantly at the inquisitor. Lanz took that as tacit permission to continue.

"It is no secret that in this attempt to gain as much power as possible, brothers and fellow combatants will turn against each other, and that is not the least bit necessary for us at this moment." He then turned to the Grand Moff. "It's also no secret that whoever comes to power on Coruscant, whether it's that coward Mass Ameda or someone else on the ruling council, the fact is that some of the old administration can be replaced with new ones chosen by the decision makers. My proposal to you, Governor, as well as to everyone present here, is to form a single and cohesive front for all Imperial structures in this oversector. Both against the rebels and against any faction that will arise sooner or later."

No one spoke, at least not right away, and they all stared at each other wordlessly. Only after a few moments did whispers begin, which then began to turn into quiet conversations, until after a few seconds it turned into an undisguised discussion between the officials gathered here. All until the director of the local branch of the Imperial Security Bureau, present here, decided to speak.

"Inquisitor, the failure of the Battle of Endor has been known to the intelligence structure since the very beginning of the risky plan for this battle. So I have a few plans for this event that I always take into account…"

"And are they considering Cinder's operations?" Lanz interrupted him at one point, and the mention of it caused quite a stir among the assembled, only Director Lucian Pryce and Grand Moff Tagge seemed the least confused of all. "I'm not surprised at your ignorance, but if any of you have more to say about this, please speak up."

Governor Ardus Octavian Tagge then decided to speak. Operation Cinder is a Clone Wars-era plan to place weather-manipulating satellites over planets threatened by Separatist takeover, all to destroy and prevent the enemy from capturing those worlds or resupplying their own forces. It was developed by the then naval captain, Wilhuff Tarkin. But why was a plan from several decades ago and from a different conflict mentioned?

Lanz then decided to remove his helmet to make it easier for him to manipulate them by showing his face, all the features. Seeing his young face and blond hair for them was quite a surprise for everyone, but the Lord Inquisitor had not the slightest plan to withdraw from it now. "Because this plan, which has never been a secret to those involved, has been developed. After the emperor's death, it will be implemented, not for a few worlds threatened by rebel takeover, but for the entire Galactic Empire."

His statement sparked predictable reactions, short-lived chaos, and nervous conversations among those gathered. It was interrupted only by Moff Coltar. "Are you saying the empire was never meant to outlast its creator?"

"It's not something I claim, Governor." Lanz replied, holding his helmet to his face, keeping his posture straight and his face as stoic as possible at the moment. "It's something I know because I was meant to be a part of it. However, I did not fight and millions died to have our empire destroyed at the whim of a dead man."

"I have to agree with that." To the surprise of a large part of the assembled, Grand Moff Tagge believed his words and rose from the chair where he had been sitting until then, and then spoke to all assembled. "This man is telling us the truth, or at least the truth he believes, I can see it in his eyes. I've worked with him many times in the past, and I have no doubt that we're talking to someone dedicated to the Empire and imperial ideal. But I want to ask him from here, what plan does he have to offer us, since he comes to us with this information to warn us?"

Lanz saw a subtle wink from the grand moff, which was no doubt a sign that he had an ally in him at this point.

"First of all, unification in one faction that will be ready to fight for the preservation and maintenance of the imperial ideal in the Galaxy. Truth, meritocracy, law and order. Let's create the necessary force, he suggests the name Alignment of Powers." The Lord Inquisitor spoke, occasionally changing the group of officials or military men he was looking at. "In addition to unity and mutual trust, our priority in this case should be empowerment of the oversector New Territories. This is our base, giving access to manpower, resources, shipyards, factories and credits. We should start developing the local ISB as soon as possible into a full-fledged intelligence service that will provide intelligence, counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism."

"It all sounds pretty solid, albeit in general terms." Director Lucian Pryce noticed. "What will your role be, because he doesn't expect you to be satisfied with the title of inquisitor and intelligence member, and not the most important one at that."

"You're absolutely right, Headmaster." Lanz nodded and everyone turned their attention to him even more, as if expecting a declaration from his lips. "As there may be misunderstandings or conflicts between you, I will take on the role of peacemaker and stabilizer for our faction, Lord Inquisitor and Lord Regent. The administration, navy, army, stormtrooper corps and intelligence will formally report to me, but under the chief institutions he plans to create, the Alignment General Staff. Each of the branches of our micro galactic empire will have its member there to be able to effectively reconcile common interests and guarantee effective cooperation necessary to survive in these difficult times."

Lanz improvised, although he thought about it, he simply did not know how to create a structure attractive enough to put himself at the top in such a way that these officials would accept him for the position. In the end, he decided on the function of the formal head of the administration, army and intelligence, with the proviso that his role was to coordinate cooperation and settle disputes. In other words, he was supposed to be a stabilizer of the state. Everything on the model of Rome from the imperial period, primarily from the rule of Augustus. If that doesn't work, I don't know what can guarantee me power and make people under my control de facto forced to cooperate.

That's why he decided to use the Force once again to try to make everyone in the audience more receptive to his suggestions. He doubted, however, that it would bring such wonderful results as before. Previously, he dealt with a maximum of a few or more than 10 people at the same time. Now, however, it was over 60 and Lanz just couldn't be sure of his abilities.

To his great surprise, the people gathered here began to agree and clearly decided that in the face of a chaotic civil war, this would be the best solution for them, rather than trying to compete with each other for positions in a micro galactic state, which could only cause even more chaos and uncertainty.Ultimately, each of them undoubtedly wishes to retain the power they now possess, and it is doubtful that they could think of depriving themselves of all these influences and opportunities. On top of all that, purely biological survival. I understand them very well, because I have no intention of dying myself.

Just when Lanz seemed to have gained at least indirect power over them all, that's when Grand Moff Tage decided to speak. "Inquisitor, I suggest that we talk for a moment in private in the next room."

The two left the conference room, and it wasn't long before they found themselves in an empty room with several sofas, plush armchairs, and several water dispensers were present in this room.

Both Lanz and the grand moff took up positions facing each other, and the first to speak was the Lord Inquisitor.

"What did you want to talk to me about, governor?"It will either go very well or very badly. Although the body's previous owner and Grand Moff Tagge had a good professional relationship, I can't be sure at this point.

"What is your ultimate goal?" He asked with absolute steel in his voice as his gaze sharpened as if to penetrate the interlocutor. "I've known you long enough and I know that under normal circumstances you wouldn't have even the slightest hesitation in performing Operation Cinder, if what you say is true. Alwaysyou declared unconditional obedience to the New Order. So why this change and your good intentions towards us?"

Lanz considered the answer for a moment, and there was no doubt in his mind that in this particular case, he had to carefully balance caution with honesty. Otherwise, there could be quite serious consequences, and he didn't think he was fully prepared for the eventual need to fight his way back to the shuttle and onto the destroyer. Plus, missing out on this opportunity wasn't even an option in the slightest.

"Well, let me be clear, I have no intention of dying and everything I do is to ensure my survival."It's best to be disarmingly honest, then I can afford to manipulate."I could have been loyal to the emperor, but that man is dead now, and I have no intention of leaving with his empire just on a whim, so that if he doesn't rule the empire, no one can."

The grand moff appraised him for a few moments, then nodded and clearly took note of his explanation. "In other words, you don't care about any ideal or even what you fought for as an inquisitor?"

The previous owner of the body was unquestionably devoted to the empire and its ideal, however...Lanz blinked once, then tapped his helmet on his lap several times. "It's hard for me to follow any ideal, since by definition it is something impossible to achieve. How can I, as I believe, a mentally mature man, strive for an ideal state, if by definition it is an impossible state to achieve and what was considered an ideal state in our empire has not been achieved even in the best years. Besides, dogmatic pursuit of the ideal would only limit my possibilities and narrow down options, and it's not something I can afford."

"Yes." The Grand Moff muttered under his breath, then a small smile appeared on his lips. "I can work with a man like you. I admit that at first I was afraid that there is a fanatic and a lunatic who wants to take over this oversector for his own purposes. It's good to know I'm talking to a pragmatic man after all."

They talked in private for a few more minutes, during which issues of action in the near future or division of powers were discussed. It became clear to the grand moff that his role would correspond to that of head of government and chief administrative officer, through his position as chief of the Alignment General Staff.

After a dozen or so minutes, they returned to the New Territories governors' assembly, where they met with rather enthusiastic approval of all their ideas. Such as the establishment of the Alignment General Staff, the transformation of the ISB into the Alignment Security Bureau, ASB, the reforming of the Moffs of the New Territories into the Alignment Supreme Council under the Grand Moff. On top of all this, there was the transformation of the local COMPNOR into the Alignment Propaganda and Enlightenment Department, APEC, headed by the department's commissioner. In addition, the establishment of the Armaments and Ammunition Department, the Trade Department, the Finance Department, the Alignment Department of Military Research, the General Inspectorate of the Fleet, the General Inspectorate of the Army and finally the General Inspectorate of Planetary Garrisons.

Although it might have given the impression of a well-thought-out vocation of the bureaucratic machine, thanks to which they would retain control over the New Territories and strong power, the Lord Inquisitor had to improvise, in addition under the influence of strong stress, which, however, at some point he managed to mitigate with the use of the Force. Nevertheless, the whole meeting lasted well into the night hours, during which appropriate courses of action for the new galactic state were discussed.

Lanz decided not to interfere too much, but he was fully aware that with the galaxy in chaos, the galactic economy could also start to collapse.Actually, it probably will, but I have the right remedy for it, and it's not like Grand Moff Ardus Kaine gave me some ideas for organizing a state. Nevertheless, I think I know how to attract large corporations to us and what offer would be most suitable for them.

For this reason, during the meeting of moffs, he proposed inviting representatives of the most important corporations and equipment suppliers for the empire, such as Kuat Drive Yards, BlasTech Industries and Sienar Fleet Systems, to the meetings. All in order to propose to them the creation of subsidiaries that would produce equipment exclusively for the Alignment of Powers.After all, no army or navy, let alone a state, can sustain itself without large companies that can supply the equipment necessary to maintain power.

It was a tedious and difficult task, but the next few days were not easy for the rulers of this new galactic state, which will undoubtedly be the first to rise on the corpse of the old empire. The following days were spent discussing star defense, both against the rebels and - actually mainly - other warlords who will create their own countries and start a struggle for power.

The highest-ranking navy, army and intelligence officers were invited to these meetings about defense and possible expansion. They were informed about the whole situation and, also under the influence of shock, they decided to take oaths of obedience to the new political formation and the resulting hierarchy.

On this occasion, Lanz fully realized the secret of his current success in consolidating these territories. Each of them remembers me as always focused, calm and non-interfering to work, it is natural for them to choose someone they find easy to control. Not to mention the fact that I gave them an opportunity to advance, gain even more power, while also offering security and security during a period of chaotic power struggle and uncertainty. Nevertheless, there is still much to be done.

To the Lord Inquisitor's surprise, even after three days there was no sign of any news of the Emperor's death. Although on communication channels belonging to senior officers and that's it prominent members in the Imperial organization to have access to them, there was a clear chaos and a desire to communicate among the commanders, molding me and other members of the administration.

All these developments met with the thoughts of the recently appointed Lord Regent.

I can only imagine that foolMass Amedda doesn't know what to do at this point, but she's lucky that HoloNet management is in the jurisdiction of the imperial bureaucracy. Otherwise, the situation would be much worse than it already is. However, I am surprised that the rebels have not announced this news yet. This could result in chaos that would help their cause. Nevertheless, it is possible that they are waiting for the right opportunity and are simply starting preparations for a campaign to take over the galaxy. Well, they're not the only ones.

At that point, due to this new factor which was undoubtedly Lord Regent Lanz, no one could have predicted the exact course of history, especially since his influence had already made some changes. However, neither he nor anyone else could have foreseen the direction the known Galaxy would take.

AN: So, the Inquisitor earns - or rather gave himself the title - of Lord Regent and thereby gaining dominion over a fairly large patch of a Distant Galaxy.

And yes, it's not like it's a certain Pentastar Alignment decal. Although who is he trying to deceive, Alignment of Powers is strongly inspired by that Legendary imperial faction. The difference is that it won't be as defensive and 'economical' in actions, contrary, it will be aggressive, but there will be no attempt to engage in a multi-front war.

However, the first target is to the south from controlled territory. I'm curious if you can guess the goal in the Inner Rim.

I wish you all the best and have a nice day.