For New and Better Empire

by King's Snake

Dissatisfied with his life and dying man, is transported to the Star Wars universe. His new body is not just any kind, but belonging to the imperial inquisitor. And all of this at the very moment of the Emperor's death. (SI-OC) (Canon timeline, mixed with Legends and original content)

8. Episode IV Part 2

Northern Dependencies, Inner Rim

Bilbringi System

The First Battle of Bilbringi - as this battle would later be called in the historiography of the Galactic War - began as soon as the first shots were fired. However, preparations for this clash had already been made in advance.

Although Lord Inquisitor Lanz was initially stunned by the enemy fleet, its unexpected arrival and powerful firepower, he was quickly shaken out of his shock by requests for orders from his subordinates. He had no intention of even looking weak in front of them. He managed to gather himself and immediately ordered the taking of battle positions and the announcement of a combat alert.

On the other side, however, although they had an overwhelming advantage in terms of firepower, they did not decide to use the 'Imperial Pride' hastily due to the lack of sensible anti-starfighter weapons. Instead, Grand Moff Frax Fritzener opted for something more conservative, which was advised to him by the highest-ranking naval officer and basically someone who should have been in charge of this fleet. Vice Admiral Heidie Nox advised him that given the unexpected factor - they did not expect the shipyards to be overrun by the Alignment of Powers fleet - not to act too hastily, and instead the fleet should adopt a spearhead formation in which the Star Destroyers would be positioned around Star Dreadnought.

Overall, the fleet loyal to Grand Moff began to assume a fixed formation very quickly after leaving hyperspace. This took about 10 standard minutes and revealed what a well-organized fighting force this was. Although Grand Moff Fritzener may have been a poor military commander, but Vice Admiral Nox's cool head and caution were what prevailed in his tactical decisions. However, the fact that this type of move could bring the desired results only after several hours and tip the scales of victory in favor of the attackers, was to bring disastrous consequences for them at the peak of the battle.

Seeing this from the command bridge, Lanz thought for a moment, not knowing how to react in this situation. Although the fleet took up positions behind the defensive platforms to allow the much better armored and better-shielded structures to absorb the full firepower, this solution was far from sufficient.

At some point, however, the Lord Regent was approached by Commodore Galak Stahl and Captain Paul vi Obtain. Both of them had a specific plan that, although highly improvisational and unconventional, could potentially give them at least a shadow of a chance to win this battle. At worst, it would be a costly victory for the opponent.

Lanz listened to the plan, which seemed to be the only real chance for any sensible solution to this situation at that moment. The plan was to move most of the force to the flanks, leaving TSD 'Adamant Wall' and 'Hope of Empire', between the defensive platforms as additional support and also 2 more Victory Star Destroyers. Meanwhile, the remaining ships were divided into 2 groups, located on the flanks and away from the center. However, still at a distance that would allow for effective fire.

The Lord Regent, without a better plan as an alternative, agreed to this and additionally ordered the TIEs crews to immediately move to their machines. Additionally, this time, due to his own experience from the previous battle and the persuasion of his officers, he decided to send starfighters in waves, thus having quite strong reserves. Given the quality advantage over enemy TIEs without shields, this later turned out to be particularly important.

Gradually but quickly, the formation led by Grand Moff Fritzener approached the position of the Lord Inquisitor's fleet. However, they were not the ones who fired the first shots in this battle. The first shots in this battle of the Imperial Civil War were fired from the Alignment of Powers, not from the flanks, but from the center and defensive platforms, as well as from the destroyers placed between them.

The enemy formation, the Pride Squadron formed for the operation to secure Bilbringi, responded with fire in the center, but it was dispersed and ineffective.

Meanwhile, the defenders in the center concentrated their fire on the two front-line Tector Star Destroyers: 'Imperialis' and 'Imperator'. This proved to be highly effective in the medium term, but required many minutes of intense fighting as the Pride Squadron grew closer and closer.

At this time, both opposing forces sent starfighters into battle. The forces were evenly matched due to the support provided by Moff Grik, who sent ships from defense platforms and escort carriers into action in this battle. Although reinforcements from the system suffered significant losses, reaching over 50% in the case of some squadrons, only the squadrons sent by the Scarlet Fleet were significant. The latter suffered much smaller losses, often with only 1 or 2 pilots or a damaged TIE. All this, often while destroying entire enemy squadrons.

As for the 1st Phantom Squadron, it was sent into combat. Although Lanz himself did not join his wingmen, he sent them into battle so that he could command them personally and send them to the most demanding sections of the battlefield. The effect, thanks to cloaking devices on each of the TIE Phantoms, was more than worthwhile considering the risk of sending an incomplete and already small squadron into battle.

The Lord Regent himself watched all this with Captain vi Obtain advising him. Initially, Lanz overcame the remnants of shock and, using the Force, managed to focus on the here and now. However, he did not feel up to personal command, especially since he had under his command an officer experienced in Star Wars who had proven his worth time and time again. So he limited his presence only to correcting tactics, if only he decided it's too necessary.

The fight in the center and the need to concentrate firepower and starfighters there absorbed the attention of the Pride Squadron and commanders to such an extent that at some stage they stopped paying attention to the flanks, which after a while sent thousands of bolts towards the attacking Star Destroyers.

On the right flank, 5 ISDs-II and 5 VSDs-II, was commanded by Captain Ulric Tagge, son of the Grand General Cassio Tagge, killed by Lord Vader. The commander was calm, cautious but firm, and whenever he noticed a good opportunity, he did not hesitate to take advantage of it. On the left flank of the defenders, command of 4 ISDs-II and 5 VSDs-II was given to Captain Wurtz Yularen, the experienced son of the deceased ISB colonel, who decided to direct his career to the Imperial Navy. Additionally, a man who was known for quick maneuvers and the ability to improvise quickly if the situation required it.

The two commanders of their forces, Tagge and Yularen, as soon as they received permission from Commander Galak, immediately ordered their ships to begin a concentrated fire. In the case of the forces under Tagge, it was the Imperial I Star Destroyer 'Adamant'. As for Yularen's ships, it was the TSD 'Lancer'.

Although the fire was concentrated, its purpose was not - paradoxically - to destroy the enemy ships. Instead, both - now effectively - task forces sought to first strip both targets of their shields and then destroy any large turbolasers that could pose a real threat to the Scarlet Fleet's Star Destroyers. Sending additional waves of TIE Interceptor squadrons into combat went largely unnoticed in the heat of battle, but proved to have a decisive impact when, faced with numerical and technical superiority, enemy TIE squadrons slowly began to retreat and annihilate.

This lasted about 20 standard minutes, and at the same time 'Imperialis' and 'Imperator' suffered serious damage, primarily the loss of large and medium turbo laser batteries. However, Captain Tagge gave the order to redirect fire too late and concentrated bolts fired from the great turbolasers at several points penetrated the reactor and after a few moments of raging smaller explosions, the 'Adamant' exploded, thus killing the entire crew and a quite important ally of the Grand Moff Fritzener. This event determined the further course of the battle.

XXX

Bilbringi System

Executor-class Star Dreadnought 'Imperial Pride'

The battle, which had been going on for - at this point - dozens of minutes, was becoming more and more costly for the Pride Squadron. The loss of many squadrons of TIEs, especially the Interceptors, not to mention the severe damage to two Star Destroyers and the minor damage inflicted on the enemy, was slowly beginning to affect the attackers' morale.

On the command bridge of the Imperial Pride, a large Star Dreadnought that was 19,000 meters long and had an extremely powerful arsenal of weapons, the mood began to become more and more pessimistic and voices could be heard calling for a retreat among the forces motivated by losses and the fight against other Imperial soldiers.

In the midst of this increasingly pessimistic situation was the Governor of the Northern Dependencies, Grand Moff Frax Fritzener, who sat in his large chair made especially for him, as if he was half paralyzed, half uncoordinated, and half exhausted. A tall, proud and graying official of the Galactic Empire, one of the most important people,looked really pathetic.

He sat in a chair with comfortable armrests and a plush backrest that didn't provide much in his condition. Pale skin and unnatural circles under his eyes were the best and second most obvious examples that this man should be somewhere else. Not on the bridge, but in sickbay and in his quarters, devoted to rest in the face of illness and the exhaustion that comes with it.

Meanwhile, however, he preferred to remain on the bridge, constantly tired, half-conscious and with a headache. However, the vibrations caused by the explosions of one of the Star Destroyers in his fleet seemed to - at least to some extent - bring him back to consciousness, or at least some of it.

"What happened, Admiral?" He asked, then turned in his seat towards one of the two recesses on the bridge, where there was currently quite a large group of officers and technicians working at the consoles.

"Please wait a moment." She replied a pale woman with short hair, in an olive imperial uniform, top hats with codes and a chrome badge that showed a row of 5 red ones with a row of blue ones underneath. "Sir, it appears that the Adamant exploded due to severe damage to the reactor."

The Grand Moff gurgled as if he wanted to sign or growl in anger, but he was too weak even to do so. "So the inquisitor allied with us is dead?"

"It looks." Vice Admiral Heidie Nox admitted with a small nod, clearly not very happy with the information she had been given. "In addition, 'Imperialis' and 'Imperator' suffered loss of shields due to concentrated fire and were stripped of most of their weapons, which, combined with the loss of squadrons of starfighters, rendered them almost useless in further combat. The same goes for destroying the 'Lancer'."

Grand Moff was more than annoyed by this state of affairs and decided that it was time for him to personally command this battle. "It's taking too long. First we lost one of our most important allies, who had a chance to create a united force withInquisitor, and now we are losing machines and pilots. "The 'Imperial Pride' is to join the fight immediately and wipe out the forces of these traitors from the Alignment of Powers."

Although the Grand Moff had no definitive proof of this faction's involvement in the fighting and capture of the Bilbringi Shipyards, the loss of communication with wish, and the presence of such great forces in this particular place, led him to believe that this was the case.

"I have to oppose this,sir. We have no viable response against enemy starfighters, and our Star Destroyers prevent us from engaging directly..."

"Then ram them!" Came the loud response of a man who was sick and therefore devoid of sober judgment of the situation. "I have no intention of waiting any longer for the moment when our fleet can no longer fight! We will now use our greatest asset exactly as it should be used, to destroy enemy capital ships."

Vice Admiral Nox, however, had no intention of giving up. "If now we will spread out our escort, or worse we will ram it to move forward, we will lose cover against the attack of enemy bombers if they are used. I won't even mention the potential losses. Although it will be costly to continue the battle in this form, in the end we will surely win and we will push our enemy out of this system."

"Follow the order and move forward, Admiral!" Grand Moff Fritzener fumed, increasingly annoyed at his direct orders being ignored and defied. "When we destroy the enemy fleet with our firepower, even if we lost several of our ships, the cost will still be less than this senseless battle of attrition. I will not allow the death of people for whom I am responsible, just because of the certainty of victory!

At the same moment, however, when Vice Admiral Nox was about to respond, a female officer in charge of the scanners approached the chair. "Sir, we have completed scanning and identifying enemy ships. The vast majority of them are ships assigned before the Battle of Endor to Second Brother, an Imperial inquisitor assigned to oversee the New Territories and track down rebels. We have also identified his flagship, the Hope of Empire, which is located between the defense platforms."

This information was a catalyst for further fury for the already enraged Grand Moff. "Let the 'Imperial Pride' move forward and concentrate on firing on the enemy flagship! If we kill the commander of the enemy fleet now, we will win this battle and crush the enemy resistance, and then we will deal with the traitor!

Vice Admiral Nox was reluctant to obey this order, but seeing her superior's tenacity and unstable state, she just sighed. Not to mention the many unknowns that were still present and unresolved. Despite everything, she preferred to obey the order and be left alone rather than risk losing her life due to the order for her immediate execution. "Yes, sir. Attention to the crew, we are moving forward immediately and concentrating our fire on the 'Hope of Empire'! Notify the commanders of the ships ahead of us that if they do not withdraw in time, they will be rammed!"

The decision that changed the fate of the battle and this Imperial oversector has now been made and no one can stop it. Especially since subsequent factors will begin to negatively affect the situation of Grand Moff and his forces.

XXX

Bilbringi System

ISD-II 'Hope of Empire'

Lanz watched the battle unfolding before him with an increasingly colder view of reality, without an uncontrollable emotional onslaught,which could cloud his judgment. In fact, the longer this all went on, the calmer he only became.

At first it seemed to be a hopeless situation, but the very conservative behavior of the enemy combined with a certain advantage that I gained when implementing and promoting the doctrine of concentrated fire, combined with the seemingly slight advantage of my starfighters. It gives a predictable effect. Lanz thought as he allowed himself to relax his still focused mind a little. In fact, although the battle seems to be heading in a positive direction, we have inflicted some losses on them and accidentally destroyed an entire Star Destroyer...

At this memory, Lanz flinched slightly as he remembered the feeling that had hit him when the enemy Star Destroyer exploded.It wasn't the feeling of mass death, which is not even remotely alien to me. NO! It was something completely different, as if…

It was then that a memory came to his consciousness when the Second Brother, several years before the Battle of Endor, had killed one of the last remaining Jedi Knights. Yes, the battle that the previous owner of this body fought back then. A fierce fight that required all of his strength, the tricks he knew, and his Force abilities, which were not all that impressive compared to the Jedi. Nevertheless, in the end, the inquisitor emerged victorious from the confrontation, killing his opponent, destroying his lightsaber and taking the green kyber crystal. After this fight as well, Second Brother was significantly strengthened in the Force. Just like the evolution of individual individuals or entire species and countries over the centuries. Two equally powerful organisms stand opposite each other, and then a confrontation occurs, from which one emerges victorious, gaining even greater power and strength.

But that didn't matter, what mattered was the feeling when the last sparks of life left one of the last Jedi Knights.Yes, this feeling at this moment is extremely similar to what I felt then. But now, this feeling of life is fading away, is it not so pure? Bright? It appears that my fleet's gunners have killed some dark side users. However, who could it be? Another inquisitor? No, an Imperial agent with such power and influence would never subordinate himself to one of the Moffs. Have they formed an alliance due to this Force user's presence in this oversector? That sounds a lot more likely than voluntary surrender...

Lanz snapped out of his thoughts, not for the first and not the last time in this life. Then he turned to the officer standing next to him. Captain vi Obtain, he was busy browsing on his own datapad reports from the battlefield. "Captain, what is the exact status of our forces?"

The question came because when faced with an adversary's ability to project power at a given moment and time, which was far superior to the Scarlet Fleet. It was therefore natural that despite the successes of removing the shields of at least some of the enemy Star Destroyers and destroying the vital weapons of these ships, some losses still had to be suffered. For such was the nature of war, and whoever did not make me realize or tried to avoid any losses at all costs, he was simply not fit to be a commander. Not to mention waging war. In this respect, Lanz and the commanders he surrounded himself with were more than suitable for a war of galactic scale.

"So far, the shields of some of our Star Destroyers have dropped below 60%. In the case of the smaller Victory-class ones, their shield level has been reduced to 40%. In addition, the Defense Platforms have also suffered heavy losses in this regard, and one of Golans III has been stripped of its defense platforms and is currently under heavy fire, my lord." The captain reported, looking at the data from time to time, but maintaining continuity in reporting. "Enemy turbolaser fire severely weakened the shipyards' defense fleet, a dozen of which were destroyed and reduced to stardust."

As soon as Lanz heard about it, he almost immediately noticed a gigantic gap in the design of the fleet and all its doctrines. Seemingly minor, but potentially catastrophic in the event of enemy attacks.What class of ships will actually protect trade and communication routes in my space? I doubt that Victory Star Destroyers could be produced in large enough numbers to meet the needs of the rear and at the same time appear in the planned numbers on the front lines. Even with the deployment of Ton-Falk escort carriers, the Tartans will have insufficient firepower... What if...?

He didn't have a chance to finish his thoughts, because his attention was once again fully captured by the captain and his report. "As for starfighters, while the estimated losses on the enemy side amount to on average as much as 60% of the machines thrown into combat, our squadrons, not to mention the squadrons of Bilbringi's defenders, are slowly starting to approach this level."

How, after all, Interceptors are fast and have cowling deflectors? What in the world went wrong!? If this is sabotage within the fleet, by personnel, then I swear on everything I've ever held dear...With an almost inaudible intake of breath, he controlled his emotions and devoted his full attention to his advisor. "How exactly could something like this happen, Captain? I thought that our reinforcement of TIEs with shield deflectors would be the solution that would give us absolute dominance in these first weeks of fighting."

"Then your thinking was really bad and naive, my lord." Paul lowered his tone, they don't want anyone to hear this argument between the officer and the inquisitor. "You only added a single factor that, although it is undoubtedly important and gives the pilot an advantage, it will not change the situation in a fight of this scale and will not produce some absurdly excellent results. Especially when the enemy uses massive heavy fire of the turbolasers. Many of our Interceptors, despite having shield deflectors, were penetrated and destroyed with one shot."

So this isn't the first time I've been too optimistic about all this? At least now I can be fully proud of myself for what a very good decision it was to prepare for the mass introduction of new types of TIEs, which will tip the scales of the war between warlords in our favor, and perhaps in the future give the necessary advantage over the rebels. Unless the enemy introduces something much better into service, which I personally highly doubt. Lanz thought for a few moments. "If you put it that way… What are the losses of our squadrons?"

The captain once again had bad news for him. "Although minimal at first, now they reach 40-50% in the worst cases. Only some of our squadrons, such as the 168th Interceptor Squadron, lost one or none of their pilots. Moreover, these statistics do not take into account pilots who, although they lost their machines, are still alive, scattered in the vacuum of space. Additionally, enemy pilots are fighting much better than last time, in a much more coordinated and professional manner."

"We will deal with this second issue later, when the battle is over." Or if we lose, then we will have to abandon them."Is there anything else worth my attention?"

But then, one of the tactical analysts shouted in panic from above his console. "Lord Inquisitor, the enemy flagship 'Imperial Pride' is moving forward towards us!"

"What?" Lanz asked, as if what he had heard were just the tricks of his subconscious and self. "But the enemy ships are still in position."

"It seems that this does not matter much to the commander of the enemy fleet if he can finally use the firepower of this powerful structure." Captain vi Obtain reported calmly and looked at his datapad. "It's as I thought, 'Imperial Pride' is acting erratically and at least 4 enemy Star Destroyers will be rammed."

Whatever it is, it is against the rules of war or even common sense to send forward such a powerful, devoid of appropriate anti-starfighter weapons!Lanz could almost feel the atmosphere getting thicker and couldn't help but let out a few loud sighs.On the other hand, if your opponent makes a mistake, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.

"Commodore!" Lanz called out and a moment later Galak reported on his orders. "New orders to all our ships and defense platforms are to concentrate fire on the enemy Super Star Destroyer whenever its escorts are left behind, preferably at various points."

"Yes, my lord!" Galak clicked his heels and was about to start giving orders.

"In addition, bomber crews are to return to their machines and remain ready for takeoff at all times." Lanz continued. "They will launch on my command and attack the 'Imperial Pride'."

As Galak moved to obey the order, one of the officers responsible for communications spoke up. "My lord, a message from Commander Wilhuff, the crew assigned to the 'Imperial Lance' has checked the ship and it is fully operational. Captain Rubik is waiting for the order."

Well, maybe the situation is not that bad, although the Bellator Star Dreadnought has no chance of the sheer firepower of the Executor Star Dreadnought, but as part of the system in battle, it should bring appropriate results. After a while, Lanz gave the appropriate order. "Perfect, let him direct the ship to the left flank, to the forces commanded by Captain UlricTags"Once in position, he is also to concentrate fire on the enemy flagship."

Lanz didn't even bother waiting to hear a response from either officer, as he focused his eyes fully on what was in front and tried to enhance his senses through the Force. This had moderate results, but at least he was able to clearly see the Imperial Pride moving forward and the remaining 21 Star Destroyers trying to maneuver out of the collision line. However, with moderate effect.

The least fortunate was one of the closest enemy flagships, the Star Destroyer Tector, identified as 'Roar of the Empire', with which 'Imperial Pride' collided. Following this, the Tector was shattered and the damage caused in the process led, after a few standard minutes, to the ship breaking into two pieces and engine failure, as if the commander of this ship had not had enough bad luck in this battle.

In addition, the Imperial Pride collided with three Star Destroyers, but without major damage. What, however, brought tangible and serious damage was the fact that some ships were driven into the lines of fire of those located further away. Very quickly, every commander's nightmare on the battlefield came true - chaos and disorganization of the entire fleet.

Lanz, however, watched all this with a mixture of joy and shock, not knowing how to properly react to it. At first I thought it was very faststay defeated and now the battle constantly seems to be turning in my favor. This is simply illogical! It must be some kind of trick or the enemy commander is just crazy! Regardless, he will not receive a reduced tariff.

But then, one of the officers responsible for communications approached the Lord Inquisitor. "My lord, there's a priority transmission coming from 'Imperial Pride' and it looks like someone wants to talk to you very much."

Lanz raised his eyebrows, surprised and clearly confused under his helmet, but outwardly appearing to be considering this new development. "Let it be so, bring the droid and have it display this message here. I'd love to answer it publicly, whatever it is."

"Yes, my lord." The officer obeyed the order and after a few minutes, the droid arrived and the hologram it displayed left the Lord Inquisitor almost stunned.

By the Force, I don't think I've ever looked worse myself, even during the most serious illnesses that happened to me in my previous life. Well, it's not like I've ever been through some of the most serious ones a person can get. Here, however, this man looks so pale that he might as well be a Force ghost and I wouldn't notice much of a difference, however...

"This is Grand Moff Frax Fritzener, Governor of the Northern Dependencies Oversector by the late Emperor." He began in a strangely muffled and almost hoarse voice. "I speak on behalf of the lawful authorities on Coruscant…"

Lanz had a hard time keeping himself from bursting into laughter, but some of his crew didn't. Many officers and technicians openly mocked this - in their opinion - absolutely ridiculous statement, made by a man who appeared to have arrived here under his own power from somewhere deep in the Imperial Core, and had traveled aboard the Imperial Pride just before arriving in the system. The Lord Regent could have sworn that he even heard the deformed and modulated laughter of the death troopers guarding him, which, due to the voice modifiers, sounded absurd to say the least.

However, the ridicule and ridicule did not result solely from a lack of respect or respect for the governor of this oversector. These two factors were less important in this case. Rather, it was due to the constant propaganda campaign by APPED that took place almost constantly on AlignmeNet and all the other news channels created in recent weeks. Former members of the COMPNOR staff knew about this kind of job very well, reaching the masses. As a result, the belief that anyone in power on Coruscant would be able to take power and rule effectively to save the empire disappeared.

Instead, a new thought, a new belief emerged, which, although still being developed and nurtured over the next month, will be necessary, but will ultimately bring results. This effect will be the absolutely sincere belief of Imperial citizens in the space controlled by the Alignment of Powers that only this faction can save the Galactic Empire and its ideals, such as duty and discipline.

Lanz himself recommended to decision-makers inAPPED to present only the truth, at most slightly colored or interpreted in favor of their faction. All this was a necessity to gain trust. And if you take into account thatCOMPNOR from Coruscant was broadcasting often purely fictitious news via the HoloNet and all its associated channels, it wasn't difficult. No one in their right mind could believe in such blatant lies as the survival of the Emperor or the empire's attack on the Death Star, which, according to this narrative, was supposed to be a rebel construction.

Against this background,APPED and its information officers, through AlignmeNet, have achieved very promising and more than satisfactory results. The current mood on the bridge was just one of many manifestations of this. Another were support marches organized by department officials on the most important and most populated planets, where supporters of the government established on Bastion gathered with great eagerness.

"... and as the legal representative of these authorities, I demand your immediate withdrawal from this sector and the surrender of Moff Aleza Grik, who will immediately answer to a summary military tribunal on charges of high treason." The Grand Moff took a deep breath, as if trying to gain more strength before his next words, and only then continued. "I already know about the Alignment of Powers, your band of traitors who decided to secede from the lawful government, under the direction of the Grand Vizier. This betrayal, this act of willfulness and striving to build one's own country on the tragedy of Endor, will not remain unanswered, so from this place I demand once again...

He must really enjoy hearing his own voice, considering his current flow of words, spoken in an obviously terrible state.Lanz rolled his eyes under his helmet, then decided not to let this sick man suffer any longer. "This is Lord Regent Lanz, we hear your demands and I have only one answer, to your demands…"

He allowed himself a moment of pause to allow everyone to process these words and to allow a slight tension to build. "Nuts!"

Everyone gathered on the bridge exchanged confused glances, and even the death troopers couldn't help but look at each other. No one could understand what the man had just said, and they didn't have to. Especially since Lanz himself did not give them the opportunity to answer this question. "Here is an absurd answer to an absurd request. I have no intention of submitting to this band of traitors from the Imperial Core who are trying to rule without even the slightest intention of doing anything for the citizens.I refuse I refuse to obey a bunch of bureaucrats and I refuse to listen to their acolytes who all they did during the reign of our great Emperor was parasitize him and everything this man did. People like you who laid the foundations for this anarchist rebellion and betrayed the ideals of the New Order and claimed billions of lives."

At first, the Grand Moff maintained an appearance of calm or even indifference, as if, after a short period of confusion, he would simply listen to his arguments and then respond to them in some way. However, after hearing the whole thing, lines of irritation began to clearly form on his face, which turned into an expression of pure fury.

"How dare you, you traitorous parasite!" The Grand Moff exploded, thus losing any semblance of control over his own behavior. "When it turns out you and your band of traitors, you will wish Lord Vader was dead! I guarantee you this, for the imperial ideal and everything it represents! You will beg for mercy as he tortures you all, and then…!"

Have I hit a nerve with my words? Lanz smiled behind his helmet, pleased with his results for a moment, before his smile faded, replaced by contemplation.After all, I may have gone too far. An angry animal can be much more dangerous, much more unpredictable, than when it remains calm and restrained. However, if he is already furious, it is at least worth bringing his fury to a level where damn it he has any sense - or rather any remaining sense, given his last tactical move - of rationality!

At this point, Lanz no longer listened to his insults, which were becoming more and more coarse, until at some point the only originality was the use of languages other than the Galactic Basic Standard, which, however, the Lord Regent himself was unable to identify. Especially since, even when he was Second Brother, he had never learned to speak another language and didn't seem to have any linguistic talent.We share at least one thing in common beyond any doubt.

But that could wait, what couldn't was the use of the Force and the mind trick, manipulation of the Grand Moff's mind, to enhance his feelings. Although doing so from a distance was almost impossible, and Second Brother himself had never attempted it, he still had no intention of manipulating the enemy commander's mind for any specific purpose. Instead, it was only about strengthening feelings such as anger, hatred and the desire to destroy the opponent. With that said, Lanz tried to focus on Grand Moff Frax's mindFritzener, who was so engrossed in his prolonged tirade of insults that his mind, coupled with exhaustion, was weakened and completely unfocused.

Mainly, it was about finding this man in power, in a distant place, on a different ship but in the same space. It was difficult, especially focusing on it with little faith in the likelihood of success. However…You can do it, Lanz, it will be even easier than focusing on a dozen people and manipulating their minds. You can do it… You can do it… You can do it, so just do it!

The effort, combined with concentration, brought some results and after a while Lanz was able to find his opponent in the Force and establish a connection that Grand Moff Fritzener himself was unaware of, due to his lack of knowledge or even minimal potential in the Force. That said, considering all this, Lanz had complete freedom in this matter and almost unlimited possibilities. Yes, indeed, so sink into your anger, Grand Moff! Let it push you towards aggression and attacking with full force! With all the power at your disposal and regardless of the cost, fleet losses, or even your own life! Anything to get me and the traitors supporting me!

The effort, while not nearly as exhausting as successfully trying to influence several dozen people at the same time, still made the Lord Inquisitor feel pain and a little dizzy, but he didn't even wobble from his place, remaining calm and straight, almost stiff. position.

As it turned out, and Lanz himself felt it, his effort paid off. Miraculously, his opponent only grew angrier than he had been a few moments ago. More veins and cracks appeared on his pale pink face until Lanz himself was tired of it all and saw one more opportunity to upset his opponent.

"Turn this clown off." Lanz ordered the communications officer with a wave of his hand and in as nonchalant a manner as he could muster. "I'm tired of hearing the words of the parasite that has been destroying our Galactic Empire for years, along with the rest of that Coruscant gang."

"With pleasure, my lord." A quick response came and just a few moments later, the transmission ended.

"If you intended to disturb him, you certainly succeeded, my lord." Captain vi Obtain whispered to him for the first time since Lanz had met him, the corners of his mouth slightly turning up, but falling down just as quickly. "However, his rage will undoubtedly cloud his judgment and make him even more dangerous. Especially since he has an extremely powerful tool at his disposal…"

"Which will be his undoing, given that he intends to use it in a way that is clearly inconsistent with doctrine and what Star Dreadnoughts of this type were designed for." Lanz interrupted him with a certainty that had nothing to do with his actual and enormous level of anxiety that had accompanied his thoughts since the enemy fleet had arrived in this system. "And they were only supposed to be flagships and possibly destroyers of heavy ships, not tools to break through the battlefield. Needless to say, in most cases the use of a combat tool in a way that is inconsistent with the doctrine, especially if it is too arrogant, must bring results that are not desirable for the user."

"Assuming the use will be inconsiderate, then it must be so." Paul replied, staring piercingly and without even a single blink of an eye. "However, Grand Moff is not the entire crew of the 'Imperial Pride'. Although I cannot help observing that so far this ill-considered maneuver has done more harm to our enemy than to us."

"Indeed, this is quite an unexpected opportunity that I intend to take full advantage of." As Lanz responded, friendly fire from several enemy Star Destroyers knocked out the shields of another Star Destroyer and, a moment later, the bridge and engines, causing the ship to hang inertly in the vacuum of space. "Not to mention how much the whole situation turned out to be in our favor."

Paul turned and looked straight at him with a clear question. "What exactly is your plan, my lord?"

Lanz drew everyone's attention after this question, as he took a deep and clearly audible - thanks to the filters - breath, and then tried to put on as stoic and calm a face as possible. Everything was just a preparation for what was actually to come soon.

The Lord Regent took the helmet off his head in a slow movement, almost worthy of professional theater, and then took it under his arm. He attracted the attention of all those present, who seemed to have become silent in their duties. For it was worth seeing, the calm expression on the face of their faction leader. A young man, clean-shaven, whose hair was neatly combed to the sides, and whose ruby eyes exuded what could be described as unwavering determination.

Lanz felt their admiration and flinch as he turned to one of the bridge pits, where Commander Stahl happened to be stopping, also staring at his immediate superior. Lanz also sensed how much the man's respect for him was growing.

So this is what it's like to be a true leader who leads and commands his subordinates, who is respected and counted on by everyone?Lanz allowed himself a moment of reflection, even though it wasn't the best moment for it.I can almost feel the weight of all the responsibility that fell upon me when I took it upon myself to create the Alignment of Powers and start the Imperial Civil War. Responsibility for those who follow my orders, who see me as their leader, who are subordinate to me and follow me. I won't even mention those who died as a result of my decisions, and this time again. And all those who will still have to die because of my decisions. Regardless, I must take this responsibility, for the fate of all of them, here and now. After all, if I don't do it, who will?

His calm but determined gaze focused on Galak for a moment, and only after a short while, Lanz had spoken to him. "Commodore, establish a direct line with Captain Ulric Tagge, Captain Yuralen, Captain Rubik and Commander Wilhuff. I intend to personally take command at this crucial moment."

"Yes, my lord!" Galak spoke and it didn't take long for him to see the results of his orders.

In a moment, Lanz had his personal, cylindrical-shaped communicator with him, with which he intended to command in battle. "Captain Rubik, what is the status and position of the 'Imperial Lance'?"

"My lord, the Star Dreadnought is moving to a predetermined position, and we will soon be fully ready to fire on the Imperial Pride. We are fully ready to enter the fight, despite an incomplete crew." The answer came, carried by a smooth voice with a distinct Core accent.

"Too late, definitely too late, you will enter the fight, but it must be enough." Lanz replied, dissatisfied but not annoyed with the officer, for he was aware of some problems related to the mobility of such large ships. "Here are new instructions, as soon as the Imperial Pride is within your range, you are to immediately begin firing with maximum available firepower on the port side of this ship."

"Yes, my lord." The answer came and Lanz had no further business with Captain Rubik. "CaptainTags, CaptainYuralen, your ships are to immediately redirect all power to turbolasers and ion cannons, and then start firing at 'Imperial Pride', preferably at different points to deprive him of his shields as quickly as possible. Don't be afraid of the response, the remaining enemy Star Destroyers are scattered and often providing friendly fire. As for the flagship, you also have nothing to fear, as it is almost entirely focused on destroying the 'Hope of Empire'. Grand Moff Frax Fritzener is a fool who undoubtedly thinks he can destroy my ship, kill me, and effectively plunge the entire Alignment of Powers into a state of chaos. His irrational way of thought will be his undoing."

"Yes, my lord." They both replied at the same time, but that was not the end of the orders.

"Additionally, I have one more order for everyone, you are to send TIE Bombers into battle immediately. Let the Interceptors and any TIEs fighting against the enemy stop fighting for supremacy and focus on protecting the bombers. The target is the enemy flagship. In particular, they are to focus on two key components of this ship: first and most important, the engines, let the crews not skimp on the missiles they fire. Secondly, command bridges, both base and reserve."

Both captains responded in the same way as before, so Lanz could finally focus on an issue that might ultimately prove to be no less important than the previous ones. "Commander Wilhuff, did the crew assigned to take over the 'Iron Fist' accomplish their task?"

"Yes, my lord, Captain Gilad Fel has completed his task and the ship is now ready to attack." The answer came, and the voice that carried it seemed uncharacteristic to say the least, and ordinary in virtually every respect.

"Perfect, but before he attacks, he has to lower the ceiling."Now it's time to take every advantage I can get in this battle. "When it does this, it is supposed to redirect all the power to the engines to get to its destination as quickly as possible. It will be under the same 'Imperial Pride'. Once there, he is to give the order to redirect all power to turbolasers and begin firing on the lower hull of the enemy flagship."

"My lord, it's…!" Almost immediately, there was an agitated, panicked, shocked and not so bland voice that belonged to the Commander.

"This is the risk that every commander must take during battle if he is to achieve victory, understood as achieving the set goals." Lanz replied dispassionately, and he had no doubt that the commander felt somewhat reassured by such words that betrayed cold calculation. "In this case, in this battle we have two goals. The first and priority is to defend and maintain control over shipyards, which can ensure an even greater inflow of new ships and increase the potential for modernization of old ones. The second is to repel the enemy fleet, and there is no better way to achieve this than by destroying the enemy flagship and killing the enemy commander."

"Besides, I fully trust and believe in your abilities. Therefore, I have not the slightest doubt that the crew of the Iron Fist and the captain of the ship will be able to fully complete the task entrusted to them. That's all he has currently in these particular things to say. I trust that my order will be carried out."

"Yes, my lord." Commander Wilhuff replied in a slightly lowered voice, as if reminiscent of silent submission to the will of his superior after explaining his point of view, which, however, he himself did not fully agree with. "He will order that Captain Gilad Fel immediately join this communication frequency."

"Very well, if all or most of the personnel intended to capture the ships have been transported from your Star Destroyers, then have them join the battle as well. We cannot afford not to use any of the resources available to us at this time."

The commander respectfully confirmed his intention to obey the order. With that, Lanz clipped the communicator to his belt next to his lightsaber, placed his helmet on his head, and focused his eyes once again on the battlefield. His recent orders and their implementation have become easy to see. Star Dreadnought 'Imperial Lance' began firing from afar, still closing in on the previously established position. Although the fire was massive and ineffective, as part of the concentration of fire from several ships and defensive structures, it slowly began to bring the desired results.

Although the 'Imperial Pride' shields were slowly starting to weaken, the enemy also had something to say in this battle. Some of the Star Destroyers deployed on the right flank began long-range fire on the smaller in numbers group of ships, of the Captain Wurtz Yularen. This attack later resulted in the loss of 2 VSDs-IIs destroyed and a single ISD-II severely damaged.

Additionally, the interceptor-escorted bomber squadrons suffered heavy losses from massive fire combined with attacks from enemy TIEs, whose crews had no intention of even allowing the flagship to be destroyed, even if the ship's commander had made a clearly unwise decision.

For the next several dozen minutes, Lanz watched the ongoing and incredibly fierce fight, each moment of which meant dozens more victims. Such as a single ISD-II and VSD-II destroyed, this time from forces under Captain Tagge. These were significant losses in material and human resources, but Lanz understood perfectly well that if they were victorious here, any material losses would be compensated. In addition, the Alignment of Powers has a large enough territory that they can declare a partial, limited draft and gain millions of recruits who will be able to fully man their ships if the need arises.

The battle continued seemingly unabated until the escorted bomber squadrons reached the enemy capital ship, after which they began their long journey along the superstructures, accompanied by fire from the Star Dreadnought's heavy turbolasers, with no major results aside from the accidental shooting down of a TIE Bomber that had however, it crashed into a pursuing TIE Interceptor, which the pilot failed to maneuver.

Lanz watched the pilots' approach to the attack with great interest, and everything was made possible by presenting the situation to him in real time, using a hologram displaying a tactical map around the Imperial Pride and above the ship itself. The engagement became even more interesting when the Iron Fist reached the target's hull and the turbolasers began firing freely upwards.

All this, however, turned out to be completely insufficient to breach the shields of this Executor-class Star Dreadnought, which after all these minutes dropped to 75% efficiency. This was perhaps the best possible praise for this ship when, even under the pressure of so much firepower, the shields still did not give way. Nevertheless, this turned out to be the last lucky chord for the strikers.

A moment later, bomber squadrons began attacking the targets. Bridge, second bridge and engines, but in addition to all this, there were also Imperial Pride shield deflectors. Torpedoes and bombs sent to the targets brought results, but not completely. The shields fell instantly, the ship's command posts and the commander of the enemy fleet were killed. However, not all engines were destroyed. Although most of it was blown up, exploded, and debris from the ship's cylindrical components began to seem to flood the space behind the Imperial Pride, it still wasn't enough.

Only intense and concentrated fire on the engines from below, conducted by the 'Iron Fist' and the ship's skeleton crew, did enough damage to the Imperial Pride's engines to disable the enemy flagship and cause it to slowly begin to list on its bow towards the Iron Fist'. Therefore, there is a quite real risk that the ship will crash into Star Dreadout or crash into another one. What saved the entire situation, however, was the use of tractor beams by the neither seriously damaged nor seriously damaged Star Destroyers of the Scarlet Fleet, whose concentrated effort averted visions of disaster.

"Commodore Stahl." Lanz summoned his most important officer in the Scarlet Fleet hierarchy.

"Yes, my lord?" Galak quickly, using one of the consoles, climbed to the top so that he could stand face to face with the Lord Regent.

"Prepare a transmission to all frequencies in this system immediately, there is no point in continuing the fight and I intend to make this clear to everyone." Lanz announced, looking at the Commodore and not refraining from expressing joy in his tone of voice, which, despite the modulated and distorted voice, brought the desired result.

"Without delay, Lord Regent." The officer bowed obediently and moved to carry out the next order.

At the same time, Lanz couldn't help but smile hugely at the victory he achieved in this battle.Not only did I get the shipyards, but I also got another Star Dreadnought. It is true that it will be necessary to undergo numerous modifications and repairs after this clash, but for now there will be more than enough resources for this purpose. Moreover, any resources in equipment will undoubtedly be compensated quite quickly thanks to the production of ships in this shipyard. Moreover, with the death of Grand Moff Fritzener, I have the opportunity to seize the territories, system fleets, sector fleets and planetary garrisons under his supervision.

After a moment, he picked up his communicator and announced to all captains: "Cease fire immediately. Interceptors and bombers are to return immediately to their ships for maintenance, repairs and pilot rest. The enemy flagship was destroyed and the enemy command was eliminated. There is no point in continuing to shed blood when it has already happened too many times and in far too much quantity. Have officers commanding their ships immediately begin redirecting all available energy to shields."

"Yes, my lord!" There was a collective response, and a few moments later Lanz reattached the communicator to his belt.

His gaze wandered towards Star Dreadnought, which was burning in many places, and even a few pieces began to fall off. Undoubtedly, if this ship is saved, it will require a thorough renovation of many sections, especially the engines, and the installation of a new command, main and backup bridge.

The Lord Regent's order was quickly carried out and after just a few standard minutes, the Star Destroyers of the Scarlet Fleet stopped firing. This sight very effectively encouraged the attackers to stop their attacks, and it didn't take long for the system to go completely silent. There was not even the slightest doubt that at that moment none of the opponents knew what to do, in the face of the collapse of the chain of command due to the death of the Grand Moff, and with him a senior naval officer who could possibly take over command.

Lanz had no reservations whatsoever about using this moment to increase his forces as quickly as possible.

"My lord, everything has been arranged as you ordered." Galak reported obediently. "Your communicator will currently transmit on all frequencies in this system."

"Excellent, now it's time to win the rest of this battle without a fight." Lanz once again took the communicator and put it to his mouth, then began a short, improvised but sufficient to obtain, at least a small part of, the result he desired. "Attention to all Galactic Empire technicians, pilots, officers and soldiers in the Bilbringi system! This is my proclamation! I am the Lord Regent and current head of the state entity known as the Alignment of Powers. I am speaking to all of you for one purpose only, to give you a chance. However, it is not ours to survive or end this fight. I have not the slightest doubt that the vast majority of you will not continue this madness, this fratricidal fight, for the sake of the now dead commander. Men of your kind are willing to give their lives for Imperial ideals, and in that I believe, you followed Grand Moff Fritzener here. That's why you and the Scarlet Fleet, the vanguard, fought the Alignment of Powers, even though your chances of victory were decreasing by the minute."

He paused for a moment, on the one hand to take a quick breath and rest briefly, but on the other hand to give the listeners time to fully absorb this message. "Since I have not the slightest doubt that none of you are crazy enough to continue this senseless fight and die in a battle already decided, I give you free choice. Due to your loyalty to Grand Moff, you are free to leave the sector and go anywhere in the galaxy at your will. However, you can also join me, in the empire I created and faithful to the ideals, the Alignment of Powers. To us who have seen for years the corruption and corruption at the highest levels of power, which left us defenseless at the death of our great Emperor. As a Galactic Empire, we became vulnerable to attack when a sycophant, a fool without charisma or true character, Grand Vizier Amedda, took power."

"But enough about him, for this is a new beginning! A new beginning in which you, true to the Imperial ideals of order, loyalty, discipline and prosperity, can become more than mere lackeys of the greedy and corrupt bureaucrats of Coruscant who, with the introduction of the New Order, liberated themselves by pretending to support our the glorious Emperor, but in fact they enslaved everyone else and especially us! Loyal sons and daughters of the New Order, willing to die and kill for order and prosperity throughout the galaxy." Sweet Force, I'm talking all nonsense now! On the other hand, the history of my old world and this one clearly shows that it doesn't matter what someone says, but how attractive they are. "So I ask you, sons and daughters of the Galactic Empire. Will you support my campaign to restore order and prosperity to the galaxy?!"

However, before anything could happen, an undesirable event occurred that ruined part of the battle's success and forced both sides to adapt to the situation as quickly as possible.

The rear sections of the Imperial Pride began to explode, particularly around the engines. It didn't seem to be anything serious until one key moment when a series of huge explosions occurred in the fuel section, literally tearing it apart from the inside. The result of this disaster was, beyond any doubt, the death of over 100,000 of the ship's personnel and damage, perhaps rendering the Star Dreadnought completely beyond repair.

Lanz stared at what was happening for several moments before realizing that the threat had not yet passed. "Sithspit!"

"Captain Gilad Fel, the Iron Fist is to divert all power to the engines at this time and withdraw immediately before the situation worsens!" Although Lanz's voice was clearly raised, he did not shout and tried to remain as calm as possible. "Besides, to all forces that are obliged to me or want to join. He orders the immediate evacuation of personnel from the Imperial Pride as the ship is at risk of destruction! We must save as many as possible no matter what, no delay or excuse will be tolerated, with all the consequences! That's all I have to tell you."

Although initially the whole action was quite chaotic, unorganized and seemed ill-considered, the longer it lasted, the more chaotic and disorganized it became. Hundreds of sentinel landing crafts from many different Star Destroyers or defense platforms were dispatched and the evacuation work quickly began, and the initial lack of coordination was quickly overcome by Galak, who did everything in his power to earn his promotion and prove himself time and time again. he is more than competent to become a senior naval officer. With all the privileges that come with it, but above all also with responsibilities.

Finally, after a few standard hours, the situation became much clearer. As most of the attacking Star Destroyers withdrew from the system, leaving behind only those companion ships that decided to join the Lord Inquisitor and his empire. These were 2 ISDs-II, a single TSD and 5 ISD-I. This was a small part of the original strength of this task force, originally formed for the capture of Bilbringi. However, more than enough to reinforce the Scarlet Fleet enough to make all the losses incurred that day more or less recouped.

On top of all this, there was the matter of the staff from 'Imperial Pride'. In total, they managed to save over 70,000 officers, technicians and soldiers - including Naval Troopers and stormtroopers - who otherwise would have died in a series of explosions, which after more than 3 hours were engulfed in the burning wreck.

Watching from the bridge as another potential asset, which could have had a significant impact on the course of the war, literally crumbling before his eyes, put the Lord Regent in a really bad mood. He could almost feel the energy of the dark side of the Force rising within him and the fury that came with it. Just the fact that he wasn't the type unloading his frustration with living beings, and that he is more than willing to self-reflect, stopped him from killing someone. Possibly before heading to the sparring section of the gym where he could unleash all his fury on the training tools.

After all, each of the smarter officers and technicians on the bridge might have realized that it was best not to upset him at this point. For this reason, no one was going to stop him or bother him as he began to leave this section of the Star Destroyer to return to his office and think things over. Meanwhile, the death troopers who had been accompanying him and guarding him for many hours were recalled to rest and a pair of their successors were called in to protect Lanza.

While this is to some extent superfluous, a personal escort provides a certain psychological effect and commands some additional respect. Especially if they are anonymous and mysterious guards, famous above all for their deadly effectiveness.For a moment, Lanz broke away from his irritation and anger over the fate of what was left of 'Pride of Empire'.Now he at least understands why the Emperor organized a crimson guard, devoid of individuality, anonymous and therefore intimidating on many levels.

The memory of the Emperor who died a few weeks ago evoked a strange and incomprehensible feeling in the Lord Regent, a mixture of respect and almost fear, but not entirely. One thing was certain, Second Brother respected this - at this point undoubtedly - dead man and not only him.My predecessor in this body had an extraordinary respect for the late Emperor, not solely out of fear of his power, but also because he saw him as someone who genuinely desired order and prosperity throughout the galaxy. Ironically, but no less than Second Brother's attitude towards Darth Vader, whom the previous owner of the body treated almost like a father he himself never had. At the same time, however... these feelings seemed to pass over to me.

The full realization of this fact prompted Lanzo to continue his silent contemplation as he sat down behind the black desk, removed his helmet, and sat back fully, letting his thoughts drift away.Or justI inherited memories, a large part of the feelings or emotional relations of the previous owner of the body? Or maybe Second Brother never really disappeared, and instead he took over the personality, memories and self of a person from another world, which changed him and he only thinks that he is someone different than before? Perhaps we are finally united?

Lanz clicked his tongue before standing up, taking a deep breath, obviously thoughtful, and immersed in his own thoughts. So what am I? A conglomeration of two different personalities with a body that should never have been mine? I am, but who am I? A terrifying Lord Inquisitor, ruthless and ready to fight to the end, to sacrifice every one of my subordinates. Or Lord Regent Lanz, so far a sensible, pragmatic and emotionally composed political and military leader? Or maybe I'm really just an opportunist who sees opportunities and takes advantage of them as much as the current situation allows?

His further thoughts were interrupted by a message addressed to him. So Lanz put his helmet back on and listenedSour, who told him that Moff Grik was inviting him to a private meeting at Bilbringi VII, where the governor's palace and her personal residence are located.

Although it could potentially have been a trap and some extremely elaborate ruse, Lanz immediately dismissed it as something too absurd to be true. He was interested in history and knew well that real conspiracies, in the vast majority of cases, are simpler and much easier to see than they seem at first glance. Besides, due to convention and the fact that Moff Grik was his newest ally - and an important one at that because of the shipyards and natural resources in the system - he simply couldn't refuse her this relatively minor request.

Therefore, he left command of the fleet in Galak's hands, and after gathering an escort of 10 death troopers - including Lieutenant Hort as the guard commander, they went to the hangar, aboard a shuttle that took them into space and to their destination.

Landing in their assigned hangar went smoothly and they emerged to be met by an honor guard consisting of hundreds of officers, technicians, Naval Troopers, regular Imperial Army soldiers and pilots. However, stormtroopers in white and distinctive armor were a distinct minority here.

Regardless, an officer of the rank of Commander greeted them and Lanz was quickly led to the personal office of the governor of this sector. After reaching their destination, located several stories below the hangar closer to the center of the asteroid, the escort of Death Troopers remained outside.

Lanz, meanwhile, entered a space that was aesthetically unlike anything he had expected from the Sector Governor's office. The office was quite spacious and bright, even bright, thanks to numerous lights of simply powerful brightness, which, however, were not built into the ceiling for a reason and, moreover, they blended perfectly with the bright white walls and floor of the room. What such large rooms were needed for was to provide light to the numerous tropical plants scattered throughout the office, and each of them was located close to a pool of water, of which there were 4 in total, perfectly suited to the office plan, which was a four-pointed star. .

Lanz moved forward, admiring the garden, truly diverse in almost every respect, which, in his subjective opinion, was extremely beautiful and was not what he expected from the sector governor's office. He admired and looked left and right until he reached a cylindrical dais, about a meter high and whose radius must have been at least 4 or even 5 meters, to which a staircase led, as white as the rest of the floors.

When he quickly reached the top, to his surprise he found no one there, only a black desk with 4 wheeled chairs, the last one, located behind the desk, had the highest backrest.

Lanz was a bit surprised, so he decided to use the Force to sense living beings, and very quickly located the person he was interested in. He moved forward, behind the desk, and spotted Moff Grik, who was waiting for him next to 5 quite large lounge chairs with footrests. Of course, all plush, made of artificial and white leather. Each one was accompanied by a small stool.

"Lord Regent." The woman bowed to him with a warm smile that seemed to take away some of the seriousness of her gesture of respect. "It is an honor to welcome you and congratulate you on your significant victory over a superior opponent."

"Basically, although the enemy initially had the advantage in firepower, by the end the advantage had completely swung to my side." Lanz replied, reluctant to accept praise from someone who had ultimately betrayed his former superior. "However, I must admit that I did not expect such an exotic office. Nevertheless, some people prefer to have their own personal space completely utilitarian, while others decorate it with various types of works of art."

In particular, I'm thinking of a certain extremely talented Chiss whose location I need to find out sooner or later. If possible, convince him to my cause, but if not, I must eliminate him, regardless of any sentiment or admiration on my part for him.

"Nevertheless, I perfectly understand the reason for such an extravagance, at least in my personal opinion, office decoration." When Moff pointed to one of the armchairs, Lanz almost immediately took a seat and made himself comfortable, and she did the same with the one opposite him. "Extremely versatile, aesthetic and emanating such pleasant energy that one would simply like to work here."

"That was the idea behind the design." Moff Grik sat back, with a relaxed smile on her face. "Working here is extremely pleasant and I have space for quick relaxation, which allows me to work effectively and relax my mind, which gives it extraordinary opportunities to constantly generate new ideas. Not to mention that it must be extremely desirable for you to be able to rest like this after such a fierce battle."

"Indeed, you are absolutely right, Governor." Lanz nodded in agreement. "I must admit that although the battle was grueling and the victorious end was a great relief, I am not satisfied with the fact that another prize self-destructed as a result of the use of disabling tactics."

"It must be comforting to know that at least tens of thousands of these crew members, experienced as I presume and naturally committed to your cause, were saved because your decision saved their lives."

"Indeed, this happened and the soldiers, deprived of their commander but full of gratitude, committed themselves almost unanimously to my cause. Only in isolated cases was there a refusal, as far as I know, and these soldiers asked to be transferred to those ships whose commanders and crews did not come to my side." Lanz shrugged, remembering this small and insignificant incident that had to happen, if only for statistical reasons. "But now I have to ask whether the wreck of this ship can be used in any way?"

Moff Grik stroked her chin thoughtfully, but answered quite quickly. "Well, that will depend on many factors. Although the ship was engulfed in a series of powerful explosions, the power of which I cannot even begin to estimate, certain segments and components of the ship will remain intact. And considering that Star Dreadnoughts of this type have always received the best possible equipment, at least 1 Class I or II Star Destroyer should be easily assembled from it. In addition, durasteel which remains will be invaluable in the construction of the hulls themselves."

Lanz, happy with this news, did not hesitate to order Moff to keep the components and metal that will remain from this ship, as it will be necessary to introduce 2 new ships that will become the backbone of the Alignment Navy in the future. Curious, Aleza tried to ask, but all she got was information that both ships were in the phase of careful construction planning, but the smaller and less different from what is known, the Victory III-class Star Destroyer, will enter mass production much faster and will go through the production phase incomparably faster. prototype.

"This is great news and another reason why my decision to join you was the right one." Aleza leaned back lazily in her chair and made him an offer. "By the way, do you drink alcohol or do you have a favorite drink, my lord?"

Lanz thought about it for a moment and then realized in a flash that he had never tasted any alcoholic beverage since he had been put into his new body. Moreover, he led such a modest everyday life that the only thing he drank was warm water and military rations, Second Brother also led a modest life, so he inherited this trait from him. "Well, I'm a busy man and I don't usually waste time on such pleasures. Not to mention the fact that a leader should set an example for the organization, and I prefer to set an example, among other things, by devoting my free time to work. At least at this absolutely critical moment in which not only our empire, but basically the entire galaxy finds itself."

"I understand, but my offer still stands. Especially since I have quite a large supply of Alderaanian wine, which, after the destruction of this planet, is an extremely sought-after delicacy."

Lanz laughed at these suggestions, and although he did not like alcohol, he decided to accept the host's suggestions and not to start quarrels or misunderstandings where it could be easily avoided. "Very well, you can't refuse a rare wine, especially such a valuable one."

"It makes me happy, so…" Moff pulled out a cylindrical communicator, but a non-standard one, with a blood-red casing. "Kadi, bring a bottle of Alderaanian wine and two glasses to my office. I have an extremely important guest for whom I will not spare my supplies."

"As you wish, my lady." A mechanical voice came, along with a voice deformed by the communicator. "Your order will come as soon as possible."

"I enjoy it." With that, she lowered the communicator and placed it on the table next to her chair. "Now, my lord, I would like to see your face, for I prefer to see the one with whom I am conversing, if possible."

Lanz ignored her insolent tone, took off his helmet slowly and unhurriedly, and placed it on the table next to his chair, but without a smile, but with a steely and completely serious expression that might as well have promised everything or nothing. "Me too, I prefer face-to-face conversation, Governor. Especially when I'm about to get to the point and want to know what you want. More specifically, what are you hoping for from joining my faction?"

Seeing the coldness in his attitude, and the rejection of all signs of politeness in favor of professionalism in conducting business, Aleza also abandoned pleasantries. Her facial expression, comparable to a sunny summer, became as cold as nights on arctic planets. "Good then, considering the death of Grand Moff, and the breaking of the chain of command in this oversector, there is an excellent opportunity for you and your empire to annex this territory. Especially since you can easily use one of the Star Dreadnoughts as a key point in annexation negotiations. My request, for your loyalty and bloodless access to the system and all the shipyards, is simple: I want the position of Governor of the Northern Dependencies and the rank of Grand Moff."

Lanz looked at her dispassionately, but scoffed at her demands for a very simple reason. "It's within what I was considering as a reward for you, so technically you can consider it a done deal. Nevertheless, tell me, why would I try to occupy the Northern Dependencies and risk overstretching my naval or army supply lines? Especially since the militarization I am counting on and the full replacement or modernization of weapons with more modern ones have not yet taken place?"

"Because you are the type of opportunist who will use any opportunity to strengthen yourself and ensure your own survival, at any cost." Aleza stated offhandedly, confident in her words, and then smiled predatorily. "You see, from the planet I was born on, we don't read emotions from facial expressions, not exclusively. First of all, from the expression of the eyes, which for us are like windows to the soul. I have mastered this art to perfection so that I can read people and their essence without even the slightest problem and almost immediately. In your case, I can easily see a person like me. Wanting to go as high as possible, but at the same time moderate, knowing how much he can swallow at a given moment and ready to do anything if the situation requires it."

"That still doesn't explain why I should take over the rest of the Northern Dependencies, although I must admit that the prospect is absolutely tempting. Given the fact that it is oversector wealthy and very valuable, strategically, from the point of view of the next campaigns that will have to take place sooner or later."

"Well, it is not even the slightest secret that after the declaration of the Alignment of Powers, many others will also follow in the footsteps of you and Grand Moff Ardus Tagge, considering themselves to be fighting for the imperial ideal. It is an open secret - as the Corellians say - that the Grand Admiral and Governor of the Trans-Hydians, Treuten Zsinj, will soon secede from Coruscant officials. Already, he and his younger sister, Vice Admiral Zina, began to amass a powerful force, while also beginning mass production of older and cheaper ships, such as the Imperial I Star Destroyers or the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates. Lacking leadership and torn between governors, the Northern Dependencies are an ideal target for expansion."

Lanz then smiled, and all the tension in the garden office definitely subsided to an extent that might have seemed almost impossible just a few moments ago. "I'm glad that we think alike. "I have received similar reports from my intelligence, and that the Grand Admiral has initiated a mass conscription of suitably physically selected humanoids into a new formation to replace the Stormtrooper Corps and the Raptors."

"In that case, can I consider the matter settled?"

"Indeed, Governor, but with one very important caveat." Lanz never took his eyes off her blue eyes. "You will be the Governor of the Northern Dependencies, you have more than enough competence to do so, considering the fact that you maintained himself as the governor of this system, despite the death of his brother and the usual reprisals that take place against the family killed by Lord Vader. However, the rank of Grand Moff will be out of your reach, probably for several years."

"I took this into account when I asked for the position of Governor of Northern Dependencies, as well as the fact that the Alignment of Powers bureaucracy will only grow over time." Aleza somehow managed to widen her smile, full of self-satisfaction at the information and deduction skills she had. "I have no doubt that my promotion will only come when Grand Moff Ardus Tagge himself is promoted to, let's call a higher rank, Supreme Moff, with authority over all lower-ranking governors."

"Then you understand it's only a matter of time." Lanz showed no emotion, apart from changing his gaze to one with a much more neutral expression. "I must say, with complete sincerity and without irony, that I am more than pleased to have you join my cause. I also hope that you will appoint a capable next governor for this sector."

"Yes, but I will personally supervise production, resource extraction and the construction of new ships. Especially since my administration will still be located here. I have no intention of moving from this safe and quite well-fortified pile of rocks."

"Indeed, quite sensibly. "Yes, the woman is too dangerous to be left alone, but I have a way to ensure her loyalty."I have your first and perhaps most important order."

"Yes, my lord." The woman turned serious almost immediately, almost instinctively sensing how important this might be, given his tone of voice."

Lanz was silent for a short moment and it seemed that he was trying to collect his thoughts and consider the exact content of the order. The reality, however, was completely different, through the Force he tried to connect with Moff Grik's mind and assess how difficult it would be to manipulate her. After a short while, he could feel how strong and efficient her mind was. For this reason, he had to admit to himself that he had a really difficult opponent who would not be that easy to manipulate. With that said, he made a slow gesture with his hand and two fingers extended to distract her, which had some effect.

"You will be endlessly loyal to me." Lanz gave the order with all the firmness he had acquired over the past weeks.

"I…" Moff swayed in her seat, her gaze seeming almost hazy, as if detached from reality, and Lanz intensified his mental attack. "I… I… I will be endlessly loyal to you."

As if to confirm, she placed a clenched fist over her chest, specifically, over her heart, and repeated her declarations. "I will be endlessly loyal to you, my Lord Regent."

"Excellent,Governor of the Northern Dependencies." As if with perfect timing, the office door opened and a droid flew in, carrying a tray of Moff's earlier order.

It was a KAD-type unit, a kitchen droid, levitating thanks to a repulsorlift, which allowed it to move much faster than the metal limbs traditional for droids. "Please Governor…Lord Regent."

Lanz guessed that Moff Grik had already warned the droid who he might be dealing with, and he took a full glass with as much elegance as he could muster and that stuck in his mind.

After the droid left, Aleza, who had already returned to the present and was unaware of the manipulation of her mind, raised her glass with a triumphant smile on her lips. "I take this as the beginning of a new and better future for all of us."

"Indeed." Lanz smiled in response as well. "Long live the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire!" Aleza repeated and soon they both felt on their lips the tart but not too sour taste that is characteristic of Alderaani wine.

---

AN: So this arc, the Bilbringi Arc, is finally coming to an end. Truth be told, I was planning on breaking this last part down even further, but I just found it pointless.

The battle was over, it ended with victory, maintaining the newly conquered territory. However, how much will this mean on a galactic scale?

You may or may not be surprised by the main character's thoughts, because I clearly suggested it earlier that it may not actually be an insertion into someone else's body, but a unification of two separate individuals into one. Is this really the case? Or did Lanz retain his old personality fully, with just some minor additions? Or maybe Second Brother actually absorbed Lanzo's memories, personality and self and just thinks his soul comes from another world?

At this point, I leave you completely free to interpret. Especially since it does not have that much importance for the plot - despite appearances and the time devoted to it. What matters, however, and will be one of the most important themes of the upcoming arcs, is an attempt to self-define in a new world and circumstances. Complete self-determination and creation of a stable personality. Not a facade presented to subordinates or allies, but an authentic and stable personality of the individual who is able to make conscious and mature decisions. Here, something that I like to repeat many times will be of key importance: "I am, therefore I think."

To put it simply, the failure of the 'Imperial Pride' and the pathetic fate of this Star Dreadnought is a reference on my part to World War II and the introduction by the Germans of certain machines and devices on the battlefield that did not fit into their doctrines, or the use of a given battlefield tool in a manner inconsistent with the purpose for which it was designed. Many examples can be given here and I think that each of you who knows history will find at least one.

By the way, something you may not realize, but I think is worth mentioning. I have deliberately modified and reshaped the empire's system of ranks and responsibilities for planetary stewards to make it more clear to me, as well as the oversector system. Basically, under this system, the rank of Moff or Grand Moff is only the rank and the position held, such as Sector Governor, matters. As for oversectors, they include regions such as NewTerritories or Trans-Hydian. Although there is an exception here too, like dividing The Slice into 5 different oversectors. These are: The Slice Colonies Oversector, The Slice Inner Rim Oversector, The Slice Expansion Region Oversector, The Slice Mid Rim Oversector and The Slice Outer Rim Oversector. I considered it the most sensible division, which makes more sense than, for example, Outer Rim Oversector, because the management or supervision of such a large administrative area by a single governor seems to me to be simply impossible, or - at best - very difficult.

By the way, for those who think that Lanz is gaining military power and new sectors of the galaxy too quickly. I just want to remind you that while his conquests may be great, the galaxy is even larger than what he has conquered. Not to mention the resources, comparable or much greater, that other warlords or the New Republic will have at their disposal. Despite the fact that in this edition, the series of victories will not be achieved as easily as in Canon, despite the best efforts of Gallius Rax. Although - SPOILER ALERT - the culmination of the New Republic's fight against the "main" forces of what's left of the Galactic Empire will still be Jakku. However, the fights will be long, bloody, and costly for both sides, which will remain on the galactic stage the longest and will be able to constantly replenish losses and increase the combat potential of the fleet or army. Ultimately, the winner will always be the one who kills as many enemy soldiers as possible and will be able to replace their fallen ones with new ones.

That's all, have a good day and see you in the future, maybe even sooner than you think.