New Territories, Outer Rim, Yaga System

Imperial III-class Star Destroyer Hope of the Empire

Five months, exactly, had passed since the Battle of Endor and the beginning of the end of the old order of things. However, Lanz saw it as the beginning of something new, his own path and the path of those who chose to follow him.

During the three months that have passed since his escapade to the surface of Wayland, which have been a time of hard but extremely satisfying work for him. First of all, meetings, the less interesting ones with Grand Moff Tagge and mainly about administrative issues, the more important ones with Moff Coltar, Fleet Admiral Najus and another naval officer who can be considered the symbolic father of the new combat doctrine that will be used by the Alignment Navy, Vice Admiral Sander Harrsk.

Lanz spent several hours a week pleasantly discussing the shape of the additional types of star task forces that would eventually need to be created. The original approach of one heavy Star Destroyer, 5 medium Star Destroyers and several smaller ships would have been inflexible on its own. Fortunately, together we have arrived at something much more sensible.

Even the basic and planned formation, with the Alignment-class Star Destroyer as the center, did not stand the test. The main factor that prevented this was economic issues. Moff Coltar explained to them in detail that it was unprofitable to start large-scale production of the Alignment-class Star Destroyer in a situation where the shipyards were mainly producing Imperial and Victory class ships. Lanz and his two officers were forced to make concessions by these factors, mainly redesigning the doctrine, expanding and taking into account additional other ships.

Finally, after discussions and dozens of tedious simulations, new types of task groups were selected.

The classic one, and the one that will be the most common, is the Medium Star Task Force, consisting of 1 Imperial-class Star Destroyer, 5 Victory star destroyers and 10 Tartan-class patrol cruisers. An important addition was the development of a new type of Star Destroyer, the Imperial III, which could be described - like the Victory III - as an improvement on what already existed.

First of all, instead of 4, the new design uses 7 octuple turbolaser batteries on each side and placed at greater distances from each other to be able to shoot straight ahead without any problems, just like in the new Victory type. However, that was not all, because the new design was enriched with 30 point defense cannons and 15 point defense ion cannons, scattered over the entire surface of the ship, limiting the number to heavy turbolaser batteries to 38, heavy turbolaser cannons to 38, additional turbolaser batteries to 16 and heavy ion cannons to 14. Everything was a necessary compromise, necessary to improve the ship. In addition, the profile of the tower with the command bridge has been significantly reduced to the hull, making the structure less vulnerable to attack. Not to mention the more modern and efficient reactor that replaced the old one and not only allowed it to power many new systems, but also allowed for the improvement of shield deflectors, making them 20% more efficient.

Although the Imperial-III was not perfect, like the rest of the ships, existing Star Destroyers of the earlier Imperial classes could be upgraded quite easily, which meant many lucrative contracts for many shipyards, and in the process the Hope of Empire has been improved, as have several other units.

The entire process of rearming or building new structures was quite tedious and time-consuming, but it would be worth it. At least when the goal was to prepare for a long-term total war.

Meanwhile, the Alignment-class project was temporarily postponed due to the huge costs and a certain fundamental flaw of the project, the lack of a clear direction and the role that such a ship was to play. Although the first four units were still built in the Bilbringi shipyards, they were intended to be prototypes for testing new solutions and what would be the most effective in different variants.

Fortunately, all other projects, primarily the TIE Hunter and new equipment for the army, stormtrooper corps, were implemented without any major problems. Many Soldiers and Walker pilots were more than happy to switch to the less noisy but better armed AT-TE successors.

Lanz also became personally involved in the Alignment Propaganda and Public Enlightenment Department, holding many meetings with Commissioner Marin Lenden, who was happy to talk to him about new messages and ways of reaching the masses. Both of them quickly established a common language due to their passion for manipulation and influencing large masses of people.

This was it, this is true power, shaping and bending others to believe what you show them. Lanz discovered that manipulating facts, telling half-truths or half-lies, accepting what someone is supposed to hear or think at a given moment gives him great pleasure, just like collaborating on the creation of new weapons designs or planning strategies.

He had never been a great leader, much less someone who could take over - let alone manage - even a small village, but the acquired memories of being a practitioner and the advice of officers - including the Grand Moff himself - made it all much easier. In short, the further into the forest, the more experienced the Lord Regent became.

Then a certain conclusion came to him. High intelligence, even being a genius, does not matter, because it only means the ability to manipulate abstractions, previously unknown factors. Ultimately, experience was and probably always will be priceless, especially that gained through sweat and blood.

Besides, at the moment the situation in the galaxy, despite the ongoing civil war in the empire that rightfully rules this galaxy, was relatively calm. It was clear that all sides of the conflict were gathering forces, whether to defend or attack, it did not matter that much.

In fact, the only noteworthy event was the sudden and unexpected breakout of part of the rebel fleet from Endor and their small offensive towards the Noe'ha'on system, through the Cerean system and Chalcedon. Considering the withdrawal of larger forces from these parts, they did not suffer great losses, but the garrisons and fleets over the planets fought fiercely to the death.

All of this led to his training that day, in the white training room close to his office, where, under the supervision of his new mentor, he tried to gain invaluable experience, or at least some of it.

The holocron created by the Count of Serenno lay on one of the black and backless benches, activated and showing an image of a long-dead Jedi Master keeping a watchful eye on his apprentice, though it was hardly a master-padawan relationship in a typical Jedi context. This, however, did not change the fact that for the last few weeks the two of them had been almost like master and student to each other.

Lanz, meanwhile, was putting on a show of his skills, clad only in a white sleeveless shirt, tight white pants and black shoes. Thus, he fully showed off his chest, well-groomed over all these months, and his fair skin.

At that moment, he was basically at the end of his daily training session, in this case for lightsaber fighting. He was currently showing off his skills in Form III and IV, one moment acting defensively, as if deftly deflecting blows or bolts from blasters, and the next moment launching an attack into the air, although that didn't mean the attacks were weak or sloppy. On the contrary, Lanz went out of his way to give the impression that he was in the middle of the battle.

This was not the only learning of the day, because for the previous 3 hours he had been practicing other aspects important for a Force user, which, however, he had been spared from in the process of preparing for the Inquisitor.

Lord Regent knew that the Emperor and Vader would never allow any of their lesser servants and acolytes to gain the potential to equal them in the Force. However, the scale of the sabotage was so large that something began to boil in the former inquisitor's heart.

I didn't expect something like this and I should have! On the other hand... how many times have I failed at something, solely due to my failure to foresee certain factors, even in this second life!? His anger translated into - in this particular case - his training using Form IV techniques. Now I understand why the Emperor allowed people like me or other inquisitors to acquire resources, their own fleets and financial wealth. All of this was worthless compared to his resources, and with his power in the Force, nothing as trivial as a few or a dozen durasteel ships might not have made much difference.

"That's enough, Lanz." Dooku gave him a short command and the Force adept stopped in an incomplete overhead swing. "Again, your Sores techniques are impeccable and natural, and it's hard to call it anything other than pure talent. However, your Ataru is too stiff, too formulaic and predictable, it would only work against someone who didn't have really decent combat experience or who doesn't wield a lightsaber, but not against a truly experienced swordsman."

Lanz straightened up, meanwhile deactivating the blade and wiping sweat from his forehead. "So what do you propose, mentor?"

Dooku sighed heavily, it was a minor setback after all. "You have made great progress, your telekinesis, while still primitive, is somewhat more accurate. Your control over the Force and the ability to fully open your mind to the stimuli flowing from the Force have also improved greatly compared to the primitive state of these abilities. I won't even mention the basics of telepathy or absorption."

"I know this is just a minor failure, mentor, I know the value of my successes." Lanz replied, sitting on his knees in front of the master, fully erect. "Despite everything, I want to acquire as much knowledge as possible to be ready for the great challenges that will undoubtedly await me."

"And yet you did not dare to use and learn advanced techniques from this so-called Dark Side Compendium." Dooku remarked, crossing his arms. "What's stopping you from doing that?"

What is he actually trying to tell me? Lanz did not know the answer to this question, but his decision not to learn about the Dark Side of the Force was well thought out. "I am well aware of the predatory nature of dealing with this source of energy, so I prefer to be prepared just in case. For I know, and my senses tell me every time I come into contact with the Dark Side of the Force, that if I am reckless in this matter, I will suffer the consequences of that carelessness."

"You definitely have what many others lack, a good dose of caution."

I may look young, and I am, but having memories and experiences from two different lives is not something most people have at their disposal. Lanz smiled slightly. "Well, the Force, at least from what I know, can on the one hand lead to many abilities that some people would consider unnatural, but it can also distort and warp reality."

"Perhaps, but remember the path you have chosen for yourself and that sooner or later you will have to reach for the knowledge contained in the compendium." Dooku beat him to it. "That will be all for today, you have made a lot of progress, but remember not to let your successes become your biggest enemy and weaknesses."

"Fear not, mentor, I am not foolish enough to fall for my arrogance." Lanz stated confidently. "Never again."

"If that's what you say, then I take you at your word and don't forget about constant meditation to constantly strengthen your connection with the Force." Dooku instructed him. "That's all for today, take care of yourself. I have a feeling that you may find yourself in quite a difficult situation soon, but it's not certain."

Before Lanz could ask him a question, the holocron deactivated in the blink of an eye, causing the young man to snort. "Typical, lots of secrets and ambiguous words before ending the conversation."

Stretching his neck and other muscles in his body, Lanz headed to the shower and washed his body under the nice, lukewarm water. After that, he put his uniform back on, some of the armor but no helmet, and headed to his office where his newest addition to the overall look was waiting for him.

"My Lord Regent!" The Khagan greeted with a rather shallow bow. "Did the training session go smoothly?"

"Productively, that's first and foremost, Kan." Lanz used a shortened version of his name that suited him more personally. "Has there been any noteworthy reports?"

"Nothing so far." The black super tactical droid replied with its distinctive inhuman tone of voice. "Only reports of an attempted intercept of a fuel and ammunition convoy near Bimmiel, however, by a patrol of 2 Victory-III Star Destroyers, successfully prevented any major damage."

Lanz frowned. "Is it the rebels, or have the Zsinj siblings decided to launch an attack?"

"The bandits could not be identified, my lord, due to the equipment they were using, dating back to the Clone Wars. Basically a mixture of old confederate and old republic equipment. Nothing worth noting, especially since there were no losses and it was impossible to check the identity of the enemies."

"So it might as well be pirates?" Lanz asked him once he sat down at his desk and folded his hands in his favorite style.

"It looks." Khagan nodded. "However, they could very well be privateers in the employ of the Prince Admiral or someone else."

"In one word, the great unknown." Lanz sighed. "If this continues, our Navy should first deploy the new Patrol Stat Task Force and Medium Star Patrol Task Force there. We cannot afford complications of this type in our area."

"Of course, my lord." The khagan bowed. "Besides, I have no more reports to give. Production of new ships and starfighters is increasing gradually, and by basing new designs on old ones, it should not take too long to achieve a satisfactory level of mass production."

"Excellent." Lanz tapped his fingers on the desk, then stood up and headed for the door. "Then I'm going to the bridge, there is one more matter that Lieutenant Commander Tagge wanted to discuss with me."

"Naturally, my lord." Khagan replied. "Although I admit that I imagined a different role in your political project than a glorified secretary."

"Patience, Kan, I promised that sooner or later and for your merits you will receive something worth your attention, not sooner." Lanz answered him, and turned to him halfway, with a smile. "Besides, you already do a lot. Thanks to you, I can focus on training while you analyze reports and free me from extremely tedious work that would drive most organic beings crazy."

Khagan didn't answer, but his eyes turned into what could be considered a smile.

Lanz left his office waving his head. Droids, how on earth are they able to acquire something so close to human humor? Is it a matter of the increased intelligence of this particular model? Well, I'll have to do my own research on this at some point and come to some conclusions, for now all I can do is focus on my current job.

Lanz, as always, appreciated an intelligent and patient colleague who was able to sift through reams of insignificant reports.

Without bothering about it any more, he finally arrived, after a few standard minutes, at the command bridge, where an entourage of three people was already waiting for him. Ericlia, Adela and Galak, 2 of which had reasons to celebrate.

Ericlia was promoted to the rank of Commodore and given command of the so-called 1st Scarlet Star Squadron, composed of the 3 Medium Star Task Force, as required by the regulations resulting from the new doctrine. The whole thing was organized as part of the Scarlet Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Galak Stahl, who was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral. Both of them have been getting used to their new duties over the last few weeks.

"Admiral, Commodore, Commander!" Lanz turned to them firmly, drawing the attention of everyone on the bridge, who began to salute hurriedly. "Report on why you wanted to talk to me!"

"Yes, my Lord Regent." Galak bowed stiffly and politely. "A few standard hours ago, our probes recorded the movement of fleets in wild space."

Lanz frowned, confused. "Is this a move against us, Admiral?"

"No, my lord." This time it was Ericlia who spoke. "The movement is aimed at the planet Kalee, whose inhabitants until recently maintained peace, forced by the existence of our strong empire, with the race that invaded them many years ago. Now, however, it appears that the Yam'rii have decided to enslave this reptilian race once again."

There's more to it, otherwise they wouldn't have called me and instead would have sent a shorter or longer report.

Lanz looked at Galak, who easily read his silent command to get to the point. "Well, currently the Kalee reptiles are on a fast track to failure. They have worse and less numerous equipment. However, they are also the only thing standing between these soulless insects, these Huk, and our space."

Ah, so that's it.

Lanz understood the intention behind notifying him of this. "Do you think that after defeating and enslaving the Kaleesh, these insectoids would start attacking our territory?"

"Yam'rii are one of the main topics in this frontier part of the galaxy, their brutality and brutality." Galak stated with obvious disgust. "Also stories of them raiding in search of slaves to work them. So I have no doubt that they will attack us, taking advantage of the chaos in the empire."

Lanz then laughed, much to the dismay of everyone on the bridge who was close enough to hear him.

"You don't have to say anything." Lanz quickly controlled his laughter, then looked calmly and unreadably at the three of them. "You want us to deal with the problem while it is far from our borders and not a major problem."

"Yes, my Lord Regent." Adela spoke this time, but that was not all. "I have also reported this to ASB headquarters, and they are also considering the possibility that the Yam'rii could allow too much after the victory over their long-time enemies."

"Then that settles the matter." Lanz didn't need any more to make up his mind on the matter. "Is there anything known about enemy forces?"

Ericlia and Galak exchanged knowing smiles, knowing full well that they could afford it. Ultimately, however, it was the Vice Admiral who spoke.

"The Yam'ria main fleet is only slightly superior in quality to the Kalee defense fleet, but more numerous. However, it would take an entire Star Task Force to wipe out all 3 ships to stardust, some of which lay siege to the 2 remaining worlds belonging to Huk."

Lanz raised his eyebrows, sensing his great distaste for the insectoid species. "You don't seem to like them, Admiral, why?"

Galak exchanged quick glances with the two women until Adela decided to provide an appropriate explanation, quietly leaning towards the Lord Regent.

"Because I, Admiral Stahl, and Commodore Megas believe that this hideous race of barbarians is the embodiment of everything that is worst about the Empire, and that once almost leads us to sympathize with the Rebel Alliance." She explained quietly so that no one would hear that the trio would ever sympathize with the mensas, widely considered traitors. "The Yam'rii are nothing more than a race of sadistic invaders and galactic parasites, almost like Hutts."

"Well, I don't want to be an advocate of evil, so to speak, but at least the Yam'rii are not fat and lazy parasites in appearance either." Lanz allowed himself to say the joke a little louder.

The trio of officers laughed quietly, but loud enough to attract the attention of some and nearby bridge crew members.

"So should I take this as acceptance?" Galak asked him.

"Of course, Admiral Stahl!" Lanz announced, a little louder than necessary, once again gaining the attention of most of the bridge personnel. "As long as it is necessary to protect the truly loyal citizens of the empire, as long as their lives are in danger, I will stand ready to defend them, now and always! Prepare the 1st Scarlet Star Task Squadron, we are going into battle!"

"Yes, my Lord Regent!" With these words, the Vice Admiral began to give orders and Ericlia assisted.

Meanwhile, Lanz wordlessly moved in front of the porthole, while Adela followed him, standing at his side.

"What's on your mind about this, Lanz?" The young woman asked him quietly and after making sure no one was listening. "I have been working with you long enough to know that it is not just a desire to protect the citizens of our territories in these troubled times."

Ah, indeed, I let her get to know me quite thoroughly, at least in purely professional terms. Lanz thought about the several months of relationship he and she had established during that time, which, although it was primarily professional and a moderate, yet cold friendship, was bound to escalate sooner or later. But what should I do about it? On the one hand, her advice is invaluable, on the other hand, at some point she may become almost irreplaceable to me, primarily for emotional reasons, which is not beneficial for someone with power who could be easily weakened by using it.

Lanz suppressed a sigh. He had never admitted to anyone, not even to himself, that he had taken her for her intellect, among other things, but her beauty was another factor.

Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a confidante, especially since our relationship from that moment in the Emperor's warehouse had long since reached the stage of close to sincere friendship, or at least great mutual trust. Lanz continued to think until he remembered something else. However, that wasn't the focus of her question, that said...

"Well…" Lanz croaked before clearing his throat and continuing in a whisper. "To tell you the truth, apart from that, it also seems like a pretty good opportunity to expand my sphere of influence."

Adela considered this for a moment. "Are you going to use Kaleesh's gratitude to take the pressure off our backs?"

"At least part of our rear, if that's even possible." Lanz replied. "You're right though. As soon as I heard that the Yam'rii had moved, my immediate thought was to acquire humanoid reptilians as our allies who could take over and patrol at least that part of Wild Space close to them."

"A wise decision to come to their aid in their time of need, but it may not be enough for the proud warriors who have spent years fighting against aliens who mostly tried to enslave them, apart from a short-term warming of relations between them and our empire." Adela said. "However, this does not change the fact that this is one of the best decisions you could have made. Since the Chiss Ascendancy began to be pushed deeper into its territories and the Emperor lost interest in maintaining this alliance, there have been a few problems in the New Territories due to attacks, but this should at least make it easier to prevent incidental attacks on our territory."

"Besides, the backward and largely devoid of advanced technology planets inhabited by the Kaleesh will be a good market for raw materials, at least for a while." Lanz added after a while, because only then did the potential economic benefits come to his mind. "Besides, I might even get a personal contingent of several dozen or several hundred Kaleesh."

"In this part of the galaxy, the tales of their bravery, of their fierce defense of their home against the Yam'rii, the Huk, the soulless worms, are almost legendary." Adela admitted. "If this is true, then a few hundred of these, enhanced with modern Imperial technology, could make a huge difference on a local scale on some battlefield or during a special operation."

"Thank you for agreeing with my decision and providing additional arguments for it, Ela." Lanz replied with a slightly laughing tone.

She was also amused. "Anything for the empire and our success, Lanz. Let me remind you that now both I and everyone who stands on your side are on one and the same starfighter with you, no matter what happens. That said, I need to make sure I use all of this in as much sense as possible."

But now, it's time to talk about something else. Lanz thought before changing the topic of their conversation. "Have you found anything about the two missing commandos?"

"Apart from the torn corpses found near the vault?" Adela asked him rhetorically. "Other than that, absolutely nothing."

"Local game then?" Lanz asked her, crossing and clasping his hands behind his back. "Strange, I didn't expect the local animals to come so close without attacking our main grouping and makeshift base."

"Because it wasn't local fauna, Lanz." Adela denied and hurried to explain. "Instead, the two were found completely naked, with no clothes in sight, and an autopsy revealed that the man and woman were dead long before the animals caught up with them and began their meal, interrupted by my commandos."

"So spies." Lanz came to this conclusion. "Were any other traces found?"

"Or outsiders who just wanted to know what we were doing in this part of the galaxy." Adela said, then added something else. "But as for traces, we didn't find anything noteworthy, Lanz. Just a clearing in the woods, large enough to accommodate a freighter, and with traces in the ground indicating that someone had been there recently. That's all we have."

"Not much, but for now it will have to be enough and we must assume the worst." Lanz clicked his tongue disconsolately. "I personally searched the entire complex and everything that was of any value to me has already been taken. Let the commando company that is still guarding this place blow it up as quickly as possible and have them join us."

"As you wish." Adela just nodded and left without another word.

Lanz, meanwhile, stared into empty space for a brief moment while the Hope of the Empire and the rest of the Star Destroyer's accompanying task force took up positions to jump into hyperspace.

Before the journey, however, Lanz noticed a scattered patrol task force, dozens and hundreds of which would soon be engaged in the fight against pirates and enemy incursions into their territories. By regulation, the so-called Patrol Stat Task Force was to consist of a total of 3 Gladiator-class Star Destroyers, 9 Carrack-class light cruisers and 21 Tartan patrol cruisers. A force more than sufficient to be divided into smaller formations equally suitable for patrol operations.

Meanwhile, the force that Galak and Ericlia were to operate was a single, newest Imperial III, as many as 5 Victory IIIs and 10 Tartans. Essentially, this was firepower that, given various technological improvements, could easily outperform the standard Imperial Navy line formation of three Star Destroyers and one Interdictor cruiser.

Unfortunately, it was necessary to get rid of various proposed improvements for the Tartans due to the problems resulting from having new combat systems for this ship. Lanz thought before the entire task force entered hyperspace and a brilliant blue tunnel surrounded the Star Destroyer on all sides.

"My Lord." Galak approached him after a short conversation with another communications officer. "Commander Ulric Tagge and Commander Wurtz Yularen have answered the call, their task forces will head to 2 other worlds under siege by the Rumble."

"Excellent." Lanz replied. "If these soulless worms, as you like to call them, are as bloodthirsty and barbaric as you seem to suggest, then do not show them even the slightest trace of mercy."

Lanz could easily feel great joy rising within the man and his soul at such orders. "I assure you, my Lord Regent, the Huk do not deserve to live, and perhaps you will see that when you meet Kaleesh who have seen what these creatures have done and are doing to their people, or perhaps even one who has survived it all."

The Lord Regent's finger tapped his armor a few times. "This can undoubtedly be instructive, considering that in my short life I have experienced famine, but never real persecution or slavery."

"Of course, my lord." Galak replied, not entirely sure what to make of this small confession. "With your permission, may I…

"You and Ericlia are in command of the battle and the coordination of the remaining two task forces." Lanz replied, not feeling the need to listen to all this. "In the meantime, I will join my brave wingmen to test the new machines that are equipped with the 1st Royal Fighter Squadron."

Lanz turned and after taking a few steps forward, added: "I have complete confidence in you and the Commodore, and in your abilities. I also hope I won't have to return to Hope of the Empire or give orders from inside my TIE."

"Yes Sir!" Galak clicked his heels, and Lanz just nodded confidently and continued on his way.

After changing into his suit and being equipped with a life support system in his quarters, he hurried as quickly as possible to the actual hangar, where his two wingmen were already waiting for him.

Tash Tashir and Ishan were quite an interesting duo and Lanz always talked to them in a pleasant way, just like he did with Adela. Over the past three months, they have become an invaluable source of purely practical information on various combat maneuvers in a fighter that Lanz had never heard of before, as well as a source of interesting suggestions on combat maneuvering and attack methods that the Lord Regent himself he hadn't been conscious before.

Also, it was Tash Tashir and Ishan who helped him master the art of flying and starfighter fighting to a more refined level. The most important thing that they and many other pilots believed was important was orientation in space, without having to rely on electronics, although that was also quite important.

Why I'm not one of those who, in stories like mine, have absolute knowledge of the world they've entered? At one point Lanz couldn't help but ask himself this question, but just as quickly he answered it himself. Because this is no longer fiction, but real life, and honestly, if it weren't for the grace of the beings who sent me to a new body with a datapad full of imperial technologies, I would be in a really difficult situation. Knowing me, I would wander around in the depths of my memory, commissioning the design of some strange and senseless projects, without a single guiding thought.

He spent several hours of the journey talking to Tash and Ishan, who were later joined by Prospera and Adela, who had no more important duties at the moment. The five of them, including Lanza, had what could best be described as a gregarious and quite pleasant conversation.

Everything until a loud announcement from Galak rang out. "Attention everyone, we will be entering the system in a few moments! Fighter crews in place, gunners get ready! We immediately concentrate fire on the nearest of the Huk ships that are besieging the planet!"

Lanz went into his new fighter, modeled on the rebel X-wing and intended to combat these types of starfighters. TIE/HU Hunter, in this case painted in crimson red and black, standing out clearly, like a red triplane in a white sky.

"My lord, are you going to say something?" Galak asked him himself once Lanz was comfortably seated in the pilot's seat.

Well, it certainly couldn't hurt, especially since Adela helped me improve my rhetoric skills a bit, which aren't as great as I wanted to think. Lanz thought before answering. "Yes, and let the frequency cover all the nearest communication channels. I want every living soul in this system to hear me."

The vice admiral confirmed the order and said Lanz would be live in 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, the Hope of the Empire left hyperspace, followed closely by the Star Destroyer by the rest of the task force.

During this short period of time, the Lord Regent made the decision to briefly remove his helmet before taking a deep breath.

There is no point in deforming my voice when I will be speaking mainly to my soldiers and also to everyone else. All I need to do is speak a simple, properly accented message that is appropriate to the situation. There is no point in guessing or using too complicated words that only a small group of better-educated officers will understand. Lanz thought.

After a while, he was live, but he didn't start speaking right away. Instead, he waited a few seconds and then started.

"Loyal and proud soldiers of the true Galactic Empire, here we are above the planet's surface and in a system beyond our borders. We have gone off to fight a war that is apparently none of our business. The insectoid barbarians called Yam'rii have launched a genocidal, devastating and unprovoked attack on a race of proud warriors like us, the Kaleesh." Lanz began his speech by gracefully telling the truth and presenting the situation to everyone.

"Why are we here? You may ask. Well, there is a wise saying: today it's yours, tomorrow it's ours. So I ask you, what will happen to the savage barbarians looking for new slaves, when there will be nothing separating our territory from theirs, because the Kalee people will fall!?" Lanz asked them rhetorically. "The answer is simple, brothers, sisters and comrades in the fight: these Huk, these wild worms without souls, will attack us! They will plunder, murder and enslave everything they can lay their eyes on."

Lanz waited a few moments before continuing. "That's why we're here! That's why we came to fight in a war that is absolutely ours. The Huk, as the noble warriors of Kalee call the Yam'rii race, are wild beasts that will not show you mercy or ask for mercy, so do not hesitate to kill them, for they are worse than the Rebels ever were! They want blood, they want to next attack our space and destroy everything that we defend with all our strength!

"Therefore, go into battle and take no prisoners, for you are not fighting against an honorable enemy who respects the civilized laws of war, but against barbaric enemies, more animal than human!" Lanz finished his speech after a while. "To battle, long live the Empire comrades!"

Lanz heard nothing as he put on his helmet and picked up the machine with his escort. Behind them, machines from other fighter squadrons rose up. He sensed the mood of hundreds of souls.

As soon as they reached open space, Lanz could see a massive firefight taking place in front of him. Bolts of various colors, red, blue, orange and green, were fired, sometimes hitting and sometimes missing the target.

"Attention, Sword of Victory, Victorious, Bloody Victory and their assigned Tartans will attack the left flank and support the advancing fighter squadrons!" Galak issued an order on the comm channel. "Hope of the Empire, Imperial Champion, Hopegiver and the tartan escorts, meanwhile, are to focus on the enemy vanguard that is pressing against the native defense fleet!"

"Then we move into the heart of the fight." Lanz announced to his wingmen. "RC-02, RC-03, cover me until I say otherwise."

Quick confirmation came from them, so Lanz decided to survey the battlefield before they reached the battlefield directly. To this end, he displayed a holomap, along with captions of what class of ships were facing them. He could indirectly supplement this with what he saw.

Yam'rii... No, Huk, they looked quite impressive, at least for a space country located in Wild Space, with the need for major trade routes or a strong economy. This forced them to rely on purchased second-, third-, and certainly sometimes fourth-hand equipment.

The flagship of this small fleet, the size of a star task force, was the Lucrehulk Battleship, with two crests painted on its hull, at the ends of a partial circle surrounding its center. What looked like an insectoid skull, with pairs of E-5 blasters crossed beneath it.

My research indicates that this blaster, due to its relative simplicity, reliability and low price, became an export hit to Wild Space immediately after the end of the Clone Wars. Lanz thought. Just like an AK-47 in my old world. The empire made an enormous profit by selling captured or withdrawn weapons.

Around the powerful ship, the rest of the vanguard was deployed, 2 Munificent star frigates and 3 Acclamator assault ships. On top of all this, there were dozens of smaller supporting units that, however, did not seem to pose much of a threat to the 1st Scarlet Star Task Force or the unit's TIEs.

While the small Yam'ria fleet was quite impressive, there was still the Kaleesh fleet, which paled in comparison to its opponents. To say that the reptilian humanoids were poorly equipped was to say nothing at all, and Lanz couldn't believe his eyes.

In the foreground, on the front line, there was a grotesque mixture of various types of ships of the line, whose shapes and irregular modifications, with square or pyramid-like additions sticking out from time to time, made them basically unlike any of the ships known and registered by the Empire. Some suggested what the ship was, such as several Nebulon-B frigates.

But despite this, despite the variety and apparent makeshift nature of all these ships, the defense of the planet was truly implacable and did not weaken, even under the pressure of strong and concentrated enemy fire. On the contrary, although the Kaleesh ships looked as if they would fall apart with even the smallest shield penetration and hull hit, they still stood defiantly, like proud warriors.

Lanz and his wingmen, meanwhile, reached the vicinity of the fighting after a few minutes and immediately began the attack. However, the beginning of this fight, or rather the introduction to a larger whole, initially consisted primarily in avoiding numerous bolts, bullets and a few rockets or proton missiles. In the case of the latter two, tapping into the Force allowed him to calculate their flight path and shoot them down.

Looking at the map, Lanz also noticed that from the Hope of the Empire, numerous TIE Bombers had launched, which were basically just reinforced shields and strong deflectors and nothing more. Considering the fact that TIE Interceptors II, TIE Hunters and TIE Defenders also had their own missile launchers, thus providing the ability to attack various critical targets, the presence of even this number of bombers may have seemed unnecessary. However, these were only appearances.

The first squadron was located, consisting only of outdated and less dangerous Vulture-class droid starfighters, which consisted of 24 ships.

Not only was the equipment outdated, but despite the numbers, droid fighters of this type were always only cheap cannon fodder, whose main task was to flood the battlefield and achieve victory through overwhelming numerical superiority. Lanz thought before spreading his machine's wings, thus entering combat mode. So far, I am more than satisfied with the machine, which, although it does not have the firepower of the new Interceptor and is less fast, is also multi-tasking, more agile, and can also switch to a mode with folded wings, which significantly increases the speed. Should I focus only on Hunters and Defenders and gradually withdraw the new Interceptors from service? Actually, now that I think about it, I got rid of the hyperdrive in both of these types of starfighters, so they will be much cheaper to mass produce.

He left the question unanswered, instead focusing on the enemy fighters that were flying close to the starboard side of one of the Acclamators. Accelerating the machine to its limits and making sure that the laser cannons would be the part of the armament that would fire, he began the fight.

Sending a series of quite accurate shots, Lanz himself shot down three machines, meanwhile his wingmen sent salvos that shot down 5 and damaged another 3. Meanwhile, the damaged Vultures went into a spin, ramming other machines from the formation, some of which crashed into the Acclamator, whose identification indicated some a strange and incomprehensible name in the Huk language.

Lanz didn't even try to decipher it, instead focusing on a small squadron of 8 V-19s, each circling a clearly zeitgeist Arquitens-class light cruiser.

The Lord Regent did not hesitate and moved to attack, his wingmen following him and now it was not as easy as before. They had intelligent and experienced organic pilots against them. Therefore, the first and unexpected attack destroyed only 3 and 8 machines. While the others intended to avenge their fallen comrades by giving chase. As if all this were not enough, the crew of the light cruiser soon began firing at the three scarlet TIE Hunters, which stood out significantly from the mostly gray ships that took part in the battle.

The V-19 pilots had no intention of half-measures, so they sent all the missiles and concussion rockets they had on their ships towards the small squadron. In total, there were 40 missiles and rockets, some of which, however, were destroyed by turbolaser fire from the light cruiser, which ultimately reduced the number to about 30.

"I have an idea, RC-01." Junior Lieutenant Tash Tashir announced in a voice that hinted at a eureka feeling. "I propose to use this charge against them."

"Crazy." Ishan stated, her voice sharp and firm. "On the other hand, it would be a pity to waste the recklessness of our enemies, who sent so many missiles after us, clearly wanting to overwhelm us and without taking into account the consequences."

Lanz easily understood what Tash actually meant. "Excellent, take the lead and I will take your position RC-03 and RC-02 and I will cover you."

"I wouldn't count on anything else, RC-01." Tash replied, and both pilots changed formation positions quite neatly. "Set your weapons to ion cannons."

Meanwhile, the missiles and rockets came closer and closer until the trio made a turn and began to fly 180 degrees towards the direction they came from. However, some of the missiles and rockets failed to change direction appropriately and 4 struck the hull of the Acclamator, which was already under heavy fire from two Star Destroyers and had severely damaged shields, which easily hit and destroyed one of the smaller auxiliary engines.

Regardless, the Trio kept flying, switching to high-speed flight mode and folding their wings, making the missiles and rockets have some trouble keeping up. They were heading for a rather specific goal, back towards Arquitens, the crew of which must have realized their intentions, because they increased their fire, which, however, apart from destroying a few more missiles, had no major significance.

"Now one behind the other, in line!" Lanz gave the order as they flew, seemingly about to collide with the light cruiser, and they changed formation shortly thereafter.

As they approached, they sent several dozen ion bolts into the bridge area, which, although they had no chance of doing much damage, did weaken the defenses somewhat.

Shortly thereafter, the trio passed the bridge, and a few moments later, the remaining missiles and torpedoes struck the object, which stopped in its flight trajectory. The slight weakening was enough for the number of striking missiles to penetrate the shields at that point of the cruiser and destroy the ship's command center, but that was not the end. Due to the thermal explosion, some of the rockets literally started going crazy and hit other points of the ship like turbolasers. However, the most serious impact was the mid-engine area, which led to a chain reaction. One of the three engines exploded and the other two lost power, causing the cruiser to drift aimlessly.

For the trio, the question of the ships chasing them remained a threat, but that didn't last long.

Soon the V-19s were shot down by a series of green bolts. A squadron of 12 Interceptors, one of which was smoking, took care of the danger without much difficulty.

"Here is the Leader of the 168th!" Lieutenant Alric Bast said. "To Royal Crimson, a beautifully done job."

"Focus on the battle and maintain communication discipline, Alpha." Lanz said. "And thank you for getting rid of the parasites."

Without further words, both squadrons flew away from each other, preparing to continue fighting.

Meanwhile, Lanz decided to take a look at the battlefield, mainly through the prism of the holomap. The Acclamator around which he and his wingmen were fighting began to fall apart and its reactor exploded. This meant serious losses for the right flank of the Huk forces.

Meanwhile, the rear and numerous supply or auxiliary ships were easily destroyed by the dedicated part of the fleet, which took spear formations and, like a real spearhead, broke through the enemy formations.

The additional armament for the Imperial-III class and Victory III class turned out to be a real nightmare for the larger units, which due to their size were easy targets for this overwhelming firepower.

Technology, well-implemented tactics and the element of surprise all resulted in a very quick overwhelm of the opponent who did not expect this type of interference.

However, as if the Huk didn't already have too many problems, the sudden arrival of the Alignment Navy forces also galvanized the Kaleesh, who felt emboldened by the weakness of the aggressors.

A pleasant aura of almost animal fear and desperation emanated from the entire battlefield, mainly from the insects.

Lanz was intrigued by this, seeing so many different types of ships take to the fight, sending squadrons of Starfighters first, followed by Starbombers. What surprised him the most was the presence of many very good types of machines, heavy Belbullab-22 starfighters, among the squadrons.

As if that wasn't enough, more squadrons of these fighters began to arrive from the planet itself and soon joined the fight.

Galak soon informed him of a request from the commander of the planet's defenders to integrate an identification system. Lanz agreed, and soon the risk of friendly fire among forces fighting a common enemy was reduced to virtually zero.

Despite the slim chances of victory, the insects did not give up and constantly sent support from the decks of the ships, especially Vultures, of which there was evidently no shortage on board the flagship.

Lanz and his wingmen fought fiercely, sometimes attacking enemy formations by surprise, intent on destroying as many fighters as possible before breaking off and escaping, and other times destroying those that were chasing one of theirs or the Kaleesh.

Apparently, the simple truth that the enemy of my enemy is my friend is confirmed once again. Lanz thought, then chastised himself for this way of thinking. Nonsense, in order for the enemy of your enemy to become your friend and not another enemy or a long-term problem postponed in time, you still have to make sure that this happens. The question is, what will the Kaleesh want?

Putting this matter aside as a lesser priority, Lanz once again focused on the battle.

By now, all the ships in the rear, plus one of the Munificents guarding the flagship, have been destroyed. Meanwhile, the raiding fleet only came under more and more pressure until the insects tried to retreat.

However, Galak reacted to this threat quite quickly. "To all ships, focus your fire on the engines of enemy ships! We will not let anyone escape from the battlefield, kill every invader and take no prisoners!"

As if Imperial doctrine assumed taking prisoners as something standard. Lanz thought a bit sourly, but he had no intention of arguing against it. Even the search for survivors, in the context of enemies, was understood as finishing off those who remained on the battlefield and did not die.

Soon, the Huk fleet was cut off from retreat, and even attempts to fight to the end did not bring much results, or actually none. The TIE Bombers successfully launched numerous ion torpedoes, the vast majority of which were targeted and made the obsolete ships easy targets for the Scarlet Fleet's battleships. After about 3 hours of battle, the space became one large insect graveyard.

Neither Kalee's defenders nor those who came to their aid had any intention of leaving anyone alive. The Kaleesh killed every member of the enemy species due to years of wrongs and a natural desire for revenge, so Lanz allowed them to kill and torment the insects. Meanwhile, the pilots and crew members of the Scarlet Fleet were still under the influence of the Lord Regent's speech about the ferocity of the insects and their potential intentions, so they showed no mercy to the barbarian.

After the fight, Lanz and the rest of the pilots returned to their home ships, being greeted with cheers and a makeshift fanfare, in the form of the hats of the hangar technicians and those overseeing the TIEs being thrown into the air.

For his part, the Lord Regent, as soon as he left the cabin of the TIE Hunter, with which he was more than satisfied and made a mental note to spread this machine, immediately went to his cabin, changing into his uniform, putting on his partial armor, helmet, and a half-cape. Only then, together with his vigilant guards, did he go to the bridge.

"Did something happen in the meantime?" Lanz asked as he entered the bridge and headed towards the terminal where the Vice Admiral stood.

"Kaleesh's commander wish to speak with you, my lord." Galak immediately hurried to respond and salute.

"Then connect him, I can talk to him here." Lanz replied, placing both hands on his waist and turning towards the black astromech.

Soon, a hologram was displayed showing an impressive, almost 3-meter tall humanoid with hands, each topped with 4 claw-like fingers. He wore an all too distinctive white mask with red patterns, under which amber-gold eyes glowed menacingly like fire. The rest of his clothes, meanwhile, consisted of partial armor with numerous decorations in the form of rubies, sapphires or emeralds.

"Welcome, newcomer from outside the system." Kaleesh started with a tone that emphasized S, as if Basic wasn't something that came naturally to him. "Thank you for helping us with these wild invaders, with these soulless creatures."

"Welcome, Commander." Lanz nodded as politely as his helmet would allow. "Who do I have the pleasure of talking to?"

The planetary defense commander snorted menacingly, then bowed slightly. "Where are my manners? I am General Bentilais san Sk'ar, who, by the grace and duty entrusted by the great Warleader Ronderu jai Sheelal, has been charged with defending the planet from all invaders."

"I am Lord Regent Lanz, and I lead the Imperial Alignment of Powers Faction." Lanz was also polite, but he allowed himself to be a little more direct, knowing that the warriors would appreciate this and the honesty. "Let me be clear, I came to this sector with the intention of stopping the Huk from attacking the space under my control."

"Then you have chosen a very good moment, my lord." General Sk'ar replied, but the tone of voice he used did not indicate respect at all, despite everything. "We have been fighting the Huk for many months and they have become far too bold, which started with the death of your Emperor."

"Well, you can only thank the Rebels for that, who have plunged this galaxy into chaos of civil war, the Galactic Civil War." Lanz replied. "Regardless of all this, I have come to help you, but not selflessly."

What could best be described as a sneer appeared on the purple-skinned Kaleesh's face. "Of course it will not be enough to stop these creatures, but it is no longer up to me, but to the great Warleader."

"Naturally." Lanz nodded. "So does this mean I can go down to the planet with a small escort?"

"It would be in good taste, I think, for the one who came with an offer affecting millions to present it in person." General Sk'ar replied. "But I must admit that I am surprised. So far, the Empire has had no interest in Kalee and you have left us on the sidelines of the galaxy."

"Times have changed, General, in the meantime they require new and flexible solutions that often would not have been accepted in the old situation." Lanz stated before adding any more. "There are 2 other groups under my command that have been sent to your other planets."

"We appreciate it." After these words, the conversation ended and the hologram turned off.

"Prepare Eldritch for launch, Commodore." Lanz turned to Ericlia, who had meanwhile walked over to the same console. "I will personally talk to the natives, I leave it to you to assess the losses and the effectiveness of the formation."

Without further words, Lanz headed for his office and arrived there after a few minutes, leaving black armored guards to guard the entrance.

Walking through a small corridor where turning left led directly to the training room, he finally reached the office where he was met with the sight of Khagan talking to Adela.

"Lord Regent." The Khagan welcomed him again.

"Lanz." Adela followed in his footsteps. "We watched the fight on the holomap, pretty good job."

"The doctrine works, at least in the case of forces that have inferior, outdated equipment." Khagan interjected as Lanz took his seat behind the desk. "However, such a grouping of forces definitely facilitates management, but also makes it easier for the enemy to estimate the potential strength and capabilities of the formation."

"The element of surprise, while important, doesn't really matter that much in the long run and in a protracted battle." Lanz quickly responded to his words. "Ultimately, what matters much more is the battle tactics, the level of training of the ship's crews, the experience of the officer cadre, the size, logistics and supply of the fleet, at least as my modest experience suggests, historical knowledge and the knowledge passed on to me by the naval or pilot corps officers with whom I talked."

"It's true, my lord. You are definitely more pragmatic than many others I have ever met." Khagan replied without further argument, which allowed a conversation between Lanz and Adela to continue.

"What do you think, Ela, should I go down to the planet's surface myself?" The young man asked her.

"Kaleesh is a proud, honest and very direct peoples. If you want to work out something with them, tell them exactly what it is as soon as you get the chance." Adela replied. "But the question is, what do you hope to gain from this, apart from displacing and minimizing the threat from Huk?"

Lanz folded his hands and began stroking his beard. Well, the alliance and the possibility of selling weapons would be invaluable in the context of securing the western flank. Nevertheless, it is not enough and does not guarantee that this state of affairs will be maintained for long. That said, perhaps it would be wise to…

Lanz thought for a few more moments before answering, although he still wasn't sure about it. "I intend to demand that they become my vassals through tribute and an oath of allegiance."

"Oh!" Adela smiled, her eyes shining with true amusement, and even the Force confirmed the sincerity of her feelings.

"Though the offer is reasonable and would give you a strong connection to Kaleesh and the ability to use the warriors in the future if the contract obliged them to do so." Khagan expressed his opinion on this matter almost immediately. "Besides, the powerful force present over their planet should be more than enough to make them realize the hopelessness of their situation."

"A droid's pipe dream, not something that would actually happen." Adela stated while placing her hands on her knees and leaning back in the seat. "The Kaleesh are too proud that even unexpected help in the fight against even their hated enemy could cause them to pay homage to you, bending their back like a slave before his master."

Lanz almost smiled. Once these two got together and started interacting, almost every reason for an argument between them seemed to be the right one. The Khagan is undoubtedly brilliant in planning tactics, strategy, and logistics, but he does not seem to understand that organic beings sense more than time. Meanwhile, Ela does everything in her power to make him realize the errors in his way of thinking. Funny how a human can try to teach a machine anything.

"Enough, in a few hours we will descend to the surface of the planet with the intention of giving them a truncated version of our conditions." Lanz ended the altercation before it could even begin. "If I see the potential for something more or an opportunity, the offer will be extended to make them my vassals."

Adela just shrugged. "I am primarily an infiltration, special operations and assassination specialist. "The only thing I know about negotiations is what I was taught at the intelligence academy and the security office."

"You and Khagan are coming with me." Lanz stated firmly. "And we will have the support of the death troopers, at least that's how I plan to play it."

"If you think so, Lanz." Adela said. "I don't mind and I advise you to look through your datapad."

Lanz grabbed the device without hesitation, then read two relatively recent reports, unable to resist a small, cold smile as he did so. "It seems that both commanders who were promoted not so long ago did quite well in the mission. Yularen had no major problems, destroying 2 Interceptor IV-class frigates, 2 Acclamators and about 20 smaller escort units. However, your…"

"Cousin." Adela replied coldly, as if he was not even the slightest relative of hers.

"Ulric Tagge managed to break the blockade over the planet assigned to him, although it was by no means easy for him." Lanz added. "He had against him, just like us, the entire Lucrehulk, as many as 4 Acclamators, a single Munificent and several dozen support units. As a result of the fighting, he lost an entire single Victory III, another severely damaged and several Tartans. Besides, he thought the insects fought extremely fiercely."

Khagan seemed to frown. "So the Yam'rii never made taking Kalee a priority."

Well, considering my limited knowledge about this breed, I'm not particularly surprised by their brutality. Lanz thought a little wryly. "Do I understand correctly that their plan was to first suppress the Kaleesh Navy's capabilities, isolate their 3 worlds from each other, and then either starve them or, more likely, bombard the enemy from orbit until they surrender."

At this point, Adela took out her datapad attached to her belt and showed it to the Lord Regent. "Not likely, considering the supply ships had quite a bit of heavy equipment and ground combat vehicles. My personal opinion is that they planned to gain full space supremacy and then support ground forces, but it is also possible that they planned to exterminate the local population."

"From what you and Galak told me about them, it would be like those brutal savages." Lanz stated with a slight drawl at the end. "Well, no matter what, in a few hours everything will be decided and we will see where we actually stand at the moment."

It won't hurt if we explore the enemy's territory at least a little. Lanz looked straight into Adela's eyes. "Ela, could you send probes and probots to the planets controlled by Huk?"

Adela nodded. "Of course I could do it, Galak or Ericlia shouldn't have any major problems with it. But why would you issue such an order?"

"Because I suspect that if I am to gain the obedience of the natives, I will have to fulfill a certain, rather specific request, and I also suspect that it will be the destruction of Huk's industrial potential." Lanz answered her matter-of-factly.

"I'll take care of it immediately, Lanz." Adela nodded and then stood up. "If that's all, I will obey your order immediately."

Lanz just raised his hand to her in farewell, and after a while, he was left alone in his office with the super tactical droid. "I wish to be left alone with my thoughts, at least for a few minutes, Khagan."

"As you wish, my lord." The droid just bowed and then left as well.

At the same time, Lanz began reading other, very interesting reports that concerned the situation in the galaxy, primarily the ongoing war. He had many thoughts about it.

It seems that the Rebels have launched a general attack from Nelvaan straight into Christophsis, where a large and fierce battle has recently taken place. Hundreds of ships and an intense clash between the Vanguard Squadron and Titan Squadron, which ended with the annihilation of both squadrons and heavy losses on both sides, but the New Republic Navy managed to successfully push back the Imperial forces at Radnor.

At the same time, the fleet under the direct command of Admiral Ackbar launched another strong attack, this time from Naboo to Kalinda. A territory whose local forces and administration have allied themselves with Grand General Kenner Loring, who if he does not maintain the system may have serious problems with the morale of his forces and the trust in him by the administration.

Meanwhile, in the Slice region, new creations of local warlords are emerging, and it is safe to say that Coruscant's authority over those areas no longer exists, apart from a few loyal stronghold worlds such as Daalang. The Old Empire is undoubtedly disintegrating before my eyes. The rebels are growing very quickly, because the policy of constant terror has created many enemies of the New Order. Fortunately, I have a strong and stable base of support in the New Territories.

Then, he remembered something and a cold smile appeared on his lips. Speaking of support, I'm more than happy that no one within the empire is opposed to the idiotic idea that is Operation Cinder. While my legitimacy as Lord Regent may be questionable at this point, there have been countless senseless losses on the part of civilians, often loyal to the empire. The mountains of their corpses will be what convinces many outraged by my betrayal or those in my ranks who are insecure to unconditional obedience to the Alignment of Powers. The Emperor's contingency plan will work to my advantage, I have no doubt about it.

Lanz thought for a few moments. Yes, Commissioner Marin Lenden will have great propaganda material against the Imperial forces carrying out this operation, and this could very easily be linked to Coruscant. That said, in about a year, maybe even sooner, morale problems, legitimacy problems, or even full re-equipment with the latest types of equipment should be completed. The propaganda campaign, combined with equipping me with new weapons, will give me the initiative in this war, at least against the other warlords. The New Republic, however, is a completely different topic.

Lanz stretched, and then a satisfied smile crept onto his lips. "No matter what, at some point other Imperial warlords will either be crushed, their subordinates will join me and desert, or they will outright be killed and join me. I just have to wait and take advantage of whatever opportunities fate gives me, and this Huk invasion of Kaleesh is one of them, there's no doubt about it."

Even the Force, of all things, seemed to tell him that he was absolutely right about this. However, he knew that too much self-confidence could be a poison that would hit him when he least expected it.

It was undoubtedly a threat resulting from quickly gaining a lot of power and without major complications.

That's all for today, I encourage you to comment and share your opinions.

As a reminder, I'm still looking for Beta Reader.

I wish you a good day and see you in the future. -King's Snake