En route to Sran (changelings new homeworld)
22 BBY, second week.
The holonews still repeat the cries of a desperate mother, and her pleas for the Jedi Order to return her child. You can read more here: HoloNet Jedi Watch | Jedi Vs. The Force of a Mother's Love . More drama stirred by a certain Supreme Chancellor, no doubt. Doesn't help it's also true. Also the Senator of Malastare assassination by the CIS took only one line, while the failed negotiations between my Honored Maid B1 and the CIS were entirely forgotten. Sigh.
Meanwhile, Peffy is inscribing an orange cubic holocron with basic teachings of 20 abilities and 3 major ones : energy absorption, hide in shadow and mind-shield. It has to be done by the Avatar, since the living brains need a different type of learning than synthetic ones.
For the Shards and the Tsil I have imprinted a dozen holocrons with 512 facets myself, and sent them as a gift to the crystals home planets of Orax and Nam Chorios.
They are also different, focused more on large scale actions like fleets and armies and cyberwarfare.
I'm now focusing on creating a holocron with 65536 facets. When ready, it will look almost like a sphere.
If, it will ever be ready. No wonder the Bendu asked me to make a round holocron. It's almost impossible.
The organo-mineral soup collapses again, and I sigh in defeat. Small steps then, let's begin with 1024 facets and follow the Moore's law.
Miss Zero now sports two pistols, one is an Ion blaster with 100 shots, that I reversed-engineered from the Jawas on Tatooine and the other is a nano-missile pistol with 1000 shots. In the hands of a Jedi Master, these weapons can obliterate a battalion of troops or droids in a minute. She also wears a Force-adept prototype armor, that I've built myself, which protects the torso, shins and forearms from slug throwers, blaster bolts and all melee weapons.
Zero still doesn't want to hear full armor or power armor, since she says it reduces her connection to the force. Which is bull. I wear one such armor myself and works just fine.
Can't wait till my employees at Land Warrior devise the next miniaturized tractor beams and hyperdrives. Then my power armor will be a spaceship in function as well.
I've hired a dozen Columi and hundreds of other geniuses from the galaxy, including some Verpine and Xi Charrian , and they went over my inventions with glee. The Xi charrian love my new Vultures ground support mechas and have begun improving them again, while the Verpine go over my combat droids with awe.
If only I could trust them to reveal the Meteor battleships and Comets, the heavy fighters inspired by the Maul and Fay's interceptors.
But I least I figured out how they came to exist, seems a certain Raith Sienar built them with plans from Darth Tenebrous, a Sith Lord before Darth Plagueis. That guy really builds stuff for everyone, and seems he designed the Death Star as well.
I'll have to extract or kill him, before he makes too much trouble.
And wake up, the ship just arrived.
Planet Sran is humid and half covered by oceans, so the changelings should be fine.
I immediately detect the first stealth satellites and the defense space stations, along with the defense fleet and planetary shields.
And look, a certain ship, with a familiar shape just rose from the surface and heads straight for us.
"Fay seems upset, with you." Zero says in a bored voice, deflecting another blaster with her backhand. She's getting better and might even survive now. Unless she gets shot in the head like Lira. Or poisoned or falls from a mountain or gets bombarded from orbit or...
Kriff, organics are so fragile.
"She'll get over it. Or she'll die soon and will be missed" I said feigning boredom as well.
Hmmm. The Avatar senses two lifesigns on board.
A changeling, most likely. And a test.
All right then, your turn Peffy.
Fay's ship did an orbit around my Calamari cruiser, before entering the only shuttle hangar with the sally armor open.
Yea, no more unexpected visitors now. C'mon, is it so hard to place an armor flap over the hangars and keep intruders out?
Not to mention air and organics in, should the energy barriers fail.
Two identical Fays jump out of the fighter. I fly towards them, using the force.
One is a bit impressed in her aura, so I head towards the next.
"Welcome to the HMS Celestial River, Master Fay" I speak through my Avatar, and hold out a hand for a handshake. Genetic alter, yes, it is her. The other one, looking identical is the changeling.
"Oh. You've grown a little since I saw you last year..." Fay muttered a little confused.
"Indeed, Master Fay. Miss Zero says I'm taller than Master Yoda now" I answer amused, and went to shake hands with the other Fay.
"Errr, teacher...is it okay to greet the flying kid?" the changeling asks, a bit worried.
"Use your own judgement child." Fay told her companion, then turned towards me."Quite some improvement to the ship, I see. Crystal and biological armor, over the original durasteel. The bridge and the hangars were armored too. Expecting trouble, are you?" the Jedi wondered,
"Yes, something like that, Master Fay. You surely heard of Imperial officials assassinated by the Dooku's CIS and clashes over contested sectors. I'm certain Sran has holonews, like every world in the Pef Empire. When Corellia goes to war, so shall we" I explained politely, shaking hands with the changeling and learning the first lesson of water alter.
Seems you do need to be organic to use it properly. And acquire a tissue and genetic sample from your impersonation, too. The changeling would be virtually undetectable to most scanners.
"Yes, I heard that, and of the massive expansion the Empire took last months. A thousand new planets. The Emperor is here too?" Fay asked, possibly a little annoyed to speak with a flying kid, looking about 11.
"I am the Voice of the Emperor, Master Fay. My words are law and compel every loyal servant of the Empire. I see you haven't spent even half the credits you were given. Surely the changelings might need things, like skyscrapers and medical labs and museums?" I asked, coming around and floating eye to eye with my Fifth Hand.
"I'm not...building an entire planet is not in my teachings. I just fly around the galaxy, ending conflicts and wars and saving people..."
"Oh, really. The Jedi do not defend civilization and rescue slaves then? They just kidnap younglings and brainwash them to cut any opponent in half?" I asked rhetorically, and produced the orange holocron.
Fay stared at it with wide eyes, since it wasn't a Jedi holocron, which were all known and revered.
"Who, did Master Kuro...the dark woman made it?" she wondered, floating it in the air.
"Of course not, the new Jedi lost the ability to create them a thousand years ago. I made it myself, for you Master Fay. This one is empty, if you ever want to imprint your own teachings, before you die" I added, producing a blue cube.
******
The dark woman blinked again, as her pupil words reached something deep inside. The holoscreens showed her the conversation in the hangar, and also the planet and it's fields and factories. All worked and maintained by droids.
Even Master Fay had no clue how to build a civilization. Pef gave her a hundred billions and the changelings bellow were still living in near poverty. Ugly duracrete complexes, and no parks or gardens or art...
How could the Jedi Order claim to be the defenders of civilization?
It took a child to say the words and wake her up.
"You'd be better off with another Gand as a Fifth Hand. Those people would starve if your droids wouldn't feed them, for free." She said to the Droid Emperor, who was sitting next to her with a bowl of crystal soup, and was constructing more and more complex holocrons, like toys.
Just like entire new cities and terraforming planets. One would think him a mere competent administrator, except for his maids.
Those women, all so different and extraordinary. Wialu was stronger than any Jedi she knew, perhaps even Master Yoda or Fay.
And Solana was so alien that she had no reference to compare with. The Avatar of a sentient ocean...
Also Angie...a real angel, and breathing the force itself. Not a myth after all, if quite naive and childish.
"If Fay dies next year, I will need a new one, yes. I can't stop someone willing to sacrifice herself, but maybe she'll take my offer and let me anchor her. And then bring her back, just like I did for Lira. The old Je'daii weren't wrong, just misguided" Pef answered, not turning to respond, or stopping the holocron's build, or whatever tasks he took at once.
Almost like an AI...except for the love he shared with his Voices.
And next year, she will have to leave...if there will be any place to go. Her garden was now on Gand, after all.
Planet Gand, Pef Empire
Celestial Throne
22 BBY, Second month.
Ventress and Angie have gone to Dathomir, along with a fleet of freighters and escorts, to establish a mining base on Koratas, a moon of Dathomir rich in minerals. And also, to negotiate with the town of Aurilia and with Ventress's family in the Nightsider clan, down on the main planet. Perhaps I could prevent another genocide, by constructing deep underground shelters for both clans. Maybe locate some devolved Kwa and their ancient artefacts too.
Keeping us supplied with vital minerals will be a challenge during the wars, but if the secret deal with the Jefi on Botajef works, they'll abuse their neutrality to transport the minerals under Jefi flag and authentications. And giving them a few billion credits for planetary shields and factories might help too.
In the north, we're trying to expand as fast as we can, taking Refnar and Munto Codru and reaching the Crseih system. Having our own energy refineries around a black hole should contribute making us independent.
More fleets heading towards the Shaylin system and Turkana, while Vette went on with her Meteor and her mentor to take Pakuuniand clear out the Pakuuni pirates.
It seems neither the Galactic Republic, nor the CIS have any interest in this sector, so that means it's mine. Right?
Who doesn't want fertilizers and neural education?
And the fact that both Mon Calamari space and the Centrality are now tucked inside the Pef Empire borders, protected from invasion and war will mean a lot, when the Clone Wars end.
Now if only Wialu manages to bring Brigia and Mullan on our side. A larger delegation, composed of Solana and Zuralee, along with a hundred Calamari cruisers is headed towards Gbu and their insect natives, trying to stop their defection, or at least change it towards neutrality or even my Empire.
Frantic steps, before the war breaks out. The North fleet is in position anyway, 50 Meteors and 5 Mountains along with a thousand Dakka corvettes, in case the war starts a few months or weeks sooner. New Alderaan has become a huge naval base, with fuel depots and armories and barracks for a thousand divisions, while Sol II is nearby, for retreat or healing.
In the west, thousands of survey droids search for a secret route towards Charros. I know it must exist, the Galactic Empire used it in my memories, but the droids find only dead worlds and dead ends, or do not return at all. Mostly the latter. Survey droids were originally equipped with sublight engines, and took decades to reach the nearest stars. A hyperdrive takes hours or days, but it is also way more risky and inaccurate.
Peffy remained with Zero and Fay on Sran, since he's organic and all. Establishing a flourishing civilization is quite easy for my Avatar, and my Jedi Hands can learn alot from him. I mean me. Yes. Allocate another partition to manage the Avatar. Okay, much better focus now.
Let's return to what I'm doing.
Outside my window there's a few hundred old small ships and 21 of Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruiser, that Proto one bought from the Hutts for little, along with 2 Lucrehulks filled with new equipment, like modern sensors and hyperdrives and shields, along with 4200 heavy masers and missile launchers and gatling lasers.
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Okay let's start disassembling the old ships and rebuild them in my image. I mean, in the new design I consulted about with theColumi geniuses. They seemed amused, for some reason. Then again, their species was travelling the stars perhaps 2 million years ago. They forgot more about technology than any other race knew. They just...devolved.
These ships, the Invincible class, are 3000 years old and still work, almost fine. They just need...to be dismembered in little pieces, floating in zero gravity, then guided with precise telekinesis into a mostly similar shape, if much better armored and shielded and most important, armed.
Gah, what were these people thinking, building a 2 kilometer-long battlecruiser, then arming it with only 12 capital class turbolasers? Even 200 guns are too few, but I can only use these due to low reactor power and Meteor production. In 3000 years, they progressed to Venators, armed with 16 guns...
The cylindrical shape is a good start, but it needs a raised superstructure, for superfiring turrets and sensors, then lateral wings for heat sinks, and two large hangar bays underneath the wings for starfighters. The hangar's armored flaps will open backwards, of course, to prevent incoming fire and losing fighters before they can even launch.
And one hour later, the first Invictus class fleet carrier is ready. Class 2.0 hyperdrives, 212 heavy guns, 100 medium guns, and 200 missile launchers and gatling lasers. With room for 5000 droidfighters too.
Only 20 more ships to go. If I could get tired, I'd be in a coma right now.
But being a crystal has perks. Unlimited lifespan and memory, for example. Thus, I can work 24 hours a day, everyday.
And when I'm done, I'll need to upgrade my Lucrehulks as well. That was gonna be exciting. Not really.
And then, a trip to see Crseih, the crystallized white dwarf, and try to save it from being swallowed by a black hole. There's a long story there, but now is the best time to act.
'If you don't hear from me again, come rescue me!'
'Solanus says you're a bit crazy. Solana thinks a bit more. Oh well. Your Avatar will be fine' my Voice said with feigned disinterest.
'Thanks love' I sent back, sad of my unrecognized sacrifice.
Gah. You don't want to meet Waru. Being made into sacrificial offerings for a trans-dimensional being would hurt. Millions of force sensitives would be lost. Plus, future is fickle.
No one could guarantee that Waru will want to go home, this time.
En route to Dellalt, returning from Crseih
On board HMS Celestial River, a MC80 block S2 star cruiser
3 weeks later
So, turns out building an energy refinery around a black hole is very hard. Even for an AI. Took me two weeks, and a thousand asteroids and a billion droids. Along with 50 Lucrehulks filled with advanced tech and rare minerals.
About 1 trillion of credits, invested in this operation. Which is why 6 Meteors and 60 corvettes will remain guarding it for eternity. From all six sides.
Droid crews mostly, with just a few hundred Servants and a trusted Gand Claw to oversee the defenses. I'll have to rotate the organics every 3 months, or they might go crazy, staring into the abyss. And being stared back by the abyss, as well. Not sure about other universes, but here, black holes stare at you!
For the first time since the power gem hit my ship, I felt pain again. And not the Rakata type of pain, but even deeper. The black hole seemed to be an antithesis of the cosmic force, and a reversal of unifying force and a blank sphere in the physical force. My Gand Findsman said it felt even worse for living things.
At least I managed to save Crseih, the crystal star.
The crystal star is not exactly sentient, though it does resonate a little in the force, like most special crystals. I'll let Solanus figure a way to utilize it. Technically, he could melt and absorb the crystal inside a huge ocean, if there would be a Jupiter sized ocean somewhere. Or add hyperdrives, to the sublight engines I already used, and transfer himself into the white dwarf, Pef style.
Then he could hop around the galaxy, exploring.
'He says that's plan D/5b. In case Solanus really, really needs to run.' Solana whispered amused. Great, he copied my planning system now. 'What else, island maids?'
'Solanus thinks the algae on Cygnus B would fit him better.' Solana added, with a telepathic image of huge algae islands. Sentient algae, for a sentient ocean? They would be a good fit. Good choice, Solanus. The Immortal Emperor approves.
'I'm going there, after Gbu votes to join. Zuralee was a great idea for an insect negotiator. She only called you stupid and idiot 6 times.' my Voice added, somehow convinced that the disrespect my Hands spoke of me with was the sign of an enlightened leader, tolerant and kind.
And sure, I was all that, and more. Unless you were my Empire's enemy. In which case...
'Brigia is ours now, Pef. Only 74 deaths and it was done. But Mullan , I'll have to kill over 540 corporate leaders and replace them' Wialu added, asking forgiveness perhaps.
'Orbital bombardments would kill much more. I'll be there in 2 days and reprogram all the droids and the defense systems. CIS must have agents on the ground.' I replied immediately, glad for the opportunity to use my technopathy for a bit of mayhem and murder.
Sure, building stuff was great, and not that complicated once you've absorbed a billion manuals from a million universities.
But not as fun as arranging accidents with elevators and airlocks. Ah poor organics, so easy to eliminate, if I so desired.
On that note, start antidote production for the Blue Shadow Virus.
They never actually contained it on Naboo, since it was already in that river. Better make sure I contain a galaxy wide genocide at the source.
Guess I know where Peffy will be, in a few months.
Now, back to the damn holocron, and try again to for a 2kb one. I mean 2048 facets. Come on dear force, it's still a Platonic solid, right? You can do it!
Sigh, it melted again.
I was missing something. Even with all the knowledge I gain from the Rakata made war robots on Dellalt, and learning to make holocrons and the work on elongating the Rakata field into an ovoid, and I only was 7% into understanding that level of tech.
Gah! This may take longer than I thought.
Planet Gand, Pef Empire
Celestial Throne
22 BBY third month
It seems this time, the vote for creating a Republic Grand Army will pass through the Senate, even with all the stubborn opposition from Corellia and Alderaan and thousands of other worlds. And it is my fault. I mean, Vette's fault. Yes, that sounds better.
She continued her campaign, abusing the fact that Solana was away, swimming with super brain algae, and went to expand my empire as high north as Florn. Now I'll have to fortify that world as well. Sigh. Another billion credits.
The secondary fleets under my Claw admirals continued their work behind the lines, taking Reginard and Hast and have began launching survey droids, looking for Zigoola. Guess I can give Reginard to the Codru-Ni as a reward for joining, since they kinda lack for space in those mountains.
We know it's approximate location, SE of Hast, but that still means thousands of stars anyway, and thus millions of wasted droids. I hope those Sith artifacts will be worth it.
South of Calamari space, we finally added Solay and Dornea to the Empire, well, more by promising Solay as a colony for the Dornean, instead of a pure MPT. And their shipyards now produce my slightly larger Dakka corvettes, instead of their own, anti-starfighter corvettes.
Guess I'll have to invest a bit there as well, and build a hundred new shipyards. And factories and planetary shields and a Naval Academy. In fact, let's go and invest even more.
It seems all their ship captains will make better admirals than all my Claws combined. As soon as they finish the neural lessons about the empire and its law and organization structure and ideals, along with various loyalty contingencies. Wouldn't want some Dornean seal admiral to run away with a Meteor. Just one such warship could slag a planet into melted crust, in an hour.
Also, there's rumours (confirmed by my third Hand) of a Republic Chancellor's Aide inspecting planet Sanctuary in Mon Cala space, no doubt looking for a secret force-sensitive training planet.
Gah, just lay it to rest Palpatine, those are mine. You hear, mine?
Well, mine to protect and nurture, I mean.
Also, that means, I have to evacuate the Trailian species from their home planet, before they are found by the cult of evil and twisted into abhorrent and unnatural creatures.
'It's what we do Pef. One planet at a time, and only 50 millions more to go' Wialu sent a reassuring voice, while hugging Peffy tightly. They're both learning the changeling abilities now, on Sran. And giving Fay headaches, as her mind scanning isn't working.
I'll wait till Solanus makes a biotech chip before I implant the Avatar, cause I don't want to risk frying his brain should some ion weapon catch him in the radius. I remember my droid chassis losing 90% of its functions even protected by a shield and power armor.
Organics are much too frail. Even as strong as Peffy is in the force, he cannot survive without a brain.
In the Ash Worlds, expansion continues at speed, englobing Uriek, Chiron, Nyny, Gligger and Balshebr.
All my 500 Meteors of the first build cycle are now able to move, and fight a bit, even if only 200 are fully armed with MACs and heavy masers. The others will have to wait, until I have 100 Mountains ready, to be able to actually conduct planetary invasions. That means some 4 billion droids, plus their tanks and support. More work.
I need 100 fleets of 3 dreadnaughts, along with three thousand support vessels. Should keep us safe the first year of this war. This would about cover all the known access routes into the Empire, plus some reserves.
That also means I won't be in a strong enough position to attack, except marginal planets like Toola, which just joined CIS, with an invasion fleet over their heads.
Establishing a new regime during war time is much different than in peace. Revolts and sabotage and all that. Too lax and nobody obeys the laws. Too strict and you have rebellions and defective components. Sigh.
No one is truly happy after all. Except my Servants. But then, poor re-educated slaves don't have much choice.
'I don't like this part of our Empire Pef. Forced loyalty is not what I want for our people.' Dora mused in her bond. Yeah, that sucks. But it will get better in a decade.
'It's the same principle as the Jedi code, my love. Only with a thousand laws that ensure the Empire is stable and civilized, instead of programming 3 years old with religious dogma.' I answered back, not really concerned about this.
The Servants chose this for themselves, and were told of the neural education. Why waste a dozen years in schools, when you could start earning hard cash in 6 to 15 months, (depending on your species and knowledge of galactic basic and some other factors)? Contact the nearest Pef Empire sevant for more information!
I returned to trying to find a use for the hundreds of tones of Mytag crystal I found on Dellalt.
As scanners, the Mytag tech were outdated, but it also meant modern stealth wouldn't protect against them. And secret comlinks based on them wouldn't even be detected by enemy scanners.
The kiirium as well, could be used to make new types of starship armor, adding minute amounts to standard durasteel or Quadanium steel as well as other materials in engines and weapons. I'll wait till the geniuses at Land Warrior and Solanus figure a use. Or Peffy and Jaybo.
Being an AI had perks, but it reduced the flashes of inspiration and intuition to almost zero.
Deduction and analysis however, those worked great. And my ADD only manifested when I concentrated too many partitions on a single task. Or a boring one, like making bricks...
Damn it, I want pure, mechanical fabricator nano-droids. If only someone would invent them already!
I hope Ventress and Angie are okay on Dathomir. They only sent one message, that they have arrived.
Well, Angie will be fine, I think. If Mother Talzin electrocutes her, she'll smile happily and ask for more.
Ventress might bombard the Nightsister village from orbit though.