Grand Moff Nahdonnis Praji rose from his seat in the waiting room, nodding as Admiral Freeling, “Grand Moff” Sheckil, “Emperor” Loutka, and Admiral Mallo Motti approached.
“It’s absurd, is my point,” said Sheckil. “Imagine, that all five of us have come running at the summons of this upstart.”
“Yes, yes, Sheckil,” said Mallo Motti, glancing over his shoulder. “I believe we are all in agreement. This is a bit of an insult. But remember, there are stormtroopers listening.”
“I don’t give a damn what any infantryman thinks of me,” said Sheckil, clenching his jaw.
Admiral Freeling smiled cynically. “Be that as it may, my old friend, I think we should play along in good humor. Coruscant is rich in scrap metal and slave labor, if nothing else. Once we shake hands with this figurehead that Regis has propped up, we can each of us section off territories, carve out what we need, and then leave this place a gutted hole in the ground.”
“Emperor” Loutka nodded, adding, “Agreed. Leave this open sewer to the aliens, I say. We’ll roll this upstart over with a firm word or two. But he had better supply lunch for this meeting, mark my word!”
Before Praji could speak, Birdy rounded a corner and saluted. “Gentlemen, if you’ll follow me,” he said.
Praji and Freeling exchanged a look, then followed. Mallo Motti followed behind them. Loutka hesitated as Sheckil gestured for him to go next.
“As the highest ranking, I need to go in last,” said “Emperor” Loutka.
Sheckil rolled his eyes, then followed the others inside the office.
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* * *
When the meeting came to an end, the five former warlords came out of the office, their eyes wide and faces seeming drained of blood. The door closed behind them and they stood in silence.
Sheckil swallowed loudly, then turned to Praji. “I suppose I should… congratulate you on your promotion to Fleet Admiral, my old friend,” he said, saluting the man who was now his superior.
Hiding his hand before the others noticed him wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, Praji tried not to look surprised as the other men - most of them bitter enemies only an hour before - saluted obediently.
“I thank you,” said Praji. “But really, I think we have all been promoted. Though we may have once styled ourselves as Moffs, or Grand Moffs, and other titles…” Praji fought to speak, but it was difficult with his mouth having gone bone dry. “With the end of the Moff system, and territorial rule, we shall all endeavor to work under one rule. Now that the Empire has truly been reborn, we shall… shall all, um, work together, and… and…”
“By the black stars of Byss, that man is frightening,” said Admiral Loutka, pulling at his collar as he fought for air. “I can hardly believe that he…”
Loutka stopped when he noticed the others watching him, frozen, their faces turned into masks that failed to hide their intense fear. Loutka clamped his mouth shut before he said something that would end up cutting off his air yet again.
“Well, then,” said Praji. “I’m sure we are all looking forward to working together once again. Hail the Emperor! Hail the New Empire!”
“Hail Emperor Skywalker!” said Admiral Mallo Motti, saluting in turn. “May he live forever!”
* * *
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Soundtrack: Imperial Occupation of Coruscant
Two Steps from Hell: Freedom Fighters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP1QHVNHMAE
Stormtroopers in full armor stood in formation in Monument Plaza, a spotless square lined with tall pyramidal structures, and there hung the golden and black flag of the New Empire, showing an icon of a sunrise atop a lightsaber. Musicians from Fleet Admiral Praji’s orchestral band played the New Imperial March while dancers from Admiral Mallo Motti’s forces leaped and turned, young men in white tunics and leotards throwing high the graceful women. Star Destroyers hung overhead, wedges of gleaming white hulls shining in the rising sun while TIE Fighters streaked past, roaring in a show of power.
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Though the city around them still lay in ruins, Monument Plaza already had new construction work, including plinths set up for the raising of statues. One was already complete, a towering statue carved out of marble, shaped like a beautiful woman with long hair standing with one arm upraised toward the heavens. Six wings seeming partly of feathers and partly of steel framed her, making her seem more than human, and in fact, a godlike ideal. At the base of the statue was a plaque reading:
REMEMBER MAREN SINDO
PUREST MAIDEN OF VALOR
STAND TALL O HUMAN, LIVE BY HER COURAGEOUS EXAMPLE!
Finally the trumpeters in white cloaks blew their horns, announcing the coming of the sovereign. A Lambda-class T-4 shuttle landed at the top of a raised platform, and as the boarding ramp extended, stormtroopers and officers shouted in exultation, then raised their fists in triumph. From the mist of the shuttle’s cooling exhaust strode Emperor Skywalker, his long white cloak trailing behind him.
Emperor Skywalker looked much like an Imperial stormtrooper, with his body encased in gleaming white plastoid with flexible joints of black leather. He wore no helmet, but his ashen face was constricted by a high neckpiece, which was also made of gleaming white plastoid. Blinking lights on a chest computer acted as a readout for respiratory and pulmonary functions. Though a golden lightsaber hung at his side, it was doubtful that he would need it, for he was surrounded by Imperial guards in masks and white robes edged in gold, as well as a crowd of thousands fanatically devoted to his reign.
The stormtroopers were mad with joy. They had all heard the tale of how he had faced the terrible Empress in hand to hand combat, and using the incredible Jedi arts, he had forced her onto the roof and lined her up for a fatal blow delivered by a lowly stormtrooper - someone just like them, a normal human made great only by his unwillingness to back down in the face of adversity. The officers could not have gotten the soldiers quiet even if ordered to do so.
Soundtrack: Soldiers Stand Before the Emperor
The Wings of Honneamise: Out to Space - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2o_PPdTTVk
The Emperor stopped and raised a hand, and several heroes approached in order to receive their awards. Among the first group was Major Regis, who wore a crisp officer’s uniform, as well as his closest companions, Birdy and Vasili. Both Regis and Vasili stopped at the stairs leading up to the stage and held Birdy on either side, helping him up the stairs, for one of his legs was encased in plaster. Something about this gesture - humans helping other humans - set the crowd off even more, some even crying openly.
The three heroes reached the top of the stage and stood before the Emperor. Regis bowed his head, and Emperor Skywalker placed a golden medal around his neck. Birdy followed next. Off to the side, Artoo trilled and bounced from leg to leg, but this interruption was drowned out by the shouting and applause of the stormtroopers. Regis glanced off to the side. He did not see Han Solo or Chewbacca, but he noticed Lando Calrissian standing with several Imperial officers. Lando gave Regis a smile, and a slight nod of the head. Regis laughed and returned the gesture.
Distracted by Lando, Regis failed to notice a strange moment between Emperor Skywalker and Vasili. Luke placed a medal around Vasili’s neck, and as Vasili lifted his head, their eyes met. Luke hesitated. Vasili offered Luke a smile. Standing so close to the Emperor, Vasili could hear the whine and hiss of Luke’s lungs, the implants causing his chest to rise and fall with unnerving regularity.
Luke did not return Vasili’s smile. Strangely enough, Vasili had the distinct impression that Luke’s face, despite being one of the few parts of him that still retained its human functionality, had actually become a mask. And behind that mask there radiated anger, the senseless screaming of one abandoned… and even hatred. Vasili swallowed uncomfortably.
But the moment passed. Luke put a hand on Vasili’s shoulder, and Vasili laughed with the nervous release of tension. Vasili told himself that Luke was in pain due to his cybernetic augmentations, nothing more. Luke gestured, and the three heroes turned to face the crowd. The trumpeters sounded their horns, and Imperial artillerymen fired bursts of confetti over the plaza, and holographic beams of pink, gold, and sky blue shone over the cheering crowd.
Regis turned to the statue of Sindo gleaming in the light of dancing holograms, and while most did not notice, a young cadet on the stage saw Regis’s face shining with tears running down his face. The cadet was confused. Regis did not look outwardly sad. In fact, how could he be? He was the hero of the human race!
“Why is the Major crying?” said the young cadet.
“He cries for joy,” said Fleet Admiral Praji. While applauding, he leaned in close to the cadet so he could be heard over the crowd. “He cries for joy!”