The Empire's Descent

Chapter 5: Gun-boat Diplomacy

As the Victory II-class Star Destroyer known simply as The Venom floated ominously above the capital city, the captain of the mighty Imperial vessel, a rather lithe and youthful man by the name of Evan Müller - glanced down upon the natives of this world with an unreadable expression, neither of disgust nor hate.

Turning on his heels, he faced his long-time friend from his academy days, a Lieutenant by the name of Smithe Deru. Circumstances and a little bit of luck widened the gap between him and Smithe, with Müller completely leaving him behind in terms of ranks. Though, as fate would have it, the two friends still remained on good terms with eachother.

"Lieutenant Deru!" The Captain greeted with a warm smile, returning the salute, "It's been a while... Judging by your expression, the outcome wasn't exactly satisfactory?" He questioned.

The Lieutenant returned the smile in kind, before faltering slightly, "I must admit, I find this world to be quite disappointing. These people are primitive in practically everything. It seems like we'll have to set up our own infrastructure if we want this fleet to survive." He reasoned, as he viewed the dim twilight skies above the capital city, littered with various silhouettes of antique airships surrounding the star destroyer. Whether to keep an eye on them, or to simply ogle at the Imperial starship, he paid little attention.

Although it wasn't blatantly obvious, the 44th Imperial Fleet was slowly running out of resources. Fuel, rations, and especially spare parts were quickly dwindling, with the fleet capable of running at full operational capacity for only a couple of months at most. The timing of their transportation was mostly to blame, with their resupply convoy only mere days away from arriving, and such, the fleet already had relatively low resources by the time they were transported.

"No need to be so stingy, Lieutenant." Captain Müller grinned, "I'm confident we will find a way out of this. After all, just a bit of damage won't cripple an Imperial fleet, correct?"

Lieutenant Deru only nodded in response, indifferent to the enthusiasm his friend was expressing, "We will see, Captain. We will see."

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Two Days Later

An unspoken tension gnawed in the air.

In the Grand Palace, whose spires and windows danced with the setting sun's light, creating a beautiful scene of mesmerizing colors that seemed to morph with every movement, Emperor Magna sat expressionless on his throne. His eyes gazing upon the lengthy forms of a small number of these infamous Imperials - who found themselves in the Palace's Grand Chamber. Senators and advisors of every background convened on the Imperials, seemingly trying to observe any faults or shrewdness by their presence, yet only capable of finding very few.

With the Imperial's shortest man standing an entire head above the average soldier, that initial daunting impression merged with their Imperialistic uniforms - that were colored in a dull and prominent shade, creating an unprecedentedly intimidating display. The contrasting white of an Imperial soldier standing out from the dark background.

After some looks and exchanges that were each laced with slightly provoking tones, the first official meeting between the two respective Empires began in earnest.

"Your esteemed highness, I, Lieutenant Deru, formally greet you on behalf of the Galactic Empire." Spoken with a slight bow, the Lieutenant greeted the emperor with a calm gaze. Even with the emperor's overbearing aura surrounding him, the Imperial officer stood steadfast. Like a bastion of... not so bright — light against the darkness.

Without a single word spoken, the emperor simply nodded in acknowledgement, instead allowing his personal advisor - a plump man by the name of Frederick Robin, to speak for his excellency. "To what purpose may your fleet have in his majesty's skies?" He asked, his rather round face scowling slightly.

The Imperial Lieutenant stood steadfast, his calm veneer unfazed. "My superiors have deemed it necessary to procure resources from this planet. As your nation is one of the largest, we have deemed it suitable for our fleet's needs."

The advisor, sonewhat satisfied with the answer, followed up with another question. "And is this a part of your fleet?"

With a simple press of a button, a mechanism in a nearby pillar clicked and shuddered, revealing a small lens projecting a still image on a nearby empty section of wall. The image depicted the vague silhouette of the infamous TIE-fighter, its steely colors and mechanical design a blur due to the limited managraphic technology.

"It is," The Imperial confirmed. "But I can assure you — it was not an act of malice nor war. This craft you see here, a TIE-Fighter from one of our ships, was sent into your nation's skies to conduct a routine reconnaissance mission to assess this previously-unknown planet blank from our records. If we had prior knowledge of nations such as yours existing on this planet, my superiors would have sent a more... pleasant, greeting instead."

Deeming the Lieutenant's words suffice, many of the nobles and governors in attendance whispered snippets of approval, before a questioning hand was raised above the masses. A motion, that was permitted by both parties.

"If I may ask, what nation does your fleet hail from?" Although it was hidden under his veil of neutrality, this question formed a prideful, almost delighted grin on Lieutenant Deru's face.

"As I have already stated, we Imperials hail from the Galactic Empire, a — for a lack of better words, colossal empire made of thousands, if not tens of thousands of worlds very much like yours — inhabited by trillions of citizens from millions of various species. We are led by our esteemed Emperor Sheev Palpatine, who, in his lifetime, had united the galaxy in mere decades."

Not even a moment passed before the court erupted in absolute disbelief, calling out the Lieutenant's lies.

"An empire that spans over the stars themselves?"
"How preposterous! Outright heretical!"

Although the Lieutenant's outrageous words were faced with more than negative responses, nearing outright resentment, a hushed hand from the Emperor silenced the court. The untrustful eyes of the now-silenced senators glaring holes into the Lieutenant's figure.

"Spans over the stars, you say?" Emperor Magna's voice boomed across the court, enhanced by channelling his mana through his vocal cords. "What evidence does your faction have, to prove such a... bashful claim?"

The Lieutenant leaned towards a nearby Sergeant, whispering a short conversation, before returning the Emperor's gaze. The Emperor was familiar with the stare that the Imperial gave him, which was one of contemptuous pride.

"My superiors have decided to simply give a glimpse on the true power of the Galactic Empire. Please, allow me to personally escort you to this palace's garden."

After a short discussion with his advisors, Emperor Magna nodded, briefly stepping away from his throne as Lieutenant Deru led him through the ornate corridors of the palace to the royal gardens, with a contingent of guards from both sides following suite. As quality carpet gave way to cobblestone paths, the Lieutenant further led the Emperor to an open area of the garden that gave a beautiful clear view of the city — the sun proudly emitting it's lively yellow glow. A refreshing amiable breeze flowing through what was left of the hedge walls.

Merely two days before — the Emperor had this same exact view from that infamous day. The day when a titan emerged. He still recalled the terrified looks of his citizens, the trembling rifles of the palace guard, the flocks of birds fluttering away from the floating fortress, as if trying to escape from an apex predator. How the capital's home fleet looked tiny compared to the dagger's visage. Subconsciously, without himself ever realizing it, the Emperor felt grateful that the Imperials never attacked with their presumably, most powerful ship.

"...I present to you..." The Imperial Lieutenant squinted at the sun, with a proud smile on his features. Following his gaze, the Emperor lifted a hand to shield his eyes from some of the sun's rays, yet still, he saw... something? Like the now infamous report of a wyvern rider in his majesty's military, Emperor Magna saw multiple... dots on the sun?

"The Abaddon."