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One by one, the great warships appeared on the previously empty landscape of space. In the first, there were 8 Ton-Falk-class escort carriers, all filled with TIE spaceships of various types, which were basically the most powerful weapon of this ship and there were as many as 72 of them, so an entire fighter wing.

One by one, large warships appeared on the previously empty landscape of space. In the first chew, there were 8 Ton-Falk escort Lostniks, all filled with TIE spaceships of various types. Next were 25 Victory II-class Star Destroyers, quite cheap for a unit of this type, but at the same time with significant tactical and technical parameters. Later, heavier units with great striking power jumped out of hyperspace at an unsynchronized pace, 5 Imperial II-class Star Destroyers, which were already basically a symbol of the Galactic Empire, and the Imperial Era. The shadow and threat of destruction that the Galactic Emperor had cast on the galaxy for many years. However, all of these ships, after minimizing the speed of their engines well below the speed of light, held their positions for a few more standard minutes, until another ship emerged from hyperspace, more powerful than any of the others individually. Not invincible, but definitely the safest.

The Bellator-class star dreadnought Salamandra, one of the most powerful weapons in the Pentastar Navy's arsenal, and without much exaggeration the head of the Platinum Wrath Squadron, which was Lady Admiral Tanya Kaine's personal ship.

Heren could not have been more pleased to be part of this great force that could render countless planets uninhabitable. He had spent his entire life searching for a power that would help him, or even earn the respect of others. He might have been powerless once, but when he gained a powerful protector, or rather patron, he had taken full advantage of his chance.

So he could have stood next to Lady Admiral Kaine when the Salamandra left hyperspace, on the bridge of this star dreadnought, looking out at a planet that was a world of more or less stark contrasts.

Entralla, a fortress world and the capital of the Pentastar Alignment, with a dozen or so star shipyards built a few years earlier, which even now assembled the delivered components, parts and components into entire ships, warships for the front lines, or for patrol and maintaining peace in the rear.

As for the planet itself, it was, on the one hand, heavily urbanized and heavily industrialized, which meant that factories on the surface could meet the needs of shipyards or produce fighters, ammunition, and weapons. On the other hand, many areas still retained their natural beauty, in the form of vast forests, consisting primarily of local olive trees, ideally suited to the warm climate.

The planet's population itself fit into this urbanized world, as it had 9 billion inhabitants, the vast majority of them Humans and less than 1% of other species.

As for the planet's defense, it was large, consisting of 4 Imperial-class Star Destroyers, 9 Victory-class Star Destroyers, 19 Enforcer cruisers, and to this, 4 Golan II Space Defense Platforms and 2 Golan IIs. A force that would theoretically be able to withstand an attack. Especially considering the presence of several strategically placed ion cannons on the surface.

Even Platinum Wrath Squadron would have trouble breaking through such defenses, despite the possession of a star dreadnought. They had not yet reached the planet's surface with the intention of fighting, however, after the confirmation of their intentions and the convening of the Pentastar Council, Tanya's personal shuttle, Magus, had been given permission to land and an escort of 8 TIE Interceptors by the commander of the planet's star defense, Rear Admiral Konstantin Nikolsky.

Heren, along with 20 other Silver Wings, followed the Lady Admiral onto the shuttle, where they took off and within minutes were flying below the atmosphere, passing the ships that were constantly defending the planet.

Heren could not help, and honestly did not want to help, the feeling of pride that the sight stirred in his heart. Ships, full of officers, pilots, navy troopers and crew members trained for many months, often remembering the times before Endor. The commando commander was perfectly aware that in fact, despite the passage of many years, the Pentastar Alignment, despite repeatedly sending abundant material aid to the warring parties, was largely uninvolved in galactic or local conflicts. Instead, selling weapons, delivering supplies, expanding its industrial, economic and military base.

Thanks to this, the Pentastar could boast at the current moment in history the most powerful military force, within the Remnant of the Empire, supported by a powerful and extensive industrial base, capable of rebuilding any losses in terms of purely material. All this, was the merit of Tanya, who often exceeded the limits of her competence, with some clever argument to interfere in another part of the country, to which she theoretically had no prerogatives. All this with being the daughter of the leader of Pentastar, as well as his silent approval, and Heren could swear that the deceased Grand Moff knew what he was doing, allowing his daughter to make such moves.

Magus soon flew to the largest city on the planet, Nexus City, which also had several large and well-developed spaceports, but none of them were the target of the Lambda-class shuttle, which was characterized by specific additions in the form of several silver state coats of arms.

The pilots operating Magus landed on a specially prepared platform, leading directly to the grand palace of the Sector Governor, and at the same time the government building of Pentastar, which housed the most important branches of the highest levels of administration, called commissariats.

Below, under the platform, there was a large square, where at least an entire battalion of soldiers had gathered, divided into companies grouped in columns. However, these were not stormtroopers, but ordinary soldiers from the Pentastar Army. Dressed in olive drab uniforms, with armor protecting only selected parts of the body, including helmets and breastplates, they were usually armed with the older but still very effective E-10 blaster rifles, only commanders or sergeants had E-11s and apart from that, they could also be recognized by their shoulder boards, white for sergeants and yellow for company commanders.

Heren, Tanya at the head and 20 commandos accompanying them, hurriedly made their way towards the palace, while the Lady Admiral casually greeted the soldiers saluting below them. They were greeted by two officers, who informed them that the rest of the Pentastar Council had already gathered and were waiting for them.

The palace itself, through which the 22 and the additional 2 officers leading them, in the ranks of captain and lieutenant, was a place typical of the ethos of the empire, that is, modest, utilitarian and devoid of unnecessary decorations.

Finally, they reached the elevator, which took them to the highest floor of the main tower, and after the elevator stopped and the doors opened, their eyes saw the vestibule, or rather the secretariat, where 16 women and men were busy either reviewing documents on their data pads or having holo conversations. However, everyone stood up and began to salute at the sight of the Lady Admiral with her distinctive insignia on a chrome plate. A row of 3 blue and 3 yellow, followed by the exact same row.

Two guards guarding the large doors saluted at the sight of them, before one of them opened the door to the conference room using the console.

Tanya then signaled her commandos with her fingers for only two of them and Heren himself to enter, and they did. They entered quickly, confidently, and without unnecessary ceremony.

The room itself was quite specific and designed somewhat in the style of the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. In the center, there was a round table, the center of which was cut out to match the Pentastar crest and emit a light blue, almost sky-blue light.

However, the room was full of light and devoid of darkness or something that could best be described as an ara of sinisterness. On the contrary, large portholes on the oval walls provided easy access to light. This was made all the easier by the fact that the sky on Entralla was usually sparsely clouded and the local sun could send out its rays without any obstacles. After receiving salutes from all the assembled, the Commissioners, several Moffs, and representatives of corporate interests, Tanya returned the salute, then took her seat in the largest, gold-crested seat where her father usually sat.

Heren, who had taken a seat to the back right behind Tanya, just watched with amusement under his helmet as everyone's eyes practically popped out of their sockets. Never before had Tanya, even when present in her father's place, taken his place. It made the situation even more confusing for almost everyone present.

Heren himself, meanwhile, couldn't wait for them all to be presented with a fait accompli, unable to do anything against his mistress. How long had he waited for the opportunity to see these powerful ones completely helpless?

"Lady Admiral, with all due respect…" High Moff Ib Dekeet began, promoted to this position by the late Grand Moff, which included management and being the direct superior of all Moffs. "But what are you doing in your father's place?"

Heren glanced at Tanya as furtively as possible, so as not to attract anyone's attention. He noticed that she remained completely calm, placing her hands on the desk, and the reflection of her face against the metallic gleaming light made him think that she had decided to treat her interlocutors with a look and expression worthy of the late Grand Moff Tarkin.

However, looking at the members of the council, the commissioners, the Moffs and the representatives of the corporations, Heren paid the most attention to Gregor Raquoran, who was not only the Chief Commissioner, or formally the head of government, but also the Commissioner of Finance and the Commissioner of Trade.

Heren didn't have to be a politician to be more than aware of how powerful and influential Commissioner Raquoran was. He respected him somewhat for that power and the ability to achieve it, but only somewhat and grudgingly. In truth, Heren genuinely hated the man who seemed to him to be probably the greatest scourge of the Pentastar, and for quite specific reasons.

As for the other major ones, such as High Moff Dekeet or the two corporate representatives, Elta Besk and Wyrn Otro, Heren had a more positive view of them. There were many specific reasons for that, too.

"Did Grand Moff Kaine order you to replace him during our council meeting?" Elta Besk asked, a raven-haired beauty with deep, very tempting makeup, but beneath the layers of which were reptilian scales, worthy of a cunning snake, ready to attack anyone who allowed her too much in her presence. "While I have nothing against it, I would have preferred that we were informed about it in advance, so that there would be no misunderstandings."

Representative Elta Besk, like Representative Wyrn Otro, represented the interests and positions of the most important corporations in the Pentastar in the government. First and foremost, these were: Galentro Heavy Works, Dynamic Automata, Yaga Space Shipyards, Pentastar Fleet Systems and Entralla Drive Yards, the latter two having been established after the fall of the Imperial Center, and their main driving force were Imperial refugees from the Core worlds or others from the center of the galaxy.

"Exactly, as members of the government, we should have known about it in advance, because it has a direct impact, it is worth adding, on the quality of our session." This time, the second representative, Otro, took the floor, a well-built, specific, but also very competent man, experienced in many years of participation in politics, and moreover an extremely responsible and conscientious man, almost incompatible with the world of galactic politics with all these features.

Heren knew that Tanya held the man in relative respect for his loyalty to both the corporate employees and the public, and to the Pentastar cause, something that was not common either in the Pentastar itself or on a galactic scale.

Although Otro had initially been unenthusiastic about the Pentastar Alignment, and had clearly only joined it because of the threat posed by the Super Star Destroyer Reaper, over time he had clearly come to believe in its ability to provide relative stability, growth, and overall business opportunities. Even if Tanya had repeatedly pressed, often successfully, for a change in some of his business practices.

Representative Otro's advantage, in the eyes of both Heren and Tanya, was the fact that the corporations he formally owned or was formally associated with, and the managers of individual factories or refineries, were not supplying the military with equipment of poor quality. The Silver Commandos were often involved in the physical liquidation of management of factories, refineries or shipyards that did not meet production quality standards, so he knew how many tens of thousands of people had been executed in recent years, with the tacit approval of the late Grand Moff.

"My father is not here, distinguished councilors, because..." Tanya allowed herself to keep them in suspense for a moment, taking a few moments to look into their eyes and provoke, which resulted in impatience, in perhaps the purest form possible. "Because the Grand Moff is dead. As for me, I last had contact with him over a week ago, after which I was busy overseeing the creation of plans for further expansion of the navy and gave a speech at the graduation of a new generation of potential officers, but it does not change the fact that we stand at a rather specific point, as the Pentastar Alignment, and it is up to us whether we will follow the path of unification, as successors to the former Galactic Empire, or whether we will go to war in a civil war over the resources left by my father."

Her words initially caused astonishment among all the uninformed, which almost immediately turned into an open argument and mutual questions about the situation. Only one reacted to this immediately, aggressively rising from his seat and immediately placing his hands on the metallic table with a clatter, his robes blowing, resembling all too much those preferred by Imperial Advisors.

"Can anyone confirm these claims!?" The Commissioner shouted, and it didn't take much to tell that he was outraged, furious, but also terrified, and he had a very good reason for it, because Tanya would have no qualms about skinning this man alive. "Otro, tell me, do your little birds know something, or is it a matter of your collusion with that whore!"

His question, his brazen tone, and his vehemence, almost immediately made most of the room outraged by his behavior. However, the Chief Commissioner paid no attention to this small detail.

Meanwhile, Heren and Tanya didn't have to say anything to be perfectly aware of their shared contempt for Commissioner Raquoran. Not only because he was one of Tanya's own main opponents, and had almost succeeded in stopping her strategic initiatives or investments several times. But also because of how corrupt the man was.

It was all the more noteworthy how skillfully this man managed to survive for many years in the positions he held, the main reason for which, however, was the passivity of the deceased Grand Moff and his reluctance to change the status quo too far. It was yet another, not a short list of Ardus Kaine's flaws.

It was also this man who repeatedly and quite effectively, for many long years, opposed the concept of abolishing slavery. Even at a time when most CEOs or decision-makers in corporations had fully realized the fact that slavery was an ineffective relic from ancient, ancient times.

However, now, after these insults, Heren realized perfectly well that perhaps for the first time in his life he fully understood the phrases about blood boiling in veins.

The furious High Colonel grabbed his standard sidearm, a blaster pistol, and fired without hesitation, after which and a time marked by a few short moments, the Chief Commissioner's body fell limply to the ground with a hole between the eyes, after which Heren put his EC-17 away on the ground.

"No one will insult the Lady Admiral, especially at an official meeting and in the presence of such an esteemed body!" He said these words dispassionately, but Tanya and the rest had no doubt that this was due to both his level of loyalty and impunity at this moment, as one of the adjutants of the new leader of their state.

This assassination almost immediately caused panic in the hall and only a quick reprimand by Tanya of the High Colonel, in a cold manner like an absolute zero, prevented the outbreak of panic among the gathered. The shock written on their faces, mixed with respect forced through fear, was only an additional confirmation of this.

Then, Otro joined the conversation from among the participants of the meeting, trying to find out more, clearly hoping to control the confusion and get the meeting back on track. "Can anyone confirm this news?"

In response to these words, an old man in a gray uniform and a short, well-groomed beard rose from his seat. The insignia on his chrome plate betrayed his rank and left no doubt about it. "I personally passed this message in a specially encrypted message to Commodore Xenia Ozzel, who was to pass it on to the Lady Admiral, and as I now know, it happened quite successfully, for which I am grateful to fate. We do not need any more divisions, especially within the Pentastar."

The words of Admiral Sauckel, Commander of Fleet Operations, representative of the army and one of the most respected naval commanders, the oldest of all present in this room, restored peace without any problem. His deep tone of voice, which could have come from an actor who had been playing the same role for years, made everyone buy into the performance. Heren himself, combined with his personal respect for the man, could not help but feel a strange sense of elation as the admiral spoke.

Meanwhile, Tanya allowed herself a brief and cold smile as ice, bowing her forehead slightly before she began to speak. "Indeed, gentlemen, but before we begin, allow me to introduce a few additional participants in this meeting…"

She showed the High Colonel a code with her fingers, which was immediately read by him and interpreted as an order to bring the remaining Silver Commandos here immediately, which Heren himself did eagerly.

Not even a few seconds passed, and after receiving the orders, the rest of the group entered the room, surrounding those gathered in front of the table, initially causing a small commotion among the council members.

Heren looked at Tanya then, and although her expression clearly returned to the unwavering coldness, worthy of the durasteel of their warships, he could not help but get the impression that the Lady Admiral deep down rejoiced in her power, her advantage over the rest and the power over their lives, because for now, each of them gathered was a potential enemy.

"Considering the past few years and the common practice of supposed comrades in the fight against the Rebels stabbing each other, I can only hope that you will understand the need for these precautions on my part." Tanya spoke in a voice that perfectly matched her facial expression.

Heren didn't even have to look at the gathered councilors, but he did anyway. He saw nervous acceptance on the faces of almost everyone present. Only Representative Elta Besk's reaction differed from the others and surprised Heren, as the cunning woman threw Tanya a quick smile before leaning back in her chair.

Heren was aware of a kind of respect between the two women. It all had to do with the fact that both were women of high standing who had long had to fight against the discrimination that existed in the Galactic Empire, which was directed against the fair sex. Thus, both women, Tanya and Elta, respected each other for their own achievements, although Heren himself had never witnessed even the slightest exchange of words between the two that could have been evidence of this.

"Very well, esteemed gentlemen and ladies, now that we have such basics behind us, I propose to move on to the specifics, namely, to give me full authority as Warlady. A title that will combine the functions of Head of State, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Superior of the Pentastar Council." Tanya would occasionally glance at one of the councilors, but it was completely random. "To this end, every soldier, agent, and government official will soon be required to swear an oath of complete, unconditional, and unconditional loyalty to me, starting with you."

This declaration initially caused some consternation. On the one hand, none of them wanted to swear an oath of unconditional loyalty so suddenly. On the other hand, the presence of the commandos and the sound of their blaster rifles cocking sent a knot of fear into their stomachs.

Finally, Elta stood up, her hand clenched over her heart, and Heren had no doubt that she was not doing so out of fear. "Tell me to swear and I will!"

After this declaration, the old admiral was next, and right behind him, the other commissioners and representatives stood up, making a similar gesture to Elta. Tanya also stood up, placing the fingers of both hands on the table.

Heren noticed then that two fingers of Tanya's right hand twitched several times, which was her nervous tic, corresponding to joy.

"So do you swear me complete, absolute and unconditional loyalty?" Tanya asked, and if it weren't for how well Heren knew her, he would have had to say that she was completely calm, devoid of emotion.

"We do, Warlady!" Came their reply, to which the hall fell dead silent.

Tanya took one more look at each of the council members present before sitting down, followed by everyone else present, except for the commandos and their commander.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way, I want you to give me a briefing on the state of affairs within the country. I think we should start with the economics, however…" Tanya then turned her attention to the corpse, which had still not been addressed, before continuing. "Since the position is vacant, I first want to hear the details, and then I intend to appoint a successor for the tragically deceased Commissioner Raquoran, executed in absentia for corruption and attempting to undermine my truthfulness."

It became obvious to everyone, especially Heren, that this was nothing more than a desire on her part to give a semblance of lawful basis to illegal actions. An odd thing, in Heren's opinion, but one that Tanya was extremely meticulous about.

"What is our current production and GDP of our state?" Tanya looked around the room before one of the two corporate representatives spoke.

Otro stood up from his seat, holding a data pad in his hand, and began to provide the requested information.

"My lady, thanks to a large-scale program of industrialization of planets with the right potential, and the construction of new shipyards in cooperation with economic entities from outside our planets, production is steadily increasing. This year alone we have already produced…" Otro looked at the screen carefully, so as not to be mistaken. "30 Imperial-class Star Destroyers, 90 Victory-class Star Destroyers, 234 Cruiser-class patrol cruisers. At the current rate, our wealth is approximately 2,000 Pentastar Credits per capita…"

"I understand, the production of new ships is more than sufficient." Tanya, although clearly more focused on the issue of military production, crucial to winning the war, certainly did not treat the issue of the wealth of the citizens as something secondary. "What about the selection of consumer goods and their availability?"

Otro smiled and Heren knew the reason perfectly well, for it was the corporations associated with him, also thanks to his personal initiative and pressure, that were handling trade and supplying the citizens of Pentastar, with great efficiency. "Thanks to the agreements made with the Corporate Sector, the establishment of several well-guarded trade routes in Wild Space, considerable self-sufficiency in materials and agriculture, and lucrative agreements with TaggeCo for both sides, not to mention the security of our space thanks to your efforts, we have now managed to provide the population, even the poorer part, with access to basic products at very favorable prices. Sometimes even those considered luxuries, although only during certain periods of a single standard year. The surplus of raw materials is, as your father decided, transferred to armaments and research to improve our current technologies."

"I got involved in this matter myself, you don't have to tell me about it, and I already have a pretty specific plan for using all these resources, and for the industrial development of Pentastar space…"

"Your project of increased asteroid mining and the expansion of existing conglomerates involved in this mining was also not without significance." Elta, who joined the conversation, was smiling and had reason to be, because in this matter she and the economic entities associated with her, have shown great success. "The asteroid factory-mine belonging to Pentastar Fleet Systems, which alone is able to ensure the production of new starfighters for ¾ of our fleet, has proven to be particularly profitable."

"We will need more of this potential, because I intend to formulate the first strategic directive issued by me." These words of Tanya, caught the attention of everyone present. "Although I intend to discuss the details only with Pentastar Royal Armed Forces High Command, I will tell you the bare minimum. First of all, on the one hand, the implementation of new types of weaponry, far superior to what we currently have, and territorial expansion, using existing resources."

At this point, High Moff Ib Dekeet joined the conversation, clearly concerned about this issue. "My Lady, with all due respect, territorial expansion, whether against the New Republic or the rest of the Imperial Remnant, will attract far too much attention. Up until now, we have been able to hold our own without engaging in a galactic war, solely because of our partial isolationism. Besides, while we may have sufficient forces, annexing territories from an administrative perspective will be a difficult undertaking, and I am not certain that we are capable of doing so."

The main reason Ib Dekeet had been appointed to this position and enjoyed the great trust of the late Grand Moff was revealed on this occasion. He was a cautious, almost conservative, and cautious man in terms of territorial expansion. Heren would bet a few hundred credits if someone asked him whether, if he took over the Pentastar, the High Moff would limit himself to economic development and territorial defense.

Meanwhile, Tanya was absolutely unwavering in the face of his words, like the thickest plates made not even of durasteel, but of Mandalorian Iron. If Heren could look into her eyes, he would undoubtedly be struck by the same expression as always, devoid of doubts about the decisions he made.

"In the matter of permanent annexation, I will rely on your experience in selecting the appropriate personnel who will be able to effectively manage the conquered planets." She replied matter-of-factly. "And we can do that, our enemies and potential enemies have experienced catastrophe, especially the remaining factions of the remnants of our once great Galactic Empire. Now, either never, or we take the future into our own hands, or the next generations may not forgive us for it."

No one was willing to oppose what Tanya had to say, and Heren could not suppress a broad smile under his helmet at this.

The rest of the meeting went on without a word of protest, discussing the instructions that were to be sent to the corporations and from there straight to the managers of the shipyards and factories. All in order to prepare the assembly lines for the new types of ships. In addition, the issue of successors for the commissioners of the departments that had vacancies due to the last execution.

Additionally, Tanya issued instructions that any possible budget surpluses were to be pumped into the development of their economy, as a long-term safeguard and a long-term strategy for winning the war.

"Even if we do not regain control of the galaxy, I will gladly make sure that we are the most powerful economic and technological force, in the event of another war." Tanya announced and Heren could not help but broaden his smile.

He may have known the Warlady quite well, but seeing how much she thought in terms of long-term strategy only improved his mood. He was proud to serve such a wise woman, who was probably the most intelligent person left after all these years of ruthless civil war and the avalanche of deaths of many high-ranking officials and military commanders. Those who could steer the remnants of the Galactic Empire in some specific direction.

At the very end, there was still the matter of merging the individual and very diversified branches of the state, such as the Politorate branch, Insurrection branch, Judgment branch, Protectorate and Pentastar Patrol, into some coherent and more effective system. More effective, against the background of fierce competition of all these services, often at the expense of the common interest.

Heren at the end of the meeting could not help but think that although now all these commissioners and representatives cooperate as servants of Warlady Tanya Kaine, it might not be long before they all start plotting and old arrangements, connections and intrigues will be revived.

XXX

Tanya, the day after what she considered to be a quite productive meeting with the Pentastar Council, had another meeting, this time with an absolutely crucial body in the face of the ongoing war, the Pentastar Royal Armed Forces High Command. The highest military body, which at that moment answered to her, because there was no position of commissar of war or defense, and instead it was the PRAFHC, as the Pentastar Royal Armed Forces High Command was called for short, that made decisions about the military and sent its representatives to the council meetings.

This was to guarantee a wide autonomy for the military. Tanya herself was an advocate of this solution, so that the armed forces would not be shackled by the incompetence of civilian authorities, to which she had become accustomed during her two previous lives. She did not even consider the possibility of ever placing such an important branch of state as the armed forces under the control of civilians, often appointed on purely political grounds, without real competence or even merit of their own.

Warlady, along with Heren and six Silver Commandos, entered the conference room where the meeting was to take place as noon approached on Entralla. The room was located in a network of underground corridors with its own generators, communications network and food supplies, as well as quarters for guards, secretaries and other staff, as well as for the officers themselves who performed their duties within the PRAFHC.

Although previously as Lady Admiral, she had been required to attend these meetings, often representing her politically focused father, either physically or by hologram, this was the first time she would be doing so as an official head of state. Word had spread quickly and even now, it was slowly but steadily being passed on from Entralla to the farthest planets of the Pentastar.

Tanya surveyed everyone gathered around the rectangular, black and shiny table with a built-in holoprojector in the shape of the Pentastar crest. Among those gathered were all the most important officers in terms of function: the Commander of Fleet Operations, High Colonel Heren Ramcke as commander of the Silver Commandos, the Holographer of Admiral Sepp Torbec, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, the Commander of Army Operations and at the same time the Inspector General of the Army, the Commander-in-Chief of the Pilot Corps, and lastly the Inspector General of the Fleet and the Pilot Corps.

All of them were experienced officers of this Galactic Civil War, who had seen and analyzed the battlefield, the strategies that each side had chosen during each smaller conflict or campaign. Each of them had a more or less similar vision of how the war should be fought by the Pentastar. One head of state, meanwhile, gave them one and common direction.

Tanya took her place at the top, after which all those waiting for her and often talking in groups, also took their places.

"As I'm sure you already know, esteemed gentlemen, I called you here for a reason. First of all, for those of you who still may not know, my father, Grand Moff Ardus Kaine is dead and now I have taken power, taking the title of Warlord, becoming head of state, head of government and supreme commander of the armed forces in one." She announced to them coldly. "For this reason, each of you is to swear an oath of unconditional loyalty to me, the confirmation of which will take place in a few days, at my father's official and state funeral."

Initially, this declaration of such broad powers and the necessity of taking an oath was met with brief and rather quiet discussions. Tanya could swear that Heren, more literally than figuratively, was seething under his helmet. His tendency to anger, especially in matters of her safety and image, was on the one hand quietly approved by Tanya, but on the other hand she was concerned about this potential problem.

The death of Chief Commissioner Raquoran, although planned by her, was to take place in a quick but concise trial for treason. Tanya had no intention of carrying out the execution due to her respect for the rule of law and formalities, even in the face of political anarchy. For this reason, she came up with an entire absentia tribunal that would sentence the Chief Commissioner to death.

Returning to the meeting, this posting was very quickly brought under control when General Maximilian Veers, responsible for both army operations and the inspectorate of ground forces, spoke loudly. His words caused the remaining officers, including Heren, to swear unconditional obedience and loyalty to Tanya without any major complications.

"Now that we have the formalities behind us, it is time to move on to the first thing, the administrative matters." Tanya, subconsciously more satisfied with the entire process of quickly taking over power, turned to one officer who was present here via hologram. "Admiral Torbec, in view of your talents and the many times you have proven them, I appoint you Lord Admiral and thus Commander-in-Chief of our Fleet. Congratulations, and as for me, I intend to keep my position as Head of the Royal Armed Forces High Command."

The newly appointed Lord Admiral bowed, after an obvious initial bewilderment that bordered on shock. Tanya, however, paid no attention to this and immediately turned to all the other officers gathered there.

"Gentlemen, I will say this now, so that no one has any doubts, my first strategic decision is to set priorities." She spoke, arousing interest in literally everyone, because it announced certain changes. "Considering our situation and the increasingly aging equipment of the former Galactic Empire, I consider it absolutely necessary to implement new cruisers and fighters into production as soon as possible. In this way, priority will continue to be given to the Navy and the Pilot Corps, considering that these are forces absolutely necessary for conducting offensive operations but also effective defense."

"My lady." General Veers spoke at this point, clearly wanting to raise objections to this decision. "I wish to draw attention to the fact that such a disproportionate, uneven development of the armed forces will lead to the backwardness of our land forces. Considering what is currently primarily a garrison function, this could have serious consequences."

Tanya had spent a lot of time trying to find this man, whom she personally considered one of the best, if not the best, tactician and operational commander in the history of the Galactic Empire, at least in terms of ground forces. It wasn't easy, but she had succeeded, two years before Emperor Palpatine's return.

General Veers had made it clear once again that he was no mere pawn, but a respectable officer who would always try to provide his soldiers with the best possible conditions for fighting. Although Tanya herself, despite understanding his words, had doubts about his equipment selection skills, because this man had tried at all costs to preserve for the Pentastar Army AT-ATs, about which Tanya herself and a large part of the officer corps of the ground forces and beyond had the worst opinion.

"We have a choice, at least according to the calculations and reports from what remains of the Ubiqtorate, and while the quality of this entity is nothing compared to the former Imperial Intelligence, their estimates still make it clear that either we focus on space warfare, providing the most advanced weapons for our fleet and pilots, or we try to disband all branches of the military evenly in all aspects, which will result in us being overwhelmed by the New Republic not only in numbers but also in quality." Tanya told them, giving them no indication, then looked straight into the general's eyes, although without the result of a nervous reaction from him. "The fleet, as you probably know, is basically our primary means of waging war and maintaining territorial integrity. It is the fleet's patrols that keep our space so well secured and free from piracy, as well as intrusion by rebels or other warlords. Without that. Without maintaining at least comparable potential to our enemies, we will be very quickly reduced to at best, only defensive and having to surrender some planets."

There was no need to add anything more, but a moment later, the General Inspector of the Fleet and Pilot Corps, Vice Admiral Elred Stahl, spoke up.

"My lady, the Empire's doctrine has always emphasized numbers as the primary method of ensuring superiority on the battlefield." The Vice Admiral spoke, trying to sound as courteous as possible. "There is a certain logic to this, because on the battlefield, quantity is also quality. Your announcements make me rather assume that you will act contrary to doctrine."

"And are we to continue producing huge quantities of outdated equipment in order to equip as many soldiers as possible of increasingly poor quality, only to use either static defense tactics or aggressive and mindless assault?" Tanya asked him pointedly, not taking much of his doubts into consideration. "I say a firm no to such stupidity. Thanks to my initiative and work over the years since the Battle of Endor, and the technical data given to the Pentastar by the Reborn Emperor, I have managed, of course in cooperation with corporations and arms conglomerates, to develop new types of weapons, but above all…"

After these words, Tanya took out a black data card, marked with the abbreviation "VISD" in dark blue. Then she inserted the card into the terminal, as a result of which the holoprojector displayed an image, presenting a seemingly quite familiar image, but at the same time quite different.

On the one hand, the spearhead-shaped design seemed similar to the Imperial class in size, but on the other hand, the shape of the bridge, the built-in antennas, and the solar panels on the sides that reduced fuel consumption, created a similarity to the Victory class.

It didn't take a technical background to realize that a completely new design had been presented.

Tanya herself had been working and gathering a team of engineers and naval officers to design a new and massive cruiser that would become the backbone of the Pentastar Navy. At this moment, the result was presented.

"This is the Victorius-class Star Destroyer, gentlemen," Tanya began, her eyes sparkling with pride at the results of the hard work and many compromises on the ship's equipment. "The successor to the Victory class and thus a new, massive battlecruiser, the mass production of which will begin as soon as possible. While the tactical and technical specifications will be delivered to you and from you, they are to reach the lower levels, so that officers and crew members, when they have contact with the new Star Destroyer, know what they are dealing with."

War was a system in which a state fights and its emanation on the battlefields is the armed forces. A platitude. In theory, at least, because in fact it was something that eluded many not only civilians, but also a large part of the military. Tanya herself learned this in her second life and only developed this knowledge in this one.

She knew, therefore, that war is a system in which the armed forces must not only fight effectively, but also smoothly and constantly replace losses, and thus maintain the ability to project their power, whether for defense or attack. When stability and fluidity disappear or completely cease to exist, then the system and the order associated with it collapses and fools would realize the existence of a problem when it was too late.

Thus, the introduction of new types of weapons to the armed forces, regardless of their size or purpose, as long as they were mass weapons, also had to be done systematically, step by step. Soldiers and commanders must know what they are actually dealing with, what the purpose of their equipment is, in what circumstances it works best, what its greatest strengths and weaknesses are. Without this, if the equipment reaches the soldiers at the last minute, they will not be able to fight effectively.

"As our most important warship, I will now allow myself to present its specifications, which, I tell you, make this Star Destroyer a true technological marvel with the most modern types of mass weapons available." Tanya allowed the silence to fall like a misty curtain over the pre-battlefield, and when she did, she deliberately paused every now and then to give it all a special dimension. "A 1,250-meter ship… Equipped with 35 heavy turbo laser batteries… 35 heavy turbo laser cannons, 30 light and half as heavy ion cannons… 14 turbo laser batteries, seven on each side, each with 6 barrels and evenly distributed along the side to allow for easy direct fire… 2 triple long-range ion cannons placed forward of the superstructure… 10 concussion missile launchers on each side, distributed at different points, plus 40 point defense cannon stations… The reactor is the same as the Imperial class… Shield deflectors, 3 main engine units, also the same as the Imperial class, not to mention the possibility of carrying a whole wing of starfighters on board…"

Everyone gathered, regardless of whether they were ground forces or It could be as powerful as a single Imperial on the one hand, and as massive as a Victory on the other, considering the estimated costs in the description of the machine.

"Basically..." The newly appointed Lord Admiral said, staring wide-eyed at the screen in front of him, as if he was looking at something that could only exist in theory. "A versatile ship has been created, with great firepower and the ability to carry 72 starfighters... But at the cost of being able to carry a small number of passengers, only 3,200. On top of that, increased automation and the use of more droids, which means a required crew of 14,500, and the fact that the base price per mass-produced example is to be 75,000,000 credits, despite all these parameters and the increased size!"

Tanya was pleased for two reasons. First, because of the successful presentation and the subsequent avalanche of praise, even from General Veers and Supreme Commander of the Army High General Curt Starros. Second, because during her studies at the Imperial Academy Carida, she had taken advantage of the cadet course on ship design for all types, some of which had been taught by none other than Lira Wessex herself, a true legend responsible for designing the Imperial-class Star Destroyers. A ship that, despite its many flaws, was nevertheless the foundation of the empire's fist in space.

"My lady." The previously quiet Inspector General of the Fleet and Pilot Corps, Vice Admiral Elred Stahl, spoke in a voice strained with restraint. "If what we have just seen is the future of our fleet, our main train of this war, then… We have the perfect ship to continue this bloody war to a victorious conclusion!"

The usually measured Commander of Fleet Operations, Admiral Sauckel, was also overcome with euphoria. "My lady! This is the perfect fighting tool, as if the result of many minor and major design mistakes in earlier ship classes… The seeds sown earlier have yielded perfect fruit!"

Although the army officers had previously been clearly unhappy with the marginalization of their branch of the armed forces, even they shared this enthusiasm. Soon, and out of nowhere, sheets of paper appeared and flew all over the room. The enthusiasm was so great, as if not even a significant battle had just been victoriously ended, but a campaign that was decisive for the outcome of the war. Tanya made a mental note of how important it was to make the best impression on a given fact, the result of which could be tantamount to winning the entire battle against the enemy army.

For this reason, Tanya allowed herself a warm half-smile and ignored the unprotocol behavior on the part of the admirals and generals, who should have been models of calm, and of whom only High Colonel Heren remained calm.

"If this is what the Navy gets, then I can't wait to see what we, the bloody Pilot Corps, get!" General Turr Phennir spoke, full of excitement and something close to childish excitement. "What do we gain from this new... Strategic Directive!"

General Turr Phennir, the Supreme Commander of the Pilot Corps, a short-haired blond and war hero, was probably the most serious of the people gathered here, right next to General Veers. Turr was a veteran of the Pilot Corps, having fought for a long time as part of the 181st Imperial Fighter Wing and taken command after Baron Soontir Fel's defection. After years of ineffective fighting against the New Republic, he eventually joined the Pentastar Alignment, and Tanya was happy to give him the highest possible position in the Pilot Corps, given his legendary charter.

The General had done much to meet her high expectations, primarily in terms of the high quality training of the new generations of pilots for their starfighters, to maintain the highest possible level. The result was that while the ground forces in the Pentastar gradually declined in quality and importance, the navy and pilots had only gained, especially compared to the peak of the Galactic Empire's power.

Tanya was more than happy to clarify the issue of new weapons for the Corps and thus present another project. "First of all, a new starfighter design that will finally mean that our pilots won't have to make up for their technical deficiencies with their skills."

The holoprojector displayed a new type of multi-role starfighter, which differed significantly from one of the symbols of the empire, the TIE Fighter, clearly referring to the TIE Interceptor in terms of flattened solar panels. It was a pointed, dagger-shaped shape, not only at the front, but also at the rear. The machine was generally quite slim and had a significantly reduced profile, which was always an advantage on the battlefield. In addition, compared to other types, the hull was reinforced and extended.

In addition, the projection clearly showed quite numerous weapons of the new mass starfighter. 4 small laser cannons, 4 general warhead launchers, to this with the possibility of adding 8 concussion missiles or 2 advanced proton torpedoes and 2 heavy missiles.

It was a project that, although seemingly old, was designed by Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin and abandoned after its failure, Tanya tried with great dedication to obtain the prototype plans for herself. She succeeded, as a result of which she was able to reactivate the project, which brought the following results.

"This is a new, basic multi-role starfighter, which some of you may recognize, because examples of this ship are still in use, although definitely in a version that I would allow myself to call obsolete." Tanya assumed an expression of cold calm, which many liked to compare to the way of Grand Moff Tarkin's expression, but this time it did not cool the joy of those gathered here in the slightest. "TIE/ad Avenger, now actually TIE/av version Mk.VII, the final version, which took me two years to refine and adapt to the requirements of mass production, but as you can see it was worth it. True, I found it necessary to get rid of the hyperdrive and related navigation components from the structure. I also gave the order to get rid of the tractor beam and introduce additional design simplifications. Nevertheless, these are acceptable costs if the price of a single example were to drop from 400,000 credits to 190,000 while maintaining the powerful armament and solid shield deflectors."

Vice Admiral Elred Stahl looked at her almost immediately after the presentation, with an expression on his face that made it clear to anyone who saw it that he was not pleased with it. "With all due respect, is it really necessary to put such an expensive starfighter into mass production?"

Tanya had expected resistance from the logistics department, however, and had a ready answer. "I realize that this will mean increasing the price for a complete set of fighters for each starfighter wing to about 13,500,000 credits, but these are acceptable costs, especially since this is to be a machine reserved exclusively for the front-line forces, who are known to be deployed on the front lines. Moreover, the price, with well-thought-out mass production, should only continue to fall."

"I have something else in mind, my lady." Vice Admiral Stahl rubbed his forehead. "The introduction of such an advanced and expensive starfighter will force the remaining warlords and rebels, although I mean mainly the latter, to introduce even more advanced machines. In the long run, this could mean an arms race that I do not believe we are ready for."

"We are not." Tanya admitted this without shame or regret. "But we will be, once I have completed the total mobilization of our economy for war, in due course, apart from meeting the essential and more sophisticated needs of the inhabitants of our planets. Beyond that, everything must be subordinated to military production, while our offensives ensure that war and the spoils of war feed our war machine. With each additional planet captured and its industrial complexes, our total war economy will also be strengthened."

Apart from Tanya and Vice Admiral Elred Stahl, the rest of the officers in the room had little understanding of economic matters. As a result, they accepted Tanya's explanation without any problem.

As for the Warlady herself, she was not all that thrilled about it, at least not her dogmatic economic and social liberal side. However, at this point, pragmatism came into play. In her first life, she might have believed that a liberal economy was the ultimate and only right way for societies to live economically. However, the war of her previous life, the vast stupidity of all organic beings, not only humans, and especially the experiences of the chaos in the empire after the first death of the Galactic Emperor, made it clear to her that leaving complete freedom in the hands of humans was a direct path to disaster, because at the first signs of crisis, not to mention the time of serious crisis itself, they simply lost their heads.

For this reason, with great pleasure and eagerness, she sought to introduce some elements of state supervision of the economy. Supervision, but not control over the means of production, because Tanya remembered all too well the socio-political experiments in which it was assumed that the state would be the best owner of factories or farms.

One thing was certain, Warlady had no intention of causing famine and thus unplanned genocide among the population of her territories, as had happened in the history of not only her previous two worlds she had lived in, but also more than once or twice in the history of this galaxy.

As for the rest of the meeting, it was calm, discussing the issues of potential reorganization or the creation of contingency plans in the event of the collapse of the main defensive groups of their fleet. In addition, the potential establishment of a successor to the Stormtrooper Corps, which could become an elite strike force and, on planets with politically uncertain populations, an effective occupation force.

I also did not miss the topic that was inconvenient for the army, even extremely so, namely the very low morale and effectiveness among the ground forces, which also translated into sloppy occupation service on their planets, and also the serious problem of corruption, about which many planetary governors wrote extensive reports. While High General Curt Starros was visibly embarrassed, General Veers declared, despite his obvious surprise at the existence of such a problem, that he would do everything in his power to instill as much discipline among the ground forces as the quality of the personnel would allow.

In addition, there was still the issue of the next technologies and ships that Tanya intended to introduce, such as the Tiger-class cruiser, an improved Vindicator and enriched with effective point defense positions, or the Victoria-class Star Destroyer, which was de facto a star dreadnought, intended to be, on the one hand, the successor to the Imperial class as a flagship for squadrons or entire task forces.

The choice of name in the latter case was not accidental, because even now Tanya remembered her former subordinate from the times of the battalion and the Great War quite fondly. This sentiment, which she would certainly never have allowed herself in her first life, made her want to honor her almost loyal friend in some way.

Finally, the meeting ended after several local hours of long but substantive discussion, after which the officers left full of enthusiasm for work, as a result of which only Heren and she remained in the room.

"Tanya." Heren began, and the manner in which he spoke gave more than enough reason to think that this would be a more private conversation. "I have never questioned your motives, but…"

"Everything before the 'but', Heren, you can put in to a bantha ass." Tanya interrupted dryly, earning a snort from him. "Still, I understand what you mean. Do you want to know my end game clearly?"

A nod from him was enough, and the previously cold calm on the face of the blonde woman with the small and unremarkable body was replaced by a wide smile, mixed with a sinister and mad glint in her eyes.

"Then I will answer you." She began quietly, and she didn't need to see the High Colonel's face to realize that his hair was standing on end, for the total steadiness worthy of the durasteel figure conveyed more than a hundred epithets. "Total, complete and undivided rule over the Galactic Empire."