[A/n: Sorry, this is a chapter on slow mail, Something about my thoughts in the upcoming star wars vs Warhammer arc.
There are subtle hints of the plots but not explain that much.
Either something came up that made me in trouble that halted my writing or my financial difficulty have gotten worse that it's not a laughing matter... ]
The news of the Galactic Republic and the Celestial Imperium being in war was spread across the galaxy.
Many of the people in the galaxy held in breath, either in hope or in despair of the fact that their "former" Ally of the Senate brazenly succeeded from the Republic.
It was a stalwart ally during the Sith empires of old, and the news brought a sense of uncertainties in the fog of war.
Especially the news of the unsanctioned attack of the Jedi and the destruction of a Imperium evacuation fleet destroyed by a Republic led Fleet have cause more of a panic.
As there was a unwritten law that they should never touch their ships.
And the republican destroyed a fleet that held trillions of souls from another galaxy.
And by doing so broken the covenant of the the hegemony of balance between the Republic and the Imperium
And now the war is in a three way struggle.
The galactic republic that struggling to contain the separatist that wanted to succeed from the Republic and the vengeful Imperium that is out for blood.
On a planet that is on the borders of the Imperium and Republic, life was normal to the citizen of the Imperium.
They survive the Rakatans, Jedi Civil wars, the Sith wars and the Pius Dea crusades and the Mandalorians crusades.
And the war of the republic was already a certainty.
Many of the Imperial scholars knew, the republic was dying since the last war that was known as the Jedi Civil war.
The outer rim was neglected and abandoned without a second thought. The Jedi, which was once a common sight now obeyed the Senate than following the force.
It was the fact that the republic began to rely more and more resources from the outer rim that was under the guardianship of the Imperium, Quotas that were absurd, taxes that bled families dry to starvation.
The outer rim was a fertile ground of Seperatism, even planets that held significance during the old republic was disregarded and tossed aside for the new trend of centralism of the core worlds.
Many join the Seperatist out of desperation, while others that were nearby the borders of the Imperium, decided to sent a formal application to enter the embrace of the Imperium and it's ideals.
Neutrality was a failed gesture of bringing wolves into their planetary system. Everyone picked a side they believe that they were the winners..
But this was a sign of the horors of things to come.
In a mining world, a conversation taken place, far beyond the ears of the Senate or the jedi.
"You saying that the planet should succeed from the republic?" A man in a bar gasp in horor as if that word was a demonic in his mind.
"No, I'm saying that we shoulda join the Imperium." The man next to him calmly drank his Amasec that was imported from the imperium.
"Are you crazy! They kill Xenos for fun!'
"That's just propaganda, I seen plenty of Xenos, and most of the "Xenos" that you cried about, engage in Piracy, Drug and Slave trafficking. You saying that you defending murderers of morality?"
"That man is a tyrant, the republic-" the man protested.
"Friend, look where we are, we were abandoned by the republic, slaves of a ideology that demanded most of our souls and given nothing in return.
I lost two of my brothers, two, and I ain't sending my sons to die! That they were conscripted by the republic military and died to the clanka! I been to the Imperium... They gave me a future... A purpose. At least the High Lord of Terra does care than a politician that didn't even have us a second thought."
"You are just a pro-imperialist!"
"Imperialist? Is that what you called me? I seen how they operate and they never want us to fight a war without our reason. They don't demand us to die for our beliefs, not sending our sons and daughters to die for meaningless battles."
The man stared across the bar and into the scenery before him.
The mining colony before him is dying slowly, even he could tell that the ores would run out sooner due to the intensity of the mining quota. And what would happened is what scared him.
"We were noticed by the republic because of the deposit of rare materials beneath our feet, our quotas on the dirt cheap in the end.
Tell me, what happened when we ran out of ore?
Does the republic even care about the Black suns and the local slavers roaming this part of the quadrant?
Did our ever increasing taxes represent our voices in the Senate?
Do they even care for us at all? Despite we "voted" the senator that represented us?"
"You-" his friend unable to refute it.
It was true that some of the propaganda of the Seperatist ended up in this mining colony.
"There are 2000 senators in the Senate and none cared about you."
"The republic did care about the people, remember Alderaan?" His friend spoke
"The reason why the republic even notice, is because they had the fancy chancellor Palpatine home planet and queen Padme Amidala. And the people there paid more to the republic than us.
Do they even care if any other planet was attack by the trade federation?"
There was silence between the two, it was well known that if it wasn't Alderaan being the chancellor Palpatine home planet, would the republic at large even cared?
"You know it's going to get us killed?"
"I lost a part of my family... I ain't losin more. Besides, if we joined the Imperium, at least their taxes is not that expensive. As long as we abide their laws, we have security..."
"What about the Jedi then? Aren't they...heroes?" His friend hopeful for one last appeal to his friend to rescind his decision to join the Imperium.
"What about the Jedi? They lied to us, for years they spoke to the galaxy that they were peacekeepers, guardian of the republic. Where were they?
Where were they, when there was famine of our original planet, that we were forced to be slave mining for days on end?
Where were they when my mother cries out in horor when my dad died in a fight against pirates, she praying to a uncaring Jedi that resign in Corusant?
They become generals that led bloodthirsty monsters that chain by them.
These faceless monsters... They obeyed without question and the republic expect us to clap our hands in glee?
I lost my sister because she believes that the Republic saved her during Jabiim, when that said planet wanted to join the Imperium, the republic orbital bombardment and killed everyone in the evacuation bunkers.
The Jedi led the first charge toward the defenders of the evacuation, butcher them in live holonet, and tell me. Do you think they are even... Defenders of the people? Or the defenders of the senate?
And it already painted the picture before my eyes, the Jedi is no longer the heroes we grew up... Tell me, do you want those bloodthirsty monsters in our doorstep?
When the moment your child is somewhat special they are taken away before they know your face?" The man spoke as he drank his last gulp of his Amasec.
"Tell me, if you so sure about defending the republic, I ain't stopping you, I joining the group that petition of joining the Imperium."
"You will be killed! M'sar you know the moment you petition, you will be branded as a traitor to the republic!"
"Traitor... No... The republic betrayed me, abandoned us when we needed help the most, or is it that democracy is so weak that it would kill their own that wanted a different path?" The m'sar left the bar and left his friend behind.
He... Felt something lifted from his shoulders.
As he walk towards the mass of crowd that wander aimlessly in the afternoon sun, he arrived at his home. A old prefabricated housing that was second hand or even more.
His wife awaited him with his sons that held a toy made of welded rods.
"Welcome home, must be rough?" She smiled as she take off his jacket as he gruffly spoke.
"Dear... I joining the petition tomorrow. "
Her eyes widen as fear began to spread on her face.
"You know that if you do so..." She glance at her two boys that was playing with their makeshift toys...
"Don't worry, I'm sure the Imperium would take our petition." He smiled.
"But what about your friend?" She asked.
His face felt melancholic.
"He made his choice, I made mine, I doing this because I want you and the kids to have a better life..." He looked at the window outside towards the colony that was bustling with little life it had.
"I see... I made some soup and some of these meat cubes in it, got it cheap from the black market.. Bath is ready and...may it come true." She weep as she knew the truth.
Seperating from the Republic is sedition.
And he would most likely die. The thought of her preventing him joining the Imperium was harder to change his mind.
The dinner was filled with the boisterous noise of the the children and the silence of the married couple.
He observe at his family, simply had ribs bones sticking out and the malnourished that not even the soup he ate would recover his strength.
The soup is made recycle piss from some bloke and the meat is the only thing that was deemed substance fit for consumption.
He glance at his two children barely even called human.
As the next day, he woken up and join the miners that marched before him.
The alleyways and the roads was jam packed by the people that walked to the government building that held a overseer to the republic mining operations.
Masses of people that worked for years in the mines, stood before the government mansion that was surrounded by the planet garrison.
A man walked out from the group of miners and spoke.
"I am the representative of the miners that is before this government as to sent a petition to join the imperium. Everyone of us here agreed that we should join the Imperium."
A lanky man walked out of the building, that was dressed in opulent colors, signifying his wealth, compare to the contrast of the dirt poor miners before him.
"Why haven't you filled your quotas? It's already 5 am and yet you have time to find such nonsense! Get back to work as your punishment that you work until midnight for 6 weeks straight!" He screamed at the crowds.
"We are underpaid, and the quota is killing us! We barely even have time to even recuperate with your mandated triple shift quotas!" A voice yelled in the masses.
"And yet you even tax us with ridiculous suggestions, soap tax? Who the frik have soap tax in the piles of taxes!"
"We want to join the imperium! At least it's much more better life than we have!" A man held a makeshift Aquila, possibly a converted as his voice join the masses of dissatisfaction.
The richly dressed man yelled at the crowd.
"Shut up about this nonsense of joining the Imperium! You will do your quotas or you will face charges of treason!" His high pitched scream didn't deter them.
Only made them angrier.
"We are on our last legs, we can't support the republic if it's like this." M'sar spoke.
The remaining belief of the republic would even save them died that day..
"Open, fire!" The man scream, as the garrison of republic soldiers aimed their guns at the crowd. Many froze, as they knew some of the soldier that aiming their guns at them.
They began shooting the protestors, blood flood the streets, screams of the people crying out in horor that even a peaceful demonstration ended up in bloodshed, a explosion occured at the outskirts of the colony and many fell into confusion and panic.
The overseer glance at the skies as he saw not republic cruisers, but ships bearing the Aquila.
He glance at the man before him that grinned at him.
The man that made the rally, already made contact with the Imperium months prior, and he was given a future what the Imperium had plans for his planet, though he would be a willing martyr, the message from the High Lord told him something that change his mind.
"Don't die for your beliefs, stay alive so that you and your people enjoy the fruits of labor that is made by your hands, walk with me to see the better future. I will not oppress your people as they soon join us...one vision, One purpose."
Imperial fighters rained down from the heavens that met with the paltry garrisons that was meant to keep the miners compliant, attempted to send their hand-me-downs aircraft to the air.
Each ended up bursting in flames. As more and more Dropship landed on the surface.
The people were frighten of the fact that the Imperial landed so soon.
The overseer ran to the communication relay in the military outpost and attempted to contact the republic, only met with static in their communication hub.
As he about to turn about, several guns aimed at him.
"You...frikkin bastards! You will pay for this!" He glared at the people that hold the guns before him. The Imperial soldiers already taken over the Republic base and now one of their squads is already approaching the communication hub and the overseer was the unlucky person.
"Nah, Do you?" One of the soldiers smirked.
The people rushed back to their homes as the fight began.
But after several hours, it was silent.
As they peeked out.
The fight had ended.
They only noticed the difference was that there were olive colored soldiers bringing down the republic flag and raised the Aquila.
And there were floating skulls flying about.
The man that made the rally came out and called upon the miners of the planet towards the colony square and surrounded by the olive colored soldiers..
"Peope of Adas, I come to inform you that the Imperial heeded our Petition and agreed that our planet will be a part of the Imperium.
And they will impose no taxes for 3 years, and will invest on our infrastructure and our future."
There were murmuring among the crowd.
"Will they oppressed us?"
"Are they going to take our children?"
Many were fearful, scared that a simple protest would escalate to being fired upon end up being under the imperium.
"No... They will ensure that we will share a vision together, a vision of prosperity, too long the republic demanded and taken from us.
Too long our pleas were left forgotten, the Imperium promise.... No will ensure that our future is not one in poverty, but of wealth, no longer we have our sick be left to die while hoping supplies that came from "beneficiary" of the republic came with medical supplies.
Too long we prayed and hope our senator did the right thing, prayed that the Jedi from their lofty temple in Corusant would even hear our cry of help....
But our prayers went unheeded. Instead they made more and more quotas for their war effort.
The Jedi turned their backs to senators that is like their masters than actually helping us.
They ignored the piracy and slavery, they ignored our dying, while they eat and drink fancy wine and food that cost more than what we all earn combined.
It is us to pave our destiny, it is us to pave our future, the Imperium will help us to our feet and stand with our voices heard, our voices that we are not some Economical units for some bureaucrat to place on a spreadsheet, we are human!
We have our dreams and we will stand with the Imperium! We will be the Sons and Daughters to the Imperium! No longer we held the dying system that lied to us!
No longer that our children cling to false hope!
No longer shall we behold the republic as a final hope when it failed us!
We will make our paths than be dictated. " His spoken words spread across the square.
The words did impacted the miners.
Since when did they even had their voices heard? By the time they even had time to even reflect, more and more shifts and quota piled up that they couldn't have time to think in the first place.
"We will stand together. Adas our new world awaits us! One vision! One Purpose! We are now a part of the Imperial vision and now let us walk alongside with our brothers and sisters in bringing our children a future that we never had! That is our hope!
Purpose! That we have the path that we can choose, we can be bakers, farmers and merchants and we will get the help from the imperium that we can be no longer a castaways in a dustbin!
Our dreams for a better future is at hand!
Join me brothers, join me sisters, we will ensure our fate will not die in the darkness. But trailblazers for the future!"
Everyone cheered.
The reconstruction was swift and efficient, every old building were dismantled and replaced with newer and better infrastructure, and the mine were operational within certain limitations.
Hospital was contracted to the workers to help build their home. Each of them earning money to rebuild their colony, which in turn would build the economy.
A orbital space station that held massive hydroponics farms swarm to the planet daily.
The Imperium gave them the tools needed to make them self sustaining.
As they knew the part of assimilation is to ensure that the people itself given a choice to join willingly than sending massive force to comply, The High Lord agreed that soft power is also a necessity.
By the time the republic did sent a counter attack, the people of the planet would see the Imperium more like it's savior than a invader. As no invader would even give a thought of the people they conquered.
The miners were surprised that they never received a draft but a note if they willing to volunteer.
Some joined the PDF others had a better time, others join the police force and some were scouted by the arbites to be hired.
No longer they eat soup made from recycled piss and meat from black markets.
No longer the children born from miners were stunted and malnourished to the point of bones.
Those that were loyal to the Republic, despite the horors that their overseer inflicted. Hid in the shadows and hoping the republic would send their mighty fleet and kick the imperial out.
Weeks turn to months and no help ever came to aid their false hope. Their despair set in when news of their quadrant is now under imperial rule and the republican senate written them off, the would be saboteurs and anarchist sink into despair that the fact that they were abandoned from the start.
No help truly came.
They watch from the screen as the republic that they cherished, turned into the galactic Empire in be final days of the war. Making their hope of the republic crushed.
They saw the prosperity that the Imperium offered, compared to the Galactic Empire that is more bloated and corrupted than the republic.
It became a cold war between the Imperium and the galactic empire.
Skirmishes occured daily as more systems join the Imperium behind the scenes as the Chancellor, now crowned himself as the Emperor struggle to hold his empire together. Falling the same failure of the republic indifference.
There was trace of the rebellion to return to the republic, but many were met with scorn as imperial and sent propaganda that show the very simple truth.
"The republic was dead long before the Clone wars and what become is the monster you see today. Would you beg for chains to wrap around you and your children as politician drain your blood dry?"
Videos of the inhumanity of the Galactic Empire show more proof than posters of changing the minds of the people.
"Corruption, Slavery, Drug trade, Piracy that is funded by the Galactic Empire, is that the world you wanted? Sending your children to war without name?" That was the normal answer to the population that was on the side fence.
Imperium Anti-Piracy action was incentivize to kill pirates and slaves group.
No longer drugs filled the streets.
No longer the people fear the stars, but become curious.
While they believe that the Imperium was dystopian when they first joined, they found that it did indeed brought a stability that they never witness for a lifetime.
The detractors called the high lord as a tyrant, destroyer of democracy and war monger.
But he simply smiled as he joked.
"Democracy is that good that it is hostile to a Warmonger that offered more freedom and security than actual democracy? I don't need that much taxes, just to ensure that we have a social contract, that they believe in me more than petty words of critics that failed to stop the republic from collapsing."
Many made jokes in comedy clubs, especially the famous joke of the High Lord.
"I'm not a God!"
Despite many did believed in him behind close doors.
As no human ever gave the galaxy the true peace that it needed the most, no deed can be replicated by his hand alone.
He wore golden armor and a floating halo everytime he brought planets under his fold, what else can the people he uplifted called him but a god?
Many gave up and join willingly, while those defiant hid from the shadows and attempted to sabotage the Imperium holdings.
Rebel forces sabotage the Imperium more than the Galactic Empire because they were the antithesis to the right of democracy.
Each of them were promptly arrested and undergo servitorization...
Those that believe in democracy, never realized that their bastion of hope transition to a realm of nightmares by their apathy.
By the time the Galactic Empire noticed this little planet and the riches of wealth beneath the planet that the former administration ignored, they sent a task force of star destroyers, gozanthi Cruisers and frigates.
Contingents of Stormtroopers held in their cargo ready to put down the miners they abandoned long ago...
Only met a fanatical and well trained army.
Their pdf fleet was more fanatical that ramming was norm if their hard points were destroyed.
Their fighters were akin to a ramming bolt if their weapons ran dry.
Even the land itself defied the False imperium that demanded their compliance.
The planet was littered with base defenses and planetary shielding that it broke the fangs of the false imperium.
Vehicles from nightmares traumatized the remnants of the Stormtroopers that attempted to rush to the planet.
The church bells from metal monsters that towered across the heavens were their nightmares and the twin red eye that glimmered in the darkness.
No amount of training can stop the trauma.
No amount of therapy can stop the dread in their husk of a armor that hide the fragility of humanity within.