A/N: In the previous Chapters I've gotten to caught up in writing them that I misplaced Sera where Luna should be. As of right now those chapters should be fixed with the correct name which is Luna.
Luna is Daimon's first daughter and Sera was his padawan who also left the order and followed him.
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On the trip back to Veldari, Daimon continued to try and figure out what it was that he saw through the Force, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see anything.
The darkness that obscured his vision was deliberate, purposeful in a way that suggested intelligence behind it. Whatever this entity was, it was shielded from Force-sight, even from someone of his power.
One crucial thing that Daimon forgot was his origins. The very entity that brought him to this galaxy was constantly watching Daimon's life and decided to spice some things up. As it stands now, Daimon had no real competition in the galaxy, and the God that brought him here wanted to see more galactic struggles.
So, the Dark entity that Daimon vaguely felt had inhabited the body of one of the Sith's and would work towards becoming the Sith Emperor. This entity was very powerful in the Dark side and would spark a Dark revolution within the Sith Empire which would see the creation of powerful Sith warriors.
This entity had been slowly corrupting one of the more ambitious Sith Lords within the Sith Empire. The Sith Lord in question was named Asid, a cunning warrior who was already on the rise. Asid had been growing frustrated with the current Dark Lord's cautious expansive policies, believing the Sith should be conquering more aggressively.
The dark entity whispered promises of ultimate power, showing Asid visions of himself as the supreme ruler of the Sith Empire. The corruption was gradual, almost imperceptible. Asid's meditation sessions grew longer, his use of the dark side more reckless. His followers noticed the change but attributed it to ambition rather than possession.
The more time passed, the more control the Dark Entity would gain and transform the Sith Empire into an extremely aggressive militaristic empire.
Within the Sith Empire's capital on Korriban, Asid stood before the Tomb of Ajunta Pall, the ancient structure radiating dark side energy that most Sith found overwhelming. But Asid felt energized, empowered in ways he had never experienced before.
"You hesitate," a voice whispered from the shadows of the tomb. Not an external voice, but one that originated from within his own mind. "The other Lords sense your growing power and fear your rise. They will move against you soon."
Asid's hand tightened on his lightsaber hilt. "Then I will strike first."
"Yes," the voice agreed. "But not rashly. The Dark Lord maintains the loyalty of five of the nine Sith Lords. You must fracture that loyalty before making your move."
"How?" Asid asked, then immediately regretted showing such uncertainty. A true Sith should know the path to power instinctively.
"Through their apprentices," the voice replied. "The next generation hungers for advancement. Show them that you offer a faster path to power than their current masters. When the time comes, they will turn on those who trained them."
Asid smiled, the expression twisted by the dark side energy slowly consuming him. "And the Mandalorians? Our expansion brings us closer to conflict with them each year." For a few decades now, the Sith Empire was aware of the existence of the Mandalorians but did nothing with the knowledge that they had.
"Let them come," the voice said eager for conflict to unfold. "War will forge the Sith into something greater. The current philosophy makes you weak. True Sith power comes from absolute domination, from embracing the dark side without restraint."
Asid nodded slowly, the entity's words resonating with him. The current Dark Lord's doctrine of controlled ambition had always felt like a leash, a limitation on what the Sith could truly become.
"When should I begin?" he asked.
"Now," the voice commanded. "Lord Vexar's apprentice grows restless. He believes his master hoards knowledge that should be shared. Approach him. Offer him secrets I will teach you. Once he is yours, the others will follow."
Asid departed the tomb with renewed purpose, his mind already planning the moves necessary to fracture the Sith hierarchy.
The entity had chosen well. Asid possessed the ambition and skill necessary to reshape the Sith Empire, and more importantly, he lacked the wisdom to recognize when he was being manipulated. By the time he realized the truth, if he ever did, it would be far too late.
Meanwhile on Mandalore, the Mand'alor, a warrior named Kyr'tsad Ordo, stood in the war room of his clan fortress overlooking the capital. Around him, the clan leaders of the most powerful Mandalorian houses had gathered to discuss their expansion plans.
"The Sith Empire grows bolder," said one of the Clan leaders. "Our scouts report they are constantly expanding close to our borders. This is a threat that needs to be dealt with."
"Let them," Kyr'tsad replied. "If they seek war, they will find the Mandalorians ready. We have conquered six systems in the past decade. Our warrior culture grows stronger with each world we integrate."
Clan Leader Rook, a veteran of the eastern campaigns, leaned forward. "The question is timing, Mandalore. Do we strike first while they're still organizing, or do we wait for them to make the first move?"
"We should strike first," Kyr'tsad said. The other clan leaders agreed. If they use the element of surprise, they could establish an early advantage against the Sith Empire.
Both the Mandalorians and Sith were relatively isolated from mainstream politics with the occasional traders going missing in their regions. The Republic was steadily advancing its borders towards the Mandalorians and even had a few small skirmishes, but no real contact had been established between the two yet.
Space was so vast that empires could operate for centuries without ever encountering each other, especially in regions as remote as the Outer Rim territories where both the Sith and Mandalorians had carved out their domains.
Back on Veldari Daimon had finally returned after his expedition to Hutt space. The capital city Aeteris was constantly growing with new districts being added and people immigrating to and from other planets. Unlike most Imperial worlds, Aeteris was 60% Gen'Dai with the remaining 40% being a mix of hundreds of other species.
Some were minor species found during expeditions and uplifted by the Imperium while others were species who travelled from various worlds across the galaxy to the Imperium.
The average Imperial planet had a dominant Gen'Dai population with most being over 80%. But with the culture that Daimon established in the early days, the integration of other species was relatively easy, so long as they conformed to Imperial culture and laws.
As Daimon's shuttle descended toward the Imperial Palace, Progenitor Thoryn stood on the landing platform alongside several other Progenitors.
"Welcome back, Your Highness," Thoryn said, embracing Daimon into a brotherly hug. "Your expedition seems to have turned into an expansion project."
"Yes, it has," Daimon chuckled. "Everywhere I go it seems to create problems."
"But forget about that, how are things?" said Daimon wanting to shift the conversation.
"Stable, though there have been developments you should be aware of." Thoryn gestured towards the palace. "Cortana has made a breakthrough with the Celestial technology. She's been waiting for you to return to tell you in person."
They walked through the palace corridors, Empyrean Guards who saluted as they passed. Being back in his own home also brought a sense of comfort after spending so long in the decrepit cities of former Hutt space.
"And the Republic?" Daimon asked.
"Growing more aggressive in their rhetoric. The Senate passed three resolutions condemning our actions in Hutt space. They've also increased military patrols along our shared borders."
"Empty posturing," Daimon said dismissively. "They lack the political will to actually confront us militarily. Though things can change if they get a good Chancellor, but for now their Senate is too fractured, too consumed by internal politics to present a unified front. The growing number of member planets are sparking newfound problems." Thoryn nodded in agreement.
They arrived at Cortana's research facility, a massive structure that occupied an entire district of the capital. Security was tight, with both security guards and advanced scanning systems protecting the secrets within the facility.
Cortana materialized as a hologram as they entered the main laboratory. "Daimon, perfect timing. I've successfully replicated a functional prototype of Celestial dimensional manipulation technology."
Daimon's eyes widened. "Show me."
The hologram shifted, displaying complex schematics and energy readings. "The key breakthrough came from understanding that the Celestials didn't just manipulate space-time, they wove it using the Force as a fundamental component. Traditional technology alone can't replicate their achievements. It requires Force-sensitive operators working in conjunction with the machinery."
"How many Force-sensitives would be required?" Daimon asked.
"For a basic inter-dimensional gate capable of instantaneous travel across the galaxy? Approximately fifty high-level practitioners working in synchronized meditation. For larger constructions like the ones, we've theorized, perhaps hundreds or thousands."
Thoryn whistled. "That's an enormous commitment of resources. We'd need to establish entire academies dedicated to training Force-sensitives specifically for this purpose."
"Which is exactly what I propose," Cortana continued. "We already have the Balance Keeper temples and academies producing Force-sensitives at a steady rate. We could establish a specialized branch focused on technological applications of Force abilities. Call them... Force Engineers, perhaps."
Daimon looked over the schematics. "How long until we could construct a working gate?"
"With adequate resources and personnel? Ten years for a prototype. Fifteen to twenty for a stable version that is mass producible, and between fifty to one-hundred years to connect major Imperial worlds forming an operational network of inter-dimensional gates."
"That would revolutionize everything," Thoryn said. "Trade, military deployment, communication. We could respond to threats anywhere in Imperial space within minutes."
"It would also make us a target," Daimon cautioned. "The Republic, the Jedi, every power in the galaxy would see such technology as a threat. They'd unite against us if they believed we possessed the ability to deploy forces instantaneously across the galaxy."
"Then we will keep it classified," Cortana suggested. "Build the infrastructure in secret, reveal it only when we're ready to defend it."
Daimon considered this, weighing the strategic advantages against the risks. "Begin preliminary construction in the most secure systems. I want absolute secrecy. No one outside this room, the research teams, and a select few high-ranking nobles will know the full scope of what we're building."
"Understood," Cortana said. "I'll begin recruiting Force-sensitives with the appropriate aptitudes. We'll need to screen them carefully. The meditation techniques required are unlike anything currently taught in our academies."
"What about the power requirements?" Daimon asked. "Even with Force-sensitives providing the fundamental manipulation, the technology itself will need massive energy inputs."
Cortana's hologram shifted again, displaying energy projections. "Which brings me to my second recommendation. We need to begin construction of Dyson spheres around uninhabited star systems. Three should provide sufficient power for a galaxy-wide gate network."
Thoryn shook his head in amazement as he was witnessing something special. "The scale of this project will spark a galaxy wide technological revolution and a massive conflict. This is beyond anything the galaxy has seen since the Celestials themselves who have been gone for hundreds of thousands of years, possibly more."
"Exactly," Cortana replied. "We're not just building an empire. We're rebuilding the infrastructure that once allowed a single civilization to manage the entire galaxy. The Rakata tried and failed because they relied purely on the Force without understanding the balance between technology and natural phenomena. The Celestials succeeded because they understood that balance perfectly."
Daimon nodded, agreeing with her analogy. They were about to create something so powerful that it will change the way travel worked in the Imperium.