While Cortana worked on the inter-dimensional gateways, Daimon focused on preparing the Imperium for the inevitable galactic conflict that would happen sometime in the future. Already, there are signs of a massive conflict happening starting with the increase in militaristic values within the Republic, the rise of both the Sith and Mandalorians, and then the tensions between the Imperium and the Republic which were only getting worse as time progressed.
Daimon started with putting restrictions on Republic based corporations and traders in response to the Republic's own sanctions. These restrictions were framed as security measures, citing concerns about espionage and economic manipulation.
This wouldn't hurt the Imperial economy massively as the Imperium itself was already self-sufficient and didn't need to rely on outside powers. Though being self-sufficient doesn't exactly improve the economy, so to make up for this, Imperial corporations will be turned into the keys to access the Imperial market.
Several major Imperial conglomerates had already expressed interest in expanding their operations to fill the void left by Republic restrictions. The Veldari Trade Consortium, Imperial Mining Guild, and Gen'Dai Manufacturing Collective all submitted proposals for massive expansion projects.
"The economic transition will take approximately five years to complete," reported the Archon of the Treasury Garrik Dain during a council session. "Initially we'll see some disruption, particularly in luxury goods and specialized components that Republic corporations currently supply. However, our domestic production capacity can be scaled up to compensate."
"What about the border worlds?" asked High Lord Caelia Renara, "Many of them have established trade relationships with Republic merchants that go back decades. Forcing them to sever those ties abruptly could cause resentment."
"We'll implement the restrictions gradually," Daimon decided. "Phase them in over two years rather than immediately. That gives border worlds time to adjust and establishes new supply chains."
The High Council members nodded in agreement. Daimon wanted to balance the strategic necessity of the approach with the realities of governing trillions of people. As he has learned over four centuries, ruling over so many people was somewhat as at any moment, a thousand things could happen at once.
This always made him wonder how Palpatine was able to do it, if you ignore the fact that in the end the Empire fell, though the big reason for that was because of a design error. You can also include his handling of the rebel alliance, which was terrible.
Daimon then moved on to military readiness. With the Republic's border posturing and the rising threat of the Sith and Mandalorian expansions, the Veldari Armed Forces were placed on heightened alert status. Fleet maneuvers intensified along the Outer Rim, while recruitment quotas for both the standard military and the Ascendants were increased by fifteen percent.
Shipyards began producing a downscaled version of the Luminary-class dreadnoughts, their designs now incorporating early prototypes of Force-infused armor plating developed due to the joint research between the Rakatan research teams and Imperial research teams.
As a few years passed, the atmosphere across the Imperium began to shift subtly as rumors of an impending war started to rise among the citizens. Though this had little effect on the daily operations within the Imperium as the citizens continued their work trusting in their Emperor's foresight.
In the academies and temples of the Balance Keepers, training intensified. Guardian Valkorin personally oversaw the selection of candidates for Cortana's Force Engineer program, identifying those with both exceptional Force sensitivity and the analytical mindset required for the work. Out of ten thousand applicants, only three hundred met the stringent requirements.
The meditation techniques were unlike anything that had been taught before. The students were required to hold their consciousness in a state of perfect equilibrium while simultaneously channeling massive amounts of Force energy through technological conduits. And a single lapse in concentration could destroy the equipment or kill the Force User.
The training began in isolated facilities deep within Veldari's northern mountain ranges. The first exercises were simple: using the Force to manipulate crystalline matrices that would form the basis of the dimensional gates. Students spent months learning to sense the subtle vibrations of space-time itself, feeling how the Force could bend and weave the fabric of reality.
Failure rates were high. Thirty percent of the initial candidates washed out within the first year, unable to maintain the required level of concentration or suffering psychological damage from interfacing with technology at such a fundamental level. Those who succeeded, however, demonstrated abilities beyond a normal Force User.
One student, a young Rakata named Thel'vas, managed to create a stable micro-portal that lasted for three full seconds before collapsing. It was barely large enough to pass a data chip through, but Cortana celebrated it as a great achievement. The calculations suggested that with proper scaling and a full team of Force Engineers, they could maintain portals large enough to move entire fleets.
Cortana estimated that a fully functional prototype gate would be completed in about eight years. The Rakatan students in particular had shown extraordinary aptitude. Their species' ancestral connection to Force-infused technology gave them an intuitive understanding that others had to learn through years of practice.
The Dyson sphere construction was on schedule with three uninhabited systems in the Outer Rim being identified as construction sites. These systems were far from any established hyperlanes which offered increased defensive capabilities and minimized visibility to public eyes.
The first construction fleet had departed months ago with an estimated completion time for the first sphere to be forty years. Each one would take forty years because of the sheer size, resources, and technical components which went into building it. It seemed like a long time, but for something as revolutionary as this it was possible groundbreaking.
Plus, Daimon knew that they had enough time to build these projects before the war broke out. Who and what they were going to be facing was unknown, but Daimon could see the clues pointing heavily towards the Republic and Sith.
The Mandalorians were a wild card in all of this. Their expansion was aggressive but not directed toward Imperial space yet. Eventually that would change, especially if the Sith Empire continued pushing into their territory. Two warrior cultures colliding would create a conflict that could reshape the Outer Rim.
———
10 years later
Within the now Imperial controlled Hutt space, Luna who was appointed as the Governor and leader of the Provisional government had made a name for herself which spread throughout the region. The people had given her the nickname 'Peacebringer' due to her policies which led to the liberation of a number of former Hutt worlds.
Nal Hutta continued its transformation and began to recover from the war, emerging as a trade hub in the region. The provisional government had evolved into something more permanent. Luna had gradually transferred administrative responsibilities to elected councils on each world, though Imperial oversight remained in key areas like military and interstellar trade. It was a delicate balance between autonomy and control, one that required constant attention and adjustment.
Lord Maxim remained as her chief military advisor, commanding the regional defense forces that now numbered over ten million personnel. The former Liberation Front fighters had become the core of a professional security force, their ranks filled by volunteers from freed slave populations eager to protect their newfound freedoms.
Skirmishes with the Republic did occur but were mainly handled on a local level. Military commanders from each side didn't want to fight one another and often negotiated with each other to avoid conflict. This prevented a regional war from starting between the Imperium and the Republic.
The Jedi Order, however, was less diplomatic. Several incidents had occurred where Jedi Knights attempted to interfere with Imperial operations on contested worlds, claiming they were protecting the local populations from "religious indoctrination." Luna had dealt with these situations personally, meeting with the Jedi representatives to explain that Imperial citizens were free to choose their beliefs or lack thereof. The Jedi tried to respond by justifying their actions, but Luna just took them with a grain of salt.
On Nar Shaddaa, the reconstruction was even more impressive. The moon that had once been known for its crime and depravity now hosted legitimate businesses, schools, and cultural centers. The entertainment district still existed, but under strict regulation that prohibited slavery, forced labor, and the most dangerous narcotics.
Some complained that Imperial rule had stripped Nar Shaddaa of its character, making it just another sanitized world. Luna's response was simple: "If your 'character' requires the suffering of millions, then it deserves to be erased."
The Republic-controlled worlds in former Hutt space presented a stark contrast to those under Imperial governance. While the Republic had abolished slavery on the worlds they controlled, bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption hampered reconstruction efforts. Supplies intended for refugee camps were diverted to line the pockets of corrupt officials. Infrastructure projects stalled as Senate committees debated funding allocations for years.
The local populations noticed. Trade caravans crossing between Imperial and Republic territories brought stories of the differences. On Imperial worlds, former slaves received job training, housing, and healthcare within months of liberation. On Republic worlds, they languished in camps for years waiting for Senate appropriations to be approved.
This created a migration problem for the Republic. Refugees from Republic-controlled worlds began attempting to cross into Imperial territory, seeking the opportunities they'd heard about. The Republic responded by establishing border checkpoints and restricting movement, which only reinforced the perception that they were more interested in controlling populations than helping them.
The Jedi who had accompanied the Republic forces found themselves in an increasingly uncomfortable position. They had come as liberators, but the reality on the ground was far more complicated. Many Jedi saw the genuine improvements in people's lives under Imperial rule and struggled to reconcile that with their Order's rhetoric about Daimon being a dangerous tyrant.
Daimon didn't even need to fire a single shot. All he had to do was sit and watch the Republic corrode from within. Either somebody was going to force change in the future, or the Republic was going to keep fighting this propaganda battle against the Imperium who is more interested in results than what is considered morally right.