Ten minutes of propaganda

The Committee for Imperial Reformation met in the stadium of Eriadu. All its important members from inside the organization, a hundred thousand members of the CIR's many non-human species were participants of this act. Half of them were present as holograms.

Tropoto, leader of the CIR, looked with pride at how its various members waited for him to talk. After the successful agreement with Tanya Degurechaff he was seen as a capable man, and more importantly a man that could lead this organization to a great moment in history. This in spite of the less than perfect deal he cut with Degurechaff.

Yet, there were people in the party that believed that he was not fit for the role. Young politicians that wanted to divorce themselves completely from the Old Republic and the old Empire. That wanted to use this new era to create a different Empire. These people never held real power nor were they members of the old political class. Idealists that believed that they could change the system for something better.

Idiots, and thankfully a minority in the party.

Tropoto raised his hand as he looked all around the stadium. Two thousand members of the CIR that would vote today to choose who would be in charge of the leadership of the CIR. Tropoto was sure that no one would dare to face him, for he has been leader since the creation of the party and he now achieved this great victory.

"Comrades, I am thankful for your presence here today"

In theory the elections should happen in two years, but he decided to hold them earlier to gain an absolute majority of the votes and get rid of all the small factions of the CIR that had some relevant power in the party. He would monopolize the party to himself and use it as his weapon to compete with Tanya. She needed the party, he needed her power. But that wouldn't mean that they wouldn't fight politically. He knew that it was going to be a constant war to see who gets more power and who stands above the other.

Will the party control the state or the state control the party?

It was his duty, and his personal desire, that the party controlled the state.

"Since the dissolution of the Senate, we, the reformists, have been fighting against tyranny, to create a fair and equitable Empire that fights against injustice and discrimination. Our efforts have finally proven that it was not in vain. For now, Tanya Degurechaff, Grand Moff of this Super Sector, has decided to cooperate with us, making a one party system that will work with her to create a greater Empire!"

A deafening applause took place for five consecutive minutes. The entire CIR enjoyed this victory, not only did they survive the so-called True Imperials but they actually, for the first time in history, attained power of some sort. In an era where there was no centralized Empire but Moffs and Grand Moffs that controlled their territories, having the support of Tanya was like having the Emperor's authority in this territory of the Galaxy.

Without an Emperor, Moffs and Grand Moffs were the closest things to Kings, and between those kings stood the two Grand Moffs that had the authority and power of an Emperor.

Bertoff Hissa and Tanya Degurechaff.

Both were egocentric, ruthless dictators that only cared for themselves. Obsessed with power and hoarding it. The only real difference between them was ideological. The True Imperials believed in the late stage of the Empire's rule, without a senate, without anything else than the absolute power of the Emperor and his loyal subordinates. Meanwhile, Degurechaff was something of an outlier in that sense. She believed in the separation of powers to a degree and wanted to reinstaurate the senate in some form. Whether she wanted to do it because of her ideals or because she had a malevolent plan Tropoto couldn't tell.

"When the Emperor died, the Regency Council and the Moff Council tried to exterminate us, like a plague. But here we are, standing proud, for we have resisted and now we have won! Long Live the Empire! Long Live the Committee for Imperial Reformation!"

Tropoto raised his hands, receiving absolute support from his party, enjoying the moment as if he had the power to become the new Emperor. Of course, he was more realistic than that. He could become a powerful man in the history of the Empire, but never Emperor. Yet, he liked the sensation of victory against all odds.

"With the military victory against the Hutts! With the military victory against the New Republic! With the political victory against the True Imperials! The CIR and Tanya Degurechaff have proven to the world that the Empire will not fade as another page of the history books. But that it will remain strong and relevant for the next hundred years. I promise you, that with me as the head of the CIR and in close cooperation with Tanya Degurechaff we will create an Empire that will last thousands of years!"

The Imperial flags were raised by the politicians, the entire stadium exploding in emotion. A hologram had been hiding in the crowd. Max Grobelnel, member of the CIR even if he abandoned it, looked to Tropoto in interest. Still the wounds received from Draneir's beating were still fresh. In less than half an hour the True Imperials would fight the New Republic.

But, Max didn't need to know what will happen in the battle of Mon Cala to know what will happen in Eriadu.

He couldn't allow Tropoto to gain all the influence in the party, for he could fight a political war against Tanya without any opposition.

"I will become Minister of Propaganda… but I guess I will also have to become your enemy in matters of politics… Tropoto."

The hologram of Max disappeared as the voting happened, giving a unanimous vote to Tropoto, as no other candidate appeared trying to beat him in the elections of the CIR.

Tropoto made sure that the reformists survived the Emperor, Tropoto made the reformists survive the True Imperials, Tropoto successfully moved the reformists into a planned exile in Degurechaff's Supersector. Tropoto made the CIR the party that would rule Degurechaff's part of the Empire in cooperation with that bitch.

"Long Live the Empire! Long Live the Party!"

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Max Grobelnel laid in his bed inside the Perseverance, he had his entire body bruised by Draneir's beating. He really teased him too much, didn't he? Treating him like he treated politicians on Coruscant was a miscalculation on his part. He really tried to help Draneir but Max misunderstood him.

Although, he had to admit that he enjoyed the beating. Really, his masochistic streak was such a hassle sometimes. How could he take Draneir's beating seriously if he enjoyed it?

Max looked around his room, it was a small seventy meters square room, really nothing impressive, there were times where he lived in houses the size of spaceships.The benefits of having a rich family that got into politics on Coruscant and owned the most important casino brand in the Core.

So much money, so much power. For what? They did not use it for anything, just getting richer. There is a point where there is no difference between having a billion credits in your bank account and having a trillion credits. If they used that money to expand the business it would be different, to bribe officers and enter into the senate, to do something, anything! But no, his family never did something as intelligent as to invest that money. Only keeping it like the money is worth something on its own. But the money is worth nothing if you don't use it.

A sickness expanded throughout the galaxy. Accumulation of capital, the mindless accumulation of money that has no purpose other than fueling their own feelings of greatness. It's absurd, the existence of billionaires is the ultimate proof that the ideals of accumulation of money are no longer beneficial for the Galaxy.

There was an era, when the planetary governments were relevant, that the state nationalized the land of those that did not use it in order to develop it. Isn't that the same situation with capital? The amount of wealth that the rich hold without using it, what if the Empire could invest that money into more shipyards, more planetary development, more social programs, more colonization missions.

An Imperial Star Destroyer cost one hundred and fifty million credits. Just taking the useless money away from his family would allow Tanya Degurechaff to create over five hundred ISDs that would help to create more secure trading lines, hunt pirates and stop any attack from the New Republic or the Hutts.

And that was only one family, one rich family out of the billions if not trillions all around the Galaxy.

"Huh, Tanya wins on Tatooine and now I have three times more work… Ah, well, suppose I have no one else to blame but myself, I'm the one who asked to work under her," Max smiled. "Well, let's see if my theories were true, in half an hour the propaganda video will be all over the holonet."

Max felt his heart and body tremble at the thought of showing his work of art to the galaxy and being judged by the galaxy for what he has created. While Draneir was killing all the surviving members of the Hutt army he was almost collapsing at the idea of becoming the left hand of Tanya Degurechaff and starting the creation of a God.

Who doesn't want to be the left hand of God? Even more when you were the one to build it!

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Draneir walked through the sandy battlefield of Tatooine. Around him thousands of soldiers were celebrating their victory, raising the Imperial flag. Stormtroopers, Imperial Soldiers and even some clone troopers.

Draneir never had good self-esteem. In fact, he didn't even know how it felt to have such. His life in sexual slavery and its consequences damaged him forever. His rise inside the Imperial ranks never allowed him to try to think of himself. Only rise, rise and rise until no one can damage you again. Until he found his God, his protector and the only person worth dying for.

Tanya Degurechaff.

Yet, even as he walked through the sand back to the HQ to meet Field Marshall Lauri, the praises and adoration that the troops showered him with made him feel something he never felt before in his life. These troops were saved by him, or at least they said so. "They are lying to themselves," thought Draneir.

"Hail Belisarius Draneir, Right Hand of the Empress!" called some soldiers. Draneir stopped walking. Empress? Sure, she acted like one, but she wasn't Emperor Palpatine's successor, obviously. But then again, to be honest, she granted him the rank of Grand Admiral. Only the Emperor could grant the privilege of being the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, not even the Grand Moffs had that right, for his rank was above them.

Tanya ascended him to a rank theoretically superior to her own. She was Empress in all but name.

Draneir smiled at the appreciation given by the troops, he felt that he would start to cry as the soldiers honoured his name and his loyalty.

For the first time in his life. He felt completely proud of himself. But he knew that this was just an illusion and that soon everything would return to normality. He was still a bastard that held a rank that he didn't deserve. He didn't have the studies nor the experience befitting this rank. He didn't even deserve to live.

But, maybe, he could try to do more, to live up to the expectations that now weighed on him…

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten soldiers of the Imperial army were seated around a circle of fire, their faces showing how tired they were. An AT-ST was behind them, ready for further action. Most of them were wounded but still had to serve in their duty. The battle of Kashyyk had already taken a million imperial lives. Every ten seconds an imperial soldier died. Millions of New Republic soldiers and millions of Empire soldiers fighting a war in a jungle without end.

latest.png

Neither side could gain neither air nor space supremacy. And in that position the infantry suffered.

One of the soldiers took a guitar and started singing a famous song that was penned in the jungles of Kashyyyk.

"Hello sister, my dear, how are you?

The winter had probably swept through home already.

Here there is no snow nor cold, just the warm jungle and the endless stars.

Just don't tell mom that I'm on Kashyyyk.

Here there is no snow nor cold, just the warm jungle and the endless stars

Just don't tell mom that I'm on Kashyyyk

It's Saturday here, and it pours rain like artillery fire.

Smells like sweat here, boys sleep here, the battle is hard.

I made a bet with my friend Oneg that he will be back.

Just don't tell mom that I'm on Kashyyyk

I made a bet with my friend Oneg that he will be back

Just don't tell mom that I'm on Kashyyyk

To my little sister, I send a warm hug.

Tell them to keep sending me messages, is the only thing worth living for here.

In this jungle of sadness and death.

Just don't tell mom that Im on Kashyyyk

Tell her that I am still on that beautiful planet of the Core.

Just don't tell mom that Im on Kashyyyk

Tell her that I am still on that beautiful planet of the Core."

The song continued for more minutes. The other nine imperial soldiers, being tired, only heard the song, not indicating a movement that showed that they liked the song or appreciated the music accompanying the guard duty.

A precious nugget of knowledge was being passed among the Kashyyyk Imperial Army. If surrender was your only option, make sure it was to the human New Republic Army, but never to the natives. The Wookies did not take prisoners. If you were wounded they would end the job, if you surrendered they would crush your head with their claws, if you fought back they would play with you, enjoying your suffering until they finally killed you.

If victory is impossible and you cannot retreat. Surrender to the NR army.

Of course, the problem lies in the soldiers choosing to surrender in the first place. Imperial doctrine is simple, really: victory or death.

The desertion rate had gone so high that the ISB had begun to deploy machine gun companies as commissar corps, there to mow down dissidents and deserters.

The Moff Council decided that the planets Kashyyyk and Mandalor would be held until the last man and now the soldiers in the field were being killed by both foes and friends.

Few times in history had an Imperial Army been so low in morale. More than a few ISB officers had found themselves subject to 'accidents' at the hands of the Stormtroopers.

Their morale fell even lower when they heard the news from the other part of the Empire. Degurechaff's Empire. A great victory against the NR and the Hutts. All her territory under control, with the conclusive battle of Tatooine just wrapping up a few hours ago.

Now it was official, Tanya Degurechaff had pacified her territory. The only Grand Moff that had ever done something useful in the galaxy.

"I wish Tanya Degurechaff landed on Coruscant, executed everyone and repeated what she did in the South through all the Empire. Things cannot continue going this way," Said one of the soldiers. The rest nodded, including the one that continued singing.

"But that will never happen, she is too loyal to fight the central government."

The small hope that Tanya would march on Coruscant faded. Then, a small notification in everyone's holo-comm took their attention. When one of them took it out and began to play the news he got surprised as everyone else.

In front of them, a video showed Tanya Degurechaff planning the battle of Tatooine, scenes showing the immense and terrifying fleet of Degurechaff and later a video of the battle, showing close-up how Grand Admiral Draneir gave the orders and how the battle developed. All this accompanied by grand orchestral music.

For a moment they felt proud of being part of the Empire, this video showed the greatness of the Imperial Navy, and the last part of the video showed the greatness of the Imperial Army and the Stormtrooper corp that fought on Tatooine. But that proudness too faded as they realized they lived in another part of the galaxy. In a part where there was no pride, no victories. Only constant suffering.

"Fuck!" Screamed the soldier, throwing away the holo-comm.

"Why were we on the wrong side of the galaxy when the Emperor died?" One of them muttered.

-----------

A member of the Imperial Local Militarized Police (ILMP) patrolled in his Compact Assault Vehicle PX-10 on the beautiful planet of Naboo, where new buildings were being constructed, new cities appearing where before there was only grass. The immigrant population from people that before were slaves made the planet's population skyrocket. But so did criminality.

Rano Resuci's reform over how the police worked in all Degurechaff's part of the Empire created a bureaucratic hell but it also made each department more effective. Making criminality lower by a fair amount.

"This is a beautiful planet innit?" Said Jaqs Forca to his companion, who was in another PX-10. The small armored vehicle only had space for one person that operated the machine gun as the vehicle itself had an advanced computer that drove the vehicle around. The Armed Forces of the Empire declared these vehicles outdated so they were donated to all the militarized local police in the supersector. Maybe it was bad military hardware but as a patrol vehicle it was excellent. Capable of two hundred sixty km/h, carrying a machine gun capable of destroying light armored vehicles and buildings and with enough armor to defeat normal blaster fire.

efedfsfs.png

"Aye tis betta than ours,'' laughed the other guy as they communicated through the comms attached to their necks. The vehicles were moving at walking speed as they rolled through the makeshift streets through the city of tents pitched hundreds of kilometers away from Naboo's capital. The city of tents held a population of a million and nearby a big city was under construction. Soon these people would have housing.

Really, one had to thank the level of sewage management technology that Naboo had; that allowed this million population to not die of diseases caused by mismanagement of the sewage situation. Yet it somehow felt wrong that the planet of Naboo had to accept six times their population of refugees.

"Well there ain't no sun on our world, so tain't that 'ard innit?" laughed Jaqs.

They were from the planet Albion, a water planet dotted with islands where it rained all day. Considering the increased crime rate Naboo requested aid from all the planets of the South Supersector and most planets agreed to send a portion of their ILMP. Jaqs and his friend were part of thirty thousand ILMP officers sent to Naboo.

"Well, I 'ave to admit, I prefer our homeland, there is not so much… poverty ya see."

Naboo's local population was around half a billion and they took two and half billion refugees and poor immigrants. It was normal that the poverty of these immigrants started to affect how this planet was seen. But still the population of Naboo was accepting these new people, trying to adapt them to their society. If it was working, probably only the Queen of Naboo knew.

"I wonder, all these migrants, an' for what? Like where the 'ell all these buggers comin' from? I get the ex-slaves and all that, they's part of the program. But tha rest?" Jaqs asked his friend. They came from a fairly rich planet that exported very expensive things so this was new for them. Seeing cities created from tents of poor people, that waited for their time to gain a house and with good luck gain a better job was miserable.The good news was that with the amount of construction the planet was undertaking, jobs were plentiful, miserable jobs, but a fucking lot of them.

And why not use droids? Because with the new laws imposed by Degurechaff it was better to use human labor instead of droids for tax reasons.

"Ya know... these fellas are too bloody kind, Naboo I mean, they open their hand to them ol' slaves an' now everyone and their mum is comin' 'ere fer a betta loife. Truth is, seeing all them tent cities makes me wonder is it really worth it?..... 'Course they is constructing cities in months, see that city?" Jaqs' companion gestured excitedly, "t'will be proper finished in what? three months I reckon. They buildin' proper fockin' cities in five fockin' months. Is a damn bloody engineerin' wonder it is!"

"Say what you want 'bout these pacifist pricks," Jaqs commented, "but their tech is damn good, both civilian an their engineerin'. You seen their capital? It's fockin' lovely, Nature and civilization right in the same place. If I ever 'ave enough dosh I wouldn't mind 'avin' a second 'ome, ya know for vacation an the like?"

His companion laughed at the idea.

"Ain't it great? Six months ago we thought everythin' was ova'. Now look at us, well paid work patrollin' a peaceful planet. When I saw that ILMP posta' there in our city I thought ya would 'ave ta be crazy to take this job. I was thinkin' they would send us to Mimban or somethin' but no. They said we was gonna be police and we are police. Still surprised 'bout that."

"Yeah, who woulda thought, an 'onest bloody government? When's the last time we 'ad that?" Jaqs sounded almost sad about that comment, he lost a friend in Mimban. The news didn't appear to the public but everyone knew. The Imperial Army wasn't supposed to fight wars but Mimban was a full scale war, many died there and all of them never thought they would be fighting a war.

"Never?"

"Guess we do now, this Degurechaff, oi really thought she wasn't worth nothin' but 'ere I am, guess I was wrong" It was a good thought to Jaqs. To have some hope again.

As both ILMP officers traveled through the makeshift streets of this city of tents some people waved at them and some others looked at them with a strange look of concern in their eyes. Jaqs smiled seeing an ex slave kid playing with stormtroopers minifigures. Really the motherfucker who was selling toys based in the imperial military was getting rich.

"Can ya see, them ex-slaves look at us loike we were their saviors and them migrants look at us with fear. Really ya can be an 'ero for some people and a villain to others. Ya think it's just tha' they 'ate the ILMP for what they 'ave done on other planets or do ya think they just 'ate the Empire in general?" Jaqs asked.

"Probably the latter, the ILMP has only been around for two months, not really enough time to garner the 'ate of the people. The Empire… well. I've 'eard what it 'as done on some planets. Don't overthink it, I am absolutely loyal to the Empire I am. But sadly not all parts of the Empire are as efficient, merciful and good as Degurechaff's part."

The truth behind the ILMP is that they were under trained. They had a manual about how to deal with day to day situations, a special manual about how to deal with special situations and two weeks of training in the gear of the ILMP. Really the first generation of ILMP was undertrained. But with time the next generations would get more and more training… probably.

He really hoped that. He heard that some of his companions dealt with situations… well. If you shoot the criminal there is no longer a criminal to persecute. But the manual said that they had to capture them because Naboo's doctrine believed in rehabilitation and more bullshit. Anyway, the problem. Probably half the ILMP ignored the manual.

"Central Command to all the ILMP officers. Sudden mass demonstrations are occurring planet wide, regroup at your local HQs and prepare for a world-wide disturbance."

Jaqs and his companion looked at each other. The computer of the vehicle rapidly realized the situation and started to avoid the population of the tent city while driving at fifty kilometers per hour. The artificial streets were clean of people so there was no possibility of an accident. As the vehicle rapidly traveled both ILMP officers realized how the population was seeing something in their holo-comms. A sea of blue color illuminating the city. Was that a message for rebelion? They wouldn't know.

Jaqs didn't want to shoot these people, but if this was a rebellion he would have to.

In minutes they were outside the tent city, a thousand LIMPs officers were organizing themselves, the vehicles closing off the exits to the tent city. This was happening planet-wide, the imperial forces were preparing for an insurrection, no one knew what was happening, apparently massive insurrections were happening all over the planet.

Jaqs held to the gun of his vehicle, looking in front of him, slowly all the tent-city population were gathering, screaming something he couldn't hear.

What was happening?

The accumulation of people started to approach Jaqs formation.

"Prepare your guns!" Shouted someone. He didn't even know if it was an authorized officer or a fellow officer of his same rank but he followed the order. If a mass insurrection was happening then a massacre on the planet would begin any minute.

The crowd approached and in that moment Jaqs noticed something, they were holding the Imperial flag, their screams were not of rebellion but something different.

"We have won!" The crowd screamed.

"DON'T FOCKING SHOOT YA BASTARDS!" Screamed Jaqs to his companions, "They 'ave the Imperial flag!"

The crowd of thousands of people had thousands of flags in the mass of people, their screams were of loyalty, not of treason, but to Jaqs this was strange. Why the hell were they gathering like that? Why so sudden?

When the crowd was almost in front of them, mere meters. Jaqs asked out loud for no one of the LIMPs officers knew what was happening.

"What 'ave we won!?"

"The battle of Tatooine! Look at the holonet!" Screamed some people in answer. Rapidly many of the officers started to take out their holo-comms. Immediately after entering in the holonet everywhere there were videos of the battle, extracts of the propaganda video of Max Grobelnel. A speech of victory from Grand Moff Degurechaff. Playing one of the videos he saw how an ISD was taking several hutt destroyers with music that he could only call inspiring playing in the background. For the first time in his life he saw how a battle looked, and more importantly, he saw how the Empire defeated the Hutt scum.

"We 'ave won!" He screamed to his companion and his fellow officers who were also surprised of this victory and how they could see it in their holo-comms.

"We fockin' won!" Screamed Jaqs as he left his vehicle, taking an Imperial flag from the cargo-area of his vehicle, raising it to the crowd that cheered.

"The Empire has won! Long Live the Empire! Long Live Degurechaff!"

All through the supersector planets had spontaneous manifestations in favor of Degurechaff and her victory in Tatooine. Trillions of people -if not more- screaming Degurechaff and Draneir as if they just had won the entire civil war. As if for the first time in months good news appeared in the galaxy, as if from that point on everything was going to go well.

"Long Live the Empire! Long Live Empress Degurechaff! Long Live the Imperial Armed Forces!" was screamed through all the Empire, even on Coruscant. The elites, the Regency Council and the Moff Council scared of her for the population had already a favorite in the Emperors' Game.

Bertoff Hissa realized that winning the battle of Mon Cala was no longer a matter of gaining power over Tanya Degurechaff. But of survival, for if he was defeated the Empire that the Emperor created would eat him alive.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tanya Degurechaff laughed as she saw the people on Eriadu making a demonstration in her honor, that bastard Max Grobelnel was right. He could make the people move to his desire with enough resources. A fucking propaganda video had given her more support than the entire fucking campaign of annihilation against the NR in her territory.

She has won in all measurable parts so far these months. Except in her battle against herself.

Yet, even if she still suffered that psychopathic Salaryman and the crazy and violent Tanya von Degurechaff. She enjoyed a glass of wine, looking down with pleasure and satisfaction at the people that waved the imperial flag in front of the governmental building.

"Long Live the Empire… I have really made so many things… I guess I might have the right to be happy with myself… even if it's only today… Will you leave me in peace just today?"

Neither Salaryman or Tanya von Degurechaff answered.

"Thank you" She said, continuing to laugh as she drank the most expensive wine in the galaxy. "No matter if you lose or win in Mon Cala, Bertoff Hissa…"

Taking out her golden clock from Sereno, she started to humm.

"Tik,tak, tik, tak, tik, tak… I win, you lose. You tried to kill me, you threw me to the Galactic South to get rid of me, you took most of my assets expecting me to lose and die. But here I am the Empire, I have an iron will and I will never kneel to anyone. If I have to become Empress to never submit to bastards like you again, if I have to become a hero for the people then I will become one. I am tired of being used by others. It's time for me to be in charge of things. Three fucking lifes submiting to other's will. No fucking longer."

Tanya smirked.

"Long Live the Empire" She said, finishing the glass of wine and turning around. All she had to do now was wait for the results of the battle of Mon Cala to know how to proceed.