Not original

Coruscant, the former Imperial Center and galactic capital for many decades, did not at this time, the time following the final defeat of the Emperor, give the impression of being a galactic capital.

In fact, the state of the planet-metropolis was more pathetic than after the battle during the final phase of the Clone Wars, or after the capture of the planet by the armed forces of the New Republic.

First the attack of the combined forces of the Imperial Warlords, which meant a devastating battle above the planet and the wreckage of hundreds of ships of various types that crashed into the buildings on the planet, and then the laser storms that melted or blew away, if not the tops or mid-levels of the mighty and majestic skyscrapers above the clouds, then the lower floors or tiers.

At least the residents were not deprived of electricity or access to water, only food prices went up, but not enough, nor did the level of food supply decrease enough to lead to mass starvation. So there was no reason to consider the whole situation a horror.

However, this was only the beginning of the nightmare, because when the armed forces of the empire and the warlords gathered above the planet, failed to emerge a leader after the battle and long negotiations, or at least create a provisional form of leadership between them. When the joint fight ended and acts of treason or attempted usurpation began, then the situation got out of control.

The full-fledged, full-scale Imperial Civil War on Coruscant was what, in retrospect, was a real nightmare. First, fighting on the planet's surface, on different floors and many districts, and often three- or four-sided, between the units of different warlords. Later, orbital bombardments, support from star bombers during combat, bombing of strategic targets, terrorist and sabotage units were added to this. Not to mention the absolutely chaotic confrontation between several different fleets of the empire above the planet's surface.

The planet, already severely devastated, was stripped of its former wealth and splendor in the most literal sense of the word. The chaos was crowned by epidemics of diseases, widespread acts of cannibalism among the inhabitants. Even among those refined and civilized, who at the first signs of chaos and shortages, began to devour each other like wild animals. However, even acts of cannibalism did not stop the epidemic of hunger, and billions would face the effects of weakened organisms in the future.

It seemed that the return of the Emperor, or his final death and the recapture of the planet by the armed forces of the Republic, would bring some form of salvation, but it did not happen. Or rather, it happened only partially.

It was possible to restore food supplies to the planet for the survivors of the war nightmare, but the absolute collapse of the planet's wealth and its inhabitants forced the government to implement aid programs. Support from the central budget was also necessary for the reconstruction, which according to experts was to be completed in a decade at best. And considering that these were optimistic assumptions, it was not difficult to verify their credibility.

Despite this, however, some of the old skyscrapers or hotels survived, untouched by bolts or artillery shells, or even used by the fighting sides in a tactical or strategic role. It was something rare, but it did happen. One of such places was the hotel "Our Center", located in the northern hemisphere of the planet, at a distance close to the pole.

Finding this hotel was not an easy matter, and if it were not for the contacts made over many years and during many missions, Wedge Antilles would not have been able to book a room for himself and his wife, Iella. Despite all the odds against him, the devastation of the planet, the poor health service and police force, aided by the New Republic Military Police, he had managed to do so. And so that day, as evening approached and the sun was inevitably giving way to darkness, he could enjoy a moment of respite after a day of hard work.

His wife, right after he returned home, had given him more than enough reasons to enjoy this time together, as was of course ultimately destined for this extraordinary woman and man.

Her tight and revealing, some more traditional and virtuous would say too much, affected the New Republic general like a scarlet rag to the Zygerrian Bull, and he went on a blind and full of a mixture of passion and lust attack.

The stress of the past months evaporated as the act of love, born of passion, between a married couple devoted to each other began in the bedroom.

They hadn't even managed to tear off all their clothes when, amidst a series of passionate kisses on both sides, they finally reached the bed and after exposing the body parts necessary for the act of copulation, everything began.

The Antilles couple did... it would be more accurate to say that they simply fucked many times, but very rarely in such circumstances and they tried many positions. Only Wedge firmly opposed his wife's wish to copulate in the cockpit of his starfighter, because he had no doubt that after something like that it would be harder for him to concentrate during a fight or mission, and as a pilot, one moment of inattention could mean being sent to eternity.

Here, in the bedroom, they were not bound by any such limits, but nevertheless they limited themselves to the bed and after very aggressively ripping off each other's clothes, they began copulating in earnest, coming several times.

Iella took it so well that she flooded the sheets with her love juices several times, while Wedge, at the appropriate moment marked by the cessation of his hip movements, spilled his white seed inside her.

"Wedge!" Iella sighed loudly, while her husband continued to move his hips, bringing her almost to climax for the umpteenth time that evening, which neither she nor her husband counted. "I'm about to come!"

It was in moments like these that the couple felt complete, being connected during the shorter or longer moments when their genitals were connected. Her husband moved his hips, repeatedly inserting and almost withdrawing his member, only to push it in as far as it would go, which, due to his wife's fairly wide birth canal, was not all that demanding. Meanwhile, she, reveled in it to the fullest, even if this pleasure was nothing more than an instinctive and mindless sensation.

The energy, born in the process of intense activity, lasted the physically well-developed couple for a long time and as a result, they came together 4 times that day, and now he was finally approaching the 5th time.

"Me too!" Wedge growled, not slowing down for a moment, as he had always done during their long-term relationship, which had been an extremely satisfying experience for him, not only because of the opportunity to experience numerous pleasures of the physical nature.

Finally, Wedge thrust harder and deeper, which resulted in the spilling of his seed inside his wife, without releasing a single drop. This was not so much the climax of another time, but a much quicker beginning of the end, followed by a violent ending.

The husband and wife sprawled in bed, taking deep breaths that were evidence of their exhaustion. They didn't particularly care about the position they would be in, but it was strange that they both ended up lying on their backs, covered by a thin but warm enough blanket.

"Wedge." Iella sighed loudly, being covered only partially by one of the several blankets, her pink nipple exposed, quite large and standing, like a soldier during an inspection. "You did it again."

Iella was a truly beautiful woman, with long but currently completely untidy and chaotic blonde hair, which reached her back. Her delicate, but at the same time having not only feminine, facial features. Black eyes, which normally carried hidden danger for the enemy and a hint of cunning, were at this moment devoid of it and as dull as all of this woman's senses.

What was most obvious, however, were the muscles in her arms, quite well developed and shaped, especially for a woman. Muscles that, although they were not as strong as her husband's, were made even more attractive by the sweat dripping down from repeated copulation.

Wedge, although due to his gender and the numerous psychological advantages resulting from it, should have towered over his wife, was nevertheless equally exhausted. Their mutual fucking was always a battle of attrition, but instead of the usual lack of winners in this type of war, both were victorious and satisfied, although extremely tired.

Wedge merely reached for the bottle of good, but low-alcohol wine lying on the nightstand on his side. "It never bothered you. Especially since you always use those, as you described it: miraculous contraceptive drops."

Iella yawned, then her fingers from her right hand directed themselves to her husband's chest. "I'm afraid I'll have to stop for a while. The contraceptive drops from Mon Cala, like the ones she uses, can often only be used for a short time, after which they can cause serious complications. In extreme cases, even death."

The former commander of the Rogue Squadron, and current General of the NRDF Pilot Corps, which was short for the "New Republic Defense Force", of the New Republic, was more than pleased with what had just taken place. "I'm not sure I'll be able to hold back. Your body, my dear, is simply too tempting to look at."

Iella just laughed, before placing a quick but passionate kiss on his cheek. "So let's do it again, while we still can, without risking it."

Before they could continue, Wedge interrupted her. "Are you that eager to continue this so soon?"

Their frequent but regular inhalations and exhalations spoke volumes on the subject, along with the tremors of some of the members. Realizing this, Iella just laughed before falling back once more, resting her head on the pillow.

"You're right about that, although I wish it were otherwise." Iella sighed heavily, taking several deep breaths and slow exhalations. "However, I would like our nights to result in more than just fleeting moments of pleasure." Wedge looked at her, absolutely serious, while forgoing any teasing he usually did on such occasions. "Iella, I want children too, but it wouldn't be the wisest thing to do in this situation."

Indeed, the current situation was not the most encouraging for having a family. The dramatic situation, the heavy military, political and economic losses that the New Republic suffered during the Shadow Hand operation, led directly to a crisis of the state, in which the state for which Wedge and Iella fought was currently severely experienced.

The annihilation of entire fleets led to the need to cannibalize patrol fleets for the needs of the line fleets, as a result of which piracy began to flourish. In a direct line, this led to the collapse of supplies, trade and the crisis of hunger in many worlds of the Core, Colonies and Inner Rim. Above all, those most heavily urbanized, and the number of people who died of hunger was counted in tens of millions.

Another crime of the deceased and finally defeated Galactic Emperor.

The riots that broke out in connection with this, the flourishing of criminal groups and small gangs, forced the central government to decide to support police formations on many planets, through regular military units, mainly the army.

Meanwhile, the resulting economic crisis led to financial problems for the central budget and forced cost cutting. Above all, politicians severely reduced the fleet and pilot corps budgets. What Wedge was pleased about, or rather what brought him relief, was the fact that they had only reduced funds for expansion, but not for reconstruction after Shadow Hand. Even that, however, had to take many months and had to involve countless resources.

"I know, my beloved." Iella sat up, not trying to cover an inch of her chest in this intimate moment for the two of them. "The Empire still exists and fights..."

"At least what is left of the Empire itself." Then, a smile appeared on her face, tinged with an obvious hint of malice. "Funny how things have turned around over the years. Once, the supporters of the restoration of the Republic were disorganized, scattered, without a single leader, often even fighting among themselves."

It was a smile worthy of one who had slain one of the once-vital pillars of the Galactic Empire, Iceheart herself, head of Imperial Intelligence.

"They are not to be underestimated," Wedge admonished his wife, placing a hand on her neck, sending a brief shiver down her spine. "Even now, after the massive losses in the aftermath of the Shadow Hand's defeat, although our intelligence analysts indicate that the strategic reserves of the vast majority of the Warlords have been depleted, they still pose a great threat."

"Even divided." Iella sighed loudly, the almost titanic weariness of the rebellion and the fighting that seemed endless but had come to define her and her husband's adult lives evident in her sigh. "At least that intelligence operation involving the assassination of Grand Moff Kaine was a complete success, and the countdown to the Pentastar Alignment's descent into internal conflict is now underway."

It was a single piece of good news, which for the couple meant a slight, small, but still improvement in their mood. "So one less Imperial faction to worry about?"

The wife's rhetorical question did not remain unanswered by her husband for long. "According to our analysts, primarily those from intelligence, the Pentastar has no chance of survival in the short term, let alone the long term. Too many opposing interest groups and too many conflicts."

"I know that, for about a year now I have been analyzing materials provided by agents from the northern part of the known galaxy." Iella fixed a few ends of hair falling in front of her eyes. "To be honest, I both understand and do not understand the reason why it was decided to eliminate the Grand Moff, using the last Grand Admiral."

Seeing the surprise on the face of her husband, who was a pilot corps officer through and through, she decided to explain her thoughts on the matter. "On the one hand, Grand Moff Ardus Kaine was one of the most powerful Imperial Warlords, with vast and high-quality resources that had been virtually undiminished by years of fratricidal warfare due to the Pentastar Alignment's extreme isolationism. Furthermore, Kaine had been able, if our agents and their reports were to be believed, to hold the formation together through his rare ability to compromise and broker. However, he was never to have the slightest ambition to become the next Galactic Emperor."

Personally, Wedge had absolutely conflicting feelings about the late Grand Moff.

On the one hand, he was undoubtedly an enemy of the New Republic, and one of the warlords who maintained at least a shadow of the ideals that Wedge, his wife, and countless others had fought against, many of whom would not live to see that day.

On the other hand, Ardus Kaine was undoubtedly a moderate and capable man. Capable of both containing his own ambitions, but also of sustaining his own faction.

After all, the enemy was still the enemy, and Wedge personally had no doubt that if he were dead and the Grand Moff was alive, receiving a report of his death, it was doubtful that the man would have similar thoughts or concerns.

On the other hand, one question kept popping up in his subconscious: if this titan, who had almost single-handedly sustained the Pentastar, had passed into history, what next?

It was true that the territory of the Pentastar Alignment was quite far from the borders of the New Republic. After all, what would happen if someone more aggressively inclined were to take power? More focused on expansion?

"The only person in the Pentastar who had a huge influence on the Grand Moff was his daughter, responsible for the near-complete eradication of piracy or the economic boom that the planets that made up that country had experienced." Iella couldn't hide the slight admiration in her voice for the woman whose life had at that moment taken an exceptionally uncertain turn.

Wedge, personally, was confused by the tone with which his wife's words were colored at one point in her statement.

Admiration close to sincere respect, which Wedge easily caught. "You seem to like her."

Iella only turned her head sharply to the side, causing the ends of her hair to hit her husband's face, and she reached for the thin yellow dressing gown. "Do not confuse admiration for a woman who made a career in the structures of the empire thanks to her own abilities, under unfavorable circumstances, with sympathy for her. Although she is not a monster like Ysanne or Vader, she is still our enemy and everything we have fought for all these years."

Wedge only nodded, then reached for a small console, mounted in the night table, located next to the side of the bed he occupied. "The war will continue. I am not a strategist and it is beyond my abilities to determine how much longer blood will have to be shed for the freedom and peace we guard. Still, I'm glad we can forget about this mess for a while."

Iella laughed, as if her husband's words were a spark thrown into an open fuel tank. "And yet even now, in the moment following our marital life, we are unable to talk about anything but war and politics!"

"Then let's not do this anymore, my love." Wedge said, then began typing a command into the console, wanting to watch any program on the HoloNet and indulge in this passive form of entertainment. "No talk of politics or work this evening!"

His resolution, however, was made at the most ironic moment. The hologram display, built into the floor in front of their double bed, displayed a broadcast from a news service, and soon a passionate but familiar voice resounded in the bedroom. "Citizens, soldiers and officials, we have suffered a great tragedy and loss, the likes of which we have not experienced since the first death of our great Emperor!"

Wedge and Iella flinched, then their gaze turned sharply towards the hologram, which, due to the cameras aimed at this person, presented a white man, already approaching fifty. Apart from the voice, still remembered by many inhabitants of the Galaxy, primarily the former Imperial space.

However, this man, although his voice attracted attention, his face did too, but for completely different reasons. Advanced cybernetics and artificial eyes, glowing with an ominous, strong crimson light. Meanwhile, the mouth, already made entirely of durasteel, or rather some more malleable metal similar in appearance, moved smoothly, attracting the attention of the Antilles couple.

To top it all off, there were scars on the remains of skin, which were a grim reminder of this man's past.

Alec, Pradeux, once one of the most trusted Imperial Advisors and one of the main propagandists of the empire and promoters of the ideals of the New Order. Practically the entire period of the existence of the former Galactic Empire, even the period of fighting the rebellion, when he had to explain the failures or partial successes of the empire and its institutions, did not negatively affect his career.

The breakdown came only after the death of Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus. Alec, as one of the people most closely associated with the deceased officer, was forced to flee to the territory of the Pentastar Alignment, during which an attempt on his life took place, which almost ended in success. If not for the extensive body modifications as a result of a far-reaching operation, this man would undoubtedly be dead by now.

The case of this man was an example of a much wider trend of escape of all kinds of exiles, imperial refugees or officials, who sought opportunities for a new life in the territory of the Pentastar Alignment.

"Friends, brothers and sisters!" Then the holoprojector fully displayed the speech transmission, showing thousands of soldiers, officers and civilians gathered in a vast square, all in front of a large lectern, where the highest officials of the Pentastar were seated, but even they and the former Imperial Advisor who was speaking, were seated lower and under another dais, where a young and rather petite woman with blond hair stood in a blue cape and a dark blue variant of an Imperial officer's uniform.

"We have lost the founder of our state, who in a moment of chaos, uncertainty, crisis, a time of contempt for poverty and hunger, provided us with the peace, stability, growth and order that we so desperately needed in the darkest hour of the Galactic Empire." The former Imperial Advisor continued, maintaining a calm but determined tone of voice. "However, will the fall of one, perhaps one of the most important pillars, cause the structure in which we live to begin to crumble and fall apart?" It was a rhetorical question, to which the answer came very quickly, during which Pradeux raised his voice and violently raised his fist. "Never! The edifice that was raised, forged and strengthened from the ashes of the old New Order, all these years, is incomparably stronger than any of our enemies would ever admit!"

The speaker continued his speech, while the half-naked couple wordlessly approached each other and continued to watch the transmission from the other side of the galaxy.

"Citizens, brothers and sisters!" Alec Pradeux was very expressive during his speech, and despite not being very handsome in face, he was still able to affect the masses, who were able to find a lot of attractiveness in him. "The words of our leaders and your cries are unequivocal: we will not bow down, in the face of this crisis! We will fight, even with broken bottles or durasteel batons, if there is nothing else at hand! We will fight for something greater than ourselves, for a greater ideal of progress, order, and abundance that will bring prosperity and purpose to all! For this, our leader, Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, fought and was murdered by the degenerates of the rebellion!"

The camera then switched to the large crowd. There was no great order there, except for the front rows of soldiers in seemingly silver armor, who chanted the loudest. Right behind them, the mixed crowds of civilians, soldiers, and officers began to chant as well, raising clenched fists in the air as an additional show of firm support.

"Brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the New Order!" Alec Pradeux silenced the crowd after a moment, without much trouble. "This is not the end, this is merely a new beginning, for all of us! If this were to be the beginning of the end for our great empire, the great New Order, then how could one explain the fact that, despite repeated blows, the empire still stands!? We may be divided, but we still fight! Dead or alive, we stick together towards a common destiny, no matter what, my comrades in this fight!"

Then, more and more applauses of the gathered crowd, numbering at least several thousand, could be heard. They all chanted slogans of support and encouragement for the new leadership of this country.

Meanwhile, Wedge and Iella simply felt extremely strange, observing the joyful cheers of so many people. Cheers for another remnant of the former Galactic Empire, which was now donning new clothes.

"Comrades, I tell you that I do not speak these words to you as a ghost of the past and the times of our former glory, but as an angel of the future!" Then he entered a command on the console in the rostrum, which was captured by the camera, and a moment later, in front of the gathered, an enlarged text of a new document was displayed, which was also captured by the camera, but a different one. "Here is a document on the establishment of a new institution, which is and will be necessary for us to survive this storm, this contempt and horror! An institution that will not try to maintain the old and long outdated status quo as a facade! An institution that will allow the values we profess to really adapt to reality!"

"The remnants of our former glory, the ashes of the golden age of plenty and peace, gave rise to the Commission for the Preservation and Evolution of the New Order, COMPENO! An institution of which I will have the honor of being the First Secretary, which will be divided into the Public Enlightenment Service, the State Security Service and the State Modernization Service! Institutions that will provide us not only with security and continuity, but also with the necessary internal stability, in these troubled times!"

The rest of the speech, although still captivating and almost magically making the time pass a little faster, was listened to by the couple with the utmost attention, especially since neither Iella nor Wedge were yet entirely sure of the meaning of all this. They knew, for it was clear, that what was supposed to be the funeral of the Grand Moff had turned into a great political manifestation.

The whole, although maintained in an atmosphere of pure pomp, was nevertheless a strange mixture that caused a certain dissonance in the couple's feelings. On the one hand, big words and aggressively lively expression of the speaker, on the other hand, declarations of establishing further institutions, which, although they should have slowed everything down and made it monotonous, the previous factor made everything exceptionally dynamic.

This moment was the epitome of why Alec Pradeux was the main communicator and speaker when the Emperor was unavailable or when unattractive or embarrassing explanations had to be made. After all, it was this man who made the announcement to the population of the galaxy under Imperial control and beyond, about the destruction of the first Death Star.

Finally, after many words of praise and listing of the increasingly improbable merits and virtues of the deceased Grand Moff, it was time to announce his successor.

"Citizens!" Alec Pradeux began this part, seemingly not needing a moment to swallow or gather his thoughts. "As I mentioned earlier, the old has passed, leading us on the path to the new, and its first, most obvious effect is the emergence of a new leader for our stronghold of stability and prosperity."

He then pointed behind him, with a fluid and strong movement of his left hand, to the blonde-haired, petite, and seemingly inconspicuous woman sitting above, dressed in a standard, gray uniform. "The members of the Pentastar Council, and the highest-ranking officers, have jointly reached a consensus that the successor of the deceased Grand Moff should be his daughter, Tanya Kaine, to whom we owe the complete cure of our territory from the plague of piracy and corruption caused by the enrichment of our state, its citizens and institutions!"

"A new and highest official-military position will be created for this purpose, which will combine several functions." His tone of voice dropped slightly, taking on much more balance and dignity. "Head of State, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Superior of the Pentastar Council. The highest position in our state, Warlady. By extension, all officers, bureaucrats, public employees and soldiers are required to swear an oath of unconditional and complete obedience to the Warlady!"

The Antilles couple had no doubts about what would happen next.

"Do you, the loyal sons and daughters of the Galactic Empire gathered here, swear!?" Pradeux asked and did not have to wait long for an answer.

"We do!" Came the answer, primarily from the most visible officers and officials standing behind the former advisor's tribune.

After a moment, the petite woman spoke, and all the cameras turned centrally to her.

"Thank you for this declaration of loyalty. I know that it has incomparably greater value than any treaty signed between planets or galactic states ever." Her voice was not as loud as the former advisor's and her body language was not as expressive, all of this gave way to complete determination on her part, a durasteel gaze that seemed to promise suffering, fire and blood to literally anyone who dared to challenge her. "Today, with the burial of my father, the former Pentastar Alignment passes forever to the land of brave warriors. This day is thus marked by a new beginning, for here is the rebirth of an empire, whose ashes were torn apart and destroyed for years by rebels and power-hungry individuals who squandered our resources on fighting each other. This, citizens, is the beginning of a reborn Galactic Empire!"

Wedge and Iella exchanged glances, both having a really bad feeling about this.

"All hail reborn Empire!" Tanya Kaine raised her voice at the end, as did her left hand, which was clenched into a fist, while those gathered in the square at the funeral did the same.

"All hail!" The transmission was then switched to the people gathered in the square, who began to chant for their Warlady. "All hail!"

"All hail!"

"All hail!"

"All hail!"

"All hail!"

"All hail!"

Both Wedge and Iella, almost at the same time, drew closer to each other. Both of them almost instinctively fell into each other's embrace, feeling both small and insignificant in the face of the massive masses of people shown on the HoloNet, chanting for their new leader.

However, the transmission soon came to an end, while the reporter began to comment on the event. As it quickly turned out, it was being broadcast to the entire galaxy. Or at least the part of the galaxy that the Pentastar space relays could reach, but it was still the vast majority of the entire galaxy.

"She made a grand declaration." Iella commented on that after a moment. "A declaration that may mean more than we currently realize. The only person who knows anything about it beyond a shadow of a doubt is Warlady herself."

From their perspective, a small-bodied enemy, yet standing above them, amidst hundreds of durasteel ships, looking down on them all. An enemy that was definitely beyond their reach, at least at that moment.