I get to conquer the Federation (SW and ST Crossover/SI)

[Yinko]

IRL there's a controversial theory called behavioral epigenetics, which postulates that behavior can be genetically-encoded and passed down to future generations. Evidence is circumstantial at present, but research is ongoing, and it does seem to have some basis going for it, unlike Lysenkoism.

So, yes, for all that Star Trek is surprisingly soft when it comes to actual science, they can claim with some sense of realism they were on their way to breeding perceived negative behavioral traits out of Humanity and other species.

I know that there are supposed to be multi-generational consequences to PTSD on an epigenetic level. In Star Trek they have memory engrams, which can be manipulated, but the simpler scenario would be Transporter Therapy. Just have a program running in the background that looked for these epigenetic indicators, projected what it would look like if they didn't exist, and then altered the transporter buffer file while the individual was non-existent.

Subject dies? No problem, you have their buffer file, try, try again. With the ubiquity of transporter tech on Earth and in the Federation, you'd have most people 'cured' within a generation. You could also do the same with genetic diseases, especially if you focused on carriers of the genes rather than those who have the disease expressed. That way they could cure humanity of a weakness while also appearing to uphold the "no genetic engineering" rule.

 

[Bassoe]

Right, with that out of the way, I wonder who has infiltrated the spooks? My first thought had been the descendants of Khan’s people, but given they were meant to have been eliminated during the eugenics wars I think augments are ruled out.

Most likely a family or ethnicity, given the mention of being bred out, but for a group like S31 is portrayed here that isn’t necessarily true. Especially given their talk of using eugenics to change behavior they may have the idea that ideologies are hereditary.

Based off the S31-are-Templars theorizing upthread, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Assassins.

 

[AspblastUSA]

Based off the S31-are-Templars theorizing upthread, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Assassins.

At first I wanted to say it was a silly idea to think that another crossover had been brought in unannounced, but looking at it again...

Through the crimson haze of blood, sweat, tears, and pain, Bishop saw hooded figures prowling through the smoke and flames, looking for survivors and dispatching them with single shots from small, concealable pistols. His eyes, though, focused on the subtly-hidden symbolism of their buttons, brooches, and other such things that would easily slip the attention of the less attentive.

...I find the argument more compelling than I'd expected to. I'm not convinced yet but I don't think I'd be surprised if it turned out to be true, anymore. Yes, it's circumstantial and could easily go another way entirely, but given the hood and a fondness for subtle iconography are the go-to for Assassin visual design...

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

At first I wanted to say it was a silly idea to think that another crossover had been brought in unannounced, but looking at it again...



...I find the argument more compelling than I'd expected to. I'm not convinced yet but I don't think I'd be surprised if it turned out to be true, anymore. Yes, it's circumstantial and could easily go another way entirely, but given the hood and a fondness for subtle iconography are the go-to for Assassin visual design...

"Where other men blindly follow the truth, we remember..."
"...nothing is true."
"Where other men are limited by morality or law, we remember..."
"...everything is permitted."
"We walk in the shadows to serve the light."
"We are Assassins."

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

Dark storm clouds loomed over Paris as the Imperial Command Fleet returned to Earth in the wave of the Fall of Kharzh'ulla. As a select few Star Destroyers and their escort screens descended through the atmosphere to fly low over the city, it began to rain, lightly at first, then in powerful showers punctuated by the roaring of thunder as lightning crackled between the clouds, and then against the Imperial warships' navigational deflectors.

Despite such poor weather, though, people began to gather, whether in raincoats or under umbrellas, or even both, towards and around the Champs-Elysees. By the time shuttles launched from the Courageous, hundreds of thousands of Parisians had come together, waiting in silent anticipation. As the shuttles alighted, a low rumbling started, which erupted into a thunderous roar of triumph as I stepped out into the open.

"I could get used to this." I silently remarked, the roaring and cheering grew even louder as I smiled and waved at the crowd. Then I was walking away, towards and into a waiting Chariot command speeder. "Situation?"

"Earth is relatively-stable." General Corlis Cocburn of the Imperial Army, Inspector-General of the Terran Occupation Command. "The UNAS and the provisional European Federation are keeping their claimed territories orderly and have been cooperating with us."

"But…?" I prompted.

"Eastern Eurasia is…problematic." Corlis replied. "China is splitting along northern-southern lines, with the Northern Coalition clashing with the warlords in Yunnan and Guangxi. Tensions are rising between Japan and Korea, while in India we've had to step-in several times to prevent open fighting between the provisional government and radicals demanding the restoration of the Great Khanate."

"…as I recall, Khan Noonien Singh's daughter was among those we liberated from Tartarus, was she not?" I asked.

"She was, admiral." Sara confirmed. "Unfortunately, she's only…ten-years-old, or so, and would not really be in any position to govern."

"But at this point she has more legitimacy than the provisional government," Corlis pointed out. "As most Indians have noticed it's formed by mid-ranked United Earth functionaries and administrators. In short, they're seen as agents of United Earth, complicit in the long-term subjugation of India from the Eugenics Wars onward, and ultimately irrelevant. Worse, they're backed by the UNAS and the European Federation…"

"…the predecessors of which," I concluded. "The USA and the European Union, formed the backbone of the UN Coalition during the Eugenics Wars."

"Yes." Corlis continued.

"…I'm not comfortable with potentially provoking a popular revolt." I finally said. "At the end of the day, any society has three fundamental pillars holding it up: the military, the people, and the elites. Any aspiring government must have the support of at least two to achieve success."

"With Starfleet destroyed," Corlis noted. "We are the military now."

"Indeed," I said with a nod before narrowing my eyes. "But if you have to choose between the elites and the people, it's always better to choose the latter over the former. Ironic, I know, speaking as a member of the nobility…but it's also because I am noble-born that I'd sooner alienate the elites than the people. I know my kind. So long as we have military and popular support, any grumblings by the elites can be ignored."

"And if they should…ah, act against us?" The general delicately asked.

"Treason will be punished accordingly." I replied coldly, and the general smiled.

"Understood, admiral." He said.

"Besides," I continued. "Enough of the elites can be co-opted even in this situation, in return for a stake in the new regime. As Lieutenant Sara reminded us, the next…Khatun, as I believe the feminine form of the title is, is currently a child. A regency council will need to be formed…staff it with civilian officials, but include one ISB and Imperial military liaison each. Instruct said liaisons to be discreet, starting by letting one of the civilians preside over the regency council."

"…the power behind the throne, admiral?" Corlis asked.

"If nothing else," I coolly said. "If the civilians mess things up, we can pin the blame on them."

The general smiled again. "As you say, admiral." He said. "However, the Americans and the Europeans might have something to say about all that."

I waved a hand dismissively. "They can be managed." I said. "Based on past reports, the UNAS is concerned about all the…caudillos or whatnot, that have been popping across Central and South America since United Earth collapsed. Give them a free hand in Central America, and a limited one in the south. Also, have Imperial Intelligence discreetly support the caudillos. Divide and conquer."

"Yes, admiral." The general said with a nod.

"As for the Europeans," I continued. "Focus on the seam between Europe and Russia. As I recall from the ISB and Imperial Intelligence's reports on European history, there are deeply-buried resentments in Russia over their nation's subordination to Paris since well before the Third World War, and again to Brussels today, with the new European Federation. That will be the key to neutralizing Europe's threat to Imperial power."

"A united world would be harder to manage than several mutually-jealous and competing states." Corlis said.

"Precisely."

"And…Eastern Eurasia?"

"…let things progress for now." I said after a few moments' thought. "Intervene only to prevent an escalation to open fighting, while pushing for a compromise. Either this results in Eastern Eurasia being too divided to pose a threat, or only postpones the bloodshed."

"And in the case of the latter," Corlis said with a slow nod, catching onto the line of thought. "We only intervene once all sides are exhausted, and appear as heroes restoring peace and order."

"Yes." I said simply while rubbing my chin. "What of the rest of the planet?"

"The provisional governments in Africa, West, Central, and Southeast Asia, as well as Oceania are fully-cooperative." Corlies replied. "Indeed, in the case of Africa as well as West Asia, they've indicated a willingness to accept full integration into the Empire in exchange for protection against the European Federation drawing them into their sphere of influence. Central and Southeast Asia are more concerned about China, but they too wish to preempt that with full integration into the Empire."

"Excellent news." I said with another nod before narrowing my eyes. "We'll have to discuss the details further, but later. We're approaching the Elysees Palace. Now, we attend to the Federation's official surrender."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On Deep Space Nine, sparks flew along the seam of a door leading into a hangar unmarked on any map of the station. A couple of minutes later, and the sparks stopped before the doors were forced open with the shriek of protesting metal. Spider droids then marched into the hangar, empty but for a large spacecraft of some kind sitting inside.

The spider droids did a sweep, and then signaled the all-clear, with Imperial Stormtroopers and ISB agents entering the room. "Secure the area!" the ranking ISB agent barked before pointing at the spacecraft. "Prepare to board."

"Careful, Agent Barcam." Lieutenant Julian Bashir warned. "If that is a Section 31 vessel, they'll have countermeasures in place."

"I am aware, lieutenant." ISB Agent Briar Barcam replied. "But, thank you for the warning."

"Just in case," Bashir said while hefting his medical kit. "I'll be on standby if that's alright."

"Your cooperation is noted and appreciated." Barcam said with a nod.

Then with a thunderous blast, the Stormtroopers blew their way into the Section 31 spacecraft with demolition charges. The white-armored soldiers stormed into the spacecraft, then the officers outside were stepping behind cover as the sound of blaster fire could be heard.

"…clankers…we got clankers!" the warning came over the encoded line.

Then there was a flash of blue through the entry point, indicative of an ion grenade. "Interior secure!" the word went out. "Sir, you're going to want to see this."

Bashir and the ISB agents shared looks, and then escorted by another squad of Stormtroopers, approached and entered the spacecraft. It didn't take them long to find the other Stormtroopers inside, surrounded by the smoking wrecks of several androids. A few of the Stormtroopers were down too, and Bashir quickly made a beeline for them.

And then he came to a halt with a gasp of shocked betrayal. "Kira…" he said, recognizing one of the figures wearing dark-grey Section 31 fatigues inside a stasis pod, just one of twenty inside the spacecraft's hold. "…this is where you disappeared to…you…Section 31…why?"

"For the record," an ISB agent began. "That is Deep Space Nine's commander, Kira Nerys?"

"Yes." Bashir replied, looking and sounding dazed even as the ISB agent gently restrained him from staggering in Kira's direction.

"And you had no idea this is where she'd disappeared to," the ISB agent continued. "Or that she'd joined Section 31 beforehand."

"No…I didn't know…I don't know…" Bashir babbled out in disbelief. "…I don't understand. This isn't…this isn't like her…why would she join Section 31?"

The ISB Agents looked at each other uncertainly, and then Agent Barcam spoke up. "Lieutenant Bashir has fully-cooperated with us ever since we arrived at the station." He said. "We'll have to check, of course, but I'm inclined to take his word over this matter."

Bashir dryly swallowed, and stepping away, looked uncertainly around him, before approaching one of the downed Stormtroopers and began providing medical assistance on rote. Meanwhile, Agent Barcam approached a squad technical specialist who was working on a nearby control panel.

"Can we get them out?" he asked.

"We can get them out right now on your order, sir." The Stormtrooper replied.

"I'd prefer we get them out somewhere secure," Barcam responded. "Where they'd have minimal chances of escaping, or even trying to, and potentially risk losing subjects to interrogate."

"We'll need specialized equipment to get the pods out," the Stormtrooper responded. "But it can be done. They have integrated backups just in case their connection to the ship is disrupted, to keep the people inside alive. We can use that."

"Good." Barcam said before turning to the other Stormtroopers. "Get a tech team in here, on the double!"

"Yes, sir!" the squad leader responded. "Right away!"

Barcam nodded before glancing at Bashir again. "Also, get our injured out of here." He said. "There's no point in letting them lie around when there's more work to be done here."

"Sir!"
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the Elysees Palace on Earth, the last President of the United Federation of Planets, Min Zife, signed the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender. Three documents, each in their own separate folder, written in High Galactic and Aurebesh, providing legal justification for the dissolution of the Federation, and the incorporation of its former territories into the Galactic Empire.

After signing, Zife got up, and shaking hands with me, turned and was escorted away. In return for his surrender, he would be allowed to live the rest of his life in house arrest on his homeworld of Bolarus IX. He'd be under constant surveillance, and would only be allowed to leave his home under strict supervision, but he would be allowed to receive visitors and even pen and publish his memoirs.

A very generous deal, all things considered.

It wasn't as though the fate of the leaders of the old Confederacy of Independent Systems was a secret, after all.

Zife and the Federation were lucky they ended up facing me, instead of Darth Vader or Grand Moff Tarkin, or some COMPNOR-vetted psychopath.

Vice Admiral Danetta Pitta came to mind…

…I'd have to keep an eye out for an opportunity to assassinate that man in the future.

Back to the present, though, with the former president gone, I proceeded along with my fellow Imperial officers to the reception. There was plenty of wine and finger food available, and raising a hand for silence, raised my wineglass in toast while standing at the head of the room.

"To His Excellency the Emperor," I began. "Long may he reign!"

"To the Emperor!" the Imperial officers chorused, also raising their wineglasses, but I didn't drink just yet. I had more toasts to make, but toasting the Emperor first and foremost was only expected.

"To the fallen," I continued. "May their sacrifices never be forgotten or be for naught."

"To the fallen, hail!" the Imperial officers chorused again, and I toasted one last time.

"Finally, to victory!" I said with a smile.

"To victory!" the Imperial officers chorused, and then drank after my lead. Then the music began to play, conversation filled the room, and wine continued to pour.

For my part, I flitted about the room, listening here and other, dropping in a word or two among this and that conversation, until at last I stood before the windows looking out into the palace exterior. "Is something wrong, admiral?" Sara asked as she approached in concern.

"Not at all, lieutenant." I said. "Just…being reflective, I suppose."

"Ah…my apologies, admiral, for interrupting your reverie."

"No, it's fine. Although, you have excellent timing. We'll be leaving early, I must return to Imperial Center and report to His Excellency in person. That said, no need to interrupt our fellow officers' celebrations, simply have the Courageous on standby, along with an appropriate escort."

"Yes, admiral." Sara said with a nod. "Shall I assume Admiral Torrhen will remain behind to command the expeditionary force in your absence?"

"You assume correctly."

"Very good, admiral."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I don't understand!" Bashir ranted as he paced across his domain, i.e. Deep Space Nine's medical bay. "Why would Kira do this? Desert her post here at Deep Space Nine? Desert her own people and planet? Join Section 31? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Actually," Lieutenant-commander Ezri Dax spoke up. "It does."

"…what?" Bashir asked in a small voice.

Ezri sighed. "Look, I know Section 31's done a lot of shady things." She said before holding up her hands to forestall an outburst from Bashir. "And a lot of more than just 'shady' things, now that that Empire's opened all the closets and let the skeletons fall out. But…! For all that, the Federation…it wasn't so bad, at least to people who toed the line."

"That's an understatement." Bashir said, still looking very agitated.

"And I agree." Ezri said with a nod. "Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree with you that no matter how…idyllic, life could be in the Federation it doesn't excuse much less justify everything Section 31 has done. I also think that we can do more and better by starting over, even under Imperial rule, than trying to keep fighting a war that's already lost."

"…but in Kira's case, that's just not good enough, huh?" Bashir asked.

"Yes, I think so." Ezri said with a sigh. "I don't blame her, though. Considering her experiences with the Cardassians, I guess she just saw too many parallels with the Galactic Empire."

"So do I." Bashir admitted in a whisper. "But…to join Section 31…"

The Augment trailed off, while Ezri looked at him knowingly. "Is it solidarity for your people?" she asked. "The Imperial commander…her people…the Valyrions, or something…they're Augments too, aren't they?"

"Valyrians." Bashir corrected. "But yes, they're apparently Augmented, though I'm not sure to what degree. I'm not helping them out of solidarity, though. I'm doing it because it's the right things. It's also why…well, I'm leaving Deep Space Nine. I'm not joining the Empire, though."

Ezri just looked at him in silence for a long time. "Where will you go?" she eventually asked.

"Andor." Bashir replied. "You know what the Andorians face, and they'll need all the help they can get. The Empire knows it, and the Andorians know it. They also know my track record when it comes to…genetic diseases, and I've been offered a position as a civilian expert, to help with curing it."

"Being able to help is worth a bow to the Coruscanti Emperor, huh?" Ezri asked with a small smile. "Sounds like you."

"Maybe it does." Bashir said with another sigh. "And I doubt the Emperor really cares what happens on this…frontier, as he no doubt sees it, so long as his troops bring him a victory or two to broadcast about. But that could work out for us…maybe even let us live more freely than we might otherwise could…"

"And at the end of the day," Ezri knowingly said. "At least the Empire isn't going to let the Andorians die out of principle like the Federation would."

"Yes."

Ezri laughed and shook her head. "Where did it go wrong?" she sighed. "Where did we go wrong?"

Bashir had no answer.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Courageous and her escorts emerged from the Belsavis Gateway, and immediately reconnected with the Holonet. "I feel less homesick already." I quipped.

"We've reestablished contact with Imperial Center, admiral." Sara said. "We have confirmation of your audience with His Excellency the Emperor."

"Very good." I said with a nod. "Captain, set course for Imperial Center, and make the jump to hyperspace once we're ready."

"Yes, admiral." The captain said before going to carry out his duty.

"It shouldn't take too long to get to Imperial Center, should it?" I mused aloud.

"Approximately two hours and forty minutes from our current position." Sara replied.

I nodded before throwing her a smile. "A wonderful thing, hyperdrive." I remarked. "Compare to our defeated enemies' warp drive, with which traversing the galaxy would take decades. And while a more…refined, version called trans-warp apparently existed, it would still take months to traverse the galaxy, when we could do so in hours or even minutes."

"If I may so, admiral," Sara began. "I'm rather curious how the Terran galaxy would develop in the following decades, as hyperdrive technology replaces warp and other, equally-primitive forms of FTL."

"Not just warp," I said. "But other technologies such as droids, bacta, and even weapons tech, among others. Not to mention the potential lifting of onerous if not outright irrational bans on certain technologies like cloning or genetic engineering."

"It would be interesting to see, admiral." Sara said with a smile, and I laughed.

"Depending on how things turn out on Imperial Center," I said. "And you might just get the chance to see it, lieutenant."

"Then I hope and pray that we get that chance, admiral. It was, and is, an honor to serve."

"Likewise, lieutenant."

The both of then turned to look out the bridge windows then, watching as the galactic starscape gently wheeled across our field of view as the Courageous reoriented itself for a hyperspace jump. Not far away, our escorting corvettes and light cruisers did likewise, and a chime sounded across the bridge, and, no doubt, across the rest of the ship as well.

Moments later, and then the stars were streaking into infinity, before we jumped to hyperspace.

"It's almost over now." I thought to myself, staring into the swirling light of hyperspace. "I have all the cards I need and could get, and all that's left is to lay them out and make my play. And then…well, we'll see. We'll see."

Nodding to myself, I crossed my arms over my chest, and just stared into hyperspace as we headed towards Imperial Center.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

"Well, this is certainly unexpected." I remarked as I joined my fellow, newly-promoted Grand Admirals outside the doors that led to the Imperial Palace Audience Chamber.

"And what might be so unexpected by this, lady viscountess?" Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus asked.

"Why, His Excellency creating an entirely new rank," I replied. "And one above the established hierarchy of not just the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy, but even the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps as well. That, and my inclusion among what the Court is already calling the Five."

"Hmm…I concede your point with regard to our new ranks." Tigellinus said. "As for the latter…come now, my lady. Considering your recent campaign on the far side of the universe, it should not be a surprise that His Excellency has chosen to reward you accordingly."

"I agree." Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik said with a nod. "Your strategic planning was elegant in its simplicity, aiming at destroying the enemy's logistics and destroying the enemy fleet in detail. And yet such simplicity is the whole point: it had very little chance to go wrong."

"Simple is best." I modestly replied.

"I was honestly more impressed with the Targaryen Gambit in all honesty," Grand Admiral Josef Grunger chimed in. "As well as your widespread use of interdictor cruisers to control the battlefield beyond simply a means of ambushing enemy ships in transit. If you don't mind, I will borrow such novel tactical doctrines for my own campaigns."

"As would I." Teshik said with another nod before narrowing his eyes. "That said, we're going to need to expand our pool of available interdictor cruisers. In hindsight, the Imperial Navy has greatly undervalued those ships."

"An understatement, if anything." I said with a snort. "You have absolutely no idea how hard it was to scrape together as many interdictors for my campaign, and not because other fleet commanders didn't want to let go of their interdictors. It's because there's just so few of them."

"Unfortunately," Tigellinus sourly said. "Getting the money for more interdictors from the Imperial Senate is going to be like pulling teeth."

"Then perhaps we should bring it up with the grand vizier?" Teshik asked before he similarly soured. "On second thought, we should find another way."

"Speaking freely, grand admiral," I began with a respectful gesture to my senior as an officer. "I don't blame you. The grand vizier is…not a pleasant man. And the same could be said for the rest of the Imperial Ruling Council."

"Again, unfortunately," Tigellinus pointed out. "Anyone wanting to be regularly received at Court will find dealing with those snakes to be…unavoidable."

"Don't I know it." I sourly said, and Tigellinus gave me a courtly bow of sympathy.

"If we don't want to deal with the council," Grand Admiral Miltin Takel spoke up. "Then perhaps we should bring it up before the Emperor himself, after our promotions are officially confirmed at today's Court assembly?"

"The grand vizier would not appreciate being bypassed in such a way." I said before giving a grin. "That's such a terrible, we absolutely have to do it."

Teshik and Tigellinus laughed at that, while Takel and Grunger alike gave amused smiled. Then the conversation stilled, as the doors chimed, signaling that the Court was ready for us. Teshik, as the eldest among us, straightened and smoothed out his uniform. "Well, then," he began with nods at us all. "My lady, gentlemen, I shall you after today's Court assembly is done. I take my leave."

We nodded back at him, Teshik being the first of the five new grand admirals to pass through the now-open doors. He paused then, as protocol dictated, a herald announcing him even as the doors closed behind him. Grunger would be next, followed by Takel, and then myself, with Tigellinus, as the youngest of what the Court was already calling 'the Five' to be the last to enter and be received by the Emperor.

With nothing else to do, I put my hands behind my waist, and thought back to that fateful audience several weeks ago.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Admiral Targaryen," Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, greeted me by name as I knelt before his throne, speaking in a grandfatherly tone that held no hint of the true power and menace he possessed. "You return, and victorious at that. Well done."

"I am honored by your praise, Your Excellency." I modestly replied, keeping my head bowed. "I only regret that I was unable to return sooner."

The Emperor waved a hand dismissively. "Such is the nature of war." He graciously said. "It would do neither of us any good to dwell on it. Let us move on, and proceed to why you have sought this audience so urgently that it could not wait until after the official recognition of your success."

"Then, if may speak freely, Your Excellency?"

"Very well."

"During the conquest of the New Territories," I began. "I ran into references into a form of technology developed by the so-called Federation, supposedly able to remake worlds if not life itself into forms reflecting what its users wished. Despite the apparent…impossibility, of such technology, given how primitive the Federation was, I made it my personal responsibility to confirm or debunk said technology's existence, considering its implications either way.

"And…?"

I raised my head, looking up at the Emperor looking down with mild interest from his throne. "If I may, Your Excellency?" I asked.

The Emperor nodded, and I moved slowly and deliberately, mindful of the Sovereign Protectors and Imperial Guards nearby. Reaching down to my belt, I pulled out the DSD my family's troops had stored what we'd recovered from Memory Alpha. The Emperor gestured then, and an Imperial Advisor emerged from the shadows, an oily-looking man in dark red robes with an unflattering hat of the same color.

He took the DSD from my hand, and plugged it into a nearby terminal. It took only a few moments before the data was compiled and began to play on a nearby terminal, a hologram of the Federation logo appearing in the air.

"Security protocols overridden." A feminine voice spoke up, before the Federation logo disappeared, and an aging Human woman's face appeared, before speaking as though to a camera. "Project Genesis: a proposal to the Federation. What exactly is Genesis? Well, put simply, Genesis is life from lifelessness. It is a process whereby molecular structure is reorganized at the subatomic level into life-generating matter of equal mass."

The Emperor sat up on his throne, his smile and his expression intent and focused at geometric diagrams of the theory behind Genesis, all the while the Federation scientist summarized their initial experiments under the project. "Stage Three will involve the process on a planetary scale." The scientist continued, even as the screen showed the diagrams for a planned 'Genesis Device', before switching to a simulation of Genesis' final deployment. "It is our intention to introduce the Genesis Device into a pre-selected area of a lifeless space body, a moon or other dead form. The device is delivered, instantaneously calling what we call the 'Genesis Effect'. Matter is reorganized with life-generating results. Instead of a dead moon, a living breathing planet capable of sustaining whatever life forms we see fit to deposit on it."

The record wasn't finished playing yet, but the most important part was done. Now, the Emperor sat back on his throne, fingers held in thought against his lips as the record ended, and technical data began scrolling by on the hologram, more than enough to restart the project from when and where the Federation abandoned it.

"What a wonderful gift, Admiral Targaryen." The Emperor finally said, his irises visibly flaring gold as his true identity bled through. "Let us get to the point: what do you want?"

I made sure to meet the Emperor's eyes before making my final throw of the dice, one way or another. "Earth." I said.

There was a moment of profound silence, the Imperial Advisor nearby looking shocked and even appalled at my naked grab for power. Even if I had been the one to conquer said planet to begin with, this was too much. And I knew it too, and fully expected the lash of the Emperor's lightning.

But the Emperor did not do anything of the sort.

Instead, he threw his head back and laughed. "Is that all?" he asked with mocking amusement. "Why, Admiral Targaryen, you are an exceptionally modest individual. You give me the power to reshape worlds, life itself, in my image, and you ask only for a march on the frontier to govern as you see fit."

I bowed my head in silence, even as the Emperor waved graciously. "No matter." He said. "Let it not be said that I am not magnanimous. You shall have what you desire, admiral, and so much more."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Grand Admiral Jaenera of House Targaryen," the Court Herald proclaimed as I stepped into the Imperial Palace Audience Chamber, already in the matching white shirt and trousers of an Imperial Grand Admiral's uniform, complete with gold epaulettes and a unique rank plaque. "Viscountess of Summerhall."

I paused as the doors closed behind me, and then a heartbeat later, walked at a steady pace towards the central pillar, atop which stood the Emperor's throne. Arriving at the end of the walkway, I sank down to one knee, head bowed. "Grand Admiral Targaryen," the Emperor began. "Your military achievements are truly remarkable."

"I am honored by your praise, Your Excellency," I formally replied. "But such has only been possible as a result of your patronage."

The Emperor gestured, and an aide offered him a scroll. "In recognition of your success in crushing the enemy forces and imposing Imperial authority over the New Territories," the Emperor proclaimed. "I hereby promote you, Jaenera Targaryen, Viscountess of Summerhall, to the rank of Imperial Grand Admiral. I also appoint you as Viceroy of the New Territories, with full authority over military and civilian affairs therein. So let it be known going forward from this twenty-second day of the tenth month of the twentieth year of the Imperial Calendar."

On the ground floor, an Imperial Advisor approached, flanked by a pair of Royal Guards. The man brought with him a tray, on which was a rolled-up scroll, my own copy of the Emperor's proclamation. I took the scroll with a bow, and then one of the Royal Guard's offered a baton, which I took with another bow, and bowing before the Emperor, stepped back and away.

All the while I could hear the murmuring of the Court, although I could barely make out any of what they were saying.

I could guess, though.

The Republican partisans, like that two-faced political animal Mon Mothma from Chandrila, or the Corellian firebrand Garm bel Iblis, as well as the genuinely-idealistic Bail Organa of Alderaan, were grumbling about yet another Imperial appointee being giving sweeping powers over a vast stretch of space with no senatorial oversight.

Then there were the COMPNOR functionaries, the ones with no real ability to think for themselves similarly grumbling over a woman being given such rank and recognition against all the traditional expectations and roles of women in Human High Culture. Then there were the ones who could actually think for themselves, usually my distant cousins, aunts, and uncles, with varying degrees of remoteness (all Human nobles being related in one way or another with each other), who were already rationalizing my apparent contradiction to Human High Culture as an exception to the rule born out of my blooded status as one of the Great Houses.

Typical really…

…then there were those who were neither Republican partisans or COMPNOR functionaries and patrons, but were simply in the business of power. All of them, each and every last one of them, posed potential dangers to my vision of the future, or could even be allies in reshaping Terran Humanity back into what they should be.

Not perfect caricatures who could do no wrong and were always right, but just people living their lives freely for good or ill.

And from there, they can go further, climb higher, go further…

…and this time, the chains of nature would not hold them back.

"Now then," I thought to myself as I joined my fellow grand admirals and looked on as Grand Admiral Tigellinus was officially recognized before the assembled Court. "Let us begin anew."

 

[Yinko]

Are you planning to end this now that the conquest has finished, or are you going to continue? I was under the impression that after the conquest had finished that the wormhole was going to close, was that not the case?

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

Are you planning to end this now that the conquest has finished, or are you going to continue? I was under the impression that after the conquest had finished that the wormhole was going to close, was that not the case?

This story is done, but a sequel is in the works. As for the wormhole, I'll reveal that in the future.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

And the sequel's prologue/pilot is up, Post-Conquest: Insurgence.