Imperial Calendar, Year 1, May 25, Imperial Capital, Coruscant.
The terrifying form of the Death Star had vanished into the deep space beyond Coruscant's atmosphere alongside its escort fleet. Only the constantly blaring readings from hyperspace detectors still echoed through countless monitoring stations.
The current Emperor of the Galactic Empire, Sate Pestage, sat beside the throne, staring expressionlessly at the holographic star map. On it, the red dot representing the Death Star was moving southeast. Based on current hyperspace route conditions, its calculated destination was—
Corellia.
The Death Star was entering the Corellian Trade Route. It would travel along this core route to the Delon system, where it would resupply at the Galactic Empire's largest defensive line before turning onto the Hydian Way.
After entering the Hydian Way, the Death Star would pass through Chardaan Planet and Paks Planet before finally reaching Kira planet.
During this journey, Chardaan Planet and Paks Planet had long maintained an ambiguous relationship with the Fourth Empire. Before the Battle of Coruscant began, these two transit hubs on the Hydian Way had already been openly compliant while secretly defiant toward the Galactic Empire's decrees.
But since neither side had torn off the mask yet, Wilhuff Tarkin would presumably set aside any reckoning with them for now and focus his strength on destroying Kira and Eriadu, dealing the Fourth Empire a crushing blow.
Sate Pestage leaned back in his seat—he still did not dare to truly sit upon that throne, the place that had once belonged to Palpatine.
He knew perfectly well that calling himself a puppet emperor might even be giving himself too much credit.
Although Isanne Isard, the current true ruler of the Core Worlds, had temporarily left Coruscant, that did not mean his own position had become any more secure.
Wilhuff Tarkin wanted