The Empire begins with the Fourth Scourge.

2636. The Emperor Arrives

However, just as the Imperial military was still worried about the safety of the planet Rhys, another shocking piece of news arrived.

An uprising broke out on the planet Ode-Pardoran, the capital of the Thirteenth Army of the Empire, and the planet's administrative center was captured by the rebels! Byluir, the governor of the Thirteenth Army, was unwittingly taken prisoner by the rebels.

A high-ranking sector governor was captured!
This situation is truly disgraceful, and there has never been such a terrible precedent!
So, when the main fleet of the Thirteenth Army, which had rushed to the planet Ugio to quell the rebellion, was rushing back to the planet Ode-Pardoran, it was suddenly attacked by the rebel fleet.

The warships used in this fleet were confirmed to be all MC-80, MC-85 and other series warships built by the Monkalamari, and the one commanding this fleet was none other than the Monkalamari general, Jal Akbar!
General Akbar executed a brilliant ambush. Under his valiant command, the rebel fleet fought bravely and displayed formidable combat power. In just half a day, they severely damaged the Imperial fleet, sinking 18 Imperial-class Star Destroyers and 34 Victory-class Star Destroyers!
In just one day, the Imperial Thirteenth Army was completely annihilated!
The Imperial Intelligence Bureau was furious. They believed that there were definitely a large number of rebel spies within the Imperial Thirteenth Army, and that these spies held high-ranking positions.

But what else could they do? Faced with the upheavals in the Outer Ring Sector, the Imperial Intelligence Service was powerless to intervene; they were currently dealing with a mountain of internal strife, especially the internal strife within the Tagg family and the death of Grand Inquisitor Radinar Tobin of the Imperial Court.

The Imperial military was also furious. They ordered Serben, the governor of the Imperial Twelfth Army in the Eastern Frontier, to immediately send troops to hold the Monkaramari people accountable on the planet Dak.

But where does Serben get any real power now? The Twelfth Army is now under Gideon Tarkin's command! And he completely scoffs at the idea of ​​sending troops all the way to attack Dark Planet, bluntly stating in communications that the Imperial military has no military common sense.

The Galactic Empire is currently in a state of disarray, with its people restless and unsettled.

His Majesty the Emperor has disappeared for unknown reasons, leaving the empire without anyone to take charge. Military officials and governors at all levels have begun to plan for their own future.

However, at that very moment, an even more explosive piece of news instantly spread throughout the entire empire—

His Majesty the Emperor has returned!

It was described as explosive because at that time, almost everyone was trying to get a share of the spoils from the Empire, striving to secure a large slice of the enormous pie later on. Just as they were lining their own pockets, engaging in corruption, and amassing powerful armies, His Majesty the Emperor returned?!

Isn't this a slap in their face?
Fortunately, after years of navigating the political arena of the Galactic Empire, these people have long since lost all shame, so whether they fight or not is irrelevant.

When Emperor Palpatine suddenly appeared in the Imperial Diet, almost everyone knelt on one knee, offering their sincerest blessings to the returning Emperor and reaffirming their absolute loyalty to the Empire.

Palpatine, however, had no interest in dealing with these insects. He simply announced on the spot that the Imperial Council would temporarily adjourn during the Northern Campaign. Meanwhile, the previously scheduled Imperial Celebration would proceed as planned, during which the investiture of twelve Imperial Marshals would be confirmed!
In addition, he mentioned a third thing—

He, Emperor Palpatine, will personally lead his army to the North after the celebrations conclude, to fight a decisive battle against King Tang Xiao of the Kingdom of Dawn!

Palpatine's sudden return changed many things.

Darth Vader stated directly that the Death Squadron would need three more days to reorganize, and after three days, it would be fully deployed to attack Fang's multi-planet.

Gideon Tarkin said that attacking Dark might be unrealistic at the moment, but he could first block Dark's foreign trade routes, intercept Dark's merchant ships, and impose economic sanctions on them.

Sartre-Pestach rushed to Palpatine to explain that the grand ceremony he was preparing was definitely not a state funeral, but simply part of his plans for the upcoming imperial celebrations.

Dunn Wessex issued orders for Admiral Gerard Perrin to immediately launch a full-scale attack on the planet Od Mantel. But this time was different. Gerard Perrin even personally flew to Palin Minor to tell him that his conservative strategy wasn't to conserve strength, but rather that it was part of the battle plan. He needed to exploit the Dawn Kingdom's weakness—its lack of manpower—before he could find the right opportunity to attack.

But Dunn Wessex wouldn't listen. Palpatine's return terrified him, and he ordered Gerard Perrin to launch a massive campaign immediately to demonstrate his loyalty to the Emperor.

Everything in the empire seemed to have improved again. The empire had once again become an impregnable fortress, awaiting only His Majesty the Emperor's personal campaign to kill Tang Xiao and annihilate the Dawn Kingdom—a task that was just around the corner!
The head of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, Aisani Isard, also went to Palpatine's office. This spy chief, whom Palpatine trusted deeply, handed Palpatine a list, telling him that it was a list of officials and members of parliament who had plotted against His Majesty while he was away.

Meanwhile, Aisani-Isad also stated that the sudden annihilation of the Thirteenth Army had internal factors. The main reason was that intelligence sources from the Imperial Center were tipping off the rebels, allowing them to accurately grasp every move of the Thirteenth Army.

Moreover, a large amount of funds flowed out from the center of the empire, then went through various trust funds, charitable funds, and other means before finally ending up in the hands of the rebels, providing them with ample support for their operations.

At the same time, the military is also partly to blame. Jar-Akbar's deep-sea fleet sailed all the way from the planet Dark in the east to the planet Ode-Pardoran in the south, managing to deceive everyone without being detected! This outcome suggests either Jar-Akbar was exceptionally capable, or that someone within the Imperial military was cooperating with his operation, or both.

Palpatine understood Isani Isaad's meaning and immediately ordered Darth Vader to postpone the invasion of the multi-planetary invasion by a week and return to the Imperial capital first. While attending the Imperial celebrations, he was to help Darth Vader expose the spies within the Imperial high command, one by one.

In fact, when Palpatine returned and appeared unexpectedly in the Imperial Diet, another war had already broken out—

A power struggle within the empire! (End of Chapter)