The Empire begins with the Fourth Scourge.

Chapter 2678 Sacrifice
2678. Sacrifice

Wilhuff Tarkin stepped forward, but saw that Darth Vader still hadn't turned around, just standing there coldly. He felt the chilling aura emanating from the other man and slowed his pace.

He thought for a moment and then said, "I am extremely grateful to you for saving Garosh Tarkin. I will always owe you a favor. Whatever you need me to do, as long as it is within my power, I will do it."

Wilhelm Tarkin paused, then continued, "As for the rebel fleet that kidnapped Garosh, I will do everything in my power to pursue them. The entire Fourth and Twelfth Armies of the Empire will cooperate fully."

Darth Vader remained motionless, simply standing there, his heavy breathing emanating from beneath his black helmet visor.

Huff... Huff... Huff...

Cold sweat began to trickle down Wilhuff Tarkin's forehead, and a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. He took a deep breath and said heavily, "Three months from now, the Tarkin combat space station will conduct a docking test with the Death Star. To ensure the Death Star can be successfully transported to Skarif, I solemnly propose that you take charge of the security for the entire project."

This is a significant investment, with Darth Vader taking charge of the Death Star's security, meaning he will have the authority to oversee every aspect of the project. And naturally, once the Death Star is completed, the military responsible for its security will become its garrison.

In other words, this invitation essentially made Darth Vader the supreme military commander of the entire Death Star project!

Wilhuff Tarkin originally intended to use this bargaining chip to make some political deals with Orman Tag, given that he had just been promoted to Field Marshal of the Empire and was enjoying immense popularity. Coupled with the recent setbacks in the Northern Wars, Wilhuff Tarkin believed he could perhaps use this opportunity to push Orman Tag towards Dunn Wessex.

Wilhoff Tarkin believed that, given the Targ family's recent precarious situation with civil war, Orman Targ would most likely back down.

But now, in order to rescue his unfilial son, Wilhoff Tarkin doesn't care about anything else.

He knew very well that if this matter was not handled properly, Garosh Tarkin might lose his life! And this was just the beginning. If the charge of colluding with the rebels was proven, then perhaps the entire Tarkin family would suffer annihilation!
At this moment, Darth Vader, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, "You should know what happened here."

Wilhoff Tarkin lowered his head and said, “I know. It all stems from the failure of our operation on Dark, the sudden betrayal of the Monkaramari, which caught Admiral Garosh Tarkin, who was on diplomatic missions, off guard and led to his capture. I will personally report this to His Majesty the Emperor and am willing to accept the punishment.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, "During the assessment of the rebellion on Ujio, Lord Vida was unexpectedly ambushed by the Monkaramari. The Monkaramari rebel fleet took Admiral Garosh Tarkin hostage and used the lives of all the civilians on Iscaron as leverage to force our army to retreat. In order to prioritize the overall situation and protect the lives of more than 30 million people on Iscaron, you had no choice but to temporarily retreat in exchange for the safety of Admiral Garosh Tarkin and the people of Iscaron."

Wilhuff Tarkin tentatively took a step forward, and seeing that Darth Vader did not react, he said, "Everything I promised will be carried out to the fullest extent. Garosh Tarkin will also be stripped of his admiral rank for this dereliction of duty..."

He walked forward step by step until he finally stood before Garosh Tarkin, gritting his teeth as he said, "You, get up right now! Go back!! You disgraceful wretch!"

Garosh Tarkin felt the immense pressure on his body suddenly ease, and he immediately scrambled to his feet. However, through the warship's porthole, he could still see the horrific scene of Iscaron being bombed. He gritted his teeth and growled, "This is what you've done! A planet, over thirty million people, and in your mouths, it's just a line of text in a battle report?! You ordered their massacre!! How can you be so at peace with yourselves!!!"

"Enough!!" Wilhoff-Tarkin, enraged, roared, interrupting Garosh, "This is all your own fault!! Can't the lives of thirty million people bring you to your senses? Now, get back to your…"

"Empire!!" A deafening voice suddenly interrupted their conversation, so loud it almost made them dizzy!

Darth Vader finally turned around, his dark and terrifying body looming over him like a shadow. He had undoubtedly used the Dark Side of the Force in that shout!
He walked step by step toward Wilhuff Tarkin, the dark and terrifying mask less than ten centimeters from Tarkin's face! The terrifying pressure almost made Wilhuff Tarkin lose his balance.

“…The existence of traitors is not allowed.” Darth Vader slowly finished the second half of his sentence.

Without turning his head, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Garosh Tarkin from thin air, strangling him by the neck!
Although Garosh Tarkin was also physically imposing, he was still completely powerless against Darth Vader, who was over two meters tall, and was lifted up without any resistance.

The suffocating pain caused Garosh Tarkin to struggle violently. He punched and kicked Darth Vader, but his physical strength, comparable to that of an elite soldier, was nothing more than a tickle to the black armor!
“No…no!” Wilhoff Tarkin shook his head and shouted, “No! I can handle this!! Garosh will never step out of his house again! His military rank will be revoked! Everything can be resolved!”

But Darth Vader's grip was as firm as a rock, and Garosh Tarkin struggled even more violently...

Wilhoff Tarkin spoke rapidly, not daring to make a move, but gesturing wildly in front of Darth Vader, "Listen, command of the Death Star is yours! It's yours! My entire Fourth and Twelfth Armies are at your disposal! That Monkamari rebel fleet, I'll find it within a month! No, half a month... a week!... three days! Give me three days!!"

Garosh Tarkin's struggles grew weaker and weaker, his face turning a deep purple, but he still did not give up, his feeble fists continuing to strike Darth Vader's arm.

“Please don’t do this! I beg you! He’s so young! He’s only eighteen! He doesn’t know what he’s doing!” Wilhoff Tarkin said, almost pleadingly.

With a sharp crack, Garosh-Tagin's limbs immediately drooped down, and he became completely still.

“I can give him an honorable death,” Darth Vader said slowly in a deep voice.

Wilhelm Tarkin froze, collapsing to his knees, utterly powerless. With a thud, Garosh Tarkin's body fell before him, his face a deep red, contorted with pain and agony, filling almost his entire field of vision.

“Traitors will never receive mercy,” Darth Vader’s demonic voice rang out. “This matter ends here. The Tarkin family will not be implicated.”

Several dead soldiers walked over, draped a Galactic Empire flag over Garosh Tarkin's body, and then stood coldly before Wilhoff Tarkin.

This was a signal for him to get out of there. Wilhelm Tarkin stood up, his gaze now cold and sinister, almost devoid of emotion. He waved for his guards to come and place Garosh Tarkin's body on an anti-gravity stretcher.

Then he supported his son's body and walked towards the outside of the bridge.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and said coldly, "I suggest you stop the bombing, Lord Vida."

His tone was as sinister and terrifying as a dead man's: "Leave a fleet to garrison this place. As for the remaining people on the planet, keep the old, weak, sick, and disabled as hostages. Expel all the others who can still move. Let them spread their fear of the Empire to every corner of the galaxy."

“Excellent suggestion, Governor Tarkin.” Darth Vader glanced at the bewildered captain standing to the side and said calmly, “Do as instructed.”

"Yes Yes……"

……

This riot, which originated on the agricultural planet Ujio and triggered a series of chain reactions, finally came to an end on the planet Iscaron.

The Galactic Empire's propaganda machine was fully mobilized, portraying the riot as a despicable rebellion orchestrated by insurgents in collusion with separatists (the Kingdom of Dawn).

Furthermore, the rebels kidnapped Imperial Navy Admiral Garosh Tarkin, who was conducting diplomatic activities on the planet Dark, and also unleashed a massacre on the planet Iscaron, resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of people.

Following this incident, the Galactic Empire further tightened its internal control and continued to equate the Rebel Alliance's actions with terrorism. Furthermore, the Rebel Alliance's activities have become more low-key, making it seem on the surface that this swift suppression operation was very effective.

The Empire's propaganda machine also gave extensive coverage to this victory, even claiming that the Kingdom of Dawn was involved in the rebellion on Ujio and that they had infiltrated with a main fleet. However, before the invincible Darth Vader, even the Kingdom of Dawn's fleet was no match for them, ultimately suffering heavy losses and being forced to resort to the despicable act of kidnapping and extortion to save their own lives.

With the Imperial Intelligence Service's powerful internal offensive and Darth Vader's victory abroad, the morale of the Galactic Empire, which had been low due to a series of defeats, was once again boosted.

False and exaggerated propaganda began to convince many that the Empire had returned to the path of victory. They believed that after a thorough internal overhaul, the Empire's forces would unite to fight against the Kingdom of Dawn and ultimately emerge victorious!
On some planets on the borders of the Empire, ragged beggars began to appear. Most of these beggars were of aquatic races, parched and on the verge of death. To obtain a mouthful of dirty water from the nearby Imperial relief stations, they were forced to recount in taverns and on the streets how the rebellious mobs had destroyed the planet Iscaron…

……

While the Galactic Empire was busy quelling the rebellion, the Kingdom of Dawn was quietly mobilizing its troops.

On June 20, the Anchoron-class Titan warship No. 6, the Chaos, departed from the port of Dawn Planet, passed through the stargate to Eriadu Planet, and entered the interstellar dock there to carry out the final stage of outfitting work.

Meanwhile, the escort fleet of the Chaos Titan warship was also being deployed to the planet Eliadu one after another. By June 22, 150 capital ships were in place.

As the governor of the Sesvina Sector and a general in the army, Ling Liang naturally gained command of this fleet. With his forces greatly enhanced, Ling Liang immediately began strategic deployments.

She sent the fleet from Eriadu to Naboo, forcing Naboo to surrender.

Naboo has always been in a very awkward position. During the later stages of the Clone Wars, Ling Liang's offensive briefly gave him control of the surrounding space. However, due to the planet's complex situation, Ling Liang, at Tang Xiao's behest, did not attempt to occupy it.

The Dawn Kingdom's fleet left after disarming Naboo.

When the war broke out again, during the raid on Kira, the Dawn Kingdom's fleet treated Naboo as if it were invisible, swaggering past them and then annihilating the Imperial fleet on Kira.

Therefore, although the Dawn Kingdom's front line in the southwestern part of the galaxy has now advanced to the Inner Ring Sector, directly threatening the defenses of the planet Delon, the planet Naboo, located on the edge of the Middle Ring, is still nominally a member of the Galactic Empire.

This time, however, General Ling finally made up his mind, dispatching the newly acquired fleet to surround Naboo and sending ground troops to land.

This was all just a formality. Naboo had no power to resist at all, and its queen surrendered the very next day, becoming part of the Kingdom of Dawn.

It's worth mentioning that Dome, the current representative of Naboo's parliament, actually went so far as to establish a government-in-exile in the Imperial Center, the capital of the Galactic Empire, and then went around lobbying for the Galactic Empire to send troops to reclaim Naboo as soon as possible.

Although sending troops was impossible, the establishment of a government-in-exile successfully demonstrated her loyalty and resilience.

Although she was actually one of the original founders of the Rebel Alliance, this effectively eliminated any suspicion about her.

Domee began using the "Naboo Restoration Movement" as a pretext to secretly funnel funds to the Rebel Alliance right under the nose of the intelligence agency.

Of course, this was just a side story.