EV: Chapter 25

The next three months were a flurry of activity. Not only did I have to invest in my newly seized worlds from the former borderlands, but I also had to make sure that my forces were ready to assault Cronus. At the same time, I was also trying to devote time to half a dozen personal projects as well, mostly of the engineering variety. Reverse-Engineering the set of Ancient Armor that I took from Begtse, figuring out Attack Configuration Tel'tacs, and a few other odds and ends, such as using the captured Hebridan Tech to further increase the capabilities of my ships.

In the end, I would end up leaving the investment in the new territories largely in the hands of Luoshen and Chíguó Tiān, though there was significant oversight on the project from Gyalpo Pehar, Pu-Phi-Su, Mokosh, and Bà Đen, as they were local Underlords. In the end, what I had laid the groundwork for was a federal structure for a larger empire, with each local Underlord having a say in how their own affairs were run and what portion of central funding got spent on what. Of course, I also sent targets that my Underlords absolutely were required to hit, a certain threshold of central funds they had to spend on certain things to ensure that my Domain was growing in the right direction.

This was sort of a middle path, a way to thread the needle. It would help ensure that investment into education, housing, and living conditions for the Jaffa and Humans in my Domain grew alongside investment into economic activity and military capabilities. Of course, it also helped that my Underlords were either Abnormal Goa'uld or Goa'uld who were close to embracing a more liberal philosophy despite the inherited bad morals that many of our race possessed from birth, like Gyalpo Pehar.

Meanwhile, on my own new worlds, which were attached to the Central Government directly, I had directed Luoshen and Chíguó Tiān to begin rolling out education and quality of life improvements for the residents first, going based on a strategy that I called 'Building the Foundation Before you Begin to Erect the Watchtower.' I may or may not have been speaking to my Uncle moments before coming up with that name. Either way, it meant getting the workers educated and with decent homes and living conditions, so that when I did expand production on-world, productivity would be sky-high.

Working out a Federal Structure for the different provinces and enacting my own uplift on new worlds took up a lot of my focus, but it also ensured that once it was in place, things would largely run smoothly so long as the Underlords and Ministers remained committed, which, given who I had as Underlords and Ministers, wasn't an issue. Another large chunk of my time and effort was taken up by my military preparations. I had promised my Uncle that we would be going on campaign against Cronus and seizing the border territories that were disputed between his domain and ours, after all.

To that end, I had my factories begin production of the Tianzhi Yujia. Only limited production runs for now, limited to Jaffa Primes, Underlords, and myself. The reason behind that was largely based on the expense of the power units required to mimic the functions of my prototype suit which required Naquadah in the Bloodstream to use, such as the shields and some of the scan capabilities. Those power units were expensive to create, as they needed to be miniaturized to the level that the Tianzhi Yujia wouldn't require a backpack to carry them. When I had refined my production processes some, then I would likely extend the Tianzhi Yujia to more than just an Officer's Piece of Equipment. That would likely require efforts to reverse-engineer the Sampo device, however.

Speaking of the Sampo Device, I was using it largely to create shipyard components to upgrade the Shipyards at Taiji, Samshan, and Kataki. By the end of the first month, Three Ha'tak Docks had been emplaced over Taiji and began working on three new Ha'taks, in addition to the slips making three Long-Class Cruisers and six Al'kesh. By the end of the Second Month, the Samshan Shipyards had been similarly enlarged, while the Kataki Shipyards had been similarly enlarged by the end of the Third Month of preparations. This was perhaps a third of the time it would ordinarily take to perform such a feat, thanks to the Sampo device creating shortcuts. I could definitely see why Ilmarinen and Pekko had chosen to hide it. That kind of ability to boost production would be devastating in the hands of your enemies.

By the end of the three-month period, I had finished three new Long-Class Cruisers, three new Ha'taks, and six new Al'kesh, whose crews had been flash-trained with headsets, drilled on simulators, and were able to do a small, anti-pirate, shakedown cruise in the last week before we had to rendezvous with my uncle. That brought my fleet up to Thirteen Ha'tak Battlecruisers, all upgraded with Hebridan Power Transfer Tech and my own Computational and Power Modifications, Thirteen Long-class Cruisers with the same modifications, and Thirty-Six similarly modified Al'kesh Gunships.

Using the ratios and force multipliers I had worked out, that gave my fleet the punch of a fleet of roughly fifty-one of the Old-Style Ha'taks currently in use in the Empire. Given how Cronus' Entire Fleet only had the punch of forty-four Old-Style Ha'taks, I was confident in my ability to win battles, especially as I would be fighting alongside my Uncle and Cronus would have to worry about Kali and Bastet stabbing him in the back. That was something that I largely didn't have to worry about, as my other borders were with my Uncle's Domain and more of the Borderlands. Not that I planned on using my whole fleet, mind you, but I could if I wanted to.

No, instead, I would only be taking eight of my Ha'taks, eight Long-class Cruisers, and sixteen Al'kesh Gunships. The rest would form a ready reserve in case of emergencies. By my calculations, that should equal enough punch to fight evenly with a force that had twenty-eight Ha'taks. Alongside those, I would be taking five million Jaffa Troops, and fifty squadrons of various fightercraft. I figured that was sufficient to seize and hold four of the disputed worlds in what had been designated my sector of attack.

Of course, Military Preparations aside, I also had tinkering and reverse-engineering to do. My priority was finishing the work on figuring out Attack Configuration Tel'tak, but I also managed to get a bit of analysis done on the Ancient Armor. It was made up of an advanced Hyperalloy, that much was true, but that wasn't the whole of the design. In fact, the real genius was that the hyperalloy had been infused with a sort of odd quantum particle that seemed to allow the armor to shunt most of the energy of impacts into a state of perpetual superposition so that the energy both was and wasn't impacting the armor. There was still some bleedthrough, of course, but the Hyperalloy took care of that.

I wouldn't be able to figure out how to recreate the quantum particles in the time I had, unfortunately, though I would continue working on it over the years until I did, but the Hyperalloy was a lot easier to figure out. It seemed to be a sort of high-density isotope of Trinium that was then alloyed with a nano-carbon lattice at the microscopic level. It would be difficult to produce with current methods, but I could engineer my way around that with time. Unfortunately, time was in short supply, and most of the tinkering I managed had been to finish reverse-engineering the Attack Configuration Tel'tac.

The Reverse-Engineered Version, which I was calling the Qirin-class Attack Tel'tac, boasted two plasma warhead launchers, four twin-linked rotary staff cannons, Hebridan-style Power Arrays, Upgrades to the Computer and Power Systems, and a Cloaking Device. Its primary role was to effectively be a fast, agile combatant capable of raiding, engaging in patrol duties, entering atmosphere to support ground operations, and more. It was fairly multi-role in that way, and I'd produce it in large numbers. They wouldn't be able to threaten a Ha'tak except in numbers or by getting lucky with a plasma warhead launched from stealth, but they could deal with Al'kesh, fighters, and other less-powerful Warships handily enough with hit-and-run attacks.

By the time the last week of my three-month preparatory phase was up, I decided to call a formal council meeting while also looping in my Underlords via the enhanced Voc'ume Projectors I had previously worked on. I wanted a full and total update of how my Domain Stood on the eve of the Battle with Cronus.

As it would turn out, I would be pleasantly surprised at the news. . .

XXXX

"All right, let's call this meeting to order. We are all very busy, I'm sure." I intoned beginning the Council Meeting.

"That is an understatement. I am still getting caught up on events and updates from when I was in Stasis." Agreed Mokosh.

"If that is your sentiment, perhaps we should begin with the Underlord Reports?" Questioned Uttu.

"Indeed. I will go first. I am happy to report that Si Fa Xaymni has seen production increase by quite a bit, thanks to the schools that you have mandated funds be spent on, My Lord. Ban Mi is more slow-going, agricultural as it is. The workers there appreciate the schools and better living conditions, but such things as agriculture are seasonal." Reported Pu-Phi-Su.

"And the state of the Al'kesh Shipyard?" I queried.

"We have added a dozen slips for the Qirin-class Attack Tel'tac, along with two for Long-class Cruisers. The Workers have been exemplary in their production. It appears that bettering their material conditions and allowing them access to education has led to them not only being happier and more motivated in their work, but also to a better understanding of the technical aspects of putting a shipyard together. We were able to enlarge our Shipyard in just under two months, a little over a third less time than it would normally take." Boasted Pu-Phi-Su.

"Never underestimate the importance of morale to motivating groups of men." Pointed out General Kuo.

"Indeed. To let morale slip as much as many System Lords do is foolishness. Keep your troops happy, and they will do anything for you." Smirked General Yan.

"These are not Jaffa Warriors, though. These are mere workers." Pointed out Luoshen.

"It makes little difference, you will find." Shrugged General Tsao.

"People are alike all over. Even the Gods have personality foibles if you know how to spot the quirks." Nodded General Di.

"So my Lo'taur keeps telling me. Apparently, I take Baijiu every evening at specific times, and she always has one ready for me." Chuckled Lu Dongbin.

"As well she should! Baijiu does a body good to indulge in every now and again." Laughed Chíguó Tiān.

"Speak for yourself. With this body, if I overindulge, I'm liable to break something." Scoffed Kui Xing.

"I know the feeling. It is much the same with Trained Jaffa, My Lord." Offered Chen.

"I suppose it would be. Moving on, since you were so eager to speak up, Mokosh, how is Laska faring?" I asked.

"I did not spend as much on education and quality of life as Pu-Phi-Su might have. Of course, this was in service of spending more on manufacturing. I am happy to report that in the Town of Białawieża, there is now a small plant for manufacturing Fightercraft, and in the City of Kiełkować, we now have factories for Tianjia Armor and Tianyan Staff Rifles." Informed Mokosh.

"But you hit your targets for funding education and quality of life, yes?" Questioned Uttu.

"We may have gone just a small bit over those targets, actually." Nodded Mokosh.

"Fantastic. Everyone needs to hit their targets if we are to truly thrive. Moving on, Gyalpo Pehar. How fares Sa Dong?" I queried.

"I have invested in schools and quality of life quite a bit, but also managed to erect a new Naquadah Refinery in the Town of Ribo Chenpo, as well as carved out a new mine for trinium near Dngul Ri. Production in the mines is up, and the refinery is producing quite nicely. Overall, Sa Dong's Productivity had increased by around forty percent." Reported Gyalpo Pehar.

"Well done! Now we come to the last of my Underlords. Bà Đen, how fare your own worlds?" I asked.

"Lua Gao is benefiting from the quality of life improvements and Schools. Lieu Hanh was not exactly a gentle mistress, and her collection of farmers and other country bumpkins was in desperate need of the uplifting such provided. My Original Domain is also thriving. Though I have yet to spend much funding on improving the economy, production in the mines, workshops, and fields I already possess is up by half again what it had been previously." Explained Bà Đen.

"I suspect that the prior poor morale of the workers of Lua Gao is skewing the average somewhat." Mused Luoshen.

"You can hardly blame the workers for that." Pointed out Kui Xing.

"True. Bad Management will do that." Intoned Chíguó Tiān.

"Perhaps we should move along now that Underlord Reports have been completed?" Questioned Uttu.

"Quite right. Thank you, Mokosh, Gyalpo Pehar, Pu-Phi-Su, and Bà Đen. You may return to your business, I appreciate your presence." I nodded at each projection from the Voc'ume in turn.

Once my Underlords had disconnected, I turned to my Council and nodded at Kui Xing, as Minister of Appointments, it was his task to find suitable candidates to run factories, shipyards, and other such public enterprises and utilities in my Domain. As I had just captured several worlds, all of which were currently undergoing investment into quality of life, education, and economics, that was more pressing than usual.

"Ku Xing, let us start with you. What appointments have you made to vacant positions on my new worlds, and how did they score on the examinations?" I queried.

"Most were of Jaffa Stock. Older or crippled Jaffa who can no longer take the field, but still possess the greater level of wealth and social prestige of Jaffa compared to human workers. Those Jaffa did well enough that I would label them as competent, but a few of the appointments stand out for being Human Workers who scored exceptionally well on the exams. One such Worker from Samshan, a twenty-year-old named Huy, had a perfect score on the exams. We put him in charge of overseeing the last of the Shipyard Modules to be installed on Samshan, and everything there went flawlessly. He has a talent for administration and numbers." Informed Kui Xing.

That was more or less what I expected would happen, but it still stung to think about. How many talented humans would have languished working in a field or mine, never getting a chance to show what they were capable of, before I had come along? That was the normal state of Humanity in the Greater Empire, after all. The other System Lords couldn't see how lifting up your subjects, giving them the ability to better their lot in life, lifted you up by necessity. Maybe it was my human mind from my prior life, maybe it was because I was abnormal, maybe it was a combination of both. Either way, I realized that if the other System Lords didn't take note of what I was doing and catch up, they would be very quickly shoveled into the dustbin of history.

Honestly? For some of them, I couldn't say that wasn't where they belonged. Cronus and Apophis, certainly, Sokar definitely, Ba'al as well, for all he was an affable sort of Sociopath. Others might get the hint in time to avoid destruction. My Uncle already seemed to get some of it, and Ameterasu seemed somewhat more reasonable than the norm. The Jury was still out on the others, though. Either way, the future was already on its way into the Galaxy. Ra was dead, and no amount of brutalizing Humans and Jaffa was going to change that fact.

As the meeting continued, and I heard updates on various aspects of my Domain, I could confidently say that I would be ready to kick things into high gear by the time the Taur'i took their second step into the Wider Galaxy. I would need to in order to survive and thrive, after all. Civil War was coming, and Anubis was coming on the heels of that Civil War, exacerbated by the actions of SG-Teams and the System Lords' own natures. My Uncle and mine's attack on Cronus would just be the first push, a testing of the waters. Once Ra didn't intervene to stop the conflict, and Goa'uld started sizing each other's domains up, all bets would be off. There would likely be a grace period, of course, as Ra's assets were seized and other Goa'uld marshalled their resources, but the clock was ticking.

And when I set out with my Uncle tomorrow to attack Cronus, it would be me who had started the countdown. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. It's a bit of a timeskippy one going over the various things that had improved in Erlang Shen's Domain. He's building up pretty well, actually. It's likely that by the time the more general Civil War breaks out in the Empire, that Erlang Shen will effectively be a Super-Hedgehog, in that not only is he too tough of a nut to crack, but he also has enough offensive force to be a serious threat as well, even despite his relatively modest number of worlds.

Erlang Shen calculates that in about six to nine months, the Empire will be in the throes of the full-blown Civil War that happened in canon, so he needs to focus up on securing that Super-Hedgehog Position he is aiming for by the time everything kicks off. Part of that is building up, yes, but part of that is also seizing control of the Four Disputed Worlds in his zone of invasion, those being Wusun, Daiyuan, Daxia, and Yuezhi. Twenty-four Worlds will put him on the upper end of the scale of Minor System Lords. Not quite big enough to match someone like Olokun with his Twenty-Eight Worlds, but close enough to blur the line into being a Major System Lord, especially if he does some more expansion in the Borderlands to secure his flank.

At any rate, the next chapter will include the start of the Campaign against Cronus with a Battle over Wusun.

Stay tuned. . .