Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!-Chapter 177

Taking our conversation to a local café, as only I had eaten this morning, the ladies grabbed something to eat and joined me in a private booth at the back of the shop. Getting a few sips of caffeine and bites of food down before restarting the conversation, Padme wanted some clarification on the supposed divine weapon I had shown them. Having grown up believing that the divine pantheons were old myths passed down from societies' ancient past, she was understandably shaken up by the revelation that they were actually real.

"So let us start from the beginning. Where exactly did you get this relic?", Padme asked, warily staring at the axe head, 'I know he warned us about the consequences of touching it, but I really want to test if he is just messing around.'

"I purchased it from a collector on Tatooine.", I stated. "He found the destroyed weapon in the Thochinda debris field."

"What do you intend to gain from reforging the weapon? Based on the reports we have received, you already have enough power to collapse an entire star system with ease.", Satine commented, looking at her sister with exhaustion, "A little heads up would have been nice, sis. The Senate descended into madness when they were alerted to an entire star system having been reduced to dust."

"If I had told you, I would have heard nothing but complaints from you about not stopping him.", Bo-Katan argued as she crossed her arms in frustration. "Does the Galactic Senate intend to hold him accountable for its destruction? If so, just say it already."

Shaking her head, Satine confirmed that they had no such ideas. The star system was completely uninhabitable, and the planets themselves were of little value to anyone. Even as potential mining colonies, no one saw them as a worthy investment.

"Well, if that is the case, why are you upset about it? Do not tell me they are honestly afraid he will turn it on them!", Bo-Katan scoffed, "After everything he has done for the Republic, why would he turn around and destroy?"

"Again, that is not the problem here...", Satine sighed, looking down at her cup of coffee. "Until now, most senators only knew Victor as the Jedi Sage who stopped the total collapse of the Senate building. This stunt has caused people to investigate Victor more thoroughly, which has led many to discover his various other titles. As a result, many Senate factions are looking to establish connections with him. Suffice it to say that he should expect to receive a great number of marriage proposals in the coming months."

Letting out a long sigh, I honestly began to regret my decision to fire the Wave Motion Cannon within Republic space. The safer option would have been firing it within Imperial space, as no one would have said anything about it since I am a Primarch. Making a mental note to do so moving forward, all I could do now was ride this out and wait for people to give up on their stupid plans.

"Speaking of marriage proposals, we received a request from the Deviluke Empire to help facilitate talks between them and the Imperium of Man. Apparently Princess Lala Satalin Deviluke is interested in marrying you.", Padme said, giving me a teasing smile, "You are certainly becoming ever more popular with the ladies, Victor. How do you intend to- "

"Are you able to tell them no on my behalf?", I inquired with a cramped expression, "I already told Lala, after she nearly destroyed the Artemis Space Station, but clearly she chose to ignore me."

Choking on their beverages, Padme and Satine began coughing violently as they recoiled from this startling news. Assuming the Devilukeans paid an exorbitant amount to suppress any information regarding the involvement of their first princess in the disaster, I was not the least bit surprised they were unaware of it. Given how angry the station's security chief was at them, it must have cost a pretty penny to secure leadership's silence.

"Oh god... Princess Lala is here on Coruscant right now...", Padme wheezed, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"We need to go, ladies!", I said, wondering why I had not seen a Devilukean ship in the spaceport, 'No way in hell am I going to let her find out I am here!'

"Victor, this Princess Lala would not happen to have pink hair and a tail with a heart at the end, would she?", Lileath questioned, looking out the store's front window.

Hearing a tap on the glass behind us, I slowly turned my head to see Lala doing a little dance outside. Bolting toward the entrance of the café, Lala slid into the booth beside the Senators before I could initiate an emergency teleport to escape.

"Hello again, Victor-kun!", Lala spoke up with a bright smile. "Did you miss me?"

"Not in the slightest...", I answered truthfully, "I thought I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with you several weeks ago. Why are you still pushing this?"

"Well... My father is very insistent on marrying me off, so I want to marry someone I feel I can grow to love. Unlike all the suitors he has picked, who ogle my breasts and see me as a meal ticket, you treat me like an actual person.", Lala stated matter-of-factly, "I know we got off to quite a rough start, but I hope we can move past it for our future together."

Opening my mouth to reiterate my discomfort about her continued advances, another voice interjected to scold her. Calmly walking over with her bodyguards in tow, Lala's mother, Sephie, came to our table to collect her daughter. Even though her face was hidden behind an opaque veil, the tone in her voice confirmed she was none too happy about her daughter running off on her own.

"Lala, do you remember the promise you made me before we left the Deviluke Empire?", Sephie inquired, her gaze fixated on her daughter.

"I... I do...", Lala acknowledged, hanging her head in shame, "Sorry, Mother, I saw Victor-kun from the window and lost control of myself."

Turning her gaze toward me, Sephie looked me over cautiously, trying to ascertain the type of person I was. Looking at the other women at the table next, she faintly nodded her head before politely asking to join us for a few minutes. Scooting over so she could sit on their side, the guards took up positions close by to keep an eye out for trouble.

"Good morning, Queen Sephie!", Satine said, giving her a polite nod.

"Good morning, everyone. Please forgive my daughter for her rash actions.", Sephie replied, her full attention turning toward me. "So, you are the man that my daughter has set her sights on. You certainly have an air of authority and power about you, but I am not convinced you are a good fit for her. What say you?"

"You are absolutely right, Queen Deviluke.", I agreed, enthusiastically nodding my head. "If you would, please convey that sentiment to your daughter and husband so we can put this matter to rest. While I would like to establish friendly relations with your nation, I would prefer it not be via a political marriage."

"You are saying you have no interest in the authority, power, and wealth that come with being her husband?", Sephie clarified, motioning for her daughter to remain silent.

"Yes ma'am, your daughter is far too chaotic and reckless to be a good fit for my household. I have a great many responsibilities on my shoulders, and I cannot afford to have her potentially cause additional headaches for me.", I elaborated, "I am in the process of rebuilding the Imperium of Man, preparing for a full-out war with the Tyranids, and- "

Starting to tremble with fear at the very mention of the insectoids, Sephie began hyperventilating as she curled up into the fetal position. Realizing I had said something I should not have, I cast the spell Lion's Heart on her to help subdue the severe reaction she was having. Quickly recovering from her panic attack, she expressed gratitude to me for helping settle her nerves.

"It may sound silly, but I have a very deep trauma when it comes to those... things.", Sephie explained, fidgeting her fingers uncomfortably. "My homeworld and everyone I called family were devoured by them when I was a teenager. If not for Gid, I would have perished along with them."

"Anyone who would mock your mental scars has never experienced what true despair and fear is.", I remarked in a serious tone. "I have seen people who never mentally recovered from their encounter with those pests. They have allowed their trauma to swallow them whole and shape who they became as people. Though the scars may remain, you picked yourself back up and continued to move forward down the path you chose for yourself. That speaks volumes about your mental strength and resilience."

Startled by my words, the corner of her lips began to curl upward into a smile. Telling her daughter that they need to return to their accommodation now, Lala complied with a disappointed look. Before walking away from the table, Lala made one last attempt to garner a positive response from me.

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"What can I do to garner your attention, Victor-kun?", Lala inquired, refusing to give up so easily. "Do I have to change my personality to be more like your wives? Maybe even give up inventing my gadgets altogether?"

"Lala, never change who you are at heart for the sake of someone else. If they demand you change something core to yourself, they are not worth your time or energy.", I told her, "I know your inventions are meant to help brighten people's day or help those in need. It is truly an honorable thing, but your planning and implementation are atrocious. They are a liability and could very well hamper everything I am doing to better this region. If you are truly hellbent on pursuing something with me, show me your determination with action."

"So, put more thought and planning into what I make.", Lala muttered, nodding her head in understanding. "Very well, just you wait and see. I will show you the full extent of what I am capable of!"

Seeing the fire burning in her eyes, I wondered if she could rise to the occasion or fail like she had so many times before. Promptly walking out of the store, Sephie bid us farewell before she and their guards chased after Lala. Releasing a sigh once they were gone, Padme and Satine began to giggle at my pain. Rubbing my forehead, I considered having a stiff drink and smoke once we were back aboard the New Genesis.

"You seem to attract some very strong-willed women, Victor.", Padme remarked, looking at the four women next to me. "Getting back to our original discussion, you are planning on heading to the Lehon System to visit the wreckage of the Star Forge. Do you plan on constructing another or rebuilding the original?"

"Utilizing time manipulation magic, I plan on restoring the original to a time prior to its destruction. Honestly though, I am uncertain if the Star Forge will be able to accomplish what I need it to do.", I admitted, "All I am after is a forge fueled by the heat of a star."

"Why not just take it back to the Asgardians and have them reforge it?", Satine questioned, "If they crafted it originally, they should be able to reforge it."

"It is not that simple; to reach them, I must use the Bifrost as they reside in a different dimension. Opening the pathway requires Stormbreaker to be whole once again.", I informed her. "I must work with the resources I have at hand for the time being."

Wanting to avoid restoring the taboo device to operational capacity again, the two senators racked their brains for an alternative. Unable to think of another solar-powered forge, a realization struck Bo-Katan hard.

"Wait a second, Lileath, did your pantheon have a Smithing God? Surely, they would have possessed something that Victor could use.", Bo-Katan stated.

"We did; his name was Vaul.", Lileath acknowledged as the realization struck her too. "His forge should still be intact as the four beings that usurped us have no interest in the trades! Victor, we should return there and see if Vaul's forge will work!"

"That will require us diving into the Warp, though...", I reminded them.

"No, it will not. Vaul's forge was located within the Webway!", Lileath told me, happy she could provide me further assistance. "I know precisely where it is; leading you there will be easy for me. While we are there, I can let Uncle Cegorach know I am alive!"

Since I already had plans to go there, I agreed to give their suggestion a try before restoring the Star Forge. Eager to get going immediately, she pushed Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, and Samus out of the booth so we could get underway. Bidding the two senators farewell, we promised to contact them if we had to go with Plan B.

Watching us walk out the door, the two women dropped their cups in shock.

"Wait... that Space Elf was a goddess?!", Satine shrieked.

"I take it back; Victor seems to attract powerful, strong-willed women.", Padme corrected herself, "Just to be safe, I think we should let Anakin and Obi-Wan know Victor's intention for the Star Forge. They will know how to handle it better than us."

Agreeing with her colleague, the two senators slid out of their booth to fetch some towels to sop up their spilled drinks.