A few hours later
The surviving Senators who were rescued had gathered in the Senate chambers, their expressions a mixture of relief, apprehension, and exhaustion. The chamber itself bore scars from Thrace's brief reign of terror with blast marks on the walls and damaged seating sections.
Senator Bru stood at his designated pod, watching as Imperial forces maintained a respectful perimeter around the chamber. They weren't posing as occupiers forcing compliance, but rather guards ensuring order. The distinction was subtle but important.
Daimon entered through the main doors, walking towards the chamber floor. He walked up to the podium and began the meeting with the Senators.
"Senators of the Republic," Daimon began. "This war has cost both our nations dearly. Trillions of credits were wasted, billions of lives lost, and for what? One man's ambition and the Republic's unwillingness to question its own righteousness."
Senator Geibend rose from her pod. "Emperor Daimon, while we acknowledge Chancellor Thrace's crimes, the Republic itself is not guilty of his sins. We had no knowledge of his fabrications."
"Didn't you?" Daimon's gaze swept across the chamber. "Thrace didn't act alone. His militarist faction included dozens of senators, military contractors, and bureaucrats who profited from this conflict. The Republic's institutions allowed this to happen because they were too broken, too corrupt, or too complacent to stop it."
"So, what are you proposing?" Senator Hann asked. "That we dissolve the Republic entirely and submit to Imperial rule?"
"No. I told you before, I have no interest in ruling the Republic." Daimon gestured to the assembled senators. "What I propose is a restructuring. The Republic will remain sovereign, but it will undergo reforms to prevent another Thrace from rising to power."
Senator Bru leaned forward in his pod. "What kind of reforms?"
"First, a complete investigation into every official connected to Thrace's administration. Those found guilty of war crimes or corruption will face trial. Second, constitutional amendments to limit executive power and establish oversight mechanisms. Third, reparations to worlds damaged by this conflict, paid for by those who profited from it, not by ordinary citizens."
Murmurs spread through the chamber. The proposals were harsh but not unreasonable.
"Fourth," Daimon continued, "the Jedi Order will be reformed. The Absolutist faction has proven itself incapable of maintaining the balance it claims to champion. Those Jedi who participated in Thrace's conspiracy will be expelled from the Order. The remaining Jedi will undergo retraining in proper Force philosophy."
A Jedi representative in the chamber, Master Kelvan Thross who had been captured on Alderaan, stood angrily. "You have no authority over the Jedi Order! We answer to the Force itself, not to temporal rulers!"
"The Force doesn't answer your communications, Master Thross," Daimon replied. "But I do. And given that your Order chose to back a tyrant while ignoring the suffering of billions, I'd say your connection to the Force is more tenuous than you believe."
Thross's face reddened. "We were deceived, just as the Senate was!"
"Were you?" Daimon's eyes narrowed. "Or did you simply choose not to look too closely because Thrace's agenda aligned with your Order's desire for conflict? The Jedi Order has been spoiling for a fight with my Imperium since the day we made contact with Republic space. Thrace gave you that fight, and you were all too eager to participate."
Master Thross opened his mouth to respond but found no words. Around the chamber, other Jedi representatives shifted uncomfortably.
"The Jedi Order will be reformed," Daimon stated. "You can either cooperate with this process, or you can be disbanded entirely. Those are your options."
"You can't disband the Jedi Order!" another Jedi Master protested. "We've existed for thousands of years!"
"And you can exist for thousands more, provided you learn from your mistakes." Daimon's tone softened slightly. "I'm not your enemy, Masters. I'm offering you a chance to become what you were always meant to be: true guardians of peace and justice, not soldiers for hire or political pawns."
Senator Bru stood up again, interrupting the argument between the two sides. "Emperor Daimon, these reforms you propose... they will take years to implement properly. What happens in the meantime? Who governs the Republic?"
"A provisional government will be established, composed of senators who opposed the war and can be trusted to act in the Republic's best interests. You, Senator Bru, along with Senators Geibend and Hann, will form the core of this provisional council. Your first task will be to organize elections for a new Chancellor within six months."
"Six months?" Senator Geibend looked surprised. "That's barely enough time to investigate Thrace's entire network, let alone prepare for elections."
"Then you'll have to work efficiently," Daimon replied. "The Republic's citizens deserve a legitimate government as soon as possible. Every day that passes with Imperial forces maintaining order is another day that undermines your sovereignty."
Senator Hann nodded slowly. "You're giving us a deadline to prove we can govern ourselves properly."
"Precisely. I have no desire to occupy Republic space longer than necessary. But I also won't leave until I'm confident that the factors which led to this war have been addressed."
A younger senator, representing Corellia, rose from his pod. "What about the Sith Empire? They were Thrace's allies in this conflict. Will they face consequences?"
"The Sith Empire," Daimon said, "has already undergone its own... restructuring. Emperor Vitiate and the Dark Council are implementing reforms similar to what I'm proposing for the Republic. Their alliance with Thrace was terminated before this invasion began."
The Corellian senator looked skeptical. "You're saying the Sith just decided to abandon their goals of galactic domination?"
"I'm saying that under my guidance they won't pose a problem, at least for a while." Daimon clarified.
"Your guidance?" Master Thross interjected. "So, you've subjugated the Sith Empire as well?"
"I've liberated them from a parasitic entity that was corrupting their leadership," Daimon corrected. "Much as I'm liberating the Republic from Thrace's corruption. Whether you choose to see that as subjugation or salvation is up to you."
Senator Bru raised his hand, drawing attention back to practical matters. "Emperor, assuming we accept these terms and form a provisional government, what guarantees do we have that the Imperium won't simply invade again once you've withdrawn?"
"We will create a treaty that will end the war, establish the Republic's provisional government, alongside a ton of other things involving the military." Daimon stated.
The chamber fell silent as senators absorbed the implications. A formal treaty would bind both nations, but it would also mean acknowledging the Imperium's victory and accepting whatever terms Daimon deemed necessary.
"What kind of military restrictions are we talking about?" Senator Geibend asked carefully.
"The Republic will reduce its standing military to defensive levels only. No more than what's necessary to protect your borders and maintain internal security. Offensive capabilities will be scaled back significantly. Additionally, you'll cease all covert operations within Imperial space."
"That would leave us vulnerable," Senator Hann protested. "What if another power emerges to threaten us?"
"Then you contact the Imperium, and we'll discuss mutual defense arrangements," Daimon replied. "The treaty will include provisions for cooperation against external threats. But make no mistake: the Republic will not be permitted to rebuild the war machine Thrace created."
A Nautolan senator from Glee Anselm stood, her head-tails twitching with agitation. "This treaty sounds more like terms of surrender than a negotiated peace."
"Because it is," Daimon said bluntly. "The Republic lost this war. You can accept defeat with dignity and rebuild, or you can continue fighting a battle that's already over. I've been more than generous in my terms. Many empires in my position would simply annex your territory and be done with it."
The Senators and Jedi were still skeptical about the generosity that Daimon was showing them, but after hours of debate a formal treaty was being drafted.
The Treaty would establish a provisional government, outline military restrictions, establish reparations protocols, and create frameworks for Jedi Order reformation. It would be signed by representatives of both the Republic and the Imperium, marking the official end of hostilities.
And while the Jedi representatives protested the agreement, stating the Republic had no authority over the Jedi Order. The Senators didn't care about their pleas. Within the agreement that would be signed, Daimon was given complete authority over the reformation of the Jedi Order against their wishes.
And as soon as Daimon departed the chamber, he got to work. The three factions of the Jedi Order were called to meet with Daimon or their members would be hunted down and wiped out.
As the days passed, representatives from the Preservationists, Absolutists, and the Penitents all arrived on Coruscant to discuss the future of the order.
However, for the Absolutists, only a smaller number of Jedi among them agreed to the reforms that Daimon had planned, while the greater number of them still took up arms against the Imperium. So, Daimon had special Ascendant task forces go throughout Republic space to start hunting them down and detaining them if he could, if not then killing them.
The Preservationists only wanted to preserve Jedi traditions and avoid war, so the accepted the reforms as most of the reforms didn't really affect their most treasured traditions.
The Penitents were essentially freelance Jedi Masters and Knights who remained out of the war and instead traveled around and helped people. Some even joined the Balance Keepers in hopes of learning more about the Force.
But in reality, it didn't matter if these factions agreed to his demands or not. Daimon was prepared to take extreme measures should the refuse. But he figured most of Jedi in favor of the War were within the Absolutists or were already dead.
That means that ones that were left were either the levelheaded members of the Order, or they were doing it out of fear. Whichever it was didn't really matter to Daimon, so long as he could reform the Jedi Order and set it back on the correct path.
Meanwhile, in the conquered Imperial territories in the Unknown Regions, dozens of worlds had started to become plagued with insurrections, religious fanatics, and other problems. The Imperial garrisons were still present, but they were facing numerous problems all at once.
To remedy the situation, Daimon had tasked Progenitor Liraen Vos and the Tempestaris Ascendants to stabilize Imperial holdings. These territories were just recently conquered and couldn't be allowed to fall into chaos while the Imperium was occupied with Republic affairs.