The 9-star is not a bug -- and I am not complaining. The game is made SO much more balanced between factions because of it. Cid 9-stars serves to make Iberia MUCH more stable and difficult to dominate. It delays my conquests by at least a decade or two -- you have to guard against him, cuz if you attack another party, you are left open to the remaining factions. Essentially, there are 4 equal powered factions on the Iberian peninsula. The only rebel province is Portugal, which, as we know, is a morass needing huge numbers of troops to pacify. It makes planning very important.