"I doubt that," I said. "But thanks for confirming my assumptions."
"Assumptions?" the pirate's nasal speech and battered face were somewhat irritating.
"Hypotheses about how widely and quickly information spreads in pirate circles that they're working for the Dominion," I explained. "It seems the Zann Consortium learned of it quite quickly, since it went down the chain to a rank-and-file executor."
The pirate's eyelid twitched.
"The Consortium is destroyed," he said uncertainly.
"I think you, as a former supplier of stygium crystals from the Karthakk sector for the Zann Consortium's military-industrial needs, learned of it faster than anyone," my words reflected horror in the pirate's eyes.
"Whether you know that Black Sun is no more than a front between executors and the Zann Consortium is for Dominion counterintelligence to determine," I continued. "Of course, you've already realized you won't be going to any Kessel. That Black Sun and Zann Consortium base is already shut down and under our control."
Sol Mon processed the long sentence for about a minute, then nodded with the look of a mortally offended professional in the best sense.
"Of course, I get it. But about the Zann Consortium, meaning they survived, that's the first I've heard. You're probably mistaken," he added venomously, challengingly meeting my eyes. "You're not as infallible as you think, Grand Admiral. It's easy to deal with Republican troops. But the criminal underworld is far more complex."
"Indeed," I smiled coldly. "Grappa the Hutt has already told us how deep the sarlacc pit goes."
The pirate froze with his mouth open.
After a few seconds, speech returned to him, but coherent thoughts lagged.
"You mean… that is… Grappa the Hutt is cooperating with you?!"
"Any problems understanding my speech?" I inquired coldly of the pirate.
"No… er…" Sol Mon swallowed nervously, his Adam's apple jerking under his smoothly shaved chin, adorned with bloody streaks. "Admiral, this… with all due respect…"
"Don't throw around lofty words, Mr. Mon," I interrupted, unwilling to listen to the pirate's bleating. "Pirates respect no one except those stronger than them and from whom they currently depend. Your attempt to portray yourself as a victim of circumstances won't succeed. The Dominion is well aware of your activities. Both in the framework of cooperation with the Zann Consortium on exporting stygium crystals from the planet Maramere in the Karthakk sector, as I said, and your role as observer with Grappa the Hutt. It's no secret to us that in your masters' interests, you kidnapped prominent figures to deliver them to leadership. Perhaps they value you so lowly they didn't tell you the truth about the Zann Consortium's revival. Perhaps you're lying—our interrogators will find out. The question is whether you'll tell everything you know voluntarily and go to a labor colony, or we'll extract the information ourselves. And then you'll truly go to Kessel."
"But… what would I do there if the planet's under your control?" Sol Mon blinked.
"Take direct part in extracting the spice we and the entire galaxy need," I explained courteously. "In any case—for capturing a Dominion ship, murdering the crew, abducting the head of a bordering state, and killing the bodyguards we provided her and her father, Dominion citizens— no bright future awaits you. You'll be in the mines exactly until you die there. As will the surviving members of your crew. Of course, after they give exhaustive testimony."
"But… how… this…" the pirate faltered. "You're supposed to not use slave labor and even returned all New Republic POWs. You can't just send people to the mines. Without trial…"
The pirate shut up, realizing without hints the absurdity of his stated viewpoint.
"That's true," I agreed. "But you misunderstood. No one will drive you to the mines—the Dominion's spice extraction process is being revised. But the energy spiders living there, which produce that very spice, are always hungry. Or you, with your criminal connections, didn't know that spice isn't ore, but a byproduct of the spiders inhabiting Kessel's mines? They feed on live organisms, then weave their webs from the purest spice, so vital to the galaxy."
I paused dramatically, allowing the criminal to grasp the full "delight" of the situation.
"What do you want?" Sol Mon asked hoarsely, not meeting my eyes but wiping bloody snot with the towel soaked through with his own secretions.
"I've been candid with you," I had to remind. "And I demand candor in return."
"Specifically what?" the pirate asked quickly. "And what preferences will I get for it?"
And thereby revealed his fear.
Excellent.
Now he could be molded into whatever the soul desired.
Without giving even a minute's delay for him to ponder what was said and spot the trap.
"I'm interested in the names of all those your group captured," I explained the obvious. "Place, time. Where and how you delivered them? Who participated in transport? Who targeted the objectives? What happened to the captured sentients? What exactly did you do in Grappa the Hutt's gang? Your Black Sun contacts are no less important information."
"Urai Fen reported the targets," the pirate replied. "My group arrived at the specified time and place. Mostly we caught targets after exiting hyperspace or before jumping. Often worked with the Luminari pirates," oh, interesting… "They helped us capture the toughest targets, intercepting them right on the road."
The Luminari pirates were one of many pirates and mercenaries the Dominion had already encountered.
The very ones with one interdictor cruiser who participated in hiring the late Prince-Admiral Krennel to repel the New Republic's attack on the Ciutric Hegemony.
They were also known for having a base on the planet where Grand Admiral Octavian Grant had retired on Republican pension until Grodin Tierce kidnapped him.
Precisely them our auxiliary forces crushed at Zonju V.
They didn't surrender, so there was no one to interrogate there.
"Are the Luminari pirates also part of Black Sun?" I asked.
"Well, yeah. Most of the criminal world walks under them. You've exposed and finished them all, as far as I know. All Black Sun fighters who took part in the operation in the Ciutric Hegemony. And your fight against Black Sun logistics and forces, destroying their ships and bases, won't destroy the organization, no matter what you claim on the HoloNet about exterminating all pirates and securing your Dominion. It infuriates Black Sun leadership—that you're destroying their fighters and depriving them of income. So why be surprised they send agents to your territories to incite uprisings? If I were in charge, I'd want to finish you too. Maybe the mass killings of low- and mid-tier bounty hunters scared the Bounty Hunters' Guild, but not Black Sun. Or, if it's more convenient for you," the pirate smirked, "the Zann Consortium. So your game of 'dead man' won't throw off those who want your head on a platter for long."
Now it became clear that my crusade against crime had exposed a significant problem.
No wonder Tyber Zann had it in for me.
Unwittingly, I had been exterminating his fighters.
But I did it to secure the Dominion and gain popularity with locals, not to spite the Zann Consortium.
Awkward.
But now there were no doubts that negotiating with Zann, even if we met in person, wouldn't work.
Explaining my actions' reasons to him would be foolish and dangerous.
Twice as foolish to tell him I wasn't Mitth'raw'nuruodo and hadn't "figured out" Black Sun fighters, but merely destroyed pirate bands I considered independents to show the Dominion's people that attacks on our worlds were punishable by death.
Reputation was now playing against me.
Tyber Zann had evidently used Prince-Admiral Krennel's mercenary search to slip him his own fighters disguised as scattered bands.
I suspected the ultimate goal of the whole operation was destroying the military, capturing or secretly subjugating the Ciutric Hegemony to the Zann Consortium.
Then Zann would have a powerful industrial cluster, as the Hegemony in its past borders supplied itself with everything necessary at 100%.
And through trade in Imperial fighters, Zann could penetrate deep into nearly every Imperial Remnant.
Holy moly!
If not for my "destroy pirates—righteous deed," Zann could have subjugated all Imperial Remnants in a few years!
Now it was clear why he operated in such multi-layered conspiracies!
In the past, the Consortium had to use not the most powerful shipyards, and their fleet significantly lagged behind both the Imperial and Rebel Alliance armed forces.
Subjugating the Empire, Zann could not just seize nearly a third of the galaxy but acquire advanced tech, military factories, and vast mobilization resources!
No wonder they kidnapped and cloned Imperial and Republican officials, aristocrats, and military!
In one fell swoop, if even a dozen or a hundred sectors across the galaxy declared for the Zann Consortium, handing over resources and allowing "zombification" of their soldiers and officers like with the Defilers, it would be a force not so easily destroyed!
If in the past Zann bet on secretly controlling planets, limiting to rare battles, now his priorities had changed.
And I, unwittingly, found myself at the center of countering his organization, which turned out far more branched than I initially thought.
A miscalculation that could have been fatal for me!
Because it was assumed Zann wouldn't war with the Dominion over a couple of attacks on his territory and capturing one droid factory.
Destroying the Rossum factory's production capacity and attacks on nearby "raw material" sectors were meant to weaken Zann and prevent him gaining strength.
But the problem was he had strength!
No need for a Keldabe II fleet or Crusaders if you could send hordes of mercenaries and thugs from across the galaxy, whom you didn't pity and didn't need to spend time training, preparing, equipping.
I'd come to roughly the same conclusion, but with a caveat on quality auxiliary troops via the Cavil Corsairs.
And in the end, it turned out my "small strikes" and superiority in armed forces weren't just the tip of the iceberg but its peak.
And I'd long been, unwittingly, stepping on Zann's corns.
Naturally, he thought I was waging war on him.
Since he didn't even know I wasn't Mitth'raw'nuruodo and hadn't grasped the connections.
A very delicate situation.
"For what purpose did the Zann Consortium kidnap Feena D'Asta?" I asked the pirate.
"They didn't tell me," he replied.
His shifty eyes didn't escape me.
One nod—and Mon's face slammed into the table again.
A dent had formed in it by now.
"Good try," I said. "Try again, and this time I need the truth."
"Urai just let slip that she wasn't acting as ordered. And that she was fighting Black Sun troops instead of letting them take the sector under control," Mon wiped blood. "The girl had been kidnapped and recruited before, but apparently she decided she could play a solo game."
A contentious issue— was she truly fighting for her father's inheritance, or was it that the woman intended to seize power in the sector and hand it to her masters, remaining nominal ruler.
Having bodyguards with her, controlling her every step, ensured "loyal actions" on her part.
Essentially, we were doing the same as Zann—using her as a symbol, but in our own interests, fully controlling "loyal forces'" activities in the D'Astan sector.
This gave us an advantage—while the woman was officially listed as kidnapped, we had opportunity to check her memory and detect hidden "implants."
I didn't think Zann simply replaced interesting personalities with plain clones—they were surely processed like our cloned fighters under the GeNod program.
Or per Isard's "manual."
Either way, it didn't change the risks.
Most likely, the Zann Consortium didn't "surface" in known events because Palpatine and his paranoid inner circle fully or partially eliminated "sleeper agents," scattering the army.
Not because it was "extra force in the galaxy," but because their activities threatened the Empire's existence.
Essentially, as I assumed, that's where all of Palpatine's and his Dark Empire's excess forces "went"—to fight the Zann Consortium.
And possibly, the subsequent fractures of the Empire into petty fiefdoms after Palpatine's defeat were due to Zann's "sleeper agents" programmed to declare regional independence.
But they didn't receive further commands from leadership and suffered defeats one after another from New Republic forces.
Hutt, even the Empire's fracture after Endor could be dictated by this, not banal "every warlord was dumb enough to declare independence."
A fantastic hypothesis, but with clear underpinning.
The Zann Consortium, operating from the shadows, covering with numerous "fronts," kidnaps influential sentients for subsequent radical "processing."
One of which processings Feena D'Asta, a member of the Imperial Ruling Council, underwent.
And the Council, in turn, wasn't just a "front" as many thought.
It was an organ controlling one of the Empire's most combat-ready Remnants.
So fanatically devoted to the New Order that locals might even ask: "Why are we fighting the New Republic side by side with pirates?"
They'd say "it's necessary," and all would believe.
The problem was far deeper than it seemed.
Because blooming separatism hotbeds within Dominion sectors could be nothing but delayed activation of Zann Consortium "sleeper agents"!
And this was no joke—it was a direct threat to the state's security I created.
And this in turn led me to the question of actualizing work on expanding cloning capacities and relevant specialists.
If my Isard was to be believed, all integrated implants "reset" upon cloning.
Thus, even if there were Zann Consortium "sleeper agents" among the military, upon cloning they wouldn't become so dangerous.
Essentially, that's why clones now worked with clones—specialists cloned from the originals.
Well, I had a chance to test my thriller hunch in practice.
"Who is Makus Kaynif?" I asked.
The pirate's face went whiter than chalk.
"You even know about him," Sol Mon muttered.
"As well as that the Zann Consortium conducts subversive activities in the Dominion," I explained. "And that Makus Kaynif is somehow linked to the cloning cylinders with which the copy of Baroness D'Asta was created. I want to know where this happens, who performs the cloning, and on what equipment."
"Even if so, no one keeps me informed of such," the pirate drawled doubtfully. "Kamino's been inaccessible to everyone for years. Your cloning assumptions are baseless, Admiral. Cloning a human, as far as I know, takes years. And between delivering prisoners and their return, not even three weeks passed. Well, some were held much longer, about four-five months. But they came back looking younger than before…"
The pirate trailed off, apparently realizing such procedures weren't done to hostages for nothing.
Despite just saying (if not lying) he knew nothing of cloning, he had just confirmed my assumptions about what happened to captured sentients.
Three weeks—that was fifteen days.
Time during which clones were created on Spaarti equipment.
But using ysalamiri to block the Force.
And this was a far more alarming bell than I'd like.
So Myrkr wasn't as secret a planet as I'd thought.
I didn't recall those lizards inhabiting anywhere else but the planet where Talon Karrde had previously settled.
But one shouldn't forget that Karrde, though he spent long years on the planet, didn't know everything about local fauna.
Yes, he knew vornskrs hunted Force-sensitives and used it precisely for that.
He knew ysalamiri fused into trees with their bones at a certain time.
But he didn't know how exactly they'd affect cloning.
Because he hadn't experimented with it.
And since Jedi in the past avoided Myrkr, the question arose—how did Thrawn himself learn of these lizards on the planet and their effect on cloning?
The books didn't tell, left "off-screen."
I, to my shame, hadn't pondered such either.
I suspect anyone involved in ysalamiri-clone interactions didn't ask where the Grand Admiral got such info, taking it as given.
So, three weeks…
Now it was clear why there was no alarm over Feena D'Asta's disappearance.
She hadn't been absent for years.
And this confirmed either she was cloned via Spaarti tech, or Zann had more advanced cloning cylinders not requiring ysalamiri.
And if so, I was slandering.
And then it "hit" me.
Mon handled deliveries of vital cargo for the Zann Consortium.
"You've already seen a ysalamiri, Mr. Mon, haven't you?" I asked, pointing to the dozing lizard on the astromech's dome.
"That filth?" He looked at the creature. "First time seeing it."
"When you first noticed the approaching droid, recognition appeared on your face," I explained. "It seemed directed at the droid, but you recognized not it. But the lizard on it."
"No-no-no," the pirate protested but shut up, receiving a cuff from the guardsman.
"Let's just correlate this with the Zann Consortium trusting you with delivering the galaxy's rarest material—stygium," I reminded. "And only you, despite the Karthakk system being a pirate haunt in the past. Thus, you were trusted by leadership. So I think in the Zann Consortium you were far from the lowest rung. And I assume you're acquainted with ysalamiri too. So, answer the questions, mister. If you've forgotten them, Lieutenant Colonel Tierce, standing behind you holding your hair in his fist, will remind you."
"No need," the pirate whined nasally. "I remembered, remembered. Yes, I handled delivering those lizard critters for Urai."
"When?" I asked.
"Well, a few years ago, when the Zann Consortium was just forming," the pirate furrowed his brow.
"So after Tyber Zann escaped Kessel?" I clarified.
"Yeah…"
"To whom and where did you deliver them?"
"To Makus, and I took them," the pirate twitched his broken nose. "To one of Black Sun's planetoids."
"The planet's name," I demanded.
The pirate noticeably grew nervous.
"Wait-wait, Grand Admiral," he said. "You've learned a lot already, so let's talk about what guarantees I have to survive betraying my employers."
So, as I assumed, the pirate had "perked up," seeing they weren't throwing him to the energy spiders this second.
My mistake—underestimated how quickly this scum thinks.
"Guarantees are out of the question," I said. "Until our conversation ends and all necessary answers are obtained."
"Then I won't say another word," Sol Mon snorted. "I know your type. First milk you dry, then toss in a cell. Been through that stage… Argh! It hurts!"
Lieutenant Colonel Tierce didn't wait.
He simply ground the pirate's battered face into the table again, then wrenched his arms back over his head.
And now pressed the cuffs downward, bringing the bound wrists toward the pirate's lower back.
While holding the pirate face-down on the table with his other hand.
For tendons, pectorals, and triceps—not the most pleasant procedure. Hell, outright painful and injury-prone.
Sufficient motivation to start answering my questions. Credit where due, I got lucky with Grodin. He understands me from half a word.
I think in known events Mitth'raw'nuruodo bet on genetic experiments involving precisely this Imperial guardsman for similar reasons.
"Whether you want to or not, you'll tell everything you know," I warned. "The question is how painful it will be for you."
"Smark!" the pirate nearly whimpered as Tierce dragged his face across the towel on the table, adding pain. "I took those Sith-spawned beasties to Makus on Smark!"
"Where exactly?" I asked.
"There's a base on the planet," the pirate croaked. "Some warehouse inside a huge mountain."
"How to find it? What defense systems?"
"I don't know what guns are there! Never saw them!" the pirate whimpered as his elbows went nearly parallel to his lower jaw. "The mountain's distinctive anyway. Huge!"
A mountain, presumably inside which were Spaarti cloning cylinders.
Ring any bells?
And I had suspicions about not having to see "Wayland 2.0," but in Black Sun's execution.
"Release him, Lieutenant Colonel," I ordered.
The pirate gratefully returned to a more familiar state.
"Some questions remain unanswered," I said. "But interrogators will handle that."
"I knew you wouldn't let me go," Sol Mon bared his teeth.
"Undoubtedly we will," I objected. "But first you'll undergo memory copying procedure. Our specialists will work with the data files, learning what you decided to hide. And immediately after, you'll be released if no further questions arise."
"What, just like that, released?" the pirate asked incredulously, glancing sideways at me.
"Of course," I replied, somewhat distorting objective reality by incompleteness of information. "Kessel Administrator Morut Dul underwent the same procedure. When all questions were clarified, he was released. Why waste even small money on housing criminals who betrayed their own and would certainly betray us if opportunity arose after leaving counterintelligence offices? No, you'll be released, and your life will depend solely on you."
"Heh," the pirate grinned, touching his nose. "So you scared me with energy spider tales. You're a master at brainwashing, Grand Admiral."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I said. "Lieutenant Colonel."
Grodin turned his faceless helmet toward me.
"Take this man to a cell and coordinate his delivery to the memory study lab. Then—organize his delivery to Kessel."
"Kessel?!" Sol Mon yelled. "You said you'd release me!"
"And I keep my word," I noted. "As I said, scum like you's fate is to become energy spider feed."
"But you promised to release me!"
"And you will be," I repeated implacably. "To Kessel's mines. As already said: 'your life will depend solely on you.' Whether they eat you or you survive in the mines—doesn't concern me. The spiders must be fed. And spice must reach medical facilities."
"Bastard!" the pirate tried to lunge at me, but Tierce was much faster.
Extending a hand, he habitually grabbed the pirate by the hair and yanked back, then broke his right knee with a side kick.
Like a sack of rags, he dragged the cursing and whimpering criminal away from the table ruined by his thick skull.
When the door closed behind them, I looked at R7's blinking optical sensor.
"Check your databases for everything you know about the planet Smark," I ordered, rising from the table. "Report immediately."
My answer was a "pew-fwee" in binary, which I didn't know.
And somehow never found time to learn.
Seeing the droid rocking side to side, startling the ysalamiri, I finally noticed the computer on the desktop.
Powering it up, I asked the droid to repeat.
"Well, well," I said, getting the answer to my question. "Too close to be coincidence. Good job, R7."
The droid blinked all available indicator colors, expressing joy at the praise.
Yeah, this wasn't the loafing hero R2-D2.
"Captain Tschel," already in the corridor and nodding to Rukh who had fallen in behind and to my right, I addressed my comlink.
"Yes, sir?"
"What's the status of our escort frigate?" I asked.
"Fully cleared. Confirmed KIA of three Fourth Special Forces squad members, including the commander. Only the 'igniter' survived."
Sad.
I liked TNX-0297.
No matter how many clones of Colonel Selid we made, none would match the brave sergeant.
And our genetic material was running out.
"Ship status?"
"Forty percent of maneuvering engines operational. Primary hyperdrive damaged, backup active."
"Form a crew and send to our nearest base in the Corvo sector," I ordered. "Contact them—have them send escort. The Chimaera and Eternal Wrath are linking with the Krueger, Death's Head, Point of No Return, Twilight, and their escort squadrons. Notify the commanders of the listed ships of rendezvous in the Axxila system in three days. Other search groups—stand down and return to base. We've found what we were looking for. Also connect me in an hour with Captain Pryl."
Thunderflare was closest to the space point I needed.
Of all regular fleet ships, it was the last I'd want to use, filled with cadets and conscripts on practice.
But if delayed, the Zann Consortium would clearly understand their plan to kidnap the baroness had failed.
And we couldn't interrogate Urai Fen anymore.
"Aye, sir."
"And one last thing," I said. "Upon return to base, relieve the Motivator's commander of duty and hand to DSB. I want to know why this officer delayed his ship's dispatch and why it allowed the stolen ship to nearly reach the target."
Tschel was silent a second, understanding that if the Chimaera and Eternal Wrath hadn't taken position in secret from the other search groups (possible only because we were conducting a covert inspection of Dominion core sectors), Captain Sol Mon and Baroness Feena D'Asta would already be in Zann Consortium hands.
And my paranoia sensed this was no accident.