It took the stormtroopers stationed on the Chimaera and the Death's Head two hours to clear the rebel base on Ord Pardron.
Nothing saved them — neither the two regiments of infantry who fought like lions, nor the several commando groups that inflicted significant casualties on our troops, nor even the enemy's large supply of heavy weapons.
The stormtroopers swept through the rebel holdings like a steamroller, trampling into the dirt everything not wearing an Imperial uniform that tried to resist.
Now it was time to tally our "income."
"The objective is secured, Grand Admiral," said General Freja Covell's, with a slight smirk on his lips, greeting me at the Lambda's ramp. After the ground forces had done excellent work, it was no sin to descend to the surface of Ord Pardron to see for myself what had happened here.
General Freja Covell's.
Despite the movement of his lips, the General himself remained as impassive, cold, and calculating as ever. Studying his personal file was quite interesting. In the distant past, he had fallen under the influence of a not-unfamous Imperial man, Maximilian Veers — an advocate for AT-AT and AT-ST walker tactics. And I must note that Covell had gleaned a great deal of useful knowledge from his senior comrade, and was himself now considered a model for teaching tactics. It was doubly interesting that Covell, Veers's student, remained loyal to the Empire, while Maximilian himself was wandering somewhere around the galaxy, uncertain what he expected to see among the ruins of a once-flourishing, but internally rotting, state. And that opened up some possibilities.
But I was interested in something else at the moment. Namely, the spoils. Who doesn't love them? Especially when an entire sector fleet base is being plundered.
"Have the technicians arrived yet?" I clarified.
"Yes, sir," the General reported. "Eighteen teams from the Chimaera and an equal number from the Stormhawk. My men have escorted them to all parts of the base. Equipment dismantling is already underway."
"Engineers?" I asked another question.
"Arrival scheduled in fifteen minutes," Covell said. "By then, we'll begin evacuating the rebels' property. And the Death's Head will be delivering the asteroids shortly."
"Speed it up, General," I ordered. "We must leave the Dafillevean sector within three hours. The base must be destroyed so thoroughly that the rebels arriving after us will taste the bitterness of defeat once more."
"I remember the orders you gave, sir," Covell said seriously. "And I've already arranged to involve stormtroopers wherever possible to speed up the process. We've searched the base and compiled a small inventory of what's in the warehouses, loading data from the computers."
The General handed us a datapad. Pellaeon accepted the device, after which Covell saluted and disappeared from sight.
"He still thinks Imperial Navy officers busy themselves with nonsense while the Army, and only the Army, fights the real battles," the Chimaera's commander said with a grimace, watching the departing General.
"Did he tell you that personally?" I clarified.
"In a manner of speaking," Pellaeon admitted.
"Before or after you promoted him from simple Colonel to Major General?" The new question seemed to catch Gilad off guard.
"After, sir," he admitted. "But before you gave him the rank of full General."
"Next time you hear the General boast about the army's superiority over the Navy, ask him how quickly his walkers could reach Coruscant without the help of our starships," I advised. A smile played on the Chimaera's commander's face.
"Absolutely, sir," Pellaeon assured me.
"Let's take a walk, Captain," I suggested, making sure Rukh was still following us. "I can see you're impatient to see how great the captured valuables are."
"I'm sure they're not much," Pellaeon said, reading the lines. "It's just a standard sector base. And a very remote one at that. The rebels had only just begun its serious construction — the defensive systems, for instance, are built to no more than twenty percent."
"That's precisely why I chose this planet as the main strike point," I stated. "Weakened stationary defense systems, not the largest garrison, remoteness from major hyperspace routes. Furthermore, the enemy recalled most of their line ships from here. The tactic of luring out proportionate enemy forces to repel an attack has fully justified itself."
"But we didn't destroy the Mon Calamari star cruiser," Pellaeon noted.
"Learn to find the positives in that," I advised. "From the very start of the mission, it was assumed there might be some shortcomings. Yet, all three primary objectives of the operation were achieved."
"Sir, may I ask what they were?" Pellaeon inquired.
"First and foremost — testing the limits of our Master friend's competence and abilities," I stated. "Now we know for certain that he cannot control ships beyond the boundaries of a single sector. For now, at least, he cannot."
"The attack on the medical triage station in the Krondr system and the base on Ord Pardron — the second objective?" the Chimaera's commander clarified.
"Exactly so," I said, moving at a leisurely pace toward the rectangular boxes of the warehouses set apart from the ground base complex. "We need medical supplies ourselves, and we won't get much help from the Imperial Ruling Council — the capabilities are no longer the same. The main supplier of bacta — the planet Thyferra — is under rebel control. The Empire is forced to buy bacta on the black market at enormous prices, which only worsens the shortage of our already limited financial resources. The destruction of the base on Ord Pardron will send a signal to the rebels that they should take care of their allies if they want to continue proclaiming their dominance. Moreover, the destruction of the base, the destruction and capture of part of their sector fleet — this is not only a blow to prestige, but also to reputation. No planetary governor can be sure that he is under the protection of the insurgents. Our opponents will be forced to spend enormous resources to assure their supporters that they, and only they, can ensure the security of the systems. However, now, with our attack, we have hinted to them that the earlier choice — to disarm the ships and turn them into cargo vessels — will cost them dearly."
"But the rebels could rearm their ships," Pellaeon noted.
"Undoubtedly," I agreed. "In some sectors, that's exactly what they'll do. But they can't abandon this concept entirely — their economy needs time to recover. And they need ships. They face a choice — either restore everything to how it was, or recall some of the disarmed starships to reinforce their formations. In the first case, they'll allow us to continue striking sectors with weakened protection forces; in the second, they'll increase the time needed for economic recovery and stabilization. Either way, we are in the winning position."
"I wouldn't say that," Pellaeon admitted. "After this operation, we'll have to return to the shipyards for a full repair. The Aurek group and Besh group have hull damage and turbolaser emplacements lost in battle. Not to mention the losses among crew members and the pilot corps."
"On our side we have sixteen thousand operational Spaarti cloning cylinders," I noted. "Perhaps we can increase that number to twenty once our techs figure out the technology. But either way, during the ship repairs we'll replenish our losses. Something else is far more important. The third reason for the large-scale attack on the Dafillevean sector."
"The freighters?" Pellaeon clarified. "We destroyed most of them. The cargo, of course, in most cases became our prize..."
"We won't need many outdated freighters for future operations," I explained. "The ones we captured are definitely sufficient. Don't you find a bit of irony in all of this, Captain?"
"Sir?"
"First the Empire was the hegemon of the galaxy and was forced to spend effort and resources hunting rebels who could strike in any sector," I explained. "Now the New Republic, as they call themselves, is engaged in the same thing. We managed to contain the Rebellion thanks to the large size of our fleet, which was in perfect technical condition. The rebels don't have that luxury — their ships are built more slowly, and the ones they have require repair and modernization. Enormous resources are spent on maintaining and supplying combat starships. And the enemy doesn't have that many of them. Additional expenditures will force them to accelerate economic recovery measures even more. I wouldn't be surprised if the damaged Mon Calamari star cruiser that fled from the Krondr system is used in that very operation. But by attacking the convoys, we show the enemy: you need to protect your freighters. Regardless of whether they serve you or are civilian contractors, none of them are safe anymore. Consequently, the rebels will be forced to spend forces and resources to guard their transports. We'll employ our spy network to find out where the cargo we need will pass, and we'll use that knowledge — along with our interdictor cruisers — to inflict even more damage on the Empire's enemies."
"Unless they try to trap us by creating false convoys," Pellaeon noted.
"They will undoubtedly try that," I agreed. "It's too obvious to overlook such a possibility. That's precisely why we need experienced and highly qualified spies. And we have them. With this victory, we'll stir up Imperial society, and more and more people will rally under our banner. And perhaps even non-humans, which will add a piquant touch to the situation."
"Perhaps Imperial Space will transfer more ships under your command," Pellaeon said dreamily. "After all, they are building an Imperial-class Star Destroyer at the Bilbringi shipyards, which they intend to give to you."
"That would be a fine addition to our fleet," I agreed. "But we also need to consider this. The former concept of line combat was based on the fact that Star Destroyers were ordinary fleet ships. Because there were always plenty of them. By destroying Imperial Remnants one by one, the rebels managed to capture some ships and destroy others. The total number of Star Destroyers in the galaxy has decreased, leading the rebels to believe we have armed parity in forces. But we know that a huge number of combat ships are scattered across the galaxy, which one way or another can become ours — we just need to be resourceful. We must carefully analyze the deployment locations of the rebels' Star Destroyers, identify those we can capture, and do it. While the rebels play with logistics, we need to grow our fleet."
"By capturing the Dafillevean sector, we have essentially become a thorn in their eye," Pellaeon declared. "From here we can launch devastating strikes on nearby sectors..."
"We don't need the Dafillevean sector, Captain," I declared, causing confusion on the Chimaera's commander's face. "There's nothing here we could use for our defense. Even the base on Ord Pardron requires colossal financial investment. Otherwise the rebels will take it back just as quickly as we captured it. No, Captain. At the moment, we don't need territorial growth — we simply can't defend it with the forces we have."
"So that's why you ordered the capture of as many enemy ships as possible?!" Pellaeon exhaled.
"Yes," I confirmed. "If we have enough Star Destroyers to engage the enemy's sector fleet, maybe even two, given their reduced current formation, then we have big problems with light forces. Our Star Destroyers have very limited anti-fighter coverage — especially Imperial Star Destroyers like the Chimaera. Therefore, we need additional escort. The Nebulon-B escort frigates will work perfectly for that. Same with the captured Carrack. And the Tartans. And the Corellian frigate can even fit in the main hangar."
"Hmm..." Pellaeon said meaningfully. "Only if suspended, of course. But, yes, it's possible."
"How surprised the rebels will be when they encounter a pair of our Imperial-class Star Destroyers in battle, plus light ships they didn't detect before," I revealed. "Given the rebels' passion for fighter squadrons — adequate resistance will be new to them. Additionally, I'd like the Chimaera's techs to study the wreckage of the MC30c frigate. Its shield generator pumps are located under the armor. Which on Star Destroyers is much thicker than on that ship. The solar ionization reactors allow us to have more power than needed. An extra shield generator won't hurt."
"It won't be as powerful as the ones we already have," Pellaeon noted.
"We don't need one like that," I said. "A third generator is an extreme measure that will provide protection when the main shields fall. While we don't have numerical superiority over the enemy's line forces, we'll have to increase the quality of our ships."
"Sir," we stopped at the gates of the first warehouse. At the sight of us, stormtroopers immediately began unlocking the huge doors. "If we had more time, we could have towed the damaged but not destroyed Golan II station from orbit of the planet Krondr. That's a very valuable defensive line that could strengthen the defense of any of our planets. If you give a little time — a day or two — tugs will arrive in the system and..."
"We'll take the station with us," I said. "But towing it across half the galaxy is a thankless task. We'd have to wait months for it to be delivered somewhere. Or escort it with the entire fleet, since any survivor on Krondr knows we suppressed the station's defenses with our ion cannons. And it would cost the enemy nothing to send pursuit and finish off the damaged ships. Given that their neighboring sector base is only fifteen hours' flight from Ord Pardron — they'll be here soon. No, we'll do it differently."
"Sir, how then?" Pelaeon asked in surprise. "We don't have bulk carriers to dismantle it and transport it piece by piece..."
"But we have the wreckage of the MC30c frigate," I declared, surveying the half-empty warehouses. Ah, I had dreamed they would be packed to the brim with equipment or other resources. "Order your techs to remove some parts from it... And yes, I need to brief the commanders of the Aurek and Besh groups — they have a special role in all of this."
* * *
Han looked into the room, watching his wife, who was silently staring at the Decu. Staring, but not seeing the text.
Leia was looking at the device's screen with an almost unblinking gaze, stroking her belly. Her posture was more tense than usual, even compared to when she came back from Provisional Council meetings.
"Something happened, honey?" Han asked. Leia stirred, as if just waking from sleep. "You look tense."
"Yes," she tried to smile reassuringly. "A little tired."
"You know you can't fool me with your aristocratic tricks," Han sighed, walking over and sitting beside her. He casually pulled the Decu from her hands to set it aside and hug the woman, but his eyes involuntarily glanced over the text...
"Is this true?" he looked at her, dumbfounded. "The sector fleet is destroyed?"
"Not all of it," Leia grew sad again. "One Mon Calamari star cruiser managed to escape into hyperspace, and most of the line forces were already converted into container ships at Sluis Van. The Imperials seized the moment and attacked."
"Eight systems at once?" Han had already disregarded the classification stamp in the upper right corner of the document and was reading the report closely.
"Nine," Leia corrected. "When the fleet arrived from Christophsis, they sent ships to all known systems. It turned out that in the F'Dann system, two Imperial Star Destroyers weren't chasing traders but were fishing out asteroids."
"How do you know that?" Han frowned.
"From a trader who was waiting out their appearance in the asteroid belt," she explained. "He reported everything that happened to General Cracken from intelligence."
"An ordinary trader who can contact our head of intelligence?" Solo doubted the woman's words.
"He's not an ordinary trader," Leia sighed. "He's a smuggler and information broker named..."
"Don't say it," Han said with his trademark grin. "I'll guess. Talon Karrde?"
"Yes," the Alderaanian princess nodded slowly. "You know him?"
"Remember when I flew to negotiate with the smugglers?" Han reminded her. "That's where his name came up. Apparently, he's the one who took the reins after you tightened that chain necklace on Jabba's neck."
"Please, don't remind me," the girl pleaded. "I'll get sick."
"Well, I don't know," Han continued to tease his wife. "In that outfit, you looked just wonderful..."
"We have sector-scale problems here, and you're back to your jokes," Leia sighed, but still smiled. "They're sending me to Filve and other affected planets. They're even giving me the Rogue Squadron as escort. We'll be trading on our faces as heroes of the Rebellion to assure local governments we won't let this happen again."
"And will we not let it happen?" Han clarified, having only last year taken off his general's rank and said goodbye to military service in the New Republic. He knew the price of the Provisional Government's promises well.
"I don't know," Leia admitted. "Most of the sector fleet is destroyed, some ships are missing. The base on Ord Pardron is destroyed — apparently, the Imperials didn't even bother to land on the planet for an assault. Investigators think they shelled the base from orbit with turbolasers and then dropped several asteroids on it. Instead of a base — a crater the size of the Lusankya and a pile of space rock debris. They used the same tactic after our star cruiser escaped in the Krondr system. Only this time they also dropped an orbital defense station of the Golan II type from orbit. Our medical base is destroyed, along with all its supplies. Naturally, there are no survivors — at least, none found yet. But we found a huge amount of station debris and pieces of asteroids — it seems the Imperials decided not to risk suppressing the station and simply knocked it out of orbit so that it fell in the vicinity of the base on Krondr, destroying it with the shockwave."
"A somewhat stupid idea," Han lamented. "How many destroyers took part in the attack on Krondr?"
"Four," Leia replied. "Two started the attack, and another two closed the trap when reinforcements arrived."
"And on Ord Pardron?"
"I don't know — there are no survivors, no escapees — neither infantry nor fleet personnel. But I think three or four destroyers were definitely there."
"Every Star Destroyer has ground units deployed on it," Han recalled his years studying at the Imperial Academy. "It's foolish to destroy bases. Especially a medical one — there were valuable resources there. And I'm sure the warehouses on Ord Pardron had plenty to loot."
"Ackbar is certain that the operation in the Dafillevean sector was intended to intimidate the local governments," the princess explained. "They essentially conquered the sector and could have easily taken it for themselves — Mon Mothma spent several hours assuring the planetary governors that leaving the New Republic was dangerous. I'm not sure they believed us, of course. But the fact remains — the fleet is destroyed, there is information about the capture of at least one ship — a light cruiser of the Carrack type from the Filve self-defense forces. The Imperials have dealt irreparable damage to logistics in the Dafillevean sector by attacking transports. Fey'lya insists that we recall all disarmed ships and organize a raid into Imperial territory. Ackbar might agree with him, but you know the Mon Calamari — he's cold-blooded and slow. And he's definitely not thrilled that this idea is coming from the Bothans. So he opposed it, gritting his teeth and declaring that from now on, escort of supply convoys will be strengthened. Mon Mothma is resisting, saying that this will only disrupt our plan to restore interstellar trade. Fey'lya only calmed down after being promised that six line ships would be sent to Bothan Space so they could sleep easier."
"Since when does Mon Mothma cater to the Bothans?" Han wondered.
"She made that decision after the meeting," Leia admitted. "Fey'lya almost threw a tantrum in the garden of the Senate building, saying Bothan territories would be next, and since we decided to hide our defeat for a while to save face, Mothma agreed to temporarily send reinforcements there — several assault frigates and a Star Destroyer."
"Ah, how we could use your destroyer the Rebel Dream," Han said thoughtfully. "And it's been a year since it was captured at the Battle of Storinal."
"Yes," Leia agreed, remembering the Star Destroyer that had served for a long time in Darth Vader's Death Squadron. Under a different name, of course. The rebels captured it at a refueling station, but it served under the rebel flag for less than two years before being recaptured. The entire crew became prisoners of the Imperials. Good thing Leia herself was on Coruscant at the time. "Ackbar even suggested buying the Errant Venture from Booster Terrik."
"Yes, an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer would be useful," Han agreed. "But I bet old man Terrik didn't listen to the pleas for help."
"He asked double the price," Leia explained.
"Has Booster gone mad?" Han blinked. "Why do we need a Star Destroyer if for that money we could build two or even three Mon Calamari cruisers?"
"What difference does it make if there's no money anyway?" Organa-Solo sighed sadly. "Of course, Mon hinted that I should fly to the Hapes Consortium and ask for help..."
"Last time you did that, they almost married you off to the Hapan prince," Han noted, his voice immediately tense. He wasn't happy about that story at all. He had almost lost his beloved then.
"But I was offered to become the queen mother of a state of sixty-three developed worlds," the princess teased her husband. "And from their wedding gifts, you could have built an entire fleet... Twelve Star Destroyers came with it."
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Han smiled. "Every time I remember Mon Mothma's words: 'It would be best for the entire Republic if Leia agreed to marry Prince Isolder,' my jaw clenches and I can't eat."
"I don't regret my choice," the princess kissed him. "The Millennium Falcon is the only ship where I feel protected."
"I did my best to make you comfortable there," Han grinned. Looking at the quiet princess, he asked: "Should I prepare the Falcon to take you to the Dafillevean sector?"
"You know why I traded ruling the Hapes Consortium and my own fleet for you and will never doubt it was the right decision?" Leia looked into his eyes.
"Well, I don't know," Solo scoffed. "I wouldn't have turned down a dozen Star Destroyers... Well, you know, of course."
"Of course," Leia smiled. "No wealth in the world, not even three dozen Star Destroyers, is worth the fact that we understand each other without words."
"Agreed," Han pulled the woman close. "What about four?"
After receiving an elbow in the ribs from his wife, he stopped asking questions. Why bother, when happiness was right here. Take as much as you want.
But the former smuggler couldn't get the words of his former colleague out of his head.
The Empire had another Grand Admiral.
He needed to meet this Karrde and talk everything over.
* * *
"Dispatch from outpost NL-1," Pellaeon said. "The commandant reports that Yazuo Vain has arrived at the exact agreed time."
"Unexpected of him," I was genuinely surprised. "And what does our esteemed pirate say?"
"Asks for his people back," Pellaeon reported, watching me pull away from the computer. "He delivered twelve Tartans."
"Condition?" I inquired.
"They've only just started inspecting them," the captain admitted. "It will take a week or so to be sure there are no surprises or defects hidden on the ships."
"Yes," I agreed. "We really don't want to find a bomb somewhere near the reactor. Well, now we know for sure that Mr. Vain's hideout is no more than two to three days' travel from our outpost. And also that his gang has at least a hundred and twenty sentients — minimum crew to ferry each of the ships."
"Oh," was all Pellaeon said. "Planning to attack him?"
"Why?" I was surprised.
"He's selling us ships stolen from us," Pellaeon reminded me. "You said such actions would be punished."
"Of course," I agreed. "That's precisely why our medium cruiser is already en route and will arrive soon — to ensure the safety of impounding Imperial property. And also to persuade Mr. Vain to proceed to the Tangrene shipyards, where we are heading. We have another order for him. Depending on how well the condition of the ships his group offers meets our needs and requirements, we might even pay Yazuo Vain some sum. To motivate him to keep working with us. By the way, contact our base on Linuri — have them send one of the interdictor cruisers with the prisoners to Tangrene. Send the same rendezvous coordinates to the Nemesis. Yes, also inform the captain of the Brandei and the commanders of the three cruisers sent to the Sluissi sector. The preparation for our next move will take place here."
"Yes, sir," Pellaeon snapped. Pausing for a moment, he said: "Admiral, have you ever moved an orbital station through hyperspace before?"
"No," I admitted. "And you, Captain?"
"No one has moved one," the Chimaera's commander told me. "I'm... not sure that all this jury-rigging with installing a navigation computer, a backup hyperdrive, and drive, maneuvering, and braking engines from the MC30c will justify the time spent on such preparation."
"The absence of a result is also a result," I had to display wisdom gleaned from pulp reading in my home universe. "We just need to confirm what didn't work. If it doesn't work, of course."
"Sir, I'm not sure the rebels will fall for that trick with the asteroids dropped from orbit and the scattered debris of the stolen orbital station across the surface."
"Not stolen, but captured, Captain," I corrected. "Feel the difference between a crime and war booty. The least of our concerns is whether they believe this little charade or not — what matters is keeping secret the fact that the Besh group caught more asteroids than were dropped on the planet. Then we won't have to rework the next part of my plan."
Judging by the expression on Pellaeon's face, he wanted to ask, "And what exactly is the plan?" But I'm not going to reveal its true meaning. Let him think that all actions are aimed solely at weakening the New Republic. The specifics are none of his business.
"Sir," Pellaeon continued wasting my time. "Should the commander of the Strike from the Filve system be reprimanded?"
"For what reason?" I clarified.
"He violated orders. Instead of sending the Carrack to Bilbringi, he flew to the Ord Pardron system. With incomplete crews on two damaged ships!"
"And in doing so, helped us capture another escort frigate," I noted. "Initiative like this shouldn't be punished — on the contrary, that fine young man should be rewarded. Commend him, issue a letter of thanks from me, and... transfer him to command the captured Carrack."
"Transfer a medium cruiser commander to a light cruiser?" Pellaeon was surprised. "Isn't that a punishment, sir?"
"No, not when done with official praise," I declared. "Those of our officers who are sharp enough will understand the subtext of this action. The stupid ones... well, at this rate they won't last long. By the way, any word from Lieutenant Colonel Astarion?"
"No, sir," Gilad shook his head negatively. "They're still en route. Arrival is scheduled for tomorrow."
Oh, right.
"Notify the Bilbringi shipyards to begin repairs on the captured transports as soon as they arrive," I ordered. "At the Tangrene shipyards, we have six of our Strike-class cruisers, one Carrack-class light cruiser, two Nebulon-B escort frigates, and one Mark I assault frigate to repair... A nice addition to our fleet, don't you think, Captain?"
"Considering we've acquired eleven Tartans and a Corellian DP-20 frigate, we effectively have our own light forces fleet," Pellaeon observed. "But we're tied to the shipyards for at least a week to troubleshoot all systems on every ship."
"I know, Captain," I said. "That's why we're postponing our raid on the planet Hypori. However, that only benefits our operation. Contact the Noghri; relay this order: 'Proceed to Hypori, locate the battle droid production lines, and send a detailed report on everything happening on the planet.' That will keep them occupied while our fleet is under repair. And the very fact that you're delivering my order will let them know I still value their — and their mistake. Oh, and speaking of mistakes—how is our esteemed Magister feeling?"
"He's in his quarters," Pellaeon replied. "Recovering from the procedure."
So he'll be out of commission for a while. That's how the captain's last statement should be interpreted. And C'baoth won't be underfoot for some time. But I shouldn't drag my feet on his "wants" either.
"Inform Ubiqtorate command that I wish to meet with them," I said — indeed, the very presence of an intelligence base on that planet is a major reason the fleet is heading there for repairs. "That's all, Captain. You're dismissed."
After saluting, Pellaeon left my quarters, leaving me alone as before.
Tangrene is a rocky, unforgiving planet in the Morshdine sector of the Outer Rim. The military grid coordinates place it in square O-4.
But that's not the main point.
Shortly before Thrawn was granted full authority as Supreme Commander, a Corellian "partisan" named Garm Bel Iblis — once a senator in the Old Republic and, in the early days, the Empire — paid a visit to this system. He destroyed one of the Ubiqtorate bases on the surface, greatly angering Imperial Intelligence, which hates taking losses outside of operations. What doubly enraged the Imperials was that at the time, three Imperial-class Star Destroyers were guarding the planet. Yet they could do nothing to prevent the attack or punish the perpetrators. I hoped to exploit this fact. Naturally — for my own purposes.
But first, I needed to understand who exactly I wanted to go to war with.
The former senator was greatly beloved by Corellians. He led the Corellian cell of the Rebellion and was one of the ideological inspirations for the rebels. Palpatine tried to kill him, but the attempt only resulted in the death of Bel Iblis's family, causing him to go into the shadows and wage armed war against the Empire. Currently, he commands a small army and fleet — the very force that insulted our intelligence agents. As far as I recall, he has a base on some remote planet and operates independently, having fallen out with Mon Mothma, the nominal leader of the New Republic, deciding he would try to seize power as Palpatine had done in his time.
Bel Iblis's actions caused the fortress planet Tangrene, which already had three Star Destroyers plus a dozen or so garrisons on the ground and seemingly impregnable fortifications, to also pull in additional fleet forces for its defense. Right now, ten Star Destroyers of various classes are burning fuel there, along with between ten and fifty combat ships of other classes.
Yes, it's justified — Tangrene also has an orbital shipyard where ships can be repaired; if resources were available, they could even build a couple. But there are neither resources nor money for that... And the local inhabitants, the planet's native population, were exterminated by an Imperial Moff to prevent an uprising. So no one will work for free.
The Ubiqtorate effectively controls everything on Tangrene, including the covering fleet. It's quite possible to interest them in revenge against Garm Bel Iblis — provided they allocate me additional ships from their fleet. In any case, from the events I know, Tangrene fell after Thrawn's death. And those starships will be destroyed by the New Republic — with no small help from Garm Bel Iblis himself, by the way.
Hunting the former senator would serve several purposes at once.
First — it would build bridges between me and the command of Imperial intelligence organizations, since I could help them exact revenge and restore their "face." Formally, any Imperial resources are at my disposal, but therein lies the rub. Just as I can "formally" request assistance — or even issue orders — to any part of the Imperial bureaucratic-military machine, so they can "formally" give me the runaround. Already tested — a request for Imperial Intelligence agents from the Ubiqtorate resulted in an ISB agent being sent instead. That response didn't impress me much. I could, of course, simply order it, but one must understand that in a society where every more or less significant officer or civilian official is almost his own master, such actions won't serve the cause well. One needs to negotiate with each individually. And the best way to "build bridges" is the principle: "I'll do something useful for you, and you'll do something for me." Mutual obligation allows effective action when each side gets a certain benefit.
I don't need a counterintelligence agent for field work. And an analyst from the ISB is like an Acclamator trying to be a battleship — not the worst, but "could be better." Of course, there are always ideas for useful employment for a man in such a large galaxy, especially a specialist in "personnel management." An internal security service is definitely necessary — and the assignment Lieutenant Colonel Astarion received from me will serve as one of the tests to see if we can work in unison, or if his transfer to my command will be burdensome for us both.
More than ever, I now need additional personnel. Especially field-grade Imperial Intelligence agents and their analysts. The fleet intelligence at my disposal is admittedly decent — credit where it's due: the intelligence gathering on Nkllon was handled very quickly. Not without my hint on where exactly to look, of course, but those measures were taken to cut search time. So much precious time has already been wasted. While I was "going with the flow," trying to accept my fate or figure out how to wriggle out of the genre's grasp, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. I have to make up for lost time. First and foremost — set in motion several chains of events necessary for realizing each part of my survival plan.
Friendship with Imperial Intelligence command, for example, could pay off for me both in the present — for short-term tasks — and in the future — for strategic victories. The only question is whether they'll even make contact. The Ubiqtorate is the organization's think tank, the task setter. They never even sign with their names, and field agents don't know them by sight. What's more — few can boast of such luck in life. But a Grand Admiral, the Supreme Commander of the Empire, they cannot refuse a meeting. At least — they shouldn't. Especially since, as a gesture of goodwill and an invitation to closer cooperation, I might gift them a Golan II — assuming, of course, the station doesn't fall apart in hyperspace or at least arrives in one piece.
Second — Bel Iblis's fleet. Currently, it consists of three Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers. Or is it six now? I don't remember for sure, unfortunately. But that's not particularly important — the main thing is that he has them. And not just some mass-produced Dreadnaught from Rendili StarDrives, which the Rebel Alliance cobbles into jury-rigged Mark II assault frigates. No, these starships are far more valuable. They are part of the Katana Fleet — a long-lost group of ships built about fifty years ago as an attempt to rebuild the Old Republic's fleet. An epidemic killed the flagship's crew, which went mad and ordered the entire fleet to jump into hyperspace. Given that the fleet had enhanced automation and required only two crew members instead of nearly twenty thousand — a significant advantage. The former senator himself doesn't know where those ships are — only two people in the galaxy possess that data: Talon Karrde and the man he used to serve under, Captain Hoffner. The latter, as it happens, sold Iblis a total of six dreadnaughts and, from what I recall, is currently blowing his money in some casino. On some oceanic planet. If I knew for sure which one, I'd have far fewer problems. But we work with what we have.
Yes, there is a risk that Karrde — who hasn't been diagnosed with memory problems — could sell the ships to the New Republic, but he won't do that without profit for himself — as long as he continues to deceive himself into believing he's neutral in the galactic conflict. Noble altruists don't become smugglers. And if they do, they quickly find themselves princesses from dying planets and trade the romance of their former life for the harsh routine of family life. But there's a second scenario where Karrde gives the ships to the New Republic — if he's put under enough pressure. That's exactly what he did when, in the events I know, he started hunting the Claw. As a result, part of the dreadnaughts — several dozen — fell into enemy hands. Including Bel Iblis's dreadnaughts. So I'm not planning to have the latter hunt the smuggler king. Not yet, anyway. My impromptu move with Mara Jade doesn't threaten his organization enough to make him burn with righteous anger and hand the ships to my enemies, losing his own profit. Karrde won't sell the ships left and right either, knowing it would draw attention from both Imperial and New Republic intelligence — one side or the other would beat the necessary information out of him, and the fabulous profit would slip through his fingers. He's no fool and won't miss his chance — while there's still an opportunity to get it. So my approach will be quite pragmatic: first we find Captain Hoffner, then we get the coordinates of the Katana Fleet from him, appropriate nearly two hundred dreadnaughts (even if not a match for Star Destroyers, still dangerous to medium and some large warships), deal with the Corellian senator's fleet, and only then begin the active phase of destroying Karrde's reputation and organization.
Third — Bel Iblis will play a major role in the New Republic's future conflicts with its enemies. Thanks to him, the rebels will celebrate many victories — and that's precisely why he's dangerous to me. I don't need talented opponents. Yes, his death will weaken the New Republic. But by much? I doubt it. When one leaves, others take their place. If there's anything the rebels don't lack, it's commanders — they promote any brave soul to "general" and expect a miracle. That's why the former Republican and Imperial senator's ultimate fate will depend on how well we can negotiate with the Ubiqtorate. If they're satisfied with just Iblis's defeat, that's good. If they want his head — that's not good. But that's no longer my problem.
One of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance — Garm Bel Iblis.
Fourth — the aforementioned former commanding officer of the ship Karrde served on. Searching for him myself would take too long. Let more competent beings handle that. I'm sure he'll agree to cooperate, though it will cost me a fair amount. I need channels to sell the goods captured in the Krondr and Ord Pardron systems — those I don't need myself. The "catch" is rich, of course: weapons, medicine, even food. Light equipment, like a few dozen speeders. Uniform sets. Computers, holoprojectors, consumables, ground emplacements, generators, construction materials — even service droids and astromechs, from whose memory banks a lot of interesting data can be extracted. Probably. Some of this will sell well on the black market, replenishing my cash reserves. Because I don't know if the Imperial Remnants will provide any further financial assistance, or if it's "every man for himself."
Not to mention that Imperial greed for supplies is practically a byword. I'm not going to beg anyone for anything, like a homeless man collecting pennies for a bottle of vodka. That's beneath my position, and it's disgusting. Desires must be couched in a different form — otherwise, the interlocutor will sense my weakness. And won't hesitate to use that knowledge against me. Then it would be sad. Very.
Therefore, I need my own independent supplier of goods, who will remain at arm's length for a while. I think it won't be long before the renegade spirit of Niles Ferrier and Yazuo Vain can be linked to a separate Imperial fleet operating against the New Republic. And then they could become targets — for Karrde himself, for instance, when his turn comes. And it will come for sure. But that must be done with such finesse as to avoid mistakes and come out clean. In addition to official resources, there must be unofficial ones — the more, the better. Because where one door closes, another is sure to open.
Perhaps Captain Hoffner isn't as valuable a resource as I like to think, but better that than nothing. However, that being has a price — if there's money. And likely a lot. And with finances... it's not exactly flush. Considering solvency within the limits of maintaining a fleet, of course. Be that as it may. I also need new sources of funding. Large ones. The option of "trading trophies" might help at first, but in the long run, it could become dangerous and even fatal.
Despite all the risks of hypothetical exposure, I should at least try to achieve closer cooperation with the Ubiqtorate. Formalities don't satisfy me — no offense to Lieutenant Colonel Astarion. But I need their resources. Especially since I have something to offer — and achieving those goals will also further my own plan. If I want things done my way, I need professional spies and saboteurs. Fleet special forces and scouts won't cut it here — in the events of "The Thrawn Trilogy" as I know them, they... made fools of themselves.
It's hard to demand from military personnel expertise they shouldn't possess. And I don't want to step on the same rakes as in the known events. The Noghri could work, but I can't use them without caution either — if I don't want a knife in the back.
I need additional forces, and I'll get them. Along the way, I'll learn which officers of Imperial Space can become worthy comrades and which ones are better disposed of "on the shore." While there's still time, while things haven't fully spun up, I need to build my own power.
However, the possibility remains that the Ubiqtorate will be "too" busy to help me. In that case, I'll need to seek allies in other parts of the Imperial military machine.
Or, as with the situation involving General Maximilian Veers, bring back into the fold those who have despaired of seeing anything at all resembling the old Empire in Imperial Space. Look, Mara Jade is likely returning to the Empire's side — though her motives also need to be checked. As well as her loyalty — not to Imperial Space, not to the Imperial Remnants, but to me personally. Resources that are not aligned with my aspirations and plans are short-term and unreliable. Resources to be handled very, very carefully.
In short, there are options. And they shouldn't be worked one after another, but all — without exception — simultaneously.
For that, I need people.
The circle is closed.
Leaning back in my chair, I sat in complete silence for several minutes. Closing my eyes, I tried to push all thoughts aside. I need to rest. Everything I could do at this moment, I've done. Now it's the enemy's move.
Perhaps I should devote more time and attention to the defense of the planet Linuri — it is, after all, my operational base. However, at the moment I have no planetary defense assets — no planetary shield generators, no anti-spacecraft guns, no space mines — nothing at all. Just a few ships guarding orbit, ground squadrons, a garrison of army units and stormtroopers, a reflective screen preventing bombardment of the base from the surface, and that's about it... That's the entire defense system. The only bright spot is the installation of the captured V-150 Planet Defender ion cannon from the Krondr system, which will at least break the monotony of a standard Imperial planetary base. But some time will pass before the base personnel can use that cannon for our purposes.
Hmm... Secrecy — that's our weapon. As long as no one knows about the base, it's well protected. There are plenty of little-studied, forgotten, or accidentally/intentionally delisted planets in the galaxy. In this, I share something with the aforementioned Garm Bel Iblis — his base is also protected from large-scale assault only by the secrecy of its location. At least that's all I remember... And my memories don't rule out the possibility that the Corellian has taken proper care of his own security. He certainly has more resources than I do. If only I knew where he gets them...
Another "hmm.".. What if the former commanding officer of the ship Talon Karrde served on didn't just resell Katana Fleet dreadnaughts? Could he be the same kind of military supplier for Bel Iblis as he is in my plans for me? If so, they must have an established communication channel.
In any case, even if that dreadnaught dealer only sold dreadnaughts to the Corellian, there must be a connection between them — buyers and sellers need some way to inform each other about availability and interest. I hadn't thought about it in exactly that light, but it would be a good way to lure Bel Iblis out of his den.
In the events I know, after the attack on the Ubiqtorate base at Tangrene, he holed up on his unknown planet, negotiating with the Bothans, who hoped to gain as much power in the New Republic as possible by bringing the Corellian back into a reformed Rebel Alliance. Given Bel Iblis's reputation, his support of the Bothans could play a decisive role in the race for the leadership of the young state. Pushing Mon Mothma away from the top position in the New Republic would shake the lobby of the Skywalker family and their friends. Which would, in turn, cause trouble for the restoration of the Republican Jedi Order.
And the fewer trained Jedi my enemies have... the easier it will be later on. Because Jedi in a galaxy far, far away are the ultimate, nearly omnipotent weapon. If I had five or six C'baoths, what a difference I could make.
The only problem is that even one deranged Magister is already a problem. You never know when he'll "lose it" and he will definitely "lose it." Therefore, cloning him is dangerous. We can handle one — especially since, at the moment, he doesn't know exactly how his abilities were blocked. Though I wouldn't be surprised if he's figured it out. He might be a clone. He might be a maniac. He might be a mad maniac, but you can't deny his intelligence — especially when he touches his medallion. I'm curious what that thing is that lets him concentrate. Could it be a piece of the real C'baoth?
But that's all beside the point.
I returned my attention to the monitor.
As I said — the Imperial archives are a veritable treasure trove of information. Neatly structured for study by any being with the appropriate clearance for state secrets.
Although, I wouldn't say that information about the technology of the Separatist army and fleet is such a big secret. There are still people alive who encountered them personally in one way or another. Captain Pellaeon, for example.
However, the inhabitants of the galaxy far, far away have a certain inertia of thought. For example, the creators of the TIE-series starfighters "borrowed" the idea of hanging their small craft from the hangar ceiling, instead of neatly arranging the machines on flight decks, from the Separatists themselves. Very convenient, actually — takes up less floor space, while launch time is actually unusually fast. No crowding in the hangar bays.
But it will still remain a mystery to me why the Galactic Empire abandoned the idea of a droid army. It's clear why they abandoned the Jango Fett clones — a few years after the end of the Clone Wars, a rebellion broke out on Kamino, the planet that produces clones. It was put down rather brutally and bloodily. Plus, producing clones on Kamino is expensive — my eye started twitching when I saw in old reports the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand credits for a single clone. That's the price of a good starfighter, or even a luxury yacht. But not a human clone. Yes, one trained for war, grown in a test tube, drilled, equipped with weapons and gear, and with the will to fight for its master. But… one hundred and fifty thousand is one hundred and fifty thousand. Not to mention the ten years required to produce a batch of clones. Or it's easier and cheaper to train a stormtrooper — a yesterday's farmer from the backwoods, taught in six months to fight no worse, and in some places even better, than a clone. Still, there is a certain interest. There is no money or time.
Let's get back to the droids. The official conclusion of Imperial specialists indicates that a droid army is unprofitable due to the large expenditures required to create it. The sums are indicated with so many zeros that it starts to seem like I'm looking at a piece of program code where someone forgot to put in the ones. The disadvantages also include the possibility of reprogramming, low battery energy capacity, the high cost of droid projects that have their own reactor, and so on… However, I'm sure that after one look at the projected costs, the high Imperial command decided that teaching people to be stormtroopers is much cheaper — that's why there's no place for droid starfighters; living pilots fly simple ships that can be destroyed with a couple of hits. The main consideration is the price tag.
However, there are plenty of abandoned projects that can be used.
For example, the buzz droid.
Buzz droid.
Four kilograms of pure rage and a desire to harm anything that doesn't look like Separatist equipment or is designated as a "hostile target." In its base state, it looks like a metal sphere a quarter meter in diameter, equipped with everything necessary for cutting through hull plating and disrupting communication and other systems. They are excellent at disabling enemy starfighters.
What's interesting is that the Empire rejected this technology, and after the Clone Wars, it was deliberately forgotten. The criminal underworld is another matter.
The Zann Consortium deployed their buzz droids to counter enemy small craft — Hutts, Imperials, Rebels. And they did it very skillfully. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reports on how much damage one such droid, or even a small group, can cause. But still, the Empire didn't care about a potentially useful technology.
And it is undoubtedly useful. Because it counters enemy starfighters. And it doesn't really matter which ones — the main thing is to provide the schematics of the ships to these little techno-fascists. They'll do their job as needed. Dismantling enemy attack craft — cheap and cheerful.
Given how much the New Republic relies on its "X-wings" and other small craft — in my opinion, this is a truly excellent means of neutralizing the enemy's superiority.
The only problem is that they were produced only on the planet Colla IV — by a company called "Colicoid Creative Nest." Or "Colicoid Creation Nest" the nuances of translation from the Colicoid language aren't that important; the main point is clear and understandable.
As far as is known, this race is not currently part of the Empire. The New Republic also can't boast of information that these insectoids are "friends" with them. The reason for this cooling is simple — the Colicoids devour anything organic and meaty. On their home planet, they don't have much variety in their diet, and they like to eat. Several diplomatic missions from both powers have already been snacked on. As a result, they were simply left alone. Interestingly, the Empire didn't even try to destroy them with an orbital bombardment. They probably had their own reasons for that.
However… a dilemma.
Buzz droids are a very attractive technology. But on the black market, they are very expensive — around fifty thousand credits per unit. And no one guarantees that the droid is in working condition. Still, it's intriguing… I need to get at least a few samples for study and conduct field tests. If they are truly a worthwhile resource, and my imagination doesn't differ from reality, then broad prospects open up.
Another fascinating layer of the post-Endor history of the Galactic Empire is the data, painstakingly reconstructed from fragments, on the activities of the warlord Zsinj. Some of the territories formerly under his control, after the death of the renegade officer in orbit of the planet Dathomir, became property of the Imperial Remnant. And a considerable number of ships, as well as their crews, now serve the Empire in one way or another. The Security Bureau did a tremendous job to get as much information as possible about the activities of this officer and his subordinates.
Genetic experiments on non-humans — unfortunately, no laboratory data, only a description of the fact itself. That's also promising, though.
Programming non-humans from the Twi'lek race to execute code signals. And again — not the slightest detail. Only some fragmentary information about how Zsinj almost wiped out the top command of the New Republic in this way. Interesting.
Hmm… less than I would have liked to see. And Zsinj was a very capable organizer. Just looking at the list of high-ranking officers who served him makes it clear — this guy managed to create a state where neither duty nor oath meant anything. He had an excellent resource and financial base at a time when the Imperial Remnant was in turmoil and they were practically eating the last rotten bantha out of the ditch. Figuratively speaking, of course. That's why a temporary alliance was made with the New Republic — to smash Zsinj and grab his worlds. It didn't turn out very well — a significant portion of the territories ended up under the thumb of the New Republic in the end, but again, it wasn't exactly a plus for them. A significant number of planets that had been under Zsinj's power declared their neutrality. Only the poorest, who had nothing to offer and drained resources, gravitated towards the New Republic. Not to mention the ambiguous situation, like on Garos IV, where the same planet pledges loyalty to both the Imperial Space and the New Republic. A circus, plain and simple.
Zsinj built a system that was effective on one hand — protection in exchange for taxes and goods. This helped his fleet and his forces remain combat-ready. On the other hand, this kind of barter was precisely what caused envy among the Imperials. And Zsinj's insatiable desire to seize as many territories and forces as possible, to prove to everyone around that he was the smartest and most authoritative, provoked the Republicans, whose territories Zsinj didn't hesitate to attack. Overwhelming ambition, multiplied by conceit and a complete lack of respect for the enemy. Not calculated risk, but genuine disrespect. Which is unacceptable — as long as you think your enemies are idiots, you're the idiot.
Given the victories of the Rebel Alliance, they at least deserve respect. The same tactic might work with them once, maybe twice, three times. But they learn. They develop their military-industrial complex and tactical skill. And with long-term strategy, even at the risk of the entire state's existence, they are doing perfectly fine.
Actually, what am I getting at?
Zsinj and his commanders managed to discover the locations of several Rebel units and bases, and then strike them, destroying the rebels' materiel and resources. And, as far as I remember the books in the "X-wing" series, he did this not only through the work of scouts and spies. Zsinj wasn't above using various "dirty" tricks.
I see nothing wrong with using the positive experience of anyone, if it leads to the result I need. After all, the "hit and run" tactic developed by the rebels for starfighters and bombers is no less effective when executed by line ships of the fleet. Given that I shamelessly use the tactics of the original Thrawn that I know, no one will object to the application of other tactics not belonging to the illustrious Grand Admiral.
I just need to make sure the enemy doesn't realize the same trick is being pulled on them. And therefore — it needs to be packaged in a different form. And served under a different sauce.
But for now, I need to read what interesting things the Imperial Intelligence has in the field of parasitic droids. Project "Morrt" is due for a second life.