Nine years, five months, and thirty-two days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or the forty-fourth year, five months, and thirty-two days after the Great Resynchronization.
The Commandant of Mount Tantiss — Colonel Selid — was meeting my transport right at the shuttle's ramp. And this time, the Lambda was landing neither in the central part of the city, nor at the main entrance to the cave.
But in a genuine hangar, located on the mountainside and camouflaged by doors simulating a natural part of the cliff.
"Grand Admiral, sir," the colonel addressed me, holding a data slate.
"From the looks of it," I indicated the numerous transport containers stacked in pyramids along the hangar walls with a barely perceptible nod, "you've finally broken through the labyrinth, Colonel?"
"A significant portion of it has been conquered, sir," the commandant said, not hiding his triumph, as if he considered it his personal achievement, as though he had personally explored every nook and cranny, time and again forced to examine every meter of space for the premature detection of traps. Yes, it would have been much simpler to blast a hole in the mountainside, or demolish all the winding parts of the labyrinth... But there was a small problem — the rest of the levels of Mount Tantiss rested upon them.
"Did you use explosive charges to destroy the labyrinth?" I clarified.
"No, not at all, sir," the colonel swallowed a lump in his throat fearfully. "Considering the pressure and weight of the entire structure of Emperor Palpatine's vault bearing down on these numerous load-bearing walls, it would be very imprudent to undertake any remodeling here."
So that's how it was. The cunning architect distributed the weight of the upper levels onto the labyrinth's load-bearing walls, which allowed him to solve the problem of transporting construction materials. He simply faced the walls carved into the mountain's body with permacrete and other building materials to give them the external Imperial identity of the interior.
"We have managed to recommission all of Mount's facilities, sir," the colonel said, walking beside me, carefully extending the data slate. Tierce, walking behind in his naval uniform, tried to take the device, but hesitated upon seeing that I myself wished to do so. Rukh, walking alongside, did not react to the adjutant's movement, but it seemed they had clearly taken a dislike to each other. They acted too independently of one another. "The slate contains an updated schematic of the Mountain, differing to some extent from the map we discovered in the central computer."
Is that so? Interesting.
"Anything else?" I clarified.
"The valuables, jewelry, and works of art are being prepared for removal, as you ordered," he said, explaining the contents of the transport containers in the hangar. Judging by the fact that anti-grav carts with cargo containers continued moving from the depths of the complex towards the landing zone through the wide corridors, the transfer of valuables was ongoing. That was good. "Verification of the complex's database is ongoing, but..."
"But?" I repeated. The colonel's face, realizing that such omissions could not be perceived by command as a light friendly intrigue, hastily continued:
"Unfortunately, the majority of the information that the Informant had at Palpatine's disposal here was located in the central computer. The best decryption and computer specialists from my fleet worked to verify it, to isolate those files that had been altered or purged. In most cases, it was exhausting, monotonous, and... completely useless work. Whatever purged the database did so excellently, wiping data on most of the superweapon projects. Only file names and some insignificant explanatory data remain. From all appearances, it was some kind of virus that was placed in the central computer, detected and altered the information in the database. After which — it self-destructed. No trace of its existence remains."
Well, there is the answer to what tried to eliminate Palpatine's personal information base. A computer virus. It's not hard to guess who brought it here, when it happened, and on whose orders. Now it's clear why a copy of the Caamas Document survived — it was on a separate data chip, along with a number of other information. Unconnected to the Mountain's internal network, the file containing the list of Bothans involved in the genocide of an entire people remained untouched. However, this might not be true — I haven't yet trusted such a source of information to any specialist for study, rightly fearing possible corruption. Or, at the very least, the data could become public knowledge through the rumor mill. And then every first apprentice might ask: "Why isn't the Grand Admiral using such a 'devastating' argument to destroy the enemy state right now?" No, unnecessary questions and gossip. I don't need that kind of 'happiness' right now.
"Prepare the throne room and the Imperial quarters for me and my guests, Colonel," I ordered, watching as Mara Jade, leading a group of scientists, moved towards me. "Escort Major Tierce and the specialist group to the laboratories for genetic material extraction and personality matrix recording."
"It will be done, sir," the colonel assured me. He had already taken a step to the side, inviting my stormtrooper-guard-adjutant to follow him, when, as if remembering something, he said:
"Sir, there is additional information regarding the cloning programs. Discovered in one of the laboratories."
"Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow. And what interesting new things could duplication creation technologies offer? Something better or worse than Spaarti? If better, then why were exactly these cylinders here, and not something else? "In that case, I expect you with a report in the throne room in half an hour."
"Yes, sir," the colonel smiled. Judging by his self-satisfied face, I would indeed have to resolve a personnel issue with the Commandant of Mount Tantiss.
And — radically.
* * *
"You know the rules, Captain Tyberos," Moff Ferrus said wearily, looking at the young (or not so young, who could tell?) privateer. "All military vessels are turned over to us, and you receive no more than half the value of the starship. That is the condition of your letter of marque."
"I know, I'm literate," the commander of the privateer band chuckled. "But also note, the prize is interesting to me for the most part. An upgraded, armored, and decently armed raider, capable of carrying fighters. Note — this bird costs one hundred fifty thousand credits. And each of the two Republican X-wings that I delivered to you along with the captured pilots — also costs one hundred fifty thousand credits each. Totaling, considering the cargo of hyperdrives and spare parts for this type of small craft, and excellent ones at that, upgraded by Verpines, the value of the loot increases by another two hundred fifty thousand credits. So — one foray brought in seven hundred thousand credits. Three hundred fifty thousand of that is my lawful prize. All I'm asking is — give me this ship and let me have some time at your shipyards, plus a few rapid-fire cannons to reinforce the armament and turn it into something more significant."
"Your calculations are simply wonderful," Moff Ferrus grimaced. "Especially in the context that you're making them based on the full value of the ships and cargo. If my memory serves me correctly, and it, unlike my ex-wife, is faithful to me and doesn't suffer from such tendencies, the terms of the letter of marque — no more than half the value of the cargoes — is the limit of your dreams."
"Oh, so the Imperials are good at math?" the former pirate burst out laughing. "Didn't know, didn't know. Strange then that you're in such a..."
"Are you sure there's much point in contradicting your employer right now?" the Moff chuckled. "They say that if you don't break the hyperdrive of the ship you're flying on, you won't have problems traveling the galaxy."
"I've heard that proverb in a different rendition," the pirate said. Yes, he could call himself a noble robber in the service of the state, but the fact remains — he was a pirate, is a pirate, and will remain a pirate. Thrawn had recruited him and a dozen other motley gangs now, sending them to plunder the enemy's supply lines. But when the Grand Admiral had more forces, when he gathered a sufficient number of his own raiders, there would be no point in privateers existing. And then Thrawn's ships would begin hunting them. He would certainly start — he couldn't allow these sentients to continue feeling at ease in the galaxy. Otherwise, his own economy would suffer.
The pirates understood this too. And it was no wonder they were trying to strengthen themselves using trophy ships. However, the very fact that Tyberos had hauled to the outpost in the Pakuuni system not only this armored freighter, the X-wings, the remains of the crew, and a cargo of five hyperdrives for the latter, not to mention a pile of spare parts for both the Incom T-65s and their predecessors — the Z-95 Headhunters — indicated that the privateer was interested in cooperation. Wasn't this the reason Thrawn had given very transparent instructions regarding such situations?
Just like that other one, Captain Vane, who was waiting his turn to claim millions for his participation in the capture of Booster Terrik's former ship.
And in half a day, other cutthroats would arrive, bringing entire convoys of starships captured from the New Republic. Well, well... who would have thought Thrawn would pull off exactly this kind of stunt — arm captured freighters, turning them into raiders, and order the formation of his own pirate bands from among volunteers. Which were doing most of the work hunting the enemy's convoys. And they did it precisely and always successfully — while the real pirates hunted for small fry, those pretending to be pirates, creating the impression of a huge number of criminals in the Grand Admiral's service, delivered a huge amount of valuables and strategic supplies to Tangrene. Since there weren't as many real pirates willing to become privateers in the Grand Admiral's service as one might have hoped, why not create them yourself? Especially considering the fact that such pseudo-pirates themselves were happy with what they were doing — their pay wasn't anywhere close to that of real pirates, but for them, this work was a chance to earn the Grand Admiral's loyalty.
"Wolf Packs," as Thrawn himself called them. And he hadn't explained the meaning of the code designation. He just said that these auxiliary forces were capable of paralyzing the New Republic's logistical structure. And with each new captured transport ship, the number of this kind of pseudo-pirate only grew.
Hmph... Exactly the New Republic. And nothing else now. During the repairs of his flagship, the Grand Admiral had said it simply. And there weren't many options — either join him and accept his worldview, or be against him. Although... considering that he had gotten his hands on the Katana Fleet (realizing this fact, Moff Ferrus almost developed a nervous tic, remembering how he had joked on a similar topic), only an idiot in their right mind would risk tangling with him. Two hundred heavy cruisers, albeit outdated, but still cruisers capable of holding their own and giving any enemy a run for their money. If before Thrawn was merely a "whipping boy" in the eyes of most rulers of the Imperial Remnants, now... he was a force to either befriend or not get in the way of. Or — prepare big guns so you didn't end up among his targets.
"Everything is proceeding according to plan," the Grand Admiral had told him in parting, upon hearing the oath of loyalty sworn by the Moff. After which he departed for where... Actually, no one knew where he was. The Grand Admiral was not in the habit of revealing his plans to anyone except the direct executors. When Nik returned, having departed with Thrawn into the unknown, then it would be possible to find out what they had been doing all this time.
But for now, he had to carry out the Grand Admiral's will regarding the privateers. Those of them who weren't trying to deceive their employers should receive certain privileges. A measure of encouragement that would make their cooperation more complete and trusting. But the Moff wasn't going to give in so easily.
"You have an excellent ship, Captain Tyberos," the Moff said. "Decently armed, decently armored. With the help of the Rabid Ewok, you captured the Gozanti. Isn't that an indication that you possess a far better starship than the one you're asking for?"
"As I already said — I will upgrade the Gozanti," the privateer said. "And then I'll have two full-fledged raiders. I have a reliable assistant who can command one of my vessels, and I'll fly the other. We can cause twice as much damage."
"Let's assume," Moff Ferrus said. "There might be a military advantage to that, if you, of course, find a way to provide your ship with escort. Even after modernization, this starship isn't capable of moving at high speed, and its maneuverability..."
"The Republicans did all the work for us," Tyberos chuckled. "The two external hardpoints for X-wings are perfect for escort fighters. And the cargo bay can hold another fighter."
"Been thinking about it on the way here?" Ferrus chuckled.
"Yeah, had some time," Tyberos nodded. "Agree, Moff. You're still profiting. I'm not demanding my share of the prize; you don't have to spend on paying bonuses to me and my men."
"A tempting offer," Felix snorted. "And I might even agree to it, if not for a couple of things. First — we have enough money to pay you for the cargo. Second — I would have to discuss this with the Grand Admiral. And be very convincing. And for now, besides saving one hundred seventy-five thousand credits — your half of half the total value of the goods — I don't see any benefit. And that amount of money isn't a big loss for me."
"Even if I give you both X-wings and the spare parts for them completely free?" Tyberos raised an eyebrow. "That covers even more than half the cost of the cruiser — the portion due to me and my men. The offer pays for the entire ship. In fact, consider that I worked for free, purely out of respect for you."
"I like the last part," the Moff assured him. "In our troubled times, such things are not in favor with most sentients. And yet... You could capture any other military ship, or simply buy one. What's your gain?"
"Mockery of the New Republic," the pirate declared. "I will use this ship on missions with the transponder on. I'll let them know that it was me, specifically me, who raided the Verpines, who stole their ship and took the pilots prisoner, along with such valuable cargo. They will hunt for me — and I am confident that the Grand Admiral will be able to exploit this fact to his advantage. Only the lazy aren't talking about the Ambush at Rugosa on the Outer Rim — I've spoken to several of my acquaintances. The Hutts are on alert — because Thrawn has effectively deprived them of several good clients and underlings. The pirates are starting to whisper among themselves, wondering if the Empire is really as defenseless as they're told. Thrawn even managed to put pressure on 'The Claw'."
"You're talking about Talon Karrde?" Felix clarified.
"About him," Tyberos nodded. "The disappearance of Booster Terrik with all the fleet he assembled is a landmark event. Very, very telling. As is the disappearance of Leonia Tavira and her gangs. Your boss might not pay attention to it, but his actions are being closely watched. The criminal underworld is very sensitive to shifts in the vectors of power. They keep their noses to the wind when a threat blows. And if I operate in my ship, a trophy, it will only show that the spreading rumors about the Empire's cunning are nothing more than disinformation. No, you're certainly some smart... gentlemen, but it's possible to do business with you. Not only for smugglers who bring your Moffs and admirals expensive trinkets and exotics, but also among pirates. You're expanding," he noted. "I've seen several dozen new converted ships — which means those who want to make easy money are coming to you. So let me show them by my example that you can not only earn credits, but also improve your own situation. What's one Gozanti to you, when you have countless Star Destroyers? Give me this ship, and I'll not only give you all the cargo, but I'll also share whatever information I have on the defense of the Roche asteroids — the Verpines' homeworld. Imagine how much you could loot there if you showed up with the whole fleet? It's a considerable distance to the nearest base. Push through the asteroid defenses and start looting... the haul would be enormous."
"And it seems to me things are quite different," Ferrus smiled. "You have a personal score to settle with the Republicans, don't you?"
"Like many pirates," Tyberos noted.
"But not many try to play a double game," the governor of the Morshdine sector noted. "You, for example, are trying. You want to use the trophy to attract attention among the pirates, don't you? You think that once they learn about our cooperation terms and see a military trophy in your possession, they'll decide that you have authority with us, and therefore they should follow you?"
"Well, the Grand Admiral didn't forbid bringing those willing to earn some credits to you," Tyberos grinned, leaning forward. The stormtroopers guarding the office instantly raised their blaster rifles, aiming at the privateer. "I thought Imperial Moffs weren't that quick-witted."
"The most cunning and stupid ones were shot long ago," Ferrus said coldly. "The very cunning and smart ones are left. Your idea isn't new — nothing more than an attempt to create your own pirate fleet operating 'on the state payroll.' During the Clone Wars, such things flourished on both sides of the conflict."
"And what's wrong with a pirate fleet loyal to the Grand Admiral?" Tyberos continued smiling.
"The problem is that your desire to get the Gozanti is nothing more than a test stone," the Moff noted. "Now you want this armored transport, next week you'll capture a light cruiser and decide you want that too, in a month it'll be a Star Destroyer, and so on. And what's the result? You'll end up with an armed band of pirates..."
"Privateers," Tyberos corrected.
."..pirates," the Moff insisted. "And it will all be centered on you. A centralized and well-armed mob of criminals that will gain strength right under our noses. And as soon as you decide you're strong enough — you'll turn against us."
"At a time when the Grand Admiral is already strong enough?" Tyberos scoffed. "I'm sure Thrawn has thought through this situation many times and knows how to react to it to come out ahead."
"Of course he knows," Felix smirked, drumming his fingers on the table. "Very well. You want your own pirate fleet. If it remains loyal to us, there's no problem there. Perhaps someday we might even offer you the position of auxiliary forces in our fleet." The very thought of these pirates joining the wolf packs made the Moff feel bleak. Where was the galaxy heading, if they had to cooperate with scum like this? "But for now, let's clarify a few things. Since I'm in charge of coordinating the privateers' actions and will have to speak with the Grand Admiral, you'll need to convince me of your decisions first. Let's start with what you recovered in your last operation. We take everything except the ship you specified. From this day forward, you enter a probationary period under our renewed contractual relationship. You hand over all cargo and receive no prize money for your operations. Whatever you find in the crew quarters of the ships you attack, their personal property — that's your loot. We're only interested in the cargo. And, of course, military vessels. Information, if you obtain any. In exchange, you'll receive the Gozanti at your disposal. I'll arrange its refit at our shipyard. You can start building your pirate fleet right now. You can raid any target belonging to our enemies — except the Empire and their allies. But the moment we need you, be ready to drop everything and go wherever you're ordered. However, once we learn you've been skimming from the cargo or acting against our orders — a bounty will be placed on your head so high you won't survive more than a few days. And as soon as we find the pirates who betrayed us — all of you will be executed. I'd like you to note that I said 'when,' not 'if.' I think you understand that's a transparent hint at our lack of trust in you."
"Is it just me, or does your offer not differ much from what I myself proposed?" Tyberos asked with a smirk, making it clear he understood everything perfectly well without the explanations.
"Oh, you haven't heard the whole offer yet," Ferrus said meaningfully. Once again, he could only marvel at the Grand Admiral's foresight. "If you want to continue having your pirate free rein in our service, you'll have to assure me and the Grand Admiral of your loyalty to our cause."
"I'm not enlisting in the Imperial Fleet," Tyberos snorted.
"No one's offering that," the Moff assured him. "The New Republic already cooperates with some smugglers and free traders. From now on, we'll handle convoys ourselves — you'd just get splattered the moment you went up against the escort frigates and turbolasers of the Mon Calamari star cruisers that currently form the backbone of the convoys Thrawn's interested in." He continued: "But you and your crew, which you hope to organize, should open hunting season on simple freighters. They carry small cargoes and try to use unofficial or remote hyperspace routes. So focus on them. I'm sure that beyond their official cargoes, they've got plenty of interesting things hidden away on their ships. You'll have plenty to plunder."
"A juicy prize," Tyberos smirked. And though there was discontent in his voice, Felix had no doubt he would agree to the proposal. He wanted too badly to have his own power and become a force himself. Just as Thrawn had predicted. True, Thrawn hadn't named specific names when he warned that soon the privateers, smelling profit and the easy power they gained from the Empire's tip-offs, would want to become something more. Especially those with personal grudges against the New Republic. "But I doubt that even a couple of my ships will make any meaningful difference right now. I need time to gather a flotilla and…"
"That's hardly our concern," the Moff remarked. "You want more than to be a simple underling, Captain. You want to lead our privateers. The Grand Admiral allows it. But these are our conditions. Yes, you can set off on your own, that's entirely your right. But I suggest you think about continuing to work specifically for us."
"I wasn't even trying to buck," Captain Tyberos said smugly, rising from his chair. "You know, it's pretty amusing and comfortable to gut Republicans and still have the chance to gain my own power, backed by the Empire." — You're clearly exaggerating there, but you don't need to know that, at least not now. "And since we've reached an agreement, I'll head to my ship. Need to give it a good shake-down and go hunting for freighters."
"Well, of course," the Moff chuckled to himself as he watched the lean privateer leave his office. Just as Thrawn predicted. First you hunt the New Republic, then their lackeys. And finally, you'll start eagerly cutting down your old pals left and right, trying to curry favor with the Grand Admiral. How simple…
* * *
"I never thought this complex was this enormous," Mara Jade said, studying the massive holographic schematic of the interior of Mount Tantiss. A holoprojector positioned near the center of the throne room had created it. I, sitting in the chair where Palpatine had once sat, watched how the Hand examined the lines of passages, corridors, and turbolifts that connected the network of internal caves like the threads of a giant spider's web, with interest and awe. Rukh, having taken his usual position in the corner, seemed to merge with the shadow of the narrow space between the turbolift cars.
The cage with the ysalamiri stood nearby, allowing the girl to enjoy freedom from that small creature, which had mostly been positioned on her back to protect her from the Force. However, if everything went today as I envisioned, she wouldn't have to see the ysalamiri anymore. The girl would finally be free from the influence of Palpatine's last command on her fate.
For now, the Colonel wasn't rushing with his report, so I decided to thoroughly study the layout of Mount Tantiss. Especially given the explanatory notes from the architect himself, including calculations and materials used in construction. That significantly simplified building a replica of the Mount at a pre-selected location.
However, the Emperor's vault structure also represented a large conglomerate of aesthetic and technical wonders.
So, at the very bottom was the underground part of the Mount.
Numerous "underground" levels were located deep beneath the soil surface, at depths of several hundred meters, and connected to the lower levels by a series of turbolifts and stairs. This was where four massive, powerful thermonuclear reactors on Mount Tantiss were housed. Their markings corresponded to those installed on Star Destroyers, but the specifications… Someone had clearly worked to adapt these four enormous spheres for operation underground and under planetary gravity. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of technical details and modifications made to these power sources, explanations written in simple, accessible language "for those who don't understand the technology of creating and operating artificial stars" were completely absent. Currently, only three of them were functioning; the last one needed repairs and maintenance beyond the local technicians' capabilities. Chief Engineer Reyes had already headed there for inspection and to deliver his verdict. Since the entire structure could be disassembled and the reactor removed without damaging the whole power system, it would also be delivered to the Chimaera's hold for transport to Tangrene. Whether it would be useful for Project Solar Burn or not remained unclear. But at the very least, we'd have spare parts for the solar ionization reactor — and that was already something. The Steel Aurora was about to finish its minor repairs in the orbit of Linuri and would move out to the main base.
Something else was interesting. Each generator produced enough power to launch and operate an Imperial Star Destroyer, indicating that Mount Tantiss, when fully operational, required an enormous amount of energy. However, at the moment, the Colonel and his subordinates were managing with just three reactors — because significant parts of the complex were de-energized.
That infamous labyrinth was located even lower than the reactors and stretched for kilometers around the mountain. Its purpose wasn't initially clear, but over time, through trial and error, it was discovered that its winding, dark corridors led to an even lower floor, which the locals had dubbed the "crypt." Here, ancient energy weapons, amulets with an obvious esoteric basis, crystals and jewels hardly distinguishable from one another, alien trinkets and religious idols, mummified bodies, and countless art objects were stored in special stasis containers to ensure their preservation. Given that this equipment required a significant amount of energy, a check of the central computer's data logs made it clear why the fourth reactor had failed — it had been powering the complex in minimum consumption mode for decades, almost from the proclamation of the New Order.
Above that were the Lower Levels.
This was where the main entrance to Palpatine's vault was located. Additionally, deep within the mountain, there were barracks for the garrisoned legion of stormtroopers and their respective posts, as well as vehicles, an arsenal, depots for equipment and weapons needed to defend the mountain. On these levels were food production facilities — a hydroponic installation, food synthesizers, and storage for ever-lasting field rations. Not to mention a truly enormous stasis storage for exotic foods, clearly not intended for ordinary soldiers or officers. For them, food was preserved in carbonite slabs, like the one Han Solo was frozen in in the original trilogy. And to my surprise, it was here, after all this time, that I learned for certain that carbonite freezing was actually used for long-term food storage, not for living beings.
The most interesting feature on this level was the War Room — a semicircular tactical chamber covered in monitors and holoprojectors. It was the communications and planning center. Obviously, from here one could maintain contact with any military unit of the Empire, and thanks to encryption equipment, remain untraceable. And this wonderful place, clearly designed for use as a top-level Imperial command center, would be indispensable, were it not for one "but." All the War Room's equipment received its data directly from the central computer. The data in that computer was damaged or erased. At least the information regarding the deployment locations, numbers, and composition of the Imperial fleets was completely deleted. Only files with names remained. And no possibility of recovering that data. Well, it made sense from Palpatine's perspective — gathering his armada back, assuming that one of his zealous supporters would definitely get here, he had done everything so that no one would ever know the true size of the Imperial armada. And I no longer trusted data from official sources, like military journals and staff records. Palpatine had managed to hide the construction of this complex from the Senate and the military, as well as the establishment of the base on Byss, which directly indicated his ability to manipulate information.
However, the data on ground bases and their authorized personnel strength and attached equipment interested me greatly. The amount of information was enormous, but I think I know what I'll have my adjutant do in the near future. Among this multitude of data, I needed to find a few interesting locations and figure out how to get to them.
It was a shame about the Maw Installation — Grand Moff Tarkin's personal scientific center deep within the cluster of black holes in the Maw, where not only several fully crewed Imperial Star Destroyers languished, led by the only female admiral I knew in the Empire, Natasi Daala, but also a brilliant collective of genius scientists, known for developing and creating superweapons that made the galaxy break out in a sweat. They were there in complete secrecy and isolation from the entire galaxy — getting out was difficult, and communication signals couldn't penetrate the barrier of black holes.
Well, in the events I knew, Natasi Daala's voyage across the galaxy from the Maw Cluster and her inflicting minor damage on the New Republic began a few years after the death of Palpatine's clone. For a number of reasons, this settling of scores between Imperials and Republicans wasn't very successful. That didn't mean such a "storeroom" could be ignored. No, unfortunately, that was far from the case. Everything in its time. Right now, going in there and trying to get my hands on all the goodies Daala had at her disposal was frankly pointless. Not only because the only known path through the black holes was known to Tarkin and Daala herself — and neither of them, for obvious reasons, would tell me. And not even because finding a course between the black holes would require a Force-sensitive being (as happened in the events I knew). I did have a Jedi, but the insane C'baoth was hardly the one I wanted to share that secret with.
Gaining the loyalty of the military and personnel at the Maw Installation was unrealistic in such a short time. Better to wait and infiltrate it under other circumstances — when I wouldn't have to fear the personnel and crews turning to the Reborn Emperor's side.
So, back to reviewing the Mount's schematic. The Command Wing was the center of military operations on Mount Tantiss, similar to a Star Destroyer's bridge. All administrative duties were performed in this section. The base commander's office, who also served as the garrison commander, was located above the main part of the command center and overlooked the main floor through a massive mirror viewport. A curved amphitheater-like chamber located nearby, much larger than a cave filled with cloning cylinders, was none other than the Mount's central computer. Its official name was the Main Computer Core, an enormous bank of computers and servers that collected and indexed all the information passing through Mount Tantiss's communication and data search systems.
The security department, detention block, medical personnel quarters, technicians' quarters, and enlisted military unit barracks also found their place on this level. Interesting. There was also a guardhouse for military personnel. If so, who was the detention block for? Did Palpatine intend to bring his political opponents here? Strange logic. Or did he think that even if only his supporters were here, some of them would "have the luck" to end up in the cells?
Something else was strange. There were no traces of a garrison ever being stationed here. It felt like, before C'baoth's arrival and subsequently our troops, there had never been a garrison here. Or perhaps it was never intended at all, and the entire fortress, though outfitted as a residence, refuge, and warehouse simultaneously, had only become the latter… It sounded logical, considering that Palpatine had an entire planet in the Deep Core for gathering his secrets and storing them securely. One way or another, infiltrating Byss without knowing its security system was impossible. And Wayland was in known space. Any accident, any hyperdrive malfunction — and unwanted "discoverers" could end up on the planet.
Apparently, Palpatine had decided to use Wayland as a bargaining chip for those who would find this place and use it to fight the New Republic. Well, it turned out that lucky son of a bitch was me.
And now, the middle levels of the Mount.
"The main lift connects the central 'midsection' of the complex with the upper levels, set aside for Palpatine and his dignitaries," Mara Jade noted, pointing to several small vertical shafts that pierced the rock vertically in dozens of places. "Too small for private turbolifts or emergency shafts."
"Service lifts for maintenance droids," I explained, marking a few of the shorter shafts. "And this row of turbolifts connects the middle levels, specifically the cloning chamber, with the garrison barracks."
"So, is that almost a direct indication that soldiers are being cloned here?" Mara Jade inquired.
"I doubt the cloning complex was ever used at full capacity," I said. "And yet, it's an interesting fact. At the end of the Clone Wars, on Coruscant's moon, Centax-2, Arkanian scientists used Spaarti cloning technology to create the so-called Spaarti clones. And yet, according to the central computer's data, these twenty thousand cloning cylinders were brought here by Kinman Doriana right after the Battle of Cartao, in the midst of the Clone Wars," I continued, checking the base commander's report:
"The cylinders haven't been moved from here. A question arises."
"What technologies did the Arkanians use to create the 'Spaarti clones'?" Even in the semidarkness of the hall, I could see Mara Jade's face tense. "Grand Admiral, you're not saying that Palpatine has another couple hundred thousand Spaarti cloning cylinders hidden somewhere, are you?"
"I didn't say that," I had to remind the girl. "You said it. But the assumption is indeed interesting. Given the data on cloning Palpatine's body, one could assume that the cloning cylinders from Centax-2 were removed from the moon and sent to Byss. Or that they were destroyed during the Separatist attack on Coruscant at the end of the Clone Wars. One can construct as many hypotheses as one likes. It's necessary to check whether the base on Centax-2 is currently operational and if there are any secret levels there that haven't been discovered yet."
"The appearance of additional Spaarti cloning cylinders would allow you to increase clone army production overnight," Mara Jade noted.
"It's still too early to think about that," I said. "At the moment, we have only sixteen thousand functional cylinders. We start from that number. Dreaming is harmful for us right now."
Or perhaps the term "Spaarti" is not the self-designation of the cloning technology produced on the planet Cartao, but a general name for a complex of systematic approaches to cloning, characterized by the speed of growing copies of a sentient being, I thought. But I kept those thoughts to myself. For now, it was nothing more than a guess that needed verification. If confirmed, it would be worth working on this information in earnest. But for now, I needed to deal with the existing cloning technology.
The funniest thing was that on the map of Mount Tantiss, the enormous cave housing twenty thousand Spaarti cloning cylinders, twenty percent of which were still non-functional and represented mere ballast, also had a name. "Cloning Chamber."
It was located on the upper floor of the middle level, extending deep downward. A recent discovery for the base commander was the uncovering of nearly thirty technology vaults, protected by unimaginable security systems. And this was where the really interesting part began… New data on cloning technologies known in the galaxy. And not just theoretical calculations, but actual technology. In fact, half of these vaults contained "imprint" machine equipment, which performed the technology of instantly downloading information into a clone's mind. This was, in fact, why the "Spaarti clones," according to their creators' design, were supposedly supposed to be no worse than the Kaminoan ones. But in practice… well, for reports like this, I had Colonel Celid. While he was on his way, it was time to finish studying the complex's map.
Several ventilation shafts and service crawlways wound through the mountain, but most of them met on the middle levels in the service areas. The mountain's technical zones were incredibly vast spaces — this was where equipment, mechanisms, weapons, and gear could be repaired. Also, to my great surprise, various laboratories and scientific stations were located here. According to the documents, Colonel Celid and his subordinates assumed these rooms were used for testing and improving a number of alien and exotic technologies stored at the facility. And, it seemed, it was here that those same twenty percent of cloning cylinders were broken…
TRYING TO REPLICATE THEM!!!
I felt a trickle of sweat run down my back. Was it really possible?! I had been assured that building new Spaarti cylinders was impossible. And in the events I knew, the ones inside Mount Tantiss were the last produced on Cartao before Palpatine destroyed the factory that made them. But… what if scientists and engineers had actually worked here and managed to recreate the technology? If so, then… Could the Spaarti cloning cylinders on Centax-2, operational at the end of the Clone Wars, be the result of the work of scientists in these very laboratories? Or was this place also fighting against the clones' insanity? Or something else, besides recreating technology? Unfortunately, the data had been removed. No, not destroyed, not erased, but removed. Someone, having worked here for a certain amount of time, had taken the developments with him and left the planet — otherwise, the Chimaera's scanners and the orbital station, not to mention ground patrols, would have detected at least a hint of metal. The shuttles in the Mount's hangars were in preservation packaging — meaning they had been left here for long-term storage. According to records, their number matched what was on hand. Therefore, whoever had flown here had flown away. And if I recalled what C'baoth had said… Hmm… Could the madman have encountered only one group of arrivals, part of which he killed, while the others managed to escape?
Or had people arrived here more than once? But then again — where were the starships, the landing craft?!
Questions, questions, no answers. And I really don't like unanswered questions. On Earth I was used to having all the information around me laid out clearly and methodically for tracing cause-and-effect relationships. I'd like the same here. That's what I'm used to. Besides, with complete information preceding certain events, you can always build cause-and-effect chains and calculate the response.
Crowning the Mount Tantiss complex was Emperor Palpatine's personal domain. The throne room was always kept in a state of readiness for the comfort of a suddenly arriving Emperor — and only droids monitored cleanliness here. We were currently in this very room. It could be accessed by three routes — the main turbolift, through which absolutely all visitors entered; a backup staircase; or the Emperor's personal turbolift. Which, by the way, wasn't shown on any plans at all. But physically — there it was, plain as day. However, access required a scan of Palpatine's retina — a security measure so that no clever person could use this passage. Still, the base technicians had already solved that problem, and one of my code cylinders now served that purpose.
It was on this very lift that the Emperor could reach the complex of his personal apartments. I can't say anything about them since I haven't been there. But I assume it's definitely not just a two-by-one-meter cot and a couple of chairs welded to the floor. Considering that the living quarters occupied three entire floors, one could only guess how many sentients could fit there... Although, it wasn't out of the question that only Palpatine was supposed to live here.
Below the living area was Palpatine's private hangar, where, as with any other level of the complex, the Emperor could go via the second turbolift, linked to the retinal scanner. Obviously, it was created primarily so that the ruler of the Galactic Empire wouldn't have to mingle in the same cabin with various sorts of "rabble." And also, if necessary, he could slip away unnoticed and separately from everyone else through his personal hangar.
Ah... No, here are the rooms for servants and advisors — below the Emperor's bedchambers. Hmm... Here are also the study offices and the work area for high-ranking associates. The computers are absolutely clean, no hint that data was ever loaded into them. Consequently, no one ever worked here. Which only confirms the hypothesis that no sentients ever arrived here.
And here's what's interesting. The upper vaults — part of the storerooms that only Emperor Palpatine had access to. Carved directly into the mountain's rock, enormous in size... and empty. Not because nothing was ever here — on the contrary. This was where Palpatine stored his collection of trophies from his victory over the Jedi — lightsabers, armor, tablets, and various trinkets of unknown purpose to me... Judging by the fact that they were previously arranged according to a strict codification, and there are clear signs of a search, it suggests that something was indeed taken from here. And in no small quantities. Whether these could be holocrons — Sith and Jedi devices for storing extraordinary amounts of data — one can only guess.
—
Plan of Mount Tantiss.
A most curious structure. The longer I studied its plans, the more I realized that replicating such a complex somewhere else would require billions of credits. A pity... A great pity that something like this remains unattainable for me.
The light indicators of the main turbolift announced arrival at the throne room. Mara Jade, extinguishing the hologram, with an almost imperceptible movement drew a blaster pistol from her thigh holster.
Unnecessary. That's just Colonel Selid. Arrived with a report, as expected.
"Report," I ordered.
"Sir, in the vaults beneath the Cloning Chamber we discovered data and devices not only for loading data for the 'Spaarti' cloning program," the commandant began without preamble. "Incidentally, there are exactly one hundred such installations, and all are in working condition. With them, we extract the consciousness matrix from donors and load it into cloning cylinders. At the same time, based on observations of the first batches of clones, I consider it my duty to point out that such 'products' are inferior to ordinary sentients and even more so to stormtroopers in combat training. For optimal results, drills and training are necessary to consolidate professionalism."
"So, in effect, by creating clones and not training them, we get little more than cadets who only have theoretical knowledge that needs to be confirmed in practice?" I clarified.
"Exactly, Grand Admiral," confirmed Colonel Selid.
Not the most pleasant information. Frankly, although I knew that "Spaarti clones" were less effective, I thought it was caused by the speed of their cloning and was completely neutralized, along with the "clonic" madness, by ysalamiri, which prevent the Force from influencing the formation of clones' minds and personalities. However, that's not a problem. Given that I firmly intend to direct the capacity of the cloning cylinders solely toward creating ship crews, whom I intend to subject to relentless training — both on Star Destroyers and other ships of my fleet — this conditional ailment can be overcome. Probably. Tests will show.
"Is that all the information?"
"Negative, sir," smiled the commandant. "In one of the vaults we discovered another cloning cylinder. Of Kaminoan design."
Is that so? So many questions, all arising at once.
"Continue," I ordered.
"In the absence of data, we assumed that there was once some kind of testing ground here," the colonel said. "Someone was studying the cloning technologies known in the galaxy. Spaarti technology and Kaminoan were taken as a basis, and experiments were clearly conducted with them, as confirmed by damage to the existing samples. Our technicians managed to repair the Kaminoan cylinder, but without verification tests, we can't be sure whether it's functional. But..." the colonel hesitated. "As far as the medics involved in growing clones know, it will take ten years to produce a specimen."
Ten years... Exactly the time it takes for a fully functional and complete clone to grow using Kaminoan technology. Three thousand six hundred fifty standard days. Ten times longer than needed for basic maturation of a clone grown using Spaarti cylinder technology. Thanks to the use of ysalamiri, I managed to reduce that period to fifteen standard days. But what if...?
"Deliver the Kaminoan cloning cylinder and all necessary documentation aboard the 'Chimaera,'" I ordered. I have a wild idea, but... it needs to be tested in practice. And preferably in secret from the others.
Also, this number was bothering me — ten years. I didn't even need to strain my memory — the analytical mind of a Chiss found the necessary information in my knowledge base of this universe almost instantly.
In the events known to me, Thrawn died in the ninth year after the Battle of Yavin IV, according to the most well-known calendar — the New Republic one, which was used in the Expanded Universe. And at that time, the meeting and acquaintance of Darth Vader's offspring and the red-haired Hand of the Emperor occurred.
In the nineteenth year after the Battle of Yavin IV, Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker, by then almost bosom friends, following a "breadcrumb trail," arrived from the known part of the galaxy to the planet Nirauan — the capital of the Empire of the Hand that Thrawn had created in the Unknown Regions. The very one that is currently off-limits to me due to lack of knowledge of how to get there.
But the key point in this jumble of dates is different. More precisely, there are two of them.
First.
Ten years passed between these events. Almost exactly ten years.
Second.
On Nirauan, Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker learned from Admiral Vos Parck, whom Thrawn had left to command the Empire of the Hand after himself, that the Grand Admiral had left a very interesting message for his subordinates in the Unknown Regions. I don't remember it verbatim, but the Chiss warned that if the Empire of the Hand ever heard that Thrawn had died, they should expect his return in ten years. And both Jedi discovered in the dungeons of Thrawn's fortress on Nirauan... a cloning cylinder. With a copy of Thrawn inside.
Ten years. The maturation period for a clone using the technology from the planet Kamino.
But I clearly remember that the last of the Empire's Grand Admirals only had Spaarti cloning cylinders at his disposal. And they do the job in one year — that's their production cycle. I don't recall that you could set the timer for "longer" in them. The technology determines the maturation period, not the operator's time setting.
Ten years. A clone grown in ten years.
Could Thrawn have left his copy on Nirauan before his departure to the Empire? If so, where did he get the Kaminoan technology? Were there any facts indicating that it was taken off that planet?!
If not, then it turns out that the Chiss, in the events known to me, while commanding the fleet here, sent a Kaminoan-produced cloning cylinder and his genetic material to Nirauan to grow his clone... And again — where did he get the cloning cylinder?! Did he fly to Kamino? Or perhaps...
Record the thought.
One cylinder — one clone. And I'm talking about Nirauan.
One cylinder. Here, on Wayland.
Coincidence? But why doesn't this fact appear in the events known to me? Is it my oversight — did I not read, learn, understand, or remember something somewhere?
Or is this the part of the universe that remained "off-screen" due to its insignificance?
I didn't even want to consider the possibility that I'm not in the familiar "Star Wars" universe, but in an "alternate" version of it. I'd rather believe that some information was simply forgotten by me, or wasn't mentioned in the sources and books I'm familiar with.
Either way, it's worth conducting one interesting experiment. And if it succeeds — then a second one after it.
"Judging by your meaningful expression, Colonel, you have something to tell me," I said, seeing the poorly suppressed smile on the Mount Tantiss commandant's face.
"Yes, Grand Admiral," he said. "There is another cloning technology."
"I think Skywalker had a Jedi who was a representative of a self-cloning race," I thought. "If memory serves, the planet is located in the Deep Core... Perhaps Selid is talking about that one."
"Well, tell me about it," I said. It was unlikely that the technology I was thinking of was more efficient than the Kaminoan one. Otherwise they would have been brought in to create the Grand Army of the Republic, rather than giving the contract to Kamino. Although, the fact that the production site of 'Rothana Heavy Engineering' was nearby also played in Kamino's favor...
"Sir, if I may, I'll demonstrate," only then I noticed that behind the colonel stood... a stormtrooper. The simplest, most unremarkable stormtrooper. With a blaster rifle at the ready, in a full set of armor. I glanced at Mara Jade, who had tensed up like a cat ready to pounce. Actually, under my tunic I had a light body armor vest, and besides, if this was an assassination attempt, it was extremely stupid. "Stormtrooper, report as per protocol!"
Stormtrooper TNX-0297.
"Grand Admiral, sir," the fighter took a sharp step forward. "Stormtrooper TNX-0297 reporting for demonstration on Colonel Selid's orders."
"Demonstration of what?" I inquired.
"The effectiveness of the 'Ge Node' cloning program, Grand Admiral," smiled Colonel Selid. "TNX-0297 — remove helmet."
The fighter obediently removed his helmet. Colonel Selid stepped back, standing in line with the soldier and grinned impudently.
"He is perfect in every respect, Grand Admiral," said the colonel. "He possesses all my knowledge, but his personality is completely different."
"Is that so?" I clarified. Something about what this Imperial was saying I really didn't like. Like some manic obsession...
"Exactly," smiled the colonel smugly. "I found information that it was with this equipment that the consciousness of the dark Jedi known as Joruus C'baoth was created. Considering that you ordered the use of sample V-2332-54 to create a special clone for today's arrival," the turbolift behind the colonel slid its doors open again, admitting another figure. But this time it was dressed in a dark mantle, the hood of which concealed its face. But I didn't even need to peer into that darkness. I knew what face I would see there.
"Colonel," I said as calmly as possible. "Did you use the personality matrix of Joruus C'baoth on object V-2332-54?"
"The simplest thing to prove to you how effective the 'Ge Node' program is," smiled the colonel. "Clones can be created in fifteen days using Spaarti technology, and brains can be washed using the 'Ge Node' personality matrix program. They will be identical in face, but completely different..."
The hiss of a lightsaber piercing the commandant of Mount Tantiss's back and chest. Scarlet, like arterial blood, a lightsaber sliced Selid in half with one motion. The pieces of the smug colonel crashed onto the polished floor.
The stormtrooper, leaping forward, dodged the new clone's strike, opening accurate fire with his blaster, hiding from the reflected scarlet rays behind a console... Mara Jade began removing the cage with ysalamiri from her back, while simultaneously pulling a lightsaber hilt from a hidden pocket of her tunic.
Well, and I... I looked at Luke Skywalker, who had thrown back his hood.
And I saw in his eyes only the madness of Joruus C'baoth.