Nine years, six months, and six days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or forty-fourth year, six months, and six days after the Great Resynchronization.
Even though he didn't feel the pressure of the Dark Side of the Force in the Imperial Palace, Luke tried to minimize his time in Palpatine's former residence.
Originally, this majestic structure was called the Presidential Palace, or the Republic Palace, and was the residence of the Supreme Chancellor of the Old Republic. Unfortunately, very little evidence remained of what this magnificent building looked like in the past. Now, after decades of Imperial domination of the galaxy, it seemed to Luke that the structure had taken on a massive appearance, alien to the aesthetics of Coruscant, and exuded an excessive impression of power and danger emanating from it.
From all sides, this grandiose (no joke) building was surrounded by an incalculable number of statues, and the colonnades and domes made Palpatine's residence resemble a temple. A temple rising a good three kilometers above the surface of the Upper Levels of the galactic city.
During the capture of Coruscant, New Republic soldiers stormed this building, killing and capturing all Imperial officials, making no allowances for gender, age, or position. One of the most... controversial operations of the New Republic, which was not talked about. Because at that time, for the armed forces of the Rebel Alliance, there were no innocent Imperial officials when it came to oppressing the galaxy's citizens. This issue was resolved much later, when, having transformed into the New Republic, the former rebels realized they couldn't competently manage the bureaucratic machinery inherited from the Empire. And they began to lure former Imperial officials into their service...
Imperial Palace (Coruscant).
The palace was built of gray stone with a silver sheen, as well as mirror crystals, which made the palace sparkle even in darkness. The underground contained the Imperial Information Center—a repository of state secrets. It was so under Palpatine, and it served the same function under the Provisional Government of the New Republic.
Inside the palace was the Senate Hall, whose design was very reminiscent of the Grand Convocation Chamber—the hall where the senators of the Old Republic and the Imperial Senate gathered before its dissolution shortly before the Battle of Yavin.
Luke had already been there as an observer, witnessing several speeches by his sister. A majestic room. But inferior to the Grand Convocation Chamber in the Senate Building. The hall contained six hundred six-seat repulsor platforms for senators. Like everything Imperial, they had a gray-steel hue, radiating militarism. Discussions were currently underway regarding the restoration of the Senate Building, abandoned for almost ten years and dilapidated in places. Over time, the New Republic Senate would move there, as more and more sectors, systems, and even individual planets sought to join the young state that had defeated the Galactic Empire. And every such political entity that joined the last bastion of democracy in the galaxy was to be given a voice in the Senate. And, as amusing as it sounded, its own repulsor platform. Luke remembered that Leia grumbled that this was precisely the reason for the plan to move the senators out of the Imperial Palace. And mind you, this significantly complicated the work of the state machinery—separate placement of government bodies made their work more difficult. But the Provisional Government could do nothing about it. Or didn't want to.
The spaces inside the palace were so vast that all government employees, both during the Empire and now, were required to carry a comlink to prevent curious incidents where certain assistants or even officials got lost in the labyrinth of corridors and rooms. There were terrible stories about this, such as one about a female employee in the Imperial Palace who died at her desk and was only found a year later. Another equally gruesome tale claimed that the Emperor and his inner circle got rid of officials and servants they disapproved of, explaining their sudden disappearance by the fact that they got lost in the corridors.
However, Luke didn't believe these horror stories. Otherwise, what prevented the Emperor and Darth Vader from simply eliminating all their political opponents overnight and covering it all up with such a legend? After all, besides the thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of sentients working in the palace, a considerable number lived there temporarily or permanently.
All the residential levels of the Imperial Palace were filled with libraries containing data chips with information on nearly everything in the galaxy. In fact, that was precisely why the libraries never had any visitors — all the data stored on the chips could be found in open access.
Deep within the palace there was an entire section of floors reserved for various guests of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, and later — the Emperor. When the New Republic took possession of the palace, Princess Leia and Han took up residence on the guest floor. That was exactly where Luke Skywalker was heading, having passed the first security checkpoints and entered the Grand Corridor, also known as the Vestibule. It was said that Palpatine himself had a hand in its creation, personally drawing up the plans. But unfortunately, no evidence of that remained.
The Vestibule was the only place any sentient could enter freely on equal terms. But to go further, to begin winding through the maze of corridors, stairways, turbolifts, and rooms — some of which reached the size of Victory-class Star Destroyers — one had to get past the Republican guards. However, Luke handled that task without any trouble.
The Imperial design of the building had been pressing on him ever since he learned about the connection between Palpatine and Master Jorus C'baoth. He didn't believe in coincidences. The Force told him that what was happening was no accident.
The appearance of an extravagant Jedi who had granted himself the rank of Master without training a single apprentice, and who had also served as advisor to a man who declared himself Emperor overnight; the luring of Corran Horn into the unknown… No, there were no coincidences in the galaxy. They just didn't understand what was happening yet.
And neither did he — not a thing.
That was exactly what Admiral Ackbar had told him, and Luke was just returning from that meeting. With the firm intention of seeing his sister and discussing her reckless initiative.
Pushing through the sparse-for-this-hour crowd bustling through the corridors of the Imperial Palace, the young Jedi glanced to the side, struck by the colors of the ch'ala trees planted in the Vestibule, where dignitaries of the Empire — and before them, the Old Republic — used to pass the time between countless sessions. Judging by the fact that all the benches in the Vestibule were occupied by senators chatting among themselves, their assistants, and high-ranking officials, another session of the Provisional Government had recently ended, and the sentients were eager to share urgent information with one another.
That meant his sister was somewhere nearby.
It took him a few minutes to pick out the image he needed among the multitude of life forms in the Force. Oh, he'd missed — he'd looked to the balconies, while his sister was sitting right in the Vestibule. That wouldn't do.
Luke sighed sadly when he realized he hadn't brought his comlink, so he darted like a quick shadow to the nearest turbolift, politely smiled at the sentients inside, then, back in the Grand Corridor, strode quickly toward where he'd spotted Leia.
He found her only on the third try. And even then, only because he noticed good old C-3PO next to her.
"Luke?" His sister's eyes widened in surprise when he suddenly appeared beside her.
"Oh, Master Luke, how glad I am to see you!" the golden protocol droid burst out in a greeting aria, raising his arms.
"And I you, C-3PO," the young Jedi smiled. Seeing who his sister was talking to, he bowed respectfully. "General Cracken."
"Skywalker," replied the retired chief of intelligence of the New Republic. "Are my affairs so dire that they're sending Jedi now?"
"No, not at all," Luke said, embarrassed. "I'm here… for another reason. Admiral Ackbar said you're planning an operation…"
"Oh, Master Luke, you have no idea what an adventure this is…" the translator droid began, but fell silent when he met the Alderaanian princess's gaze.
"Actually, that's classified information," Leia said a little more quietly, glancing around furtively. "We brought the Admiral in on it because we needed his involvement. We require suitable escort."
"I could go with you," Luke offered. "I don't have anything else to do right now, anyway…"
"Actually, you do," said General Cracken. "C'baoth. He needs to be found."
"I was thinking the same thing," Skywalker agreed. "But I didn't find any leads in the Senate library about where he might be at the moment. Even with Winter's help — it's not the kind of undertaking a couple of people can handle. Nothing has been heard of him since he and several other Jedi left on the 'Outbound Flight' expedition."
"The search for life beyond the galaxy," Cracken nodded knowingly. "Yes, a topic sadly lacking in details."
"Maybe Karrde knows something about it?" Luke asked. "If C'baoth survived, then other Jedi who went with him might be out there somewhere. Six Jedi Masters, a dozen Knights… If even one of them is still alive, we could start negotiations with the Provisional Government about reestablishing the Jedi Order."
"Unfortunately, I'm not sure we have enough resources for Karrde to give us the details of that expedition's disappearance," Leia said gloomily. "I had to scrape together every possible reserve, borrow from Lando, use my and Han's savings, and ask a few acquaintances for loans. Even Mon Mothma, secretly from the Provisional Council, cashed out several government accounts. Not to mention that General Cracken has tapped into secret Republican intelligence funding lines…"
"Fortunately, I still have many friends in my own organization," Cracken chuckled. "However… if we don't succeed against this Imperial task force… our entire intelligence network will be compromised. We simply won't be able to pay our agents for a considerable time."
"Aren't your agents New Republic soldiers?" Luke asked in surprise.
"Only a small fraction of them," Cracken winced. "For the most part, they're… various elements for whom the money they receive matters more than ideological considerations. That's why we're not publicizing the whole situation — if the information from Karrde helps destroy the Imperial task force, no one will ask questions. But if not… I'm afraid the worst will happen — Fey'lya will be able to use this financial failure to strengthen his position. I've already heard several senators saying that Borsk is the ideal candidate to be elected president. At the last Provisional Government sessions, we barely managed to talk him out of the idea of returning all decommissioned ships to the fleet immediately. We'll do it gradually, but in any case — it will push our financial stability back to the end of the year, at the earliest."
"What's happening pleases me less and less," Luke admitted, glancing at a gardener droid weeding around the ch'ala trees shimmering with red waves of light. "Imperials, C'baoth, Fey'lya gaining power… Something is clearly off here. Han and Lando are far away, and you're planning to go to the other end of the galaxy to negotiate with Karrde…"
"The Claw has already given preliminary consent," Leia said. "But the meeting has to be postponed by a week."
"Why?" Luke asked in surprise.
"After learning what we want to discuss with him, he asked for three more days to 'get more detailed information.' Besides, we have things to do. Interesting details have surfaced regarding the planet New Cov," Cracken said. "The Bothans were planning behind our backs to bring that planet into the Republic. They claimed the governor had approached them asking for protection from pirate raids stealing his biomolecular mass — a nutritional sublimation that increases the caloric content of food. And when everything seemed ready for the treaty to be signed, information emerged that the governor had been collaborating with them and had personally executed his guards. The Bothans painted it as an Imperial provocation, but this morning, a courier hired by an unknown party delivered to Republican intelligence the blaster used to kill the guards. Preliminary analysis revealed that this very weapon was used in the crime. And it bears the biological traces of the planetary governor."
"I'll have to stay on Coruscant to prevent Fey'lya from pushing through the bill to admit New Cov into the New Republic," Leia said. "If they really are connected to the Empire, then… we'd essentially be letting Imperial spies into our internal political information."
"Oh, how tangled it all is," Luke shook his head. "Am I the only one who thinks too many things are happening around Fey'lya?"
"Not just you, Jedi Skywalker," Cracken smirked. "My colleagues looked into that little planet's past. I was just telling Leia that the Bothans only openly used their armed forces once during the Rebellion. And it was precisely — on New Cov."
"That sounds suspicious," Luke tensed.
"More than that," Cracken agreed. "Whatever happens inside the New Republic, the political dividends are always reaped exclusively by the Bothan party led by Borsk Fey'lya. One way or another."
"We need to investigate," Luke said firmly. "I'm sure we'll find something…"
"Unfortunately, my hands are tied," Cracken said. "And it's not just about my removal from office — Intelligence turns a blind eye to that…"
"Convenient," Leia snorted.
"Perks of the job," Cracken smiled. "We ignore facts that get in the way of doing our work."
"That sounds very much like the Empire," the girl noted.
"Most of my operatives are former Imperials," Cracken remarked, diplomatically omitting himself. "But that's not the issue here. Fey'lya holds a lot of power. He's an active politician and Commander-in-Chief. Intelligence has no authority to conduct operations against him as long as we have no actual evidence."
"Yet he had enough words to remove Ackbar," Luke noted.
"Unfortunately, those words fell on fertile ground of military defeats," Leia said. "But Lando said it right — if nothing critical emerges in terms of evidence of the Admiral's guilt, the suspicions will be lifted and he'll be reinstated. Even the Bothans can't push a conviction through a tribunal based on mere conjecture. Especially when Ackbar doesn't admit to treason."
"No, they could try. But any appeal would overturn the tribunal's decision. So, to destroy Ackbar, the Bothans would need something more substantial than ordinary guesswork. Knowing Fey'lya, he's capable of obtaining evidence if it exists, or fabricating it," Cracken observed. He looked at Leia, then at Luke. "I think I have an idea."
"What?" Leia asked with interest.
"Are you free right now, Jedi Skywalker?" Cracken asked matter-of-factly.
"As free as a Jawa in the Dune Sea," Luke said.
"If you went to New Cov and managed to dig up information on why the Bothans are interested in that planet, we could use it to clear Ackbar's name," said the New Republic's chief of intelligence.
"If, of course, there's something substantial there," the young Jedi said doubtfully.
"I'm sure there is," his sister said. "I can't even think of a reason why the Bothans would have openly clashed with Imperials on New Cov in the past, and then kept quiet about it."
"Yes, if their fur weren't dusty, they'd be blowing that episode up as much as their involvement in stealing the Death Star plans," Cracken confirmed. "So they have something to hide. If we find out what, we can either launch an investigation into Fey'lya or use that secret to get Ackbar off his back."
"Blackmail," Luke grimaced. "That doesn't seem very Jedi-like…"
"We're only asking you to find the necessary information, nothing more," Cracken said quickly. "How we use it is a separate question. It's possible that things are so bad there that it'll turn out the Bothans were directly cooperating with the Empire. I'm just considering possibilities, nothing more."
"I doubt the Bothans, after helping destroy the second Death Star, would cooperate with Imperials," Skywalker declared.
"We just need to remember the fact that the information they found led the Rebel Alliance fleet into a trap set by the Emperor," Leia said darkly. "General Cracken is right, Luke. Right now, you're the only one who can help us. I have to stop Borsk's bill, Lando is at the front, Han is getting leave in a few days and will go to see former Grand Admiral Octavian Grant to find out more about which of his former colleagues might have survived our purges, Mon Mothma can't openly oppose the Bothans, Ackbar is under suspicion…"
"And I'm officially retired," Cracken spread his hands. "Besides, Princess Organa-Solo and I have to go meet with the Claw. Hopefully, with the extra time we've gained, Ackbar can find us a suitable ship located near the meeting point. And Karrde, if he hasn't deceived us, will give us plenty of new information during the meeting on Milagro…"
"Milagro," Luke grimaced. The memories of the planet the Imperials had turned into a devastated chunk of slag just to keep the Rebel Alliance from accessing the world's resources were still too fresh.
"Yes," Leia said. "Not far from New Cov."
"Four and a half years ago, I earned the rank of General there as a result of the battle," Luke said with a strained smile.
"And you met a friend there," Cracken reminded him. "Kyle Katarn."
"Yes," Skywalker nodded. "I was thinking about bringing him into the matter of Master C'baoth. As I recall, he's pretty good at uncovering Imperial secrets…"
"I'm afraid he and his partner are unavailable at the moment," Cracken said. "Before I was removed from my position, I sent him to find Galen Marek and General Rahm Kota. Right after Generals Solo and Calrissian returned to their duties…"
"We need to contact him and bring him in…" Leia began, but General Cracken shook his head negatively.
"I'm afraid that's impossible. They're among our most valuable assets. To ensure their mission is completed, I ordered them to maintain radio silence. They'll contact us on their own, and only when there's news. Or to report that their mission is finished."
"So I take it that's done so Fey'lya can't interrupt their mission?" Leia clarified. The intelligence officer nodded affirmatively.
"Insurance in case the Bothans manage to get their greedy paws into the depths of Republican Intelligence," he explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if Councilor Fey'lya uses his current power to infiltrate every possible secret of the New Republic and twist them to his advantage. That's why I've taken most of the agents — those who represent the greatest value to state security — off the roster and locked all contacts with them exclusively to myself."
"Isn't that too risky?" Luke questioned the general's actions. "I'm not sure that's the right approach… Because if something happens to you, then…"
"Unfortunately, a necessary measure," Cracken grinned wryly. "The New Republic's secrets are worth that risk."
Judging by Leia's tense silence, his sister fully agreed.
Luke sighed heavily.
"Alright," he said. "My X-wing always sits with a full tank, and R2-D2 is ready to launch at any moment… But are you sure I shouldn't escort you to Milagro first? Then I'll head to New Cov."
"Ackbar promised to help," Cracken reminded him. "And there are other things to do here…"
"And if he can't," Leia said, "I have the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca, with Han's consent, has already brought it to Coruscant and is preparing it for flight. He might even fix some of the things Han keeps promising to but never does…"
Shaking his head in agreement, Luke Skywalker kept to himself the gnawing doubt about the mission's favorable outcome.
* * *
Grand Moff Ardus Kaine looked at the man who had entered.
Thin, with sharp features, a "birdlike" appearance. A vile temper and, even more so, a despicable personality. A man who stopped at nothing to achieve his own power. Even betraying a friend — Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus — was nothing out of the ordinary for him. A simple, meaningless treachery that cost the life of one of a dozen outstanding Imperial commanders.
Still, it was good that he was exactly like this.
Just the kind needed to carry out everything that had been planned.
"Report, Moff Disra."
Moff Vilim Disra.
"Governor Staffa has made contact with Karrde," the Moff said. "The information about Linuri has been transmitted."
"That sounds good," Kaine smirked. "Any other news?"
"As payment, Karrde received a shipment of turbolasers from us," Vilim said. "As you know, I do not approve of handing over Imperial technology to that scum…"
"Is it your place to criticize my decisions, Moff?" Kaine raised an eyebrow, staring intently at Disra standing at attention before him. "Or have you forgotten how, a year before the first Death Star's destruction, you became chief administrator of the Shelsha sector under Governor Barshnis Choard? Or should I remind you how you manipulated that governor, who wanted to secede his sector from the Galactic Empire and join the Rebel Alliance — for which you gathered pirate gangs, provided them with resources, and even set up Imperial assets to be hit? All to get the governor's post of the sector when the trap for Choard and the pirates snapped shut? Should I remind you how that whole venture ended?"
"No, there's no need, Grand Moff," Disra said, pursing his lips. "I…"
"You achieved nothing, Moff," Kaine said coldly. "Absolutely nothing. Your only victory is betraying a friend. Betraying and scheming against Imperials loyal to the New Order — that's all you're really good at, Disra. That's precisely why you're here — to do what you do best. To be underhanded, lie, fabricate. On my orders. And if I said that Karrde receives a shipment of turbolasers from us, then he will receive them from our stockpile on Yaga Minor. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," Disra pursed his lips. "Sir, I only meant to say that one of Thrawn's ships is scheduled to arrive at our shipyard on Yaga Minor in a few hours. Isn't that too risky…?"
"Yes, I know," Kaine said. "The Nemesis. Thrawn sent one of his lackeys to negotiate spare parts and repairs. No risk. Karrde's freighters and haulers have so many identifiers that no one can recognize them. And detaining anyone from Karrde's crew at our yards longer than usual is not advisable. That rogue is capable of gathering information on us, which we cannot morally permit."
"That's not all," Disra noted. "I've learned that Thrawn's adjutant has scheduled a meeting with shipwright Ryan Zion…"
"And how is that supposed to concern me?" Kaine asked in surprise. "Zion is in charge of the Yaga Minor shipyards. If they need major repairs — and most likely that's the case, the Dark Force will be repaired here — then that meeting is more than logical."
"I dare to remind you that Thrawn is recruiting specialists," Disra noted. "And as you recall, Zion isn't exactly loyal to us…"
"The shipwright is 'not exactly loyal' to the New Order, not to the Pentastar Alignment," Kaine said, stroking his chin. "The Ubiqtorate has reported that Thrawn's people have already shown interest in Zion…"
"Most likely they intend to recruit him," Moff Disra said heatedly. "And then we'll lose…"
"A talented but very troublesome shipwright who is currently causing more problems than he's worth," Kaine remarked. "He's famous for his ability to upgrade warships, which is why I took him under my patronage. After his modernization of Immobilizer 418-class interdictor cruisers into a new type of heavy cruiser, I see little further value in him… Instead of using the prototype of the Immobilizers — the Avenger-class heavy cruiser — he decided it would be best to ruin the interdictors… Turning such rare and valuable starships into something highly specialized… That's complete profanation."
"As I recall, Mr. Zion justified it by saying that the cones from the gravity projector generators could be used to house high-power energy generators and…" Disra began, but Kaine cut him off with a gesture.
The Avenger-class heavy cruiser.
"Enough nonsense, Moff," Kaine said. "That man is useless to the Pentastar Alignment after he refused to upgrade the Star Destroyers the way I wanted. He hates universal ships, which the Imperial Star Destroyers essentially are, and therefore he is useless. In fact…" Kaine fell into thought.
Thrawn has a rather impressive fleet of heavy cruisers, not exactly the latest models. And that mass of starships is quite dangerous — in the long term. The operation to provoke Thrawn aims to force him to focus his attention exclusively on the rebels. But at the same time, we cannot give him a chance to possess strength comparable to the fleets of other Imperial Remnants… Thrawn has a shipyard… And personnel… Therefore, sooner or later, he will still restore his ships from the Katana fleet. Better, of course, later than sooner. At the Pentastar Alignment's shipyards, several dozen Star Destroyers are currently being completed…
Thrawn needs not only to be directed at the enemy, but also to slow the reinforcement of his fleet… And who can handle that better than a renowned shipwright with an inflated ego and a plethora of quirks? Especially if it's arranged so that the shipwright is angry at his former employers…
"Fire him," Kaine said. Disra's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Right after he meets with Thrawn's adjutant — or rather, adjutantess — inform him that he has exhausted the limit of my trust and is no longer considered reliable. Arrange everything so that his overinflated ego is wounded enough that he goes running after Thrawn's lackey... Lackeyess..." Kaine grimaced. "That alien does everything differently from normal people. A woman on board a starship... Disgusting." Kaine looked at the Moff. "I'm sure you can manage to spoil his mood, Moff. Do it so that man never even looks our way again. Let him get on Thrawn's nerves instead."
"And what about our own shipbuilding program?" Disra questioned.
"We have contacts with Kuat Drive Yards and a massive pool of workers at the yards," Kaine said indifferently. "It's time to stop experimenting — we have enough heavy cruisers. Now is the time to build an overwhelming number of Star Destroyers."
Moff Disra was silent. Ardus could see the man was obviously displeased with something, but who cares what that man wants? He's just an obedient toy in the hands of the Grand Moff himself. Once they deal with Thrawn, Disra would have to be eliminated too. Holding a snake to your chest for too long is dangerous.
"You're dismissed, Moff," Grand Moff Kaine said. "See to it that my orders are carried out."
"As you command... Grand Moff," Ardus said, watching his departing subordinate, noting the tone of those last words. Disra was digging his own grave. He might have to be dealt with sooner than assumed a few minutes ago.
* * *
"This operation won't be easy," I remarked, having listened to the Chimaera's commander's report to the end.
"Yes, sir," he confirmed. "Four Fire Star orbital platforms, two Mark II Golans, and a massive screen of ground-based fighters..."
"What's curious is something else," I said. "Kuat Drive Yards delivered those defensive stations to Xa Fel's orbit not so long ago."
Frankly, we were lucky the agents had stayed on the planet and transmitted additional intelligence about the reinforcement of Kuat Drive Yards' primary hyperdrive supplier's defenses. Otherwise, things would have been very difficult — since I planned to use only a few Star Destroyers out of the eight combat-ready ones for this operation. The Nemesis and the Imperious were on assignment. The Crusader had only just come out of repairs. The Steel Aurora was still making her way to Tangrene... If I'd charged into Xa Fel as planned, with just the Chimaera, a couple of Star Destroyers, and a pair of Interdictors, not to mention the Acclamator II, we'd have definitely taken a beating.
"This is probably a response to our actions," Pellaeon suggested. "They're no fools on Kuat either — they understand what's happening. The increasing raiding attacks on supply convoys, the pirate activities..."
"Don't overestimate the significance of our achievements, Captain," I advised. "On a galactic scale, this is no more than an inconvenience, not a real problem."
Still, we had trouble. If the Kuati had gone to such lengths to secure their production facilities, why wouldn't they further reinforce their presence? Say, by keeping a patrol squadron in ambush somewhere, composed of several Star Destroyers?
"Have the repair work on the fleet's ships been completed?" I inquired.
"Yes, sir," Pellaeon reported briskly. "At your disposal are the Chimaera, the Stormhawk, the Death's Head, the Bellicose, the Relentless, the Inexorable, and the Overlord. Of the Victory-class ships, the Crusader is fully combat-ready, but we can also call in the Steadfast from Wayland. Two Interdictors — the Black Asp and another Immobilizer 418 from Moff Ferrus's command. Not to mention that we could generally press the Freedom and the Offensive into service — they just need temporary crews formed and..."
"We will not send an Imperial II into battle with an unprepared crew," I said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Not the first destroyer, and not the second. Only after permanent crews are formed and training is complete. This rule is unbreakable, Captain — remember it yourself and pass it on to the others. We will not use Moff Ferrus's ships either."
"Yes, sir," Pellaeon clipped.
So — seven Imperial-class, one Victory-class, two Interdictor cruisers, and one captured Interdictor. A formidable force. Could be increased even further, but... I had no intention of withdrawing the interdictor cruiser from the Tangrene fleet — there were too few forces left there as it was. The batch of clones that had arrived was only enough for a fifth of each destroyer's crew. They could sustain a short battle and nothing more. Those ships needed maneuvers, training — and so did the clones. Considering that our orbital station would soon be operational, convoys from Krennel with small spacecraft would arrive tomorrow, and the number of heavy cruisers at the yards with temporary crews that would soon become permanent totaled three dozen — we could fight off an attack if necessary. And all this without revealing the positions of the rest of the Dark Forces' ships. Plus, I had returned all of Ferrus's medium and patrol cruisers to him. For the duration of two consecutive operations, he would have the capability to repel a hypothetical strike against Tangrene during my absence.
Recall the Imperious from Linuri? A possibility. The surface base could hold out against orbital bombardment — it had both deflector shields and enough weaponry. But protecting the drifting interdictor cruiser Sentinel and the Neutron Star in orbit? There was simply nothing to do it with. No, the Imperious stays.
Was I afraid of a stab in the back? Yes, I was. Very afraid. So much so that sometimes I wanted to drop everything and start planning from scratch. But I couldn't bear to do it an eighth time. Restructuring the entire plan... That was too much, even for a Chiss mind. Actions planned months in advance... No, that wouldn't work. Today, during the layover at Tangrene waiting for the fleet repairs to finish, I had made the final adjustments to my grand plan. That was it — it would change no more, at least in terms of sequence of actions. Undoubtedly, there would be additional problems. But they could always be accounted for by adjusting some stage of the plan.
"We're pressed for time, Captain." Pellaeon gave me a strange look. Damn... Steady. He just heard the phrase "pressed for time," which grated on his ear. "That means we are limited by time, Captain. Don't make that face — the galaxy is rich in colloquial expressions."
"Yes, Grand Admiral."
"Therefore, recalling the Nemesis would take too long — she'd need three to five days to get back from Yaga Minor," I continued reasoning. "Likewise, Wayland cannot be left undefended. The Steel Aurora, upon her arrival, won't be combat-ready for some time either."
"Engineer Reyes said the data Captain Kalian forwarded indicates that ship will spend at least a month in drydock," Pellaeon put in his two credits.
"Understood," I said. So — another Victory-class out of reach. Almost funny, really. I had two combat-ready Star Destroyers, but no proven crews that wouldn't wreck the ships in battle. And the engagement was clearly not going to be easy. "After the mission at Xa Fel, I want to meet with Captain Kalian in person."
"Yes, sir." Pellaeon made a note on his datapad.
We would discuss promoting that individual. He and his crew had performed well enough to deserve the right to keep fighting instead of languishing in drydock. Besides, before deploying on missions in the Hast system, we were expecting a reinforcement of twenty thousand clones from the fleet "draft." That would be enough to crew at least one Star Destroyer. Of course, some transfers would have to be arranged, but that wasn't the problem. The more ships I had, the more fleet specialists I needed. And the volunteers who were arriving... I didn't trust them enough to let them onto fleet ships — at least not until Lieutenant Colonel Astarion's ISB provided a conclusion on their loyalty. And... I suspected I might have to use this entire "fleet draft" primarily for a ground assault operation, alongside the B-1 droids.
"We're taking all the CR90s," I said. Considering the ones that the Imperial-class ships and the Interdictors would carry in their holds to the destination, we would have as many as twenty-eight Corellian corvettes on the battlefield. Excellent protection for the line forces. Especially for the three starships equipped with mass-shadow generators and our Acclamator. They needed that protection more than ever. The first part of the plan depended on them.
"Captain Pellaeon, sir," Lieutenant Tszhel's voice came through the comlink. It was starting to become a tradition. "Fresh data from Delta Source."
"Decrypted?" the Chimaera's commander asked.
"Yes, sir." Gilad looked at me questioningly. I wondered what interesting thing it could be. They'd already pulled forces off patrol to capture those conspirators.
"Forward it to me," I ordered. Pellaeon duplicated the command. "Three-hour readiness, Captain. It'll take us two days to reach Xa Fel. All Star Destroyers, all Corellian corvettes, and the Black Asp are coming with us. Yes, and the Acclamator II as well. Signal the fleet for pre-launch readiness. Recall crews from leave, expedite cargo acceptance. I'll send out the order packets later — once I'm alone and can think about the best course of action. Notify me when the fleet is ready."
"It will be done, Grand Admiral." Sensing the briefing was over, Pellaeon left my quarters.
I looked at the credit chips lying on my desk, handed to me from Lieutenant Rederick by Mr. Fodeum Sabre De'Luz, and resisted the temptation to re-examine the information on them. There would be time for the attack on Hast later.
Right now, the data from the Imperial Palace was the most important thing.
* * *
"Let me remind you — I did not approve this plan," Eymand said, deactivating his lightsaber. The being he had just impaled, who had stopped marveling at the exotic weapon piercing his chest, slowly slumped to the deck. "You're playing with fire. We're not ready for something like this."
"What difference does it make?" Tyberos asked cheerfully, pulling his war hammer from the head of another member of the boarded starship's crew. "It was fun. Besides, the Devastator is ours."
"Yeah," the former Jedi Knight snorted. "One. Remind me how many the Lok Revenants have?"
"A Hutt knows," Tyberos shrugged, scraping a piece of skull off his weapon's blade. "Maybe dozens, maybe more. Doesn't matter. We're not going to fight them openly — just lure them out and set them up for the Empire to strike."
"When they start hunting us," Eymand grumbled, "I'll remind you of those words."
"Let them hunt," Tyberos smirked. "First, they need to figure out who exactly attacked their fighter, and then realize it wasn't the Empire coming to the aid of its freighter — it was us."
"And still, I am categorically against attacking pirate gangs," Eymand grimaced. "Those same fighters from the Lok Revenants have nearly a hundred ships — and they'll tear us apart if they catch us. Not to mention that Nym has enough resources to hire two or three nearby gangs to hunt us down. You don't really think this will all go unpunished, do you?"
"My friend," Tyberos smiled, glancing at the blood-spattered cockpit of the Devastator-class fighter. "You don't really think I'd just casually declare war on a pirate organization without believing we could win, do you?"
"No, I think you have a plan," Eymand snorted. "But it's bound to be a bad one."
"Allow me to disagree," Tyberos laughed. "The Lok Revenants have a score to settle with the Empire. By passing our Gozanti off as an Imperial transport, we provoked them into attacking. Which was unsuccessful. Now they'll rack their brains and want revenge. They'll find a couple of convoys and start a massacre. By then, we'll contact Thrawn and tell him about a pirate gang attacking Imperial convoys. You remember I told you he really doesn't like those who attack his and other Imperial logistics routes, right? So once he gets the location of their base, he'll strike them and break the pirates' back. And we'll take part. We'll take everything that isn't nailed down, and anyone who survives, we'll bring under our control. Along with their equipment."
"Yeah, only you're forgetting that the Lok Revenants have their own scores to settle with the Imperials," Eymand reminded him. "Which doesn't work the other way. So it's far from certain the Empire will want to respond. And it's unlikely that even the survivors on Lok will be useful for consolidating power in your hands. More likely, they'll stab us in the back."
"In that case, we'll execute them all, requisition the equipment, and hire other soldiers of fortune," Tyberos smiled. "This Devastator," he stomped his foot on the cockpit deck, "is a good machine. Never mind that it was built before the Clone Wars from a Nubian Scurrg H-6 bomber. Even if we only have one, we can always set up some back-alley production in a secluded spot..."
"You have too optimistic a view of the future," Eymand shook his head. "I think Thrawn, if he takes the job, will level the Lok Revenants' base to the ground..."
"He does like trophies," Tyberos smiled. "The thing is, they don't really fit his fleet's profile. So he'll sell them. If we've saved up enough money by then, we'll buy whatever's left from him. Why go to the trouble of building a pirate fleet yourself when you can ask our esteemed Grand Admiral to be the hammer?"
"The important thing is that he doesn't figure out you're using him," Eymand noted. "Because it's very likely his 'hammer' will turn on us. And then I can guarantee — he won't leave anyone alive."
"Don't be a downer, friend," Tyberos laughed. "Let's think instead about where we'll set up our future pirate base. Somewhere we don't have to worry about basing, repairs, have a nice view and..."
He suddenly fell silent, hearing a low buzz from the holographic communicator.
"Oh, come on," he said, feeling his face twitch nervously beneath his mask. "I believe in coincidences, but..."
"What is it?" Eymand asked, his eyes following another pirate who had descended into the cockpit and was taking the pilot's seat. This Devastator was too big to attach to the Gozanti's underside.
"Believe it or not," Tyberos pulled the device from his belt and looked at his friend, "but I'm being called from the Chimaera. Thrawn. Personally."
The former Jedi thoughtfully scratched his head between his horns. Few people knew, but sometimes Zabraks got an itch there from nervousness...
"You keep talking," he said, "and I'll go tell everyone we need to get out of here fast. It's unlikely Thrawn found out about our little stunt so quickly, but you never know with a Hutt!"
* * *
"Proceed to the Milagro system," I said, looking at the hologram of Captain Tyberos. "You will operate jointly with Commodore Akrey Dobramu's formation. Objective — capture every single New Republic ship and civilian starship present there without exception."
"Orders understood, Grand Admiral," the privateer said. Was it my imagination, or did he say that with a certain relief? "We'll be at the rendezvous point in four and a half days. Is Commodore Dobramu commanding the operation?"
"No, the captain of the Imperious is." The young officer deserved a chance to rehabilitate himself for his actions in the Sluissi sector. It was a pity I couldn't send any of my own ships there — that would jeopardize my own mission at Xa Fel. I had to use the nearest Star Destroyer, which fortunately wasn't too far from the target. But entrusting command of the operation to a green youth... No. There was a more worthy candidate. Though, how great of a feat was it really — to send a force of a Star Destroyer, an interdictor cruiser, a medium cruiser, and several pirate vessels to capture a few freighters and possibly a warship? Probably, in any other situation, that would be overkill. But not when it involved the Skywalker-Solo couple. And considering the meeting would take place just a few sectors from Lando Calrissian's base... What were the odds that he would be the one providing the escort vessel? Knowing his relationship with the Alderaanian princess, it wouldn't be some patrol scow. But unfortunately, I had no way to send more ships. Hutt, if only the Sentinel were operational... "The primary objective is to prevent anyone from escaping the Milagro system. Under no circumstances."
"Understood, Grand Admiral." Tyberos cut his holoprojector.
So, the behind-the-scenes games were beginning in the New Republic. And what games they were. Frankly, I couldn't have imagined that my actions would lead the top brass of Republic intelligence to act like this...
Intriguing. So Skywalker was heading to New Cov to dig through the Bothans' dirty laundry. On one hand — let him go, why not? But on the other... Major Himron's task force was operating on the planet, tasked with capturing the Bothan contacts leading to Garm Bel Iblis. The Corellian might be a decent sort, and hadn't caused me much harm, but there were two factors. First — he had disrupted the biomolecular mass shipment from New Cov. Effectively, we'd lost it. Consequently, I needed to increase food stockpiles for the growing army and fleet. Food would have to be purchased — I didn't want to attack Ukio and the other agricultural worlds prematurely, since we'd have to abandon them anyway. And then recapture them... The same trick wouldn't work twice. So the planet and its satellite worlds couldn't be touched. I would have to increase food supply shipments from the D'Astan sector.
Second factor — that man had six dreadnoughts, five of which were definitely combat-capable. The fact that Captain Vane had managed to damage one of the heavy cruisers during the retreat was interesting, but didn't change the fact. Bel Iblis needed somewhere to repair his ship. Which meant he would seek help. From whom? The Bothans.
Strengthening Fey'lya at this point was beneficial to me, since in his upward surge he was elbowing and kneeing aside anyone who represented a threat. Therefore, I needed to prevent Skywalker from picking up the Bothan trail to Iblis's cell. And simultaneously do it ourselves. How? Not my problem.
"Our task force wiped out most of Iblis's cell during the riots," Molo Himron said, having listened to the task assigned to him. Judging by his appearance, the man was already on Mandalore. "We captured his trusted agent, Irenez. But she's not talking yet. And I doubt she will."
"Not to us, certainly," I said. My intelligence chief gave me a long, attentive look.
"I understand, sir," he said.
"You're already on Mandalore?" I inquired.
"Yes, sir," he replied. "The infiltration was successful. We'll begin the operation to extract data from Mandal Motors' servers and its subsidiary branches shortly."
"Good," I said. "The fleet operation begins in two days. I need your agents ready to launch the diversion and distraction operation very soon."
"Everyone is in position and awaiting orders, sir." A smirk appeared on his lips. "I have good news for you, sir. Came in just a minute ago."
"I'm listening." Was there something good in this day after all?
"Intelligence from Lieutenant Colonel Astarion regarding Booster Terrik's stockpiles on Tatooine and Talon Karrde's base on Rishi — both have been confirmed," he said. "I managed to reactivate our cell of freelance agents in that sector. According to their data, Karrde is scheduled to deliver a shipment of Imperial military technology from the Pentastar Alignment to the base soon."
Is that right.
"Good intelligence," I agreed. There was additional work for Mara Jade — and quite an intriguing one, I had to admit. It seemed one of Ardus Kaine's underlings was playing with the smugglers at a very serious level. It would be one thing if it were something neutral, but military property... That carried a heavy price in Imperial society. "Can your people handle moving the cargo off Tatooine on their own?"
"Yes, sir," Molo confirmed. "But the extraction will be... loud. Mr. Darklighter has quite substantial security."
"Will such a trifle stop us?" I asked.
"Certainly not," Himron smirked. "One of my best agents is operating on Tatooine — his people did the work on New Cov. And they'll see the operation through to an acceptable conclusion for you."
"I certainly hope so," I noted. "Report all results and changes immediately."
When the intelligence officer's hologram faded, I rolled my neck.
Let's return to our Bothans.
So Fey'lya was aiming for the New Republic presidency. He needed to take down Ackbar and secure the military's support to gain not just political power. The Mon Calamari was safe for now, since there was no evidence of his connection to the Empire. Well, I had a few suitable ideas for that...
I had no doubt that if left to its own devices, Fey'lya would soon try to play his card — bringing Bel Iblis back from obscurity — if he couldn't secure military power another way. That too needed to be prevented, or at least the Corellian's ships must not fall into New Republic hands. Fey'lya needed to grow stronger — so the New Republic grew weaker. But he had to do it in a way that kept the situation under my control.
But there was another consideration...
Octavian Grant. A man, an aristocrat from the Tapani sector, the only grand admiral who struck a deal with the New Republic. Sold all the secrets of the Galactic Empire to the enemy to receive a pardon and live peacefully far from the galaxy's boiling events, knowing that the New Republic's law enforcement reprisals would never touch him. Unfortunately, without Thrawn's memory, I couldn't reliably say whether Octavian knows about my existence or not, but logic suggests he does possess that information. And also that the Chiss was exiled to the Unknown Regions.
Therefore, Grant is an obstacle. One that must be eliminated. Though it has to be done in a way that doesn't raise unnecessary questions. As military investigators used to say in my past life: during an investigation, the main thing is not to lead back to yourself.
And I have a suitable candidate for this. And a good excuse has appeared too, one you can't find fault with. If I calculate the time for this assignment, preparation, operation… Yes, the candidate will be absent until the completion of the mission on Hast. Perfect.
Now for the sad and unpleasant part.
Galen Marek and Rahm Kota do exist in this universe. Why is that sad? Because both hate the Empire. As does Kyle Katarn, who along with his girlfriend not only caused the Empire plenty of trouble in the past but are also Republic agents. Not to mention that Katarn is a potential Jedi. And will become one in the future — in the events I know of.
Consequently, this operation must be disrupted. How? I have no idea. Only Cracken has the data on it — that's why I'll have to capture him and Princess Leia alive. They are both valuable as hostages and as sources of information.
Jedi opposing the Empire is practically a trope of this universe. And a very sad trope — Imperials lose strategically. With a crushing score. Always. Therefore, if Kota, who is a competent military commander, and the steroid-raised clone of Galen Marek — whom I for convenience just call by his first and last name — side with the New Republic, times will be tough for me. That pair could seriously mess up my plans by interfering in their execution. And will almost certainly ruin them. And that's just plain sad.
What's curious is something else. Apparently, the New Republic doesn't know that the Galen Marek they're looking for is just a clone. The real one was killed on the first Death Star — that battle was witnessed, according to him, by Major Grodin Tierce. Later, Vader cloned his wayward apprentice on Kamino and… things spiraled.
Kamino… The more I think about that planet, the more I understand that right now, on Kamino and Rothana, a danger just as bad is brewing. To my shame, I don't remember the date when Tyber Zann managed to capture Kamino. And during the final editing of the plan, I realized that it would be more correct to count the threat from the Zann Consortium not from the Battle of Endor, which occurred five and a half years ago, but from the Battle of Yavin IV, when Zann broke free. Consequently, I must acknowledge that there are less than four months until Kamino could produce a potentially combat-ready clone army for the Consortium. And then… everything will be sad. If he also has a fleet built at Rothana, then trouble will be very, very great.
Why? Because if Zann makes a name for himself on the galactic stage, it won't be long before people figure out where he got such forces. And then Kamino can simply be forgotten. As can Rothana — either the New Republic, the Hutts, Imperial Space, or the resurrected Emperor's forces will inevitably visit the planets and thoroughly compare their production capabilities with the planets' bedrock. And that's exactly what I don't need.
By the Hutt, how tangled everything is, though… I can't postpone the attack on Xa Fel because it's the key to success in the battle at the Hast shipyards. I can't speed up clone production and volunteer recruitment to strengthen my fleet with crews and ships. And that's not even considering the sharp questions about the army and the Stormtrooper Corps…
And I still need to deal with the Kaminoan cloning system, figure out the GeNod program, find out why Colonel Celid disobeyed orders…
And this is only the tip of the iceberg… Sighing, he glanced at the ship's chronometer. So, it seems we'll be moving out soon. Well, I'll have two days to process the information that has accumulated recently.
Pulling the stack of credit chips toward himself, he twirled them in his fingers. Then, spotting the thin separation line, he smiled. Lieutenant Rederick clearly deserves a reward.
Regular data chips in this universe aren't like the removable storage media I was used to in my past life. They look more like disks or like microchips with ports for connection. So what Mr. Fodeum Sabre De'Luz delivered to me is a whole work of art. I'd like to know where the naval intelligence officer got such an idea.
Peeling off a piece of fake credit chip from a small data chip, he allowed himself a smirk. Well, time to patent the invention. And mass-produce it — the demand will be incredible.
Lieutenant Rederick invented the "flash drive." Inserting the device into a port on the computer, he twirled the remaining fake casing in his hands. Smirking at his own thoughts, he tucked it into his tunic pocket.
The last thing he needed was to lose the "flash drive cap."
* * *
"Bold, Ardus," Ysanne said, narrowing her mismatched eyes, having finished reading her agent's report. "Very bold. And foolish."
The woman drummed her fingers on the tabletop.
"He decided to make Thrawn focus on the rebels just like that? By giving the enemy the coordinates of his forward base, which hasn't been used in a long time? Honestly, that's not serious. After all, the grand admiral withdrew all combat-ready ships from there, leaving only junk."
"The blow must be more painful. No, dear Ardus, you're right — Thrawn's main base must not be damaged, otherwise that would put an end to him being able to continue his work properly. Still, there's a great temptation to find out what the grand admiral is up to at that base. What are all these reshuffles of personnel and equipment for? Why does he need specialized blueprints from the Imperial Archives, and fragmented ones at that?"
"Of course, there are other targets that can be attacked… And without any fear of problems. And Niles Ferrier has been alive too long… That traitor knows too much… Thrawn made a mistake by inviting him to Tangrene. But the Morshdine Sector cannot be touched. At least — not now."
"How shortsighted these military men are… I have to do everything myself. Just to keep my own plan from falling apart. She doesn't care about the rest; they're just dirt under her feet."
Ysanne activated her comlink:
"Prepare an escort squadron," she said. "I need a ship and a pilot."
There was no response. But she knew perfectly well that she had been heard. And her wish was being carried out.
"Too bad, but it seems time to pour fuel into this dying reactor of events. Though it will all explode in a most spectacular fashion."