Nine years, six months, and the seventh day after the Battle of Yavin…
Or the forty-fourth year, six months, and the seventh day after the Great Resynchronization.
"Yaga Minor control greets us," the first officer reported. Von Schneider only nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the abundance of defense stations and starships of the local defense forces, he had expected they might be greeted with a volley of proton torpedoes. "They're transmitting the approach vector…"
The captain glanced sideways at the red-haired adjutant standing beside him. Lieutenant Jade silently watched streams of cargo ships leaving the Yaga Minor shipyards. With such attention that she seemed to be memorizing and evaluating each one, continually cross-referencing scanner data with the ships' visual images. And why were those freighters so interesting to her? No, she seemed to be purposefully searching for something in those Action V freighters. What could be so interesting in them?
"Captain Schneider," she said, suddenly looking at the commander of the Nemesis. "Check the databases for an Action V-class vessel proceeding along vector four-seven-three."
"Why be petty?" thought Schneider. "Let's just scan every freighter here without exception, shall we?"
"Yes, ma'am" the captain considered it unwise to argue with this woman, who was clearly more to the grand admiral than a simple adjutant (they don't let an ordinary smuggler directly access the grand admiral, let alone give her an officer rank and the position of adjutant to the Supreme Commander himself!). She is undoubtedly an agent of Imperial Intelligence. And the fact that they sent an entire Star Destroyer to Myrkr for her and provided it as her personal "taxi" is also a significant fact. This woman is valuable and carries out orders from the grand admiral himself. Most likely she is a very high-ranking agent who was previously embedded in the organization of a smuggler and information broker known as…
"A ship with that engine signature is listed in Talon Karrde's organization," the first officer said, having carried out the order. "Identified as the Heavenly Path."
"Then Finn Torv is at the helm," Mara Jade said, continuing to watch as the ship didn't even attempt to change course, passing a couple of kilometers off the Imperial Star Destroyer's starboard side. "Curious…"
"I hope you have enough common sense not to order an attack on that smuggler's tub of seventy-five thousand metric tons on Pentastar Alignment territory," thought Schneider. Otherwise, it could cause an unpleasant incident. One that would give the local Imperials a free hand to strike the Nemesis. After all, if that ship is engaged in legal deliveries, then aggressive action against it could provoke a response from the local garrison. And the fact that it's a smuggler… surely the locals know that. They know perfectly well. And they certainly won't allow anyone to prevent their supply ship from leaving here freely.
"Heavenly Path," Action V-class transport vessel.
"Ignore the ship," Lieutenant Jade said. "Report to the Chimaera about the detection of Karrde's ships on Yaga Minor."
"With all due respect, that was just one vessel," Captain Schneider reminded.
"Karrde never makes deliveries with a single ship to a place where he doesn't intend to organize, or hasn't already organized, a distribution network," the red-haired grand admiral's aide said, bestowing a cold look on the ship's commander. "The grand admiral must know about this fact in advance."
There was no need to explain the reason for the last point.
If Karrde's organization were simple smugglers operating in Imperial Remnants territory, that would be one thing. Not impressive, but such are the times; there's no getting away from it.
But if you take a moment to consider the fact that Talon Karrde and his organization are information brokers who supposedly maintain neutrality but in fact serve both sides of the conflict for their own profit, the situation takes on a completely different hue.
Karrde joined Booster Terrik in attacking the grand admiral's ambush in the Rugosa system. Took measures to damage Imperial warships. And yet, his ship turns up at the main shipyards of one of the Imperial Remnants, which maintains a pointedly neutral policy toward both the grand admiral and the New Republic. Right before the Supreme Commander's envoy arrived here…
A coincidence? No, not even close.
"Send a dispatch to the grand admiral," the commander of the Nemesis ordered, glancing at the watch officers. "Stick strictly to the course transmitted to us. Yellow alert level. Crew is not to leave the ship. Keep all scanners operational, monitor telemetry of all ships moving around the Nemesis while docked."
Captain Von Schneider was not afraid of a provocation against an Imperial Star Destroyer on Imperial Remnant territory. But he also did not intend to keep the crew relaxed in the space of a potential enemy.
"Prepare a shuttle for me," the Supreme Commander's adjutant ordered, heading for the bridge exit.
The commander of the Nemesis gave a silent nod of acknowledgment, meeting his first officer's gaze.
* * *
If there's a place in this galaxy more depressing than Tatooine, it would take some searching. A lot of searching.
Torin, leaning back from the holoprojector that displayed a three-dimensional copy of the target in front of him, stretched his neck. A typical Tatooine structure.
Looking at it from above, everything seems rather mundane: a square courtyard carved into the rock, buildings surrounding this central area. And a tall turret, about ten meters high, presiding over the entire residence of Mr. Darklighter. But that's only at first glance.
Anyone who had lived on Tatooine for a long time and had the misfortune to own property there knew perfectly well that in fact most of the rooms or even individual "buildings" are located below the sand level, in the rock mass. Yes, that's right. If anyone thinks this whole planet consists of sand and dust from surface to core, they are sorely mistaken. There are rocks here too. Lots of rocks. And the sand here is at most a couple dozen, maybe a few hundred meters deep. No more than that.
But for the most part, the latter is seen in uninhabited deserts, while the local farmers don't settle on the sand. They prefer to burrow into the ground, where the thickness of sand and rock overhead provides natural coolness. The entrance to the Darklighter estate was located near a small landing pad where several vehicles were already sitting. You just had to pass through a small arch and you were on Darklighter territory, where an abundance of white would blind you on any hot Tatooine day. And unfortunately, there are no other kinds of days here. That's why the operation is taking place at night.
"Well," Torin said. "Mr. Darklighter, you brought this upon yourself. I honestly wanted to buy your goods. You should have sold."
Having said this, he turned off the holographic projector and stepped outside the ship.
The ship they were using for the mission was situated in a sand- and dust-covered encampment of the local population — natives known as the Tusken Raiders. They are also called the indigenous inhabitants of Tatooine alongside the Jawas…
And beyond that, Torin wasn't interested in the history of this world.
He has a job.
Tusken Raiders (also known as the Sand People).
Glancing at the ship draped in camouflaged netting, he looked at his soldiers, who were wrapping their gear in dirty robes, making them look like Tuskens. Like them, of course, from a distance. But anyone who sees them up close won't live long.
Jawas (and their sandcrawler, of course).
Nearby, lazily shifting from foot to foot, stood banthas — riding animals used by the Sand People. Huge furry creatures that the Tuskens use for rapid travel across the vast expanses of the Tatooine desert.
Torin didn't know much about animal husbandry, but he suspected that in Tatooine's heat, the banthas' thick fur somehow aids in thermoregulation. If you want to live in such an inhospitable world, you adapt. It's not for nothing that the Sand People or the Jawas, as well as the local inhabitants of Tatooine's towns, like to wrap themselves in heavy clothing to avoid being burned by the merciless rays of the two local suns — Tato I and Tato II.
Bantha.
"Aurek Squad," he looked at the first group, which was to engage in battle. Each one — prepared for a direct assault, stormtroopers of the Stormtrooper Corps, sent to support him from the base on Linuri. In the past, he would have easily managed with just Imperial Intelligence special forces, but now… they didn't have that many trained special forces groups anymore. To complete this mission, he had to leave some of his people on New Cov — to guard the Corellian rebel and set up a trap. And he himself had to work in this heat. It was good that half the squad came with him. "One minute readiness. We move out on speeder bikes."
The stormtroopers, who without their armor looked completely human but without any display of emotion, obediently put on imitation Tusken helmets and headed for the transport. The first part of the operation was a swift attack. Though the long slug rifles hanging on the backs of the Aurek Squad fighters didn't quite match that.
"Besh Squad," this included two men from his team on New Cov, who would lead the covering squad. And two stormtrooper squads would take care of them. "You move out behind us. Remember — the banthas must follow one after another."
"We won't be able to make them walk single file like Tusken Raiders' animals," one of the subordinates noted. "These are tame banthas, not ones trained by the Sand People."
"That doesn't matter," Torin said. "Your task is to make a false trail toward the deserts. As soon as we load everything onto the ship," he nodded toward the freighter the pilots were working on, "we'll pick you up at the designated point. Don't forget to set traps so the locals blame the Tusken Raiders for as long as possible. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," the subordinate saluted.
Torin, picking up his own slug rifle, followed to his own vehicle.
After this mission, another one awaits. And after that, another one. All to create the impression with limited forces that numerous groups of saboteurs are operating. Sigh… When this series of missions is over, he'll need to talk to Himron about starting to form his own special forces. Naval special forces from marines would be a great foundation for that. Their own clones are good, of course, but… He'd like to not just carry out missions as part of mixed groups. Intelligence should have its own special forces for sabotage and reconnaissance missions. Let the navy churn out as many clones as they want — if he takes a thousand or two stormtroopers from them, they won't even notice. And after training under the Imperial Intelligence program, these selected fighters will become excellent support for Imperial agents.
The grav cycle started without the slightest hesitation — Imperial quality showing, after all. And even though this vehicle looks like a junker from the Clone Wars era, what's hidden under the hull is far more advanced.
One by one, the Aurek Squad fighters climbed onto their speeder bikes in the freighter's cargo hold. It would take them to the drop point, several kilometers from the Darklighter estate. From there, they would reach the target on their bikes, ditching them a hundred meters out. And then — proceed on foot.
When the transport took off, Torin, still sitting on his speeder bike, closed his eyes, running through the plan in his head. Over and over, step by step. This mantra calmed his nerves…
"Approaching the point!" he heard the pilot's voice in his headset. "Descending."
So ten minutes of flight had already passed. Now their transport would descend near a split mountain, hiding from detection within its mass. And they would move out toward the target…
The cargo hatch opened silently, and ten speeder bikes softly touched down on the sand. The engines silently increased the machines' speed — and at that moment, Torin decided that he would definitely take absolutely all the property left in the Imperial Intelligence safe house on Tatooine. Even the stinky Jawa rags that the residency had painstakingly acquired in the past by one means or another to ensure the cover of their agents who would work on this planet.
The swift dash ended after half an hour, when the illumination of the Darklighter estate's fence came into view. Torin, spotting the large pile of sand he had noticed last time, deposited by the wind one hundred three meters from the main entrance to the estate, gave a short click into the microphone to order the transition to the next part of the plan.
As soon as they got rid of the speeder bikes, Torin looked around. The blackness of the Tatooine night was unbroken by the slightest sound. That was exactly why they had come here on modified vehicles, not dropped directly from the ship. The latter had already been seen by the entire Darklighter family when Torin had visited the estate that morning under the guise of a buyer. Naturally, the owner of the dwelling hadn't sold them anything, intending to offload old Clone Wars-era stock. But the Scout Droids scattered around the perimeter earlier had confirmed Inek's assumption — Buzz Droids were here. And a considerable amount of Imperial small arms. Someone might call this robbery, but no, the Empire was just taking what belonged to it. And covering its tracks to avoid getting caught.
With quiet, barely audible clicks, the weapons were switched to combat mode. Torin sent his men around the estate with short commands, outside the residence's security line, which was equipped as if thermonuclear warheads were stored here. But they certainly weren't — the Scout Droids had checked.
Inek himself lay down with his rifle on the crest of a dune, at the foot of which their speeder bikes were parked. He pressed his eye to the scope of the rifle.
"Two on the turret," he said, examining a pair of guards who were merrily playing cards. "Pathetic guards… One at the gate. Two along the perimeter."
Total — five. Their gear was good — with sensors that could detect movement at a distance of a kilometer. Very convenient for those who might be the target of a real Tusken attack.
Meaningless against Imperial Intelligence, which uses materials that conceal the heat of bodies and equipment.
"Confirm readiness," he ordered. Clicks sounded in his earpiece. Exactly nine. "We're commencing."
With his first shot, Torin destroyed the generator located at the base of the small tower, which powered all the energy shielding of the settlement's perimeter. The incendiary round tore the generator apart, and the resulting detonation scattered the tower's debris in all directions, putting an end to two guards. The third — the guard at the main gate — turned to look at what had happened and immediately fell, a hole in the back of his head, crushed by the traditional weapon of the Tusken Raiders — a gaderffai.
A weapon the Tusken Raiders could craft from any scrap metal they found on their wanderings… Who knew it was really as deadly as they said.
The last two guards fell, killed by the same method. The stormtroopers, disguised as Tusken Raiders, switched to firearms, picking off and eliminating anyone trying to break out from the inner rooms.
Torin felt no reverence for those he took from life. To him, they were just targets. A professional must not feel anything for his target.
The recorded Tusken war cries (insurance in case someone survived the sweep) roared from the comlinks; the slugthrowers boomed loudly, felling the estate's defenders.
Inek sent bullets into targets time and again, killing without mercy everyone who offered resistance. Several times he noticed targets trying to call someone via comlinks. And that drew a smirk every time he pulled the trigger — a jammer was active on one of the speeder bikes, and all frequencies except the one the Imperials themselves used remained deaf to the pleas of Lord Huff Darklighter's employees.
Gaderffai.
The timing of the attack was perfect — today the family had a celebration, and all the women, children, teenagers, and other non-combatants had left for a nearby town since dawn. Fighters from another unit were watching them. There would be no accidental casualties here — only the semi-criminal elements Lord Darklighter had hired as his guards. But the head of the family hadn't made it — he'd been distracted by negotiations with Torin; the agent had prudently changed his face using synthflesh.
With a dry click, the rifle announced that the magazine was empty. Cursing softly, Torin pulled another from his pocket, replaced it, and resumed firing.
He fired not only aimed shots but also suppressive fire. No one should be left with any doubt that if Tuskens were involved, they weren't the best of them.
Through the scope, he caught a rather interesting figure.
Shifting the barrel of his weapon, he fired, obliterating Lord Darklighter's knee. The man, who in his spare time from loving his family traded weapons with pirates, smugglers, and other scum, collapsed onto the sand, screaming in agony. The second bullet entered his mouth and exited through the back of his head, tearing away a fair portion of it.
By the end of twenty minutes from the start of the operation, the "Tusken Raiders" had moved on to clearing the estate. Torin caught his breath and contacted the ship. Though the freighter flying at ultra-low altitude could already be heard in the silence of the Tatooine night. But no one could hear it except the Imperials themselves — Lord Darklighter's estate was located a great distance from any other structures.
Waiting for the pilots to choose a landing spot, he ordered one of them to move the speeders into the cargo bay. After checking the map and confirming that four fighters were securing the perimeter, he joined the others in clearing the building.
Time was running out — in a couple of hours a dust storm would start, which would not only conceal all traces of what had happened but also thoroughly cover this estate.
Whoever came to investigate what happened here would have a lot of work. Especially if they still found the trail of bantha tracks starting seemingly from nowhere on the leeward side of the sand dunes. But anyone could determine the direction and understand that the banthas had come from the estate's side.
Sometimes you need to give your enemy a chance to feel smart and find a few clues on their own. Otherwise, even the dumbest local marshal would realize he was being led by the nose. That's why Torin left a piece of gaderffai next to the guard's corpse at the estate's gate — the locals had to start looking for the "Tusken trail" somewhere, didn't they?
* * *
Well, that was exactly what needed to be proven.
The "GeNod" cloning program has flaws. Significant ones.
So, briefly about the main point.
These clones differ from the same cloning program developed on the planet Kamino. The beings created using "GeNod" did not know they were clones. The programming used in their creation was so cunning that clones of this type did not question their similarity even when looking at representatives of or communicating with other clones of the same template. That is, the program's creators made everything so… intriguing that one can only applaud such a pragmatic approach to the situation.
As Major Grodin Tierce had already reported, these clones were programmed in such a way that they had individual names, invented biographies, and very detailed memories of their fictional lives, with such precise details that no one even questioned that their past might be a fake.
Honestly… impressive. Now I understand how revolutionary this cloning method could be. After all, if you simplify it, you could endlessly copy the same personality, yet none of them would ever consider themselves a clone. Of course, the method of producing memories is quite costly — a computer generates a memory database based on the copied memories of genetic donors. That is, the more donors, the richer and more complete the clones' memory saturation. Fantastic…
Another important part of the clones' programming was what Grodin Tierce had been so keen on motivating me with — specific… I don't even know how to put it… probably more accurate to call them "programming codes" embedded in the clones' memories, preventing GeNod program clones from betraying the Empire, committing any action against it, condemning the activities of the Galactic Empire or its representatives, or simply leaving it — going AWOL and deciding not to return. That is, effectively, "GeNod" created… "meat droids." The latter phrase was an insulting nickname the Separatists had coined during the Clone Wars for Kaminoan (and other) clones.
Honestly… I'm in shock. Just like that, so easily…
But the longer I read about the "GeNod" program, about the advantages its creators and the scientists who worked with it had listed, the more I understood that such a revolutionary method of creating copies of sentient beings simply must contain a critical flaw, which is why the Galactic Empire didn't use it everywhere.
Just think how large the army and fleet would be if, alongside ordinary sentients, the Empire kept creating "GeNod" clones? Imagine for a moment that you could clone several billion people and use their memories to create other clones, enough to fill every base in every sector… And if you also consider that the "GeNod" program was mostly independent of the cloning process itself — that is, it's essentially a direction of mind programming — then it becomes… a little frightening. After all, Palpatine and Vader could easily clone all traitors, "reprogram" their brains and political will, impose anything they wanted, and not even fear betrayal. In twenty years, using Spaarti cloning cylinders or Kamino's facilities, they could have completely reshaped the entire galaxy into a galaxy of clones…
I confess, at this point in my reasoning, I felt so despondent… After all, anyone around me could be the result of a "GeNod" experiment. Only a limited circle of people within the fleet know about my plans to reshape the Empire. And when this becomes widely known… what then? Wait until not only Rukh but every common sailor takes up arms against me?
After all, according to the program data, such clones made up nearly forty percent of the Stormtrooper Corps. True, the time period for this figure isn't specified, but… forty percent! That's billions, if not tens of billions of clones! How many of them remain loyal to the Emperor as before — since his name is in the programming data. That is, effectively, I'm probably sitting on a powder keg…
Not to mention that another forty percent of the Stormtrooper Corps fighters were… Spaarti clones… And only twenty percent were Kaminoan. That makes one hundred percent…
After reading this data, I allowed myself a faint, strained smile.
The Stormtrooper Corps consisted of clones only in the first years after the Clone Wars. Later, due to clone aging and their high cost, they were replaced with ordinary stormtroopers trained from regular people… And over time, clones remained only under Darth Vader's auspices… in the 501st Legion!
The very one that Grodin Tierce is currently planning to reform and even brought some former fighters of "Vader's Fist" onto my ship! Not to mention the thousands of "GeNod" clones grown by Colonel Selid!
Now I have hardly any doubt that Grodin Tierce is a ticking time bomb.
I didn't believe in his betrayal of the Emperor's ideals right away and decided that time would put everything in its place. I allowed him to take command of the legion of soldiers stationed on the Chimera. And on top of that, he became the matrix for cloning…
Okay. Let's note that thought.
Why did it happen this way? Should I fear betrayal?
Honestly, I can't recall many cases where Imperial Guardsmen stepped out of line and served against Palpatine. In the events I know, the original Grodin Tierce did not betray Thrawn. But the original Thrawn also acted strictly in the interests of the Empire and Palpatine. I, however, do not. And unfortunately, people know this. Few, but they know.
Let's assume that Tierce was placed among the stormtroopers to observe my actions and inform his masters about my movements. Fine. So they know everything that's happened recently — they certainly know. And they didn't like that I'm gaining not only military but also political weight. After all, what is expected of Thrawn? That he will fight, carry the flag forward, and not think about what's happening on the political stage. And after his death, the Imperials, inspired by the sacred sacrifice, if memory serves, went on the offensive and captured Coruscant. Thrawn effectively shattered the New Republic, and only the betrayal of the Noghri prevented him from finishing what he started. But in doing so, he broke the rebel military forces, which eased the campaign of the Reborn Emperor.
That's the trouble.
I relied too heavily on post-knowledge and began forming political alliances (even if they were just trying to use me in them), thus attracting attention…
So what…?
So, Grodin Tierce was planted on me. Let's assume that's the case. Another question arises — by whom?
There aren't that many options.
The Ubiqtorate — it's as hard for these guys to switch sides as it is to wrap a footwrap around your leg. That is, at first it seems alien and incomprehensible, but you see others do it a couple of times — and you can do it yourself. And the more you repeat, the better you get.
Ardus Kaine.
The Ubiqtorate now works for him. Or at least is aligned with him. Consequently, they could be acting in tandem. Kaine is one of the candidates for the Emperor's throne. And actually, thanks to the prosperity of his Pentastar Alignment, he could have taken that throne long ago, bribing whoever needed bribing, defeating whoever needed defeating. But he's not interested. Why? Because he's almost certainly connected to Palpatine — if not personally, then through agents for sure. The Pentastar Alignment is a staging ground for the Reborn Emperor's campaign.
The Imperial Ruling Council. A cesspool like any governing body. Regardless of the form of government. All politicians are equally good. And the fact that the New Republic is in disarray and turmoil does not reflect well on Imperial Space — here too "a dagger is hidden behind every smile." These people might have schemed merely to know for certain that I would keep Thrawn's word and not meddle in politics.
Ysanne Isard's clone and the Ciutric Hegemony. Highly doubtful. If I remember the book Isard's Revenge correctly, the two-eyed woman created the clone specifically to use Krennel and the prisoners from the Lusankya for her operation against the New Republic and to reclaim her own flagship lost at the Battle of Thyferra.
Where there's a clone, the original is close by. Isard had Imperial Guardsmen with her, and Tierce could easily be one of those assigned to guard the two-eyed woman by Palpatine himself. It's foolish to think the former director of Imperial Intelligence worked in only one direction. She planned to capture her Super Star Destroyer to present it to Palpatine. That means she at least knows he was resurrected. At most, she is his eyes and ears in the galaxy while the Emperor holes up and gathers strength on Byss.
And finally, Palpatine himself… If you think about it, setting aside all his attempts to capture the Skywalkers and his Dark Side research, this man is an unparalleled multi-layered schemer and multi-tasker who can complicate your life in an instant. And he has plenty of resources — I'm sure that besides Isard, he has his own agents. And besides Jade, other Hands — old or new. If I'm right in my view that Thrawn was meant solely to weaken the New Republic's military machine, then my moves aimed at creating a political alliance make the teacher
Imagining for a moment that my conjectures are correct and the Mount Tantiss facility was deliberately left behind to be discovered and used at the right moment to destroy the New Republic. Left not only with the Spaarti cylinders but also the "GeNod" program. Who would refuse the chance to create an army of loyal clones that obey any order? No Imperial commander would. So it's a trap. Especially since the loyalty written into the "GeNod" programming is oriented exclusively toward Palpatine. Can it be bypassed and one's own name written in? Good question. Need a specialist who understands this. Otherwise, it's better to forget the program. Especially since its side effect… is alarming.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—I did find vulnerabilities in the "GeNod" program.
Ironically, their ignorance of the fact that they were all clones was also the biggest drawback of this cloning method. "GeNod" clones sometimes went mad. It seems that part of the programming responsible for ignoring the understanding of the cloning process is imperfect. Because the clones killed each other, in fits of rage and horror considering them impostors.
Again.
The "GeNod" program instilled in the clones an awareness of themselves as separate individuals. At the same time, they didn't know they were clones. And they didn't realize this fact when looking at other clones. But at the same time, periodically, such clones would kill each other, considering those with the same face to be impostors or enemy agents using the same face.
How can that be if the clones are programmed not to realize the fact that…
I had to reread the information again. And again. And again.
In general, I didn't find details of this anomaly. It's just that at some point, the clones would begin to understand that they were looking at their own face. And since they don't know they're clones, they consider those with the same appearance to be enemies disguised as them.
Well, with gifts like that, you don't need enemies.
The program is truly worthwhile. Especially considering that part of it — the part responsible for absolute loyalty — was used in the training program for human stormtroopers. No, they weren't programmed like "GeNod" clones. These truths were simply drilled into them during routine training: absolute loyalty, obedience to the commander, self-sacrifice to carry out orders… I'm no great expert in neurolinguistic programming, but it seems the stormtroopers were processed in some verbal or non-verbal manner to achieve perfect obedience. Yes, some of them rebelled and betrayed — but that's just a statistical margin. Probably, someone like Kyle Katarn couldn't be processed properly due to his connection to the Force, for example. Or for some other reasons.
Perhaps Ysanne Isard used this method to process her prisoners on the Lusankya — after all, it wasn't for a kind word that those sent there ended up obeying her every command. And the only one who could resist the processing… Corran Horn. A descendant of a Jedi.
Either way, "GeNod" does have potential. But at the same time, it's necessary to solve the issue of changing the name of the one they are supposed to obey in the programming, as well as somehow bypassing the problems with their "witch hunt." Perhaps they should be given the understanding that they are indeed clones?
I don't know. Honestly, I don't know. If the "GeNod" program were simple computer or machinery programming, where lines of code need to be fixed — that's one thing. But the program only provides for the introduction of biographical information and combat training as digital code. Loyalty, obedience, and other mental games occur at the level of psychological processing, which is done with the help of special equipment. There are no specialists to handle it. Simply none. After all, cloning is officially banned in the Empire. And the rare specialists that do exist — Kaminoans, Arkanians, Hoffs, and a number of other races from whom, apparently, the Imperials obtained data for this cloning program.
For example, looking at the list of individuals who worked on the "GeNod" program, I was quite surprised.
All Republic and Imperial scientists in the files either had code designations or were simply not mentioned. But the program's originator…
Sometimes it seems you know how far Palpatine can go in search of his own greatness, and then, stumbling upon a new piece of information, you can only pick your jaw up off the floor and realize that your past life probably never knew such scum.
The author of most of the "GeNod" program, started even before the Clone Wars, was… Zeta Magnus.
Who is that? Oh, a very interesting "character" with not a drop of empathy. A machine of destruction.
Data on him exists in the Imperial archives, largely based on Republic and private databases, including Jedi reports. And after reading them, you don't know what to grab — your head or your heart. Because shock alternates with a heart attack.
So. First of all, this monster is an experiment of a race called the Arkanians. The latter are masters of genetics. And there's a high probability that I'll have to hire some of their scientists to deal with the cloning programs.
Zeta Magnus was assembled from the DNA of various creatures, most of which I've never even heard of. He was used as a stable source of his own DNA to create other clones like himself. He fought against some enemies of the Arkanians, and quite successfully. After the conflict known as the Revolution ended, he was supposed to be killed, but something went wrong. The mutant escaped, killed, and… ate his creators to satisfy his thirst for violence and stimulate mental activity. Hmm… Want to become smarter — eat your enemy's brains? I don't like this "guy."
And at that moment, I really stopped liking the "GeNod" program. And all genetic experiments in this galaxy in general. Apparently, they can only create monsters. And that's already unsettling.
According to Republic reports, Magnus studied the languages of his victims and enjoyed playing rare musical instruments. And at the same time, he was a genius in all areas of his interest. Well… with that resume, he clearly deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
There is data that he explored the Unknown Regions, and I really don't like that information. If I remember correctly, that's exactly where various races reside that have caused trouble for the Chiss and the Republic itself. And it seems that the scouts of the Yuuzhan Vong have been hiding there for the last millennia… How likely is it that the mutant's inquisitive mind did not discover all these enemies of the known galaxy's civilizations and did not use their developments to improve his own immense ego and destructive capabilities?
Not at all. Coincidences are not part of the Star Wars universe. I've already learned my lesson: nothing ever happens by chance here. He who seeks always finds. And I had no doubt that the Arkanian genetic mutant was seeking more knowledge in bioengineering. None at all.
Jedi reports indicated that Zeta Magnus might have been connected to Darth Sidious, the alter ego of the man who would later call himself Emperor Palpatine. Given that I have clear evidence that this creature was involved in the cloning programs that Palpatine used, the probability becomes a fact. And the certainty that Zeta Magnus was involved in much of what happened in this galaxy — either on his own or in the service of Palpatine.
The details of Palpatine and Zeta Magnus's interaction are unknown — the Jedi traditionally were unable to learn what they weren't meant to be told, and once Palpatine came to power, it stands to reason that he wouldn't allow the investigation to continue. The main reason given is that Zeta Magnus supposedly died. The one connected to the cloning program died? That's not even funny. The Jedi concluded Magnus was dead based solely on the reports of Anakin Skywalker — who would later become Darth Vader — and his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who also isn't exactly among the living at this point. Questioning them about the circumstances of the Arkanian mutant's death is no longer possible. And therefore... odds are, Zeta Magnus survived. What the Jedi killed was actually his clone.
Let's file that thought away and proceed from the assumption that the real mutant geneticist is still alive. And consequently, his list of crimes includes: orchestrating the stone tick infestation of planets in the Core Worlds, creating and spreading the "blue virus," working on the cybernization of General Grievous... Mace Windu also tried to capture Zeta Magnus on Dantooine, where he was engaged in... something.
In other words, neither Republic Intelligence nor the Jedi Order obtained any direct evidence linking Zeta Magnus to terrorist acts within the known part of the galaxy. Only suspicions, assumptions, circumstantial evidence...
Even the creation and spread of the "swarm virus" which killed the crew of the Katana, a Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser, and caused the disappearance of the Dark Force — is attributed to Zeta Magnus's atrocities, not to mention a number of "lesser" crimes like a series of murders on Anaxis. Yes, right on the planet that is the birthplace of the Republic's war machine... That's where military thought developed. And this enormous mutant just walked in and killed sentients there. Then calmly disappeared. Shouldn't he be the prime target for every Republic and Jedi investigator?!
And yet his name appears as the founder of the Republic and Imperial cloning program... Apparently, after Magnus, the GeNod program employed scientists just as unencumbered by morality as the Arkanian genetic mutant himself. Then again, who else would be brought into such a program — a moralizing idealist? No, clearly a Palpatine supporter. And something tells me that "fluffy and cuddly" sentients weren't found anywhere near the Emperor.
There's a bit more information about Zeta Magnus from the period of the Clone Wars.
He invaded the planet Marat V in the Marat system and subjugated the local S'kitri population. When the Jedi Order learned of his involvement in the events on Marat V, the Jedi High Council sent Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawans Halagad Ventor and Anakin Skywalker to apprehend the bioterrorist and bring him to justice. But it wasn't that simple. The Jedi predictably walked into an ambush; their ship was destroyed; the Jedi and several soldiers landed on the surface and entered diplomatic negotiations with the local opposition, while Magnus had radicalized natives at his disposal who were eager for a fight.
After that, Magnus broadcast a message across the galaxy, calling on the Jedi to withdraw their soldiers, threatening otherwise to unleash a plague upon Republic worlds. An interesting fact... According to Obi-Wan Kenobi's reports, they only learned Zeta Magnus's true identity at the end of the operation; during it, they believed they were dealing with a Sith follower named Saturn Garu. Kenobi noted that a Sith named Garu did exist. And he was convinced until the very end that he and the Padawans were directly opposing the Sith, assuming that Saturn Garu was the very Sith Lord Count Dooku had warned him about on Geonosis at the very start of the Clone Wars.
The report went on to state that the clone commandos who accompanied the Jedi to the planet turned out to be... traitors and slaves of the geneticist himself (I don't even want to imagine how it was possible to infiltrate three "fake" clones into an army where every soldier had known each other since creation). But then it gets interesting...
According to Kenobi, Magnus boasted that he could scan Jedi brains and transfer their knowledge to clones who, by the Jedi's own account, were already complete. He specifically noted that Magnus had grown them in a matter of... HOURS!
So Zeta Magnus was so skilled in genetics and cloning that he could not only create clones who infiltrated the clone army without arousing suspicion, but could also grow Jedi clones in an utterly impossible timeframe! And this despite the fact that I had considered the Spaarti program the most productive in this regard, but even it — without ysalamiri — needed ten standard months. What kind of knowledge did Zeta Magnus use?! Were the Jedi clones stable? Did they suffer from "clone madness"?
But setting that aside, we need to understand that Zeta Magnus most likely stopped working with Darth Sidious before this point. I'm certain this report — about creating clones in a few hours — was brought directly to Palpatine. I'm sure he would have jumped out of his robe to get his hands on such an asset. I'm judging by myself — if I had that kind of technology, I'd give a couple of Star Destroyers for it, no question. The problem of crew shortages could be solved in about a month. And I have no doubt Zeta Magnus wasn't creating clones who didn't obey him unconditionally — by that time, he'd already developed GeNod.
And here's another confirmation that Zeta Magnus didn't die — after his "death" on Marat V, the Republic still experienced a biological attack — the plague Zeta Magnus promised was released. Sure, you could make allowances that this mutant was extremely intelligent and managed to plan for his own death, like a "vengeance strike." But who in their right mind, with access to cloning technology, wouldn't seize the chance to substitute a clone for themselves and disappear into the shadows while everyone thinks you're dead? Even I...
Okay, let's step back from that.
I called up a hologram of Zeta Magnus from the archives.
Zeta Magnus.
The mutant clearly loved wearing Onderonian armor — the style is very distinctive. And Onderon has been involved in Sith history more than once in the past... Darth Bane, Freedon Nadd, Meetra Surik's struggle against the Sith Triumvirate — and that's just what I know about personally. But I'm firmly certain there's even more I don't know.
So, does Zeta Magnus threaten my plans? No, I don't think so. I'm more than confident that after his clone's death, the mutant retreated to the Unknown Regions and is currently dug in somewhere there. Go looking for him? What for? Because he's a criminal and bioterrorist? No, thanks. His criminal activity doesn't concern me. He hasn't done anything to me. At this point, naturally. Collaborate with him? Yes, I think a specialist like that could solve the cloning problems. But that raises a host of questions.
The first and foremost is — can his work be trusted? I don't know what Palpatine promised him for his efforts, I don't know if they settled up, or if the mutant holds a grudge against his former employer. What guarantees do I have that, given access to Imperial cloning facilities, Zeta Magnus (if he's even alive and reachable) won't spring some kind of surprise? Honestly, I have no such confidence. Nor that he won't show up in clone form, making any threat to his life pointless. I already have the insane C'baoth. And outsmarting him is only possible because he's defective. But Zeta Magnus has lived for decades with no recorded mental problems. So he's stable and capable of thinking several steps ahead. The real Thrawn might be able to outwit him, but I'm not him. No matter how hard I try to prove otherwise.
The second question — payment — even fades under the weight of the first. I have money, but I'm sure this sentient doesn't accept Imperial credits as often as he devours those he considers his enemies. I wonder if he ever had the desire to "devour" Darth Sidious. From what I know of the old schemer, he never liked working with equals, always keeping a stone in his pocket to use at the right moment. If so, the Arkanian genetic mutant clearly has a huge grudge against the Empire and its servants.
So, Zeta Magnus is not an option for resolving the GeNod situation. I need less... extravagant allies. Those who can be bought with money or whose loyalty can be won by other means. For example, by freeing them from the oppression of a criminal organization...
But that's all regarding the GeNod program situation. I've already issued a ban on its use at Mount Tantiss. General Covell confirmed this through official channels, and Colonel Astarion's operatives through unofficial ones. So I can breathe for now.
Now let's move on to more pressing issues, like Grodin Tierce.
At this moment, he's flying to "send regards" to the former Grand Admiral Octavian Grant. And thereby clean up the trails leading to me. While redirecting them elsewhere.
I ask myself again — can I trust this man? Or is everything he says a lie, implanted only so I'll play my part at the right moment? Or is my paranoia just flaring up?
Either way, I need to do something about the major and his clones — both the "GeNods" and those who formerly served in the 501st Legion. Maybe I am overthinking this, and what's happening is just a product of my imagination, but still... I'm certain coincidences like this aren't random.
Someone among those I suspect has clearly decided to give me a hard time. Now, tomorrow, or in a month, they'll make their move. And I'm certain it will be aimed solely at forcing me out of politics and making me focus exclusively on military action. Fine, let's note that — in my enemies' view, I should only wage war and weaken the New Republic. Honestly, I'd be happy to, since weakening Coruscant's forces and the subsequent attack by the Imperials and the Resurrected Emperor Palpatine fits my plan.
The only problem is that I don't even know who's trying to work against me yet. Capture Tierce and start torturing him? That's not even funny. He's an Imperial Guardsman and clearly knows how to withstand such interrogation methods. Otherwise, Palpatine would have a major vulnerability in his personal guard. Their memories hold so much that any enemy of the Emperor would be eager to get their hands on them...
Stop. Let's lock that thought down.
Tierce's memory. He became part of the cloning program. Therefore, his memory was scanned and processed. The GeNod files indicate that original memories are always preserved. In Spaarti technology, they're not altered at all. The first program on Mount Tantiss is completely irrelevant. So if Tierce's genotype has already gone into the cloning cylinders, I'll get not one, but potentially twenty thousand traitors!
No, that won't do.
Glancing at my planner, I noted with relief — Tierce won't go into cloning for another two batches. He's the source template for stormtroopers and guardsmen, not for fleet specialists, who need to form a crew for one of the captured Star Destroyers by the end of this month.
I composed a dispatch for General Covell and sent it via encrypted channel. So, we've paused Tierce's cloning. Let them keep creating crews for the starships for now. We have the technicians, but we're short on crews...
Astarion's subordinates received orders to review the major's memory. If he doesn't have the ability to forget certain moments of his life, or if someone didn't deliberately erase his memory, counterintelligence will quickly determine whether he's guilty of treason or not. Then we'll decide what to do with him...
Although, are there really that many options? As it turns out — yes, quite a few. At least three. And if you think about it, whether he's a traitor by nature or not doesn't even matter for at least two of those three options. On the other hand, the third option could be used with basically any sentient under my command. But that should happen when my popularity reaches its peak among subordinates, to trigger the desired reaction.
For now...
Hmm... Dantooine. The planet Princess Leia pointed to in the fourth episode of Star Wars as the location of the Rebel base.
And if I remember correctly, a Jedi Temple was once located there... And Zeta Magnus was active there too, creating the GeNod project. And Mace Windu hunted him there as well... And that planet isn't that far from the Pentastar Alignment...
Looks like it's time to give Mara Jade another assignment.
Oh! Speak of the devil.
"Grand Admiral," the girl bowed respectfully, turning her body slightly toward me. "I've arrived at Yaga Minor. Talon Karrde has been found to be conducting business here — one of his ships was identified. Should I begin the investigation?"
Curiouser and curiouser...
And why did I think anything would be simple anywhere? Though, isn't this what I was counting on? Something like this, although I thought we wouldn't be able to find his area of interest so quickly. But couldn't Karrde's "business" be related precisely to his desire to reschedule his meeting with Leia Organa Solo?
"This information needs to be verified before the meeting with the shipbuilder," I said. "If Karrde's people appearing here is purely coincidental, then basing Project Asteroid operations on Yaga Minor makes no sense. At least not on the planned scale. Investigate, but not at the expense of the meeting with the shipbuilder. He's the priority."
After all, I need a modernization specialist. Very badly. No offense to Mr. Reyes.
"Understood, Grand Admiral," the girl reported. "The audience is scheduled for tomorrow. I'm confident that within a day I can find out how deeply Karrde has penetrated the Imperial Remnant."
Seems personal for her.
"Just not at the expense of the primary mission," I reminded her. I initially wanted to give her orders to proceed to Dantooine and one other thing... But then I realized I wasn't confident enough in the successful outcome of her mission to investigate Karrde's activities. "Once this assignment is complete, you'll have another job that can't wait."
"I understand, Grand Admiral," the girl nodded briefly and disconnected.
Yes... business...
"Grand Admiral, sir," Captain Pellaeon's voice came over the comlink. "A report from Captain Schneider on the Nemesis. They report that a ship belonging to Talon Karrde has been detected on Yaga Minor."
"Is that so?" I tried to inject a hint of surprise into my voice. No one needs to know that Jade reports to me separately from official communication channels. "Forward me all available information."
"It will be done, Grand Admiral," the commander of the Chimaera replied, signing off.