Nine years, seven months, and thirty-five days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or forty-four years, seven months, and thirty-five days after the Great Resynchronization.
(Three months and twenty days since the Arrival.)
Wedge Antilles's eyes were literally sticking together from exhaustion and the sheer desire to get at least a little sleep. Since the arrival of the remnants of the task force at Elom, the base of the New Republic Third Fleet, he hadn't slept a wink, hadn't laid his head on a pillow, and hadn't spent a single moment in silence.
Reports, meetings, briefings, cost estimates, corrections to already prepared documents, and drafting new ones.
And on top of all that, he had to pay attention to the endless council meetings held by Admiral Ackbar, who had returned to the post of Supreme Commander of the New Republic Armed Forces. Well, at least Counselor Fey'lya had done one good thing by disappearing: as soon as the patron of the illustrious admiral's ill-wishers vanished, Iella's hands were instantly untied. And, albeit based on circumstantial evidence, she had been able to officially and in full accordance with legal norms to close the criminal investigation against Ackbar and clear him of all charges.
Now the Mon Calamari was frantically digging through the very pile of bureaucratic bantha poodoo left behind by his temporary predecessor.
However, right now Wedge was fighting sleep for a completely different reason.
The holographic image of Grand Admiral Thrawn, projected in the middle of his cabin, was staring at the Corellian as if intending to burn right through him. Wedge had seen this recording several times before, though. At the request of the same Ackbar. The senior officer had decided that the young general absolutely must review the Imperial commander-in-chief's statement and provide his thoughts on the matter.
But Wedge was so exhausted that he simply didn't have the strength to analyze anything himself. That was precisely why Iella Wessiri was currently sitting on the sofa in his cabin, sipping a cold drink, preparing to play the recording for the second time — the one the Imperial had dropped into the HoloNet exactly at midnight Coruscant time.
The bastard knew exactly how to poison the lives of the entire Provisional Government. Antilles had no doubt that no one on Coruscant was sleeping either, and they were all terrified, wondering what to do next.
"Actually," Wedge yawned and took a big gulp of caf. The drink was cold. What awful stuff. "I thought you were going to watch the recording in proud solitude."
"You're practically falling asleep as it is," Iella waved her hand. "So consider it as me being alone. Just like you planned."
"If that were the case, I'd be lying on the sofa you're sitting on," Wedge lamented. "Curled up in a ball, covered with a warm blanket."
"In a uniform that hasn't been washed in ages, smelling like the mouth of a rancor," Wessiri noted.
Wedge sniffed himself. Well, yeah, a little... Hey, why are tears streaming from my eyes?
"Let's just watch it already," he suggested, changing the subject. "Two heads are better than one..."
"General Antilles," the young woman said with a chuckle. "First, you go take a shower and restore your human appearance and smell, and only then will I allow you to sit with me on the same sofa."
"It's my sofa," Wedge reminded her.
"Which I am sitting on," Iella parried, looking him straight in the eye.
"So that's how it is, huh? Going straight for the big guns?" Wedge grumbled, pulling off his already loathed tunic. "Fine. I'll be quick."
About fifteen minutes later, having nearly slipped twice, almost fallen asleep three times, taken a contrast shower, and thoroughly scrubbed off every trace of dirt, Wedge dressed in the only clean outer clothes he had — a spare flight suit.
Grabbing drinks and a light snack, holding a warm blanket in his teeth and a pillow under his arm, he joined Iella on the sofa.
"Operation Reclaim the Furniture has begun," he announced, setting out the drinks and provisions on the small table in front of the sofa. Wessiri deftly kicked off her shoes and curled up on the sofa with her legs under her. Meanwhile, she treacherously seized the pillow and blanket.
"That's a dirty trick," Wedge said, realizing he had been deprived of holy ground.
"If the general does not wish to attend to the lady he invited to help analyze the enemy commander's actions, then the lady will secure her own comfort," Iella declared.
"We will not have a battle over a pillow and blanket just because you're a girl and I'm a gallant general," Wedge declared, getting up and heading towards the linen closet.
"And because you have a second set," Wessiri corrected him.
"Actually, there were three," Wedge said, looking thoughtfully at the empty spot on the shelves. "Looks like someone swiped one... I'll have to give Navara an earful. Letting anyone in here."
A minute later, he and Iella, mirroring each other, were settled at opposite ends of the sofa, armed with everything necessary for watching the holographic recording.
Wedge, carefully hiding a yawn from his friend, started the playback.
"Greetings, inhabitants of the galaxy," the Imperial's voice struck with its authority and literally overwhelming command tones that sent chills down the spine. Even when watching the recording for not the first time. "My name is Grand Admiral Thrawn, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Galactic Empire. Several days ago, forces of my fleet destroyed the combat group of the New Republic Fourth Fleet, which had shown aggressive actions against the Imperial state — the Ciutric Hegemony. During the attack, organized by the acting Commander-in-Chief of the New Republic, Counselor Fey'lya, the ruler of the Ciutric Hegemony, Prince-Admiral Krennel, was killed. The pretexts the New Republic used to justify the legality of its invasion are completely fabricated and illegal. The New Republic, like its leaders, is, as usual, making baseless claims and has presented no evidence to the contrary, nor any evidence that anyone knew about the research before the New Republic invaded the territory of the star systems belonging to the Hegemony. Furthermore, hordes of pirates followed in their wake, whose actions caused suffering to the population of three star systems. And at the same time, fleet raids I organized across the worlds revealed one simple truth. There was no 'Death Star' on Hegemony territory, nor is there one now. There are also no legal grounds for holding Prince-Admiral Krennel accountable for overthrowing the previous ruler, Sate Pestage. Once again, the New Republic has shown its imperialist, predatory fangs, completely contradicting the tenets it propagates. The attack on the Hegemony, under the guise of trying to hold Prince-Admiral Krennel accountable for the murder of Sate Pestage, is nothing more than an attempt at revenge on the latter for his actions against the Hegemony's previous ruler. Perhaps not all of you know, but at one time, fleeing Coruscant, Pestage intended to surrender the Imperial Center to the Rebel Alliance. For such treason, he was sentenced to death by the Imperial authorities. The sentence was carried out by the Prince-Admiral, despite the New Republic's attempts to evacuate the traitor. So the current aggression towards the Hegemony is nothing more than an act of impotent rage and revenge against the Prince-Admiral for carrying out command orders. It is also the realization of their own expansionist plans regarding the industry and economy of this state. It is no secret that, at present, the New Republic is forced to frantically seek ways to restore interstellar trade and is recruiting everyone with transport starships, including smugglers from the organization of information broker Talon Karrde and his subordinates. In other words, the New Republic, painstakingly crafting an image of a democratic state supposedly living in strict accordance with its own laws, is using the services of criminal elements for its own purposes. Frankly, nothing else was to be expected from a bunch of bandits and rebels who, by their own actions, dismantled the galactic hegemon, destroyed trade logistics chains, and plunged the galaxy into an unending war that has lasted for years. It is also noteworthy that the New Republic is carefully hiding the facts of its own war crimes. For example, several years ago, the New Republic conducted an operation to capture the Imperial Center, the planet Coruscant. During this battle, which official Republic propaganda disseminates as 'practically bloodless,' the Republic government forgets to tell its citizens, and the entire galaxy, that they staged a bloody massacre in the Imperial Palace, indiscriminately killing officials, bureaucrats, clerks, and other employees to capture the symbol of the late Emperor Palpatine's power in the shortest possible time. As well as the information databases stored in the Palace's dungeons, which contained a complete record of information available to the Palace staff. To bring the criminals responsible for the murder of Imperial citizens to justice, I conducted a special operation to capture General Tira Tasken, who commanded that Rebel Alliance operation — effectively committing a war crime against civilians. No matter what you may consider ordinary bureaucrats and Imperial servants guilty of, they are merely civil servants. Who, by all laws of morality and the rule of law, should have been tried by the new authorities on Coruscant, not killed without trial or investigation. However, double standards towards former Imperial subjects is quite standard behavior from the leadership of the Rebels and the New Republic. After all, they do not publicize the fact that, having captured Coruscant, killed or driven Imperial officials from their jobs, they almost immediately rehired them. Because they understand absolutely nothing about matters of state governance. A prime example of this is the scandal on the planet New Cov, where it became known that the Bothan segment of the New Republic Provisional Government planned to lobby for that planet's entry into the Republic. Led by a governor implicated in criminal dealings with pirates. And responsible for the deaths of his subordinates, who were witnesses to the ruler's criminal conspiracy with the pirates. However, you should not take my word for it. I will show you recordings confirming my words..."
Wedge paused the playback.
"I don't think we need to watch General Tasken's confession with a detailed description of the Imperial Palace assault again," he said.
"Or the recordings from New Cov," Iella confirmed. "You know... It sends chills down my spine how informed this sentient is."
"Nothing surprising," Wedge grunted. "We know Isard is alive. And that her trail leads to Ciutric. Krennel was there before, now it's Thrawn. I'm sure that pair used Delak like a rabid rancor, then sicced Fey'lya on him, and now they're starting an information war against us."
"Which we've been losing from the very start," Iella sighed. "Coruscant still hasn't issued a refutation?"
"Refute what?" Wedge sighed. "Alongside Thrawn's speech, recordings appeared in the HoloNet of Alderaanian pilots whom General Tasken abandoned against Shohashi to cover his own retreat. The Imperial uniforms they're wearing pretty much shout that the guys switched sides... Ackbar told me they'll try to do something, but after Thrawn captured Fey'lya and the full extent of his operations against us came to light... To put it mildly, everyone on Coruscant is in shock."
"Their usual state when facing imminent threats," Iella sighed. "Fast-forward to the next part of his speech."
"So you have nothing to say about this monologue?"
"I could bet my salary that he didn't mention the information center in the Imperial Palace dungeons for nothing," Iella said after a moment's thought. "First, its very existence is classified information."
"Not for Grand Admirals," Wedge clarified.
"Agreed," the Corellian woman nodded. "Second, I think it was still a hint that the data erasure was his doing. Of course, he won't say it openly, but... Wedge, this guy might be the strongest threat to the New Republic in the galaxy since Zsinj! He knows so much and spins it at such an angle that, I confess, even I feel disgust towards our authorities. Cooperating with smugglers? Seriously?!"
"Well..." Wedge hesitated. "We still don't have enough transport starships; we have to take whatever we can get from whoever has them... You understand that smugglers aren't the worst guys, right? We used their help on Thyferra."
"Back then, we were the ones outside the law," Iella noted. "And now, when the official government cooperates with criminals... the very same ones it was hunting..."
"If I say, 'It's different!' will you believe me?" Wedge asked.
"Nope," Wessiri assured him.
"Then I'll keep quiet," the youngest general in the New Republic reactivated the holographic recording, scrubbing to the needed timestamp.
"You may have questions about why Fey'lya and the New Republic attacked the Hegemony, believing it responsible for the Empire's attacks on New Republic military targets that I orchestrated," the Grand Admiral's eyes showed no guilt; his face was open. And that single fact made one want to stop looking into those burning eyes. "Well, regarding this, I have already made a statement — Fey'lya, and possibly the New Republic, deliberately used the militants of Corellian Senator Garm Bel Iblis to strike Imperial targets. The reaction in such cases is always inevitable, so the New Republic advisors behind the use of Bel Iblis's thugs against the Empire are solely to blame for the deaths of their own servicemen and the destruction of military installations..."
"The Senator's confession can be skipped too," the Corellian woman said restrainedly.
"Fey'lya really screwed everyone over with his impromptu stunt," Wedge sighed, complying with his friend's wish.
"Borleas has already condemned his actions," Iella said. "They said they thought he was requisitioning ships on Mon Mothma's orders. Which is funny — in exchange for their twenty 'Acclamators,' the Bothans intend to get compensation from the New Republic. Preferably in modern warships."
"Well," Iella sighed, "let a Bothan bite your finger, and before you know it, he's picked your skeleton clean."
"Yeah," Wedge agreed. "But they've got plenty of audacity. I'm more than certain the Bothan sector knew perfectly well that Fey'lya was acting on her own."
"Except that's impossible to prove," Iella declared. "But what worries me is something else, Wedge."
"Bel Iblis?" Antilles inquired.
"Exactly," the agent confirmed. "I don't doubt his story about being rescued during the assassination attempt — that part he told is true. And the conflict with Mon Mothma, leaving the Alliance — also true. What bothers me most is that Thrawn managed to break Bel Iblis. I've read about him — he's a man of durasteel will. And to just break him like that, make him spill his guts..."
"Well, don't forget, Isard is there," Wedge sighed, watching the girl's face grow drawn. The woman whose husband the Iceheart had taken, turning him into her agent. "I think she's the one working on prisoners to loosen their tongues."
"Well, Fey'lya's assistant doesn't even need to be threatened," Wessiri declared. "He sings like a bird — a natural coward."
"That's probably true," Wedge said. "I don't have much experience dealing with Bothans. With the crazy ones, at least."
"Still no word on Rogue Squadron?" Wessiri asked.
"No," Wedge's smile vanished instantly. "Command doesn't want to declare them missing in action — it'd hurt morale. So they're 'continuing their mission behind enemy lines.' And I have to walk around with a smile on my face, pretending everything's fine. Meanwhile, my nerves are stretched tighter than drum skins — I don't know what to do with myself, worrying about them."
"It'll be all right." Iella moved closer, squeezing his hand with hers. "I also believe the guys are fine."
"Thanks," Wedge said. He felt his face flush from the closeness of the girl he liked, so he preferred to focus back on the video.
"Under the current circumstances, with nearly half a million New Republic military prisoners in my custody, I proposed an exchange to its Provisional Government," Thrawn continued. "To hand over those Imperial subjects and soldiers currently held in New Republic prisons. Given that the Republic, in its characteristically duplicitous manner, prefers to grant amnesties for supposed crimes to the Imperials it captures, and then integrate them into its own armed forces, it becomes clear that the exchange pool I possess and the one the Republic has are incomparable. I received no response from Councilor Mon Mothma regarding this proposal. Nor did I receive a reply to my offer to exchange prisoners for Imperial-pattern military equipment, at a rate of one piece of equipment for a number of prisoners equal to the crew complement of said equipment. Considering the New Republic has thousands of warships and tens of thousands of units of Imperial-standard and Imperial-manufactured military equipment seized from the legitimate government, this proposal should not have been a major issue. Yet it too was silently ignored. Then I proposed exchanging all prisoners in my custody for the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Lusankya, which belonged to Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard and was long portrayed by the New Republic as a secret prison where inhumane torture took place. However, the Coruscant government prefers to keep this Star Dreadnought, secretly arming it — again at the instigation of Councilor Fey'lya. In light of this, I pose a specific question: Why does the New Republic need such powerful armaments? Considering that the Empire deliberately initiates no military action against the New Republic, the entire situation looks far from respectable. From all the above, I can only draw the following conclusions. Using its traditional duplicity, the New Republic intends to seize the position of galactic hegemon and tolerates no competition. It sees the Empire as an implacable enemy, spreading false information about Imperial oppression of all non-human races — which is untrue. In the Ciutric Hegemony and other worlds under my protection, the principle of dignified existence and equal opportunity for all races has been established. Decent working conditions and commensurate pay, equal rights and responsibilities. We make no distinction between representatives of different races and give due credit to everyone who works to strengthen our economy, diplomacy, and defense capabilities. The latter is a necessity, given the New Republic's decidedly unfriendly steps toward the Empire. The Coruscant government has not and will not free its soldiers and sailors from captivity through lawful means. Well, despite my lenient treatment of prisoners, I do not intend to feed them at the expense of Imperial taxpayers. I officially notify the New Republic authorities that due to their silence on the prisoner exchange issue, those prisoners under my control will be conscripted for compulsory labor to rebuild destroyed and plundered cities. This happened through your fault — you will build a better future for my citizens. Furthermore, I inform the inhabitants of the galaxy of the following. Since Coruscant and the New Republic's Provisional Government continue to build up their armed forces and conduct raider operations against supply shipments to Imperial worlds and allied sectors, the troops under my command are entering a state of permanent combat readiness. No act of aggression or attempted aggression will be ignored. The New Republic has no intention of considering my proposal for peaceful coexistence, for which the prisoner exchange was to be a prelude. Well," here Thrawn let out a seemingly sad sigh — "so be it. The conflict will continue. Both with the New Republic and with criminals acting against Imperial law. We will not tolerate this — and I call upon all those who care about the galaxy's future and the conditions in which its children will live to join us. We did not start it, but we will put the final period to it."
Iella stopped the recording.
"I don't know who this guy's speechwriter is, but he earns his credits," she said. "It took me about two minutes to realize how skillfully he manipulates perspectives."
"That's his style, according to Ackbar," Antilles admitted. "He has a broad information base, which we believe Isard supplies and updates. He uses that data to pit allies and enemies against each other, set ambushes, and send people down false paths."
"I recall at the briefing it was mentioned he's no slouch in battle either," Iella remembered.
"That's an understatement," Wedge admitted. "Han is no novice at his job — he beat Zsinj, who had the Iron Fist, the Executor's twin. But Thrawn outmaneuvered and destroyed his fleet. With such ease, it was like a child's game for him. Ackbar hasn't left the analysis department, trying to figure out Thrawn's battlefield tactics. But from what I can tell, he's quite inventive when it comes to destroying the enemy. The only thing we can say is he doesn't shy away from using other people's tactical innovations. Though he develops them to the point where they're very hard to recognize. Which, at the very least, doesn't sit well with our staff. No one wants to risk tangling with him and getting a bloody nose."
"But it has to be done, doesn't it?" Iella clarified.
"Yes." Wedge chewed his lower lip. "Ackbar and Mon Mothma have already put him on the list of the New Republic's most dangerous enemies."
"What number?" the intelligence agent inquired.
"He tops the list," Wedge admitted. "As Admiral Drayson said: 'First beyond first and more dangerous than all the rest combined.'"
"And he'll become even more dangerous," the girl said.
"If even one former Imperial responds to his calls and deserts from the New Republic fleet, it'll turn into a mass exodus under the Grand Admiral's banner," Wedge acknowledged. "He's appealing very subtly with the prisoner situation. I don't know why Mon Mothma is hesitating, but if our guys know that when captured they won't be needed by their own state, it will break them completely. Then I won't be at all surprised if former Imperials start defecting to Thrawn."
"I don't think he has such a great need for defectors," Wessiri declared. "He's the Commander-in-Chief of the Empire's armed forces. He can ask the government to declare mobilization at any moment, and he'll have millions of beings under arms."
"We hope the political fragmentation of the Imperial Remnants will prevent centralized recruitment," Wedge admitted. "After all, Grand Moff Ardus Kaine has always been an advocate of avoiding combat. Imperial Space and the minor Remnants don't play a big role in such matters."
"But now he has the pro-Imperial Ciutric Hegemony," Wessiri noted. "Ciutric IV alone has eleven billion beings. And there are a dozen such systems..."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," Wedge didn't hide. "He captured an entire fleet. And he's most likely already working to bring it into service. For guarding an entire sector, he'll have enough of our small ships, but the destroyers... I suspect they'll become the backbone of his future campaign against the New Republic. And it won't be at all easy for us when he moves against us."
"So that's why Ackbar ordered to speed up the commissioning of the Lusankya?" Iella asked.
"Uh-huh," Wedge nodded. "I'm not thrilled about it either, but having lost the Fourth Fleet, we're virtually defenseless in the eastern galaxy. Of course, we managed to save half the line and light forces, since they were on a search operation in the Ghost Nebula at the time, but they've been recalled now. Re-equipment has begun — we urgently need to rebuild logistics and rearm the remaining ships to cover all the directions Thrawn might strike."
"Do you think it'll help?" Iella asked quietly.
"I think not," Wedge admitted. "It's only to calm the citizens. If everything that's happened to them these past months was Thrawn's doing, then our situation is bad."
"As always," his partner tried to joke. Wedge was silent, restarting the recording.
"It's sad, but cruelty often breeds cruelty," Thrawn continued. This was the final part of his address to the galaxy. "The New Republic, which in its infancy craved freedom for all, has now grown into a monster that denies freedom to those who disagree with it. Exactly as the Empire did, led by unscrupulous beings. There is no concept of 'neutrality' for the New Republic. It gives and will give no one the slightest chance for their own path to freedom. We have survived a devastating civil war, and its memory is fresh. Now the New Republic uses every available resource not to help those who seek to stop the bloodshed, to end the useless slaughter. Stories about 'Death Stars,' invasions of independent states on trumped-up pretexts, arming its fleet, ties to smugglers and other criminals — all evidence of the New Republic's duplicity..."
The holographic camera zoomed in.
"The New Republic's tyranny is still in its infancy," Thrawn warned. "Rebel now, and we will not shed the blood of many. The people under my protection will fight for their freedom! We call to all who yearn for liberty! Stand beside us, be with us, so that the sacrifices made to overthrow the Empire will not have been in vain!"
The image slowly faded. Wedge felt icy shivers run down his spine.
"Listening to Thrawn, we're the ones marching under the Emperor's banners and embodying absolute evil," Antilles said grimly.
Iella pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
"We did act as aggressors against the Ciutric Hegemony," she said. "And Thrawn is using that against us."
"We were all damn well fooled," Wedge was forced to admit. "That's why Thrawn is considered the most dangerous among the New Republic's enemies."
"So what do we do?" Wessiri asked.
"Ackbar is preparing to unleash the Lusankya and the Third Fleet on him once she's ready," Wedge admitted reluctantly, covering a particularly uncivil yawn with his hand — fatigue was taking its toll. "They've pulled her out of the storage depths where she's been sitting all this time. They're rearming the ship to make her a replacement for the Crimson Dawn We'll find out soon enough if it works."
"I hope it's not too late," Iella said doubtfully. "He's practically called on everyone to join him in the fight against the New Republic. Not just Imperials — former and current. It could be pirates who don't care who they rob or how. They get letters of marque and that's it — they're no longer bandits, but auxiliary forces. Truly, this being is the kind of enemy we've never faced before. And you know, I don't want to..."
The girl broke off, realizing that instead of Wedge Antilles's usual sayings, she heard only soft snoring.
Turning away from the holoprojector, she looked at the youngest general of the New Republic, who was dozing with his wild head on a pillow, sleeping peacefully, covered up to his chin with a blanket.
The exhaustion of recent days had caught up.
Iella quietly slipped out from under the blanket. Approaching the sleeping Antilles, she tucked him in more tightly — after all, on a ship undergoing repairs, it was cold due to the periodically shut-off heating.
Touching the young general's chin with her fingers, the girl felt him flinch slightly. But he didn't wake.
Iella yawned secretly, feeling her own body also demanding sleep and rest. Here and now.
Smiling, she stroked Wedge's unruly hair and thought about leaving for her own quarters to lie down as well.
But on the other hand, that meant walking halfway across the ship...
After thinking for a few minutes, she carefully, so as not to wake the sleeper, moved him slightly to the side, closer to the back of the couch, and slipped under the blanket, covering them both with her own.
Shifting a little, she warmed up in one spot, gazing at the serene face of the sleeping Antilles.
Even through his flight suit and her own uniform, Iella could feel Wedge's hot body. And she clearly formulated to herself that she was doing this not out of some stupid assumption, but simply because sleeping almost in each other's arms was simply warmer.
It was cold on the ship, after all!
Still...
Biting her lip, the Republic agent gave the man close to her a quick kiss, which brought a trademark happy smile to the young man's face. And it felt so good in her heart, so warm...
Already falling asleep, the girl felt Antilles's arm fall over her and possessively embrace her, pull her close. His hot breath pleasantly warmed her neck.
Her last thought before she completely passed out was a reminder she'd learned back in her CorSec days.
X-wing pilot flight suits don't let body heat or cold through.
But the Corellian had no intention of admitting to herself that she was warmer in this man's arms than alone.
At least, not until he made the same admission himself.
* * *
When the double doors — behind which, Leia knew, lay the wardroom of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer — slid aside, an image from the past inexplicably rose before her eyes.
The escape from Echo Base on Hoth.
Bespin.
Cloud City.
Lando, leading them into the dining room, where an oval table was set, at the head of which sat...
The Supreme Commander of the Galactic Empire's armed forces.
The girl cast a cautious glance at Calrissian standing beside her.
He pressed his lips together and looked at her.
"Yes, I'm having Bespin flashbacks too," he said with a trace of guilt in his voice. "Only this time I'm completely innocent."
"Oh, dear," uttered C-3PO, standing behind everyone.
"Princess Organa Solo, General Calrissian, Chewbacca." The being seated at the head of the table, clad in the pure white Grand Admiral's uniform of the Empire, rose and gestured with a host's air toward the empty chairs to his right and left. "Please, have a seat."
"And what about 'ladies first'?" Leia asked pointedly, when Lando slipped inside first. Calrissian headed for the chairs but stopped, noticing that the Grand Admiral had approached and paused beside the first chair to the right of his own. Then he politely pulled the piece of furniture aside as a gesture of service to the only lady in their company.
Leia, trying not to show her embarrassment, headed for the designated seat and silently lowered herself into it. With a firm motion, the Grand Admiral pushed the chair closer to the table. Lando and Chewbacca took seats to her right. C-3PO remained by the doors.
In the company of a pair of Imperial Guards, stationed on either side of the exit.
At the same moment the chief Imperial took his seat, the doors opened again, admitting a gray-haired man in Imperial Navy uniform. Captain's insignia indicated he was the commander of the destroyer on whose bridge they stood.
"Everything in order?" inquired the blue-skinned being with burning red eyes, measuring the Imperial who sat to his right. Leia shook her head and only now noticed that from behind the destroyer commander's back, a dark gray shadow had slipped out and positioned itself behind the Grand Admiral's chair. Beside a decorative cage containing a small lizard. Both of these creatures belonged to species unknown to her. All the stranger given that they were, after all, aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer.
"Yes, sir," replied the entering Imperial, arranging a snow-white napkin on his lap. Apparently, he too would take part in the "dinner party." She wondered if he'd had a choice, or if he'd also been "invited" like them. "He'll join us immediately after he's been searched."
"Very well, Captain Pellaeon," said the Grand Admiral. His fiery gaze turned to Leia. "I think it's time to introduce myself."
"That would be nice," Lando remarked.
The Imperial didn't even blink.
"My name is Thrawn," the Grand Admiral introduced himself. "You may have heard of me."
"In passing," Lando said.
"This," he indicated the gray-haired human officer sitting beside him, "is Captain Pellaeon, commander of the destroyer Chimera, aboard which we currently find ourselves."
"Pleased to meet you," the princess said, carefully observing the rules of diplomatic etiquette.
Lando muttered something unintelligible in response, occupying himself with arranging exquisite dishes on plates. Chewbacca preferred to remain silent.
"We are already indirectly acquainted," the Imperial surprised her with his answer.
"I don't recall ever meeting you," the princess said with a start.
"Killik Twilight," the Imperial added to the confusion. "A year ago, you and I were hunting for the same painting."
"So that was you," the princess exclaimed. She remembered those red eyes staring through clouds of steam. It was only a year ago... First those red eyes, and then the flight from three Star Destroyers, one of which was...
The Chimera.
It all fit.
The Grand Admiral had been working against them long before they realized it. And the New Republic hadn't even suspected...
"I was," Thrawn said calmly. "Now we have the opportunity to meet in person."
"I wish I'd never set eyes on you," the girl thought.
A year ago, they'd hunted for the Alderaanian painting Killik Twilight, which concealed a Rebel code. Leia had managed to extract the data, but the painting fell into Imperial hands... And then it ended up in the apartment of an influential Mon Calamari. Given the virtuosity with which the Imperial Supreme Commander manipulated his enemies... Well, it wasn't surprising.
"So you were the one who set up Admiral Ackbar!" the young woman made a not entirely false logical deduction.
"Well, you are perceptive," Grand Admiral Thrawn smirked, pouring caf into a pure white mug. Leia stared suspiciously at this process. A Grand Admiral was a figure with access to the highest echelons of power in the Galactic Empire. At court, such a "commoner's" drink as caf was not consumed. "That's for the poor," the dignitaries in the Imperial Palace used to say. And it was unlikely that an Imperial Grand Admiral was unaware of this. Or had Imperial manners changed? "However, you are surely interested in why I have gathered you all here?"
"To share your villainous plan in the finest detail?" Lando snorted, chewing a lettuce leaf without much appetite.
"Without a doubt," the Grand Admiral continued with readily discernible mockery. "In light of what happened not long ago, you are returning home, to the New Republic. Today."
"Oh, that is wonderful!" C-3PO waved his hands. "Oh, dear, if only you knew what I've been through and..."
With a short gesture, the nearest Imperial Guard flicked a switch, and the protocol droid resembled a high-tech statue.
"I approve," Lando said. "That guy can get on anyone's nerves."
Chewbacca sized up the faceless figures in black-and-red armor with an appraising look. The blank visors of the helmets didn't even move, but Leia knew very well what these fighters were capable of. Of course, she would have liked to know whether those guards she'd already seen were from Palpatine's personal guard or the so-called "rejects" that he gladly gave to his close associates, like Ysanne Isard?
Not that it mattered much, though.
Every single one of them was lethally dangerous.
"And what happened that you first captured us and then decided to return us?" Leia asked.
"To be honest, Princess, I didn't particularly need you," the Grand Admiral said, leaning back comfortably in his chair. At the same time, Captain Pellaeon was busily working with the tableware, starting on the second course. He seemed to be the only one present who was actually hungry. The rest couldn't swallow a bite. "I was reclaiming Imperial property and took advantage of your deal with Talon Karrde. So I must thank you for providing a beautifully repaired starship and one and a half billion in cash. I assure you, they serve a worthy cause."
"You killed the crew," Calrissian remarked grimly, studying the ice cubes in his drink.
"Such are the realities of war," Thrawn observed calmly. "Especially since Captain Shohashi does not tolerate foolish resistance. So the deaths of your subordinates are your own fault, General Calrissian."
Lando's face darkened.
"You haven't answered my question," Leia reminded him softly, looking at the Imperial. She wondered what species he was. And the gray-skinned one standing behind him...
"It's simple, Princess," the Grand Admiral said. "The New Republic showed its predatory fangs by launching an attack on the Sluissi Hegemony under flimsy pretexts. However, I imagine you are partially aware of everything that happened. You'll learn the rest from your colleagues in the Provisional Government."
"Undoubtedly," Organa-Solo pressed her lips together. "But at the same time, that doesn't explain why you were holding us here, and now..."
The doors to the wardroom opened, letting in...
"Luke!?" Lando gasped. Chewbacca let out a joyful roar. Leia could only stare as her brother stood in the doorway for a moment, assessed the situation, then walked to the table and...
Sat down to the left of Captain Pellaeon.
This immediately made Calrissian's face go slack and cut off Chewbacca's roar.
Only Leia understood what was happening.
Their "hospitable" host hadn't left just seven chairs in the wardroom by accident: his own and three on each side. A psychological ploy meant to shock them and make them view her brother with suspicion, as a potential defector. But he, in his simple, rural way, seeing no empty seats near his friends, had simply sat where there was one.
Luke looked at his friends and faltered, meeting Chewbacca's suspicious gaze. Lando, though not immediately, also caught on.
But the moment was spoiled. The smile on her brother's face, clearly happy to see them, disappeared. He pursed his lips like a scolded schoolboy, hunched over, and sat in his orange jumpsuit, staring at the table in front of him.
"Well, now we are all assembled," Grand Admiral Thrawn said. "Jedi Skywalker, was your mission successful?"
Mission? Leia thought, stunned. Since when is Luke doing things for the Imperials?
"Yes," the Jedi said reluctantly, pulling a silver medallion from his pocket. Leia was about to ask what it was when the gray-skinned humanoid, appearing beside Luke, unceremoniously took the item from him and quickly returned to the Grand Admiral. Placing the trinket in his hands, the stranger, clearly acting as a bodyguard, returned to his original position. Leia noticed this stranger casting glances at her and Luke — glances that held mild interest, contempt, and... indifference? It was all very strange...
"Thank you," Thrawn said, and the medallion disappeared into his breast pocket. "As I said, you may take your friends — everyone in this room. However, would you be so kind as to answer my question?"
"Which one?" Luke asked.
"Did you kill C'baoth, or was it Horn?" Leia began to feel she was losing touch with what was happening. What in the galaxy was going on?
"Horn did what he thought was right," the young Jedi said dully. "I intended to help C'baoth."
"Ah, these incomplete gestalts," Thrawn said with a smile. "Well, I expected nothing less from you, Jedi Skywalker. However, my warning remains the same as before — do not meddle with matters you do not understand. It will lead you far from your intended path. There are lines that must not be crossed, to avoid disastrous consequences."
"May I ask what this is all about?" Leia inquired. She kept her eyes fixed on Captain Pellaeon sitting across from her. Why was he here? He wasn't asking questions, wasn't participating in the conversation.
Then a wild guess struck her.
In her youth, her father (at least the one she'd considered her father for most of her life), Bail Organa, often took her to meetings of various committees and ministries, as well as receptions and gatherings... So she could observe and... learn...
Everything she saw.
Was Thrawn trying to show them his possible successor?
"Of course you may," the Grand Admiral replied. "I trust everyone here remembers the Imperial attack on the Dufilvian sector?"
"Such things are hard to forget," Leia said, her expression darkening. "Imperials killed tens of thousands of civilians..."
"And effectively destroyed your sector fleet and its bases," the Grand Admiral stated his point of view. "It was a retaliatory action for Commander Garm Bel Iblis's attack on Imperial installations."
"Bel Iblis... is alive?" Leia was surprised. She knew this Corellian senator, one of the founders of the Alliance, though not very well, but enough. And she understood the man wouldn't give up after breaking away from the Alliance. No, he would continue his own war. And it was assumed he had been lost in its maelstrom.
"Alive and well," Thrawn confirmed. "He is my prisoner. After Bel Iblis started his own war against the Empire, he contacted the Bothans and Councilor Fey'lya. Who, incidentally, is also my prisoner."
"And Mon Mothma is still free?" Calrissian joked grimly.
"For now, yes," Thrawn said coldly. "Fey'lya organized the attack on the Sluissi Hegemony. For which he was defeated, captured, and disgraced. Though that is the least of the charges the military tribunal will bring against him. Fey'lya, relying on Bothan intelligence, provided Bel Iblis with everything necessary to strike Imperial targets. I struck the Dufilvian sector, where Bel Iblis's base was located, because I believed his actions were part of New Republic strategy. Unfortunately, the Commander did not see fit to enlighten me about his plans and chain of command. So the casualties in the Dufilvian sector were nothing more than an accident. An accident made possible only by the actions of the Bothans and Bel Iblis. But that is not what we are discussing..."
"So thousands of casualties are no longer a topic for discussion?" the Princess frowned.
"No more so than the hundreds of thousands of Republic military personnel in my custody," Thrawn shrugged. "Your government refused to take them back, so their fate will be decided by a military tribunal."
"Mass executions?" Calrissian asked.
"Labor colonies," the Grand Admiral clarified. "We're not savages, after all. So, returning to the subject. The filigree attack on the Dufilvian sector was made possible by the participation of the clone of Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth. He called himself Jedi Master, but it's not the first time he's appropriated titles. Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker relieved me of the headache that was that insane clone."
"I doubt you could so easily have 'roped a Jedi into wetwork' against one of your own," Lando remarked.
"Joruus C'baoth," Leia noticed the Grand Admiral pronounced the clone's name differently. So Jorus was the name of the original, while Joruus was the clone. —
"Without a doubt, Joruus C'baoth was a valuable asset and a useful tool," Thrawn said. "However, he was cloned rather unsuccessfully by Palpatine, which later led to his emotional instability. He began to pose a danger to my subordinates, so I first brought Corran Horn in to deal with the problem, but the Rogue Squadron pilot proved somewhat... faint-hearted up to a certain point. So I sent your brother to him," he looked at Leia with his burning gaze. "And after Corran Horn saw firsthand the danger the insane Jedi clone posed, unlike your brother, he made the only correct decision — he beheaded the clone."
"I didn't give you those details," Luke suddenly said. "How did you..."
"Did you truly think I would land an insane Jedi on a remote planet without leaving means of objective control over everything that happened?" Thrawn inquired. "Honestly, Jedi Skywalker, do not disappoint me with judgments full of underestimation of your opponent's capabilities and demonstrations of your own vulnerability. One day it will play a cruel trick on you."
"As far as I remember," Leia quickly redirected the conversation to herself, "cloning a Jedi is impossible. My father told me..."
"I doubt Darth Vader was being cordial with you on those topics during your interrogations aboard the Death Star," Grand Admiral Thrawn remarked. "But if you mean Bail Organa, your adoptive father, then yes, that being was closely connected to the Jedi, so he could have told you such information."
"You are remarkably well-informed about the secrets of the lives of those present here," Lando interjected.
"There is never too little information, Mr. Calrissian," Grand Admiral Thrawn echoed him. "As a gambler and business manager, you should understand that."
"Thanks to you, I no longer have any businesses," he noted.
"Such are the horrors of war," the Grand Admiral replied simply. "If you had sold ore to us, your Nomad would still be intact, and you wouldn't have had to sell it for scrap."
"After what you did to it, that was all that was left," Calrissian remarked darkly.
"Nothing to be done," the Grand Admiral spread his hands. "But I think, Jedi Skywalker, you are eager to hear the story I promised to tell you for fulfilling my request and delivering Joruus C'baoth's medallion into my possession."
"I would like to hear it," Luke said. Meeting Leia's eyes, he explained, "Perhaps we have a chance to learn the identity of our mother."
"What?" Leia was taken aback. "How... How is that even possible?"
"Through me," Grand Admiral Thrawn said without false modesty.
Looking at the Imperial, the young woman couldn't help but be sarcastic: "Forgive me, but you are not the most reliable source of information."
"As it happens, I am not the carrier of the information," what in the galaxy was going on?! Couldn't this being speak less cryptically? "Jedi Skywalker, what do you know about your astromech, R2-D2?"
"Just an ordinary astrodroid," Luke blinked. "It used to serve on a ship in the Alderaanian fleet..."
"And I can confirm that," Leia stated.
"Well then," Thrawn continued, "allow me to lift the veil of mystery. Before C-3PO and R2-D2 came into the service of your father, Bail Organa, the astromech served in the royal house of Naboo, and was later given as a gift by Senator Padmé Amidala Naberrie of the Chommell sector to a young Padawan of the Jedi Order, Anakin Skywalker." At this point, masks of profound shock froze on the faces of the brother and sister. "However, the fate of your protocol droid is no less interesting. C-3PO was built by a young slave boy on the planet Tatooine forty-one to forty-two years before the present events. Thirty-two years ago today, its creator gave the droid and a braid woven from his hair to his wife as a gift, as a symbol of the only thing he possessed. Essentially, the exchange of droids was their wedding gifts to each other. The slave boy from Tatooine was named Anakin Skywalker. That is precisely why he didn't return to his home planet for decades — he had no pleasant memories associated with the place."
It seemed Lando had choked on something, as Chewbacca's mighty paw had to slap him on the back.
But Captain Pellaeon had stopped eating and was listening with interest to everything being said in the wardroom.
"Wait," Luke asked. "Are you saying that..."
"That can't be," Leia frowned. "I was told I look like her, but..."
"The late Padmé Amidala Naberrie-Skywalker is your mother," Grand Admiral Thrawn said calmly.
"Naboo?" Leia's eyes widened. "Our mother was the Queen of Naboo?!"
"If you've suddenly decided to lay claim to that world's throne and the title of Nabooian Princess, allow me to remind you that Naboo has an elected monarchy, not a hereditary one," Thrawn said, taking a sip of caf.
"A good story, no doubt," Lando admitted. "I almost shed a tear. But why should we believe your words?"
"You don't have to," Thrawn shrugged. "I don't care."
"Then there's no way to verify the truth of your words," Leia stated.
"Essentially, you could tell us any nonsense for your own purposes," Lando said heatedly.
"In that case," Thrawn smiled, looking first at Luke, then at Leia, "you should consult the archives of the Polis Massa asteroid, where you were born. I think you will also find it interesting that your mother died in childbirth right there. Unfortunately, all three witnesses to your birth — Bail Organa, Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda — are dead."
Leia noticed Chewbacca glance strangely at Thrawn, then at Luke...
"Any data can be falsified," Lando stated.
"I agree, especially since you are a professional in that regard," Thrawn said. "However, it occurs to me that everything can be easily verified by objective means."
"What means?" Leia asked impatiently.
"Genetic testing," the Grand Admiral said. "Your mother still has living relatives who might agree to such a blood analysis. Or you could contact Senator Quarsh Panaka, who, as far as I know, is now retired, but formerly governed the Chommell sector. If I remember correctly, you met with him, Princess Organa-Solo, about four years ago, didn't you?"
"Yes," Leia replied emotionlessly, remembering how, five years after the Alliance's victory at the Battle of Yavin IV, Moff Panaka had arrived at the Hoska station, where Leia, wanting to avoid a conflict between her forces and those of the Chommell sector, had tried to persuade the Moff to side with what was then still the Rebel Alliance. She had done this by appealing to memories of the late Queen Amidala, whom Panaka had once served. Panaka had seen no legitimacy in the resurrected Republic, and the memories of the dead queen had not moved him. He pointed out that the late Amidala had brought danger to Naboo and had done very little to restore the planet's defenses after the Trade Federation invasion. The meeting ended when Organa told him that some members of the Rebel Alliance were thinking about capturing Naboo, though the threat didn't impress Panaka. Actually... A little later, the sector became part of the New Republic, and the Moff himself was removed from office. As there were no serious crimes on his record, he was allowed to live out his life peacefully on Naboo.
"I think if you tell him that it was he, then-Captain Panaka, after the First Battle of Geonosis, who informed then-Supreme Chancellor Palpatine about the alliance between then-Senator Padmé Amidala Naberrie and still-Padawan Anakin Skywalker, which Palpatine ultimately used to lure your father to the so-called Dark Side of the Force, the former Moff will become more cooperative," Grand Admiral Thrawn suggested. "As a last resort, you can tell him that if he doesn't share the truth, I will send my people for him and ask specific questions about why he hasn't returned to active service in the Empire."
"What a mess," Leia shook her head. "Why... Why are you telling us this now?"
"Because this is how I can help the Alderaanians," Thrawn stated simply. "Prince-Admiral Krennel wanted to allocate a planet for them, a continent where they could live as their own community. You, Princess Organa-Solo, could, in principle, become the new Queen of Naboo and relocate your people to the Chommell sector, so they would no longer live like galactic Jawas, moving from one planet to another."
"And why do you need all this?" Lando frowned. "What benefit is there for the Empire in what you're doing?"
"As I promised," Thrawn said, "like a villain from a holodrama, I will tell you my plan."
"Maybe you shouldn't?" Leia asked.
"Believe me," the Grand Admiral smiled, "you will thank me for telling you this sooner. Actually, I told your husband the same thing, but no one believed him. I told your brother as well, but he hasn't fully accepted the inevitable yet. Now I want to tell you, Princess Organa-Solo. They say younger children are more perceptive."
"Younger?" Leia tensed.
"Yes," Thrawn confirmed. "Luke Skywalker was born before you. So technically, he is older than you, Princess. Please accept my sincere apologies for settling your long-standing arguments about seniority."
"This is some kind of craziness," Calrissian shook his head. "An Imperial Grand Admiral solving the problems of a single family in the galaxy... I wonder if Palpatine is spinning in his grave from all this?"
"No," Grand Admiral Thrawn replied calmly. "Furthermore, I'll tell you, General, the afterlife doesn't even interest him. But immortality..."
"I don't follow," Lando tensed.
Leia felt the twins stir. It became... unsettling...
"You're not going to say that..." Leia whispered barely audibly, feeling everything clench inside her.
"Emperor Palpatine is alive," Luke suddenly said, looking into Grand Admiral Thrawn's eyes. "I believe you. I..."
The Princess felt something was wrong with her... very wrong...
"Is there a water leak?" the Chimaera's commander tensed. "What in the Hutt? I'll rot the techs in duty shifts..."
"Easy, Captain," Grand Admiral Thrawn said, leaning slightly towards Leia. "Contact the medical bay. And the children's hospital in Daplona. We will need highly specialized experts. The best of the best."
"Leia," Calrissian rushed to her. "What's happening? Are you alright?"
"Y-yes," the Princess stammered, feeling the lower part of her dress getting wet. "I-it's just... my water broke... Lando," suddenly panicking, she grabbed Calrissian's arm. "I'M IN LABOR!!!"
In the dead silence that fell over the wardroom, Grand Admiral Thrawn's calm voice sounded:
"God is my witness, I didn't want to do this, but... Princess Organa-Solo, I will be forced to issue your children Imperial citizenship by virtue of their birth on Imperial territory..."
Leia might have wanted to object, but the contractions had already changed her mind.