Nine years, ten months, and ten days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or the forty-fourth year, tenth month, and tenth day after the Great Resynchronization.
(Five months and thirty days since the Arrival.)
"Data confirmed?" I asked, looking up from the screen of my personal datapad.
But this time, it was not Captain Pellaeon who had provided it.
Although he was present in the quarters.
"The ships have been there for a long time," Agent Cross declared with all seriousness. "Every vessel that participated in retrieving information from the relays has returned to the same point."
"Spy droids report that the Tyranny, Titan, Shieldmaiden, Assassination, Eviscerator, and Red Dragon are there," Captain Pellaeon added his two decicreds. "All six of the Ubiqtorate's remaining Star Destroyers."
And indeed, Agent Blackhole has only six Star Destroyers at his disposal out of the original ten.
The Adjudicator, Black Star, Eradicator, and Crusader — in one way or another, I had taken them from him.
Only four Mark I's and two Mark II's remain.
Of those, the Red Dragon is the flagship. Its fighter wing consists of TIE Avengers.
A more than formidable ship that could cause plenty of trouble in an open fight.
The perfect combination — all enemy forces in one place.
The only question is: does Blackhole have only six destroyers? Or does he have other ships that were not part of the fleet stationed at Tangrene?
I know the answer to that with a high degree of probability.
Because I made sure to minimize the possibility of a trap when hitting such a target.
And the Assassination, Eviscerator, and Tyranny — those three Star Destroyers that had been receiving data from the relays — have done me a great favor.
Because they delivered the buzz droids of Project 'Morrt' to the Ubiqtorate fleet's base. The very same ones that fleet special forces teams, including Captain Makeno's group, had recently installed.
"Sir," Cross said. "I joined the Dominion on the condition that you would help me find and destroy Blackhole."
I looked intently at the former Imperial agent.
"You don't need to remind me of the terms of our cooperation, Agent Cross," I stated in a categorical tone. "There were enough of them to ensure that you and Ellie Stark felt comfortable and protected."
"Sir," Jahan said, restrained. "This is the best moment to strike. Gather a large fleet, use those 'Dragons' of yours to disable the Ubiqtorate's ships. Then board them and capture Blackhole. Taking him prisoner would also be of great benefit to the Dominion's cause! Palpatine's plans and directives, the Ubiqtorate's agent network, data that many can only guess at and dream of!"
And also the data from the Imperial Palace that we lost thanks to Mr. Ghent's resourcefulness.
"Thank you for remembering the good of the Dominion, Agent Cross," I said. "However, the strike on the Ubiqtorate will be launched exactly when it is necessary. Not a minute earlier. Whether that suits your desires or not."
"Sir," Cross said, his voice slightly raised. "Now is the most convenient time!"
"I do not think so," my statement reflected shades of pain and frustration on Cross's face, but he quickly recovered. "I will not repeat my position. If you are dissatisfied with something, you are always free to leave us and go fight Agent Blackhole on your own."
Jahan remained silent.
"In that case, be so kind as to return to your duties," I said, transparently hinting that it was time for him to leave my quarters and return to his own.
Which the agent did a minute later.
"Is the attack on the Ubiqtorate postponed?" Pellaeon asked me.
"Not at all, Captain," I countered. "Everything is proceeding strictly according to plan."
"But I got the impression that you intend to change the timing and location of the offensive," Pellaeon frowned. "You pointed that out to Cross himself very convincingly."
"Agent Cross needs to be taught a lesson and reminded that we are not gathered here to treat his psychological traumas and facilitate his personal revenge. We work for the good of the Dominion. Whether he wants it or not, he must understand that decisions, even unpopular ones, are made by the state's leadership in the interests of tactics and strategy, the future of the citizens, not to butter him up. Incorrect conclusions breed incorrect judgments, and those, in turn, lead to death."
The Star Destroyer commander remained silent, limiting himself to an approving nod.
"Now, after another propaganda broadcast on the HoloNet, we have gained the necessary breathing room to personally participate in inflicting damage on the Ubiqtorate fleet and operations," I explained. "And we will use it exclusively for the good of the Dominion. But not because Agent Cross begged us to."
"Do you think your last speech will make the enemy change their intentions regarding Lianna?" the commander of the Chimaera inquired.
"Not immediately, but definitely," I agreed. "That's why the operation at Ossus was executed in such a way — to give the enemy data on our capabilities. And also to give them the necessary food for thought."
Pellaeon nodded understandingly, but then looked at me questioningly:
"But, in that case, will the New Republic's attack on Linuri with the participation of the Lusankya not take place?"
To be honest, my surprise knew no bounds.
"Explain your thought, Captain," I asked.
"Since the enemy now knows about our technical innovations, and has also received from you almost an open assurance of what will happen in the near future, they will recall their ships from Linuri to prepare for a strike on the target you have planned and indicated," Gilad laid out his point of view.
And, I must give the man his due, he thought logically.
With one small exception.
His conclusion is fundamentally wrong.
"The attack on Lianna by Republic ships under the leadership of the Lusankya will take place at exactly the time we have planned," I explained.
Seeing the lack of understanding on the man's face, I clarified:
"It is not at all necessary for Republic ships to have Republic crews, don't you think?"
Gilad was silent for a few seconds, connecting all the 'threads' into one...
And then he chuckled good-naturedly, understanding what I meant.
"Exactly what we already pulled with Lianna," he nodded, understanding.
"And not only with that, Captain," I confirmed. "And now," I projected a hologram into the center of my room, "I ask you to share your vision of the situation."
Gilad, furrowing his brow, looked intently at the hologram of a Mark I Imperial Star Destroyer projected before him.
An ordinary three-dimensional image, taken from the Imperial Navy archives.
It even had a name.
And Gilad read it.
And, judging by the sweat that broke out on his forehead, he even had an idea of what kind of Star Destroyer it was.
And what its 'glorious' history was.
"Sir, you don't mean to say that this accursed ship..."
"Is our next target, Captain," I confirmed. "As already stated to Agent Cross, the strike on the Ubiqtorate will be launched when it is necessary for the Dominion. Not a day later, not a day earlier."
"But this is..." Pellaeon pointed with a slightly trembling hand at the hologram of the Imperial Star Destroyer. "This is..."
"This is Agent Blackhole's flagship, Captain," I explained. "The buzz droids have established this fact with a high degree of probability. The fate of this ship is quite unenviable and at the same time remarkable. Apparently, it is also familiar to you, Captain."
"As it is to the entire fleet," Pellaeon said, strained. "This is a true hell incarnate."
"It is no wonder Agent Blackhole chose it as his residence," I agreed. "At the same time, based on data from Agent Cross, there are grounds to believe that Blackhole's previous flagship was the ISD Singularity. Moreover, that ship possessed a very advanced stealth system — both sensor and visual. Curiously, the trail of that ship was lost — at the same time that Blackhole's own history was abruptly cut short. And now he has returned, but his flagship is a completely different vessel. If Agent Cross's data on Blackhole's actions are correct, then an interesting contradiction arises: his past does not match his present. And it's not just that he now has a new ship."
"I'm afraid to imagine what we might find aboard that flagship," Pellaeon admitted frankly.
"A considerable number of Imperial secrets, I presume," I stated. "And, at the very least, one type of Imperial superweapon that we must destroy."
"If they have preserved even a functional specimen..."
Pellaeon looked at me meaningfully.
"That's exactly why we're dividing the operation into two phases running relatively parallel to each other," I explained. "And we'll use an truly unprecedented number of battle droids in the upcoming assault. Given this starship's history, I want absolutely no casualties among the personnel."
Pellaeon glanced at the hologram, grimacing as if every tooth in his mouth had suddenly started aching.
Internally, I agreed with the Chimaera's commander.
But I didn't even have the right to show the beings around me how terrified I truly was.
Terrified to understand just how deep this rabbit hole was that the current head of the Ubiqtorate was asking me to dive into.
* * *
The H'ken system was located in the Korva sector of the Outer Rim, in quadrant P-4.
Commander Darran watched from the bridge as a squadron of Republic X-wings emerged from a twenty-kilometer asteroid belt, heading straight for his destroyer, the Captain Rensen.
"Offer them the chance to surrender," the Star Destroyer commander ordered. "Inform them they're in territory under Dominion control. If they attempt to resist, we will destroy them."
"Ignored, sir!" the watch officer reported.
Well, the Republic pilots had made their choice.
"Launch the corvette," the ship's commander ordered. "Raise deflectors, deploy interceptors. Destroy the enemy on the approach to the middle perimeter of defense."
The Captain Rensen let the support corvette enter the engagement with the enemy first.
Shortly after, the Dominion Star Destroyer's air group joined the battle.
"Two interceptor squadrons — send them against the enemy," Dorran ordered. "Two more — as combat escort for the destroyer and as a reserve force. Designate the fifth squadron as a search group. Launch all ARC-170 reconnaissance fighters. If there are Republic pilots here, there has to be at least a support base."
Or a ship that had provided the enemy with fuel and supplies. Operating deep in Dominion territory without any serious support — that was undoubtedly brave. But stupid.
And the former rebels were many things, but they were not fools.
From the very first seconds of the battle, it was clear that the Republic pilots weren't the most dangerous fighters.
Yes, they managed to fight, even shot down a few enemy craft, but the speed at which the Captain Rensen's pilots were exterminating them was staggering.
Neither the X-wings' deflectors nor their missile launchers helped — the TIE Interceptors charged straight through, annihilating an enemy caught in a vice: the asteroid field on one side, and the destroyer and corvette on the other.
Attempts to escape the devilish trap failed — the enemy squadron was being wiped out.
One machine after another.
What exactly had they been hoping for, sending twelve X-wings against two dozen of them — it wasn't entirely clear.
Ten minutes into the battle, having destroyed ten Republic fighters and crippled two more, the Captain Rensen received the long-awaited report.
"Commander, reconnaissance groups report an enemy base has been found — an old mining colony on a large asteroid. There's also a small freighter."
"Blockade it," Darran ordered. "Stormtroopers, prepare for boarding. I want to know what the Republic is doing here and how much intelligence they've managed to gather on Dominion operations in the sector."
* * *
Planet Beta II, in the system of the same name in the Korva sector, had originally been a hospitable world with a humid atmosphere.
The Galactic Republic had colonized the planet many years ago, turning a tropical paradise into a thriving port world.
But over the years, drought had befallen the planet, and it was eventually abandoned.
Data from Obroa-skai indicated that Beta II's atmosphere was now Type II.
In plain terms, this meant that astronomical objects of this type had corresponding levels of atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen. If one ignored the further warnings, one might think it was as comfortable here as in a Type I atmosphere, the kind preferred by humans and most other oxygen-breathing races.
However, due to insufficient pressure or the presence of pollutants and/or other gaseous impurities, these atmospheres typically had harmful effects on humans and most other species over a shorter period.
Many intelligent species could breathe Type II atmospheres without issue, depending on their physiology. Planets with Type II atmospheres usually supported some form of native life.
A typical example of a planet with this type of atmosphere, due to its volcanic nature, was Mustafar.
And now Beta II was another.
Captain Dorja sat in his chair, leg crossed over knee, rereading the lines of the intelligence report on the planet he was to conquer for the Dominion.
Beta II no longer had an indigenous population.
After the atmosphere had undergone drastic changes, the local inhabitants had abandoned it. In their place, smugglers and other criminal scum had settled in, finding the abandoned settlements and port facilities to their liking.
Intelligence reported that due to the lack of resources to contain the ground-level dust and sandstorms, the criminal newcomers had chosen to burrow deep underground.
The planet's caves and canyons had been widened and connected by tunnels, thanks to their efforts. A true underground city, where one could easily survive almost any attack.
The thickness of the rock allowed them to hide from most scanning devices, or, in the worst case, survive an orbital bombardment of the surface.
No wonder the remnants of Ennix Devian's forces had holed up here.
The same bastards who had been outside the Ghost Nebula when Commodore Shohashi's ships had paid it a visit.
Intelligence had discovered data on other bases belonging to these half-wits, and, as Dorja suspected, it had been obtained from captured Devian fighters.
Well, that was hardly important, really.
The main thing was that reconnaissance fighters and spy droids had confirmed the presence of enemy starships in the system.
"One minute to hyperspace exit, sir!" the watch officer reported.
"Battle stations," Dorja ordered, setting aside his data pad and moving toward the central command platform. "Corvette, prepare to detach. Formation ships, establish the blockade."
They emerged from hyperspace at the precise designated point.
First — the Relentless, followed by ten heavy cruisers supported by two dozen Corellian corvettes.
And two ships the enemy had clearly never expected to face anywhere outside their nightmares.
The Sentinel, an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer, deployed its gravity wells within the next minute, preventing the enemy from fleeing into hyperspace.
And there was plenty here to run from.
Six Venator-class Star Destroyers, twenty-two Corellian corvettes, four Acclamator-class assault ships, and a full dozen Arquitens-class light cruisers.
An excellent haul.
"Order for the Dragon-Seven," Dorja said, noting on the tactical hologram that the newest Venator with its V-180 ion cannon was already preparing for battle. "Fire on the destroyers."
Its main hangar was open, its air wing already swarming the starship, and numerous TIE fighters were ready to join the fight.
A shame that Dominion industry couldn't replace line fighters with interceptors on all regular fleet ships at once. Well, that would come in time.
For now, they'd make do with what they had.
The Dragon-Seven fired.
A single salvo from its main battery — an ion cannon so similar to its predecessor — knocked the first enemy Star Destroyer out of action.
The second had barely begun opening its hangar when another shot caught it.
The third ship managed to expose its fighter bay — and that was exactly where the next salvo struck.
The Dragon-Seven's fourth shot hit the first of the second trio of matching destroyers, preventing it from launching its air wing.
The fifth shot targeted an Acclamator assault cruiser, buying the enemy time to deploy its fighters.
The sixth shot eliminated that gap.
The seventh salvo struck the last enemy Venator.
"And now the Acclamators," Dorja smirked, watching the enemy flotilla advance toward his ships to give battle.
Half an hour later, transport ships arrived, delivering droids for boarding the six captured Venators, four Acclamators, fifteen CR90s, and five Arquitens.
Dorja wasn't particularly concerned about losing two of his own corvettes.
He watched as the Dragon-Seven shelled the planet's surface with its ion cannon, testing a new technique developed by Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Another method for suppressing an enemy's ground defenses...
Why not use this approach, after all?
A day later, Dominion stormtroopers completed their capture of Beta II's main base and moved on to thoroughly clearing every corner of the planet.
* * *
The Spawn Nebula was located in the Korva sector, roughly a thirty-minute hyperspace jump from Beta II.
According to intelligence, this was the second most important base of Ennix Devian's faction.
The position had originally been prepared for use in battles against the New Republic.
Deep inside the nebula, a space station built by Devian's supporters was operational. Its purpose was to keep Devian's fleet at constant readiness.
According to intelligence, up to a hundred enemy ships of all possible classes could be stationed here.
That was precisely why the Red Star squadron had come here.
The Crimson Dawn emerged from hyperspace, a massive wedge cutting through the nebula's reality.
The enemy fleet was thrown into complete disarray, suddenly finding itself facing one star dreadnought, two Imperial-class Star Destroyers, two dozen Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers, and three dozen Corellian corvettes advancing in a unified crescent formation.
Concealing from the enemy the fact that more Dominion starships were following behind them.
Against such an armada, the enemy could field twenty Venator-class Star Destroyers, thirty-seven Acclamator-class assault cruisers, forty-one Consular-class corvettes, and two Imperial-class Star Destroyers.
Judging by the transponders of the last two — they were early versions of the class.
Eric ran his finger along the engraving and, with a characteristic click, slipped the chronometer into his pocket.
"Broadcast on open frequencies," he ordered. "This is Commodore Shohashi of the Dominion Regular Fleet. Ennix Devian is dead; his fleet in the Ghost Nebula has been destroyed. Your base on Beta II is under attack; your fleet has been captured. Grand Admiral Thrawn offers amnesty and the opportunity to continue serving under his command to everyone who lays down their arms. Resistance is futile and will only lead to your destruction. All those who wish to keep their lives must respond on channel thirteen. You have five minutes to decide."
He switched off his comlink, then glanced at Lady Ventress, standing motionless beside him.
The Dathomirian witch, arms crossed, watched the enemy fleet's reconfiguration without wavering.
Under these conditions, Eric needed every advantage — especially in the battle's opening phase.
And the help of a being sensitive to the Force was a considerable asset.
"Your assessment, Lady Ventress?" he inquired, noting that the enemy fleet wasn't rushing to surrender. Instead, the ships were forming something resembling attack formations, clearly intending to break through the line and escape the nebula.
The reason they couldn't do this immediately was that support ships were positioned behind Shohashi's vanguard.
Namely, the Eternal Wrath, an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer that had already blocked any possibility of sending a distress signal beyond this section of the nebula.
Holding position nearby were two more Immobilizer-418-class interdictor cruisers.
And five of the ten operational Dragon-class ships.
"They won't surrender," she stated confidently. "You don't even need the Force to see that the enemy intends to win the battle. I can tell from their maneuvers."
"Leave the tactics to me," Shohashi advised. "I'm interested in their emotional state."
"Doom," Ventress declared. "And grim determination."
So logic no longer applied to these people.
There would be a fight, then.
Well, it was their choice.
"Ready the guns and launchers," Eric ordered the watch officer. "Dragons, move to combat positions."
The enemy didn't employ any effective tactics — they charged at Shohashi's ships in a disorderly mob, firing with all weapons.
And for starters, they had no idea what awaited them.
Both Imperial-class ships, as well as three of the twenty Venators, lost their deflector shields in the first salvo from the Dragons. Seconds later, they were nothing but harmless wreckage drifting through the nebula.
The Dominion Venators, along with the rest of the Red Star's ships, responded to the enemy's launch of small craft by sending their own fighters and interceptors.
By the time both formations closed to a distance of seventy-five units, the enemy could boast only seven combat-capable Venators. The other starships were still operational, but the Dragons were picking them off like wild beasts shot by a laser rifle.
The Consular-class corvettes might have given the Red Star a real headache, if not for the Crimson Dawn's launchers.
Anti-ship missiles pierced space, exploding on reaching their target or upon hitting interceptor fire.
The Acclamators attacked with proton torpedoes from a distance of fifty-five units.
And this delay cost them dearly, because by then the enemy Venators were no longer a threat.
Now the five ion cannons were firing from nearly point-blank range to counter the threat of the rapidly approaching enemy cruisers.
Two assault cruisers, ignoring the streams of fire raining down on them, having lost their deflectors and most of their weapons, raced desperately for freedom.
They were headed straight for the Crimson Dawn, and their intentions came as no great surprise to Eric.
"Their commanders are going for a ram," Asajj reported.
But Shohashi had already figured that out himself — from the number of escape pods the starships were ejecting into the surrounding space.
"Refine targets for the turbolasers," the commodore ordered.
Redirecting its heavy guns, the Crimson Dawn unleashed a devastating torrent of turbolaser energy at both Acclamators.
Without deflectors, both ships were virtually defenseless against such treatment.
Pummeled by fire from all guns of the fast dreadnought, they took hit after hit but pressed forward bravely.
The dreadnought's guns savaged the assault cruisers, blasting enormous holes in their hulls and burning almost clean through them.
One of the cruisers exploded when a squadron of TIE bombers attacked it with proton torpedoes, hastening its grim end.
The second attempted to veer away, exposing its companion moving alongside.
But the first vessel's commander had clearly forgotten that the Crimson Dawn wasn't their only opponent.
The Imperious, holding the fast dreadnought's left flank, unleashed a hurricane of fire on the enemy.
The destroyer's commander turned its hull to bring more guns to bear on the target. The enemy's exposed side only helped the Imperious's artillery inflict even more damage. This merciless maneuver was known as a "deck sweep," and without support, no ship could withstand such treatment for long.
Bogged down in battles with Dominion fighters and interceptors, the enemy's small craft were in no hurry to come to the doomed ship's aid.
The assault cruiser was already charred, lifeless. A moment later, it flared into a blinding sphere of pure energy: a pair of heavy cruisers had joined the bombardment.
The other two assault cruisers, swarmed by interceptors and pounded by the flagship's broadside, couldn't hold out any longer than their comrade.
The ion cannons sealed their fate — wreathed in white-blue lightning, these starships ceased showing any signs of life.
"They're panicking," Ventress stated.
Eric saw confirmation of her words with his own eyes.
His attack plan inflicted maximum damage on the enemy while keeping his own ships protected from all sides.
He had disabled most of the enemy's starships, preventing them from launching an overwhelming number of first-rate small craft. Now the TIE-series machines were mercilessly slaughtering the Republic's antiques.
Eric watched as a Consular-class corvette, pinned between three tractor beams, writhed pitifully while the ship's broadside battery blasted it to pieces, destroying a new section of the vessel with every salvo.
The same was happening off the port bow and in the lower hemisphere, but there, the targets were three enemy corvettes at once.
"The station is preparing to launch another wave of fighters," Ventress said, opening her eyes.
"Dragon-Six, strike the station," Eric ordered.
It took a few seconds for the designated Venator to reach the proper firing point. The enemy had, of course, managed to launch their small craft, but that factor, while unpleasant, wasn't critical.
The enemy increased pressure on the left flank.
Struck by proton torpedoes, one of the heavy cruisers stopped returning fire. Its communications systems were also silent.
Seconds later, a combined salvo from the last five enemy cruisers ended that Dreadnaught's existence.
The starship flared up, and an instant later, only formless wreckage remained in its place.
The attackers of the Dreadnaught turned onto evasive vectors. One opened fire with its starboard turret guns to strip the shields of a neighboring heavy cruiser while the other launched a volley of proton torpedoes at the same target, triggering a massive detonation that instantly destroyed the second cruiser.
Shohashi had effectively demonstrated a brilliant maneuver: under a relentless attack, two ships had coordinated their efforts perfectly to destroy a common enemy.
Tactically sound decisions that, in the past, would have brought their commanders honor and awards.
In the current reality, they received only two concentrated salvos from the Crimson Dawn's broadside guns, which vaporized their superstructures to the root.
The fast dreadnought continued its merciless work.
Eric had already noticed that some of his corvettes had broken through the remnants of the enemy fleet and were now delivering stormtroopers to the station.
Boarding ships in the current situation was impractical — the battle was still ongoing, and the crews hadn't yet experienced all the joys of the disadvantages of ion bombardment.
But when their air ran out — that would be a separate reason for negotiations.
The Crimson Dawn unceremoniously blasted the Consular-class corvettes with anti-ship missiles, turning them into scrap metal.
Ships too old to be of use intact.
Too fast to be taken down by the Dragons.
Well enough protected to be destroyed by broadside ion artillery.
Eric remembered Thrawn's main tenet clearly: capture as many starships as possible.
Whether they'd be useful in the future was a separate question. The main thing was to have the opportunity to restore them.
But the commodore assessed his chances well and knew he had captured enough combat-ready, large starships not to worry about such outdated "trifles."
The Dominion had plenty of corvettes.
But assault cruisers and Star Destroyers — that was another matter entirely.
"The crew of that corvette intends to surrender," Ventress said unexpectedly, pointing to a Consular-class hiding behind the immobilized carcass of a stricken Acclamator. "But they're afraid you won't accept their capitulation and will order them destroyed."
"Contact that starship," Shohashi ordered. "Send them guarantees of safety if they're ready to immediately accept our boarding parties."
The Consular's crew agreed.
As a result, half an hour into the battle, it turned out to be the only surviving vessel of its class.
Not because Commodore Shohashi wanted to show humanitarianism.
Eric was just saving time.
Capture the old junk, fine. Antiques, after all.
* * *
Leia lowered her hands to the tabletop in exhaustion.
Then she pressed her forehead against them.
She desperately wanted to be back in childhood, in her room in the palace on Alderaan, where she could always find a solution for any of her childhood fears.
She would sit in the corner of the room, then curl up there and sit, crying, repeating: "No, no, no, it's just a nightmare!"
But the Alderaanian princess had grown up, which meant she needed a bigger corner.
"Some time ago, the New Republic announced to the entire galaxy that it had defeated my fleet at Mustafar, captured trophies, and essentially hinted at my demise," said a hologram of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Leia didn't even notice how he looked or what pose the enemy was in — he was always impeccable. "What an inconvenient lie. Because the New Republic did not participate in the battle at Mustafar — I was fighting traitors to the Empire. And the abandoned ships in the system are not trophies, but burdensome pieces of metal I could not repair on site. Well," the hologram raised an eyebrow, "I am grateful to the New Republic for repairing those ships at Sluis Van. Just as it repairs all, without exception, Imperial starships captured in the past. I hope that Coruscant has finally decided to remember its soldiers and is preparing for an exchange. It will take a lot of Imperial equipment to carry it out..."
Han, sitting nearby, glumly watched Lando and Talon Karrde, who were seated in chairs not far from the holovision.
."..because the number of captured Republican soldiers is increasing rapidly," Thrawn stated. "Three Republic ships — two Star Destroyers and an interdictor cruiser — were captured by me in the Zonju V system, on the border of Wild Space. This was part of a search operation the Republic initiated after my withdrawal from the Mustafar system. Returning to this point, I will dare to remind the Republic's politicians that only one ship remaining in that system belonged to the Dominion. Everything else was part of the spoils I was unable to take with me. You believed your own propaganda so thoroughly that you sent a task force under General Antilles to destroy a peaceful Dominion archaeological expedition on one of the planets. To fight a single Star Destroyer, you found it necessary to send fifteen ships..."
Leia squeezed her eyes shut with all her might to keep from crying.
Thrawn undoubtedly hadn't named the planet or mentioned her brother's name, but he made it clear to those in the know that he understood far more than he was saying.
"I captured eight of those ships, and now they will serve the Dominion," Thrawn declared. "I trust that General Wedge Antilles, as well as the two sole survivors of Rogue Squadron — Tycho Celchu and Corran Horn — have reached their base on the planet Elom and will face trial. However, I am confident that no one will convict or even reprimand these individuals for abandoning the crews of still-fighting ships and fleeing themselves. The New Republic, a priori, does not care what happens. Judging by the fact that in two days the New Republic has not bothered to inquire about the fate of even these prisoners captured in the battle with General Antilles's forces, I will once again have to decide their fate myself..."
Leia sniffled, expecting the worst.
"Dominion specialists are working to form a database of captured New Republic military personnel," Thrawn continued. "Since the government of Coruscant does not wish to recover its soldiers, all those in our captivity will be made available for ransom by private individuals — family members and loved ones. I specifically warn those looking to profit from others' grief: any attempt to mislead our exchange process specialists will result in prosecution under Dominion law. A list of captured, as well as deceased, New Republic military personnel whose fates we have confirmed, will be published shortly on a special HoloNet portal..."
"This is some kind of insanity," Lando was the first to speak. "Leia, is this true? Not a single soldier has been exchanged in all this time?"
"The Provisional Government doesn't want to get involved in that process," Leia said, dabbing her tears. "It would practically be an admission of the scale of our defeat..."
"Extremely unwise on their part," Karrde said. "The Dominion has already launched the resource they mentioned. Names, ranks, place and time of capture, health data..."
"As well as the ransom price," Han stated, having also had time to review those records.
"The worst part is that these alphabetical lists contain data on certain military personnel who have defected to the Dominion's side," Calrissian said. "And there are already tens of thousands of them... What game is the Provisional Government playing? What are they waiting for?"
"I don't know, Lando," the princess admitted. "When I spoke with the Provisional Government, Mon Mothma chose to steer the conversation in another direction..."
A stifling silence fell.
"Something else occupies my mind," Karrde suddenly said.
"And what would that be?" Han inquired.
"Fey'lya once attacked Ciutric IV with the Bothan fleet," the Claw reminded them.
"My memory isn't that short," Solo enlightened him.
"In that case, a question arises," Talon smirked. "Why aren't Bothan specialists and officers on the lists of prisoners or defectors? Only the dead..."
Han's face fell.
Leia looked questioningly at the Claw.
Lando shook his head ruefully.
"Perhaps Bothans aren't subject to exchange," Leia suggested.
"Look at things more pragmatically, Princess," Karrde advised. "The Bothans ransomed their prisoners long ago. And now, having tested this system on them, Thrawn is offering it to you as well. Even if someone ransoms half of these prisoners, that's already billions. In aurorium, no less."
"That much?" Leia gasped.
"The rates are differentiated," Karrde noted. "Depending on position, rank, and other criteria..."
"Thrawn is basically running a slave trade," Han grimaced. "Anyone can pay up and buy themselves a couple hundred of our soldiers..."
"Only relatives and loved ones," Karrde reminded him. "My contacts confirm the exchange system there is genuinely extremely rigorous — using Imperial and Republic citizenship databases. The Hutts tried it — among the first. Seventeen of their agents were instantly arrested. As far as I know, the Hutts have already hurriedly ransomed them in secret and are hesitant to escalate the conflict."
"These are all details," Han said with a grimace. "I'm more interested in the fate of the kid and Irenez. Wedge is alive, and Bel Iblis has already diverted the storm from him. Rogue Squadron is once again on the verge of destruction, and on top of that, this new Dominion Star Destroyer and a bunch of upgraded junk..."
"A new Star Destroyer?" Karrde became interested. "Upgraded old starships... What are you talking about?"
Calrissian chose to occupy himself with a drink.
Leia gave her husband a warning look.
"What difference does it make?" Solo wearily asked the Alderaanian princess. "He'll find out one way or another anyway. At least this way, he might be lenient when we need information."
Leia spread her hands:
"Wedge, Celchu, and Horn brought data to the Third Fleet base about the Dominion ships they encountered near the planet Ossus," she explained. "There was an Imperial-class Star Destroyer there. Visually identified as a 'Mark I.' Engine emission scans indicated it was Booster Terrik's Star Destroyer. And when Wedge's fleet attacked the ship, it turned out the Dominion had found some very clever engineer who had crammed that ship with turbolasers and lasers from bow to stern. In fact, two Mon Calamari star cruisers, four escort frigates, and a good portion of starfighters couldn't even leave scorch marks on it. It's re-armored, re-armed, shielded... It's as if the Dominion decided to build a dedicated line-of-battle ship on an Imperial-class hull, but with a fighter complement..."
"Which is rather strange," Karrde stated, clearly intrigued. "Why spend so much effort refitting one ship? That must have cost a fortune. And against the New Republic, and — as recent events show — against various Imperial Remnant factions, he's perfectly content using what he already has — simple Mark Is and Mark IIs."
"He acquired a ship that can single-handedly stand against groups of our combat starships," Leia noted.
Karrde gave a good-natured chuckle.
"Princess, you clearly don't belong in a world of fantasies," he stated. "MC80s were never able to fight Imperial-class ships one-on-one. Only if the latter had a crew of complete incompetents. Thrawn doesn't surround himself with incompetent commanders — the fact that the Butcher of Atoa serves him speaks in favor of that. And according to my information, Commodore Shohashi quite effectively accomplishes any goal set before him. No, this new type of Star Destroyer is needed for something entirely different."
"For the same reason he put ion cannons on the old Venators," Han suddenly stated. "And the reason he armed the Victory-class ships with turrets from Imperial-class ships. And why he's rearming his fleet from TIE fighters to Interceptors."
"Re-arming the Victory-class ships," the Claw said, as if savoring the phrase. "I definitely didn't know about that."
"He's preparing for a battle against a much stronger enemy than the New Republic," Lando declared, emptying his glass. "That's why he's building a fleet. He keeps the old junk inside the Dominion and refines and tempers the stronger ships on the front lines. Against us and the Imperial Remnants."
"And that's why he didn't say a single word about capturing Luke," Leia whispered, clutching her head. "By the Great Force, you're right! The answer was right under our noses!"
"Even simpler, sweetheart," Han said bitterly, filling his glass to the brim. "He told us himself."
"Oh, so you had a personal conversation with the Grand Admiral," Karrde noted, taking a new glass and filling it from the bottle sitting right in the center of the table in front of which everyone was gathered in the Solo couple's quarters.
"Not the most pleasant part of our past," Leia said, glancing out the window.
She and Han, as plenipotentiary representatives of the New Republic, had been allocated living quarters on the orbital station at Sluis Van. From here, there was a truly magnificent view of the Sluissi drydocks and docks, literally packed with Imperial and cargo ships, not to mention the numerous starships the New Republic had pulled out of every possible dumping ground and storage base and was now hastily putting into order.
"And yet," Karrde reminded them of his presence. "What did Grand Admiral Thrawn tell you? What is he preparing for so hastily, that he decided not to spend months building new ships but instead modernizes old ones?"
Leia looked at Han.
The former smuggler shrugged indifferently.
Calrissian had effectively withdrawn, pretending to be interested in the Grand Admiral's hologram frozen above the holovid.
"Thrawn literally told us everything," she said, re-evaluating the long-ago conversation with the Dominion's ruler. "About not wanting to wage war with us. About paying a visit to Coruscant that we wouldn't like..."
"The one after which the population of the former Imperial Center decided to move as far away from the New Republic's capital as possible?" Karrde clarified. "Remind me, how much did Coruscant's population drop after the meteor strike?"
"It's now just over fifty billion," Leia said almost in a whisper, desperately searching for arguments that Thrawn hadn't been frank with them back then. And finding none. "No one wants to live where the government can't protect its citizens..."
"Sounds like Dominion propaganda," Karrde stated. "So what about the reasons for Thrawn's actions? As far as I know, he went to war with you because of Bel Iblis's actions. And Bel Iblis was egged on by the Bothans..."
"Nothing more than a pretext to justify his campaign," Han said in a completely defeated tone. "Just like his supposed 'reaction' to our attacks is also just an excuse. The reason is entirely different..."
"The intrigue thickens," Karrde said, growing serious. "But, will there be an answer?"
"Yes, but you won't like it," Lando broke the silence.
"I'll survive," the Claw assured him, setting his glass aside.
"The Sluissi won't like our realization either," Han stated. "Thrawn wasn't just pointing out in his message that he knows where Imperial starships are being repaired."
"You think he intends to strike here?" the Claw clarified.
"I'm almost certain he's tired of playing with us and is outright telling us where the dress rehearsal for his triumph will take place," Solo declared. "Before the most painful aria of one wrinkled bastard begins. We need to warn Bel Iblis that Thrawn is just diverting our attention to Linuri while preparing a strike on Sluis Van."
"He's pulling our combat-ready fleet to one part of the galaxy so he can sweep into this sector with a bang and take the starships," Leia's eyes widened. "Great Force! We don't have crews for them! And we've practically brought them all online!"
"A tempting target," Lando said, sighing in resignation. "And it turns out he takes all the ships the Alliance took from the Empire, and possibly also grabs ours from storage, or destroys them. And he ends up with a sector-sized fleet. I don't know how many ships the wrinkled one has, but in Thrawn's hands, such an armada would be virtually unstoppable."
Talon Karrde squinted at his glass, then returned his gaze to the Corellian.
"Seems the news is so serious that it's better not to mix it with whiskey. Otherwise, both the Princess and General Solo have gone so pale I've actually sobered up..."
"Palpatine is alive," Leia uttered. "And he's preparing to attack the galaxy to destroy everyone who in any way contributed to the downfall of his Empire."
Karrde was silent for exactly one second.
Then he reached for a new bottle, uncapped it, and took a swig from the neck.
"Who do I need to pay to hear this story in full?" he asked, setting the half-empty bottle of Corellian whiskey on the table.