Nine years, nine months, and thirty-four days after the Battle of Yavin…
Or the forty-fourth year, nine months, and thirty-four days after the Great Resynchronization.
(Five months and nineteen days since the Arrival.)
Leia activated the holoprojector with a hidden dread, connecting to the communication channel of the Provisional Council.
A Council that should have been dissolved long ago, but due to the crisis caused by Thrawn's campaign — as the actions of the infamous Grand Admiral were called in the HoloNet — the Council's authority remained in effect for the duration of the crisis.
Which did not prevent preparations for the election of the first head of state and the strengthening of normally functioning governing bodies.
"Everything will be fine, sweetheart," Han said, standing behind Leia, who was seated before the communication device, placing his strong hands on the woman's shoulders.
Her husband's soft fingers pressed soothingly into her tense muscles, relaxing them.
"After Fey'lya's statements, I'm not so sure," the former Alderaanian princess declared. "He's going too far..."
"Let Mon Mothma deal with the Bothan," Han advised. "He can say whatever he wants; the fact remains. The Sluissi and Sullustans have calmed down a bit after getting paid for their work. The Imperial ships are practically repaired. In a few days, the delivered weapons will be installed on them. And our fleet will gain combat-ready formations of nearly three hundred ships. I'm sure Bel Iblis will throw them at the Dominion immediately."
"We still have a week to wait until full crews arrive for all the ships," Leia grimaced.
"The main thing is that the process is moving," Han assured. "Everything else isn't really that important, to be honest."
"Honestly, your reassuring hasn't been very good lately," Leia smiled apologetically. "Sorry for being so blunt..."
"It's fine," Han leaned down and pecked his wife on the top of her head. "Go on, crush everyone on the Council, show off the results of your work. I'm going to go play a round of sabacc with Lando."
"You're so relaxed because Calrissian promised not to stake the Falcon anymore?" Leia joked, glancing inside the ship that had saved all their lives more than once with a grateful look.
Han had grumbled about the Imperial repairs, of course, and had already reworked a few things here and there, but overall the starship looked fantastic and nothing like the old junk heap it had been when they first met.
A encryption communication module and the necessary equipment had been installed on board, in case the Sluissi suddenly banned the use of their terminal, or if that became impossible for whatever reason.
And frankly, Leia trusted this old ship more in matters of security than she did the local intelligence services, which had already sullied themselves by cooperating with criminals, selling military assets, and participating in the shady dealings of one particular unjustifiably ambitious Bothan, who also happened to be a member of the New Republic's Provisional Council.
"No, I just got paid," Solo said with a charming smile. "Besides, I know that guy inside out. Karrde, on the other hand — I wouldn't sit down at a sabacc table with him for anything."
"The Claw, as I recall, is currently busy setting up his new ship," Han scratched the back of his head. "So he definitely won't be playing with us. Eh, if only Chewbacca were here..."
"I talked to him and Winter a couple of hours ago," Leia declared. "They're all fine. Jacen and Jaina are behaving themselves and not wearing out their nanny and guards with middle-of-the-night wake-up calls."
"And I called Chewie half an hour ago," Han admitted. "He didn't complain, and I suspect he likes being a big furry nanny. I'm even starting to get jealous. The kids will grow up and will obviously steal my copilot away for their sandbox games."
"You'll always have me," Leia assured him.
The encryption module's indicator blinked, signaling that a secure connection had been established.
"Sorry, I have to go," the woman said.
"Yeah, me too," Solo winked at her. "Don't forget to ask Mon Mothma how we're going to get Luke, Wedge, and Madine out. And yeah, remind them about the freighters — I'm not about to meet them again and tell them to wait. They might just clear out of the system and sell our goods for half price, making decent money. Less than the New Republic promised them, but more than nothing and the cost of downtime."
"That issue is the first item on my agenda," Leia stated firmly. "As are Luke, Wedge, and General Madine."
With a wink at her, her husband left the cockpit of his beloved ship.
Holograms of three councilors appeared before Leia, and the audio switched on...
."..what right did you have to give that interview?" the hologram of Garm Bel Iblis, roaring with anger, jabbed a finger at the blue-and-white projection of Councilor Fey'lya. "Don't you understand this is another trap?"
Sighing, Councilor Organa-Solo braced herself for a meeting that was clearly going to be conducted in raised voices.
* * *
"My Lady Moff," Chief Engineer Nick Reyes entered Moff Tavira's reception hall with a quick step. "There are several critical issues we need to discuss. Urgently."
Leonia, looking up from a conversation with a man in a fleet uniform, stared at the sudden appearance of the specialist overseeing the technical side of the entire Karthakk system with a clearly displeased expression.
"Can it wait, Chief Engineer Reyes?" she said.
"I'm sorry, my Lady Moff," Nick shook his head negatively, "but no. The task assigned to me and my subordinates is simply impossible. Those ships will not be repaired within the specified timeframe."
"What ships are we talking about?" the man inquired, turning to face the engineer.
"That scrap metal that ended up in our system by some misunderstanding," Reyes declared, his artificial eye gleaming.
"Could you be more specific?" Tavira inquired. "We have a large number of ships, I must point out. Mon Calamarian star cruisers, Imperial Star Destroyers..."
"Those are exactly the ones I'm talking about," Reyes said. "Specifically, the Victory II, Endurance; the Victory Is: Fate Crucible, Messenger of Retribution, Striking Sword, Star Hammer, Shining Star," as he listed them, Nick realized he was seeing this fleet officer for the first time, despite knowing the commanders of all starships stationed in the Karthakk system, "Medusa, Wyvern, Griffon; and one Victory-class: Quick Strike. All of these ships have clearly been repaired hastily, just enough to get them to us."
"That is correct," Tavira declared, beaming a radiant smile, though the look in her violet eyes was anything but friendly. "They were sent from the Dominion on the personal orders of Grand Admiral Thrawn. By the way, they say," she gestured to the officer sitting across from her, "meet Chief Engineer Reyes: this is Captain Vivant, commander of the Endurance and task force commander for the transit of the ships you just listed."
"Pleased to meet you, Chief Engineer Reyes," the aforementioned officer said in a calm tone.
"Likewise," Nick muttered, shifting his gaze to Moff Tavira. "Ma'am, I request your permission to submit a memorandum to Grand Admiral Thrawn stating the impossibility of completing the work on these ships within a month. We have neither full-scale shipyards, nor the proper stockpiles of equipment, and certainly not enough weaponry to bring these starships to combat-ready condition under Project Trio in two months. Given the volume of shipments going to the Dominion, we don't have a significant amount of artillery of all types left to finish the repairs on time. Especially considering that another Victory II, five Victory Is, and four Victory-class ships are heading our way. Along with three dozen battle-scarred star cruisers... And that second batch of destroyers also has to be brought up to the required 'Trio' standard in seventy days! I have only one shipyard — the Lock station! It's not equipped to repair large starships! And the personnel don't have the ability to repair all of this in such a short time."
"Chief Engineer Reyes," Moff Tavira's violet eyes flashed with genuine fury. "Stop this immediately. We have been given a task — and we will complete it. Grand Admiral Thrawn is perfectly aware of our capabilities and resources! If the task has been assigned, then the means to accomplish it will be provided."
"Ma'am, but nothing of the sort has been communicated to us," Reyes declared. "I am working with the information and resources currently available."
"This conversation is over, Chief Engineer," the petite woman with violet eyes said in a commanding tone, her beautiful face turning in an instant into a stone mask, deaf to any pleas. "Return to your work. Work with the forces at hand. I want the damage assessment data for Captain Vivant's flotilla by this evening. Within a day of the next shipment of ships arriving — full reports on them. Is my order clear?"
"Yes, my Lady Moff," Nick realized arguing was useless. "By the specified deadlines, I will prepare all the data. Including the timelines for bringing the ships into service."
"Excellent," the Moff smiled benevolently. "Now, Chief Engineer, you are dismissed."
The man nodded in acknowledgment, turned to leave Tavira's office, when he heard:
"So, Captain Vivant, your objective is the Karthakk sector?"
"Correct, ma'am. As soon as the order is given by Grand Admiral Thrawn, we will begin. At the moment, I am in command, but it is anticipated that the combined forces assigned to this system will be led by another officer..."
Deciding this was none of his business, the Chief Engineer preferred to think about where he might find a couple of orbital repair facilities and an arsenal of turbolasers to make the deadline.
* * *
"Are you finished, General Bel Iblis?" inquired the Bothan, who had been weathering the criticism from the Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Forces for the entire duration of the tirade.
"I've only just begun!" the Corellian snarled, opening his mouth to continue his diatribe, but the sound of Mon Mothma's gavel striking its base cooled his fervor.
Leia sighed inwardly.
"Order," the Chandrilan woman called, looking at the military man with a hint of reproach. "Control yourself, General Iblis."
"Excellent advice," the Bothan sneered.
"And you, Councilor Fey'lya," the fiery-haired woman looked reproachfully at the specified being, "kindly inform the Council of the reasons that prompted you to make a statement regarding Coruscant's involvement in the attack on Lianna."
"Given that we have done absolutely nothing except impose a blockade!" Bel Iblis clarified.
The Bothan's violet eyes looked at the other two councilors with a hint of superiority and condescension.
"The problem is precisely that you did nothing," he explained. "Allow me a bit of background. You, General Iblis, devised a multi-layered trap for the Imperial Remnant fleet, for Isard, for Thrawn. Only the first layer worked, and even then — our fleet suffered such losses that declaring victory would be, at the very least, foolish. In case you've forgotten, let me remind you. The fleet at Brentaal IV lost two-thirds of its ships, destroying a little over half of Orinda's strike group of Star Destroyers. We also lost three interdictor cruisers, while the remaining eleven destroyers escaped the trap under the protection of the Dominion's Red Star squadron."
"But they didn't join the Dominion," remarked Leia Organa-Solo. "The commander of that formation made a denunciatory speech, stating that they had been thrown into battle without support or escort. According to him, Grand Admiral Thrawn refused to accept them into his armed forces, and they deserted, vanishing somewhere in the southeast of the galaxy."
"Oh, really, Councilor Organa-Solo?" the Bothan looked at the woman condescendingly. "And since when do we believe that Thrawn isn't making every effort to consolidate power over a large number of Star Destroyers? Or have you forgotten that he has a Super Star Destroyer somewhere that has yet to show itself in the galaxy? Or do you entertain the thought that the appearance of the Lusankya and the fleet of ships captured from us at Lianna is some kind of delusion or trick? No, I personally do not think so. Thrawn is leading us by the nose, executing his plans. And I am more than certain that those eleven destroyers are somewhere in a part of the galaxy not under our control, preparing to strike where we cannot offer resistance. And they answer only to Thrawn."
"You think Thrawn deliberately staged this spectacle to avoid having problems with Orinda?" the thought dawned on Leia.
"Well, there you have it — I'm not the only one visited by this bright idea," the Bothan smiled. "Yes, that is my belief. And I can say with certainty — the ships that fell into the trap at Brentaal IV had crews on board, most of whom had expressed a desire to join Thrawn's campaign. I suspect the Imperial Ruling Council deliberately sent them after the Lusankya to thin their numbers in battle with our defense flotillas at Rendili. And thereby reduce the potential for internal military discontent. If they had managed to capture the Lusankya, it would have negated all of Thrawn's successes, showing the military that Orinda was not in a catch-up position either, and that she knew how to conduct her own military operations against the New Republic."
"And if they all died, it would help Orinda get rid of potential traitors," said Mon Mothma.
"That is also true," the Bothan agreed. "And Thrawn, who clearly calculated our ambush at Brentaal IV, came to their aid when Captain Vivant and his colleagues were in a hopeless situation — destruction or capture. At the same time, Thrawn himself was destroying our flotilla at Sarapin. He calculated your plan, General Bel Iblis. And, as usual — used it for his own purposes. He effectively saved the Imperials from defeat at Brentaal, destroyed the ambush set for him, capturing General Antilles. And, since we did not participate in the attack on Lianna, while the ships that went missing over the last six months in the confrontation with Thrawn 'made an appearance' there, only one conclusion can be drawn: Thrawn captured the Lusankya. And he did it for exactly the purpose for which he had been planning to capture our star cruisers all along. He attacked Lianna, seized the equipment he needed, destroyed the defenses of Santhe/Sienar Technologies, and now can effectively declare himself a monopolist in the field of TIE series starfighter production."
"We discussed that possibility," said Leia. "That's why we refrained from the attack."
"The blockading forces were supposed to strike Thrawn precisely when he launched the provocation," Mon Mothma noted.
"Except Thrawn struck our blockading forces first," Fey'lya continued. "He destroyed or captured the ships of all ten task forces. And then staged a 'miraculous salvation of Lianna from the Republic threat.' And received as a reward all the technology and resources that the New Republic supposedly controlled or had captured. You'll see — in a few days or weeks, Thrawn will announce that he found and captured everything we supposedly evacuated from Lianna on the Lusankya and the star cruisers that fled from Shohashi. To confirm this, simple logic can be applied: the 'Republic fleet' fought to the death with the mercenaries defending Santhe/Sienar Technologies, but surrendered immediately as soon as Thrawn appeared on the horizon."
"Thrawn wasn't there," Bel Iblis declared.
"Yes," Leia agreed, feeling a sucking emptiness inside. "The Red Star is commanded by Eric Shohashi."
"Pay attention to how often the Butcher of Atoa takes direct part in high-profile operations," Fey'lya suggested. "We know he is a competent enough officer — the kind few exist in the Imperial Remnants. Perhaps what we are seeing is career advancement within the Dominion. But, it seems to me, Thrawn nevertheless participated in the battle for Lianna."
"And what is your certainty based on?" Bel Iblis inquired, displaying clear distrust.
"On the fact that, according to Bothan intelligence, Lianna had reached an agreement with a large number of mercenaries, pirates, and also with Moff Grann of the Allied Tion sector to ensure its own security. But not one of these allies ever arrived to aid the Liannans. Care to ask why?" the Bothan asked.
"Stop putting on this circus, Councilor Fey'lya," Mon Mothma advised. "If you have something to report to the Council, then do so. We have an emergency session of the Senate coming up, where the councilors will be asked some very unpleasant questions."
"You will be, but not me," Fey'lya clarified with sarcasm in his voice. "But, very well, I will share the information. At some distance from the Lianna system, along the shortest route from the Allied Tion to the planet, Bothan intelligence discovered a battlefield. Dozens of ships of various types were literally destroyed. Many of the starship wreckage simply cannot be identified, but they clearly do not belong to the Imperial class. We suspect these are the very mercenaries who were supposed to come to the rescue in the event of an attack. But someone destroyed them. There are also some fragments of Imperial warships. Comparing the number of destroyed starships, a direct conclusion can be drawn: whoever the victors were, they clearly arrived there on Imperial Star Destroyers."
"It could have been Moff Grann," Leia suggested. "Especially since our intelligence indicates that he left his fleet core's base of operations with ten destroyers, and not one of them has returned yet."
"What a wonderful coincidence, isn't it?" Fey'lya smirked. "Eleven destroyers desert from Orinda, ten destroyers clear out of the Allied Tion. Yet Lianna is effectively in ruins. Meanwhile, the Allied Tion sector possesses significant light forces — they have over a dozen escort carriers, a squadron of Corellian corvettes, and half a dozen Protector-class heavy cruisers. And, according to the latest information, there are supposed to be more destroyers held in reserve. For the next few years at least, they won't be able to build anything other than equipment and ground vehicles — the Dominion took everything from them that wasn't destroyed during the 'Republic fleet's' attack. Even the orbital defense stations, just like on Coruscant, Balmorra, Sarapin — they simply towed them beyond the range of scanning equipment and that was it — no one was able to locate the stations again. Thirty stations on Lianna, dozens at another location, more dozens at yet another... General, do you understand what this means?"
"I would like to hear your opinion first, Councilor," Bel Iblis said in a falsely conciliatory tone.
"Certainly," the Bothan readily agreed. "Thrawn is outright robbing us. I don't know how he manages it, but he is clearly transporting all these stations to wherever he needs them. At the expense of our defensive capabilities, he is increasing his own. Not to mention the fact that Golan Arms has sold off nearly all of its stations from storage."
"And the Bothans who've been buying up planetary weaponry across the galaxy have nothing to do with this?" Mon Mothma asked, her tone deceptively casual.
Leia noticed Fey'lya's fur bristle for just an instant, but within a second he was doing everything in his power to calm himself down.
"No, Bothawui is not involved in this," he said.
"Let's say I believe you," the Chandrilan said. "However, it's still not clear to me exactly what you're trying to convey to the Council. What's the core idea behind your reasoning?"
"Very simple," Fey'lya declared. "No matter what plans we try to use to rein Thrawn in, he's always one or two steps ahead of us."
"Is that why you decided to claim we were involved in the attack on Lianna?" Leia asked, stunned.
"Yes, exactly for that reason, Councilor Organa-Solo," the Bothan declared. "For the exact reason that our military command and this Council lack something critically necessary to surpass the Dominion. It's tiny compared to us, yet it lands painful blows. Every operation we run ends in our defeat. Every trap we set for Thrawn becomes our trap. We know Imperial spies work inside the Imperial Palace, but we plan operations, we discuss them here, and yet we cannot find the source or sources of the leak. What kind of government are we?"
"Am I wrong, or have you strayed from the subject, Councilor Fey'lya?" Mon Mothma inquired in an icy tone.
"No, I'm still on the same subject," the Bothan said casually. "I just considered it necessary to share what's weighing on my heart. So, now about why I was bold enough to claim our involvement in the attack on Lianna. General Bel Iblis, tell me, how many successful operations against the Dominion have we conducted this year?"
The Corellian's hologram flinched as if he'd been slapped.
"Not a single one," the Bothan declared. "And most of this Council has been Thrawn's prisoner at one point. But I'm the only one who drew the necessary conclusions. While you try to spin our near-defeat at Brentaal as a victory, I had enough courage and intelligence to claim the operation at Lianna. For the exact reason that you," he jabbed a clawed finger toward Bel Iblis, "couldn't plan a proper trap at Rendili and Brentaal. And you kept telling the New Republic that the Lusankya wasn't lost, that it was undergoing trials — even though deep down, every one of you already knew what had happened to it. And you couldn't accept it. You act with half-measures, and as a result, the New Republic suffers defeat after defeat. My single statement, taking responsibility for something we didn't do — but it would have been a guaranteed victory, whose mythical successes outweigh the losses — brought us stability! Am I wrong, Councilor Organa-Solo, if I say that the Sullustans and the Sluissi have stopped grumbling because they're afraid for themselves?"
"That's primarily because we've made payments for repair work," Leia countered.
"Oh, spare me, stop lying to yourselves," the Bothan sneered. "If we'd kept quiet about what happened at Lianna any longer, we would have lost their faith. If we'd denied that we did it — we would have lost more sectors. Sullust, or Sluis Van, for that matter."
"And by agreeing, we've doomed ourselves to having to answer for what happened!" Bel Iblis barked. "Where are we going to get all those machines and technologies? What will happen to our reputation the moment Thrawn shows the galaxy the Lusankya under his flag?"
"Were you really a senator, dear General?" the Bothan asked defiantly. "Do you understand politics?"
"This is starting to sound like an insult," Leia declared.
"It's an acknowledgment of incompetence in the current reality," Fey'lya stated. "You condemn the Bothans for our approach to politics and business. But if you'd listened to us even a little, if you'd stopped pouring water in our fuel tanks even a little, you'd see what can be achieved. Look at Thrawn. Look closely at what he does. Nothing stops him. He practically doesn't care about the other Remnants, even if he doesn't say it openly. He does what he must, the way he sees fit. And he wins. He does it the Bothan way! And he always comes out ahead. Unlike us."
"Stop promoting yourself, Councilor," Mon Mothma cooled the Bothan's ardor. "You'll have your time during the election campaign. Speak clearly and to the point."
"You don't even have the tact or the understanding to see what's happening," Fey'lya shook his head. "You're afraid Thrawn will show the galaxy the Lusankya? Yes, he will. But not today, not tomorrow, not in the next month — he can't do it that fast."
"What makes you so sure?" Leia asked in surprise.
"It's simple, dear Councilor," Fey'lya said condescendingly. "A month is the perfect time for him to start up all the necessary production lines, repair the ships that participated in the battle, train crews for them, and so on. If he announces his supposed capture of that fleet that attacked Lianna anytime soon, the galaxy's peoples will start asking — if you're so smart and strong that you could do that, why didn't you capture them when they were first moving in to assault Lianna? Yes, we know he didn't take that step because he had no need to prevent the attack. He staged it himself. That means he's become a hostage to circumstance — he'll have to keep playing the spectacle he started. So he'll hide the Lusankya. That's why he didn't bring out his second Executor-class Super Star Destroyer, but instead sent the Crimson Dawn — so no one would think he has equal forces for a war with us. He's building a political reputation by achieving loud victories, supposedly with small forces or against our superior units. Small numbers — great achievements. That's why people admire him. Don't you see that he's using our own PR strategy against us? Remember how many worlds joined us after we destroyed the first Death Star? We did it with just a handful of fighters..."
"And a lot of casualties," Leia clarified.
"We suffered defeat at Hoth, but the Empire wasn't exactly celebrating when the balance of forces became clear. The Death Squadron against a handful of rebels with no warships? And the result — a destroyed base and only some of the rebels? That's not a victory, that's humiliation! We redeemed ourselves at Endor — and that was the zenith of our glory. We continued the campaign and beat the enemy in our usual style — with smaller numbers, destroying the enemy piece by piece, making them fight among themselves. And people admired us. But now? We have about ten thousand warships — from frigates and gunboats to star cruisers and Star Destroyers. Thrawn is lucky if he has a twentieth of that. But we keep our ships at bases, while he picks off our small forces and attacks them, beating them. The galaxy mocks the Imperial Remnants that have numerical superiority over Thrawn in ships and manpower but do nothing. They laugh at us because despite having the largest forces in the galaxy, we can't do a thing to him."
"You're wrong," Bel Iblis declared. "We've already predicted his next strike."
"Sluis Van?" Fey'lya asked in a bored tone. "You know, that's almost tedious. You've repaired hundreds of Imperial ships after first disarming them," Leia nearly choked at the audacity of how he framed it — "and now you're scrambling to scrape together crews for them. Meanwhile, Thrawn holds hundreds of thousands of our career military personnel as prisoners, people who are motivated to fight against him. To take revenge for his defeating them."
"Yes, except there isn't a single Bothan among them," Leia stated. "I wonder why that is, given your campaign against Thrawn at Ciutric IV?"
"The campaign was against Prince-Admiral Krennel," Fey'lya corrected. "And that, along with Isard's deception, taught us Bothans simple lessons. We didn't wait or ask the New Republic for permission. We bought our own soldiers and officers out of captivity."
"And in doing so, you acted like separatists!" Mon Mothma's hologram exclaimed. "How long has Bothawui been operating behind the New Republic's back?"
"We act in the interests of our people," the Bothan cut her off. "If you think the best option is to keep millions of our career military personnel in either filtration camps or Thrawn's captivity, you are very mistaken. Our former prisoners are already reporting that hundreds of thousands of our soldiers — who believe they've been betrayed by the New Republic — have gone over to the Grand Admiral's side. And I warned you!"
Leia exchanged a shocked glance with Bel Iblis.
What in the galaxy was happening here?
Where was the Bothan going with this?
"One way or another, Thrawn has returned our soldiers to us," Fey'lya declared. "And by the ruling of the clans, I am authorized to state that not all the pilots of Rogue Squadron were destroyed."
"What are you talking about?" Mon Mothma narrowed her eyes.
"You'll find out during my election campaign," Fey'lya smiled. "Bothan intelligence, unlike Republic intelligence, actually works. But back to the subject of our conversation. As I said, Thrawn won't announce anytime soon that he supposedly recaptured Lianna's equipment from us — that would raise too many questions, including whether it was staged. He doesn't need that right now, not at all. He's building up his strength and reinforcing his defenses. Why? I think it's the same reason he attacks our key worlds — Coruscant, Balmorra, Bespin, Sarapin... We've become so unaccustomed to having to fight an enemy in our rear that our defenses are worthless. But after his attacks, we scramble to reinforce them. Wouldn't you agree, General Bel Iblis?"
"Yes," the Corellian admitted reluctantly. "Are you about to tell us that you now believe Palpatine survived as well?"
"Not exactly," the Bothan said, busily examining his claws. "But, for example, our scouts have determined that it's impossible to reach the planet Byss — which was spoken of in Imperial times as a paradise for settlers. The navigation system doesn't work. To be more precise, it doesn't work with the old identification codes."
"It could be a trap by Thrawn to divert our attention," Mon Mothma suggested.
The Bothan shook his head as if disappointed in something.
"In that case, I suggest thinking about why Thrawn struck specifically at the Core Worlds," he said. "And then we had the provocation at Lianna. We threw all our forces into defending Coruscant and Balmorra, now we've pulled forces into the Core Worlds because we're afraid of a repeat of Brentaal and Sarapin — while he's dealing with us at the other end of the galaxy. From where we pulled ships to support the Core Worlds. I'll remind you that Thrawn openly indicated he would attack Sluis Van. Literally in plain language."
"And what do you propose?" Leia couldn't hold back.
"I propose we hit the Grand Admiral with his own weapon," Fey'lya said harshly. "Since he's not announcing the capture of the Lusankya at Rendili, he needs it for his own purposes. The most obvious one is provocation in our name. Look at the whole picture. He's getting rid of Imperial warlords. Krennel, Devian, some x1 at Mustafar," Leia glanced at Mon Mothma to see if she intended to tell what Leia's brother had told Leia herself, but the Chandrilan shook her head slightly. So the time for the stories of x2 and Gray Squadron hadn't come yet — "right now he's probably taken control of the Allied Tion sector fleets and Orinda's strike group, but he's hiding them to avoid direct conflict with the Imperial Remnants. We know we didn't attack the convoys of Grand Moff Kaine, Krennel, or Lianna — Thrawn is doing it for us. That confirms his fight against the Imperials. Why he's doing it is his business. But he's literally handing us a reason to strengthen our position on a silver platter! We could easily declare, 'Yes, those were our operations!' and that would increase trust in us! We could finally 'confess' that it was us who destroyed the Ubiqtorate, instead of denying it out of fear of what Thrawn is planning! With a couple of interviews, we could regain the people's trust. Explain to them that yes, we've had failures, but we also have successes. Thrawn certainly isn't going to go tell the whole galaxy that he's fighting against the Imperials — otherwise the Remnants would destroy him. Simply because they'd be afraid: what if they're next? Like what happened with Zsinj. And they're excellent reasons to restore our reputation — we just need a little more will."
"You do realize that the moment Thrawn announces the 'capture' of the Lusankya, we'll be in a difficult position?" Mon Mothma clarified.
"Do you really think so?" the Bothan chuckled. "Thrawn likes to release videos of his battles. But any staged holorecording will be exposed by our specialists. He understands that. So he won't do anything beyond yet another statement. But we learned from the fact that the Grand Admiral keeps his word, didn't we? As I said, we have about a month until he figures out how to announce his 'triumph.' Well then, let's hold him to his word. He did ask us to return the Lusankya to him, didn't he?"
"As I recall, he preferred to abandon that idea and allowed relatives to buy prisoners out," Bel Iblis frowned.
"Read between the lines," the Bothan advised. "The moment he announces that he supposedly captured the Lusankya, we'll immediately issue a denial, saying we transferred the ship to him as a gesture of good will and demand our prisoners back. We need to evaluate his previous statements — how many prisoners he promised for the Lusankya — and demand them back. And do the same for every ship he declares captured but provides no evidence for. He's left enough vulnerabilities and loopholes in his public appearances to be held to his word. So we just need to wait."
"This is nonsense," Bel Iblis declared.
"Playing with fire," Mon Mothma supported him.
"It might work," Leia said.
Everyone present, even Fey'lya — with whom the young woman had traditional sparring matches — looked at her in surprise.
"Explain yourself, Councilor Organa-Solo," Mon Mothma demanded.
"Councilor Fey'lya is, oddly enough, right," the former princess stated cautiously. "We're not accounting for the fact that Thrawn is fighting us on multiple fronts. Military and informational. He so generously offered us exchanges, but at the same time understood that we wouldn't go for such a deal. So why not hold him to his word? We can't get the Lusankya back anytime soon anyway. But we could free our people from captivity without spending a single credit on their ransom. That would boost our authority and combat effectiveness. Especially since, if we assume for a moment that the Bothans' reasoning about a one-month timeframe is correct, by then we'll have a huge number of new ships entering the fleet that need to be crewed. By the Force, we could even go on the informational offensive ourselves — say that we transferred the Lusankya to him and demand our prisoners in return. Any attempt by him to wriggle out of that agreement, citing changed principles, would play into our hands. If he refuses to exchange the prisoners, citing something, we'll launch an information war against him, say that his word is worthless and he can't be trusted."
"And that would serve as a good lesson for those systems and sectors that intend to join the Dominion," Fey'lya picked up. "They'll understand — or we'll make sure they get the message — that Thrawn can't be trusted because he only keeps his word when it benefits him. He'll fall into an informational-logical trap."
"That might work," Mon Mothma agreed.
"Only if the ship really is with Thrawn," Bel Iblis said sharply.
"What do you mean by that statement?" the Bothan asked, practically radiating smug superiority.
"That it might not have been Thrawn in the end," Bel Iblis declared. "I'll remind you that the trap was also designed for Isard. And we're concluding Thrawn pulled it all off based only on the information we were given — that there are two Ice Queens, one working for Thrawn and the other not. But we've already dealt with one of them, or it was a ruse. She lured our fleet into a trap, and we lost a lot of good people."
"The information that Isard cloned herself could have been disinformation," Mon Mothma agreed. "But I doubt Thrawn would forgive Isard's betrayal — she gave away his location."
"That's why I'm saying it could have been a ruse," the Corellian stated. "She could have been acting according to his plan, and all those stories about a clone are nothing more than another piece of disinformation she deliberately fed to Rogue Squadron to lure them out or confuse us."
"But Isard sent the Rogues to assassinate Thrawn and Devian," Leia reminded them.
"And it all ended with the destruction of Rogue Squadron's roster, the rout of Devian's fleet, and x1," Mon Mothma said grimly. "We're surrounded by a web of disinformation, lies, and contradictions. In a situation like this, you can't say which course of action is the right one."
"Easier to just sit and do nothing, right, Councilors?" the irrepressible Bothan prodded his colleagues. "So what if the Lusankya isn't with Thrawn? That's even better? We'll say we negotiated with him. Imagine how pathetic his excuses will be — 'Prove it' or 'Show me the evidence.' That kind of talk doesn't suit any ruler, let alone a commander. His entire image as a noble fighter for 'truth' will be destroyed in the eyes of the galaxy, because those kinds of excuses sound like an attempt to hide his involvement and avoid being caught red-handed."
"Promising initiatives, Councilor Fey'lya," Mon Mothma said. "We'll consider them and decide on the best course of action. For now, the people's support truly is important to us..."
"Given the upcoming elections for head of state, isn't that right?" the Bothan grinned predatorily.
Leia remembered that Fey'lya had mentioned survivors from Rogue Squadron and promised to present the data during his election campaign, which was about to begin.
As soon as the new year arrived — the tenth after the Battle of Yavin IV.
But for some reason, neither Bel Iblis nor Mon Mothma even bothered to press the Bothan on what he meant.
Perhaps they simply didn't believe Borsk, since the destruction of the Rogues had always been confirmed by objective control data from Republic ships or observation satellites.
The only exceptions were the Rogues' battle at Distna, where the fates of Tycho Celchu and Asyr Sei'lar remained unknown.
And Sarapin, where the data from the planet's observation satellites had been damaged and couldn't be recovered.
A memory surfaced of the attack on the Hast shipyards, when Fey'lya, using his authority, had seized the data from the Mon Calamari — information about the battle and the identification data of the attackers.
Perhaps something similar was happening now.
But Bel Iblis maintained that all the Rogues had been found and identified among the wreckage...
Except that Corran Horn and Wedge Antilles himself hadn't been found, but it was assumed they'd been taken prisoner...
But even if one of them had survived, it clearly wouldn't help Fey'lya — none of them would say a word in his defense or support, because that particular Bothan's true attitude toward Rogue Squadron was widely known in the New Republic Defense Forces.
"Esteemed Council," Leia said, remembering her promise to her husband. "I'd like to report that repair work on the Imperial ships, as well as Admiral Duplex's flotilla, is nearly finished at the Sullust and Sluis Van shipyards. Within a day or two, all weapons systems will be installed, and only crews are needed. The Sluissi are directly demanding that we vacate the shipyards because they have large civilian contracts. Over a thousand transport ships from all over the New Republic are concentrated at the system's borders, awaiting their own repairs and upgrades."
"Unfortunately, we don't have enough crews right now to move all the ships out," Bel Iblis said. "I'll send an order to General Solo to get the starships out of the docks so the Sluissi can fulfill their obligations under the New Republic's transport contracts."
"Indeed, the congestion of transports not only disrupts logistics in the south of the galaxy but also makes the Sluissi nervous," Mon Mothma agreed. "The amount of goods in the system is already estimated in the billions, is that right, Councilor Organa-Solo?"
"Yes, Councilor Mothma," Leia confirmed. "Repairing the Imperial ships has played a huge trick on us — because of the wear and tear on our transport fleet, we have to repair a large number of starships; many of their systems are worn out from frequent and continuous use in service to the New Republic. Furthermore, by noon tomorrow, according to the schedule, several hundred more of our GR-75 transports from the Second Fleet are due to arrive for major overhauls, and the number of ships at the system's borders will increase. It will become a traffic jam, and movement within the system will grind to a halt."
"Most of those ships belong to private traders or former smugglers who were brought in by the Council to restore state logistics and interstellar trade," Fey'lya snorted. "They can wait a while."
"They can't," Leia said firmly. "Han and Lando Calrissian have already had several meetings with their representatives. Our transport contracts have expired. The ships delivered their cargo and are waiting for payment, repairs, and for us to fulfill our other contractual obligations. Our own freighters and transports can wait, but not the private contractors. If we make them wait too long, they'll either leave the system or never work with us again. We'll lose our authority and the cargo."
"The Council understands that," Mon Mothma said. "General Iblis, as an expert, could the ships be fitted with their weapons in space rather than on the slipways?"
"Of course they could, but it would create certain difficulties," the Corellian said. "The Sluissi, like the Rendilians, are used to working with ships up to two kilometers in length in orbital docks, since the main docks on those stations can be sealed and filled with a breathable atmosphere, making work easier for the personnel."
"And they're equipped with hyperdrives too," Counselor Fey'lya suddenly remarked, squinting.
"Why that observation, Counselor?" Mon Mothma asked.
"Because the Sluissi can move the dryards closer to the transports, so they can work on eight to ten ships simultaneously," the Bothan explained.
"That's no longer for us to decide," the Chandrilan cut in. "The Sluissi are not our slaves, but allies. And certainly, we won't interfere with our suggestions in their current operations. It's enough that the Verpine, after Thrawn's attack on the Roche asteroids, still haven't managed to restore their shipyards. General Iblis, continue."
"For external assembly work, of course, ships can be moved to the docking bays of those same dryards and worked on from barges, with the crew in spacesuits," the Corellian said in conclusion to his explanation. "However, that could slow things down, since repairs would take longer compared to working in an atmosphere-controlled dock."
"How much longer?" Mon Mothma asked.
"A day, two, maybe a week," Bel Iblis's hologram spread its hands. "Work in space is half as efficient as in atmosphere."
"Leia, you'll need to convince the Sluissi, together with General Solo, that the New Republic will not hold them liable for the delay in mounting weapons on Imperial ships," Mon Mothma declared. "Let them take those ships out of the dryards and work on civilian transports first. We'll transfer the advance payment for repairs by the end of today."
"Besides, on the destroyers and other Imperial ships, we only have duty shifts and watches," Bel Iblis stated. "That's enough to move the ships to the finishing and refitting site."
"Of course, I'll inform them," Leia said. "But the question of Luke, Wedge, and General Madine remains."
"Intelligence is working on an operation to locate and free them," Mon Mothma said.
"I understand, but..." the girl hesitated. "Thrawn still hasn't told us anything about their fate."
Honestly, she feared the Grand Admiral had secretly handed Luke over to Palpatine, if the latter was truly alive. Thrawn had spoken of the Emperor's desire, but where was the grain of truth in that ocean of lies?
"Leia, dear," Mon Mothma said, her tone almost maternal, addressing Darth Vader's daughter, "we are doing everything possible to find and free them. Do not doubt it — as soon as we know more than we do now, you will be informed immediately."
"Yes, of course," Leia sighed.
"I propose we adjourn the meeting here," Mon Mothma said. "The next regular session will be scheduled for the first day of the new year..."
"Wait," Fey'lya protested. "Is that it? Do we have no more pressing issues?"
"And what else do you wish to discuss, Counselor?" Bel Iblis inquired. "Do you want to repeat how you supplied our enemy with audrodium or whatever, in exchange for the lives of your kind?"
"No," the Bothan snarled, his fur bristling so visibly that even on the hologram it was plain to see. "I want to know what measures are being taken to repel the attack Thrawn has planned on Sluis Van!"
"The defense of the Sluissi homeland is impenetrable thanks to over a hundred orbital stations of the Golan-II and Golan-III types," Bel Iblis stated categorically. "And besides Admiral Duplex's fleet, there is a sector fleet of more than two hundred Mon Calamari cruisers. Thrawn isn't foolish enough to attack now — even the duty crews and watches on our Imperial-class ships would be sufficient to drown any fleet he could possibly bring through the main hyperspace arteries linking the north and south of the galaxy in a sea of fire."
"Perhaps, as with the promise to visit Coruscant, Sluis Van is nothing more than a distant target, and he will strike elsewhere in the galaxy," Leia suggested.
"Perhaps," Bel Iblis agreed. "All fleets have been put on combat alert after the attack on Lianna. If the esteemed Counselor Fey'lya is right, and Thrawn personally participated in the destruction of the pirate and mercenary fleet at Lianna, and Shohashi commanded the operation, then they cannot reach Sluis Van in less than five or six days. And our full crews will have been on the repaired ships for several days by then. If he does come, he will be destroyed."
"You speak as if you hope Thrawn will come to Sluis Van," the Bothan snorted.
"Because that's exactly the case," Bel Iblis said firmly. "I've analyzed him and calculated. Let him just try — and nothing but wreckage will remain of his fleet. Then I, at the head of our fleet, will reach the Dominion, and we will eliminate this threat once and for all. He's used to winning and has grown complacent, thinking we're a bunch of incompetents. No matter — I will destroy the Empire's thirteenth Grand Admiral with his own weapon."
Leia's experience with Bel Iblis, other politicians, and military leaders, along with an unmistakable whisper in the Force, gave her the understanding that this particular Corellian's words were not just empty talk.
Something was happening on Sluis Van, right under her nose.
The girl felt icy shivers run down her spine the moment the voice link cut off.
So that's why Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma had been so skeptical of Fey'lya's words and proposals for an information war against Thrawn!
It seemed that Bel Iblis, not trusting the communication systems, had indeed set a trap for Grand Admiral Thrawn.
But those same snares had been set before.
What guarantee that it would work this time?
If Thrawn struck Sluis Van and won, the Sluissi would definitely leave the New Republic.
And with them — the entire sector.
And the adjacent ones.
And everyone connected in any way to the Sluis Van shipyards.
And that was, at the very least, a tenth of all southern sectors!
"I hope they know what they're doing," Leia thought.
* * *
"Sir, if possible, I'd like to speak with you in person," Captain Tyberos's hologram flickered as the ship accelerated past the light barrier. "It's a delicate matter and..."
"Captain, you are on active duty in the Dominion's armed forces, so if you have something to say — say it; if not — keep silent," I advised.
The mask with its glowing lenses moved aside, removed by the officer's hand.
The expression on Tyberos's face could be summed up in a short phrase: "He's clearly furious."
And I suspected I knew the reason for his foul mood.
"Sir, I want an assignment to destroy the killer of my friend and mentor, Eymand," Tyberos said slowly, visibly restraining himself.
As I suspected.
Not that it was hard to guess.
Headquarters reports casualties to their relatives.
Even though Eymand wasn't that and had no relatives, I decided Captain Tyberos should know of the loss.
After all, I had used both of them without compunction.
I do have a certain measure of sympathy for a friend who has lost more than a friend.
And a plan for this situation.
Originally, I had hoped to use Mara Jade to eliminate Skywalker, should he cross the line.
But she has proven useless so far.
So why limit myself to just one counterweight?
"You will have it, Captain Tyberos," I assured him. "You will have your chance to destroy the self-proclaimed Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker. As soon as you are ready. And when he is no longer useful to me."
"Sir," Tyberos ground his teeth. "May I request something more concrete in terms of timing?"
"Of course, Captain," I agreed, glancing out the viewport. "You are heading to Sluis Van as part of the strike fleet... Stay close to the Chimera, and you'll know when the time comes."
Judging by the bulging jaw muscles on Tyberos's face, he had expected a more precise order.
But some things in this life you have to figure out for yourself.