"I decidedly don't like what's happening," Lando declared, setting a mug of cold caf on the table.
"What specifically about all that's happening?" Talon Karrde inquired, glancing with a bored tone at the holographic map of the space around Sluis Van.
"Everything," the dark-skinned man replied. "What kind of strange attack is this? They flew in, deployed droids, lost ships… Medium transports don't just drift around the galaxy on their own — they cost money."
"Maybe for those with a few more credits than you, Calrissian, the loss of a few ships isn't a problem," the "Claw" noted, making the melting ice cubes clink melodiously against the sides of his glass with a light hand movement.
"A few?" Lando rolled his eyes. "Eighty-seven ships! Yes, most of them are junk held together by rust, but there's eighty of them!"
"And seven more," Karrde corrected the number.
"That's a whole transport fleet," his interlocutor continued lamenting. "If I had that many starships…"
"As far as I know, Thrawn has already hinted for you to come under his banner," Karrde said. "So what's stopping you? You could ask him for a transport fleet, live richly…"
Calrissian remained silent.
"And still, that attack was strange," he repeated his thought.
"But effective," Karrde declared. "He got the ships without much trouble, the crew could have been droids, the soldiers… The Empire never considered them worth attention. And the droidekas and buzz droids are just expendable resources, nothing more."
"That sounds like a very profound logical thought is about to follow," Calrissian snorted, refilling his mug from the carafe.
He took a sip of the cold caf and grimaced in dissatisfaction.
"This stuff is as disgusting cold as it is wonderful at near-boiling temperatures," he shared near-scientific wisdom based on personal experience.
"Probably," Karrde said absently, his gaze fixed on the hologram of the Republican fleet.
The transport ships still held position between the star destroyers and their smaller but "heavy" brethren and the Republican fleet.
A supposedly disorganized mass.
Which was positioned so advantageously that it completely blocked direct access from the system's borders to both the Imperial-design ships and the Republican fleet.
At least — its visible part.
"Judging by how you're hypnotizing that map, you're clearly pondering what Grand Admiral Thrawn's next move will be," Calrissian made a guess that perfectly matched Karrde's thoughts.
"Exactly," the "Claw" agreed, taking a sip. "Those transports, buzz droids, and droidekas are just the first step toward something bigger. Toward what exactly — I can't figure out."
"Naturally, he's going to grab all the Imperial ships here," Calrissian stated information well known to every military man on Sluis Van.
"But how he intends to do it — that's the question," the "Claw" shook his head uncertainly. "Bel Iblis has an entire sector fleet on call, almost all the star cruisers of the Fourth Fleet… And Thrawn still hasn't attacked — quite some time has passed. Senators on Coruscant have even had time to quarrel over who fell asleep during the attack on Sullust and why."
"I heard it was pretty hot there," Lando remarked.
"It was a real massacre," Talon said. "Thrawn wasn't personally present — at least the Chimaera didn't take part in the attack."
"One good thing — that whole mass of ships captured at Sullust definitely won't show up at Sluis Van anytime soon."
"Yes, the distance is too great," Karrde agreed. "Moreover, to proceed farther from Sullust along the Rimma Trade Route, the fleet that attacked Sullust would have to slip past Eriadu, and they certainly wouldn't be welcome there — neither Thrawn nor his lackeys."
"You think the one who attacked Sullust has already fled far away via regional hyperspace routes?" Calrissian suggested.
"I'm sure of it," the information broker agreed.
"Well, it's already good that Thrawn's fleet has shrunk by fifty ships — that sounds optimistic."
"I wouldn't say so," Karrde admitted. "No one even really knows how many starships he has altogether. Or what he's actually planning, how he intends to achieve his goals."
"He's hard to understand," Calrissian agreed. "For example, I still can't figure out why the hell he wanted my 'diggers.' They're useless in everyday life. And for mining, unless you dig beneath the surface, they're inefficient."
"You can disbelieve it, but my best people worked on that, and no one ever found anything worthwhile. As if there were 'diggers' in the galaxy, and then they randomly started disappearing."
"And why wouldn't I believe you?" Calrissian asked him with a sigh of sadness. "The New Republic has had entire fleets disappear. Who cares about some 'diggers'?"
"Still, I firmly believe Thrawn does nothing without reason," Karrde declared. "But I can't put the picture together yet."
"I have the same problem with Bel Iblis's plans," Calrissian admitted, pointing at the hologram. "What kind of reformation is that? What's he trying to achieve?"
"After two hours of all fighters, bombers, shuttles, and even jolly boats sifting Sluis Van's orbit searching for buzz droids?" Karrde decided to clarify just in case.
"Well, yes, after the droid hunt, our Corellian commander redeployed the transport starships so that from the system's borders, from the damaged stations — practically a gap in the first line of defense — all the way to the planet's orbit there's empty space, as if an invisible enemy had bitten into our defense and digested a chunk."
"Bel Iblis intends to lure Thrawn into a firing sack," Karrde kindly explained. "See how the interdictor cruisers are lined up? We can't see it from here, but I'd bet a hundred credits that after destroying the spy droids and the remains of the buzz droids, Bel Iblis ordered the gravity trawl vectors to be deployed so that if Thrawn sticks his nose into that 'guts,' he won't reach his goal but will be stopped halfway."
"Then why hasn't he come yet?" Calrissian asked.
"You're the general here," Karrde smirked. "You tell me."
"I left my command boards in the past," Lando declared. "I won't say I was an invincible commander, but… I'm not a stupid man, but I can't understand one thing — what in the hell is going on here?"
"I wish I knew," Karrde admitted. "But information brokers aren't very trusted in the New Republic Military Command."
"Even after you practically started supplying us with intel from your agents on the ground?" asked the surprised Calrissian.
"Especially after that," the "Claw" acknowledged the sad statistic. "Some on Coruscant think I deliberately withheld the number of disguised asteroids in Thrawn's possession."
"Knowing our crafty and inventive opponent, I can say I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he foresaw all this and deliberately showed you those large rocks."
"You think he can see the future, like some Jedi?" Talon was surprised.
"As far as I know, the Grand Admiral doesn't possess the Force. More likely, all his 'foresight' comes from buzz droids on our ships. Perhaps there isn't even a spy in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant at all, and all this is a clever manipulation by Thrawn to mislead us and divert suspicion from the droids."
"You're starting to talk like Republican politicians," the "Claw" smiled with a slight mockery.
"That sounded like an insult," Lando snorted.
"There's no point searching for something that isn't there, — Karrde finally produced, as though giving birth to a profound thought. — Or indulging in self-deception and false reassurance. Which, in fact, is precisely what New Republic officials have been diligently doing lately.
"Can we talk about something else? — Lando suggested.
The information broker noticed his comlink's indicator blinking.
Someone wanted to reach him on his personal frequency.
"No problem, — Karrde agreed easily. — But a little later. I have urgent business.
"So do I, — Calrissian declared. — I'll go foist myself on Leia or Han — cure the boredom of waiting for Thrawn's attack. Or maybe I'll even manage to be useful somehow.
After seeing the dark-skinned man to the door of his quarters, the information broker returned to the holoprojector and activated his comlink.
But instead of a voice, only static came through the device.
"Strange, — Karrde frowned, switching it off.
From the door came a melodic chime — someone wanted to visit him.
Maybe Calrissian had forgotten something. Accidentally, or "accidentally," hoping to overhear something important — it didn't matter.
Unlocking the door, Karrde saw a figure in a dark gray cloak, its hood concealing the uninvited guest's face.
Reaching for the blaster in his holster, realizing this secrecy clearly wasn't for nothing, "Claw" didn't manage to notice the punch to his chest — more like a kinetic projectile impact — that knocked him off his feet.
Flying through the short corridor, the information broker struck the back of his head against the wall and lost consciousness, wondering about the reasons why the guards posted on this floor had managed to let someone through to his apartments without his knowledge.
* * *
Captain Pellaeon crossed the airlock separating the grand admiral's quarters from the Chimaera's corridors with an inexplicable melancholy and dove into the familiar twilight.
"Sir, the unit commanders report they've reached their assigned positions.
"Wonderful, Vice Admiral, — said Thrawn without taking his gaze from his computer monitors.
Pellaeon suppressed the wry smirk that crept onto his face every time he heard his new rank.
Ah... jumping that many ranks at once...
The fleet definitely wouldn't like this — but the gossip would start after the campaign ended.
If his plan worked, the other senior officers would just grumble and calm down.
If it failed, or the losses were too great, he'd face years of backbiting and accusations that he didn't deserve his position.
Deputy Supreme Commander of the Dominion Armed Forces...
And six months ago, he'd mentally criticized every order from that same Supreme Commander.
Hell, even two months hadn't passed since Gilad had gotten rid of that habit.
"What are your orders? — he asked.
"This is your operation, Vice Admiral, — Thrawn deigned to look at him. — Command as you see fit. I created the initial plan; you adjusted it. Your changes have my approval.
"Sir, I'm not sure I have enough experience to see this through successfully, — Pellaeon hesitated.
"Believe in yourself, Vice Admiral, — Thrawn advised. — I will be on the Chimaera's bridge and will shield you from critical errors at the start of the battle. But you will finish it yourself. How, exactly, depends entirely on you. And the result will be wholly and completely your achievement.
Uh-huh... — Pellaeon thought.
For several minutes he stood in complete silence, running through all the reports and briefings in his memory, evaluating and re-evaluating the moves he'd devised...
"We're ready to begin, Grand Admiral, — he finally said.
"Excellent, — Thrawn declared. — Begin, but first synchronize the time of attack with the other units of our fleet. I will arrive on the Chimaera's bridge in fifteen minutes. Be so kind as to deliver our special prisoners there five minutes before the main forces exit hyperspace. I have something to tell them as a final word.
"It will be done, Grand Admiral.
* * *
"Why haven't you redistributed the remaining orbital stations to protect the breached security perimeter yet? — Counselor Fey'lya asked with a hint of distaste.
"With all due respect, leave the questions of military effectiveness concerning the forces entrusted to me within my purview, — Bel Iblis snapped back.
"So that what we observed on Sullust repeats itself? — the Bothan clarified.
"Stop it, — Mon Mothma declared. — General Iblis, please forgive Counselor Fey'lya. The emergency session of the Senate ended not long ago, and we heard many unflattering epithets directed at us regarding the Grand Admiral's attack on our ships at the SoroSuub shipyards. Emotions are still running high.
"This is a factual failure! — the Bothan persisted.
Leia shot a quick glance at the Corellian and noticed the muscles in his jaw working.
"We lost seventy percent of all light forces that were under repair at the Sullust shipyards, — the Bothan continued. — Repairing the ships the Dominion damaged "less badly," didn't destroy or steal, is completely pointless!
"I've been saying this from the very beginning, — Bel Iblis declared. — Reactivating old ships to increase our force numbers is pointless. They won't survive a single serious fleet engagement.
"They were being restored for patrols and to maintain our presence in remote sectors, — Mon Mothma reminded him. — Now we don't even have that.
"Instead, we have a tarnished reputation, a massive bill from SoroSuub, casualties among the Sullustans, and distrust from the Senate, — Fey'lya continued.
"Setbacks on the front during wartime are a completely normal occurrence, no matter how cynical that sounds, — Bel Iblis said restrainedly. — I am sorry for the dead, but the past cannot be changed. The Sullustans, like the Kuati, like dozens of other territories, themselves refused to have our fleet present to guard their systems, betting on their own armed forces. Well, they couldn't handle it. It's regrettable. Now the enemy can use the ships repaired at our expense for his own purposes.
"And what could his purposes be? — Mon Mothma inquired.
"Unfortunately, I can't climb inside Thrawn's head, — Bel Iblis shook his head. — I still haven't been provided data on which ships were destroyed and which were captured, so it's too early to draw conclusions. But I'll speculate that the most logical thing under the circumstances would be to use the captured vessels for exactly the same purposes we intended. Station service, patrol, escort, transport of small troop formations and cargo volumes — even an old starship can be put to good use if you approach the problem with imagination and understanding of the matter.
"In other words, due to your oversight, the enemy has acquired several dozen, if not hundreds, of starships that will allow him to redistribute his own forces and increase the number of combat vessels in those forces he uses against our Defense Forces? — the Bothan asked, raising an eyebrow indignantly.
Leia shook her head in dismay.
They were on the sharp edge of the attack, and Fey'lya was only interested in piling extra blame on someone.
"If I may, I would suggest leaving all the bickering for after we complete the operation to eliminate the threat from the last Grand Admiral, — she said. — As long as he can freely attack our worlds, no one will be safe.
The girl felt a fire of rage kindle inside her at the mere memory of the danger her children had been exposed to on Coruscant during the attack by invisible asteroids.
It took great strength of will to push the shoots of the Dark Side deep down inside herself.
Now was not the time to give in to emotions.
"I support that, — Mon Mothma agreed. — General Iblis, how bad is everything at the moment?
"We lost twenty-seven squadrons of small craft and twenty-three ships from the outer patrols fighting the buzz droids Thrawn sicced on us, — Bel Iblis reported. — Honestly, we were lucky he has a limited number of such highly specialized and not exactly cheap droids. It's obvious he wasn't using pre-stocked volumes of droids and droid tri-fighters, but what he had on hand — otherwise I can't explain the reason for such modest numbers in this devastating attack.
"Modest? — the Bothan repeated. — You lost an entire fleet to some droids!
"Not "some droids," but specialized sabotage droids, — the Corellian countered. — The Separatists developed them precisely for operations like this, but with an emphasis on aviation. Obviously, Thrawn has once again creatively reinterpreted the approach and used them against large ships.
"Can we conclude that he has production capabilities for such droids? — Mon Mothma grew concerned.
Leia also shuddered.
Just to think for a moment that such a ruthless commander as Thrawn might get his hands on Separatist factories — he would drown the New Republic's armed forces in blood within a few months.
The Confederacy of Independent Systems, with its countless armies of droids, could have won the Clone Wars in six months to a year, if, as it later turned out, the conflict hadn't been orchestrated by Palpatine himself.
He had manipulated both sides, weakening and strengthening them according to his plans.
Thrawn, on the other hand, had no need to "spare" the second side of the conflict — in his speeches, he had clearly stated that as long as the New Republic continued to threaten the Dominion and the Empire, he would not back down.
And since any attempt to negotiate a peace agreement with him would be perceived by the citizens of the New Republic as nothing short of betrayal, no one would even look in that direction.
At least, not as long as the New Republic held a quantitative advantage in armed forces.
And from here, there were only two paths — either Thrawn built up his army and fleet, or he reduced the Republic's.
And regarding the latter, he had said he didn't want to do that because of the Palpatine threat...
Leia licked her dry lips.
She and her family members had concluded that the Palpatine threat did indeed exist.
But until it manifested, there were more pressing problems.
"Without intelligence data, you can assume anything, — Bel Iblis shook his head. — If Thrawn has such factories, he could have simply swept our fleet away at Sluis Van by sending an armada of transports loaded with those droids. But he limited himself to a relatively small number. Consequently — either his production of buzz droids, droid tri-fighters, or their components isn't well-developed enough yet, or he used everything he had against us. He could, of course, have acquired all of this on the black market — we mustn't forget that he still holds Mirax Terrik-Horn and her father captive. Not to mention that there's no doubt the Katana Fleet is also in his hands. And as for its location, as we again know, only two people were aware: Talon Karrde and Captain Hoffner. Either of them could also have become a supplier of necessary black-market equipment for Thrawn in their time. Willingly or under duress — at this point in time, that's less important, — he added, casting a quick glance at Leia.
"Karrde is on our side, — she said firmly. — I trust him — he told us everything he knew about Thrawn.
"And that boiled down to the story that the Grand Admiral flew to him at some secret base, the coordinates of which he refused to name, they had a dialogue in which Thrawn hinted at cooperation and consolidation of the Imperial Remnants and Imperial legacy in his hands, and then, for some reason, Thrawn decided to capture him, blacken his name, and destroy his business, — Fey'lya succinctly summarized everything he knew. — Isn't it all a bit too refined and literally riddled with numerous inconsistencies?
"Karrde has been helping us with certain matters, so Thrawn's anger is understandable, — Leia rose to defend the information broker. — He tried to bring "Claw" under his control, failed, and therefore, understanding the scale of his organization, began to destroy it. Because, let's be honest — Karrde can talk about neutrality all he wants, but in reality, he helps the New Republic where we can't find solutions on our own.
"His help comes at too high a price, — the Bothan grumbled.
"Opposing Thrawn is, in principle, not a cheap thing to do, — Bel Iblis sided with Leia. — We have to understand that if he was out of the game all this time, he was certainly watching us. If you review his battles, you can find many tactics familiar to us from past confrontations. Which served as the very reason for his long identification. Even the buzz droids used as spy droids to track our ships — that was the idea of Admiral Trigit, who worked for Warlord Zsinj.
"Let's get back to the situation on Sluis Van, — Mon Mothma suggested in a soft but firm tone. — Another defeat, especially with the forces we've sent to you, General Iblis, is unacceptable. The threat to the New Republic must be eliminated without fail.
Leia understood what the Chandrilan was driving at.
The string of defeats the Grand Admiral had inflicted on them had to be broken here and now.
Otherwise, if Thrawn remained in power at the helm of the Empire's war machine, the New Republic would inevitably face a parade of sovereignties.
Sectors would leave to avoid becoming another "legitimate" target of the Dominion.
Thrawn remained true to his word — he struck exclusively at military targets or the military-industrial complex.
And that was the root of all the problems leading to parts of the state breaking away from Coruscant.
The New Republic, constrained in resources and capabilities, had no other option but to use civilian shipyards and production facilities for repairing and upgrading its equipment.
And, in Thrawn's view, that made the New Republic's allies his legitimate targets for strikes.
The Sullustans were incredibly lucky to have a powerful fleet that, unfortunately, hadn't arrived in time for the start of the conflict at the SoroSuub shipyards and couldn't interrupt the attack.
But the damage inflicted by part of the Dominion fleet on the shipyards, Sullust's defenses, and its fleet, agitated the Sullustans.
And along with them, representatives of other peoples within the New Republic were asking the same question: "Are we protected?"
The more defeats Coruscant suffered, the weaker it would become.
The battle at Sluis Van would be decisive.
If they won, talk of separatism would die down.
If they lost, only pitiful remnants of the New Republic would remain — only its most loyal friends, like the Mon Calamari, or the poorest territories that simply couldn't survive on their own.
The New Republic's confederative structure allowed its members to freely leave the state, and everyone in the government understood that nothing and no one could hold the bastion of democracy together if Thrawn continued his campaign.
Even if he didn't destroy Bel Iblis's forces at Sluis Van, but managed to capture Imperial-design ships, he would have a massive force in his hands that, given all his acquisitive achievements, could eventually be assessed as equivalent to the standards of an Imperial sector fleet.
And that, by the way, was a quarter of all the armed forces of the New Republic Defense Forces!
Many sectors would simply find it safer to become neutral, severing ties with Coruscant, rather than become the next targets on Thrawn's list.
Not to mention that there was a high probability that, for the sake of that same safety and stability, quite a few sectors would join the Dominion — the stream of settlers from all over the galaxy showed no sign of weakening.
While the reverse process — the outflow of population from the Grand Admiral's state — was such a trickle that you couldn't help but wonder: "Could it be that, for once, propaganda actually reflects the real state of affairs in the Dominion?"
Leia hated this thought and drove it as far away from herself as possible.
"We lost all our forward forces, and that's undeniably bad, — Bel Iblis continued speaking meanwhile. — I've already recalled the Sluissi sector fleet to the system to make up for the losses. They've already arrived — forty Mon Calamari star cruisers and escort vessels.
"And by doing so, you left the systems of the sector without cover? — Fey'lya clarified, squinting.
"Yes, — Bel Iblis didn't deny the obvious. — Such are the current realities. I cannot send the Fourth Fleet's ships to defend them — I need them to spring the trap. Therefore, the systems will remain without cover. But I am confident that Thrawn will not attack them.
"Is that so? — the Bothan still couldn't calm down. — And on what is this confidence of yours based?
"On the fact that apart from Sluis Van, there are no longer any military targets in the entire sector, — the Corellian said. — If Thrawn tries to attack them, we'll use that precedent to blacken his reputation in the eyes of the public.
"After all, he said he only attacks military targets, — Mon Mothma understood. — Yes, that might work. And if it doesn't?
"In that case, after the operation is over, I will personally depart for the affected planets to explain to their population the reasons for my actions, — Bel Iblis declared resolutely.
"And how exactly do you plan to defeat him? — the Bothan asked.
"I'm not sure this is an appropriate topic for conversation given the possible spy droids in the system, — Leia said quickly.
"I agree, — Mon Mothma nodded. — General, we — I and the New Republic — hope for the success of your undertaking. Do what you must.
"Certainly, — Bel Iblis agreed, casting a glance at his flagship cruiser's commander, who was frantically gesturing to his commanding officer. — Excuse me, but I need to return to fleet matters.
"Of course, yes, — Mon Mothma said, ceremoniously lowering her gavel onto the wooden block. — The meeting is adjourned.
After the holograms disappeared, the Corellian gestured for the Steadfast's commander to approach him.
"The sector fleet starships have arrived, — he said. — I've transmitted your instructions to them. They're entering the safe zone of the perimeter.
"Any word on the enemy? — Leia inquired.
"Absolutely nothing, — the same officer replied.
"In that case, all we can do is wait and keep the alert button ready, — Bel Iblis concluded.
"It's Thrawn's move, — Leia declared. — I pray to the Force that everything works out, because...
"Single contact at the edge of Sluis Van's orbit!
"It's outside the...
"Identified as an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer.
"Designation: Eternal Wrath.
"Notify all ships! — Bel Iblis perked up at the news of the enemy's appearance. — Inform the flagships of the Fourth Fleet! On my command...
"Sir, long-range communication is jammed — the Eternal Wrath is deploying interference!
Leia's face darkened at the last report.
Read reports of Thrawn's past attacks flashed through her memory...
"The Eternal Wrath has deployed gravity trawls along vectors one, two, ten, and eleven!
"It's staying outside our deployment vectors!
"It's outside the engagement range of our artillery and ships!
"Detecting the arrival of major enemy forces!
"Two Interdictors on the opposite orbit!
"Staying outside our guns' range!
"Sweeper cruisers along the entire circumference of the planet!
"Twenty heavy cruisers on vector one!
"Star Destroyers on vector two!
"Forty contacts on vector ten!
"Sixty enemy contacts on vector eleven!
"Battle stations, all hands! — Bel Iblis barked. — Begin monitoring the situation!
"Garm, — the girl whispered. — Thrawn has cut us off from the Fourth Fleet's reinforcements?!
"I'm afraid so, Leia, — Bel Iblis ground out through clenched teeth. — It looks like I misjudged his tactics. He clearly intends to conduct a full-scale siege, methodically breaking down our defensive structures, while the most logical approach would have been to make a quick raid, capture the ships, and get out of here while the getting was good.
"He doesn't want to capture Sluis Van, does he? — Leia tensed up.
"I don't know, — Bel Iblis declared. — I'll do everything in my power to prevent him from succeeding in anything he's planned. But, — the Corellian looked at her, — I'll need help.
"Talk Thrawn to death? — Leia smiled humorlessly.
"No, — there wasn't even a shadow of an attempt to lighten the mood on Bel Iblis's face. — Go to Han. Take the Falcon, because that ship alone is fast and lucky enough to break through the blockade of sweeper cruisers Thrawn has organized along the entire orbit. I foresee that he will deploy his fleet at the locations of those starships using their gravity trawlers. You must leave Sluis Van and immediately proceed to these coordinates, — he took an information chip from his pocket and literally thrust it into Councilor Organa-Solo's hands. — This is an uninhabited system near Sluis Van. Admiral Duplex and I will hold off Thrawn for as long as we can. You must fly there immediately and take a roundabout route to reach the Fourth Fleet. Bring all their ships here — the faster, the better. Thrawn clearly intends to trap us in a standard "pincer maneuver" he senses a trap ahead and will need time to break through.
"Consider us already on our way, — Leia said, throwing herself toward the exit from the bridge.
"Take care of your safety! — Bel Iblis shouted after her.
But Leia was already thinking ahead — she was dialing Han and Lando, understanding that only an old friend could be trusted in such a difficult time.
* * *
The turbolift doors opened and the guards practically shoved the trio of prisoners out.
Looking around, Luke, Wedge, and Iella made their way to the central dais, where Grand Admiral Thrawn sat in a chair.
Turning to face the main viewport, beyond which white-and-blue streaks of the hyperspace tunnel were visible, Thrawn addressed the trio quietly, stroking the lizard sprawled across his lap.
"Welcome to the bridge of the Chimaera, General, Jedi, Agent...
Luke tried to reach out to the Force, but couldn't.
He looked around but saw no other little creatures on the bridge — only the one the Grand Admiral himself had.
So there was only one here.
If you didn't count the one being carried in a cage by one of the guard-convoyers, but that man was already leaving the bridge, having handed over prisoner guard duty to his comrade.
Consequently, only this one little lizard was actually cutting him off from the Force…
"That sounded like the beginning of a joke," Wedge muttered in response to the Grand Admiral's greeting.
"Yes, perhaps," he agreed easily. "The situation really is comical."
"Why's that?" Iella shot back. "You must not have called us to the bridge to tell jokes."
"You're right there, Agent Wessiri," Thrawn agreed, granting them a look. "You see, the current campaign is nearing its completion. I am attacking Sluis Van, its shipyards, and taking the Imperial-design starships from the New Republic."
"Already?" Wedge blurted in a mocking tone. "I thought we were in hyperspace."
"We are in the process, General Antilles," Thrawn clarified. "The Sluissi sector fleet summoned by General Bel Iblis has just arrived at the shipyards. My diversionary forces have also taken their positions."
"And what is your plan?" Luke inquired.
"Simple," Thrawn replied. "We will destroy your resistance and take with us what does not belong to you."
"Ambitious," Wedge commented. "I wonder how you'll do it."
Iella carefully poked the man between the ribs.
"Despite all of General Iblis's machinations, his defeat is inevitable, as is the return of Palpatine," the Grand Admiral said. "All these tactical moves, undeniably quite ingenious, merely delay the inevitable."
"Sounds like the traditional villain's triumph at the end of a holofilm," Wessiri said.
"Perhaps," Thrawn replied evasively. "However, you are fundamentally mistaken in your assumptions, Agent. I am not a villain. Though that concept depends on the criteria of evaluation and the observer's point of view."
"Now it sounds even more like it," Wedge declared. "Won't you take pity on us simpletons and tell us your cunning plan?"
"Self-deprecation as a form of self-irony bordering on provocation," Thrawn assessed. "Cheap farce, given that I did not invite you here to waste time on unnecessary boasting."
"And why did you invite us, if I may ask?" the Jedi Knight inquired.
"To show how bitter the consequences of delusion can be," Thrawn said.
Around this same time, the Chimaera exited hyperspace.
Luke expected to see a battle scene following the light tunnel, but…
"Where are we?" Wedge wondered.
"Sluis Van," Thrawn readily explained.
"And where is the battle between the New Republic and your forces?" Iella asked, voicing the question that plagued all three.
"Oh, don't worry," the Grand Admiral advised. "We emerged above the planet's north magnetic pole and are currently moving toward the battlefield you so desire."
Luke and Wedge exchanged glances.
A look of confusion appeared on Iella's face.
"You want to strike from the rear," Wedge was the first to figure out.
"With the main forces, yes, the attack will be delivered exactly that way," Thrawn confirmed. "While my diversionary forces engage the arriving sector fleet and break through the defense on the front, the main strikes will be not where General Iblis expects."
"Where the defense is minimal," Luke realized.
"Yes, General Iblis will soon pay for his shortsightedness," the Grand Admiral himself confirmed the correctness of the guess. "All his machinations to deprive me of the ability to use the tactical advantage of the newest weapons are, in fact, worthless."
"You speak as if you've found a way to bypass all the surprises prepared for you."
"I haven't just found a way — I've done it," he pointed forward, inviting everyone present to watch the battle scene unfolding before their eyes.
In all the space surrounding the Sluis Van shipyards, a fierce battle was indeed raging.
The Dominion ships, having surrounded the arriving Sluissi sector fleet, pressed against the New Republic starships that had ended up near the defensive perimeter of orbital defense stations.
The battle was already turning into a classic "brawl" in places, where several heavy cruisers, supported by numerous Corellian frigates and corvettes, surrounded one or several Mon Calamari star cruisers, stinging it from all sides unimpeded, as if ignoring the fact that the Republic ship was firing back.
From the side, it looked very much like an attack by wild animals, predators that fell upon a herd of herbivores, isolating one or two individuals and feasting.
"General Bel Iblis has indeed tried hard to deprive me of the advantage of new types of weapons," Thrawn said. "Do you see those numerous transport ships positioned like two layers of cake around the Imperial-design ships?"
"Their positioning prevents you from striking with your new small craft or disabling the Imperial-design ships with ion cannon fire — those ships that help our forces on the perimeter fight off your heavy cruisers," Wedge noted. "That's why your Venator-class Star Destroyers can do nothing now but stay in the upper echelon and provide supporting fire from their cannons and aviation."
"How does it feel, Grand Admiral Thrawn, to have prepared a new superweapon for so long, only to be outplayed by simply placing old transport ships between you and your target?" Iella Wessiri smiled.
"I will only say that General Iblis has finally learned the lesson taught to him repeatedly," Thrawn said in a calm tone.
"What do you mean?" Luke grew wary.
"Only that your commanders have indeed learned to counter the newest types of weapons," the Grand Admiral continued. "But there is a nuance. Even several."
"And you'll kindly share them with us?" Antilles inquired.
"Of course," Thrawn replied. "Remind me, General, why did the New Republic choose to disarm specifically Imperial military vessels for cargo transport?"
"Because of the large crew requirements and the large cargo capacity, comparable in size to Mon Calamari star cruisers," Iella answered instead of her comrade.
"Yes, the cargo capacity that provides those same Imperial Star Destroyers with long autonomy," Thrawn said in a tone as if he were tasting expensive wine. "Actually, for that very reason I chose Star Destroyers for the main strike: the Chimaera and all those currently under my command."
Luke felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.
He glanced around and quickly found the tactical screen…
"Great Force!" he gasped.
"You have nearly fifty Star Destroyers!" Wedge Antilles exclaimed, not hiding his surprise.
"And they are currently attacking Sluis Van from three different directions," Grand Admiral Thrawn confirmed.
On the monitor, it was clearly visible how, from the north pole and from two opposite points on the planet's equator, at a distance of a quarter orbit in each direction from the site of the frontal strike, the defensive perimeter of Sluis Van was being breached by numerous triangular pictograms.
And from his experience, Luke knew that the tiny green arrows moving from these triangles to the icons of orbital fortresses were by no means mere computer graphics.
These were volleys of turbolasers and anti-ship missiles that were now tearing the hulls of defense stations to pieces, opening the way for Grand Admiral Thrawn's fleet to low orbit over Sluis Van.
In effect, Thrawn had just come from three directions to the rear of the ships defending Sluis Van.
His ships only need to round a quarter of the orbit, and he can reach the orbital shipyards directly.
And the ships of Admiral Duplex (at least, that's how the onboard computer identified them), guarding the shipyard complex and the orbital docks close to them.
"Bel Iblis will stop you!" Wessiri declared firmly.
"He will, without a doubt, try to do so," Thrawn clarified. "The General prepared for this confrontation. And he did so diligently. The problem is only that —" Luke realized that the Republic forces had finally noticed the approach of three squadrons of Star Destroyers and were beginning to redeploy, " he was preparing to counter precision weapons. These transports with which he has flooded the orbit are, without a doubt, crew transport ships that are now manning the Imperial-design starships. Full crews, I'll clarify just in case. And they are also obstacles for direct strikes. But they also serve as ersatz carriers for small craft necessary to strike my ships while we are occupied with the exchange of fire. Numerical superiority in aviation is a fairly common tactical maneuver. I have implemented it myself more than once."
"In that case, your song is sung, Grand Admiral," Wedge Antilles grinned. "Since you are outmatched in aviation, your superweapon cannot fire, and even the Imperial-design ships are combat-capable, so you are clearly in the minority!"
"Besides, Bel Iblis has made all the interdictor cruisers on the orbit of Sluis Van operational," Luke noted.
He had also assessed the situation, but unlike his Corellian friend, he was not quick to rejoice.
Grand Admiral Thrawn spoke too easily about knowing about the trap into which he had been lured.
And in such detail, the mere mention of which Bel Iblis's genius extols to the skies.
A trap within a trap!
In the very spirit of Thrawn.
"Yes, that's how it seems at first glance, General," Thrawn replied to Wedge. "The superweapon cannot be used in the current situation. But the question is different, dear prisoners."
"And what is it?" Iella asked.
"Whether Bel Iblis has learned to pick up stones or not," Thrawn said calmly, looking at the gray-haired man with vice admiral insignia. "I suggest we begin, Vice Admiral Pellaeon."
"With pleasure, sir," he smiled reservedly, adjusting his comlink. "To all Dominion destroyers. Activate tractor beams. Begin launching special cargo."
"No, no, no, no, no," Wedge whispered with eyes wide with horror, watching as, right before the nose of the Chimaera, a medium-sized asteroid launched at fighter speed hurtled toward the New Republic ships.
And behind it, another.
And another.
And a dozen nearby…