Ten years and twenty-second day after the Battle of Yavin…
Or the forty-fifth year and twenty-second day after the Great Resynchronization.
(Seven months and seventh day since the Arrival.)
Even on the hologram, it was visible that the fur of this particular representative of the Bothan race was standing on end, no matter how hard its owner tried to present himself in the best light.
"Admiral!" The voice of the head of state, Fey'lya, carried many intonations. Argentis had no doubt that if he were a member of the Follyn race, the entire space around him would be filled with pheromones identical to fear and anxiety. "The New Republic is counting on you and your military talent! You and your fleet are the last hope of the entire democratic world that we can defend our capital."
Duplex, commander of the remnants of the First Fleet of the New Republic Defense Forces, sighed surreptitiously.
"Sir," he addressed the head of state unobtrusively. "I have repeated this to you many times, and I can repeat it just as many times more. Coruscant is lost and doomed."
"Bothan analysts, having studied the intelligence information, indicate that Grand Moff Kaine lost two dozen Star Destroyers and almost fifty smaller ships to break through our defensive formations," the Bothan stubbornly insisted on his biased opinion. "The chances for a successful counterattack exist."
"Really?" Argentis smiled unobtrusively. "Then why do I not see your mentioned Bothan analysts among my officers?"
The Bothan's fur rippled.
"Don't forget yourself, Admiral," Fey'lya said harshly and acrimoniously. "Just as easily as you received your post, you can acquire a new place of service."
"In that case, I am confident that the New Republic has a large number of officers willing to lead the First Fleet in a counterstrike on Coruscant," Argentis declared in a calm tone. "I have no doubt, and am convinced to the depths of my soul, that among our Military Command there are dozens of admirals and generals who can handle the operation to break the blockade of our garrison better than I can."
The strike hit its mark.
The Bothan grinned predatorily, and his eyes began to burn the talkative Zeltron with a hateful flame.
Admiral Duplex knew where to strike.
After Fey'lya's victory in the elections for head of state, a significant number of prominent commanders, both in the Navy and the Army, had resigned.
This was related to the fact that the Supreme Commander, General Bel Iblis, who had supported the defeated Mon Mothma, also left his post in protest (and in fact, set an example for his zealous supporters), though the official reason is not exactly known.
But the fact remains — the command chain of the New Republic Defense Forces collapsed.
The Battle of Sluis Van, the defeat at Sullust (like all the previous ones), the secession of the Sluissi from the state, Mon Mothma's public support for the actions of Bel Iblis, Leia Organa Solo, Han Solo, and Lando Calrissian in using the control codes for the 'diggers' to counter the capture of New Republic warships (which resulted in their destruction) — all this, and much else, defeat after defeat, led to the loss of faith among the citizens of the New Republic in their own government.
Spontaneous protests arose across the galaxy; sectors and star systems severed diplomatic and even trade relations with the New Republic and seceded from it.
Thrawn's death, of course, largely predetermined the desertion of many territories, but the way Fey'lya used all of Mon Mothma's unpopular decisions for his victory led to the actual split of the state.
A significant portion of the newly enlisted military did not like the dirty truth that had surfaced about 'Rogue Squadron.'
The desertion of Horn, his collaboration with the enemy, the cover-up of existing Fleet problems, even the revealed attempts of the Provisional Government to physically eliminate Thrawn by hiring assassins, the unpopular filtering actions for those returned from captivity — that was the information package which, together with hundreds of others, the Bothans played during the election campaign of their kinsman Fey'lya.
Many heroes of the Rebellion, including those already mentioned, took the position of a 'necessary evil' that needed to be committed to oppose Grand Admiral Thrawn and preserve the New Republic.
The justification of their actions sounded pathetic, implausible, and therefore placed them in opposition to the newly minted and numerically superior military of the Republic.
Especially those hundreds of thousands of former prisoners of war who languished in Dominion captivity due to Mon Mothma and her supporters' unwillingness to rescue their own troops.
And even when it happened, instead of being sent to crew the construction or repair of starships, they were placed in filtration camps, where they remained until the head of state, Fey'lya, by his order, arranged for the release of the military and their return to the Armed Forces.
Who knows, had these prisoners been returned immediately when the opportunity arose, the confrontation with the Dominion might have unfolded more successfully than was demonstrated by Mon Mothma's trusted confidants — Admiral Ackbar and General Bel Iblis.
But Fey'lya did it, a man considered in political circles a narcissistic power-luster who would inevitably 'lead the New Republic to collapse.'
This was the result of the steps taken by the 'heroes of the Alliance,' while the aforementioned Bothan, though by not the most popular methods, was saving the state from collapse and civil war.
The situation of confrontation between political elites was gaining momentum and becoming truly threatening for the young state, since Fey'lya, almost immediately after his election victory, nearly gave the order to arrest everyone his colleagues had listed as 'traitors.'
This greatly displeased all those who understood that the Bothans were simply conducting a purge of command positions, which their protégés would soon occupy.
The situation 'smelled of rhydonium.'
Argentis didn't know exactly how, but everything was resolved peacefully.
Mon Mothma's supporters left the New Republic, forming the Alliance in the northwest of the galaxy, the core of which became the Mon Calamari Sector.
A significant number of veteran military personnel, most of whom had started their service as rebel insurgents, followed them.
The Bothans calmly let everyone who wanted to leave go.
And even the accession of the Hapes Consortium to the Alliance did not play a major role.
Politicians who were Fey'lya's supporters dismissed the Hapans, commenting no differently than: "The New Republic never got much benefit from them anyway. The Hapans were with us because their prince is still in love with Princess Leia, and there was never any talk of cooperation."
Apparently, the split occurred definitively and on mutually beneficial terms, since it's hard to imagine how the new Republic government turned a blind eye to the fact that dozens of warships, along with their crews, simply left their posts and joined the Alliance.
Malicious tongues (and most likely — Alliance propaganda or the Dominion's revenge) claimed that cases of crew desertion with their starships were occurring so massively that the Second Fleet had gone over to the Alliance in full force.
In reality, this was not the case at all.
It's just that, as always happens in such cases, the propagandists mixed dozens of facts together.
From what Argentis knew, the Second Fleet was indeed planning to desert in favor of the Alliance. And they expressed their desire based on Fey'lya's intention to deal with the 'Mon Mothma faction.'
Apparently, those very treaties led to Mon Mothma and her supporters leaving unhindered, taking with them only a few ships — the latest deliveries from the Mon Calamari Sector, for which the New Republic hadn't even paid yet.
In exchange, Fey'lya got a society of the New Republic that, though impoverished, was literally eating out of his hand.
And Defense Forces that had lost all their renowned commanders but were confident in their superiority over the enemy.
And the transfer of new MC80b-class Star Cruisers from the Mon Calamari in the previous weeks, practically compensating for the losses from Grand Admiral Thrawn's actions, only fueled revanchist sentiments.
Why didn't Admiral Duplex follow the heroes of the Rebellion and join the Alliance?
Because he had grown thoroughly disillusioned with them.
Listening from the sidelines to tales of their exploits, you admire the heroism and the consequences of their actions.
But once you get pulled into the thick of it, you start to realize that things aren't at all how Republican propaganda, fed by Mon Mothma, painted them for the entire galaxy.
Zeltrons weren't known for holding grudges, but Argentis couldn't forgive Bel Iblis and Han Solo for the recklessness that had cost hundreds of thousands of Republican servicemen their lives.
Half a million sentients — the best in the Fourth Fleet — had ceased to exist overnight.
All because the operation's command had never bothered to grasp that Grand Admiral Thrawn's plans NEVER have just one layer.
And the obvious solution to a problem is far from obvious.
The most obvious solution is a trap.
Argentis didn't flatter himself with the thought that he had managed to "outthink" the late Dominion warlord.
But he gave credit to his ingenuity and cunning.
And he saw no shame in using the lessons he'd learned himself, applying them against the enemies of the New Republic.
Admiral Duplex considered the division of democratic elites wrong.
Yes, he disliked the current government.
Yes, he had plenty of complaints against the Bothans.
But he had taken an Oath, and he wasn't about to break it.
And it wasn't even about the fact that he commanded the best of the New Republic's fleets (or rather, what remained of it) and had received that position based on a decision from a head of state he found about as appealing as a greased rancor.
It was simply that concepts like "honor" and "conscience" existed.
And fleeing the state, tail between your legs, just because people you find distasteful have taken the helm of the New Republic...
That's selfish.
And it directly demonstrates the true attitude of the "Alliance heroes" toward the democracy they praise so highly.
Instead of political struggle and acknowledging mistakes in order to correct them — flight and outright sabotage, calling on the New Republic's military to abandon their service.
For Argentis, that hypocrisy was precisely what played the key role in the choice he made.
Fey'lya's face went through an indescribable play of emotions before he pulled himself together.
"Much depends on your mission, Admiral," he repeated. "Both your standing in your post and..."
"The head of state's reputation," the zeltron added to himself, struggling to keep a straight face.
."..and the faith of Republican citizens in the greatness of our armed forces," and their entire policy, Fey'lya masked his own interests behind the "needs and aspirations of the people," which, for the most part, he couldn't care less about.
As long as the people's interests didn't conflict with his own.
"And the lives of thousands of our troopers from the Coruscant garrison," Argentis added calmly.
"Yes," Fey'lya hastily added. "That too. I wish you luck and success in your mission. Your new flagship will prove itself in this battle, I have no doubt that we finally have a weapon capable of fighting Imperial Star Destroyers on equal terms."
"The battle will show whether the Rendili words match their deeds," the admiral replied diplomatically.
The head of state's hologram vanished, and the zeltron finally allowed himself to relax.
His new flagship was called the Reptavian and was the newest combat vessel to enter service with the New Republic Defense Forces that year.
Fey'lya had ceremoniously presented it to Duplex after the Rendili had completed construction and trials of the starship a few weeks earlier, simultaneously announcing the admiral's promotion to commander of the First Fleet of the New Republic Defense Forces.
It had all been staged with great pomp, as if honoring heroes.
No, Fey'lya had, of course, wrapped his words in rhetoric sweet to any type of auditory organ, talking about how only one admiral in the New Republic had managed to inflict any serious damage whatsoever on Grand Admiral Thrawn's forces.
Those in the know understood that those words weren't worth a decicred.
No matter how hard Argentis tried, he couldn't jump over his own head.
He had no clean victories over the Imperials or Dominion forces in the last campaign.
But the mere fact that the trap at Brentaal IV had worked and the Imperial Space fleet had suffered significant losses, and that during the Battle of Sluis Van he had managed to destroy Dominion Star Destroyers without any crazy initiatives like mass ramming with far-from-cheap and valuable transport ships, somehow set Admiral Duplex apart from the general mass of Republican commanders who had remained true to their Oath.
Yeah... Fey'lya knew how to ignite hearts with fiery, denouncing speeches about patriotism.
Of course, it was a complete coincidence that the new ship was transferred to the fleet with such lavish fanfare right when questions started being asked about where the Lusankya had gone and why nothing was heard about it.
And it was hardly surprising that the HoloNet no longer seemed to show those angry messages about the irritating mystery surrounding the fate of the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer.
The Bothans knew how to work in the field of killing news stories when too much depended on their work.
For example — their own political dividends.
The first of its kind, the Reptavian belonged to the Republic-class Star Destroyer type.
And at that moment, it was one of the largest combat starships ever to serve in either the Rebel Alliance or the New Republic.
Reaching twelve hundred and fifty meters in length, the starship was the brainchild of the talented Rendili engineer Walex Blissex, known for creating a significant portion of the Old Republic's starfleet.
The Victory-class Star Destroyers, developed with his participation, had appeared at the end of the Clone Wars and literally turned the tide of the entire war, winning nearly every battle they took part in.
The newest Star Destroyer surpassed the Victory in size, but was inferior in dimensions to the Imperial series. It was for this reason that many commanders considered the technical requirements flawed, believing a starship of such size couldn't fight on equal terms with an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, the backbone of the Empire's and the Imperial Remnants' fleets.
But the Rendili disagreed.
Admiral Duplex had thoroughly studied the starship after taking delivery, transferring his entire surviving crew from Sluis Van onto it, reinforcing them with crew members from the Fourth Fleet's surviving ships.
And he hadn't done this for nothing.
And even knowing that the Republic was an act of desperation by the Rendili to prove themselves in shipbuilding — their challenge to Kuat Drive Yards and the Mon Calamari, an attempt to carve out their own niche by pushing aside the Kuatis who demanded huge sums for their work, or the defected Mon Calamari — the admiral would do it again.
He understood the political subtext of this move.
Given the state budget deficit and growing suspicions of feigned loyalty, the Rendili were striving to create a ship that would become the foundation of the New Republic's fleet, pushing the Mon Calamari ships currently occupying that niche into the background.
By doing so, they would not only demonstrate their goodwill toward the Republic and personally toward head of state Fey'lya, who had put more effort into preserving the New Republic's industry and military machine than his predecessors, but they could also make a tidy profit, given that at that moment, only they could produce this type of ship — the Republic-class Star Destroyer.
And for now, of course, only on paper, but Argentis had no doubt that the Rendili had achieved what they set out to do.
Besides the fact that the new destroyer's crew numbered just eight and a half thousand — almost four and a half times less than the comparable crew requirements for the Imperial series — the Republic surpassed the Imperial I in firepower by twenty percent.
Yes, it was weaker for a one-on-one fight with the Imperial II, but at the same time it cost half as much and was significantly more effective than the Star Cruisers pushed through by the Mon Calamari and Mon Mothma.
Its armament consisted of forty dual turbolaser cannons, half of which were mounted in the bow, and the rest evenly distributed along the sides.
Forty heavy turbolaser cannons, ten guns each, protected the ship from every direction — bow, stern, and both flanks.
Two dozen ion cannons were arranged on the same principle, but with five guns per direction.
Ten tractor beam projectors also played a significant role in battle.
As did the three thousand two hundred soldiers this starship could transport in its deck barracks.
But today, those bunks were empty.
Republic-class Star Destroyer
The Reptavian wasn't delivering reinforcements to ground forces on the battlefield — it intended to evacuate them from it. And so, along with fifty Star Cruisers, a large number of transport starships were moving toward Coruscant, tasked with descending to the surface at evacuation points during the battle, picking up the remnants of New Republic troopers, and then, under the cover of the starfleet, retreating to a rendezvous point where part of the rescued personnel would be transferred from the overcrowded transports to combat starships, to prevent strain on the starships' life support systems.
Yes, the ship wasn't without its flaws.
The first, and in Admiral Duplex's opinion the most significant, was the lack of point-defense weaponry. Laser rapid-firers could have ensured the ship's safety much better than an air wing.
Which also had its issues.
Due to the drive to increase firepower, the developers had been forced to halve the hangar and cargo space from the original project.
Now the Republic could boast only thirty-six fighters and bombers on board.
Exactly the same number were carried in the hangars of Mon Calamari Star Cruisers, but at the same time, they didn't have such impressive weaponry.
Production and design work on the new ship had been completed on an accelerated schedule right after Rendili was thrown out of Thrawn's Imperial sphere of influence.
The Republic, not least thanks to the efforts of then-Councilor Fey'lya, had taken Rendili and Bestine IV into its fold.
Almost immediately afterward, rumors started that these two planets were "planted by the Jedi." This was based on the fact that it was Rendili that had supplied Thrawn with the upgrade kits that made his heavy Dreadnaught-class cruisers significantly more combat-capable than anticipated.
From Bestine IV, a significant number of technical specialists who had once worked for the Empire had moved to the Dominion and were now working for the enemy. However, despite the loss of a significant portion of its engineering personnel, the oceanic shipyards on the planet were putting considerable effort into helping democracy fight the imperialists of Orinda, the Alignment, and other Remnants, as well as the militarists of the Dominion (of course, if they ever dared to venture out of their sectors, where they had fled in disgrace as soon as Thrawn died).
It was on this planet that the "Republican Engineering Corporation" was based, founded almost immediately after the creation of the New Republic, whose headquarters on Coruscant were now abandoned, with everything necessary moved to the production facilities on Bestine. According to rumors, many projects for the future New Republic fleet had been developed there, but there were currently no opportunities for large ship production — the rapid construction of small craft was a priority.
At that moment, Rendili and Bestine formed a shipbuilding cluster that ensured the quickest repair of Republican starships, not to mention the non-stop production of small craft.
Argentis had no doubt that if the Reptavian performed well in this confrontation in Coruscant's orbit, Rendili and Bestine would organize mass production of these ships.
It was possible that Sullust, which was currently taking a wait-and-see approach but hadn't left the New Republic, unlike the Sluissi, would also join them.
Argentis knew that if not for the Imperial offensive, Fey'lya would have started implementing a massive rearmament program for the Republican fleet, which desperately needed it.
The state needed exclusively combat starships in its Armed Forces, not outdated, retrofitted Mon Calamari-built transports.
The MC80 series had done a lot for the victory of democracy, but after Dac seceded from the New Republic, it was pointless to keep relying on these obsolete starships.
They no longer met the demands of the time, and buying spare parts from the Mon Calamari would cost a fortune.
Admiral Duplex intended to test this Reptavian in battle against a strong, numerically superior enemy.
But if Grand Admiral Thrawn had taught the Republican military anything, it was that the holds of capital ships should always be full of "surprises."
And today, Grand Moff Kaine would experience firsthand what it felt like to be on the receiving end of an attack at Coruscant.
* * *
Developing a military doctrine for an entire state, one that occupies a place in the galaxy — even if not the largest — is not as simple as it seems at first glance.
Especially considering that only two people are working on it — me and Vice Admiral Pellaeon.
But I cannot entrust the strategy for the state's further development to anyone but myself.
Even if I had dozens of the most experienced Grand Moffs, it wouldn't change the situation one bit.
Even though at the meeting with commanders of large ships and formations I revealed a lot, I still didn't reveal everything.
Far from everything.
Trust is earned, and living with an open heart, sharing every single secret — that's not me at all.
Especially considering the fact that, given my true nature, problems can arise even where you least expect them.
Not many people are privy to the fact that, besides the obvious threats from the Emperor and his forces from the Deep Core, the Imperial Remnants, the New Republic, and the Alliance, there are other threats.
But hiding the existence of the Yuuzhan Vong any longer is pointless and frankly stupid.
When you have millions of military personnel and hundreds of billions of civilians behind you, who have voluntarily renounced faith in the Imperial values of the New Order and understand that from now on we have no allies, even among Imperials, it is immoral to hide from them the threat looming over all of us.
Yes, perhaps not explicitly, not in so many words, but the civilians have been informed that we have no "friends" beyond our borders in the galaxy.
Only "partners," and that's a different level of interaction.
Grand Moff Kaine and the Pentastar Alignment he leads have fulfilled all our agreements, and now he acts openly solely in his own interests.
Maybe in the future, when Palpatine's piece (if that ever happens) is knocked off the political board and the time comes to step out of the shadows, we can act together.
Yes, if the Alignment threatens us on Palpatine's orders, I will certainly not stand idly by and will do everything possible to deflect Kaine's blow.
But you need to understand that predators have been released into the arena.
And their prey is not just the New Republic and the newly formed Alliance, but also other predators deemed weak.
The general principles of the Dominion Military Doctrine can be briefly described: we act from a defensive posture but switch to a crushing offensive the moment we realize that someone or something threatens the integrity of the state or the lives of its population.
There are no restrictions for us on the weapons we use — even the "unconventional" nuclear warheads, which the sides avoid using due to long-standing agreements and the fear of consequences, will be used by us if the threat warrants it.
Although, it must be admitted, the "voluntary ban" on the use of nuclear weapons by warring parties is nothing more than a fiction.
Experience shows that any international agreements can be broken, any weapon can be used if any side in a conflict wishes it, just to achieve a long-awaited victory.
It's doubly strange to hear about "unconventional weapons" in a galaxy where planets can be blown up by battle stations, a solar ionization reactor can be dropped on the surface of an inhabited world, or orbital bombardment can slag the ground...
A thin and utterly hypocritical game of playing "the good guys."
Well, we haven't gotten to nuclear weapons yet, because you can deal with enemies in this galaxy without radioactive contamination.
Besides, you'd have to be a bit unhinged to destroy the worlds you're fighting for, or plunge them into the cold of nuclear winter.
And it doesn't matter if it's part of your own state that was occupied by the enemy, or a planet you intend to conquer.
I made a vow back in my time — nuclear weapons and anything comparable that scorches inhabited worlds will become nothing more than a last resort in the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong.
If I still treat the population of this galaxy with some loyalty — they're supposedly "ours" then the invaders from beyond the explored worlds are "aliens."
And in the struggle for "our own," you don't spare "aliens."
But that's just a digression.
Given that the Dominion's heartland lies on the predicted vector of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, we cannot discount the risk of losing part of our territory.
Which means that military production will also be either damaged or destroyed.
That's precisely why the Dominion's regular fleet is primarily focusing on sectors and systems whose annexation will significantly improve our position.
More resources automatically equals a larger number of ships, military equipment, supplies, and weapons.
Dispersing production, or rather, creating duplicate production facilities in different parts of the galaxy — that's insurance in case we can't hold the core of the military-industrial complex in the heartland.
That's why I need to seize territories favorable to the Dominion in advance.
It takes time to build up production there — both military and civilian — and to take care of their defense.
Unfortunately, we are not the Empire, and therefore cannot fully fund multiple projects at once.
Given that there is still plenty of time before the Yuuzhan Vong invasion to strengthen the borders (while remembering that their scouts have been here for quite a while) and prepare properly, strategic confrontation with the extragalactic invaders takes a backseat to tactical concerns.
And the main funding continues to flow into expanding the military-industrial complex of the heartland itself and the Karthakk system.
The latter is our staging ground for covert operations "under a false flag" and the production of "unlicensed" copies of items for which I had and have no licenses.
Moreover, the Karthakk system is meant to become, over time, the starting point for the conquest of the eastern sectors of the galaxy's Outer Rim. But those are plans for when the threat of Palpatine has been eliminated.
Currently, nearly a tenth of the funds allocated from the budget for stabilizing and "accelerating" our military-industrial complex is being invested in developing production in the Karthakk system.
As it happens, Karthakk concentrates production that doesn't yet exist in the Dominion heartland, such as the manufacture of Xg-1 assault gunboats, engines for Star Destroyers, turbolasers, beam-type laser cannons, planetary ion cannons and planetary turbolasers, planetary shield generators, Lambda-class shuttles, Scimitar assault bombers, and a good dozen other items.
And conversely, in the Dominion heartland, production is in full swing of laser cannons based on MandalMotors technology, used as anti-aircraft guns; factories are being set up for the production of armored vehicles, army weapons and ammunition, TIE-series small craft that serve in the Dominion Armed Forces; and more and more new factories are being built.
From the disarmament of Ennix Devian's inhabited sphere, we acquired a large number of industrial assembly lines, allowing us to produce almost all the necessary equipment for the construction and repair of starships.
The exceptions are the same Kuat hyperdrives and navigation equipment, gravity well generators, and Lianna solar ionization generators.
But we have at least obtained the latter items in the form of data schematics, and factories are being built.
In the heartland.
In Karthakk, they will only be built after we have firmly established our military-industrial complex in the sectors of the galaxy's north.
If I placed the same technologies and productions stolen from Lianna, as well as those openly obtained in battles, like the operation against Belsavis, in the Dominion heartland, then producing the same Golan-type defense stations or Kuat hyperdrives is a whole different matter.
For such "indecencies," Golan Arms and Kuat Drive Yards could easily organize a crusade against me.
In the market economy reigning in the galaxy, direct competitors are not particularly liked.
Especially those who produce your own technology, disregarding licensing fees to the creator of the technologies.
Given that the Karthakk system is reliably defended and it's impossible to get in bypassing the defense perimeter, it makes sense to invest in it, creating duplicate production facilities similar to those in the Dominion heartland in the galaxy's north.
And something tells me it's time to start planning an operation to seize the entire Karthakk sector itself.
Because it's physically impossible to fit everything needed inside a single system with a small number of planets.
Part of the routine production, such as electronics, terminals, control panels, and much more, can be moved outside the system and placed in the worlds of the Karthakk sector.
Fortunately, this territorial entity, not too close to major hyperspace routes, is a "pirate free zone" in the galaxy, and the interest of the New Republic, whose borders are quite close, is minimal here.
Thus, no one will shed a tear if criminals are burned out here with tempered durasteel.
If Intelligence is not mistaken, the population of the sector's planets will, for the most part, be grateful for such an outcome.
Even if the pro-Imperial government is not exactly welcomed with open arms.
Of course, there is a great deal of work ahead, but it is not the priority at the moment.
Strengthening the borders and economy of the Core Worlds always remains paramount in my plans.
All while not forgetting about systems like Yalara, Cholganna, Karthakk, Soulex, Svekk, Horn and a number of others where rich deposits and remote locations allow for stockpiling reserves and "preparing for the worst."
Karthakk in the east, and Yalara and Svekk in the south — these are springboards for the expansion of the Dominion.
Whatever military actions are waged against enemies, the creation of duplicate production facilities and the expansion of borders presuppose complete autonomy for parts of the Dominion.
In other words, full cycles of all necessary production required for that part of the Dominion to exist even cut off from the Core Worlds and other territories.
Why exactly this way?
Why do I intend to eventually abandon the further transportation of necessary military-industrial complex products between the territories of the Dominion?
It's simple.
The war on the enemy's communications, as I wage it, has demonstrated to the galaxy all the "delights" of dispersed production.
As soon as a convoy with transports, even with an escort, leaves the limits of protected borders, it becomes vulnerable to the enemy. Whoever it may be — a pirate or a soldier of an enemy state.
To ensure the safety of such transports, hundreds of combat ships from the Dominion's regular fleet are already involved.
And that means colossal expenditure and, to some extent, wear and tear on the starships' materiel.
It is far simpler for the enterprises of the military-industrial complex to be concentrated and depend not on export deliveries across half the galaxy, but only on internal transportation within their own territories.
There, even if destructive forces like the same pirates are present, they are few in number, significantly easier to track, and can be eliminated even by the Defense Fleet forces.
Yes, creating numerous duplicate production facilities is difficult, economically costly, and, in the opinion of, say, the Imperial military industry, excessive.
But we are not the Empire.
We do not intend to win through quantity, only through quality.
Extracting the maximum from everything we have and receive.
If only the restoration of the ancient cloaking device from the planet Yalara — one capable of hiding an entire planet from everyone — would proceed less slowly than it currently does.
But, unfortunately, archaic technologies and a lack of understanding of even the operating principles of most of the device's mechanisms force me to come to terms with this disagreeable reality.
Because I have far-reaching plans for that cloaking device.
Of course, stygium could be used for a similar effect, but calculations indicate it simply won't be enough to make even one planet "disappear."
Hybidium is useless for this — what good is a planet or moon hidden from all types of scanners and emissions if not even starlight can penetrate the cloaking screen?
Utter darkness, surface cooling, winter… Honestly, that would be quite a turn of events.
An extreme one, I would even say.
And very risky, considering we are directly dependent on hybidium supplies from Garos IV.
And that planet is located in the Mid Rim, quite far from the borders of the Core Worlds.
Yes, it has been turned into a fortress, and squadrons of Star Destroyers regularly patrol there, escorting arriving and departing transports with food, equipment, and resources.
But one must understand that none of the fortress planets — Garos IV, Trogan, Kelada, Columex, Makem Te, Chasin, and Susevfi — could withstand any serious fleet offensive without support.
One could, of course, keep a dozen or two Star Destroyers in nearby systems to ensure reinforcements arrive at the right moment, but how many times have I myself struck first at reinforcements while the main target remained "for dessert"?
One cannot underestimate an enemy who, just like me, might first throw their forces into destroying the reinforcements.
The only comfort is that the planetary defenses are designed and organized to hold the enemy just long enough for aid to arrive from the Core Worlds.
Without some special means, superweapon, or Jesuitical cunning, fortress worlds cannot be taken "on the fly."
But if the enemy does have that very "crowbar" against which there is no other defense but a similar "crowbar," then, however selfish it sounds — there's nothing to be done.
That system will be lost, whether I want it or not.
However, the "dispersal of duplicate capacities" situation has a very serious problem.
"Personnel decide everything," Comrade Stalin said in May of 1935 to graduates of military academies.
And this phrase reflects the heart of the problem now more than ever.
You can plan as much as you like, but the precise execution of the plan is just as important as the plan itself.
While the issue with squadron commanders has been resolved for the time being, and the civil-military administration is slowly, creakingly, taking shape, the scientific and engineering thought process…
The warning signs have come more than once.
Now we are approaching a limit we do not wish to see.
Honestly, I had never really thought before about why there are so few well-known names in the "Star Wars" universe, especially among shipbuilders.
In my understanding, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of designers and shipwrights must work, and do work, in shipbuilding companies — each developing various projects that, after approval, are realized in metal.
But it's not like that at all.
The reality is that in small shipbuilding companies, there are only a few specialists who can develop the blueprints and project for a starship.
Each such worker is worth their weight in aurodium, which fills the holds of supertransports.
The larger the corporation, the… more insignificant the increase in employees of this type.
The conservatism of shipbuilders primarily ensures low competition.
A corporation that develops starships builds a reputation and can produce spacecraft of the same type for decades, making only minimal revisions and improvements based on client requests.
Companies only chase the development of new starships when a need arises and an extremely solvent client appears.
For example, during the preparation for war or in its process.
"Kuat Drive Yards" is a certain exception in this case, because they not only develop starships for customers but also produce them, including military ones (especially military ones), for their own needs.
Which, generally speaking, no corporation in the galaxy with similar areas of focus does.
The Kuati can afford to build dozens of types of warships that won't even be purchased by a customer.
Because they develop them, among other reasons, with their own needs in mind.
No buyer found? No problem.
We'll send them to our own fleet.
That is precisely why Lira Wessex or her father — the creators of the "Acclamator," "Venator," "Victory," and "Imperial" are so famous.
They brought into being the most mass-produced and most famous starships of their time.
Earning enormous sums for it.
And they continue their work.
Granted, Lira Wessex vanished from the view of "Kuat" and the entire galaxy when the Eclipse-class Star Dreadnought disappeared from the shipyards along with elite specialists.
And it's safe to say that since the ship is with Palpatine, so too is the team of specialists who essentially created the entire line fleet of the Galactic Empire.
And that is a problem.
Because, according to stories from none other than Zion, Lira Wessex intended to rectify the flaws of the "Imperial."
She even kidnapped her own father for this purpose, who only narrowly escaped and now continues to work at "Rendili StarDrive."
Judging by the pompous presentation of the "Republic"-class Star Destroyer, quite successfully.
And that is yet another reason not to relax, since this ship was supposed to have been built only after the end of Palpatine's life, during the period of global fleet modernization for the New Republic.
Though why be surprised?
History has been changed, and I am the one who derailed this train.
But only now, six months later, do I understand why numerous military and civilian personnel, lower and mid-level workers, arrive in the Dominion, while top-class specialists like Ryan Zion are in no hurry to leave their comfortable positions.
It is disadvantageous for shipbuilders to change jobs because in a new place they will have to build what they are ordered to, not what they themselves want to develop.
You cannot make a name for yourself — like the Wessex family — by reworking other people's ships or coordinating the production of someone else's design.
And a name, reputation, and glory are precisely what attract such self-absorbed personalities as shipbuilders.
I managed to "rein in" Zion, and, albeit reluctantly, he was able to readjust, understanding that he is blacklisted everywhere.
No doubt rumors of his move to my command spread through the shipbuilding community, which is, in fact, not as large as it might seem.
According to Zion's own admissions, it's a little over a hundred and fifty sentients, each of whom bitterly dislikes successful colleagues and dreams of getting rid of competitors.
What happened was something I did not foresee, not understanding the "inside workings" of the shipbuilders.
Since the Dominion's newest starships did not appear on the battlefield, in the understanding of the rest of the brethren, Zion is a failure.
Someone who achieved nothing under my command.
And if that's the case, then there's nothing to be found in the Dominion.
You won't become famous here.
Deep modernizations of existing ships — that's "not the same," it "doesn't count." After all, it's just reworking existing projects.
Yes, it was loud, since the very same "Dragons" sparked a wave of discussions and interest on the "HoloNet."
But it died down as quickly as a hurricane when the pressure equalizes.
There's no mass application.
There's no originality.
The more clearly I see Zion's urge — now and then — to change the technical specifications so that a relatively new combat ship emerges.
That's why he wants to transfer all Vindicator-class heavy cruisers to the "Immobilizers."
Hence the reworking of the "Interdictor" and the initial reluctance to oversee the modernizations of the "triples."
Because that's time he could have spent creating a completely new starship, one which, in the hands of the Dominion, could make a name for itself across the galaxy.
Reconciled to his fate, Zion tries to make up for it not with quality of work, but with its quantity.
A bold and novel direction for shipbuilders, to be fair.
But at the same time, this postulate also indicates that if I ever manage to lure another such shipbuilder to the Dominion, it will require practically a special operation, like the one I managed to pull off with Zion himself.
On the other hand, it is worth noting once again that building completely new types of large starships is, for us, a practically unaffordable and excessive luxury.
Creating small ships at the existing shipyards in the Oplovis and Quelli sectors does not go through such thorns, for the simple reason that there are no shipbuilders there — as with labor migration, as soon as orders disappeared at their previous workplaces, these specialists headed where the chance of getting a cozy spot and a large salary turned out to be much higher.
But, to be fair, one shipbuilder did flee the shipyard in the Oplovis sector to the New Republic.
Because he was, in fact, a Republic specialist.
Among other reasons, that's why I conducted operations to capture combat spacecraft of Imperial designs.
If the books of the Expanded Universe are to be believed, they performed well in repelling the Yuuzhan Vong threat.
They and the few Star Destroyers of Republic designs, like the "Republic" and the not-yet-launched "Nebula."
As long as we have Star Destroyers in stock and the possibility of their modernization and improvement, there is, strictly speaking, no need to build their analogues.
Only workers and money are needed for refitting existing ships.
And while obtaining the latter is no longer a super-problem, the workers…
At the moment, Ryan Zion has created a good foundation for the long-term modernization of the ships we have.
A major restructuring lies ahead.
And, since Zion has already demonstrated himself sufficiently in developing the groundwork, considering the number of shipyards, including orbital docks, it is worth focusing on finding chief engineers who can become the main managers and controllers of repair and modernization work on our starships according to Ryan Zion's projects.
Consequently, Dominion Intelligence has another task: working deep behind enemy lines.
"Grand Admiral, sir," the comlink crackled with Captain Tschel's voice. "Sorry for the interruption, but you asked me to inform you when the 'Chimaera' is half an hour from exiting hyperspace."
In other words, we have almost arrived at the rendezvous point with Corran Horn.
"I'll be there in five minutes, Captain," I replied. "Inform the support ships to switch to 'yellow' alert status."
Tschel didn't respond immediately.
"Sir, do you think we'll be expected at the rendezvous point?" he inquired cautiously.
"I'm certain of it, Captain. We're heading straight into a trap.
And if it turns out otherwise, I will be seriously disappointed in Corran Horn."