Ten years, one month, and thirty-three days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or the forty-fifth year, first month, and thirty-third day after the Great Resynchronization.
(Eight months and eighteen days since the Arrival.)
"The situation is stabilizing."
Such were the first words of Mon Mothma upon the conclusion of lengthy negotiations with the government of Lantilles.
The meeting of the Alliance's high command took place in an exclusively 'narrow circle'.
Only those whom the Head of State considered her inner circle were present.
Bel Iblis, leading the Alliance Armed Forces.
And Leia, who suddenly found herself the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the young state.
Whose authority also included work with intelligence.
More precisely, the meager part of it that the Alliance possessed.
And to be completely precise, that was about a hundred mid-level agents, Kyle Katarn and his partner, and Talon Karrde with his informants.
Lando...
After what happened on Lianna, Calrissian became silent, thoughtful, and did not seek active work with the 'Claw' or the Solo couple.
Han said that Calrissian was still trying to find a new business for himself, having finally decided to leave behind his military and spy career, which fell on him after joining the Rebel Alliance several years ago.
"The government of Lantilles supports us," continued Mon Mothma. "We have signed an alliance treaty and now we can count on them both militarily and economically."
"Sounds good," stated Bel Iblis. "Orinda does not cease its attempts to take Lantilles, despite losses."
"I don't think they will continue to rack their brains any further," Leia said doubtfully. "Soon they will realize that we have no interdictor ships and will simply bypass Lantilles."
A sly smile appeared on the Corellian's face.
"Not everything is as it seems," he claimed. "We do have cruisers equipped with gravity well generators."
"I thought they stayed with the New Republic," Leia frowned. "Or were captured by Thrawn at Sluis Van, Sullust..."
"We lost many ships, but not all," stated Bel Iblis. "You remember how the Alliance operated without having Imperial-made interdictor cruisers on its side?"
"We had several outdated Corellian CC-7700 frigates and Loronar cruisers equipped with gravity well generators," Leia nodded. "But they were all scrapped when we captured Coruscant and the fleet's situation improved."
"Yes, they were sent for scrapping," confirmed Bel Iblis. "And most were destroyed, but we managed to get some. I never thought I would be grateful for the quiet scheming of our rear services, but it is precisely because they sold several such ships on the side that we are not defenseless. We found only a dozen such ships on the black market, but we got them nonetheless. The Lantillians will put them in order, and the Mon Calamari promise to start work on creating their own type of interdictor ship. Now that we have Lianna, working gravity well generator units, it won't be difficult to create something suitable for the fleet's needs."
"Ten ships to ensure the security of hundreds of sectors that have joined us?" Leia could not contain her skepticism. "Aren't you being too optimistic, General? As far as I remember, Mon said we have a very limited budget..."
"Every day we have more and more allies," stated Mothma. "Congress does not yet know about this, but we have received an offer of alliance from the Tion Hegemony. They intend to become part of the Alliance and offer us all the assistance available on their side, including the financial help we so desperately need."
"Oh my..." was all Leia could utter. "This isn't a joke, is it?"
"Not a bit," said Bel Iblis, though his voice wasn't as reassuring as Mon Mothma's. "They're ready to become part of us. But I think you can guess on what terms."
Thousands of guesses flashed through Leia's mind in that moment.
"They want us to solve their historical problems," the Alliance Leader prompted.
Now it was clear why Bel Iblis wasn't as optimistic as the Chandrilan.
The Tion Hegemony had once encompassed vast territories and, tens of thousands of years ago, had been the heart of the Empire of Xim the Despot, a bloody and power-hungry conqueror about whom legends were told.
But that was an extremely distant past.
By the time of the Old Republic's collapse, the Hegemony was experiencing the same crises as the Republicans, only on a local scale.
They had supported the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the Clone Wars, and Count Dooku, the Separatist leader, had paid so much attention to these territories that he established the very first of his many headquarters on the planet Raxus Prime.
After coming to power, the Emperor cruelly retaliated against the aristocratic House Tion, which ran the Hegemony, for their support of Count Dooku.
The Empire redrew the Hegemony's map, carving out the Allied Tion sector, which was currently run by Moff Gronn.
Then the Cronese Mandate, the Indrexu and Keldrath sectors also gained their "independence."
The remaining part of the Tion Hegemony was granted nominal independence, which was considered humiliating in noble circles.
Sectors: Tion Hegemony, Allied Tion, Cronese Mandate, Indrexu, Keldrath, and the Thanium Worlds.
Leia remembered how often her father, Bail Organa, had argued that one day House Tion would side with the Rebel Alliance, seeking revenge against Palpatine for the humiliations and insults inflicted upon them.
Considering that territorial redrawing alone hadn't been enough for the Emperor, he had actively encouraged the humiliation of House Tion.
The new sectors that had gained their "long-awaited independence" had been particularly active in this regard.
And the Noble Houses of Tapani — the Emperor's loyal lapdogs in the galaxy's aristocratic circles.
And so it happened — House Tion had sheltered rebels on its territory, which became obvious shortly after the Battle of Turkan.
But it had been preceded by a whole string of "tragic accidents" that not everyone had believed in.
And even fewer beings knew how things really stood.
"The Hegemony wants to annex Allied Tion, the Kronos Mandate, the Indrexu and Keldrath sectors?" Leia clarified, trying to keep her voice steady and her face from betraying her inner state, which was close to panic.
"House Tion hasn't specified its intentions," Bel Iblis stated. "But my personal opinion is that they also want Lianna and the Thanium Worlds, which still remain independent."
"And now it's not just a 'formal withdrawal from the New Republic,'" Mon Mothma warned. "The Thanium Worlds have officially declared that they will not join any state and will pursue an independent policy. We had counted on them joining... But everything didn't go according to our plan."
"I think the Taniumites have become disillusioned with our military forces," Bel Iblis declared. "We stationed our task forces on their territory to strike at Thrawn, and in the end, he masterfully destroyed them all, and even pulled off his own combination right under our noses to capture Lianna's assets."
"I don't think the galaxy believes that was Thrawn's operation," Leia said. "The journalists are still savoring the Lusankya's involvement in everything that happened and laughing at the New Republic, saying they repaired a Super Star Destroyer, took it into one battle, and lost it after Thrawn declared a hunt for Imperial ships."
"Really?" Mon was surprised.
"That's right," Leia nodded. "People are asking Bothawui more and more pointedly where the Lusankya is and why it isn't counterattacking Imperial forces. Fey'lya is silent and can't produce a plausible version. The sharp-tongued journalists have already decided for him that the ship was captured or destroyed by Thrawn during the hunt for 'looted Liannan valuables.'"
"I wish that were the case," Bel Iblis grumbled. "We know the Lusankya is with Thrawn..."
"Let's return to the topic of discussion," Mon Mothma insisted, looking at the former princess. "Leia, you'll have to go meet with representatives of House Tion to learn firsthand what their terms are for joining the Alliance."
"We need to curb their appetites as much as possible if they intend to use our hands to get their hands on everything we suspect they want," Bel Iblis declared. "We know for certain that the Cronese Mandate and Allied Tion are pro-Imperial territories. But they also possess a formidable fleet. Right now we can't just simply divert part of our forces to wage a war in our rear..."
"But we also can't allow hostile sectors to remain on our doorstep," Mon Mothma warned. "It's possible that House Tion will be satisfied solely with opposing the Cronese Mandate and Allied Tion sectors, which pose a significant problem for us first and foremost."
"Indrexu and Keldrath don't have much military strength individually, but if they unite, we'll get a significant grouping and problems," Bel Iblis warned.
"As far as I know, those sectors are maintaining neutrality in the war," Leia recalled. "It's possible that they themselves will want to join the Tion Hegemony if we break the resistance of their stronger enemies — Allied Tion and the Cronese Mandate."
"Possible," Mon Mothma agreed.
"I wouldn't count on that," Bel Iblis warned. "We won't be able to defeat the forces of those two sectors in a short time with our own strength alone."
"Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors reported that Allied Tion has been significantly weakened," Leia said. "Their main forces were sent to Lianna during Thrawn and the Lusankya's attack, but vanished without a trace. Judging by what they managed to gather in the worlds of Allied Tion, Moff Gronn has lost four-fifths of his armed forces. Ten Star Destroyers with full crews."
"And the stormtroopers?" Bel Iblis perked up.
"Seven legions," Leia confirmed. "Vanished into oblivion along with the destroyers."
"They were probably destroyed," Mon Mothma suggested.
"Or pulled back into an ambush to arrive the moment enemy ships appear in the sector's territory," Bel Iblis said. "In any case, Leia, I'm asking you to thoroughly investigate this matter. Allied Tion and the Cronese Mandate are the two biggest threats in our rear."
"I'll talk to Karrde before I leave for the meeting with House Tion," Leia said. "And... what about the negotiations with the New Republic? Together, it would be much easier for us to withstand the Empire's attacks."
"Fey'lya received my request for negotiations," Mon Mothma explained. "But he ignored it."
"Our appearance near Lantilles allowed him to withdraw the Second Fleet and regroup," Bel Iblis explained. "I'm sure that now, while the situation isn't so critical, he won't talk to us, letting us take the blows on some fronts and thereby moving his reserve forces to the most dangerous directions."
"So we're alone," Leia sighed.
"It seems so," the Corellian agreed. "We have plenty of allies, but they're scattered across a large territory. We need time and the resolution of a number of internal problems and areas of tension to induce them to put at least part of their forces under our operational command. We currently have essentially two groupings outside the Alliance — Admiral Eclipse's squadrons and General Rahm Kota's. Sullust is being fortified — Kota understands that the Empire won't leave SoroSuub alone until it either captures it or suffers heavy losses that preclude further advance. Eclipse has successfully repelled Moff Getelles's counterattack attempts on Koensayr and has established herself in the system. As soon as we build up enough strength, we'll counterattack Loronar and knock Getelles off the planet and deprive him of the Loronar Corporation's support."
"Wouldn't it be wiser to evacuate all the necessary equipment from Koensayr and deliver it to, say, Lianna?" Leia asked. "After all, both Koensayr and Loronar lie on the invasion path of the Pentastar Alignment and Imperial Space. You said their target might be Denon, and that's 'beyond' Loronar and Koensayr..."
"We're working with the realities we have," Mon Mothma said, not hiding her sadness. "We've finally reached an agreement with the leadership of the Koensayr Manufactories regarding the purchase of their bombers and are working to get them to agree to the proposal to relocate from their home planet. But it's not the simplest process."
"If that's the case, if they refuse, then when the Imperials advance further along the Hydian Way and the Corellian Run, Koensayr will be in danger!" Leia exclaimed. "Don't the local governments understand that?"
"They understand," Bel Iblis said hoarsely. "They understand all too well. And they also have eyes. And they're nodding toward the nearby planets of Kelada and Chasin, which the Dominion has turned into fortress worlds, girding them with dozens of defensive stations and planetary defense systems."
"As it did with Makem Te, Trogan, Columex, Garos," Mon Mothma continued. "And all the planets that lie outside the Dominion. Some, like Makem Te, Columex, Trogan, and Garos IV, are literally right under our noses, but until we resolve the issue in the Tion Cluster, there's no point in occupying these planets — neither militarily nor politically. Thanks to Thrawn stealing a huge number of starships from us, Pellaeon has been able to station not only defensive forces at each planet, but also squadrons of warships to counter any invasion forces we might send there."
"Unfortunately, we don't have the financial and military resources to provide Koensayr with impenetrable protection at the moment," Bel Iblis sighed. "The accession of the Tion Hegemony to the Alliance might give us the necessary financial and other resources to defend Koensayr and purchase the necessary equipment. That's why your mission, Leia, is so important for the Alliance's continued existence."
"I understand," the Alderaanian pressed her lips together. "I'll do everything I can. When do I need to leave?"
"Shortly," Mon Mothma said.
"I'll tell Han to prepare the Galactic Traveler," the former princess said.
"I'm afraid General Solo will have to remain at my disposal," Bel Iblis declared. "As will his flagship. Holding Lantilles and Lianna are our top priorities at the moment. Our number of MC90s and talented commanders is limited."
"Especially since work on creating E-wings is currently underway on Lianna," Mon Mothma said. "Even though Phillip Santhe died under mysterious circumstances, his death served the Alliance's cause and allowed us to begin restoring our industrial and military base on the planet, using what remained after Thrawn's raid. General Solo, at the head of his small squadron, will be transferred there to ensure the system's security until we can obtain additional forces and secure the planet from possible provocations and enemy operations. Besides, going to diplomatic negotiations on a military vessel... That's not the right idea, Leia. There's already a precedent in your career when you turned the Star Destroyer Rebel Dream into a ministry of foreign affairs. Unfortunately, we can't just give away some of our strongest Star Cruisers for diplomatic travel needs."
In other words, she'd have to go.
"I understand," Leia repeated. "I'll take Chewie and the Falcon. The Perlemian Trade Route is safe enough to travel alone. Besides, a simple freighter shouldn't attract close attention from forces hostile to us."
"May the Force be with you," Mon Mothma said.
Leia bowed silently and left the compartment of Bel Iblis's flagship, where the meeting had been held.
Heading to her shuttle, the Alliance's minister of foreign affairs bitterly thought that the Alliance's interests were increasingly diverging from her family's interests.
The Force, Luke, where are you when you're needed?
* * *
The lights on the bridge flickered, and the colorful vortex of hyperspace in the viewports gradually began to dim.
But it didn't turn into the usual picture of star-strewn space for long.
When the colors vanished, the Chimaera spent only one hour in the vicinity of a star.
Then came total darkness.
And complete blindness.
Captain Tschel stared through the Chimaera's viewport into the interstellar void for a long time, fighting an almost forgotten feeling of his own vulnerability.
Being under the cover of a cloaking screen rendered a Star Destroyer completely blind and deaf.
For any warship, no sane being could imagine a worse situation.
"Coordinates match. Beginning course correction," the helmsman reported to the ship's commander.
"Proceed," Tschel ordered, approaching the pit to oversee the next stage of the precision approach.
But there was another side to the coin — the invisibility shield reliably hid them from enemies.
Yet even with that, the captain would have preferred, without hesitation, to see everything happening around him.
He had seen Grand Admiral Thrawn use hybridium-based cloaking screens for his purposes many times, but it had always been with other ships, crews, objects.
And now it was the Chimaera's turn.
"Flight deck reporting," came the voice of the flight control officer. "Reconnaissance ships have launched. Observer drones loaded, engineers are preparing the information transmission cables."
"Understood," Tschel said, stepping away from the pits and heading toward the central platform where Grand Admiral Thrawn was seated.
Approaching the Supreme Commander, Captain Tschel watched as the Chimaera's bow disappeared, swallowed by the bubble of hybridium invisibility field, impenetrable to scanners and signals.
But instinctively, he tried to take in as much of the starry sky as possible.
The last sparks of belonging to the real world, after which the entire ship would be plunged into darkness and remain there for a long time.
Exactly how long was unknown.
Grand Admiral Thrawn didn't share his plans until the appointed time arrived.
The captain caught the flash of engines from one of the scouts that had launched from the main hangar.
Then the scout crossed the invisibility boundary and vanished from sight.
Only the thin optical cable trailing behind it indicated that the ARC-170-Dominion hadn't disappeared into the depths of the impenetrable darkness.
Tschel caught his breath, still trying to understand what in the name of a Hutt the Grand Admiral, he himself, and everyone else were doing here.
They had arrived here, at the borders of the Dominion, on one of the busiest routes near the outskirts of the Korva sector, and were hiding under a cloaking screen in the middle of blackness that held only death.
It was implied that this was death for enemies, but certainly not for the Chimaera's crew.
Here, billions of standard kilometers from any form of life, they seemed the complete opposite of it.
Tschel tried in vain to understand — why in the name of a Hutt was the flagship Star Destroyer needed in the most remote backwater, on the northeastern borders of the Dominion?
Why had they arrived here in secret from everyone, including Moff Nivers, appointed as sector governor?
And where, by all the Hutts, were the regular fleet patrols if the Supreme Commander himself was standing watch here?
But you could look at it from another angle: how many of Grand Admiral Thrawn's plans had ever been understandable?
Almost all of them had previously seemed like absolute nonsense to the vast majority of those who served under Thrawn.
Many had been mistaken, very many...
Thrawn's scattered strikes against the New Republic had ultimately resulted in a grand victory, as a result of which the Dominion had acquired enough ships for an entire sector fleet by Imperial standards — and that was just in terms of quantity.
In terms of quality, though...
Several hundred Star Destroyers were a force capable of grinding the Imperial Space, the Pentastar Alignment, and even the New Republic to dust overnight.
If only they were crewed...
Tschel resolutely pushed the gloom away.
You couldn't doubt Grand Admiral Thrawn's actions.
What seemed like nonsense was actually part of something larger, beyond the understanding of allies.
And enemies.
Often the latter (and the former, too) only began to see clearly when those plans were put into action and the enemy began to experience their true genius firsthand...
Those were the instructions Vice Admiral Pellaeon had given him before handing him the captain's bars.
And had sympathetically advised him not to be untrue to himself, to continue with an inquisitive mind to understand everything he heard, saw, and noticed in Grand Admiral Thrawn's designs as commander of his flagship Star Destroyer.
According to Pellaeon, even the fact that Thrawn, having tested the Super Star Destroyer Guardian in battle, had returned to the Chimaera was also part of some plan.
A plan within a plan, with another plan on top.
And inside the smallest plan, there was also a plan.
It was disheartening, unsettling, disorienting, and fascinating all at once.
His attention was caught by movement on the left.
He turned and saw another scout pass through the invisibility shield and change course to stay within his field of view.
So that was it, the finale.
In a couple of minutes, the Chimaera would drop anchor under the cover of invisibility.
And only the scout drones and ARCs would be able to somehow monitor everything happening beyond the cloak.
"I'm listening, Captain Tschel," the Grand Admiral said as the young captain drew level with his chair.
"We're almost at the point, sir," the flagship's commander reported. "A small course correction and we'll be there. The end of the journey."
Thrawn turned his head toward him, and Tschel felt the fiery gaze burning through him.
Memories stirred in his mind of when he (and half the Chimaera's crew) had nearly fallen into hysterics when Thrawn had supposedly "died" in the destruction of his shuttle during a battle with pirates near the planet Lok.
He wondered if that was why the Grand Admiral hadn't continued to stage his "death at Sluis Van" any further?
Had he realized that it would completely demoralize the Dominion's forces?
"Our journey is only beginning, Captain," the Grand Admiral remarked softly. "But first, we have a wait ahead of us, the duration of which cannot be predicted."
"Yes, sir," Tschel snapped in a steady voice.
He watched the blackness creeping over the Chimaera and couldn't accept the obvious fact.
Why in the name of a Hutt would a flagship hide under the camouflage of one of the asteroids stuffed to the brim with rhydonium?
Weren't there plenty of ways to conceal a ship from detection?
And from whom did they need to hide out here on the borders?
"Patience, Captain," the Grand Admiral said, as if reading his thoughts, stroking with his hand a thoroughly brazen ysalamiri that was sleeping curled up on the Supreme Commander's lap at such a critical moment. "You will understand everything soon. And be ready for docking."
"I hope I will understand," Tschel thought at the moment when the wall behind which the Chimaera's hull was disappearing pressed against the Star Destroyer's superstructure, driven by its main engines.
"Attention all compartments!" Tschel barked into the comlink. "Prepare to drop anchor!"
The veil of invisibility penetrated the bridge, and at that moment Tschel braced himself to be crushed, torn apart, thrown back, sliced to pieces, but...
Nothing happened.
And it couldn't have happened — everyone who had previously been under the influence of a cloaking field in various situations had survived.
Strange as it was.
"Begin docking, Captain," Grand Admiral Thrawn ordered.
Tschel looked at the being sitting beside him.
So they were dropping anchor?
And then he realized that his eyes had caught flickering lights from the direction of the Chimaera's bow.
"That doesn't look like an asteroid, sir," he forced out, staring at the massive space station the Star Destroyer had come alongside.
"Correctly observed, Captain," Thrawn said. "This is the Golan-II border station, coordinating our border defense installations in this part of the Dominion."
In absolute remoteness from hyperspace routes.
And how was he supposed to understand that?
"I believed that the Golan-II perimeter was established on the hyperspace routes leading to the Dominion," Tschel said. "And this is..."
"The middle of nowhere?" Thrawn guessed the term. "Yes, this is an extremely remote section of space from the Hydian Way and its branches. You are absolutely correct — the Golan-II perimeter, along with the defensive stations and gravity well generator installations, are positioned primarily on the hyperspace routes leading into the Dominion. From that perspective, everything is correct."
"A route runs through here that isn't in the astronavigation guidebook!" Tschel realized.
"A smuggler's route," Thrawn nodded in agreement. "The nearest one leading from the northern terminus of the Hydian Way into the Korva sector. And our post is here."
"Understood, sir," Tschel lied.
Not only was the map of minefields surrounding the Dominion not so accurate and not so well known to all regular fleet commanders, but the Chimaera's appearance here was conditioned by something.
Why had Thrawn hidden himself on a smuggler's route?
Why under camouflage?
Why in the Korva sector?
Nothing but questions, and Thrawn clearly wouldn't provide answers to them now.
All that remained was to wait.
And hope that Grand Admiral Thrawn would deign to provide explanations.
But if Tschel had learned anything, it was that the time for clarity had not yet come.
That meant not all parts of the plan had been deployed the way the Grand Admiral needed.
All that remained was to wait.
* * *
Karrde stared unblinkingly at the people sitting before him, continuing to make careful movements with his hand.
The glass clutched in his thin, long fingers was washed on the inside by an aromatic dark liquid, filling the living room of the Solo couple's apartment with the scent of aged Vyrren.
"You're going to spill all that whiskey," Calrissian commented, draining his own glass. "Don't mess with a fine drink. If you don't want it, give it to someone who appreciates it."
"To you, you mean?" he asked, looking at Calrissian.
"Of course," Calrissian replied with enthusiasm. "One of the best drinks, and you're tormenting it in your glass, about to spill it..."
"And it'll splatter all over my rug — liquid worth a good airspeeder," Solo commented, sighing as he looked at the empty bottle Karrde had brought with him.
Whyren's Reserve is an expensive variety of Corellian whiskey that you can't find even with a dowsing rod.
With its amber color, woody flavor, and rich smoky aroma, this spirit enjoyed well-deserved popularity among smugglers and black market traders.
And the bottle Karrde brought to the meeting belonged to batch NN182 — the rarest of them all.
Han once claimed he could sell the Falcon and maybe scrape together enough for a case of Whyren's Reserve.
But that wasn't certain.
The only thing you could be sure of with this whiskey was that it was the best of all Corellian whiskeys.
And the late Wedge Antilles adored it.
"I'm familiar enough with Whyren's Reserve to know how it should be drunk," Karrde said slowly, sniffing his glass. "Not in one gulp like you do, Calrissian, and not sipped over ice." Solo glanced at his own glass and the partially melted ice cube in it. "First, you have to let it 'breathe,' and then the aroma opens up..."
Chewbacca, sitting at a distance, grumbled discontentedly while tinkering with a broken child's toy.
"I agree with Chewie," Solo said. "We didn't gather here to listen to your sommelier courses, Talon."
"Yes," Talon took a sip. "Excellent. So, did everyone hear our fine Minister of Foreign Affairs?"
"There are no deaf people here," Han rolled his eyes. "We also don't have time for verbal gymnastics, Talon. My wife and my friend are about to walk into the jaws of aristocrats, and you're showing off. If you have something to say, don't keep us waiting."
"I always have something to say," Karrde sighed. "For example, that attacking the sectors of the Tion Cluster is foolish. But who listens to me?"
"For example, I do." Leia placed a small travel bag on the dresser and sank onto the sofa next to her husband. "I understood back at the meeting that my mission wouldn't be easy. That's why I asked you all to meet. I need to know what we'll face when negotiating with representatives of House Tion."
"You'll face them," Karrde said absently.
"Meaning?"
"Do you remember Lord Tion, Princess?" Talon asked.
"The planet where I was a princess no longer exists," Leia frowned. "Mmm... I don't think..."
"Then I'll give you a hint," Karrde said magnanimously. "You remember the 'pacification' of Ralltiir?"
"Oh, no," Leia groaned.
"What are you talking about?" Calrissian asked, interested.
"The Imperials call it the 'Subjugation of Ralltiir,'" Han said grimly. "It started three weeks before the Battle of Yavin, but it went on for years."
"Well, you haven't cleared anything up at all," Calrissian declared.
"The High Council of Ralltiir began to oppose the Galactic Empire in the early period of the Galactic Civil War, and most of the population started sympathizing with the Alliance to Restore the Republic," Karrde explained. "The Empire initially countered by infiltrating and sabotaging the bank accounts of the planet's inhabitants and Rebel supporters, making the financial center useless to numerous factions across the galaxy. It was highly effective, given that Ralltiir is an economic hub in the Core Worlds."
"But during their destabilization operation, the Imperials discovered that Ralltiir had a large Rebel presence and that active recruitment and training of our soldiers was going on," Leia added. "Lord Tion, commander of the Star Destroyer Devastator, led a task force that crushed the nascent uprising on Ralltiir. I arrived there to help, disguised as a diplomatic mission. The real goal was to gather some intel on the Death Star. The mission succeeded, even though Vader himself was present. Lord Tion staged public executions and installed his own puppet on the planet, which ultimately didn't suppress the rebellion's hotbeds but prolonged the civil war on the planet. Ralltiir remained in that state until the Battle of Endor. It became the first world in the Core Worlds that we liberated. But even with the New Republic's help, we couldn't restore the planet's former position as a regional financial center."
"So, this means Lord Tion is the one you'll have to meet?" Han interjected, throwing a sidelong glance at his wife. "It's ancient history, sure, but that doesn't rule out some trick."
"Oh," Karrde smiled, looking into Leia's eyes. "So General Solo doesn't know the whole juicy picture?"
Han frowned, looking at his wife again.
If Karrde's mood was feigned, if he actually knew something more and wasn't just using verbal tricks, then Leia was now trying to find proof 'for' or 'against' in his thoughts, or whatever it was she 'sensed.'
His wife's face hadn't changed from its somber expression since Karrde first mentioned Ralltiir and Lord Tion.
But now it had become so... tense that Han couldn't help but notice the shift.
"I take it I'm now under suspicion of divulging a great secret of the Organa family," Talon said, still admiring the whiskey in his glass. "Don't worry, Princess. That secret will go with me to the grave, unless you wish to reveal it yourself and..."
"Lord Tion died on Alderaan during a hunting accident," Leia said, pursing her lips. "It happened some time before the destruction of the Death Star and my capture by Vader over Tatooine. House Organa offered condolences to House Tion, but they didn't believe the circumstances of their influential aristocrat's death. They didn't get the body either — Wilhuff Tarkin destroyed my planet. After that, numerous rumors spread about what really happened to Lord Tion."
Han looked at his wife again; Leia's lips were twisting.
Solo was silently cursing the overly clever conversationalist: the smile on Karrde's face indicated he knew these rumors.
"Forgive me," the Princess said. "Personally, I never doubted you for a second, Talon. But my family finds this story unpleasant."
"You are remarkably kind, Minister," Karrde said with a sarcastic smile, finally raising his head and looking at Han and Lando. "Personally, I believe you, not the rumors that you killed Lord Tion after he proposed marriage and also told you about his involvement in the Death Star project."
Han cursed again.
Leia paled.
Lando, with the words "What rubbish!" pulled out a flask of spirits from somewhere and emptied it in one gulp.
"I don't like taking everything at face value right away," Solo grumbled. "Rumors are just rumors. Leia couldn't have shot anyone..."
He stopped mid-sentence, meeting Chewbacca's gaze.
Well... yes... He was lying.
Just remember how lethally accurate Leia had shot in the Death Star detention block, and later...
"It's all ancient nonsense, Karrde," Han said confidently. "If Leia had gutted every moron and villain who courted her, I wouldn't be here."
Talon tilted his head.
"Of course, you're right, Solo. My apologies to the Minister and everyone present — I merely voiced a rumor that is still cultivated in House Tion. And you need to understand that if you intend to go on this mission."
A chill emanated from him.
An unpleasant silence fell; the only one who could save the situation was Karrde himself, and he wasn't in a hurry to do so. Talon shifted his gaze to Calrissian.
"Well. Let's change the subject until the Minister is ready to continue the conversation about her trip. How are things on Iego?"
Calrissian choked on air and looked at the information broker as if he had learned something that shouldn't have been discussed even in a close circle.
"It's fine," Leia said. "Those are just old rumors. Mon Mothma and Bel Iblis wouldn't have sent me to this meeting if they thought House Tion still had a grudge against me."
"Exactly!" Han tried his best to defuse the tension. "They're not suicidal — they wouldn't send someone so integrated into Alliance politics into a rancor's mouth."
"You even know words like that," Karrde chuckled.
"Don't overstep, Talon," Solo darkened. "Or I'll find a way to combine your head with an empty bottle of Whyren's Reserve. I'm not sure both will survive that reception."
"Let's all calm down," Leia said conciliatorily. "House Tion isn't just a couple of people. There are loyal ones among them. Just remember that Rebel military bases were located on the territory of the Tion Hegemony. I'm sure we'll find common ground."
"Still, the situation is strange," Calrissian objected. "Why did they crawl out with their offer only now? Why not back when the New Republic was inviting anyone who expressed such wishes?"
"And what's strange about that?" Han asked. "The Tion Hegemony wants its territories back. If they'd turned to the New Republic, it would have dragged on for decades. Now they're offering us their money, knowing how desperately we need it, and they understand we'll agree if we don't want to make another enemy in our rear."
"Unless it's about weakening the Allied Tion sector," Karrde suddenly inserted. "When Thrawn pulled his stunt on Lianna, seven corps of stormtroopers and ten Star Destroyers belonging to Moff Gronn disappeared somewhere."
Lando shook his head.
"The Moff himself also vanished," Calrissian declared. "And now he's broadcasting all over the sector, saying, 'Courage, citizens, we are surrounded by enemies, but this is a trial we will overcome and we will be victorious.'"
"But no one has seen him in person, have they?" Karrde suggested. "It could be simple bravado, meant precisely to make opponents attack. Then his forces would come out of ambush and defeat them. And then, depending on the losses sustained, Gronn could launch a counteroffensive and expand his borders nicely."
"Bel Iblis said roughly the same thing," the ex-Princess supported Talon. "But we know that Gronn is not Thrawn; he could hardly have thought up such a trap..."
"And we also know he's sentient," Talon added. "And he's probably read the Imperial Navy tactical manuals. The chapter on 'Ambushes' is practically first on the list of tactical maneuvers, isn't it, General Solo?"
"True," Han admitted reluctantly. "So, let's think. We have aristocrats who want to reclaim very juicy pieces. We have Allied Tion, which you could practically take if you have something stronger than Gronn's remaining armed forces..."
Karrde swirled his glass again, setting the dark liquid in motion once more.
"So why hasn't anyone attacked him?" Talon asked. "As far as I've heard, he only has two or three Victory-class Star Destroyers left, plus a few dozen Tartan-class patrol cruisers. The Tion Hegemony has more forces than that. I won't even mention the Mandate. But no one has lifted a finger, not even twitched. Except House Tion."
"Actually, what makes you think House Tion will demand the Alliance solve their territorial problems!" Calrissian got worked up again. "What, has the meeting already happened and the cards are on the table?"
"That's the only issue that has concerned House Tion for decades," Leia warned. "The terms may be different, but the Alliance is certain that's how it will go."
"Instead of solving the problem themselves, even with just one sector, they decided to dump all their problems on us?" Han Solo doubted, shaking his head. "That's a bunch of bantha fodder."
Chewbacca growled discontentedly.
"Sorry, buddy, just an expression," Solo shrugged. "Too many questions for House Tion, but no doubt they want their sectors back. We need to figure out how to get more intel on the forces opposing House Tion and crush them fast enough that the Imperials can't come to their aid."
Karrde suddenly set his glass of Whyren's Reserve on the low table next his chair.
The movement was so abrupt the whiskey almost splashed onto the tabletop.
"Alright," Talon said. "I was wrong in my assumptions: you yourselves want House Tion to start a war with its neighbors using your forces. Let's proceed from that premise."
"'Your'?" Calrissian was surprised. "I recall you joined the Alliance, Talon."
"I get paid, I work," Karrde reminded him of his motto. "Out of sympathy for the Rebel cause — day and night. Out of personal regard for Lady Organa-Solo — sometimes even at cost."
Han glanced at his wife, whose cheeks had flushed.
"Has anyone ever told you that trying to hit on a married woman is a direct path to dental prosthetics?" he asked, cracking his knuckles.
"Believe it or not, I have an excellent prosthetist," Karrde smiled winsomely. "Are we getting personal again, or shall we continue discussing the complex question of what to expect from the negotiations?"
"We wouldn't have to discuss it if your people were working in the Tion Hegemony," Solo grumbled.
"Thanks for the offer, but I value them too much to throw them into the fire," Talon declared. "The Hegemony is not the best place for smugglers. They love the aristocracy there, practically worship them, so they don't wag their tongues and don't dabble in contraband. And you can't enter their market legally without buttering up someone from House Tion. But the trouble is, they don't need anything I could offer as a gesture of goodwill. Especially since my reputation is thoroughly tarnished by my cooperation with the Alliance and the New Republic — Grand Admiral Thrawn recently did a thorough job of waging an information war against my organization."
"Probably to create a situation where we're all bogged down," Leia replied. "The tension in the galaxy is so high, distrust at every turn. The Alliance, even though it consists of many sectors, its armed forces are the Mon Calamari fleet."
"While the armed forces of the allied sectors are busy defending their home worlds," Karrde smiled. "I'd hint at a historical parallel and say the Alliance is essentially a Confederacy..."
"That sounds like heresy," Calrissian said.
"No," Karrde stated. "Just a joke to lighten the mood. I was invited here to share information. I've done that. Note — out of respect for the Princess — for free. Don't get involved in the Tion Hegemony — nothing good will come of it."
"Unfortunately, I can't ignore Mon Mothma's wishes," Leia declared.
"Why not?" Karrde was surprised. "If you set aside the fact that she's your boss."
Han grimaced.
"So you're just fishing for information from us," he said. "And that's what you call 'free'?"
"Maybe," Talon replied darkly. "But it occurred to me that if I had exchanged my knowledge of the Tion Cluster sectors for money, your flagship couldn't even have been refueled for the flight to Lianna."
Solo rolled his eyes.
He didn't even want to know how this rascal, and part-time information broker, knew about that too.
"What's all this for, Minister?" Karrde inquired. "They're sending you on risky negotiations that clearly lead to military action against Imperial Remnants and neutral sectors in the Alliance's rear, and they're even making you go there on an unarmed ship... I don't know about you, but these intriguing prospects scare me. Coupled with the untimely death of Phillip Santhe and the rise to power of his son, who was immediately crushed by Alliance bigwigs who now run what's left of his company, some extremely unpleasant thoughts arise in my head."
"What kind? You think the Alliance has decided to destroy your organization and is stockpiling allies from among the noble aristocracy?" Lando suggested ominously.
Karrde shook his head negatively.
"That's a stretch. I would know if your government had such intentions. What interests me much more is that with General Solo's fleet they're sending thirty light cruisers and escort frigates. And a little later, all the Imperial Star Destroyers captured at Lantilles will join him, crews already formed. That looks a bit like the General has been given the task of setting up a customs checkpoint on Lianna. And as soon as the CC-7700 interdictor frigates come out of repair, the situation will become irreversible for free trade."
"Looks like someone's going to lose money on customs duties?" Solo raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"No," Karrde replied. "I'll just choose more interesting routes. Too many trade ships from the Corporate Sector pass through Lianna, carrying plenty of interesting things to the Hutts. Your government hasn't thought about this, but I'm curious: what happens if the customs service in the person of General Solo starts inspecting these ships and delays deliveries from the Corporates to the Hutts? Who will lose their nerve faster?"
Han opened his mouth to object, but then thought better of it.
"It smells of Tibanna," he said. "I didn't know about the interdictor frigates and chalked it all up to simple defense..."
"First batch of information is free," Karrde smiled. "If you need to find out who'll be the first to hit you in the back of the neck, you know my comlink frequency."
"Still can't forget it," Han grumbled.
"So, Minister," Karrde looked at the ex-Princess again. "Since your Alliance's treasury is empty, I'm offering a tit for tat. You tell me why the Alliance needs Tion's help, and in return, I'll tell you which route you should take to avoid falling into the clutches of corsairs and other not-so-pleasant sentients who cruise between the galactic west and north. I assume you wouldn't want to run into the Black Sun battle group that's stopped in the Thanium Worlds and is preparing to jump toward Saleucami soon?"
Han felt his jaw drop.
"And you kept quiet?" he asked, clenching his fists.
"The Alliance government already owes me about twenty million credits," Talon said. "Including for fresh information about the regrouping of the New Republic's Second Fleet. The realities of the galaxy change every day, and the value of information grows exponentially. I'm not willing to work for promises and thank-you letters — my business requires cash infusions. Don't think my kindness toward the Princess is my weakness. I could just as easily become disillusioned with the Alliance's ideals and continue my business in another part of the galaxy until my pockets run dry. The choice is entirely yours."
Leia licked her lips.
"I hope this information won't be used against us?" she specified, her gaze fixed on Karrde.
"Just like no other information I already know about the Alliance," Karrde declared. "In my view, providing you with comprehensive information for the safety of your mission in exchange for new information I can use to improve my legal business is a perfectly fair price."
"And if it keeps going like this," Han said bitterly, "you'll have so much information stockpiled that you'll have nothing left to trade."
"I can always find more valuable information, Solo," Karrde inserted, not taking his intense gaze off Leia. "I don't think you truly believe I have any reason to squander your secrets to the Empire or any of your other enemies. They're confident they'll destroy you soon, so they won't spend much money. And I don't hold clearance sales on valuable intel."
"Which, of course, depends on how valuable the information Leia reveals turns out to be," Lando remarked indifferently. "Because ever since the government started meeting behind closed doors, it's been taking you too long to get insider information."
Talon in turn looked closely at Calrissian.
Han noticed this notable fact completely by chance and was now burning with curiosity.
"So, what's your next move?" Talon asked, still without much interest.
"Koensayr," Leia said. "An alliance with the Tion Hegemony will give us funding to secure that planet."
"There could be problems," Talon kept his composure diligently. "As I recall, the Imperials are pushing toward Denon. Koensayr is in their way, and it'll take a large force to hold them back. And I, quite by chance, am completely unaware that Koensayr has become a supplier of bombers for the Alliance, and Admiral Eclipse's squadron intends to reinforce positions and drive Moff Getelles's forces off Loronar. And quite by chance, I don't suspect that this is connected to the Alliance having found a few Strike-class cruisers with improvised gravity well generators bolted onto them."
"If you also, quite by chance, know how we can get financial help without bloodshed, I'll kiss you, Talon," Leia said.
"I'm afraid we'll have to skip the tender moments, Minister," Karrde glanced quickly at her and then fixed his gaze on Calrissian again. "Now it's clear why my ships are being gently, without insistence, sent for transport to other parts of the galaxy, rather than being employed for runs to Koensayr. It seems Mon Mothma and Bel Iblis decided to keep this secret as long as possible."
"No one is accusing you of selling information to our enemies," Lando stepped in. "I'm just thinking that I too knew nothing about someone having their eye on Loronar."
Han just blinked.
And he'd been wondering why Bel Iblis had suddenly redirected Karrde's freighters from military equipment transports to food deals and made them haul food to Lantilles and other bases, sending small transports to Koensayr for supplies.
Until now, he had assumed it was due to the low production volumes of the new bombers, but now he wondered if command had a lack of trust in the Claw.
"Karrde," he said softly, "I don't think that..."
"Don't," the Claw cut him off. "I doubt Bel Iblis is telling you, out of the goodness of his heart, what he really thinks about me. Well, thank you, Minister."
The information broker reached into his pocket and placed a small data chip on the table.
"Here's everything I know about the mercenary movements in the northern and western parts of the galaxy. Honestly, I'd advise you to head out on the Falcon, then meet up with General Solo, travel under his protection to Lianna, and from there on to the Tion Hegemony."
"Thank you," Leia said, gesturing for Lando to hand her the chip.
"I've heard the mercenaries of all stripes have been active lately," Calrissian said meaningfully, taking the data storage device from the Claw and passing it to Leia. "Whoa, it's completely full! Did you track every mercenary in the galaxy?"
"No," Karrde disagreed. "Only the movements of transport and combat ships from the Tamarin sector into the neighboring Rseik sector."
"And what prompted such close attention?" Han asked suspiciously.
"That information is worth a pretty penny, Solo," Karrde remarked. "Especially since it doesn't concern Alliance affairs."
Han frowned at his wife; Leia looked back at Solo with the same bewilderment.
Waiting for his wife's affirmative nod, the Corellian continued:
"A general's salary is just burning a hole in your pocket," he cast the line cautiously. "Maybe we can make a deal?"
"You'd be better off fixing the Falcon," Lando said to his astonishment. "Or should I pretend I haven't noticed the hyperdrive generator is acting up again?"
Han didn't take the bait and didn't start an argument with his friend.
He stared at Karrde.
"If you've got a couple hundred thousand credits, I'm ready to talk," he said, returning to his glass of aged Virrenian wine. "If not, you'd better save up some more."
Han couldn't help but envy the Claw; they were nearly the same age, but despite his smuggler's past and his current general's status, Han had never learned to carry himself with such ease.
"You can use my salary account too," Leia said at that moment. "I'm sure there's enough there."
"Thank you," Talon drained his glass in one gulp. "My people have seen mercenary recruitment happening in those two sectors. They're scooping up everyone, but mostly gunners and fighters. Robbers, murderers, thieves, just street drifters — anyone who wants to earn a few hundred credits. They load them onto ships and send them halfway across the galaxy. The recruitment is being handled personally by a figure known in the Tamarin sector as Marg Sonat."
"And what is he known for?" Calrissian wondered.
"For being the lieutenant of a very fortunate lady who turned the rabble from those two sectors into a unified force," Karrde explained. "With the help of those bandits, she overthrew the regime of Moff Lobax Ressun. The latter has been dead for a long time. So has the woman who organized the pirates — Marg Sonat gutted her, spilled her brains and spirit..."
"Touching story," Solo sighed. "But how does that concern us? If I remember astrogation correctly, the Tamarin and Rseik sectors are currently on the southeastern borders of the New Republic, and their problems don't interest us..."
"If that were the case, then yes," Karrde stated. "But there's a catch."
"I hate that phrase," Calrissian grumbled. "Let me guess — the Imperials are recruiting them to fight us?"
"If you weren't a Jedi before, don't start now," Karrde advised. "Marg Sonat and his people got their hands on an Imperial Star Destroyer, the Reckoning — Ressun's flagship."
"One Tavira cruising around in a Star Destroyer wasn't enough for us," Han grimaced. "Now a gang shows up..."
"Wait a minute," Calrissian frowned. "There's something about this story I don't like. I just can't put my finger on it."
"Nobody pays me for hints," Karrde said with a delicate smile.
"Why would a gang leader who owns a Star Destroyer personally recruit mercenaries who, by definition and the criteria you laid out, are just cannon fodder?" Solo leaned forward. "And where are they headed?"
"Those are the right questions, General," Karrde nodded. "I won't even charge you extra for them. What do you know about Kessel, General Solo?"
The man flinched at the memory.
That was where he'd picked up smuggled spice for the runs organized by Jabba the Hutt.
That was where he'd brought Tyber Zann on board, which kickstarted the restoration of the Zann Consortium.
That was where Wedge and Rogue Squadron had recruited criminals to destabilize Coruscant before it fell to the New Republic a few years ago.
That was where...
Too much had happened there to just brush off Karrde's mention of it.
"It's the largest supplier of spice in the galaxy," Calrissian said. "And they declared themselves out of contact with anyone in the galaxy quite a while ago."
"And that drove spice prices up," Leia continued. "Since it's a critical ingredient in most medicines, their retail prices shot up too."
"What's the point of all this?" Han asked. "Kessel hasn't caused any headaches or come up anywhere for years."
"That's because all those years it was under the control of Morgut Dula, an old acquaintance of yours, General," Karrde explained. "And not long ago, I learned that Dula's gang was brought to heel by a Star Destroyer you're familiar with — the Chimaera. And spice shipments to the market have sharply decreased."
Leia's face went pale.
"Are you saying Pellaeon has taken over Kessel and controls the spice mining?" Calrissian gasped.
"I'll keep quiet," Karrde stated. "You've already said it."
"So they aren't sitting idle," Han said. "While the galaxy is being reshuffled, the Dominion decided to continue Thrawn's tradition of expansion."
"And they took control of the source of a vital medical raw material," Leia whispered.
"I don't know how much spice and glitzerstim the criminal underworld has in its warehouses, but soon everyone will be facing a shortage," Karrde continued. "If Pellaeon is even half as competent and was a grateful student of our late Grand Admiral, it might very soon turn out that we'll all be lining up for spice and buying it from the Dominion, or maybe the Empire, for a hefty pile of credits."
"So Marg Sonat is building a force to retake Kessel?" Calrissian clarified.
"Not only that," Karrde stated. "Kessel is certainly their goal. But there's another catch. Marg Sonat and Morat Dula used to run with the Black Sun, which gained strength after Wedge Antilles freed some vigos and lieutenants from Kessel. And they don't like the fact that they've lost both the mining site and the transit point from Kessel to the Corporate Sector, where large-scale trade happened — which is no longer available to them."
Han's face fell.
"Are you saying that..."
"I didn't mention that pirate battle group holed up in the Thanium Worlds for nothing," Karrde explained. "Very soon, they'll strike both Kessel and Lianna."