Ten years, two months, and ten days after the Battle of Yavin…
Or forty-fifth year, second month, and tenth day after the Great Resynchronization.
(Eight months and thirtieth day since the Arrival.)
"Commander," the watch officer addressed Antonias. "Reports from the Penitentiary that the jamming system has been activated. Ready to launch the gravity well generators at any time."
The commander of the Abyss Fury glanced at the ship's chronometer.
There were five minutes to spare.
"Activate gravity trawls," he ordered. "Enemy ships will arrive at Valahari any minute now. Deployment vectors — eleven, twelve, first and second. Launch fighters and raise alert status to yellow."
Four generators — four vectors.
According to buzz droid data, the convoy will arrive exactly perpendicular to vector eleven. Consequently, they will end up directly in the center of the gravity anomaly.
Valahari was one of the key planets of the D'Astan sector.
Territorially, it, along with the Efrani system, belonged to the Valahari subsector.
But Valahari was of interest to the loyalists.
The inhabitants of this planet had a solid reputation as some of the best starfighter engineers in the galaxy.
In the past, during the Clone Wars, the system declared neutrality in the hostilities, but still provided the Confederacy of Independent Systems with upgraded Vulture-class starfighter droids.
The D'Asta family had placed production of D'Astan starfighters on the planet, which were used by the rebels.
The planet was governed by the aristocratic Vane family, under the rule of a matriarch of the same surname.
They supported the rebel aristocracy, so it was unsurprising that the General chose this planet as the target for the subsequent operation, following the subjugation of Doli.
But if with the latter the opponents had clearly lowered their guard, with Valahari they decided not to repeat that mistake.
They were moving their forces into the system, understanding that taking Doli opened the entire subsector to the loyalists' strike.
Now battles were raging in the Efrani system, but they were nearing their logical conclusion.
Victory was practically in the loyalists' hands — thanks to the Mandalorians.
The next stage would be Valahari.
It was rather strange that among the loyalists served many pilots from Valahari, who had once been placed at the disposal of Grand Admiral Thrawn by Baron D'Asta.
Having returned to their home sector, they continued to support the baroness's rights to the sector's throne.
Despite the fact that many of them had already died, the remaining were loyal to duty and oath.
The Abyss's task was ridiculously simple — destroy the reinforcements coming from Serenno to Valahari.
Officially, the Dominion does not interfere in the civil war in the neighboring sector, but in fact, this year the regular fleet is operating on the supply lines, destroying the enemy where they will not be detected and promptly recognized.
Thus the Dominion's "neutrality" was maintained.
At present, all routes leading from the rebel systems into the Valahari subsector are blocked by ships of the Dominion regular fleet.
The enemy is unable to send powerful reinforcements all at once; they release forces as possible, without exposing flanks or weakening their own fleet excessively.
The ambushes the Dominion sets up not only destroy the rebel forces but also allow the loyalists to concentrate their own forces in the general battles for one planet or another.
And thereby it remains a secret who exactly is reducing the enemy forces on the supply lines, especially since the rebel aristocrats are still unable to detect or prove the involvement of outside forces.
The rebels simply did not possess sufficient free forces to defeat even one of the Dominion's combat units lying in ambush.
The General was using them to intercept cargo and military ships moving along transit routes that connected the rebels' rear systems with planets on the line of contact.
At the moment, Antonias was in one of the uninhabited systems that did not even have its own designation — only a long alphanumeric code.
Here lay not the most direct route from Serenno to Valahari, but one of the fastest.
To hold the planet and fighter production, the enemy needed to reinforce their Valahari group.
This is a known problem that involves supplying their own troops with ammunition, medicine, spare parts, and provisions.
Since Valahari's subjugation to the Loyalists would mean an end to repairs and shipments of D'Astan fighters to the rebels, military transport never ceased for a single day.
Until now.
Storming the planet head-on, once the enemy moved several dozen battlecruisers and additional ground forces there, would be far too costly in terms of losses and time.
The more resources spent besieging one world, the longer the enemy would have to fortify the others.
Instead, it was better to cut off the garrison's supply of everything necessary, including reinforcements.
The convoy was pulled out of hyperspace exactly perpendicular to the bows of the Abyssal Fury and The Prison.
It consisted of a dozen freight containers, one Kaloth-class battlecruiser,
and two Corellian corvettes.
The latter turned out to be closest to the Abyssal Fury and immediately bathed the Star Destroyer in the fire of their guns.
The mighty Star Destroyer's deflectors absorbed the energy streams without trouble.
The battlecruiser, together with the corvettes, launched an attack on The Prison, while the freighters clustered behind its stern.
A minute later, the bulbous ships began to resume their movement.
The enemy's tactics were simple — while the armed vessels distracted the destroyers, the freighters would manage to escape.
The identifiers on the Fury and The Prison had been prudently switched off, so no one even thought about negotiations.
The gunners of the Abyssal Fury locked onto the first corvette, a ship named the Pride of Serenno.
Heavy turbolasers breached the forward deflector shields within a couple of minutes and burned long black scorch marks into the armor. Small debris and bodies were sucked out through the holes along with the superheated air.
The artillerymen concentrated fire on the bridge and the upper deck, destroying the communication antennas.
Another salvo, and the Pride of Serenno — once a warship with a brave crew — turned into a drifting dead hulk with a trail of molten metal fragments.
"Gunships — attack the convoy. Bombers — the battlecruiser. Fighters — cover our vessels."
The Prison's shields successfully withstood the battlecruiser's fire, but in return, the Kaloth received several substantial salvos from all of the Interdictor's heavy turbolasers, sending the cruiser into culture shock.
This was intensified by the fact that the Abyssal Fury was fending off the persistent second corvette with only its port side.
The starboard artillery was giving itself entirely to the battlecruiser.
The Kaloth came under crossfire and was forced to begin maneuvering to avoid igniting in the very first seconds of the engagement.
"Sir, reports from the gunships and bombers," the flight controller announced. "The transport ships have been identified and scanned. They're carrying infantry and ammunition."
Antonias looked regretfully at the twelve beautiful ships, feeling an almost physical pain from what was happening.
The ships were relatively new and could have been useful both to the Dominion and to the Baroness.
But given their cargo, the ships must not reach their destination — Valahari.
He could, of course, have them shot up with ion cannons and wait for everyone on board to die of asphyxiation, but that would be a wasteful use of precious time.
"Destroy them," Antonias ordered through clenched teeth.
"Aye, destroy them."
A dozen Xg-1s descended on the virtually defenseless transports like a pack of starving nexu that had spotted a weakened bantha.
The laser cannons mounted on the starships couldn't put up proper resistance.
Missiles, leaving smoky trails behind them, shot out of the gunships' launch tubes, backing up their intentions with fire from their onboard weapons.
The deflectors, if they had any, collapsed in seconds; the hulls couldn't hold out, and within moments the freighters turned into piles of scrap.
The Scimitar squadron, using their PLAE drives, materialized out of nowhere around the battlecruiser, whose shields still held, like a swarm of gnats, and with a single mass launch of proton torpedoes, put a fat period on the question of the ship's existence.
A series of explosions melted the ship nearly in half; then The Prison and the Abyssal Fury sent a barrage of turbolaser fire after it.
The remnants of the ship's defenses couldn't hold.
The shields collapsed. The armor failed.
White-green energy gnawed holes in the enemy ship's hull.
But that was already overkill.
The ignition of the stern section scattered the ship into countless pieces that no one could ever reassemble and glue back together.
"Capture the corvette," Antonias ordered.
Even if it wasn't a transport, he would get a Corellian in this battle for sure.
The CR90 tried to pull off a medium-level piloting maneuver, but took two direct salvos to its hull.
First an ion salvo, which covered the ship in a web of lightning.
Then a precisely aimed, surgically precise sniper shot from a heavy turbolaser pierced the ship's reactor.
Now the crew faced a dilemma on which their continued lives depended.
Either they shut down the main power plant, or the melting reactor core would vaporize the vessel.
The most correct course would have been to capture the battlecruiser's crew, but again — it would take too long to board.
And Stormaer, unfortunately, didn't have a large number of droids or stormtroopers at his disposal.
Also, time was pressing.
"The corvette has cut its engines," the watch officer reported. "They're broadcasting a distress signal."
"Activate the tractor beams," Antonias ordered. "Pull the vessel into the main hangar."
Fortunately, his escort corvette, as well as the similar ship with The Prison, had their own assignments for today.
Since the reactor was offline, with the damage it had sustained, it couldn't be restarted — the built-in safeguards wouldn't allow it.
So there was no need to fear sabotage.
As for the cleanup...
"Secure the ship on magnetic clamps," the Star Destroyer commander ordered. "Inform the prisoners that either they lay down their arms and exit the ship through the transfer hatch, or we'll breach the deck joints, hook it up for towing, and wait until hyperspace radiation does the rest for us."
"Message sent, sir! Receiving a reply!"
"And what do they say?"
"They agree to unconditional surrender, sir."
Antonias allowed himself a quiet snort.
"Who would have doubted it," he said. "Message to The Prison: deactivate the gravity trawls. Recover anything of value and proceed to the rendezvous point."
"Sir, should we release the buzz droids?" the watch officer clarified.
Antonias looked at the young lieutenant.
Replacement personnel recruited from the Defense Forces.
Many things were new to them.
And some things you had to figure out on your own.
For example — remembering things when you read your official duties and departmental orders.
"Son," he said as kindly as possible. "That's not even up for discussion. We deploy Morrts during every stop outside Dominion space. Remember that, better yet write it down, and don't make me repeat myself."
"Understood, sir," the lieutenant flushed and rushed off to carry out his official duties.
* * *
Under ordinary circumstances, it's quite difficult to judge the facial expressions of a fur-covered sentient being.
With Bothans, it's different — their "expressions" are accompanied by changes in the fur's texture.
Right now, watching how the fur on Fey'lya's face began to bristle after the question the journalist had just asked, one could say with confidence that the head of the New Republic was irritated.
The reporter's question had clearly caught him off guard, but his answer spoke of quick thinking, cunning, and deep knowledge in the art of manipulating the attention of a gullible audience.
"You're asking how much the situation on the front will change now that Imperial forces have broken through our blockade at Belnar and are moving toward Carida? As you know, we are waging a bitter war against the Empire, and any comments regarding the current state of our affairs would seriously endanger the lives of our valiant military personnel and the plans of our Military Command. I am confident that none of us wishes for brave men and women to be put at risk because I satisfied the curiosity of one inquisitive journalist. War, as we all know, does not come without losses, without victories and defeats. The situation on all fronts is difficult. Yes, we are being forced to retreat, leaving some worlds behind. Under the current circumstances, when traitors and schemers from the Alliance have deliberately weakened us before the Empire's invasion, we should all rally around our gallant military and assist the Armed Forces in any way we can. The best solution available is to help our glorious soldiers by joining their ranks. The enemy possesses enormous reserves. And even though they suffer monstrous losses, the Empire has never counted them, so they will continue to fight to their last stormtrooper. But even then, they won't stop. Until we grind down all their Star Destroyers and all their armies, until we force them onto the defensive — we are in the danger zone. But we are ready to take risks in the struggle for democracy and that way of life that replaced the Empire's totalitarianism. I know you all hope for the best, and soon we will provide you with new information about the military actions on the front..."
"Head of State!" came the call from another journalist. "How would you comment on the fact that enemy Imperial warships, left in orbit around Belnar after our forces withdrew, were struck by ten MC80a star cruisers bearing Republic identification codes? Nine enemy escort carriers, a large number of landing ships, and light forces were destroyed. In total — more than fifty ships. And not a single loss on our side. This has caused the enemy to bog down at Carida and forced them to bring up reserves to continue their advance. Which commander should we thank for such a welcome respite on the front? Admiral Duplex?"
The fur on Fey'lya's face nearly stood on end, but, to give him credit, he handled this new information.
"As I already said — I am unable to comment on our military's operations," he stated. "There is a war on. We defend and we attack. The counterattack at Belnar is an example of our military's courage and calculation. The enemy's losses are enormous, and this battle will go down in history books. I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you anything more without risking the disclosure of top-secret information constituting a state secret. Remember: we are fighting for a just cause, for the peoples of the entire galaxy. And therefore — we will win."
"How would you comment on the fact that five Alliance star cruisers, which left the base on Lantillis some time ago, struck the armed forces of the Thanium Worlds sector two days ago, completely annihilating all the line and light ships that served this neutral state?"
Now Fey'lya's expression showed undisguised concern and firmness.
"As I have said many times — those who call themselves the Alliance are the most radical faction that was once part of the New Republic. We are glad they left us rather than continuing to poison our democracy with their poisonous, hypocritical deeds from within. Their attack on a neutral state and the destruction of military personnel... I hope that there are those in the galaxy who will punish this gang of bandits for the lawlessness they are perpetrating across the galaxy. Let me emphasize once again that we have refused any contact with these sentients, are not conducting any negotiations with them, and in every way condemn their criminal activities. I call upon the governments of those sectors that have joined this alliance to leave it as quickly as possible. Because their lawlessness is just beginning, and soon the galactic terrorism of an entire state will be associated with everyone who joined the Alliance..."
The ghostly figure froze, as Grand Admiral Thrawn paused the image.
"You predicted it, sir," Grodin said quietly. "The actions of our second star cruiser division. Fey'lya, as soon as he heard about the victory, claimed it for himself."
Thrawn nodded slowly in agreement, but kept his gaze fixed on the workstation monitors.
Two days earlier, the thirty Mon Calamari star cruisers belonging to the Dominion, split into four battle groups, had struck on the "democratic front."
Captain Kalian and his Victories had intercepted and destroyed the Mon Calamari star cruisers sent by Garm Bel Iblis to Lianna to aid General Han Solo.
During the battle, they obtained the identification data from those ships and passed it on to the other divisions.
Commodore Brandei, using fake transponders, attacked mercenary and pirate ships from the Black Sun at Galidraan with a portion of the first division's forces, then withdrew, luring enemy reserve forces into a trap.
Having drawn them into an ambush, Brandei, with the first division's full strength, destroyed all those ships, effectively stripping the Thanium Worlds of their military cover provided by the Black Sun.
Simultaneously, as soon as the Imperials drove Republic forces away from Belnar and moved toward Carida to subjugate it, the second division of Dominion star cruisers struck the Empire's near rear, forcing them to abandon their engagement with the retreating Republicans and fall back to Belnar to avoid being surrounded.
Now it was the Third Division's turn.
Grodin silently watched the Supreme Commander, paying little attention to the fact that the interior of the Grand Admiral's quarters had changed at a gesture from the Chiss.
This time, holographic statues and sculptures had appeared.
Unlike most of the previous art pieces displayed in this cabin, the current holograms had pleasing outlines familiar to the human eye.
As far as Grodin could recall, this was the collection the Grand Admiral had been reviewing for the past month.
That they were created by human hands left no doubt — Tierce even recognized some, having seen them before during his service to the Emperor.
A chime sounded from the direction of the airlock — someone intended to visit the Grand Admiral.
Grodin fixed his gaze on Rukh, who entered first, sliding like a gray shadow through the semidarkness of the room.
Then the commander of the Chimaera appeared in the quarters and froze, struck by the collection.
"Grand Admiral?" Tschel called hesitantly, shuddering as he saw a statue of a majestic soldier, clad from head to toe in archaic armor, peering into the semidarkness.
"Come in, Captain, don't be shy," replied the calm voice of the Supreme Commander.
Tierce set a course toward the vaguely white patch of the admiral's uniform in the blue twilight. He hadn't taken more than a few steps before he recoiled, nearly crashing into Tierce standing in the shadows.
Mumbling apologies, the young officer approached the illuminated part of the quarters — the Grand Admiral's workstation, whose owner looked at his subordinate with his blazing eyes.
"Do you have something for me?" the Chiss inquired.
"Yes, sir," Tschel handed Thrawn an info-chip. "General Covell, the Third, and Doctor Zyix K'zzt have sent their reports regarding the former Captain Ounar. His memory has been scanned. The data has been processed. We have the coordinates of several secret ammunition depots."
"Ammunition depots," the admiral repeated thoughtfully. He took the chip, slid it into the reader slot, and silently studied the image for a minute. "Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting indeed. Captain Ounar has turned out to be a veritable treasure trove of secret supply-line information. And a double traitor."
Tschel shot a glance at the silent adjutant.
Tierce remained calm.
"General Covell reports that Captain Ounar is unaware his memory has been read and is trying to assure everyone that he is utterly loyal to the Dominion and intends to serve you, Grand Admiral," Tschel stated. "But the data obtained from his memory shows that he was selling weapons from several depots to criminal elements, all while positioning himself as a fighter against the Empire."
"And do we know which depots are currently emptied?" Thrawn inquired. "And who exactly he was in contact with?"
"Uh... no, sir," Tschel faltered. "I didn't focus on that. If you wish, I'll check..."
"That won't be necessary," Thrawn said. "You have your own work, Captain. The competent authorities will look into all the circumstances. However, we already have something," Thrawn flicked several switches, and several holograms of sentients appeared in the center of the room. A Trandoshan, an Ithorian, and a human woman with facial tattoos. "Note this trio, gentlemen. It is with these sentients that Captain Ounar was in contact for selling military property from the secret depots of Darth Vader's 'Death Squadron.' Do you recognize any of them?"
Grodin glanced at the holograms and looked back at Thrawn, meeting his gaze.
"No one, sir," Tschel admitted. "Although the woman looks like General Ventress, only the tattoos are different..."
"Her name is Silri," Thrawn said. "A Dathomirian witch who was recruited by the Zann Consortium between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Endor. She was supposed to help Zann decipher an ancient data repository, a holocron. But another sentient with whom former Captain Ounar dealt stole that holocron from Tyber Zann and sold it to the Empire. Do you have anything to add, Major Tierce?"
"Yes, sir," Grodin replied. "The Trandoshan is a bounty hunter named Bossk. He was the one who stole the holocron from Zann and sold it to the Emperor's representatives. Subsequently, the Zann Consortium raided the Imperial Archives on Coruscant and stole the holocron. It is presumed they also stole part of the Imperial access codes, which allowed them to infiltrate the Eclipse-class Star Dreadnought under construction at the Kuat Drive Yards. The third is the Ithorian Marg Sonat. According to our intelligence, he is involved in recruiting mercenaries in the Tamarin and Rseik sectors."
Tschel swore under his breath.
"So Ounar was trading Imperial weapons with the Zann Consortium?!" he asked rhetorically. "So this traitor might even be a clone...!?"
"Quiet," Thrawn raised a finger, not taking his eyes off the three holograms in the middle of the compartment.
Grodin remained silent, busy processing the new information.
The young Star Destroyer commander's face showed he was trying to do the same, but Tschel was clearly exhausted — since the Chimaera had arrived at its deployment point, he hadn't slept more than three hours a day.
Which was far too little for clear thinking.
Thrawn stared at the hologram for several minutes, then his fingers flew across the keyboard, and two more holograms appeared.
Tyber Zann and Urai Fen.
The Grand Admiral hypnotized the holograms with his gaze, then resolutely moved the last two to one side and the first three to the other.
"Excellent," he said, stopping his manipulations of the holograms. "Now everything falls into place. What does it mean..." he rubbed his forehead thoughtfully. "Three," the admiral delivered the fruits of his mental effort. "Zann used Bossk to learn the location of the Emperor's Archives. And then gained access to the data on the Eclipse. And based on that information, he set about conquering the Corporate Sector, using it as an industrial and economic base for his organization."
"Yes, sir," Tschel assented.
In Grodin's opinion — he did so solely out of professional zeal.
How the Grand Admiral had arrived at these conclusions, stating them with confidence rather than as conjecture, was still a mystery even to Tierce.
"In any case, sir, we know that Ounar is a traitor and traded Imperial weapons with the Zann Consortium. We need to check the other depots; perhaps he hasn't sold everything."
"Know?" Thrawn inquired politely. "Do we?"
"I believe so, sir," Tschel blurted out confidently. "He met with two of the four high-ranking members of the Consortium known to us. His file also contains notes that it was to them he sold the coordinates of no less than a dozen depots of military equipment and ammunition. This fits the picture that, on Zann's orders, the 'Vultures' were making every effort to obtain Imperial weapons and equipment during the New Republic's disarmament of Star Destroyers."
Thrawn shook his head regretfully.
"No," he stated categorically. "That is precisely the problem that wasn't immediately visible. We believed we were fighting the Zann Consortium and that everything happening was part of Tyber Zann's plans."
Tschel stared helplessly at the holographic images:
"I don't understand."
Thrawn, leaning back comfortably in his chair, prepared to explain.
"It's elementary, my dear Captain. We are dealing with two operations running in parallel. Building up forces, recruiting mercenaries, searching for resources and weapons. But at the same time, the Zann Consortium's operations are masked by several layers of cover and by puppet operatives. In the Tamarin sector, Marg Sonat and Bossk are openly recruiting criminals. We also know that the Kaminoans produced a considerable number of clones for the Zann Consortium — and either of them could have been the one recruiting criminals. But this is being done by an Ithorian, who, for his own profit, destroyed the criminal syndicate created to kill Moff Lobax Rezuun. And when he failed — Bossk himself stepped in. Let's continue: we strike at Zann Consortium bases, deprive them of their cloning laboratories, capture their ships, specialists, attack their convoys... Are you following me?"
"Yes, sir," Tschel nodded, clearly sweating from mental strain. "But what conclusion follows from this?"
Grodin looked sympathetically at the young officer.
Once upon a time, Captain Pellaeon had been in his place, and Gilad had had it no easier.
Sometimes — even harder.
But he had passed the "internship" under the Grand Admiral with honor.
"Just a moment of patience, Captain, and your thoughts will fall into place," Thrawn promised him. "You correctly noted — Captain Ounar is a traitor. He sold Imperial property to criminals. But you're overlooking the fact that only three 'buyers' were found in his memory. Moreover," Thrawn checked the data on his workstation screen, "in chronological order, the meetings occurred exclusively after the Zann Consortium's attack on Kuat. According to the information available to the Dominion, by that time Silri had already left Zann, and Bossk had left even earlier. But they contacted the traitor in reverse order. First Silri, then Bossk, and last — Marg Sonat. The sequence of contacts and personalities is quite logical."
"Didn't want to show a connection between each other?" Grodin saw that the young commander of the Star Destroyer was trying his best to ask intelligent questions.
"That's unlikely," Thrawn shook his head. "For that, it would have been enough to find an executor and channel all contacts with the traitor through him. The weapons procurement work was shifted to a new subordinate as soon as he appeared in the organization and passed a loyalty check. Delegation of authority to free up leadership's time. I hope that's clear, Captain?"
"Yes, sir," Tschel was clearly completely confused, but understood he was missing key points of what was happening. "We should strike the pirate group in the Tamarin and Rseik sectors to weaken the Zann Consortium's army and deprive it of its fighters."
Grodin sighed quietly.
Tschel was too young, and his life experience did not allow the officer to look beyond the framework of usual criteria.
With that suggestion, he had just confirmed that he didn't understand what was really happening.
Tierce did not take the liberty of claiming that he himself understood all the flights of thought of the Grand Admiral, but in this specific situation the Guardsman had figured it out and realized that Captain Tschel's proposal, though effective, would not bring the stated result.
"There's no need for that," Thrawn said with satisfaction. "Measures to weaken the group in those sectors have already been ordered and will be carried out shortly."
Tschel looked at his commander in surprise.
"Are you joking, sir?" The young officer's voice held boundless surprise.
Understandably.
Obviously he thought that Thrawn had just now come to conclusions about the need to weaken those bandits under Bossk's command.
"I am as serious as ever, Captain," Thrawn countered calmly. "Think for yourself." The Chiss smiled at Tschel. "The Zann Consortium's reaction to our actions, or rather the lack of it, was exactly the clue that clarifies everything. Soon we will turn a hypothesis supported by circumstantial evidence into an indisputable axiom."
The hologram of the five sentients disappeared, and in its place appeared a three-dimensional projection of the galaxy.
Tschel looked at the display, feeling a slight clarity in his mind, but the Grand Admiral's logic was irrefutable.
On the map of the galaxy, one of the sectors on the eastern fringes of the galaxy blinked with a red light.
"The Karthakk sector?" asked the commander of the Chimaera.
Thrawn nodded.
"The Karthakk sector. Our auxiliary forces recently attacked convoys of the Corporate Sector carrying minerals and took several prisoners. Counter-intelligence officers aboard the ships managed to get the surviving crew members of the escort to talk. They know little, but from scattered data we can piece together a single picture. Because of the failure of our operation in the Corporate Sector and in Hutt Space," Grodin realized that Thrawn was referring to the operation of agent Bravo-Two to first infiltrate the circle of Elia Stark, and then break into the branch office of the Horsch & Kessel corporation, "we were unable to obtain information about how long these shipments have been going on. The prisoners enlightened us on that matter. The Corporate Sector has been supplying minerals to the Horsch & Kessel corporation for the construction of Lucrehulks for the past year. Active militarization of the Corporate Sector began almost immediately after the destruction of Warlord Zsinj. Based on this information, we can say that Tyber Zann gained full control over CorpSec after Zsinj's death. And not after the destruction of the Iron Fist at Dathomir, which was Zsinj's true death, but after the false one, when the New Republic and the entire galaxy were convinced the warlord was dead. Obviously Tyber Zann didn't know about Zsinj's trick with faking his death. But the speed of his operations has a direct dependence on my actions."
"But this information turned out to be new even for Grodin."
"What do you mean?" asked Tschel.
"Some time passed between Zsinj's 'false' death and my return from the Unknown Regions, during which Tyber Zann actively acted, using all his remaining resources. My return to the Empire forced him to increase cover for his operations, something that could throw off a trail if discovered. He understood that if I learned that his organization was destroyed, that he himself was alive and actively involved in the Empire's disintegration, then he would be the primary target. Therefore Zann chose a tactic of cautious coexistence, hiding behind front organizations, but continuing to build up his armed forces. And, credit where it's due, he has succeeded quite well in that endeavor. He uses all available resources and opportunities to minimize his work. Somewhere — using talented underlings, somewhere — manipulating facts, somewhere — using others' developments to achieve his goals and direct the pursuer along the trail he wants. Quite an intriguing opponent. And, I would say, he almost managed to lead me around by the nose."
Tierce did not miss that Captain Tschel shuddered.
"Something is not right here, Admiral," he doubted. "One criminal, even if it's Tyber Zann himself, cannot operate so deftly in the galaxy as if he were some kind of orchestra conductor. Especially — mislead you."
"If we talk about Zann's mental abilities, he is not the worst tactician," Thrawn stated. "As for the possibility of misleading me... Every sentient being is prone to mistakes. Including Tyber Zann. You see, gentlemen, our behind-the-scenes conductor firmly believes in my death. Therefore his actions are aimed directly at manipulating the Triumvirate — Grand Moff Ferrus, Vice Admiral Pellaeon, and our counter-intelligence. In particular — Pellaeon, as the commander of military forces. That is why Zann continues to ignore our attacks — he is stoking the hunting instinct in his pursuer. Action without opposition breeds vicious practice and delusion about one's own impunity. The less he resists, the faster we must follow the trail and thereby prove that we can handle him. The problem is that the breadcrumb trail is laid not where we need it."
Grodin exchanged glances with Tschel.
Now even he didn't understand what the Supreme Commander meant.
"So Zann is setting a trap for us?" Tschel suggested in a cautious tone.
"No, he has already set it," Thrawn smirked. "And we fell into it, gentlemen, by the way." The Grand Admiral glanced at the chrono. "Zann wants us to solve his problems for him, thereby saving his strength, revealing our own, and taking losses. After which he will descend on the Dominion and put an end to it. The plan is indeed interesting. If it was devised by Zann himself, then honor and praise to him — he surpasses the threshold of a decent tactician and becomes a good one. To his misfortune, my plans do not include allowing him to become a great tactician."
Tschel remained silent, as did Tierce, waiting for the Grand Admiral to continue his explanations.
"Tyber Zann has had a lot of time to study me as his opponent," Thrawn did not let them down. "He studied each of my commanders and made a bet that paid off. He allowed himself to lose small things — a cloning laboratory on Smarck, a small fleet, convoys. Losing battles, he intends to win the war. It was for this purpose that the regrouping of forces in the D'Astan sector was started. They have played their role and must now be destroyed by us. He created a point of tension at our borders to spend part of the Dominion's resources on solving a security problem. Now his emphasis has changed. He no longer needs to 'feed' us small targets, laying a yellow brick road straight to his main problem. What happened on Nar Shaddaa gave him the understanding that we have taken the bait. Now he continues the game, removing small targets from under our noses and pointing us to the main one. Our successes in the D'Astan sector are, of course, partly the merit of our auxiliary forces. But this is a staged victory. According to his plan, we should feel the taste of victory, the taste of the enemy's desperation. Start a full-scale campaign to clear our rear and attack with all combat-ready forces. He understands that time is measured in months. If we don't make the right move now, his opponent will build up strength that will become a stumbling block for him. Fighting the main problem of his power, he will weaken, if he survives at all. Therefore, he simply needs to set us on a path where our actions will bring the greatest success for his plan. Lure us to the east of the galaxy, so that he can enter Dominion territory with minimal resistance and subjugate it. Gain a safe foothold and a production cluster capable of increasing his own armed forces overnight. The ideal ending for any plan," Thrawn noted. "Either we get involved in a campaign in the east, in the Tamarin, Rseik, and other territories and win, or we lose. In either case, we will need significant armed forces to win, which will weaken the homeworld. Using his agents, he will bring the Corporate Sector fleet into Dominion territories and gain an advantage over his enemy. A brilliant move, played to perfection, and calculated on the straightforwardness of his opponent. Calculated on Pellaeon. Unfortunately for Zann, we have a third option for the course of events, of which he is unaware."
Thrawn fell silent.
He settled comfortably into his chair, turned on the light in the compartment, and the holographic images faded.
"We are resuming attacks on Corporate Sector convoys," Thrawn ordered Tschel. "Contact Captain Stormaer. In addition to the Abyssal Fury, he will need a Dragon-class Star Destroyer. Preferably from the second series. They have a higher rate of fire on the main battery than the first series, and more balanced armament, power supply, and more experienced crews. Has the Sentinel come out of modernization under Project Troika?"
The last question was addressed to the adjutant.
"Yes, sir," Grodin replied. "Acceptance trials have been carried out, the ship has been returned to the regular fleet."
"Then we have formed a raider task force," the Grand Admiral stated. "The Sentinel, the Abyssal Fury, and one of the Dragons. I think the best choice for this purpose would be the Dragon-Seven. It is already part of Stormaer's current task force. But we will replace the Prison with the Sentinel. The latter needs full combat trials. This will be enough for the mission. Redirect the Prison to Captain Vivant's command in the Karthakk system. Soon they will need an Interdictor with a long-range communication suppression system."
"Understood, sir," Tschel nodded. "With your permission, I will give the order to prepare the Chimaera."
"We remain in place, Captain," the Grand Admiral declared. "The Chimaera's mission is not canceled. Its execution is merely postponed."
Tschel looked around distractedly, as if trying to find an explanation for the Grand Admiral's logic in the strictly functional furnishings of the quarters.
He didn't find one.
"Yes, sir."
He turned to leave the Grand Admiral's cabin, but stopped.
Spinning one hundred and eighty degrees, he addressed Thrawn:
"Sir, shouldn't we cancel the strike by the Third Division of Star Cruisers, if you plan to use Tyber Zann's trap against him?" the young officer inquired.
Grodin outwardly remained calm, but mentally sighed in disappointment.
Thrawn would need more time to mold Tschel into a competent officer.
He still thinks in straightforward judgments, unable to read well between the lines.
"The order remains in effect, Captain," the Grand Admiral said in a diplomatic tone. "The Third Division will act under its previous instructions. We have enough strength to fight on two fronts and sustain minimal losses. A few more months — and it will all be over."
"Yes... sir," Tschel managed to force out.
He silently left the Grand Admiral's quarters, disappearing into the airlock with a distracted look.
Hardly had the door closed behind him when a muffled cry and unrestrained cursing from the young officer were heard.
"Rukh has resumed his 'games,'" Grodin stated.
Thrawn looked at the monitor again, then his burning gaze turned to the adjutant.
"Military command is a journey, not a destination," he said quietly. "A commander always struggles with a challenge. Every task, every minute of his existence is a battle. First and foremost — with himself. Captain Tschel must understand that commanding a flagship Star Destroyer is not the end of his career. It is merely a new entry in his personnel file. A new obstacle he must overcome. Satisfaction from accomplishing a goal should undoubtedly exist in each of us, however, it is criminal to allow oneself to fall into complacency, believing that victory in one battle is victory in a whole war. There will always be enemies that need to be identified, recognized, engaged in battle — and repelled. The more significant the repulsion, the lower the probability of new skirmishes. To forget this is to hang a target on one's own back. In the past, Vice Admiral Pellaeon needed from six months to a year to move from reflection to action and deliver a counterstrike to Rukh. And his decision to fight back was rewarded. Given Captain Tschel's youth, I hope for a result by the end of this six-month period."
"Acknowledged, sir," Tierce clipped out. "What are your orders?"
"Contact the Shadow Guard," the Grand Admiral ordered. "I want them to verify the coordinates and integrity of each of the bases in this list." With a soft click, a data chip popped out of the receiving slot. "The group does not have enough resources and combat ships to clear all the warehouses. The memory of the former Captain Ounar must be double-checked. If any unplundered warehouses remain — we need them and their contents. That is all."
"It will be done, sir," the adjutant promised. "What is the fate of the traitor himself?"
"His memory suggests that he is useless as a commander," Thrawn revealed. "And the presence of genetic diseases and a predisposition to early dementia will make his clones unfit for service too quickly to get any use from them. Deal with him the same way as with the objects on Munto Codru."
"A genetic sample and a mind imprint will be obtained, the original will be destroyed," Grodin repeated the essence of the task. "Permission to give the order?"
"Proceed, Major. Time waits for no one."
* * *
The fourth planet of the Kiyuimin system was located in the eponymous sector of the Outer Rim and was named Courkrus.
Usually, names given to ships, moons, and planets carry some meaning.
In the case of, for example, Coruscant itself, its name came from the word 'sparkling.'
Indeed, that planet was once like a gemstone set in the void of space.
Now it's been turned into an urbanized dump that every armed maniac with an inflated sense of self-importance wants to possess.
As for Courkrus, it's unlikely that anyone could tell a story about why this dusty piece of rock got that particular name.
The planet had several settlements, the largest of which was the city of Vlarnia.
The place where it was located was very arid — like most of Courkrus's surface.
Once, gardens bloomed here and fields waved, irrigated by modern technologies, but over the years the city turned into a huge brown-green sandbox.
The capital, besides having the only spaceport on the entire celestial body, was also responsible for producing one of the planet's only goods — a variety of Lumin-el, which was popular among frequent visitors.
Planet Kourkus.
Jacob Naiv was right near the spaceport, impatiently watching as technicians conducted checks on all systems of the fighters and the only corvette of the pirate group 'Kiyuimin Survivors.'
Which he led.
Courkrus was home to many pirate gangs.
In the past, they cooperated with the 'Invids' of Leonia Tavira, but after the Imperials dealt with her and her crew, those wishing to remain on a planet where the offenders of the elusive Tavira could easily drop by and 'ask' the pirates about their past deeds decreased.
Therefore, the smaller groups got as far away as possible.
And the locals preferred to move to places farther from the planet's capital.
Only three pirate groups remained, controlling the city, the spaceport, and everything within the settlement.
The Survivors, the crew of the Red Nova, the Riistar Raiders.
Just under a thousand people, including technicians and hangers-on of all three gangs, who did not go on raids but actively participated in the gangs' life, brightening their daily routine and time between raids.
Jacob was openly nervous.
Eleven days had passed since Bossk, who had allegedly assembled a formidable gang in the neighboring sector, approached him with an offer of alliance and a profitable deal.
Four days ago, envoys from Bossk were supposed to arrive on the planet, bringing an important prisoner for all the 'Kiyuimin Survivors' the last of two officers with whom his group intended to settle scores.
The only surviving Imperial commander of a Star Destroyer who had participated in the destruction of the original gang that Jacob belonged to.
But the envoys seemed to have flown into a black hole.
And Bossk didn't get in touch.
At first, Naiv thought that the Trandoshan had simply 'dumped' him and decided not to keep his promise.
But then it turned out that the matter was far more serious.
The only communications relay terminal in the city and on the entire planet, which had probably seen the Pius Dea Crusades, turned out to be mechanically damaged.
Communication with other systems was disrupted.
However, this could easily be solved by using the communication terminals on the ships, or by flying them to the meeting point with Bossk...
But it turned out that all ships, without exception, had been rendered non-combat-ready, unfit for flight.
All the pirates on the planet.
To say that one doesn't even want to believe in such coincidences is to say nothing.
This is deliberate sabotage.
And the pirates understood this perfectly.
Patrols moved through the city day and night.
All landing pads were placed under heavy guard.
Suspected that the cause of all the groups' failures were locals from a nearby settlement located a thousand kilometers across the desert. They decided to try to intimidate the pirates by creating terror.
A collective response — fifty fighters on speeders — went straight to the settlement, intending to clarify all circumstances of the attack.
They were supposed to return yesterday.
But they didn't.
Nor did they report in by radio.
The group simply vanished, as if it never existed.
That's rather strange.
As if someone was trying very hard to keep the pirates from leaving this place by a specific date.
That's why the technicians worked around the clock — to finish repairing the ships before the time when wielding a torque wrench would be too late.
Jacob saw one of his subordinates running headlong toward him from the other end of the street where the group's headquarters was located.
"Boss! Boss!" The breathless man sputtered with panting, saliva, and attempts to tell the commander something. "There, there..."
Jacob didn't understand anything, but the subordinate was pointing at the sky.
And following the direction wasn't difficult.
Using macrobinoculars, Naiv managed to make out the silhouettes of spacecraft in orbit.
Too distinctive to mistake their affiliation and place of manufacture.
Such ships are produced in only one place in the galaxy.
And they are in service with only two galactic states.
"Mon Calamari star cruisers?" Jacob cried out, sounding battle stations among the Survivors. "What do the New Republic or the Alliance want here?"
The answer came by itself.
And not from the subordinate.
From the sky poured a golden-crimson rain of turbolaser fire, destroying all buildings and all life in Vlarnia itself and its outskirts, where warehouses and fighter revetments of the pirate groups were located.
An hour after the orbital bombardment ended, squads of Wookiee ground troops landed on the smoking ruins and took away the pirates who had miraculously survived.
And a few hours later, but after the ships of the Third Division of Star Cruisers of the Dominion had left the Kiyuimin system, a Lambda-class shuttle lifted off from the opposite hemisphere of the planet.
Sergius, who with the help of Noghri Death Commandos had finished bringing the ship into a state befitting the new 'legend,' set off on the return journey, heading back to the Retribution.
Immediately after that, the ships of the Noghri who remained on the planet after the evacuation of former Captain Ounar also left the system, after first ensuring that nothing alive remained among the ruins of Vlarnia and no evidence of the cleanup.