Ten years, five months, and thirty days after the Battle of Yavin…
Or forty-fifth year, fifth month, and thirtieth day after the Great Resynchronization.
(One year, two months, and ten days since the Arrival.)
Dani watched with a bored expression as another batch of vertical slabs was unloaded from a transport shuttle.
This time there were... again one hundred fifty-three.
One didn't even need to count them all — it was enough to count one of the four columns, each containing thirty-eight dull-glowing metal slabs supported by built-in antigrav.
If you counted all the small and medium transports that had delivered exactly such slabs to the warehouse rented by the Dominion, it would seem there should be at least a thousand of them here.
But there weren't.
The food company 'Fruits from the Entire Galaxy', which had rented a large warehouse in the civilian cargo terminals on Rendili, was bringing to the planet not rare and fresh fruits from across the galaxy frozen in carbonite.
"The last shipment has arrived, sir," reported a stormtrooper clad in black armor, approaching Agent Bravo-Three, who was tensely peering at a monitor screen over the shoulder of a blue-haired young man.
The one called Ghent had arrived about three weeks ago.
And almost immediately plunged into work that was incomprehensible to the Zeltron woman, sometimes even forgetting to eat.
"Damage?" asked the agent.
"Everything is intact."
"Begin thawing. Personnel are to check their weapons and report to me when ready."
"Acknowledged, sir."
The stormtrooper in black smoothly moved aside, then quickly walked toward the far end of the hangar, where hundreds of soldiers in similar armor moved about.
"Interesting," thought Dani. "So this time it's not people that arrived, but equipment?"
From which several conclusions could be drawn at once.
For a being frozen in carbonite to come to and restore the function of its senses, a certain amount of time was required.
Since equipment had arrived, most likely the weapons Bravo-Three had mentioned, it could be assumed that the time for the operation — for which frozen stormtroopers, their gear, provisions, firearms, various vehicles, including the well-known BX-series, B-1 battle droids, droidekas, and so on were being delivered to Rendili — was approaching.
It would be interesting to know what the Dominion had brought nearly a thousand men and a bunch of war machines here for.
Not to mention the numerous transports that were being hastily modified right there in the hangar to match the external identification marks of the 'Rendili StarDrive' security force vessels.
It had to be understood that the Dominion also had access codes — they wouldn't go anywhere on the planet with only ships.
Or on its orbit.
Dani noticed that loading had begun onto the starships — both battle droids and men, women, and even aliens, all dressed in identical repair worker coveralls with the shipyard emblem on the chest.
The hangar grew somewhat warm from the simultaneous thawing of several dozen carbonite slabs.
Dani looked displeased at Bravo-Three, hoping he would pay attention to his prisoner.
In vain.
He continued talking with the blue-haired young man about something, arguing about some alarm signals and communication frequencies.
It seemed the phrase 'impulse transmitter' flashed by, and Dani looked with respect at the structure towering at the rear of the hangar bay.
And she had been wondering what that pile of tech junk and antennas was, but it turned out to be a transmitter capable of sending a message to any point in the galaxy.
And it had enough power — it was connected to the local power grid designed to supply high-consumption users.
Imagine... such a complex device assembled essentially from brought scrap metal.
Or was it merely camouflage for factory-made parts from prying eyes?
The Zeltron woman looked again at the leader of everything happening, but he seemed to be deliberately ignoring her.
"Don't even try," said Aveka Dunn, who had sat down nearby. Unlike the Zeltron, she was not bound hand and foot. And the spy had her gear with her — and weapons too. "He doesn't understand hints. And if he does, he ignores them. A fanatic of his work."
"You say that as if it's something bad."
"On the contrary," the spy smirked. "That's exactly what I like about him. Dedication to his work. He's so focused that he didn't even notice my signs of attention until I myself climbed into his..."
"Vex!" the Dominion man cut her off. "Keep your tongue in check. Your chatter is distracting him from programming."
"As you say, dear," the spy beamed a smile, making the man roll his eyes. "Isn't he a sweetheart?"
"I think he would like to kill you," Dani admitted, not sparing the spy's feelings.
"You're not wrong," she snorted. "But you won't see it."
"So you did decide to kill me?" the Zeltron clarified, mentally preparing for the inevitable.
Not only had they squeezed all possible information out of her, they had also decided to 'put her to waste' after all.
A fine bounty hunter's hunt for a traitor she had...
"Do you have any better options?" Vex inquired.
"Well... For instance, I could switch sides and join the Dominion..."
"You're a mercenary who serves no one," the spy corrected, smiling radiantly. "So you have no 'side' at all — hire doesn't count. But I like the way you're thinking, go on."
"Oh, as if the Dominion doesn't have 'freelancers'," the Zeltron rolled her eyes. "Even the Empire had private spy-mercenaries. And they helped quite a bit!"
"Not the ones who walked hand in hand with Luke Skywalker," Aveka showed her knowledge of the Zeltron's life.
"And about who I was before meeting the Hero of the Rebellion, I take it you know that too?"
"Of course. We're not the Galactic Alliance Intelligence or the New Republic — we don't feed on disinformation."
Dani clicked her tongue in annoyance.
She had previously been a member of a gang known for its trade as swindlers and smugglers.
Not the worst job in the galaxy, she had to say.
At the same time, shortly after the Battle of Endor, after several encounters with the Rebel Alliance and a fascination with the Rebel hero Luke Skywalker, Dani eventually joined the Alliance.
Within the Alliance, Dani underwent special training under Skywalker, ultimately becoming a soldier in the Alliance Armed Forces.
Around the same time, Dani fell in love with another being, with whom she planned to spend the rest of her days, and they developed a devoted and elevated relationship.
Continuing her work with the Alliance, Dani was drawn into a conflict with the Nagai and their operations.
During the war and during a mission on the planet Kinoin, together with her beloved and Skywalker, she was one of the first Alliance agents to encounter the Nagai and their ally, the Dark Lady Lumiya.
After the love of her life was killed in battle on Kinoin, Dani was filled with a desire for revenge, hoping to cause the Nagai as much pain as they had caused her.
However, she was forced to set aside her personal feelings when the Nagai joined the Alliance to fight a greater threat — the barbarian Tofs.
After the war ended, Dani returned to Zeltros and tried to drown her sorrows in the joyful atmosphere of her homeworld.
And then, realizing she could not find peace in entertainment and drink, she decided to take up bounty hunting.
And then she learned of Luke Skywalker's disappearance and joined the search for him under the guise of a bounty hunter.
Pleasure with profit — she helped search for the Jedi and also carried out assignments from the New Republic to infiltrate them.
And the contract led her to Rendili.
Where her partner died, and she herself has one foot almost in the grave, while a hostile Dominion spy tries to recruit her.
Well, since she didn't manage to get involved in New Republic affairs and find out what Fey'lya was up to with Grand Moff Kaine's ships, she could always adjust the mission and infiltrate the Dominion.
After all, she is a 'freelancer', isn't she?
"Very well," said Dani. "I am ready to join the Dominion. I will serve as a field agent for you."
"Don't go giving us approvals, girl," Vex's voice lost several degrees of warmth. "You ruined our operation, which forced a major adjustment of plans."
"Actually, she screwed up too," thought the Zeltron, but decided to keep quiet — better to keep her bones intact.
Dani had felt firsthand how well this Aveka could fight.
And she clearly understood she didn't want a repeat.
"Do you want me to make a cute face and cry, begging for your forgiveness?" the Zeltron inquired.
"Would that ensure your loyalty?" Dunn inquired.
"Without a doubt," Dani nodded her head. "We Zeltrons are so emotional, so true to our word..."
."..than you can possibly imagine," she finished mentally. "The Galactic Alliance will pay well for uncovering your plans. The main thing is for you to believe that I will sell myself to any side for money."
"We're not going to do anything terrible like a terrorist attack or mass poisoning of beings, are we?" she asked the spy. "I wouldn't sign up for that even for a lot of money."
Which wasn't entirely true, of course.
If they were not on Rendili but on Yaga Minor or Bilbringi, she would happily blow up something important.
"Oh, absolutely not," she smiled. "We are soldiers, not terrorists. Nothing more than an operation to recover property that belongs to the Dominion as the heir to the Galactic Empire."
"And I thought Orinda was the heir to the Empire," the Zeltron showed her political knowledge.
"That's what they think too," Vex smiled, her eyes following the squads of black stormtroopers who, grabbing weapons from carbonite freeze, began loading onto ships, almost automatically loading heavy blasters and handheld grenade launchers with ammunition. "Well, I think you won't mind that for this mission we'll pay you only ten thousand credits. Dominion credits, of course."
"Only?" Dani was stunned by what she heard.
But she nodded vigorously.
"Not the biggest sum I've worked for," they wouldn't have found out so quickly what kind of work she did for various clients across the galaxy. "However, better than nothing. So I understand you don't have enough of your own people for some events?"
"That's right," confirmed Dunn. "Bravo-III doesn't want to involve any of his own people, but… We'll need to send a signal about our operation using a pulse transmitter."
Dani looked at the equipment again.
It seemed they didn't trust her all that much, since they decided to leave her here, on the planet.
Or was their operation also somewhere nearby?
Honestly, she thought the operation planned by the Dominion would start right here.
Otherwise, why would they have reinforced the hangar?
The vault, the doors, and much more — after all, the droid had been working here by the time she was brought in, after being kept for a while in a rented mansion.
As if they were preparing for a siege.
Then again, it could just be an additional measure to secure the base.
After all, a dozen and a half automatic turrets never hurt anyone, right?
"I don't see anything wrong with helping my employers and sending a few messages," the Zeltron woman smiled.
"Then it's settled," Vex winked at her and with a quick motion cut the plastic restraints on her hands and feet. "We'll send the first message before departure, and the subsequent ones will be sent automatically according to the schedule."
"Then what am I needed here for?" Dani asked in surprise.
"What do you mean 'what for'?" Aveka's eyes widened. "When our jammers start working, everything within a couple of kilometers will be cut off from the standard communication system. You'll need to make sure the device completes its task. After that, blow it up and withdraw — an air car will be waiting for you near the emergency exit."
Oh, so it's simpler than she thought!
As soon as they take off, Dani would use the air car, leave the jamming zone, and report what was happening.
Fortunately, she had memorized the identification numbers of the fake ships.
Yes, it would look like she helped the New Republic, but it would also screw the Dominion.
And why did she want the latter?
Because the Dominion was responsible for Luke Skywalker's disappearance and should face the harshest punishment for it!
"And where are the droids going?" she asked, noticing that part of the mechanical army was rolling toward the hangar exits. "Hmm… I didn't know you had Mi-type guard droids."
"We do have them," Dunn said with satisfaction. "Delivered on the last shipment along with the weapons. Twenty-five units. They'll guard the perimeter of the warehouse and are instructed to fire to kill if anyone tries to leave the hangar before the enemy capture team arrives."
Mi-type guard droids posed a significant problem for her plan.
Short, armed with both a pair of blasters and an equal number of stunners, these guards would clearly not let her out of the hangar alive and in one piece.
So her plan for a quick escape would fail.
She would have to arrange for the Republicans to invade the hangar, thereby drawing the attention of all the guard droids.
And in the chaos, she would slip away and finish her dark revenge.
Asking the enemy about their mission's goal was useless — no one would tell the truth anyway.
But from what she knew, the Dominion was extremely hostile to the fact that the New Republic or the Galactic Alliance held technology manufactured by the Galactic Empire.
And they had been spotted more than once 'taking away' Star Destroyers and warships of Imperial design.
And in orbit right now there were two Imperial Star Destroyers and one Executor-class…
Putting two and two together had never been easier.
Though, how did they intend to even move such behemoths, which required tens of thousands of sentient crew?
It even became interesting whether they would succeed or not…
Of course, she wouldn't want the Dominion's plan to succeed, as that would mean their strengthening.
But it would also weaken the New Republic…
In the current reality, it was hard to be on anyone's side.
Mi-type guard droid.
"It's a deal," she smiled. "So maybe you'll tell me where we'll meet after you and I finish our respective tasks?"
"Didn't you understand?" Vex asked in surprise. "In that same mansion on Seventh Street. As soon as you're done, come there. I think I don't need to tell you to make sure you don't have a tail?"
"No," Dani smiled. "Of course not."
She wasn't planning to show up there anyway.
But military units from Rendili StarDrives would visit that place with great pleasure.
Undoubtedly.
* * *
"Grand Admiral," Captain Pellaeon appeared as usual at the right hand of the chair I was occupying. "A message has arrived via pulse transmitter from Rendili."
"So our agents are ready," I concluded, stroking the ysalamiri. "Order the fleet to move to the agreed interception points. We engage immediately behind the main forces."
"Yes, sir."
Pellaeon turned on his heel, and his commanding voice rang out across the bridge of the Guardian:
"Battle stations! Fleet prepare to jump to Point Alpha!"
The air filled with the sound of a buzzer.
I didn't even need to imagine the footsteps of the Super Star Destroyer's crew thundering across the decks.
My gaze fell on a Dominator-class Star Destroyer that was beginning to maneuver for reformation and then to exceed the speed of light, to be the first to race into space.
After which it would deploy gravity trawls and pull the Guardian along with its escort and support group.
Thus organizing a blockade of one of the two hyperspace routes leading into the Rendili system.
* * *
"If everything is going according to plan, can we start worrying now?" Aveka asked aloud, as their ship crossed the shipyard's safety perimeter and, along with the others, headed toward the massive bulk of an Executor-class Super Star Destroyer.
Along with hundreds of other similar ships scurrying along the shipyards in both directions.
Logically, they should have quelled the panic among the workers, but instead only made the situation worse.
So Vex was right — the fact that everything was going according to plan couldn't help but be alarming.
Glancing at Mr. Ghent sitting nearby, he asked the slicer:
"How are things on the information front?"
"The alarm is sounding across all slipways," he said, chewing his lips. "The shipyard security service is going crazy trying to prevent the mass flight of workers."
"That's no easy task," Bravo-III agreed.
The radiation and biological hazard signal, which Ghent had centrally activated, forcing workers in the orbital slipways to flee, turned the strict working disorder over Rendili into sheer uncontrolled chaos.
Their own ships, transmitting access codes that were duly accepted, began approaching three dry docks along the required vectors.
They had taken off from Rendili on different courses, in different groups, to raise as few questions as possible from the flight director.
Yes, the ships had transponders from Rendili StarDrives.
Yes, externally they looked very similar to those used by local security personnel for their missions.
And seemingly everything was fine…
But something gnawed at his soul.
"Are you sure the first signal went through and the fleet received the encryption?" he asked the slicer.
"If they were at that point in space at the time specified by the Grand Admiral, then they received the message," the young man grumbled. "For the rest, I'm no Jedi."
Well, he had a point there.
Thrawn himself had sent the data on where the invasion fleet would be waiting for the message from Rendili about the start of the operation.
And the first pulse transmitter message had been sent precisely to those coordinates.
Exactly one hour before the operation entered its 'hot' phase and the naval special forces, combat droids, agents, and fleet specialists lifted off from the planet's surface to get away from the planet.
Yes, on intra-system transports this was impossible — so the Dominion intended to acquire more suitable transport in Rendili orbit.
"The Zeltron woman won't bail?" he addressed Vex.
"Why do you think I assigned guard droids?" she replied with a question. "She can try, but it'll be worse for her."
"Still, it's an unjustified risk," Rederick shook his head. "I shouldn't have listened to you."
"Hey!" the girl protested. "I apologized for the failure with the Sluissi! And I promised I wouldn't be reckless anymore! The Zeltron woman will perform exactly as we need!"
"That's what you think!"
"That's what the Analytical Department of Intelligence thinks!" Aveka cut him off. "They can, know how, and do use fanatics and ideologues with great skill. Dani will do exactly what we expect of her."
"It would have been simpler to blow up the transmitter," Rederick sighed. "If not for Thrawn's order to leave traces…"
The fact was that the second pulse transmission, which the installed device was supposed to send, was for some reason very important to the Grand Admiral's plans.
How important was not yet clear.
But the very fact that he had sent his personal astromech droid along with the reinforcements…
Rederick glanced at the dark-colored R7, which was currently piloting the ship, bringing it closer and closer to the tempting target.
While most of the real Rendili security personnel rushed to the unfinished New Republic Star Destroyers, Rederick's team approached the Imperial ships.
Unfortunately — not only them, but also a good dozen other ships from the local security forces.
True, the Dominion had a ten-minute head start — that much they were ahead of the real security personnel.
Thanks to the Noghri blowing up the central relay, internal communication in the system was useless.
Which didn't mean it didn't exist at all.
The astromech, turning its head dome, whistled a tirade in binary, changing the color of its optical sensor a couple of times.
"We're receiving an automatic request from Reaper's control center," Rederick said, as if afraid that someone present didn't understand basic droid language. "Transmit our access codes to the ship."
The droid beeped and began to adjust its information probe in a special socket.
Silence fell in the cabin.
Despite the deathly silence in the compartment, the approach to the Super Star Destroyer did not induce sleep at all.
Ahead loomed a nineteen-kilometer giant, which the local workers had simply called 'the monster'.
Not only because of its size and armament, but also the amount of work being done on the ship at the request of the Defense Fleet command and the New Republic government.
Covered in scaffolding and work platforms that from a distance looked like blood-sucking insects clinging to a beached whale-don, the Reaper lay motionless.
Its gray hull, almost blending with the darkness of space, had internal lighting only in a hundred places — directly at the work sites of the specific shipyard's personnel.
Similar scenes could be seen on the upper hull of the formerly Imperial Star Destroyers, whose upper decks were adorned with the emblems of the New Republic.
Rederick felt his pulse quicken.
One mistake in the plan, one inaccuracy, one wrong code — and the personnel on board would raise the alarm.
Such as it was, but personnel remained on the ship despite the declared radiation and biological threat.
The astromech emitted a long trill.
At which the scout exhaled in relief.
The controller on board the Reaper accepted the codes, confirming their validity, which in turn meant no problems from the nearby orbital defense stations.
The Super Star Destroyer already filled the entire central viewport of the transport.
Rederick gave an order, and R7 guided the fake starship toward a small bright spot that gradually grew into a standard square of the flight deck bay.
The hangar was mostly filled with small-tonnage transport starships and cargo containers, among which two TIE Interceptors huddled forlornly off to the side.
Which meant their pilots were also on board.
Admiral Duplex had made that decision, introducing an extremely strict security system at the shipyards.
The small craft acquired as trophies were used for patrolling and guarding the Imperial ships while they were at the Rendili StarDrives shipyards.
But for a couple of interceptors, Rederick would find suitable use in this mission.
The ships reached the landing deck without hindrance, having passed through the asteroid field.
Workers were nowhere to be seen.
Quite unusual.
Some time had passed since the general alert on the shipyards, so somewhere they must have figured out that the contamination threat was false.
No guards, no duty mechanics, no loaders…
Not even some mossy marauder who, taking advantage of the chaos, decided to swipe a regulator and sell it on the black market, at the very least?
On the other hand, the evacuation ordered to leave the starship as quickly as possible.
Perhaps the disciplined sentients had done just that, using the docking tunnels, and thus the starship was abandoned by the repair crews.
But he didn't believe in such luck at all.
On the other hand, the absence of personnel on the flight deck was quite logical if the arriving ship transmitted the appropriate code.
The crew left the transport's compartment in silence.
Not a single external sound — only the muffled clanking of droids dispersing through the nearest corridors and passages, who along with the stormtroopers were supposed to take control of the ship's key compartments.
The bridge, CP, central computer, engine bay, motor room, reactor room, and if possible, the battery deck as well.
And for all this, a battalion of naval special forces was allocated, reinforced by several thousand combat droids.
Several thousand, indeed.
Rederick, although he believed Vex that the Zeltron woman would be used as needed, still did not put all his banthas on one harness.
And therefore, the regiment that had arrived on the planet was divided into four detachments and prepared for battle in orbit separately.
In accordance with their tasks.
Vex went first, so she was the first in the corridor — semi-dark and unusually quiet.
The three-kilometer walk suggested that they were walking through a ghost ship.
Any other starship would be pulsating, choked with life; vibrations would be felt through the soles, which were normal for space travel and which you stopped noticing after a couple of days.
In the belly of this mechanical monster, machines would constantly be running; the engines would hum deeply, almost at the threshold of hearing; courier droids and utility robots would buzz underfoot, and you couldn't hide from people.
But this warship was silent, and it was easy to imagine (with sufficient imagination) that if anyone materialized in the gloom of the corridors, it would only be an ordinary and bodiless ghost.
One could disbelieve in the supernatural, but when you knew about the existence of Jedi and the Emperor's survival after the explosion of an entire battle station before his face, you became more tolerant of superstitions.
When there were only a few decks left to the target, ghosts appeared.
The first sentient encountered on the Reaper was dressed in a security service uniform.
Vex, walking ahead, had just turned into the right corridor following a rapidly moving squad of BX-series commando droids, when a door leading to the personal quarters section opened with a characteristic hiss of hydraulics, and a tall man stepped out.
And he tried to raise the blaster clutched in his hand, apparently reflexively mistaking the person in technician's uniform for an enemy.
Logically — technical personnel were not allowed in this part of the Super Star Destroyer, since all repair work here had been finished long ago, and only security personnel lived here.
And considering that Vex was moving two meters behind combat droids, which shouldn't have been on the ship at all, the security man's reaction could be called quite correct.
"What the…‽"
But talking to Aveka was a completely unnecessary, thankless, and problematic affair.
Rederick knew that from his own experience like no one else.
The agent gave the enemy no chance.
With a smooth long step, she pressed against him (the weapon got stuck between their bodies) and with an open palm, without any backswing, struck upward from below under the man's chin, who didn't realize that he wouldn't be able to use his weapon even if he wanted to.
His head snapped back, the security man took half a step back and assumed a combat stance.
"Oh, fool," was all Rederick had time to think.
What you wouldn't expect from a slender but fit Aveka was a kick to the knee with Wookiee strength.
The man collapsed to the deck like a felled tree, and the next moment a delicate female fist smashed through the throat of the Rendili StarDrives security employee.
A crunch, a rattle, short convulsions — and the snap of a twisted neck, after which the body went still for good.
The female agent arched gracefully, looking at Rederick with a mischievous expression:
"I've clearly explained what will happen to you if you don't start washing the dishes right away, dear?"
Bravo-III looked at Thrawn's astromech droid standing beside him, but the droid only turned its head dome toward him and whistled softly.
"I know it's not your problem," Rederick grimaced, agreeing with the astrodroid that the best thing in this situation was to pretend everything was going according to plan.
But one deck down, things weren't so rosy.
The BX units had engaged a security combat group.
The corridor smelled of ozone; shots and the hiss of impacts thundered; the groans of dying enemy soldiers.
The stormtroopers were eager to join the fight, but at that moment three more enemies appeared behind the droids, having come to the rear of the commando droids through a technical tunnel.
Rederick, using Stormtrooper Corps sign language, ordered the fighters to move around.
Since the security personnel were already aware of the situation on at least this deck, they had to act faster.
First, they should take control of the command centers.
The ship's main computer was already under the control of one of the companies, and Mr. Ghent was re-subordinating it to the new owners using some codes that granted access to the Star Destroyer's computers.
A similar procedure always occurred when capturing ships of Imperial design.
It's hard to fight when your own ship's electronics don't obey you.
But much on the ships was autonomous, so the stormtroopers rushed forward to the common goal.
At the very least, they couldn't allow the enemy to use the ship's emergency communication system and alert the controller that there were unauthorized persons on the Reaper.
Redrick and Vex themselves flanked those fighters.
Before that trio could strike the BX units from behind, the Dominion agents began to act.
The first one, whom Aveka crept up on, died from an obsidian blade thrust to the throat.
She turned him in front of her so that the security man's torso would take the blaster shot from his comrade.
After that, she pushed the corpse toward the shooter and moved on to finishing him.
Rederick wasted no time — he struck his opponent in the temple with the butt of his blaster, then twisted his neck.
By that time, Vex was already wiping the blade of her combat knife on the fabric of the enemy's jumpsuit.
"Forward!" the agent commanded, seeing that his partner intended to pull another joke from the 'unacceptable in decent society' category.
He liked the assault more than all those spy games that were assigned to agents.
Joining the commando droids, who had pinned down a group of shipyard workers and a couple of security fighters in a dead-end corridor leading to a sealed compartment, Rederick, with a sigh, rolled a thermal detonator at the feet of those in cover.
Not waiting for the explosion, they rushed at the enemy.
Well, it was easier to try their luck in such a fight than to die from an explosion like a cornered animal.
A close-quarters fight broke out.
Rederick lunged and struck one of the security men in the chest, knocking him toward Vex.
The girl, without a moment's hesitation, slashed the obsidian dagger across the man's chest, and with a second blow drove the weapon into the enemy's eye socket.
Nearby, one of the enemy technicians fell with a rattle, pierced by a vibroblade, and the BX unit tore the weapon from his chest and decapitated the next one.
Did he feel pity for the dead?
Yes, he would have, if all these technicians weren't military personnel of Rendili: the same soldiers as those he had to deal with.
Everyone decides for himself whether to be a combatant in life or not.
And he reaps the fruits of his choice on his own.
It all ended as simply as it began.
At one moment, Rederick realized there were no more enemies around, and a grinning Vex was handing him the unprimed thermal detonator with which he had flushed the enemy from cover.
"Old trick."
"But it works," Rederick cut him off. "Forward."
The rest of the way was calm; they only encountered cleaning droids, machines so mindless and primitive that they could only recognize the section of deck assigned to them for work.
The Dominion droids continued their spread through the ship, while Rederick and Vex continued toward the bridge.
The micro-earpiece connected to the comlink periodically came to life with reports on completed work.
The engine and reactor compartments are captured, the main computer is under control, the battery decks are being cleared, the backup command post is captured, and control from it has been transferred to the bridge.
Which is locked and contains about fifty sentients — the naval special forces, having gotten inside, are now fighting the bridge's cover group, preventing them from sending a distress signal.
Who wins there is not yet clear, but the bridge's armored doors are already being mined to melt the locking mechanisms: the enemy must not have any chance to raise the alarm.
But there was also some not-so-pleasant news — ships from the real security service had already arrived at the ship.
Some of them were met with fire from combat droids on the flight deck, but the others, it must be admitted, were not idiots, so they docked with the superstructure, from where there was a short route to the bridge.
Fighting their way forward, they advanced to link up with one another, as naval special forces and droid cleanup teams had cut them off from the starships, cleared the ships, and were now trying to trap the enemy between their units and destroy them with crossfire.
A fairly simple but effective tactic.
Rederick consulted the ship plan that Mr. Ghent, having taken over the central computer, had transmitted to the Dominion forces over an encrypted line before disabling the communications systems. At the nearest intersection, they turned into the left corridor… and Vex nearly knocked a lanky security officer off his feet.
"How many of you are there?" Rederick thought.
The enemy staggered, reached for his holster, but the moment he grabbed his blaster, it was knocked out of his hand.
Vex drove her knee into the Rendilian's stomach, but the enemy caught her delicate leg.
That didn't stop her from twisting free and landing a powerful roundhouse kick with her other foot to his temple.
The enemy slammed into the wall, and there was a distinct crunch of a broken neck.
"You have some kind of preference for killing like that?" inquired Bravo III. "How many have you taken out that way?"
His tone was more questioning than stern.
The girl put her hands on her hips.
"Actually, I'm trying to impress you," she said indignantly.
"Meaning what?"
"Well... I'm all heated from the fight, in a tight combat suit, and you, grateful to me, we meet up after the battle..."
"And go to the shower to wash off blood and sweat," Rederick cut in. "Vex, you promised to behave."
"What's improper about killing with a broken neck?" the agent batted her eyes.
Bravo III sighed in resignation and silently waved toward the turbolift that would take them to the bridge.
"We have more important matters."
"Well, haven't I earned a kiss?" Vex stamped her foot childishly, then, having gotten what she wanted, stopped fooling around. "And you're a good one. Even Cross couldn't hold out long against my impetuousness. Ran off, that Alderaanian bastard, as soon as I started talking about feelings..."
The turbolift doors closed and the car rose.
"By the way, why don't you men ever talk about your feelings and relationships with the women you love?" she asked.
Rederick pictured that scene for a moment, smiled, barely holding back laughter.
"A sentient who cries and wipes his snot on his fist is no man," he declared. "Fortitude, endurance, composure, the ability to manage one's emotions, and a plan for every situation in life — that is the model of a true man of any race."
Aveka Dunn shook her head disapprovingly.
"It seems," she sighed heavily, "that Thrawn's image has brought too much masculinity into Dominion men."
"You say that as if it's a bad thing."
"On the contrary," Vex pressed against him and pecked his cheek. "Such a masculine image has been absent from the front pages of all news publications in our galaxy for too long. It's all Corellian jokesters, modest young Jedi, hysterical power-mongers, or disgusting types fawned over by authority... A truly brutal man — that's what all the women of the Dominion need! And the whole galaxy, really..."
"I can barely handle you alone, how can I think about the women of the whole galaxy?" Rederick joked, but immediately regretted it when he met Aveka's gaze.
"So you do look at other women?" Her eyes flashed and her fingers clenched into fists.
Rederick had never been so glad that the turbolift doors slid open so quickly.
In the small foyer before the bridge entrance, they paused while a commando-technician reported that he had managed to crack the password for the armored blast doors, disable the alarm signal, and was now methodically working on the mechanism.
Aside from Aveka, who had stopped playing the fury, and Rederick, there were fifty naval commandos on the deck, and at every intersection and nearby deck, droidekas and troops were already posted, guarding the approaches to the command center.
The backup bridge was under similar guard, and a team of naval specialists had split between the two control points, ready to seize control of the starship's systems simultaneously.
Rederick gave the signal.
The door opened instantly, with the speed typical of Imperial ships.
One swift dash and a careful glance was enough to understand — the commandos who had gotten here first had been killed by the crew and security.
But the Dominion troops had accomplished the necessary minimum — the emergency transmitter communication panel had been blown to pieces by a burst of heavy blaster fire.
The enemy was just working on repairing it.
"Hold it right there, and no one gets hurt!"
Two dozen sentients looked at them in surprise, clearly not understanding how this could have happened.
Well, yes, faith in armor protection had let many sentients down.
The commandos spread through the bridge compartments like a black river, disarming the Rendilians.
"You'll never capture this ship!" shouted one of the shipyard security troops. "There are defense stations here, two dozen Republic-class Star Destroyers, hundreds of pilots... Surrender, and you'll be spared!"
Rederick casually smashed the talker in the jaw with his elbow, breaking it and silencing him: "Anyone else want to give us advice on how to handle a Super Star Destroyer? No? Good. Lieutenant — search them all and lock them under guard."
"Yes, sir."
Naval technicians familiar with Super Star Destroyer systems began appearing on the bridge.
They quickly took positions at the control consoles, bringing them online.
"Emergency reactors activated!"
"Deflectors not responding..."
Rederick looked at the three-dimensional schematic of the ship, where certain parts were highlighted in red.
The locations of deflector shield domes, part of the weaponry, all launch tubes without exception, and some sections of armor.
Only the main engines, maneuvering thrusters, hyperdrive — and even then, only the backup — life support, and a few other primary systems were without issues.
In this state, trying to break out of the shipyards without even a single watch crew on board would be complete suicide.
Even if he put all the commandos with any ship systems training at the consoles, he would get nothing more than the Reaper being able to move straight, fire occasionally, and maneuver clumsily.
They would need ten thousand, better thirty thousand naval specialists, but he didn't have that many at his disposal, even if he recalled all troops and specialists without exception, even the droids from the capture of the other starships that were the targets of their mission.
"The second signal from the pulse transmitter just went off," said Vex.
"Sabotage?" asked Rederick, turning to the communications officer. "Anything on local channels?"
"Yes, sir. Fuel reservoirs have been blown, industrial zones are burning, warehouse buildings. Rendili security force units have been dispatched to the blast sites."
"Did they pinpoint the transmitter?"
"Of course, sir, the second transmission is constant."
So the information from it is still being transmitted, and therefore attracting attention.
"The shipyard defense systems?"
Besides the aforementioned defense stations and the Republic-class Star Destroyers patrolling orbit, one shouldn't forget the hundreds of turbolasers studding the shipyards themselves.
And they would certainly oppose the former Grand Moff Kaine's ships intending to leave their construction berths.
"We control the automatic guns, and some droids have taken command of key batteries. On your order, the nearest enemy firing points will be destroyed," Vex chimed in.
Rederick was satisfied with the answer.
"Begin preparing the reactors, engine room, and drives for startup. Shield the operation of energy sources aboard the ship. Make sure all transfer tunnel hatches are sealed simultaneously."
"Yes, sir!" came the reply, echoing Rederick's commands to Bravo III.
"Mr. Ghent," he contacted the central computer compartment via internal ship comms. "Begin evacuating oxygen from the decks that don't concern us. First, seal the flight deck with blast doors, cut power to the emergency airlocks, and depressurize all external compartments."
"Mmm... Alright, doing it. But let me clarify. You are aware that there are people there?" the slicer clarified.
"Our troops shouldn't be there anymore, only droids."
"But I'm talking about the Rendilians..."
"Their fate interests me less than a hangnail on my toe."
"Um... Well, alright, executing."
"Communications station," Rederick looked at the sole comms officer on the bridge. "Monitor signals from other Imperial-design ships. As soon as we get a signal that the operation has begun, we must establish contact with them and act as a unified team."
"Yes, sir, of course, but... what kind of signal will it be?"
"We'll know it when we see it."
Honestly, Rederick himself didn't know what to expect.
But the longer he worked for the Dominion under Thrawn's command, the more he understood that such cautions in orders meant something that absolutely could not be missed.
"Sir!" came a shout from the scanning systems operator. "Signs of ships emerging from hyperspace!"
"Two Strike-class medium cruisers!"
"Detecting projected artificial gravity zones!"
"The Strikes are interdictors!"
"Multiple hyperspace transitions!"
"Golan stations on our course are under attack!"
"One station destroyed!"
"K-wings are breaking through to the shipyards!"
"Ashek are rapidly breaking through to the unfinished Republic-class ships!"
"Two New Republic Star Destroyers have been hit by E-wings with proton torpedoes!"
"Both are disabled!"
"Shipyard defense systems are at battle stations!"
"Shipyard turbolasers are aimed at the entry vector!"
"Republic-class ships are breaking off patrol and moving to intercept!"
"Galactic Alliance Star Cruisers have destroyed another station and are moving toward the shipyards!"
"Fighters have been launched from the surface and orbital stations!"
"Receiving a signal from the shipyard control tower! 'Remain calm, the enemy attack will be repelled. Bring automatic defense systems to battle readiness, seal external airlocks after boarding security troops!'"
"Do it now," Rederick ordered, understanding that it was better to spend time arguing with the control tower than to hunt enemy operatives through the decks later. "Mr. Ghent, how are things on our end?"
"Almost... yeah... On your command, ready to start venting the external compartments."
Rederick opened his mouth to give that order, but Vex put her hand on his comlink.
"Red, are you sure this is the signal we're waiting for?" she asked.
"And you think the situation doesn't deserve such a vivid go-ahead?" Rederick laughed. "Looks like we're not just stealing the remnants of Grand Moff Kaine's fleet, but we'll also be witnesses to the start of a war between the Galactic Alliance and the New Republic."
Orders were given.
"I wonder what got one side so riled up against the other?" Aveka voiced her rhetorical question, puzzled.
"No idea," Rederick shrugged. "Maybe one side killed a diplomat from the other? Or a weaponsmith?"
However, they didn't bother to find an answer.
They had a completely different task at hand right now.
The nineteen-kilometer giant, along with the Star Destroyers, heavy cruisers, and Lancer-class frigates, came to life, scorching the metal of the construction berths at the Rendili StarDrive shipyards with their engine exhaust.
And the remnants of Grand Moff Kaine's fleet, under Dominion control, smashing through transfer airlocks, spitting fire at the shipyards, launching their few interceptors from their depths, began to accelerate to break out of their republican prisons.
Toward freedom.
Toward the Dominion.
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