It took two hours for the stormtroopers stationed on the Chimaera and Death's Head to clear the rebel base on Ord Pardron.
Nothing saved them — neither the two infantry regiments who fought like lions, nor several commando groups that inflicted significant losses on our troops, nor even the enemy's large amount of heavy weaponry.
The stormtroopers rolled over the rebels' holdings like a steamroller, crushing everything that wasn't wearing the Imperial uniform and tried to resist.
Now it was time to count our "profits."
— The facility is secured, Grand Admiral, — General Freja Covell said with a slight smirk on his lips, meeting me at the ramp of the Lambda. After the ground forces had done a great job, it wasn't a sin to descend to the surface of Ord Pardron to see with my own eyes what had happened here.
General Freja Covell.
Despite the movements of his lips, the general himself remained as impassive, cold, and calculating as ever. It was quite interesting to study his personal file. In the distant past, he fell under the influence of such a well-known Imperial figure as Maximilian Veers — an advocate for the tactics of using AT-AT and AT-ST walkers. And it should be noted that Covell gleaned a lot of useful things from his senior comrade, and was already considered a model for teaching tactics himself. It's doubly interesting that Covell, Veers' student, remained loyal to the Empire, while Maximilian himself is wandering somewhere in the galaxy, not knowing what to expect to see in the ruins of a once flourishing, but rotting from within, state. And this opened up some prospects.
But I was interested in something else at the moment. Namely — the spoils. Who doesn't love them? Especially when an entire sectoral fleet base is being plundered.
— Have the technicians arrived yet? — I clarified.
— Yes, sir, — the general reported. — Eighteen teams from the Chimaera and a similar number from the Assault Hawk. My men escorted them to all parts of the base. Dismantling of equipment is already underway.
— Sappers? — I asked a new question.
— Arrival is scheduled in fifteen minutes, — Covell said. — By that time, we will have already begun to remove the rebels' property. And the Death's Head will deliver the asteroids soon.
— Speed it up, General, — I ordered. — In three hours, we must leave the Dafilvean sector. The base must be destroyed so thoroughly that the rebels who arrive after us will experience the bitterness of defeat once again.
— I remember your order, sir, — Covell said seriously. — And I have already ordered stormtroopers to be involved in any possible places to speed up the process. We searched the base and compiled a small inventory of what is in the warehouses, downloading data from the computers.
The general handed us a datapad. Pellaeon took the device, after which Covell saluted and disappeared from sight.
— And he still believes that Imperial Fleet officers are engaged in nonsense, while the army and only the army wages real battles, — Commander of the Chimaera said, grimacing, looking after the departing general.
— Did he tell you that personally? — I clarified.
— In a way, — Pellaeon admitted.
— Before or after you promoted him from a simple colonel to major general? — the new question seemed to catch Gilad off guard.
— After, sir, — he admitted. — But before you promoted him to full general.
— Next time you hear bravado from the general about the army's superiority over the fleet, ask him how quickly his walkers will be able to reach Coruscant without the help of our starships, — I advised. A smile played on the face of the Chimaera's commander.
— I will, sir, — Pellaeon assured me.
— Let's take a walk, Captain, — I suggested, making sure Rukh continued to follow us. — I see you are eager to see how great the values we have captured are.
— I'm sure there aren't many of them, — Pellaeon said, reading the lines. — This is just an ordinary sectoral base. Moreover, a very remote one. The rebels have only just begun its thorough construction — look, the defensive systems are built no more than twenty percent.
— That's why I chose this planet as the site of the main strike, — I stated. — Weakened stationary defense systems, not the largest garrison, remoteness from the main hyperspace routes. In addition, the enemy withdrew most of their capital ships from here. The tactic of luring out forces commensurate to repel the attack has fully justified itself.
— But we didn't destroy the Mon Calamari star cruiser, — Pellaeon noted.
— Learn to find the positive sides in this, — I advised. — From the very beginning of the mission, it was assumed that there might be shortcomings somewhere. But at the same time, all three main goals of the operation have been achieved.
— Sir, may I ask — what were they? — Pellaeon inquired.
— First of all — checking the limits of competence and abilities of our friend-Master, — I stated. — Now we know for sure that he is not able to control ships beyond the borders of one sector. Not yet, in any case.
— The attack on the medical triage station in the Krondr system and the base on Ord Pardron — is that the second goal? — the Chimaera's commander clarified.
— Exactly, — we moved at a leisurely pace towards the rectangular boxes of warehouses located away from the ground base building complex. — We need medicines ourselves, and we will not receive special help from the Imperial Ruling Council — the opportunities are not the same anymore. The main supplier of bacta — the planet Thyferra — is under rebel control. The Empire is forced to buy bacta on the black market at exorbitant prices, which cannot but exacerbate the deficit of our already limited financial resources. The destruction of the base on Ord Pardron will send a signal to the rebels that they should take care of their allies if they want to continue to declare their dominance to everyone. In addition, the destruction of the base, the destruction and capture of part of their sectoral fleet — is not only a blow to prestige, but also to reputation. No planetary governor can be sure that he is under the protection of the rebels anymore. Our opponents will be forced to spend huge resources to assure their supporters that they and only they will be able to ensure the security of systems. However, now, with our attack, we hinted to them that the choice made earlier — to disarm ships and turn them into freighters — will cost them dearly.
— But the rebels may return to arming their ships again, — Pellaeon noted.
— Of course, — I agreed. — In some sectors, they will do just that. But they will not be able to abandon this concept completely — their economy requires time to recover. And they need ships. They are faced with a choice — to return everything as it was, or to recall part of the disarmed starships to strengthen their formations. In the first case, they will allow us to continue to strike at sectors with weakened cover forces, in the second — they will increase the time for recovery and establishment of their economy. In any of the options, we are in a winning position.
— I wouldn't say so, — Pellaeon admitted. — After the completion of this operation, we will have to return to the shipyards to carry out a full-fledged repair. Aurek and Besh Groups have hull damage and turbo laser installations lost in battle. I'm not even talking about the losses our losses. Something else is much more important. The third reason for the large-scale attack on the Dafilvean sector.
— Freighters? — Pellaeon clarified. — We destroyed most of them. The cargo, of course, in most cases, became our loot...
— We won't need many obsolete freighters for subsequent operations, — I explained. — Those that we captured are definitely enough. Don't you find a share of irony in everything that is happening, Captain?
— Sir?
— First, the Empire was the hegemon of the galaxy and was forced to spend forces and resources on finding rebels who could strike in any sector of the galaxy, — I explained. — Now the New Republic, as they call themselves, is engaged in the same thing. We managed to contain the Rebellion due to the large number of our fleet, which is in perfect technical condition. The rebels do not have such an opportunity — their ships are built slower, and those that are available — require repair and modernization. Huge funds are spent on the maintenance and upkeep of combat starships. And they don't have that much of them. Additional costs will require them to further accelerate measures to restore their economy. I wouldn't be surprised if the damaged Mon Calamari star cruiser that escaped from the Krondr system will be used precisely in this operation. But with our attack on the convoys, we are demonstrating to the enemy — you should take care of escorting your freighters. Regardless — whether they serve you or are civilian contractors, none of them are safe anymore. And therefore, the rebels will be forced to spend forces and resources to guard their transportation. We will use a network of spies to find out where the cargo we need will pass and use our knowledge, as well as interdictor cruisers, to inflict even more harm on the enemies of the Empire.
— Unless they try to trap us by creating false convoys, — Pellaeon noted.
— They will undoubtedly try to do this, — I agreed. — It is too obvious to bypass such a scenario. That is why we need experienced and highly qualified spies. And we have them. Thanks to this victory, we will stir up Imperial society and more and more new people will go under our banners. And perhaps — non-humans, which will add spice to the situation.
— Perhaps Imperial Space will transfer more ships under your command, — Pellaeon said dreamily. — After all, they are building an Imperial-class Star there were always enough of them. Destroying Imperial splinters one by one, the rebels were able to capture some of the ships, and destroy some. The total number of Star Destroyers in the galaxy has decreased, which allows the rebels to believe that we have armed parity in forces. But we know that a huge number of warships are scattered throughout the galaxy, which one way or another can become ours — we just need to be resourceful. It is necessary to carefully analyze the locations of rebel Star Destroyers, identify those that we can capture and do it. While the rebels are playing logistics, we must build up our fleet.
— By capturing the Dufilvian sector, we have actually become a thorn in their side, — Pellaeon stated. — From here, we can inflict crushing blows on the nearest sectors...
— We don't need the Dufilvian sector, Captain, — I stated, which caused misunderstanding in the Chimaera's commander. — There is nothing here that we could use for our defense. Even the base on Ord Pardron requires colossal cash infusions. Otherwise, the rebels will take it back as quickly as we captured it. No, Captain. At the moment, we do not need territorial growth — we simply cannot defend it with the forces we have.
— So you ordered to capture as many enemy ships as possible?! — Pellaeon breathed out.
— Yes, — I confirmed. — If we have enough Star Destroyers to fight the forces of the enemy sectoral fleet, perhaps even two, given their current reduced formation, then there are big problems with light forces. Our Star Destroyers have a very limited amount of anti-aircraft cover — especially Imperial-class Star Destroyers like the Chimaera. Therefore, we need additional escort. Nebulon-B escort frigates are perfect for this. As is the captured Carrack. And even Tartans. And a Corellian frigate should even fit in the main hangar.
— Hmm... — Pellaeon said meaningfully. — Only if suspended, of course. But, yes, it's possible.
— How surprised will the rebels be when they encounter in battle a couple of our Imperial-class Star Destroyers, and additionally light ships that they have not previously recorded, — I said. — Considering the rebels' passion for actions by fighter squadrons — adequate resistance will be new to them. In addition, I would like the Chimaera's technicians to study the remnants of the MC30c frigate. Its deflector shield generators are located under the armor. Which is much thicker on Star Destroyers than on this ship. Solar ionization reactors allow us to have more energy than necessary. An additional deflector generator will not hurt.
— It will not be as powerful as the ones we have, — Pellaeon noted.
— And we don't need such a one, — I reported. — The third generator is an extreme measure that will provide protection when the main deflectors have fallen. At a time when we do not have a quantitative advantage over the enemy's linear forces, we will have to improve the quality of our ships.
— Sir, — we stopped at the gates of the first warehouse. At the sight of us, the stormtroopers immediately began to unlock the huge doors. — If we had more time, we could tow the damaged, but not destroyed, Golan II-class space station from the orbit of the planet Krondr. This is a very valuable defensive line that could strengthen the defense of any of our planets. If you give us a little time — a day or two, then tugs will arrive in the system and...
— We will take the station with us, — I said. — But towing it across half the galaxy is a thankless task. We will have to wait for months until it is delivered somewhere. Or escort it with the entire fleet, since anyone who survived on Krondr knows that we suppressed the station's defenses with our ion cannons. And it will cost the enemy nothing to send a chase after us and finish off the damaged ships. Considering that their neighboring sectoral base is located just fifteen hours of flight from Ord Pardron — they will be here very soon. No, we will act differently.
— Sir, then how? — Pellaeon was surprised. — We do not have bulkers to disassemble it and transport it in parts...
— But we have the remnants of the MC30c frigate, — I stated, examining the half-empty warehouses. "Eh, I dreamed that they would be filled to the brim with equipment or other types of resources." — Order your technicians to remove some parts from it... Yes, it will be necessary to instruct the commanders of the Aurek and Besh Groups — they are assigned a special role in everything that is happening.
***
Han looked into the room, looking at his wife, silently looking at the datapad. Looking, but not seeing the text.
Leia stared at the device screen with an almost unblinking gaze, stroking her stomach. There was more tension in her posture than usual when she came from meetings of the Provisional Council.
— Something happened, sweetheart? — Han clarified. Leia started, as if she had just woken up from sleep. — You look tense.
— Yes, — she tried to smile encouragingly. — A little tired.
— You know you can't fool me with your aristocratic tricks, — Han sighed, approaching her and sitting down next to her. He casually pulled the datapad out of her hands to put it aside and hug the woman, but his eyes involuntarily glanced at the text...
— Is this true? — he looked at the woman in bewilderment. — Sectoral fleet destroyed?
— Not all of it, — Leia became sad again. — One Mon Calamari star cruiser managed to escape into hyperspace, and most of the linear forces have long been converted into container ships on Sluis Van. The Imperials took advantage of the moment and attacked.
— Eight systems at once? — Han had already spat on the secrecy classification in the upper right part of the document and was reading the report.
— Nine, — Leia clarified. — When the fleet arrived from Christophsis, they sent ships to all known systems. It turned out that in the F'Dann system, two Imperial Star Destroyers were not chasing merchants, but catching asteroids.
— How is this known? — Han frowned.
— From a merchant who waited out their appearance in the asteroid belt, — she explained. — He reported everything that happened to General Cracken from intelligence.
— A simple merchant who can reach our chief of intelligence? — Solo doubted the girl's words.
— He is not a simple merchant, — Leia sighed. — He is a smuggler and information broker named...
— Don't say it, — Han said with a signature smirk. — I'll guess. Talon Karrde?
— Yes, — the Alderaanian princess slowly nodded. — Do you know him?
— Remember when I flew to negotiate with smugglers? — Han reminded her. — His name was mentioned there. Allegedly, he is the one who took the reins after you tightened Jabba's necktie with chains.
— Please, don't remind me, — the girl pleaded. — It makes me sick.
— Well, I don't know, — Han continued to tease his wife. — You looked just wonderful in that little outfit...
— We have sectoral-scale problems here, and you're back with your jokes, — Leia sighed, but still smiled. — I am being sent to Filve and other affected planets. They will even allocate Rogue Squadron as an escort. We will trade faces like heroes of the Rebellion to assure local governments that we will not allow this to happen again.
— And will we not allow it? — Han clarified, having just taken off his general's epaulets last year and said goodbye to military service in the New Republic. The price of the Provisional Government's promises was well known to him.
— I don't know, — Leia admitted. — Most of the sectoral fleet is destroyed, some ships are missing. The base on Ord Pardron is destroyed — judging by everything, the Imperials did not even bother to land on the planet to storm it. Investigators believe that they shelled the base from orbit with turbolasers, and then dropped several asteroids on it. Instead of a base — a crater the size of the Lusankya and a pile of space rock debris. They pulled off the same tactic after our star cruiser escaped in the Krondl system. Only this time they also dropped a Golan II-class defense station from orbit. Our medical base is destroyed, as are all supplies in it. Of course, there are no survivors — at least, they haven't been found yet. But they found a huge amount of station debris and pieces of asteroids — it seems the Imperials decided not to risk suppressing the station and simply shot it down from orbit so that it fell in the vicinity of the base on Krondr, destroying it with a shock wave.
— A slightly foolish idea, — Han lamented. — How many destroyers participated in the attack on Krondr?
— Four, — Leia answered. — Two started the attack, and two more slammed the trap shut when reinforcements arrived.
— And on Ord Pardron?
— I don't know — there are no survivors or rescued there — neither infantry nor fleet personnel. But, I think three or four destroyers definitely visited there.
— Each Star Destroyer has ground units stationed on it, — Han recalled the years of his studies at the Imperial Academy. — It is unreasonable to destroy bases. Especially a medical one — after all, there are valuable resources there. And I'm sure there was something to profit from in the warehouses on Ord Pardron.
— Ackbar is sure that the operation in the Dafilvean sector was aimed at intimidating local governments, — the princess explained. — They essentially conquered the sector and could easily take it for themselves — Mon Mothma assured planetary governors for several hours that leaving the New Republic is dangerous. I'm not sure we were believed, of course. But the fact remains — the fleet is destroyed, there is information about the capture of at least one ship — a Carrack-class light cruiser from the Filve self-defense forces. The Imperials caused irreparable damage to logistics in the Dafilvean sector by attacking transports. Fey'lia insists that we recall all disarmed ships and organize a raid into Imperial territory. Ackbar might have agreed with him, but you know Mon Calamari — he is cold-blooded and slow-moving. And he is definitely not happy that this idea comes from the Bothans. Therefore, he stood his ground, reluctantly stating that from now on the escort of supply convoys will be strengthened. Mon Mothma is resisting, saying that in this way we will only disrupt our plan to restore interstellar trade. Fey'lia calmed down only after he was promised that six capital ships would be sent to Bothan Space so that they could sleep soundly.
— Since when has Mon Mothma been following the lead of the Bothans? — Han was surprised.
— She made this decision after the meeting, — Leia admitted. — Fey'lia almost threw a tantrum in the garden in the Senate building, saying that Bothan territories would be next, and since we decided to hide our defeat for some time so as not to lose face, Mothma agreed to send reinforcements there for a while — several assault frigates and a Star Destroyer.
— Eh, how we could use your Star Destroyer Rebel Dream, — Han said thoughtfully. — And yet a year has passed since it was captured in the Battle of Storinall.
— Yes, — Leia agreed, recalling the Star Destroyer that had served in Darth Vader's Death Squadron for a long time. Under a different name, of course. The rebels captured it at a refueling station, but under the rebel flag it served for less than two years, recaptured back. The entire crew became prisoners of the Imperials. It's good that Leia herself was on Coruscant at that moment. — Ackbar even offered to buy Booster Terrick's Errant Venture.
— Yes, a two-class Star Destroyer would not be superfluous, — Han agreed. — But, I can bet that old man Terrick did not heed the pleas for help.
— He asked for two prices for it, — Leia explained.
— Has Booster gone mad, or what? — Han blinked his eyes. — Why do we need a Star Destroyer if for that kind of money we can build two, or even three Mon Calamari cruisers?
— What's the difference if there's no money anyway? — Organa-Solo sighed sadly. — Of course, Mon hinted that I should fly to the Hapes Consortium and ask for help from them...
— Last time you did that, you were almost married off to a Hapan prince, — Han noted, his voice immediately becoming tense. He was not happy about this story at all. After all, then he almost lost his beloved.
— But I was offered to become queen mother in a state of sixty-three developed worlds, — the princess teased her husband. — And from their wedding gifts, it was possible to build a whole fleet... Twelve Star Destroyers were included.
— Are you doing this on purpose, huh? — Han smiled. — When I remember Mon Mothma's words: "It will be better for the entire Republic if Leia agrees to marry Prince Isolder," my jaws ache and I can't eat.
— I do not regret my choice, — the princess kissed him. — The Millennium Falcon is the only ship where I feel safe.
— I tried my best to make you comfortable there, — Han grinned. Looking at the quiet princess, he asked:
— Should I prepare the Falcon to take you to the Dafilvean sector?
— Do you know why I exchanged ruling in the Hapes Consortium and my own fleet for you and will never doubt that it was the right thing to do? — Leia looked him in the eye.
— Well, I don't know, — Solo balked. — I wouldn't refuse a dozen Star Destroyers... Well, you know, of course.
— Of course, — Leia smiled. — No riches in the world and even three dozen Star Destroyers are worth what we understand each other without words.
— Agreed, — Han hugged the woman to himself. — And four?
Receiving an elbow in the side from his wife, he did not ask questions. Why, if happiness is here. Take as much as you want.
But the words of his former colleague in the craft did not leave the head of the former smuggler.
The Empire has a new Grand Admiral.
Need to meet with this Karrde and talk about everything.
***
— Dispatch from outpost NL-1, — Pellaeon said. — The commandant reports that Ysanne Isard has arrived exactly on schedule.
— Unexpected from his side, — I am really surprised. — And what does our esteemed pirate say?
— Asks to return his people, — Pellaeon reported, watching me move away from the computer. — He delivered twelve Tartans.
— Condition? — I inquired.
— They have only just begun to inspect them, — the captain admitted. — It will take a week or so to make sure that there are no surprises or defects hidden on the ships.
— Yes, — I agreed. — We would very much not want to find a bomb somewhere near the reactor. Well, now we know for sure that Mr. Vein's junkyard is located no further than two or three days' journey from our outpost. And also that there are at least one hundred and twenty sentients in his gang — based on the minimum crew for ferrying each of the ships.
— Oh, — Pellaeon only uttered. — Are you planning to attack him?
— For what? — I was surprised.
— After all, he sells us ships stolen from us, — Pellaeon reminded me. — You said that such actions would be punished.
— Of course, — I agreed. — That is why our medium cruiser is being sent there and will arrive soon — it will ensure the security of the seizure of Imperial property. And also — persuade Mr. Isard to proceed to the Tangrene shipyards, where we are heading. We will have another order for him. Depending on how the condition of the ships that his group offers us corresponds to our needs and requests, we will even pay Ysanne Isard a certain amount. To motivate him to continue working with us. By the way, contact our base on Lainuri — let them send one of the interdictor cruisers with prisoners to Tangrene. Notify the Nemesis of these same meeting coordinates. Yes, inform the captain of the Brandei and the commanders of the three cruisers sent to the Sluyissi sector of this same information. Preparation for our further step will take place here.
— Yes, sir, — Pellaeon snapped. Freezing for a moment, he said:
— Admiral, have you ever moved an orbital station through hyperspace in the past?
— No, — I admitted. — And you, Captain?
— No one has ever moved, — the Chimaera's commander informed me. — I... I'm not sure that all this makeshift work with installing a navigation computer, a backup hyperdrive, as well as propulsion, maneuvering and braking engines from the MC30c will justify the time spent on such preparation.
— The absence of a result is also a result, — I had to flash wisdom gleaned from the pulp fiction of my native universe. — We just need to make sure that it didn't work. If it doesn't work, of course.
— Sir, I'm not sure that the rebels will buy into that trick with asteroids dropped from orbit, and debris of a stolen orbital station scattered across the surface.
— Not stolen, but captured, Captain, — I corrected. — Feel the difference between a crime and war booty. We should be least concerned about whether they believe in this little performance or not — the main thing is to keep secret the fact that Besh Group caught more asteroids than were dropped on the planet. And then we will not have to properly rework the next part of my plan.
Judging by Pellaeon's expression, he just wanted to ask: "And what is the plan?". But I will not tell him its true meaning. Let him think that all actions are aimed only at weakening the New Republic. How exactly — this should not concern him.
— Sir, — Pellaeon continued to waste my time. — Should a reprimand be announced to the commander of the Strike from the Filve system?
— For what reason? — I clarified.
— He disobeyed the order and instead of sending the Carrack to Bilbringi — flew to the Ord Pardron system. With incomplete crews on two damaged ships!
— And thereby helped us capture another escort frigate, — I noted. — Such initiatives should not be punished — on the contrary, this glorious young man should be rewarded. Praise him, issue a commendation on my behalf and... transfer him to command the captured Carrack.
— Dismiss the commander of a medium cruiser and transfer him to a light one? — Pellaeon was surprised. — Isn't that going to be a punishment, sir?
— No, if it is done with official encouragement, — I stated. — Those of our officers who are developed enough will understand the subtext of this action. Those who are stupid... well, at this rate they will not live long. By the way, is there any news from Lieutenant Colonel Astarion?
— No, sir, — Gilad shook his head negatively. — They are still on their way. Arrival is scheduled for tomorrow.
And that's right.
— Inform the Bilbringi shipyards to begin repairing the captured transports as soon as they arrive there, — I ordered. — At the Tangrene shipyards, we will have to repair six of our Strikes, one Carrack-class light cruiser, two Nebulon-B escort frigates, and one Mark I-class assault frigate... Not a bad replenishment of our fleet, don't you think, Captain?
— Considering the eleven Tartans and the Corellian DP20 frigate received, we actually have our own fleet of light forces, — Pellaeon noted. — But we are chained to the shipyards for at least a week to fix malfunctions of all systems on all ships.
— I know, Captain, — I stated. — That's why we are postponing our raid on the planet Hypori. However, this is only for the benefit of our operation. Contact the Noghri, give them the order: "Go to Hypori, discover the conveyor belts for the production of battle droids and send a detailed report about everything happening on the planet." This will take them for the time that our fleet will be repaired. And the very fact of the transmission of my order by you will make them understand that their mistake is still appreciated by me. And yes, about mistakes. How is our esteemed Master feeling?
— He is in his cabin, — Pellaeon answered. — Recovering from the operation.
"So he cannot be counted on for some time," — the captain's last phrase should be interpreted exactly like this. And also, C'baoth will not be bothering me for some time. But we should not delay with his "wishes" either.
— Inform the Ubiqtorate command that I would like to meet with them, — actually, in many respects, it is the presence of an intelligence base on this planet that determines the fact that the fleet is sent for repairs there. — That's all for now, Captain. You are free to go.
Saluting, Pellaeon left my cabin, leaving me alone as before.
Tangrene is a rocky, inhospitable planet in the Morshdine sector of the Outer Rim. The military coordinate grid refers it to square O-4.
But this is not the main thing.
Shortly before Thrawn vested me with the full authority of Supreme Commander, one Corellian "partisan" named Garm Bel Iblis, once a senator in the Old Republic, and in the early days — in the Empire, paid a visit to this system. He destroyed one of the Ubiquitorate bases on the surface, which greatly angered Imperial intelligence, which really does not like to suffer losses outside of operations. What angered the Imperials doubly was that at that moment the planet was guarded by three Imperial-class Star Destroyers. But they could do nothing to prevent the attack or somehow punish the offenders. I hoped to take advantage of this fact. Naturally — for my own purposes.
But first, it was necessary to understand exactly who I want to go to war with.
The former senator enjoyed great love among the Corellians. He stood at the head of the Corellian cell of the Rebellion and was one of the ideological inspirers of the rebels. Palpatine tried to kill him, but it all ended with the death of Bel Iblis's family, and therefore he went into the shadows and moved on to armed struggle with the Empire. At the moment, he has a small army and fleet, which, in fact, offended our intelligence officers. As far as I remember, now he has a base on some remote planet and acts on his own — since he quarreled with Mon Mothma, the formal head of the New Republic, deciding that he would try to seize power, like Palpatine in his time.
Bel Iblis's actions led to the fact that the fortress planet Tangrene, which already had, in addition to three Star Destroyers, also a dozen and a half garrisons on the planet and seemingly impregnable fortifications, drew additional fleet forces to its defense. And now there were ten Star Destroyers of various classes burning fuel there, and from ten to fifty warships of other classes.
Yes, this is justified — Tangrene also has an orbital shipyard where ships can be repaired, and if there were resources, they would have built a couple more. But there are neither resources nor money for this... And the local residents, the indigenous population of the planet, were exterminated by the Imperial Moff to avoid rebellion. So no one will work for free for sure.
The Ubiqtorate effectively disposes of everything that is available on Tangrene. Including the cover fleet. It is quite possible to interest them in revenge on Garm Bel Iblis — but on the condition of allocating me additional ships from their fleet. In any case, in the events known to me, Tangrene fell after Thrawn's death. And these starships will be destroyed by the New Republic — not without the participation of Garm Bel Iblis himself, by the way.
And hunting for the former senator will serve several purposes at once.
Firstly — it will build bridges between me and the command of Imperial intelligence organizations — after all, I can help them take revenge and restore "face". Formally — any Imperial resources are at my disposal, but there's a catch here too. As "formally" I can ask for help, or even with an order, to any part of the Imperial bureaucratic-military machine, so "formally" they will answer me. It has already been verified — a request for Imperial intelligence agents ended with a reference from the Ubiquitorate with the dispatch of an ISB officer. Such an answer did not particularly impress me. It would be possible, of course, to order, but it must be understood that in a society where every more or less significant officer or civilian official is almost his own master, such actions will not work for the benefit of the cause. It is necessary to negotiate with each separately. And the best way to "build bridges" is the principle "I will do something useful for you, and you — for me." Joint responsibility allows you to act effectively — when each of the parties receives a certain benefit.
I do not need a counterintelligence officer for work in the "field". And an analyst from the ISB officer is like a battleship from an Acclamator — that is — not the worst, but "could be better". Of course, there are always ideas on how to usefully occupy a person in such a large galaxy, especially a specialist in "combating personnel". Own security service is certainly needed — and the task received by Lieutenant Colonel Astarion from me will serve as one of the tests to understand — can we work with him in unison, or will his transfer to my disposal be burdensome for both of us.
More than ever before, I still need additional personnel now. Especially field profile agents of Imperial intelligence and their analysts. Naval intelligence, available to me, is certainly not bad — the guys should be given credit: they coped with collecting information on Nkllon very quickly. Not without my hint of where to look, of course, but these measures were taken to reduce search time. And a lot of precious time has been wasted. While I was "going with the flow", trying to come to terms with my fate or figure out how I can wriggle out of the clutches of the law of genre, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. I have to catch up. And first of all — to launch several chains of events necessary for the implementation of each part of my survival plan.
Friendship with the command of Imperial intelligence, for example, can "resonate" well for me both in the present — for the implementation of short-term tasks, and in the future — for strategic victories. The only question is — will they generally make contact. The Ubiquitorate is the thinking center of the organization, the task setter. They never even sign their names, and field agents do not know them by sight. Yes, what's there — few people can boast that they were so lucky in life. But a Grand Admiral, Supreme Commander of the Empire, cannot refuse a meeting. At least — they shouldn't. Moreover, as a gesture of goodwill and a call for closer cooperation, perhaps I will give them the Golan II, if, of course, the station does not fall apart on the way into hyperspace or reaches at least more or less in one piece.
Secondly — Bel Iblis's fleet. At the moment, it consists of three Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers. Or already six? I don't remember for sure, unfortunately. But this is not particularly important — the main thing is that he has them. And not some serial Dreadnought ships produced by Rendili StarDrive from which the Rebel Alliance sculpts makeshift Mark II assault frigates. No, these starships are much more valuable. After all, they are part of the Katana Fleet — a long-lost cluster of ships built half a century ago as an attempt to restore the Old Republic fleet. An epidemic killed the crew of the flagship, who went crazy and ordered the entire fleet to jump into hyperspace. Considering that the fleet had increased automation and instead of almost twenty thousand crew members, only two were required — a significant help. The former senator himself does not know where these ships are — only two people in the galaxy possess this Talon Karrde and the person under whom he served before — Captain Hoffner. The latter just sold Iblis a total of six Dreadnoughts and, according to my memories, is now squandering money in some casino. On some oceanic planet. If I knew for sure which one — there would be much fewer problems. But we have what we have.
Yes, there was a danger that Karrde, who has no diagnosed memory problems, could sell the ships to the New Republic, but he will not do this without benefit to himself — as long as he continues to deceive himself that he adheres to neutrality in the galactic conflict. Noble altruists do not go into smugglers. And if they do, they very quickly find themselves princesses from dying planets and lose the romance of their former life to the harsh realities of family life. But there is also a second option in which Karrde will give the ships to the New Republic — if you squeeze him properly. This is exactly what he did when, in the events known to me, he began hunting for the Claw. As a result, part of the Dreadnoughts — several dozen — fell into the hands of the enemy. As did Bel Iblis's Dreadnoughts. Therefore, I was not going to hunt for the king of smugglers — until further notice. My impromptu move regarding Mara Jade does not so much threaten his organization as to ignite righteous anger and transfer ships to my enemies, losing my own interest. Karrde will also not sell ships right and left, understanding that this will attract attention to him from the intelligence services of the Empire and the New Republic — one or the other side will knock out the necessary information from him and fabulous profits will flow past his fingers. He is not a fool and will not miss his own — as long as there is a chance to get it. Therefore, my approach will be very pragmatic — first we will find Captain Hoffner, then — we will get the coordinates of the location of the Katana Fleet from him, appropriate almost two hundred Dreadnoughts (albeit not equal to Star Destroyers, but still dangerous for medium and some large warships), deal with the fleet of the Corellian senator, and only then will the active phase of destroying Karrde's reputation and his organization begin.
Thirdly, Bel Iblis will play a big role in the future conflicts of the New Republic with its enemies. Thanks to him, the rebels will celebrate many victories — and that is why he is dangerous to me. I do not need talented opponents. Yes, his death will lead to the New Republic weakening. But strongly? I do not think so. When some leave, others come in their place. If anything, the rebels have no problems with commanders — any brave man is awarded the rank of "general" and they expect a miracle from him. That is why the further fate of the former Republican and Imperial senator will depend on how well we can negotiate with the Ubiquitorate. If they are satisfied only with the defeat of Iblis — that's good. If his head is required — not good. But these are no longer my problems.
One of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance — Garm Bel Iblis.
Fourth - the already mentioned former ship commander under Karrde. Searching for him on my own would take quite a long time. Let more competent sentients deal with this. I am sure that he will agree to cooperate, even if it costs me a pretty penny. I need channels for selling goods captured in the Krondr and Ord Pardron systems. Those that I will not need myself. The "catch" is rich, of course — weapons, medicines, even food. Light vehicles, like several dozen speeders. Uniform sets. Computers, holoprojectors, consumables, ground emplacements, generators, building materials — even service droids and astromech droids, from whose memory you can extract a lot of interesting things. Probably. Some of this will sell well on the black market, replenishing my cash reserves. Because I don't know if I will be provided with any more financial assistance from the Imperial Remnants, or if "rescue of the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves."
I'm not even talking about the fact that the Imperials' greed for supplies is practically a byword. I'm not going to beg for something from someone, to whine like a homeless person collecting kopecks for a bottle of vodka. The situation is not right, and it's disgusting. My desires must be clothed in a different form — otherwise the interlocutor will understand my weakness. And will not fail to use his knowledge against me. And then it will be sad. Very.
Therefore, I need my own third-party supplier of goods who will be distanced from me for some time. I think that soon enough the spirit of renegades — Niles Ferrier and Ysanne Isard will be associated with a separate Imperial fleet operating against the New Republic. And then a hunt may be opened for them — the same Karrde, for example, when his turn comes. And it will definitely come. But this must be done so subtly as to avoid mistakes and get away unscathed. In addition to official resources, there must also be unofficial ones — the more, the better. For where one door closes, another will surely open.
Perhaps Captain Hoffner is not such a valuable resource as I would like to imagine him in my thoughts, but even such is better than having nothing at all. However, this sentient has a price — if only there was money. And surely — a lot of it. But with finances... not very good. If we consider solvency within the limits of maintaining the fleet, of course. One way or another. But I also need new sources of funding. Moreover — large ones. The option of "trading in trophies" may help at first, but in the long term it may become dangerous and even fatal.
Despite all the risks of hypothetical exposure, I should at least try to achieve closer cooperation from the Ubiqtorate. Formalities did not suit me — no offense to Lieutenant Colonel Astarion. But, I need their resources. Moreover, I have something to offer — and achieving these goals will also contribute to my own plan. If I want to do things my way — I need professional spies and saboteurs. Naval commandos and scouts will not work here — in the events known to me from the Thrawn Trilogy, they... disgraced themselves.
It is difficult to demand from the military skills that they should not possess. And I don't want to step on the same rake as in the events known to me. The Noghri could be suitable here, but there is no way to use them without looking back — if I don't want to get a knife in the back.
I need additional forces, and I will get them. And along with this, I will understand — which of the officers of Imperial Space can become a worthy comrade, and which are better to get rid of "on the shore." While there is time, while everything has not yet started spinning properly — it is necessary to build up my own power.
However, there was also the option that the Ubiqtorate would be "too" busy to help me. And then I should look for allies in other parts of the Imperial military machine. Or, as for example in the situation with General Maximilian Veers — to return "to the ranks" those who have despaired of seeing in Imperial Space something even remotely resembling the former Empire. Look, Mara Jade is probably returning to the Imperial camp — of course, her motives should also be checked. As well as her loyalty — not to Imperial Space, not to the Imperial Remnant, but personally to me. Resources that are not true to my aspirations and plans are a short-term and unreliable resource. Which should be treated very, very carefully.
In general, there are options. And they should be worked out not one after another, but all without exception — simultaneously.
For this, people are needed.
The circle is closed.
Leaning back in my chair, I sat in complete silence for several minutes. Closing my eyes, I tried to discard any thoughts. I need to rest. Everything I could do at the moment — I did. Now it's the enemy's turn.
Perhaps I should have devoted more time and attention to the defense of the planet Lainuri — after all, it is my operational base. However, at the moment there were no planetary defense assets available — no planetary shield generators, no anti-orbital guns, no space mines — nothing at all. Only a few ships guarding the orbit, ground squadrons, a garrison of army units and stormtroopers, a deflector screen preventing shelling of the base territory from the surface, and that's all, in fact... That's the whole defense system. Unless the installation of the V-150 "Planetary Defender" ion cannon captured in the Krondr system somehow dilutes the already established swamp of typical Imperial planetary bases. But it will take some time before the base personnel can use this cannon for our purposes.
Hmm... Secrecy is our weapon. As long as no one knows about the base — it is under reliable protection. After all, there are enough little-studied, forgotten, or accidentally/specially removed from the registers planets in the galaxy. In this, there is something that unites me with the Garm Bel Iblis mentioned earlier — after all, his base is also protected from a large-scale offensive by nothing more than the secrecy of its location. At least that's all I remember... And my memories do not exclude the fact that the Corellian could properly take care of his own safety. Fortunately, he has more resources than I do. If only I knew where he gets them from...
"Hmm" again... What if the former ship commander under Talon Karrde resold not only Dreadnoughts from the Katana Fleet? Maybe for Bel Iblis he is the same supplier of military goods as in my plans — for me? If so, then they must have an established communication channel.
However, even if this Dreadnought trader sold only Dreadnoughts to the Corellian, there must be communication between them — after all, buyers and sellers must somehow inform each other about the availability and desire to purchase goods. I did not think about it in exactly this way, but this is quite a good way to lure Bel Iblis out of his hole.
In the events known to me, after the attack on the Ubiqtorate base on Tangrene, he sat out on his unknown planet, negotiating with the Bothans, who expect to gain as much power as possible in the New Republic, returning the Corellian to the reformed Rebel Alliance. Given Bel Iblis's reputation, the fact of his support for the Bothans could play a decisive role in the struggle for the post of head of the young state. Mon Mothma's distancing from leading positions in the New Republic will shake the lobby of the Skywalker family and their friends. Which, in turn, will entail a problem with the restoration of the Republican Jedi Order.
And the fewer trained Jedi my enemies have... The easier it will be in the future. After all, Jedi in the galaxy far, far away are the ultimate, almost omnipotent weapon. If I had five or six C'baoths, oh, how well I could turn things around.
The only problem is that even one psycho Master is already a problem. It is not known when he will "go off the rails," and he will definitely "go off the rails." Therefore, cloning him is dangerous. We will somehow cope with one — especially since at the moment he does not know exactly how his abilities were blocked. However, I would not be surprised if he guesses. He may be a clone. He may be a maniac. He may be a crazy maniac, but you cannot deny his mind — especially when it comes to his medallion. It is curious what kind of thing it is that allows him to concentrate. Isn't it a piece of the real C'baoth?
However, all this is lyrics.
I returned my attention to the monitor.
As I said, Imperial archives are just a treasure trove of information. Kindly structured for study by any sentient who has the appropriate level of access to state secrets.
Although, I would not say that information about the technologies of the Separatist army and fleet is such a big secret. Those who have somehow encountered them personally are still alive. Captain Pellaeon, for example.
However, the inhabitants of the galaxy far, far away have a certain inertia of thinking. For example — the creators of TIE-series fighters "peeked" the idea of hanging their starfighters under the hangar ceiling, instead of neatly arranging the vehicles on flight decks, from the same Separatists. Very convenient, in fact — it takes up less space on the "ground", and the launch time of starfighters, on the contrary, is unusually high. After all, there is no crush in the hangar openings.
But for me it will still remain a mystery why the Galactic Empire abandoned the idea of a droid army. It is clear why they abandoned Jango Fett's clones — a few years after the end of the Clone Wars on Kamino — the planet that produces clones, a rebellion broke out. Which was quite cruelly and bloodily suppressed. And it is expensive to produce clones on Kamino — my eye even twitched when I saw in old reports the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand credits per clone. This is the price of a good fighter, or even a luxury yacht. But not a human clone. Yes, even if trained in war, grown in a test tube, trained, provided with weapons, equipment and the will to fight for his master. However... one hundred and fifty thousand is one hundred and fifty thousand. Not to mention the ten years needed to produce a batch of clones. Or it is easier and cheaper to train a stormtrooper — yesterday's farmer from the backwoods, trained in six months to fight no worse, and in some places — even better than a clone. However, there is a certain interest. There is no money or time.
Let's get back to droids. The official conclusion of Imperial specialists indicates that a droid army is unprofitable due to the large expenses required for its creation. The amounts are indicated with such a number of zeros that it begins to seem to me as if I am looking at a piece of program code in which someone forgot to put units. The disadvantages also include the possibility of reprogramming, a small supply of energy in batteries. The high cost of droid projects that have their own reactor, and so on... However, I am sure that after one look at the planned expenses, the supreme Imperial command decided that teaching people to be stormtroopers is much cheaper — that is why there is no place for droid starfighters, living pilots fly in simple ships, which can be destroyed with a couple of hits. The price of the issue is directly put at the forefront.
However, there are many abandoned projects that can be used.
For example, the buzz droid.
Buzz droid.
Four kilograms of pure rage and a desire to harm everything that does not look like Separatist types of equipment, or is designated as a "hostile target". In its basic state, it looks like a metal sphere a quarter of a meter in diameter, equipped with everything necessary to open the hull and disrupt communication and other systems. They perfectly cope with disabling enemy fighters.
What is curious — the Empire rejected this technology and after the Clone Wars they tried to forget about it. Another thing is the criminal world.
The Zann Consortium deployed its buzz droids to counter enemy starfighters — Hutts, Imperials, rebels. And they did it very skillfully. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reports about how much harm one such droid, or even a small group, can cause. But still, the Empire didn't care about a potentially useful technology.
And it is undoubtedly useful. Because it counteracts enemy fighters. And there is no particular difference which ones — the main thing is to provide ship schematics to these little techno-fascists. They will do their job as needed. Dismantling attacking enemy ships is cheap and cheerful.
Considering how much the New Republic relies on its X-wings and other starfighters — in my opinion, this is truly an excellent means of leveling the enemy's leadership.
The only problem is that they were produced only on the planet Colla IV — by a company called "The Colicoid Creation Nest". — the subtleties of translation from the Colicoid language are not so important, the main idea is clear and understandable.
As far as is known, this race is not currently part of the Empire. The New Republic also cannot boast of information that these insectoids are "friends" with them. The reason for this cooling is simple — Colicoids devour everything organic and meaty. On their home planet, they do not have a rich choice of diet, and they like to eat. They have already managed to snack on several diplomatic missions from both powers. As a result, they decided not to touch them. It is curious — the Empire did not even try to destroy them with orbital bombardment. Most likely, there were their own reasons for this.
However... a dilemma.
Buzz droids are a very attractive technology. But on the black market they are very expensive — about fifty thousand credits per unit. And no one guarantees that the droid is in working condition. But it's intriguing... I need to get at least a few samples for study and conduct field tests. If they are really a valuable resource, and my fantasy does not diverge from reality, then wide prospects open up.
Another interesting layer of the post-Endor part of the history of the Galactic Empire is the data about the activities of the warlord Zsinj, restored bit by bit. Some of the territories previously under his control, after the death of the rebellious officer in orbit of the planet Dathomir, became the property of Imperial Space. And a significant part of the ships, as well as their crews, one way or another, now serve the Empire. The security service has done a colossal job to obtain as much information as possible about the activities of this officer and his subordinates.
Genetic experiments on non-humans — unfortunately, no laboratory data, only a description of the fact itself. But it is also promising. Programming non-humans of the Twi'lek race to execute code signals. And again — not the slightest detail. Only some fragmentary information that in this way Zsinj almost purged the top command of the New Republic. Intriguing.
Hmm... less than I would like to see. But Zsinj is a very capable organizer. If you just look at the list course. That is why a temporary alliance was concluded with the New Republic — to defeat Zsinj and lay paws on his worlds. It didn't turn out very well — a significant part of the territories as a result of the campaign was taken over by the New Republic, but again — not so that it turned out to be a plus for them. A significant part of the planets that were under Zsinj's rule declared their neutrality. Only the poorest ones, who themselves have nothing to offer, but pull resources, were drawn to the New Republic. Not to mention the ambiguous situation, as, for example, on Garos IV, when the same planet assures loyalty to both Imperial Space and the New Republic. A circus, and that's it.
Zsinj built a system that, on the one hand, is effective — protection in exchange for taxes and products. This helped his fleet and his forces to remain combat-ready. And on the other hand — such barter was just the reason for envy from the Imperials. And Zsinj's insatiable desire to get as many territories and forces at his disposal as possible, to prove to everyone around that he is the smartest and most authoritative, made the Republicans, on whose territories Zsinj did not skimp on attacking, aggressive. Immoderate ambitions, multiplied by self-conceit and complete disrespect for the enemy. Not unjustified risk, but disrespect. Which is unacceptable — as long as you consider your enemies idiots, in fact, the idiot is you.
Given the victories of the Rebel Alliance, they at least deserve respect. The same tactic may work with them once, maybe two, three times. But they are learning. They are developing their military-industrial complex and tactical skills. And with long-term strategy, even with the risk to the existence of the entire state, they are generally doing great.
Actually, what am I getting at?
Zsinj and his warlords managed to uncover the location of several rebel units and bases, and after that — strike at them, destroying materiel and rebel resources. And, as far as I remember the books of the X-wing series, he did this not only thanks to the work of scouts and spies. Zsinj did not hesitate to use various "dirty" tricks.
I see nothing wrong with using the positive experience of anyone, if it leads to the result I need. In the end, the "hit and run" tactic developed by the rebels for fighters and bombers is no less effective in the execution of fleet capital ships. Considering that I shamelessly use the tactics of the original Thrawn known to me, no one will object to the use of others that do not belong to the glorious Grand Admiral.
It is only necessary to make sure that the enemy does not understand that the same trick is being played on them. And therefore — it is necessary to clothe them in a different form. And serve under a different sauce.
In the meantime, I need to read about what interesting things Imperial Intelligence has in the field of parasite droids. It's time for Project Morrt to get a second life.