Nine years, five months, and nineteen days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or the forty-fourth year, five months, and nineteen days after the Great Resynchronization.
It must be admitted that without the presence of the Grand Admiral, the meeting between the chief engineer of the shipyards, Nic Reyes, and Moff Ferrus was held in a less tense atmosphere. It was as if the mere appearance of the Chimaera, its loading and departure, along with most of the free ships in the fleet, had allowed the Grand Admiral's political and technical assistants to breathe easier. Despite the fact that the Grand Admiral's flagship and his star destroyers had only departed an hour ago, the impression from the short conversation... That kind of thing is not easily forgotten. It's unlikely that any of the subordinates in the current era, post-Battle of Endor, could boast of having delivered bad news and yet remained alive.
— He wasn't particularly happy with your conclusions, — Felix remarked, pouring his friend a full glass of Corellian whiskey. The chief engineer grimaced and downed the drink in one gulp.
— Another one, — he asked. The Moff looked questioningly at his comrade but said nothing. The amber-colored liquid flowed into the glass. But this time, Felix filled the glass only to a third, despite his comrade's disapproving look. Getting drunk on duty was a faux pas. Calming one's nerves was another matter entirely.
Dropping a few ice cubes into both glasses, the Moff handed one to the engineer.
— I don't think you should worry about it, — he said, taking a sip of his whiskey. The alcohol slightly burned his throat and then descended with pleasant warmth. — In the end, he's not a stupid... ahem... person, he understands that his projects require investment.
— I'm not worried about the hyperdrive for the Golan at all, — Reyes frowned, taking a sip. — Everything is clear on that front—hyperdrives are needed. If he had explained, even for a moment, the reason why he needed the orbital station to be not only invisible, but also capable of changing its location independently through hyperspace, it would have been easier for me...
— And what would that change? — Ferrus asked, surprised. — So, Thrawn tells you the reason he needs mobile Golans, and then what? What will change?
— Well, at the very least, I might have been able to dissuade him from this folly! — Reyes grinned without malice. Considering the light from his optical sensor, it came off rather sinister. — It's just nonsense! Orbital defense stations aren't built to fly on their own! That's what Star Destroyers are for — practically the same size and armament! His whole fleet is mobile, and my guys were working their tails off to make sure that every ship was repaired as quickly as possible. And he, as soon as he heard that the Golan would require the same class of hyperdrive as those in the shipyard, just snorted. And ordered me to continue working! Can you believe it?
— And what exactly is bothering you? — Felix asked, surprised. — You would have had to repair the Golan anyway. And make it invisible...
— There it is again, — Nic interrupted. — Why does a station need a cloaking field? Here's a simple question—why? An orbital platform is made to defend, not hide! Its mere sight is enough to make attackers think twice before attacking. And if we hide it—then what? What good is it? Under the cloak, you can't monitor what's happening outside of it. And I'm not even talking about the fact that when this installation is working, those under it can't contact anyone or receive orders from command. You're just sitting in a metal box in orbit, beyond the planet's gravitational pull, and all around you is blackness. My guys tested these perks on themselves—the feeling is so awful that it's impossible to describe. You just want to get out of there as soon as possible. Although, that's fine; the fleet will be on the Golan anyway, I don't care about them. But a cloaking field in the shipyard... Can you imagine what it's like—working cut off from everyone, as if you were at the ass end of the galaxy. And you still have to work with starships? No one's sanity can withstand it!
— I don't think the cloak will be working constantly, — Felix frowned. He knew that his usually calm friend was just at the breaking point at the moment. Little sleep, lots of work. Naturally, the psyche couldn't handle it, and even a phlegmatic like Reyes was bursting with emotions. — This installation consumes a significant amount of energy.
— And that's what I'm talking about! — Nic grimaced. — I calculated the necessary power consumption. If we turn on the cloak, my guys will have to work under emergency lighting. And in red light, it's not so easy to figure out the color of the wiring or sensors. And these jobs on the asteroids? First, re-program the Hutt diggers with their crappy operating system, then test them on the asteroids, then test them in his presence how they open asteroids and ships... A Strike frigate isn't exactly a robust design to begin with, and no, he started to pierce it with the diggers. It's a good thing he didn't use remote mode—otherwise, there would have been a real fireworks display. By the way, do you know what he ordered me to do?
— Besides the fact that by Thrawn's order, almost all of your technicians boarded star destroyers with a supply of spare parts and went who-knows-where? — Felix clarified.
— That's what bothers me the most, — Nic admitted. Taking another sip, he grimaced—a melted ice cube had gotten into his mouth. — He keeps everything a secret! Absolutely! Where did my people fly off to? How long will they be gone? What will they be doing there? And now I will have not only to repair those Hutt escort frigates, the Carrack, and the damaged Strikes, but also to work with asteroids! Can you imagine? As if I don't have other work?!
— Don't get heated, — Ferrus advised him. — We're all having a tough time. But you have to remember how it was before Endor? We were working practically in emergency mode—if we compare it to the current state of affairs. Starships after serious beatings had to be repaired and returned to service in a matter of days, although the regulations provided for weeks of work. And it was all because of the rebels. Thrawn, on the one hand, can also be understood—he is a military commander, and our semi-civilian needs and excuses are of no particular interest to him, just like our needs. He's the commander. He sets the tasks, and we have to cope ourselves.
— That's what's annoying, — Reyes took a sip from his glass. — At first, it seemed that he was not the same soldier as the other Grand Admirals. That he understood in what conditions we had to work. Honestly, when I heard that several groups of mechanics from Bilbringi and almost twenty thousand fleet technicians were flying to us—I was even happy. Imagine how we could have spread out? My guys at the shipyards wouldn't have had to work in three shifts. And what's the result? We have a huge amount of tasks, but not only did he not give me additional people, he took away mine! And then he gives orders out of science fiction—"Calculate whether it's possible to install hyperdrives on first-type orbital repair workshops in order to change their location," "I want to know if the V-150 'Planetary Defender' ion cannon can be used in space and what is needed for this," "Prepare a report on which starship systems need to be repaired after an ion cannon bombardment in order to restore its systems and ensure a jump into hyperspace; develop equipment kits for the quickest replacement," "I need ready-made equipment options for installation on the Golans for their movement in hyperspace." And also testing these diggers on the asteroids, putting cloaking devices on these rocks. And not just installing them—he has special requests here too! I barely restrained myself, but told him that it would be best to find at least one fourth-class hyperdrive, which the Kuat engineers install on second-type orbital shipyards, like ours, if he wants his Golan to not at least be torn to pieces. And you know what he told me? "You'll have them, get to work." Just like that! It's as if he has his own hyperdrive manufacturing plant! I don't know why he's considered a legend of the Imperial Navy, but this guy clearly wants the impossible! And it'd be fine if we had a supertanker with auridium in orbit, but we only have captured freighters with fuel. But at least the warehouses are now being filled with ore, equipment, and spare parts...
— Listen, Nic, — Ferrus cleared his throat. — I understand that it's tough for you in the current situation, but there are still lines you shouldn't cross. Your guys are working for three, but, in the end—Thrawn ordered them to be put on the fleet's payroll! With one decision, he enlisted them all into military service, and that's career growth, privileges, an increase in salaries due to seniority. Yes, they will have to brush up on some documents, — the chief engineer snorted irritably, perfectly understanding that the category "some" implied thousands of regulations, circulars, and just orders that now the military engineers and technicians would be guided by in their work. — For their overtime, they get a commensurate salary—and it's not a small sum of money by any means. If before the salary was low, then the demand was low. Now everything has increased in progression—both salaries and the demands on the work itself. Cause and effect, so there's no point in complaining about this decision. Just accept it as a given. There's already a line of volunteers on the planet waiting to go to your shipyards! And they understand perfectly well that it's not a cakewalk there, but with other alternatives, they're even worse off—either work for deci-credits, or no work and no salary. Civilian specialists are trickling in from across the Imperial Space—and are ready to take the oath and work two or even three shifts in a standard day!
— Really? — The crimson filter pulsed with a greedy flame. — And what, are there many volunteer technicians?
— There will be about three hundred by now, — Ferrus stroked his chin. — Young, of course, just after training, and their level of professionalism is low...
— To the Hutt with professionalism, — Reyes waved his hand. — Send them to me immediately! I'll put them on rough work, and transfer my guys from these positions to more qualified jobs. I have twenty high-level technicians who can pass a certification commission and be issued junior engineer patents! And put them in charge of these recruits of yours. I'll put them where they won't mess things up, and also—they'll be far from secret projects.
— There won't be any problems with redirecting them to you, — Felix admitted. — They are almost all civilians, so sending them to the fleet is a foolish idea. And spending months to hammer into their heads what military engineers learn for years is a waste of time. But there's a certain snag.
— What is it? — Nic deflated. He knew perfectly well—if Ferrus had voiced the existence of a problem, then it was a real problem, and not something that could be solved in a couple of minutes.
— Lieutenant Colonel Astarion, — the Moff named the "problem". — Thrawn seems to have decided to create his own counterintelligence and security service in one person. And this very lieutenant colonel heads it. He rejects every third volunteer for one reason or another. The reasons aren't explicitly stated, but I think the problem is in their "dark" past. It's one thing for fleet personnel who have transferred to serve under Thrawn—for them it's just sending requests to their previous places of service, and then putting them through a couple of procedures—and even then, Astarion distributes many of them to the planetary garrison. In the best-case scenario, six out of ten make it to the fleet. But with civilians... We don't have that many "security officers" to make the process fast, so these specialists are caught up in that bureaucratic machine. However, I'll try to discuss this point with him—we have enough fleet specialists at the moment to plug the holes in all or almost all of the starships that are "operational". But with civilians... the lieutenant colonel seems to be one of our own—by the way, he got you the rhydonium...
— I already hate him in absentia, — the chief engineer lamented. — So much headache with these modifications of the "diggers"...
— Who has it easy now? — Ferrus grinned. — I've started to feel like a criminal kingpin — I never would have thought that I would have to coordinate the sale of the rebels' trophies on the black market. In my own sector! But it must be said that it's not a bad thing—in a week, the sector's income has tripled compared to the annual turnover. I can finally pay the salaries of my subordinates in full, buy the necessary equipment for maintaining garrisons without handouts from the Ubiqtorate or the Imperial Ruling Council from Orinda. And we're not even trading in infantry weapons yet, keeping them to arm the militia—among the volunteers there are many who want to serve under the victorious Grand Admiral, but are unfit for fleet, pilot, or army service. But they'll make excellent militia units—to replace the stormtroopers, of which we don't have that many. And the pirates hired by Thrawn are quite sharp—and the loot is flowing from them. From Yazuo Vayne alone, since the conclusion of the patent, the sector has gained more than one and a half million credits of its share. And there are so many freighters that it's time to organize our own cargo fleet. But Thrawn ordered them not to be touched—he needs them for combat operations.
— At least the money from the trophies and privateers allows us to motivate the workers to stay at their posts overtime, — Reyes said more calmly. He looked eloquently at the half-empty bottle of whiskey. He pondered and shook his head negatively. No, he had already drunk his fill for today. He needed to check how work was going at the shipyards and factories, give instructions, and take a nap before the Grand Admiral returned from his campaign and started demanding the impossible from him again.
— Yeah, — Ferrus chuckled. — Could I have imagined that I, an Imperial Moff, would one day have to deal with such nonsense—trading to pay salaries and buy equipment... By the way! — remembering something from a conversation with the Grand Admiral, the Moff turned to his computer. — There's something interesting. He ordered me to look for spare parts for heavy Dreadnought-class cruisers on the black market.
— Why illegal ones? — Reyes frowned. — We seem to have Rendili as allies, and these ugly bricks with engines are their design. You can always order them if he really wants to get into trouble with these slow-moving hogs. I already told him that we at the shipyard are able to repair and modernize a maximum of thirty-nine such ships.
— That many? — Felix was surprised.
— Three can be driven into each shipyard cell, and one can be placed on the outer side of each cell, — Reyes explained. — That's a total of twenty-seven "inside" the docks and a dozen outside. But I honestly don't imagine where he'll find such a number of these old starships, and with sixteen thousand crew on each... But I didn't ask any questions. I looked at the data from the Nomad and said that yes, we'll be able to quickly convert a Dreadnought so that it can carry two squadrons of TIE fighters. Although, I don't think he really intends to acquire such ships.
— Don't say that, — Ferrus smiled mysteriously. — There's something interesting here. First, he instructed me to contact Lyana...
— With Valles Santhe herself? — Reyes' eyebrows crawled up. — I wonder if he knows that she doesn't particularly like the Empire? Despite the fact that she trades with everyone.
— I don't know what he knows there, but the fact remains—I intend to discuss a contract with her for the purchase of a huge number of TIE fighters and interceptors. It's also potentially necessary to probe the ground for the sale of complete cycle production lines to us—an orbital construction factory—if only to produce fighters.
— You know, they say Grand Admirals are geniuses, — Reyes sighed. — I agree, Thrawn might be a genius in military matters, but in economics... Does he even know how much a complete cycle orbital construction factory costs, even for the production of TIE fighters? From processing to finished products... Yes, it's a useful thing—considering its significant automation and ninety percent of the personnel being droids... But it costs...
— Like two Imperial-class Star Destroyers, — Ferrus chuckled. — And that was in the best years of the Empire when Sienar Fleet Systems was in favor. Now the cost of such an orbital factory is four hundred and fifty million Imperial credits
Orbital TIE fighter Workshop.
— That's what I'm talking about, — Reyes nodded. — As I recall, they produce about three full squadrons of fighters a day in three work shifts of eight hours each. Is he planning to create one thousand two hundred fighters a month? No, I agree—with a certain approach, you can make changes to the production process and produce not fighters, but interceptors, or bombers... You can even trade them with other Imperial Remnants—again, if the deal works out, and Valles Santhe agrees to build a factory for Thrawn, and doesn't just wave goodbye to him like all the other warlords who have come to her with similar offers. And yet, I think that the purchase of such a workshop is a whim, with nothing to do with reality.
— It's just that you're afraid you'll have to stick a hyperdrive on this station too, — the Moff of the Morshdain sector laughed good-naturedly.
— If even you thought about it, then it's possible that Thrawn also thought about it, — Reyes said gloomily. — If he wants it so badly, then he should find some Executor and cut the hyperdrive off of it. I think my guys can work with such an installation so that it can move the station... But the problem, the main one, is something else! How much resources will be spent on the functioning of such a factory? Not to mention the fact that for that amount of money, you could buy many more of the same fighters in the Sluis Van Hegemony. And there you need fifty thousand people to run that three-kilometer station in normal mode! And not just some technicians, but highly qualified engineers and mechanics! Just imagine how many ships it takes to equip such a crowd with fighters? Hundreds of starships! And even if we suddenly lose all the fighters on all our ships, we'll still have more than we need... And besides—do we have that many pilots?
— Not even a tenth of the required amount, even with the increasing number of volunteers, — Ferrus admitted. — However, you're wrong about the ships...
— What do you mean? — Reyes tensed up.
— Imperial Space intends to transfer to us one Imperial-class star destroyer, which is being completed at the Bilbringi shipyards, — Ferrus reminded him of already known information. — One of the privateers intends to deliver to us a Gozanti-class armored transport...
— You understand that all this is not it, — Nic frowned. — Unless they are modified...
— Okay, I won't torment you, — Ferrus chuckled, turning the screen of his monitor to face the chief engineer. — Thrawn ordered me to purchase spare parts for one hundred and fifty heavy Dreadnought-class cruisers. Second-class hyperdrives, engine parts, power conduits, capacitors... The list is huge and will cost about seventy million.
— Oh boy... — Reyes interrupted himself. — This is, of course, interesting information, but... there are not that many starships of this type even in the Corporate Sector! Who has that much junk in that kind of quantity? No, even the corporations have no need to keep such a fleet—they have several hundred Victories...
— That's what I'm talking about, — Felix noted. — Why then does the Grand Admiral spend such huge amounts of money if no one has such a number of ships for sale?
Reyes was silent, pondering the words of his comrade. He mentally went through the information about the Dreadnoughts in his memory, trying to remember where he might have heard about a whole fleet of Dreadnoughts of one hundred and fifty or more...
A fleet of Dreadnoughts...
— Felix, you don't want to say that... — he began, looking at the smirk on the Moff's face. — No, no way, this can't be possible...
— Nic, he wiped out the fleet of an entire sector without losing a single ship, — Ferrus reminded him. — I don't know where the Grand Admiral gets such luck, but let's hope it doesn't betray him. I'm sure that all your guys, as well as the new technical teams, flew off specifically for these ships.
— And then what? — the chief engineer inquired. — Even if he found the Katana Fleet, he still needs crews, tibanna, fuel to maintain all this... And you can't get anything from Orinda!
— You know, — lowering his voice, the Moff of the Morshdain sector said, — if Thrawn so easily defeats the rebels and digs up ancient secrets, I won't be surprised at all if he one day becomes the head of the Empire. And we better be ready to serve the right mind.
— Do you think Thrawn is aiming for the Emperor's seat? — Reyes asked in a whisper as well.
— I'm at least sure that he doesn't like at all that the Imperial Remnants, with hundreds of star destroyers and millions of stormtroopers alone, are sitting idle while he, with a small fleet, is smashing the rebels to pieces, — Felix reported. — I'm observing the growth in the number of volunteers coming to us—and experienced officers with rich track records are appearing among the youths. The military likes what he does. Civilian specialists are attracted by high salaries. Moff Getelles from the Antemeridian sector is interested in whether I would be so kind as to arrange a meeting for him with the Grand Moff to discuss the supply of new medium Strike-class cruisers to his fleet, if he continues to strike at the rebels. He even has a couple of targets as a proposal. The Rendeilians found out about the search for spare parts on the black market and are interested in whether they can help, hinting that if you add a dozen or two million, they will provide the same parts, but of factory quality and brand new. And these bastards were already trying to defect to the side of the New Republic! By Sith, even exotics are already approaching me with a question of whether they could be useful somewhere to help out. Nic, do you understand what this smells like if even non-humans have come to life and want to work for the benefit of Thrawn's policy?
— Infighting among the Imperial Remnants, — Reyes said meaningfully. — I'll never believe that the same Grand Moff Kaine, or the Imperial Ruling Council, or even Prince Admiral Delak Krennel would so easily give up power... No, I'd rather believe that they'll try to kill him one way or another.
— But look at it from the other side, — suggested Moff Ferrus. — If the Empire really goes against Thrawn, and he doesn't lose... And if he managed to win with only a few star destroyers and a few cruisers, and even managed to strike the enemy on the other side of the galaxy, capturing rich loot, then with the Katana Fleet in his assets—he can easily not only surpass several sectorial fleets of the rebels, but also conquer the same Sluis Van Hegemony! Krennel has only about a dozen large starships, and here there are two hundred heavy cruisers alone! Not the newest, but with the right approach, they can be turned into a real treat! And with such a fleet, he will obviously be able to at least not lose. And with his genius in tactics—no, I will definitely bet on him. And the rest... How grateful do you think he will be to those who stay by his side and don't leave him in a difficult moment?
— I never thought that you were so ambitious, — Reyes scratched his neck.
— Appetite comes during eating, — Felix said meaningfully. — I'm not calling for anything, buddy, just advising... Remember, the number of those close to the future Emperor may be strictly limited.
— Yeah, I'll keep that in mind, — Reyes noted. — I don't know, maybe it's all as you say, but personally, I prefer to watch him for now. Perhaps the Dafilvean sector, Nklonn, and the fuss in the Sluissi sector are all that he can achieve.
— And if not? — Moff Ferrus clarified.
— And if our Grand Admiral turns out to be a damn victorious and lucky commander, then I will bet on him, — Nic Reyes sighed. And then he added:
— But I will demand a corresponding salary for myself!
***
There is definitely a need for more technical personnel.
Many times more.
The plan for the storming of the Hoth shipyards is taking on certain features. Drafts that can be used in one way or another. By the time Lieutenant Rederick and Mr. Fodeum Sabre De'Luse complete their infiltration mission, the period of gathering information and adjusting the existing plans will begin.
As far as I know, no one, except General Grievous and the Separatists in the relatively recent history of the galaxy, has used large-scale ion weapons in space combat. For one simple reason—to build a huge dreadnought just to be able to fire from a ring cannon that could disable an entire fleet... No, really, who would think of such a thing? It's much more effective to pour trillions of credits time after time into the construction of battle stations the size of a planetoid...
And yet, the production or replenishment of the contingent of technical personnel should be increased. Scouts sent to the location of the Katana Fleet successfully discovered the ships. Exactly where Captain Hoffner indicated. Conditionally, it can be said that this individual is loyal. And motivated. During a brief stop on Tangrene to load the first batch of field-test diggers onto my flagship Star Destroyer, a very short but eventful conversation took place with both Moff Ferrus and Chief Engineer Reyes. And if the first continued to carry out my orders unquestioningly, within the limits of his competence and sound initiative, then Mr. Reyes, as a person serving in a more civilian than military capacity, allowed himself to demonstrate the existence of his own opinion.
On the one hand—it's good. A subordinate of this level shouldn't be an uninitiated executor. He must receive an order and find ways to optimize its implementation. Moff Ferrus understands this. Mr. Reyes—not quite. He and his people have worked too long in conditions far removed from the clear order usual for the Empire, therefore, a certain level of snobbery and conceit is present in them.
The Battle of Endor, the infighting of the Imperial Remnants, the warlords, the victories of the New Republic, and the subsequent fragmentation of the Empire led to the fact that a significant part of the former Imperials now wear the insignia of the "rebels." The governments of the Remnants had no choice but to "plug the holes" of military positions in the rear contingent with yesterday's military personnel or inexperienced youth. The peculiar caste of military engineers began to steadily decline. As did labor productivity—where the military did everything clearly, quickly, and responsibly, understanding that they were part of a huge system, its cogs, civilian specialists sometimes found hundreds of excuses and justifications for their delays. Young officers, who had not overcome the ease of perception of reality and did not have sufficient personal discipline, condoned such a state of affairs. The high command was forced to accept such "rules of the game"—because there was no alternative as such. The result, as they say, is obvious.
Therefore, I had to make a "knight's move"—not only to increase the financial allowance of employees of rear services, such as workers at the orbital shipyard, but also to implement their actual conscription into the ranks of military personnel. Not the most well-thought-out step, since civilian specialists, in their majority, are not able to obey military regulations. But there's no other way—such a step will allow us to attract even more specialists to my service, perhaps even to lure military engineers from other Imperial Remnants. Or, what is more obvious—a line of civilian specialists will form behind the "long credit," who can only dream of such salaries at their old jobs. And here the notorious "fork" comes into its own—either meet the requirements and receive your due salary, or say goodbye to service and salary. Because imperial laws regarding negligent workers are very harsh. And for the military... Yes, the conversation there is short—a tribunal and punishment. Well, Lieutenant Colonel Astarion is a sufficiently competent young man, and he has chosen worthy assistants for himself from naval intelligence to weed out the wheat from the chaff even at the preliminary stage. After all, there are many facilities on Tangrene itself that require specialists—and civilians can find work there. Yes, with a salary not as high as that of the military, but still higher than anywhere else in ordinary engineering companies and at civilian shipyards of the Empire.
Cloning as such will not solve this problem at its root—it is necessary to set priorities correctly. Gaining access to the Katana Fleet unties my hands in matters of operational readiness and large-scale offensives into the territory of the New Republic. I need crews—and a lot of them. If former civilians can still be allowed on some patrol starships, through one, with a heavy heart, then the ships that are going to operate strictly on the front line—that is almost sabotage. I have no intention of shooting myself in the foot and then running a marathon. Consequently, until the issue of staffing the fleet's ships is resolved, even thinking about spending the resources of Mount Tantiss to clone everyone who can is wrong.
Back when I learned that the Spaarti cylinders were still working, I had the idea of visiting Kamino. Despite the Kaminoan uprising, despite Palpatine's refusal to use clones in the army after the proclamation of the New Order, Kamino... was not destroyed. It was simply... not mentioned. Just like that. Even in the Clone Wars, few officers of the Grand Army of the Republic knew not only the way there, but even the location of this planet on the galactic tactical map. In Palpatine's records, obtained from Mount Tantiss, such information was available. As well as information about how brutally the Empire suppressed the Kaminoan uprising after the victory in the Clone Wars.
No, they didn't destroy, didn't ruin, didn't bomb, didn't eliminate the race of cloners and their production facilities. The Empire took control of the Kaminoan business, receiving huge percentages from each of their deals. Kamino never produced an army of clones again—until recently. After the Battle of Endor, Kamino came under the control of the Zann Consortium, and with the help of such a base, the leader of the Consortium, Tyber Zann, was able to spread his influence to almost the entire galaxy. However, when the New Republic began to strike at his positions time after time, some Imperial Remnants, Hutts, the Pyke Syndicate, trading in the drug spice, and a considerable number of other external forces, including pirate fleets that had been hiding in the holes all over the Outer Rim, some of which consisted of hundreds of line ships, joined it.
Yes, strangely enough, but this whole motley crew managed to knock Zann out of his dominant positions. No one knew where Tyber had gone, losing almost everything. There are still several enclaves of the Consortium in the galaxy, such as Shola, Hypori, and Salucemai, that are holding out against the enemy. In fact, according to reports from the Noghri from Hypori, various factions of the Consortium are independent groups that have somehow gotten along with other criminal elements. Most of them are "protected" by either the Pykes or the Hutts—and this is already a force at the state level.
So, back to Kamino. Not a single starship sent to this planet ever returned. The Kaminoans, after their capture by Zann, stopped providing their cloning services in the galactic arena, and their fate is unknown. However, I remembered from the books I had read that Boba Fett had dealt with the Kaminoans in a later period and had flown to their planet to undergo medical procedures in an attempt to overcome his aging. Consequently, Kamino has not been destroyed or ruined, its population is alive. But what prevents free access to the planet? An astronomical anomaly? If so, then what kind? A military fleet of the enemy? It may well be—it is too strange that the disappearance of Tyber Zann and the unavailability of Kamino occurred at about the same time.
There were other races in the galaxy engaged in cloning. However, they either made insane demands in terms of payment for their services, and were protected from direct capture by mercenary fleets, or they were under someone's control. Like, for example, the inhabitants of the planet Homm in the Deep Core. Consequently, I only have the Spaarti cloning cylinders at my disposal. Imperial engineers simply could not increase the number of which, just like repairing four thousand damaged ones. They seemed to do everything according to the book, as it should all work, but... It doesn't work. Despite the fact that Mount Tantiss is slowly but surely settling in, its reserves are flowing into the general fund of my forces, and the research of the labyrinth under the mountain continues, and new and new valuable finds are taking place, this does not affect the number and speed of clone production.
The only thing that pleases me is that Palpatine is a very thrifty ruler. Who loves memorable trophies very much. And the latter, if we believe historical, antique, and other reference books—are worth a lot. A lot. I would even say—indecently much. According to the most conservative estimates, there are half a billion imperial credits' worth of jewels alone in Palpatine's vault. Of course, this is a very approximate, most likely even inflated assessment of the value of antiques. Which still needs to be sold. Well, Captain Hoffner will soon receive some new instructions. Let's see how effective anonymous underground auctions organized by the Hutts and in the New Republic can be.
Actually, that's what prompted me to give Moff Ferrus the go-ahead to negotiate with Valles Santhe — the management company she inherited from Sienar. And here, I was satisfied with both tactical and strategic successes, so to speak. If Ms. Santhe refuses to sell us the orbital fighter production facility — which is most likely to happen, since this almost completely autonomous full-cycle production line can be quite easily (if you know how and have the appropriate equipment, software, and skillful employees) repurposed to produce not only fighters, but also interceptors and bombers. Lyana has three such facilities in orbit — and they fully satisfy the needs of all of Ms. Santhe's clients, without exception. So, the negotiations are most likely to end with the signing of contracts for the purchase of a huge amount of TIE-type equipment. But by that time, I will already know enough about Lyana's defense system to find an answer to the dilemma — take it by force or try repeated diplomacy.
Of course, I understand that I can continue to acquire the equipment I need, or try to recreate the production lines through reverse engineering. But that's time and huge expenses. Reyes estimated one such assembly line for me off the cuff. Even if there are jewels and valuables worth tens of billions inside Mount Tantiss, I'm not ready to spend several of them to allow military engineers to "get the hang of it." When financial resources have a tendency to run out, you should "cut the coat according to the cloth," so to speak.
And yet, Mount Tantiss is a real treasure. Its construction certainly cost a pretty penny. Even despite the fact that there were already structures built inside the rock during the Old Republic era, several thousand years before the present, during the Mandalorian Wars, the scale of the project is striking. The fact that inside, in addition to warehouses, there are also laboratories, workshops, their own food production farms, hangars with shuttles, and other facilities necessary for the comfortable accommodation of more than one thousand sentients is impressive. It's just a pity that even this miracle of technology won't allow to support an army of even a million or two people. No matter how thrifty and prudent Palpatine was, the food production capacity is limited and was intended to provide food for the garrison according to the standards set for Imperial military personnel, and for several thousand people from the Emperor's own entourage.
The garrison on Wayland is undoubtedly in a good position and practically does not require resources from the outside. And this fact unequivocally hints that it would be good to repeat this very project—somewhere else. Less... crowded, so to speak. But again—these are all strategic plans. However, it's clear without words—over time, the capacities of the Mount will have to be evacuated. They are too valuable to be left unattended, and even more so—to allow them to be destroyed. Resettling the Noghri here, as happened in the events of the far, far away galaxy that I know of, is also pointless—even harmful. It's always possible that Skywalkers might show up on the planet, discovering its coordinates one way or another. Or, after the implementation of my strategic plan, after the campaign at the Sluis Van shipyards, Palpatine himself will come here to take a look at what's left—in any case, such a valuable resource as the Noghri will be lost to me. But leaving this people on their home planet—Honoghr—is also fraught with risks. And the point here is not even that their world is contaminated with chemicals and the ecology leaves much to be desired, and the Empire has been promising for decades to help fix this situation, but only pretends to help. In fact, the Imperials are doing everything in their power to prevent Honoghr from recovering from the man-made disaster of the past, because this ensures the loyalty of this people. The reason why the gray-skinned saboteurs need a completely different, unknown to the galaxy, planet to live on is something else. The Noghri, despite the fact that they initially obeyed only Vader, and then Thrawn, are widely known among the power circles of Palpatine. After he starts his campaign to reconquer the galaxy, it's always possible he will be on Honoghr for the sake of appearances. The coordinates of this planet in the Emperor's data from Mount Tantiss are erased, but mentions through cross-references can undoubtedly be found. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before Palpatine's followers come here after the start of his campaign.
For the same reason, Myrkr is not suitable either. Yes, the planet is not so widely known in the galaxy, but its coordinates are still available to at least Karrde and his organization. Therefore, there is a high chance that the settlement of Noghri on Myrkr, if they are moved to this planet, will also be compromised. A completely unknown or as inaccessible as possible world is needed. And there are some problems with this. Because finding such a planet is not as easy as it seems. And presenting the Noghri with such a gift at the moment also does not correspond to my plans for winning the hearts of this people. It's necessary to act more subtly here.
In the events I know of, the Noghri changed their loyalty from the Empire to serving Leia Organa-Solo not only because she was the daughter of Darth Vader, whom these sentients revered and considered their master. But also because the meeting of the Alderaanian princess and the Noghri led to the latter's journey to Honoghr and the exposure of the deception regarding the cleanup of the planet. The Noghri realized that the Empire had betrayed them and switched to the service of the one who offered them a whole planet. Flourishing with life and not posing any danger to health as such. And... if this plan worked, why not adjust it for myself and implement it for my own benefit.
Is this mean to the Noghri? Yes, from a certain point of view it's even hypocritical—to state to Mara Jade that I'm frank with my allies, and at the same time do nothing to solve the problems on Honoghr. At the moment, my participation in the lives of the Noghri is limited only to the fact that after a long disgrace, they have returned to carrying out my orders—on planets as far from the presence of the Organa and Skywalker family as circumstances allow. From time to time, Imperial transport ships arriving on Honoghr deliver food and other necessary supplies, as well as more droids to combat the environmental crisis. But not all of these droids are acting according to the original program—some of them are converted into reconnaissance and record everything that is happening on the planet near the Noghri settlements. When a new ship arrives, its technicians conduct a scheduled technical inspection and necessary repair of the droids and download information from the mechanical spies. This is how the absence of extra ships and sentients on the planet is tracked.
I have a certain course for finding a new world for the Noghri. And it's directly related to the search for the Guardian Star Dreadnought. After digging into my memory, restoring the chain of events I know time after time, I came to the conclusion that it was the Guardian that was the second Executor-class Star Dreadnought in the service of the New Republic. And also remembered that the ship was in orbit of some remote planet suitable for habitation. It's just that the name of the planet is not so remarkable as to be able to remember it so easily.
Unlike another planet directly known from the history of the Noghri. Yalar. A world hidden from everyone by a kind of cloaking device built by the Jedi. This planet appears in one of the quests of the computer game Jedi Academy, and the protagonist visits it. Who encounters the Noghri there. Who were sent there by the Empire in order to acquire the cloaking device.
However, some questions arise. To which I can't find an answer in my memory. Either because I don't know, or because I don't remember. And rummaging through my own memories is not that easy. The Chiss mind allows to break down facts into components and analyze them thoroughly. But the less consistent a memory is, the more fragmentary it is, the more difficult it is to "remember" it in detail. And this takes a lot of time. It took me several days to remember the details of the Jedi Academy protagonist's mission on Yalar. As regrettable as it is to state this fact—I didn't pay much attention to the less significant moments from the Star Wars universe. And yet, working on my own memories helps to advance in understanding a large number of critical moments.
So, Yalar. The coordinates of this planet are unknown. They are not in the navigation guides of the galaxy, not in Thrawn's records on code cylinders, not in the Empire's database. And, most regrettable of all, they are not in the Emperor's information library.
The bare facts—at some point in time between Darth Vader's discovery of the Noghri and the events of the game Jedi Academy, Noghri detachments were sent to Yalar with a specific purpose. They achieved their goal. And at the same time, they killed all the local population, not developed enough to come into contact with the rest of the galaxy. In fact, for this reason, the Jedi built a cloaking field that hid an entire planet from both scanners and visually. An interesting technology, I would like to study it.
Luke Skywalker sent one of his Jedi students, Jaden Korr, to Yalar. A very... interesting character. But we'll talk about him separately.
Korr arrived on the planet, found the Noghri there and engaged them in a battle, won, and the New Republic took possession of a whole fertile planet with cloaking functions. However, Yalar seems never to have been mentioned again in the history of Star Wars. Nor has the fact that the cloaking technology from this planet was somehow assimilated by the Republicans. What's the reason? There could be hundreds of them. But the most trivial one is that the device is impossible to reproduce. Or the technology is not so perfect after all. Or it was still used in the future, but "off-screen" from the events I know.
However, there are a number of questions. Who and when sent the Noghri to the planet? Where did those who sent death commandos to this planet get the coordinates of this world? Why weren't the Noghri called back from there? Do the matriarchs of the Noghri clans on Honoghr know about their mission?
Well, let's fix this thought. While the Chimaera and its escort are moving towards their goal, there is time to analyze the current situation with the Noghri. Lately, there are fewer and fewer free hours for such "brainstorming sessions"—as well as time for sleep. It's good that I managed to equip a small sports corner in my apartments and slowly pull up my physical fitness. Admiral is an admiral, but I didn't want to grow a belly because of "sedentary work". In addition, physical exercises allowed to clear my head and properly unload the body, which contributed to the most effective restoration of the body's strength during a short sleep.
So, the starting point is the end of the Clone Wars. It was closer to the nineteenth year before the Battle of Yavin that the disaster on Honoghr occurred—a Separatist ship carrying chemicals, shot down by the Republicans, fell on the planet. Darth Vader found the Noghri already during their environmental disaster. Consequently, there are two confirmed facts to take the last year of the Clone Wars as the starting point for the time when the Noghri began to serve Vader. No, of course, you can call Rukh and ask him directly—when Vader became their master. But this will at least damage my reputation with the Noghri due to my ignorance of such simple things. I'm sure that Thrawn knew this date for sure—after all, Vader transferred control of the Noghri to him for a high service rendered to the Sith Lord by the Chiss, when he was already serving the Empire in quite a high rank. Consequently, since the Noghri became acquainted not with Anakin Skywalker, but with Darth Vader, then the latter's first arrival on Honoghr occurred after the battle of Darth Sidious' apprentice with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar and Darth Vader's acquisition of the well-known heavy breathing and a conspicuous armored suit with a stylish helmet.
Analysis of the second date. When exactly did Jaden Korr fly to Yalar, and has the planet been discovered already? The answer is one—no, it hasn't been discovered.
Digging into my memories, I came to the conclusion that Jaden Korr had not only not yet started his training in the Jedi profession, but had not even been created yet. Yes, "created" and not "born". Jaden Korr was never born—he is a genetic experiment of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the field of creating Force-sensitive sentients. I once read about this fact on Wookieepedia, but I didn't find the original texts of Jaden Korr's adventures after Jedi Academy. Therefore, if I don't conduct experiments on the creation of Force-sensitive clones, then Korr won't fly to Yalar either. This does not negate the fact that someone else will fly there. But the fact remains. Even without Thrawn's memories, it can be concluded that he did not start experiments on cloning and genetic manipulation that led to the creation of Jaden Korr until the moment when I took his body. Why? Because at the time of my meeting with Joruus C'baoth on Wayland, Thrawn had no opportunity to obtain samples of the DNA of a Force-sensitive sentient from anywhere. Luke Skywalker, unlike his father, does not scatter genetic material in his youth. His sister's children had not yet been born, and getting a sample of her blood is, to put it mildly, difficult.
Back to the date analysis. When exactly Jaden Korr flew to the desired planet, I don't know. In the universe, I was more interested in events and characters than in chronology as such. If a date is not critical for understanding the situation, I didn't focus on it. Another point—the events that caused Korr to be sent to Yalar by Skywalker. The emergence of such a movement as the Disciples of Marka Ragnos. A schismatic sect of Force-sensitive sentients who intended to revive the spirit of the long-dead, about five thousand years ago, spirit of the Sith Lord Marka Ragnos. An important question—is the sect functioning now? I assume not, because if my memory serves me correctly, it was created by one of the unsuccessful students of Luke Skywalker himself.
Darth Vader's son did not start training new Jedi now, and not even next year. When exactly? Another gap in the dates. But it was definitely after the victory over the Reborn Emperor—because it was his threat that proved to Skywalker the need to return the Jedi to the galaxy. The problems of training a new generation of Jedi undoubtedly occurred, but they are not relevant now. So, Skywalker was training several Force-sensitive sentients in his Jedi praxeum on Yavin IV, and one of his students left him, creating the sect of Disciples with their own intentions...
Stop. We've fixed the thought. A student who left the praxeum to achieve his own goals.
Why does this seem familiar to me? A student who left... Right!
In the initial period of the praxeum's creation, Skywalker had many problems, including with the unquiet ghost of another Dark Lord—Exar Kun. Yes, the young Jedi defeated him, but lost several students. However, that's not what's important now.
The other point is that Skywalker destroyed almost all the defectors of the first class of new Jedi, either himself, or with the help of members of his family. Consequently, if my assumptions about Palpatine's resurrection and final death in the tenth and eleventh years after the Battle of Yavin are correct, then the first class of Jedi was recruited around the eleventh year after the destruction of the first Death Star. Maybe later.
Therefore, Korr was trained by Skywalker and his assistants later. But if this is so, then my assumptions that Jaden was created are wrong. Yes, he could have been grown in a cloning cylinder, but... again, I remember that some relatives who knew him from childhood helped him to be sent to the praxeum. So, it's still a mistake. Or not?
Although, on the other hand, what's the difference, a real guy or an artificial one? I'm not going to conduct experiments to create genetic hybrids—both Force-sensitive and not. Simply because the history I know shows that nothing good came of it—only psychopaths. It's better to spend this time on creating more clones I need.
Okay, the conclusion that Korr did not train in the first stream of Jedi is correct. Otherwise, he would have been mentioned in Kevin Anderson's trilogy of books Jedi Academy. Yes, there were those too... But there was something else. There was a book-sidequel to this trilogy, which told the story of how Corran Horn was among the first students of Skywalker, who had come there to learn Jedi science in order to find his wife, Mirax, who disappeared because of the fact that...
No. That can't be true.
Mirax Terrik-Horn was captured by the Invid pirate gang under the command of Leonie Tavira. The woman and her group have already shown themselves in the present and I have certain plans for them... Which are already in the process of being implemented. Well, now it's clear why the operation plan came to me so quickly and seemed so familiar.
Well, that was an interesting flashback, but let's get back to business.
So, the events on Yalar took place between at least the eleventh and no later than the sixteenth year after the Battle of Yavin. Why is that? Because the last date was the event known as the "Black Fleet Crisis"—the New Republic faced the Yevethans and the fleet of Star Destroyers under their control, captured from the Empire after the Battle of Endor. Four to four and a half years...
A large spread. It is likely that Korr was trained later—around the twelfth to fifteenth year after the Battle of Yavin. Since I remember well that at the end of the plot there was a battle on Coruscant. And there were many more Jedi there than the two and a half Padawans that Skywalker could have trained in the first, or perhaps in the second, stream. If I remember correctly, no more than a dozen students were trained at the same time as Korr. So, several years have passed since the events of Palpatine's final death. And for some reason, it seems to me that the most likely date is the fourteenth year after the Battle of Yavin. Intuition, not a logical conclusion. Such arguments should be relied on only in the most extreme cases. However, if we abstract away from the dates, then these events are not very important, since they clearly occur in the future.
Okay, the thought is fixed, now we will cut off the unnecessary.
The last Imperial commander of the Noghri is Thrawn. He will die in the events I know of this year. After this fact, the Noghri will cease to be hostile to the New Republic. Completely. Consequently, the order to capture Yalar was given before Thrawn's death. Then why didn't the matriarchs withdraw the group from the planet after the Grand Admiral's assassination? The most likely answer is because they maintained radio silence. Why? So they couldn't be detected. Then why didn't the one who sent them take steps to capture the planet and station a garrison and some stronger units of the Stormtrooper Corps there? Or... no, the Empire's soldiers were still on the planet. Or were they Imperials who defected to the side of the Disciples of Marka Ragnos? Most likely—the second. This statement is supported by the fact that at the end of the game, the New Republic destroyed not only the Disciples, but also stormtroopers in the service of the sect, as well as an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. What's the reason for the appearance of Imperial soldiers and equipment among the Disciples? An alliance between the Empire and the sect, or was it some group of renegade Imperials?
Most likely—the second. And they probably appeared on the planet after the Noghri had been there all this time. Because, if the Empire had been present on Yalar all this time, it would have been more logical to place not only a garrison there, but also a huge base, shipyards, production... Any Imperial Remnant would give an arm and a leg to own such a world.
However, let's return to the questions of who sent the Noghri to Yalar? Certainly not Thrawn—he would definitely have used the advantages of the planet to the fullest. And before Thrawn, the Noghri were commanded by... Darth Vader.
Consequently, based on this simple logical chain, which may not be true, Darth Vader either possessed information about where Yalar was located, or had data indicating its location and the planet was found by the Noghri themselves.
In any case, the Sith Lord took this secret to his grave...
Or did he?
Let's go back to the episode with the Disciples of Ragnos. One of Jaden Korr's missions was a trip to a planet with acid rain. And there was the fortress of the Dark Lord of the Sith. Vader's psychological profile indicates that he partially copied his teacher's manner, Darth Sidious. And the latter preferred to have personal residences—Mount Tantiss will not let me lie—where he kept a lot of valuable things. Consequently... How likely is the fact that Vader's fortress contains data for the discovery of Yalar? Too intriguing to ignore such a guess. After all, checking this assumption doesn't require much of my time and attention...
If only I remembered the name of the planet on which that fortress was located. To ask Pellaeon if he knows where the residence is, possibly secret, belonging to the second person in the Galactic Empire? Yes, that would be fun. But inappropriate.
However, is it worth despairing?
No, it's not. Because in fact, the most important question is how did the Disciples of Marka Ragnos themselves learn the coordinates of Yalar? After all, they flew there much earlier than Jaden Korr. And again... how did the New Jedi Order learn about the planet? It seems that they found its coordinates in one of the Jedi holocrons. And where did Skywalker get the holocrons? He was looking for Jedi heritage all over the galaxy. And he also stole some sources of data from the Reborn Emperor during the latter's campaign. After all, it was then that Skywalker Jr. turned to the Dark Side of the Force and became Palpatine's right hand...
Stop. The order of cause-and-effect relationships has been violated. The Disciples of Ragnos were on Yalar. They also met Jaden Korr in Vader's fortress on the planet with acid rain. But in what order did this happen? First the fortress, then Yalar? If so, then it is quite possible that the Disciples received the coordinates of Yalar in Vader's fortress. A working hypothesis, and it needs verification. If only I could find that planet with the Dark Sith Lord's residence. All I remember about it is acid rain, but an atmosphere suitable for breathing—at least, I don't remember the Jedi running around in a spacesuit in the game. And he only used the Force to protect himself from the acid... Of course, this may be a game convention, but... The reality I found myself in corresponds too accurately to the events described in the literature. What if it is not only books that are implemented in this universe, but also games? That is, the game events and what was conventional in them—is that part of the convention of the real events for the universe? And if so, then...
That means that Kyle Katarn and... Galen Marek are somewhere.
My mood suddenly dropped. If the first one is still conditionally a typical Jedi, about whose life a lot is relatively known, then the second one... His story ended vaguely at the end of the plot of another computer game—the second part of The Force Unleashed. Then he captured Vader on Kamino and intended to judge him... True, Boba Fett, who worked for Vader, flew after Marek's ship. Let's assume for a moment that this game is also part of the reality in which I found myself. Consequently, Galen Marek is not a figment of the imagination either. And if so, then after the finale of the second part of the mentioned game, the events of which took place definitely before the Battle of Endor, when Darth Vader was alive and well, there are two options for the development of events. The first, so to speak, "canonical" one—Marek really captured Vader, but the latter was repulsed by Boba Fett. And it is not clear whether Marek is alive or dead after this. Given his anti-Imperial stance, it would be better if he were dead. And if not, then what is the reason that he has not yet appeared and Luke Skywalker is considered the only Jedi in the galaxy? I doubt that conventions like "The game was released after the books about Thrawn, so Galen Marek does not exist and Skywalker does not know about him" work in reality. No, surely all this "lore" is intertwined.
Which leads to the second conclusion. Did Galen Marek capture Vader? After all, there was also a "non-canonical" version of the development of events, when the former intended to kill the latter. But he received a blow in the back from Marek's clone, and died. As did all the rebels who participated in the attack on Kamino, where the plot of the second part of the mentioned game ended... True, there was another addition to the plot, where this clone, who struck in the back, went to Endor and killed Princess Organa, who by that time had become a Jedi, because Luke Skywalker was killed in the first part of the game in the "non-canonical" development of the plot...
Okay, stop. Stop the drug abuse. All these "non-canonicities" are refuted simply. Luke Skywalker is alive. The Empire suffered a defeat at Endor. Organa-Solo is still not a Jedi. Consequently, if the events of The Force Unleashed game diology have an impact on my reality, then they followed the "canonical" version of events. When Vader was captured after the battle on Kamino, and so on...
For the first time, I felt my head hurt. From the moment my consciousness appeared in this body, there had been no hint of such an ailment. A mockery of fate that thinking too much is harmful? Funny.
So, Yalar is generally a good place for a secret base. The Noghri can be resettled there and their support can be secured. The capacities from Mount Tantiss can be secretly placed there, and at least for the next two to three years, forces can be accumulated there. Accordingly, several more are added to the list of tactical tasks—to find the acid planet, if it is not a secret world again, to visit Vader's fortress, to find Yalar. And I thought the galaxy was ceasing to be dull.
After a short audio notification, Mara Jade entered the cabin. The girl, despite her attitude towards the animal, still allowed the ysalamiri to be on her shoulder.
— The decoders have transmitted an urgent message, — she handed me a data card, which I, intrigued, unlocked with my code cylinder. What could be so important that the red-haired beauty brought the report herself?
After skimming through the lines of Major Mol Himran's deciphered report about the conversation between Nialls Ferrier and Booster Terrik, I paused for a moment. Something is clearly wrong here. Neither the time calculation, nor the indication of "closeness" to the goal... Unless... An interesting thought. And in his spirit. And that means that our little "prank" has been exposed. And this is fraught with problems. Very big ones.
— Captain Pellaeon, — I activated the commlink, calculating the distance, the speed of the ships, the required time on the fly... Yes, we are too far from the base, unfortunately. But if we do everything right now, then the time gap will be small. — Which destroyers have already delivered personnel and cargo to the Katana Fleet?
— According to the schedule, it's the Nemesis and Stormhawk, sir, — the commander of the Chimaera answered without delay. — They unloaded technicians, specialists, and stormtroopers to guard the Dreadnoughts and repair them an hour ago, and are now waiting for the appearance of the Belligerent and Unyielding with the next batch...
— Contact Captains Schneider and Astorios, — I ordered, trying to maintain a calm expression and even tone of voice. — Give them the coordinates of the meeting place and hurry them with the dispatch. Let them leave their corvettes to guard the Katana Fleet. I need the star destroyers and their air groups as soon as possible. Contact Captain Yazuo Vayne—he is operating in the region near the operation site. He must be at the meeting place ten minutes after it begins.
— Will be done, Grand Admiral, — Pellaeon answered with a slight stutter and immediately disconnected. Well, at least he didn't ask for answers.
Putting the commlink aside, I looked at Mara Jade, who was standing in front of me with suspicion on her beautiful face.
— Are there any problems? — she inquired.
— None, — I allowed myself a light smile. — It's just that they're preparing a trap for us by the specified time of the Errant Venture's appearance.
— Is the operation canceled? — she clarified.
— Under no circumstances, — I shook my head. — Since our opponents want this, we will participate in the ambush.