In the turbulent years of his youth, spent on the deck of a Carrack-class light cruiser, and then on the bridge of a Victory-class Star Destroyer, Captain Morgoth Astorias, upon seeing the disposition data received from Grand Admiral Thrawn's flagship Star Destroyer, would have surely panicked. Indeed, if the Stormhawk had to face such forces alone, or even in the company of another Imperial, he would have thought twice before venturing into the jaws of hell.
And there was reason to ponder – because in fourteen minutes and fifty-one seconds, the Stormhawk would emerge from hyperspace right in the center of this carnage. The Sentinel had already transmitted the vector of its gravitational anomalies, and a positive response was received from the navigator. So, as soon as the Star Destroyer entered their area of effect, the standard hyperdrive protection would activate and the Stormhawk would materialize in real space. And its turbolasers would come to life, and from the hangar would pour out fighters, interceptors, and bombers to engage the enemy's aviation. Of course, it was desirable that the landing craft with stormtroopers from those stationed on the destroyer would follow them, but all of them, like their colleagues from the Nemesis, remained to guard the technicians and the dreadnoughts of the Katana Fleet. As well as both CR90 Corellian corvettes assigned to the destroyers. Honestly, weak protection if someone decided to attack the Dark Forces. But soon, another pair of destroyers will arrive, bringing a contingent of technicians and spare parts to bring the ancient ships to life. Escorted by the Imperious and the Relentless, a portion of the Rendili-built starships, needing minimal repairs, will head to the Morshdyn sector for repairs and modernization. And as soon as they awaken from their slumber and are brought to a state where they can make the journey to the base on Tangrene, the most interesting part will begin—Grand Admiral Thrawn will begin active combat operations. It's just a pity that the other three pairs of Imperial-class Star Destroyers are currently en route to the Katana Fleet's location and will not be able to arrive at the battlefield by the deadline set by the Grand Admiral. Thrawn calculated it so that each new batch of starships with a cargo of spare parts and technicians for repairs, as well as stormtroopers to guard the ships, would arrive every two days, ensuring a continuous flow of resources needed for the prompt repair of captured starships. It's doubly regrettable that only four of the one hundred and ninety-six starships of the Dark Forces currently in existence are capable of moving on their own on sublight engines and in hyperspace. And not one of these ships can participate in a full-scale battle—only a fool would throw them into the heat of war without major repairs and with a minimal number of crew members. And it's a pity—a quartet of dreadnoughts could have livened up the "party" that Thrawn started in the Rugosa system. But bringing these ships there now is not only impossible by the deadline—the hyperdrives are not of the second class installed on heavy cruisers, but also after so many years of inactivity, the ship systems could fail at the most inopportune moment, which would entail not only the loss of the captured starships, but also the death of their crew members. And yet, if these ships were seaworthy and had relatively functional weapons, it would have been possible to use the "Slave Circuit" computer system, thanks to which each of the Katana Fleet ships within a single star system could act under the command from the flagship - this would solve the problem of crew shortage. But, like the rest of the equipment on the starships, this system was also considered conditionally unreliable. For this reason, no one seriously considered the possibility of repairing dreadnoughts on the spot and transferring them to Tangrene via command from the flagship heavy cruiser. Well, maybe one day Thrawn will realize this feature of Rendili starships.
Of course, if he survives the clash with such a huge enemy fleet that has fallen into his ambush.
Conditionally, the enemy forces can be divided into two detachments.
The first detachment included an Imperial-II class Star Destroyer. Previously, while serving in the Imperial Navy, it was named Virulence. Now – Errant Venture.
Little of its standard armament remains—the Grand Admiral's fleet scanners noted that only two tractor beam emitters, ten ion cannons, and no more than ten heavy turbolaser batteries were operational. The rate of fire is much lower than prescribed by the datasheet, which clearly indicates that the ship either does not have enough crew members, or is not in the best technical condition. However, what to expect from its owner, who painted the ship red? To spend millions to turn a combat starship into a flamboyant aircar... He'd better have bought more weapons. But what can you expect from smuggler scum, who received such a treasure as an Imperial-II for free?
The ship deployed two squadrons of TIE fighters and one class at all. Which, however, did not exclude the fact that the starship was purchased by the Imperial Navy. Or, was content with what it inherited from the Old Republic, which in the last year of the Clone War managed to purchase a considerable number of such starships. In the wave of rearmament and uniform standardization, the New Order sought to profitably get rid of illiquid ships, and therefore the Empire began to sell some obsolete starships to planetary governments, companies, large corporations, and even private traders. The key condition was only one—loyalty to the Empire. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Neutron Stars have been the core of the fleets and squadrons of pro-Imperial systems and sectors for many decades, which could afford to purchase such a ship for five million credits. The Neutron Star was inferior in armaments and armor to the even more outdated dreadnoughts, but significantly surpassed them due to its low cost and small number of required crew. The corporate sector, for example, massively acquired decommissioned weapons from the Empire. So, at the moment, they have the largest fleet of Victory-class Star Destroyers. Neutron Stars have also been spotted on the side of the Rebel Alliance, pirates, and neutral states. Anyone who had a lot of money to buy this six hundred meter starship, with imperfect, slow, and monstrously gluttonous engines, sooner or later understood how expensive it is to maintain such a ship if it does not fulfill its direct function.
In fact, that is why the Galactic Empire used them as station keepers in remote systems and sectors, as well as armored transports. But due to the lack of large and small artillery, this ship could not oppose anything to opponents of a higher class, as well as enemy fighters. In the latter case, the hope was solely on three squadrons based in the ship's hangar. But with corvettes and frigates, this starship, thanks to its artillery of one hundred and twenty artillery guns, could deal with them very, very quickly. However, as is often the case with ships of Rendili construction, the aft hemisphere of the Neutron Star is open for unimpeded fire.
Neutron Star-class cruiser.
Three Carrack-class light cruisers are already a very serious problem for small aircraft. They specialize in destroying fighters and other aircraft with their rapid-fire weapons. The Carracks were loved in the Empire and built in large quantities. Speed and maneuverability allowed them to perfectly fit the role of escort ships for larger starships, like a Star Destroyer. In addition, one cannot dismiss the fact that these ships, uniting into a flotilla and choosing a single starship as their target, can give even a Star Destroyer a hard time. Military art knows such cases when quantity turns into quality. And this trio could easily deal with any of the Strikes.
Twelve modernized and armed freighters. Scum, old haulers, whose armament ranges from one to three or five laser cannons, capable only of destroying starfighters. They will not last several minutes in battle, but, like the Carracks, they can seriously batter the air wing. Not to mention the fact that pirates and smugglers have a habit of installing proton torpedo launchers on their rusty buckets. One or two hitting the hull is still acceptable, but they can also target the more vulnerable spots of the starships—the hangar, for example. Hitting the bridge and superstructure of a first-generation destroyer with starfighters is quite difficult—the presence of anti-aircraft rapid-fire artillery is almost always justified. Another thing is the Chimaera - it can only rely on the protection of its artillery, air group, and corvette, if it brought one with it. The design decision, dominant in the Empire, "Even a fighter can be shot down from a turbolaser," found its reflection in the implementation of the second-generation ships. Military leaders wanted more main caliber guns—they got them. But the specialized defense... Here it was necessary to rely either on the accuracy of the gunners, who are able to shoot down enemy starfighters from turbolasers, firing at reduced power more often than at maximum, or on the skill of the pilots, or even on the cover of escort ships. However, as Morgoth heard, Thrawn demanded that the engineers of the Tangrene shipyard solve this problem by returning both the medium caliber turbolasers and anti-aircraft artillery to the second-generation ships. Well, if it works out, then the first- and second-generation ships will differ only in their superstructures and the number of ion cannons.
Three full squadrons, consisting mostly of either outdated Old Republic fighters or equipped with hyperdrives—otherwise they simply could not have gotten here—the same Headhunters.
But the second detachment, identified as the "Invid" pirate organization, is a much more dangerous enemy. At least because of their numerousness.
Astorias was familiar with intelligence data about this organization. It was a collaboration of several—more than a dozen—smaller pirate groups. A rigid hierarchy in choosing a target and subordination, but not the highest efficiency in battle due to the lack of discipline among the pirates.
Their flagship is a full-fledged Imperial-II class Star Destroyer. A full air wing—six squadrons. But pirates do not use bombers, so here are only ugly fighters produced at secret shipyards—the fruit of the forbidden love of the Imperial TIE fighter and the Rebel X-wing. It's heartbreaking to look at this abomination.
Two DP20-class Corellian-built frigates. Cannons and missile armament. Not the biggest problem against Star Destroyers. Both the Imperials and the Victories, and even the Interdictors will fend them off without any problems. Strikes too. Tartans - here it is already a lottery. And Morgoth didn't even bother about the dozen pirate ships fighting on Thrawn's side and marked as "allies." They are not Imperials. Their level of usefulness is about the same as that of armed freighters on the side of Booster Terrik and his smugglers.
Six CR90-class Corellian corvettes. Tough and capable of causing problems to both starfighters and medium-sized ships.
Two MC30 frigates. Strong shields, cluster bombs. Countering these outdated and long-decommissioned starships is simple—massive shelling until the shields are completely destroyed, after which—a methodical knocking out of engines and artillery. Thrawn's order is extremely simple—warships must be captured. Destruction is permissible only if they pose a threat to their own starships.
But the last arriving opponents are already ancient history. But, in the meantime, they have not lost their relevance.
An Acclamator-class assault landing ship. A veteran of the Clone Wars, which is essentially an armed and well-armored landing ship.
Acclamator II-class assault cruiser.
The Empire received a large number of such ships after the end of the Clone Wars. Some were sold off to the side, while others entered the Imperial Navy as military transports. However, there was also a significantly armed modification that was used to break through planetary shields with massive salvos of proton torpedoes. Judging by the nature of the combat from the transmitted telemetry, the enemy has this particular option. The Acclamator I's have practically disappeared from the face of the galaxy, rebuilt and modernized into II's.
Twenty-four turbolasers in quadruple turrets. A couple of launchers for proton torpedoes, while the standard armament assumed a hundred warheads each. But it is unlikely that the pirates have enough money to purchase such an expensive product of the military industry. Whether there is military equipment and a landing party on board is an open question. But it is unlikely that there are the sixteen thousand troops stipulated by the staff. The air wing is missing, which is already a big plus—this veteran could carry under two hundred fighters. With its standard Class 0.6 hyperdrive, it was one of the fastest starships in the galaxy.
However, one glance at its Clone War brother is enough to understand the reason for the lack of starfighters on board the Acclamator II.
It is unknown where the pirates got this old-timer, but... They have a Venator-class Star Destroyer.
Venator-class Star Destroyer.
A little over a thousand and one hundred meters long from the nose to the edge of the nozzles. First-class hyperdrive. The deflectors are roughly equal in power to similar ones on the Victories.
The standard armament includes sixteen heavy turbolasers installed in eight twin turret installations on the sides of the superstructure. Two medium turbolasers. From fifty to sixty-four laser cannons for anti-aircraft cover. Four heavy proton torpedo launchers. Six deck guns. And it is possible that this starship has a plasma cannon from a self-propelled gun from the Clone Wars. Judging by the fact that the covers of the nose hangar, as well as the side "wings", are decorated with faded orange spots, once red paint, this ship seems to have emerged from the mess of the Clone Wars.
But Morgoth Astorias did not believe in time travel. It is most likely that this ship was captured by pirates or other criminal elements many years ago, immediately after the proclamation of the Galactic Empire. Then, for a decade and a half, Imperial military leaders massively got rid of irreparable Star Destroyers and other outdated fleet ships. First, the Venorians, among various kinds of criminals. The same Tyber Zann Consortium used them as aircraft carriers during their conquest of the galaxy. However, by now, most of these ships have either been destroyed in battles, or melted down into metal, or are in the hands of this kind of rabble - pirates.
And there is a reason to appreciate this ship. Its spacious main hangar, as well as side and lower ones, are able to accommodate thirty-five full-fledged squadrons, not to mention the transport and landing craft. However, neither during the Clone Wars nor during service in the Imperial fleet, the Venators never carried the entire planned air group in their depths—since it was located not only on the main flight deck, but also underneath it, after the first wave of ships was launched, a significant amount of time was required to raise and send the second wave. In most cases, the latter took off when the first vehicles were already returning for refueling. Considering that the predominant takeoff and landing of the air wing occurred through the sliding doors of the main hangar, the resulting crush led to losses among fighters and interceptors. In other words, the Venators practically never managed to raise their entire air group—in the best cases, only half. Therefore, neither the Republic nor the Imperials ever loaded starfighters completely. And the time of departure of the ships from the hangars left much to be desired.
One way or another, this ship is still capable of causing problems, despite its venerable age—and it is at least twenty-eight to thirty years old since its manufacture (the Venators were no longer built under the New Order). Strong shields, a large air group—even if there is only half of the standard number on board, this is already TOO MUCH for the limited number of fighters and interceptors available to Thrawn, even considering the arrival of twelve squadrons on the Nemesis and Stormhawk.
Strange as it may seem, but the veterans of the Clone Wars should have been disabled almost first. Otherwise, they, in particular, the last one, could cause a considerable number of problems.
Morgoth looked at the received updated telemetry. The battle was in full swing. Thrawn, thanks to the Interdictors, was able not only to pull the enemy ships out of hyperspace, but also blocked their escape by creating an artificial area of gravity. Usually, such tactics were used exclusively to hold one, rarely two ships. But to hold the entire fleet...
This is something new. The captain of the Stormhawk looked at the ship's chronometer. Thirteen minutes and fifteen seconds until exiting hyperspace. Thrawn will have to hold out for quite a long time while in the minority. No matter how much the Stormhawk and Nemesis squeezed out of their hyperdrives the maximum possible speed, no matter how much they took responsibility for the fact that, in order to join the fleet as soon as possible, they actually stuffed people and spare parts into the shuttles and left them to deal with the Dark Forces on their own, they were still late.
One Chimaera, two Victories, three Interdictors, two Strikes, a couple of Tartans, CR90s from Thrawn's flagship and DP20s from the Steel Aurora. And a dozen rusty pirate ally ships on Thrawn's side for the next fourteen minutes.
Against them are two Imperial-II Star Destroyers, a Venator, an Acclamator II, a Neutron Star, three Carracks, twelve armed freighters, thirty-six fighters, two DP20-class frigates, six CR90-class corvettes, two MC30 frigates. Not to mention the armed transports in the amount of and almost every one of these starships has its own air wing.
Twelve against eighteen. The enemy has the advantage in the number of ships, aviation, and artillery… The outcome of the battle is predetermined long before it begins. In fourteen minutes, nothing but wreckage will remain of Thrawn and his fleet.
And yet, the oath required Captain Astorias to obey the orders of a superior officer. Perhaps by the time he and Schneider arrive, they will have an opportunity to at least save the survivors.
Grand admirals may be geniuses of tactics, but they are certainly not wizards.
Without a miracle, there will be no victory here.
***
— The enemy fleet has sustained minor damage, — Captain Pellaeon said, approaching my seat. — The Errant Venture and the Invidious have hull breaches, two turbolaser turrets disabled. Seventeen fighters were shot down. A Carrack and two armed freighters are damaged. There is extensive damage to the Venator and Acclamator in the area of the superstructures and combat bridges.
— But none of this is forcing them to retreat, is it? — I chuckled, not even looking in the direction of the commander of the Chimaera.
— Exactly, sir, — he confirmed. After a pause, he added. — Sir, we lost eight fighters during the attack of the Scimitar Squadron, but we were not successful in hitting the combat bridges of the Star Destroyers.
— Recall our fighters, interceptors, and bombers, — I ordered. — The first and second – organize the defense of carrier ships. Tell Captain Tomax Bren to return his squadron and move under the cover of Captain Vain's ships, after which he will await new orders. Direct the Chimaera and Sentinel to concentrate fire on the Venator and Acclamator, respectively. Leonie Tavira will throw these ships into a breakthrough on our right flank—I want them both to be sufficiently weakened by that moment.
— Yes, sir! — Pellaeon vanished.
— Escort, — still without turning around, I meanwhile addressed both of Molo Himron's soldiers. — Take our guest to the cabin prepared for her. Her guard is already waiting.
After Mirax Terrik-Booster was led away from the bridge, I finally turned the chair. In the direction of Master Joruus C'baoth.
The old man was terrifying to look at. He sat, gripping the armrests with his fingers, his back unnaturally straight. Under his closed eyelids, his darting eyes were clearly visible. The cloak, soaked in sweat, clung to his body, and droplets of sweat on his face glistened in the artificial light. Even his hair and beard sagged, soaked.
— What's the matter, Master C'baoth? — I inquired. — Is your Battle Meditation failing?
— The second destroyer... — the clone said in a hoarse, almost sepulchral voice. — There... someone, sensitive to the Force... He... they... interfere with me. I... cannot... it's very difficult to instill panic... in the pirates...
— Is that why our bombers failed to hit the combat bridges? — I asked. The calculation was based on the fact that the disabled Star Destroyers would cause general panic in the fleet, and it would be much easier to deal with our "guests". I suspected that if Leonia Tavira arrived, then the Jensarrai would also be on board the Invidious with her. Perhaps they were also on board Booster Terrik's ship. That's why I ordered the combat bridges of the Errant Venture and Invidious to be attacked—it will be easy to restore them, and the starship can be controlled from the backup bridge. But there are probably no other Jensarrai other than in the combat bridges. Leonie is unlikely to allow them to wander around the ship, she is probably keeping them close.
— Yes, — C'baoth said abruptly and sharply. — They... protect the pirates... from me... weak... but effective... The pirates... are focused... They're not worried...
— If we force at least some of them to get angry — will it help you? — I asked.
— I-I don't know... — C'baoth said. — Probably... Yes! Strong emotional upheavals... will help... There are just... many... of these weaklings.
— Excellent, — I said, looking towards Lieutenant Tschel. — Connect me to the Errant Venture.
While the watch officer was carrying out orders, I contacted Major Himron.
— I need the detonation codes for the Pulsar Skate, — I explained the reason for the conversation. The commander of the Imperial Intelligence Special Forces group immediately forwarded the necessary data and the frequency of the remote detonators to me. — Thank you. Head to the cargo hangar with your people and prepare the "diggers". This also concerns you, — I looked at Mara Jade standing next to me. — The ysalamiri cage is already waiting for you in the cabin.
The girl, looking at me for a fraction of a second, headed towards the exit from the bridge.
Almost immediately, as soon as the Major disconnected and Tschel reported on the establishment of a communication line, a hologram of a massive middle-aged man with a prosthesis instead of one eye appeared on the armrest.
— Booster Terrik, — I greeted the commander of the Errant Venture.
— And you must be that Imperial bastard who, with the help of Ferrier, tried to fool me and captured my daughter? — the smuggler growled.
— My name is Thrawn, — I introduced myself by the name that had already become mine by right. — Grand Admiral Thrawn.
— I don't give a damn, — the smuggler snorted. — Give me my daughter and I promise that you will be able to get away from here on some tub, before my guys destroy your fleet.
— An intriguing proposal, — I assessed. — But it will not be implemented. Surrender the Errant Venture and your other ships, attack Leonia Tavira's fleet, and your daughter will stay alive.
— I recognize the good old Empire, — Terrik snorted, but from the expression on his face it was clear that he was ready to tear my throat out. — If even a single hair falls from her head, Thrawn, I will turn you inside out!
— Your ship's scanners have probably already detected the location of the Pulsar Skate, — I said, ignoring the threat. — Your daughter is there. In fifteen minutes, her ship will run out of oxygen. You won't be able to break through our blockade - certainly not in fifteen minutes. Surrender the ships, otherwise she will die.
— I know well when sentients are bluffing, — Terrik said after a pause. Maybe he wasn't lying, but in matters of the safety of their children, parents rarely rely on guesses based on their own experience and the ability to understand the physiognomy of other sentients. — And you're bluffing right now... You son of a bitch! You Sith spawn! I'll strangle you with my own hands, and then...
— Disconnect, — I ordered, addressing Tschel. The watchman obediently interrupted the stream of Booster Terrik's abuse, vividly and colorfully describing what he would do to me.
Looking in the direction of C'baoth, who looked more relaxed, I turned my gaze to the tactical screen, which reflected the position of the starships in space. The mark of the Pulsar Skate had disappeared—the detonators had worked as intended.
— Enough, Master? — I inquired.
— For a flotilla with a red destroyer—yes, — he said in a hoarse voice. — They are confused and angry... Those weaklings on the second destroyer can no longer hide their minds from me. But... more is needed, until these weaklings, who feel the Force no more than a glass of water contained in it, do not begin to calm them again.
— Well, that's great, — I summed up, figuring out in my mind how exactly I can once again cause a storm of emotions in Booster Terrik. — Crush their scrap metal. But the Star Destroyer must remain intact. Captain Pellaeon, — the commander of the Chimaera cast a tense glance at me. — Make sure that Mistress Terrik-Horn is as comfortable as possible in the chambers she occupies to observe the consequences of her decisions.
After giving me a look of incomprehension, Gilad made the most reasonable choice in this situation.
He simply followed the order.
***
The guns of the Wild Karrde incessantly spewed streams of scarlet laser fire, not allowing the Imperial TIE fighters to approach the flagship Claw. However, this did not help much - two starships had already been destroyed by dagger-like, and more importantly, targeted fire from Imperial starships. Immediately after Terrik's detachment emerged from hyperspace. Which could not help but lead to certain thoughts.
— We were ambushed, — Talon said, sitting in the captain's chair of his ship, which, like a raging bantha, was trying to break out of the ocean of green fire. The screen was covered with a lurid orange-yellow flash — another of his starships had just exploded. In fact, there were now only nine of them left. Eight - a downed Imperial fighter rammed the bridge of another freighter.
— Yes, boss, — Aves said tensely, in whose hands the helm was trying to break out of its usual place and get out of here as far as possible. — Three interdictor cruisers, that's powerful! The area of gravity here is the size of the one cast by the moon itself!
— Thrawn decided not to stand on ceremony with Booster and left him no way out of the trap, — Karrde said. — Go to the left—away from the Interdictor.
To say that the entire fleet that Terrik had gathered to free his daughter ended up directly in the trap set for them would be an understatement.
In the center of the semicircular formation that encompassed all those who arrived—both Booster's followers and the "Invids" who had come to deal with the impudent Ferrier—was an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. "Second generation". With a well-recognized trail of engines.
Chimaera. Grand Admiral Thrawn's flagship. However, could there be an even more persistent Imperial military leader in this galaxy who dared to lure Terrik into a trap? And for what? For buzz droids that were needed by Ferrier's employer, which is the Empire? Certainly not the "Invids"—this was revealed quite simply. Booster contacted one acquaintance, who contacted another, the second contacted the third... As always, this happens in the world of smugglers—someone in this chain knew sentients, who in turn knew sentients, and those knew people who know... And rumors that Booster Terrik was looking for the "Invids", who were behind the abduction of his daughter, reached Leonia Tavira. Or, more likely, someone from her people, scattered across multiple worlds. Not that Leonia was afraid of Terrik — people like her are not afraid of anyone, because they consider men solely as an appendage to themselves. And—strictly in secondary roles.
It's just that the former wife of the Imperial Moff loved to take revenge. Especially on those who considered themselves smarter than her. And therefore, like Booster, perfectly understanding that the coordinates reported by Ferrier were a trap, she brought with her significant forces of her henchmen - to draw blood from the one who dared to involve her in an operation that could force all the smugglers of the Outer Rim to start hunting her. Some out of fear of the owner of the Errant Venture, others out of respect. Well, Booster simply paid someone or demanded an old debt in order to get additional forces.
A CR90 Corellian corvette was hanging under the bottom of the Chimaera, and its purpose was clear—it was covering the Grand Admiral's flagship from starfighter attacks from the lower hemisphere.
At a considerable distance from the Star Destroyer was one of the Interdictors, creating a gravitational shadow that captured the entire central formation of the pirates. Compared to the usual Imperial, this ship had less artillery, and its air wing was not that great. But on the sides of these ships there were two Tartans, organizing a suppressing laser screen from the attacking aircraft. Further, at opposite ends of the "horseshoe" were two Victories, whose turbolasers and proton torpedoes mercilessly cut pirate starships. And a little behind and above them were two more Interdictors, the work of whose gravitational projectors slammed the mousetrap, creating an even larger gravitational field behind the starships of pirates and smugglers. Fighters from the Venator had already tried to attack the right Interdictor, but ran into a fierce missile barrage organized by a DP20-class frigate that appeared out of nowhere.
The tactics of the Imperials became clear from the first moments.
Taking advantage of the fact that they had light ships, and therefore protection from attacking starfighters, the Star Destroyers fired on the light ships of the fleet. The freighters of some pirate group, which were in the service of the Empire, which turned out to be behind the ships that were pulled out of hyperspace, at the moment the starships materialized in normal space, unleashed a barrage of laser cannons, proton torpedoes, and strike missiles on the defenseless ships.
What was supposed to turn into a punishment for the Imperials threatened to turn into a protracted confrontation. The preventive measures of Thrawn's ships did not allow the pirates and smugglers to retreat, while their ships were already damaged and suffered losses. An unexpected raid by bombers from the rear disabled part of the engines of the Neutron Star, and now it, barely stirring in place, was under the dagger fire of two end Interdictors.
The Imperials were implementing the design advantages of their ships - they kept their noses towards the enemy and unleashed the fire of their heavy turbolasers on them. The enfilade fire was terrible in the first moments and before the deflectors were raised, it managed to cause a lot of trouble.
One of the Carracks, having received a partial torpedo volley from a Victory, froze in place with its hull torn to pieces, exposing the interior. This ship, not that it could not continue the battle - it was already nothing more than scrap metal.
The Star Destroyers of Terrik and Tavira, though they did not suffer heavy losses, still received breaches in the hull and sides. But they held on, allocating targets for themselves.
If Booster decided to attack the Victory on his right side and was now trying hard to realize the maximum turbolaser fire that he could develop with his weakened artillery, then Tavira immediately realized that things were not right and there was simply no point in fighting here. The Imperial aviation, having made its first and practically destructive raid, retreated to the sphere of the nearest protection of its ships, allowing the Imperials to continue creating a fiery bag without fear of hitting their starships. Unfortunately, nothing could stop the old smuggler anymore - after the Pulsar Skate exploded, he completely lost all brakes. Tavira is a calculating and unscrupulous bitch who wants profit. Booster is heartbroken. And neither of them is able to assess the scale of the tragedy that will definitely flare up. It can't be that simple. With anyone, but not with Thrawn.
An MC30 shattered into pieces in a bright flash - its attempt to get closer to the second Victory and bombard it with its cluster munitions failed. Whoever commanded this destroyer, he easily accepted the rules of the game. Having played with its engines, the Victory turned its side towards the starship rushing towards it at a medium distance and fired a half-salvo of proton torpedoes. The death of the MC30 crew was quick and well-felt.
Karrde was implementing the same plan as Tavira. With only one exception - he led his ships to a completely different Interdictor.
The plan is simple to the point of obscenity—force the enemy to maneuver and break the formation. If the battle moves to a more classic melee, there is a chance to properly torment the Imperials with the help of overwhelming air support and knock out their Star Destroyers one by one.
Eight armed transports attacking the Interdictor are a force. Especially if we take into account that two-thirds of the Headhunters who arrived independently decided to support them in this. Obviously, the guys also decided for themselves that Booster Terrik, of course, is an important person, but his own shirt is always closer to the body.
— Connect me to the Errant Venture, — Karrde said, noticing that the nearest Strike was starting to turn around so as not to allow the transports to pass tangentially past the side of the Victory and prevent them from hitting the interdictor cruiser. Considering that the Victory had just chewed up and spat out the second of the three existing Carracks that had been turned into scrap metal, while simultaneously continuing to attack Booster's ship with the help of a Tartan and two still surviving squadrons of TIE fighters from its own air wing, this Star Destroyer was seriously fighting a duel simultaneously with the Errant Venture and three CR90s. Not to mention the aviation, which was teeming here like a quagmire in a swamp. But the Victory didn't even think of drifting. On the contrary, two squadrons of the very same Strike that had come to cut off Karrde's flotilla rushed to its support. And all of this smelled very, very bad.
As soon as Terrik's tiny figure appeared above the projector, Karrde stated without any apologies:
— We need to leave.
— Claw, have you gone crazy or something? — Booster thundered in a voice full of rage. — The real fun is starting! Soon we will send every Imperial to take a walk in a vacuum without a spacesuit!
— Order your people to support our attack, — Karrde ignored his emotional outburst. — We will pass by the Victory, Strike, force the Interdictor to either turn off its projectors and get out of the way, or we will destroy it—and we will break out of the trap. Believe me, it will soon get hot here!
— Don't load me with vacuum, Claw, — Booster growled back at him. — My girl is somewhere here - I caught the signal of her ship! It's in orbit of Rugosa. We just need to deal with the Imperials, and it won't be long. We still outnumber them! My boys have just blown to smithereens as many as five out of ten of their freighters and put the rest to flight! Nothing is supporting us from the stern anymore. While the corvettes and gunboats attack the Imperial destroyer, we will smash his fleet into fragments, and then we will board the flagship!
— Booster! — Karrde raised his voice. Slightly. In his heart, he understood that the old smuggler could not be reasoned with. But he will at least try. — I know this flagship. I know who commands it. They are the ones who destroyed the Republic fleet in the Dafilvean sector! And what is happening now is clearly part of a big plan! I'm not even saying that you actually dragged me and my people into a confrontation with the Empire! We need to retreat, regroup. We will take revenge another time, when...
— Do whatever you want, Karrde, — Booster said in a surprisingly serious voice, full of anger and rage. — I came here for my daughter. This blue-faced bastard killed her. So I will not retreat from killing him. Personally! But first, I will destroy every one of the starships in his fleet. And those that survive my wrath - I will capture. I will throw the crew into the airlocks, recruit a team and together with Tavira I will go through the worlds of the Empire with a firestorm. If you're a coward and your "neutrality" prevents you from doing what you should - get lost on all four sides, Karrde! Aha! — he exclaimed, grinning ferociously. — Well, what do you have to say now, Claw?
Talon glanced quickly at the scanners.
The pirate-smuggling group had just taken revenge for the death of their ships. A massive raid on the left flank of the Imperials led to the fact that they literally showered the Strike and Tartan with proton torpedoes and cumulative missiles. Despite the huge losses - more than a hundred marks disappeared from the scanners across the battlefield, the "Invid" had achieved their goal - a breach had formed in the enemy's formation. And the Venator and Acclamator were now rushing into it to attack the Interdictor closest to the Chimaera from the right side. Their power should be enough for such an attack. And given that they are covered by two DP20-class frigates and one MC30, it can be said that this is a success.
Leonia Tavira's Invidious Star Destroyer, having moved forward slightly, concentrated its fire on the nearest Victory, while firing at the Chimaera with its right side, while the sluggish Neutron Star, accompanied by the last Carrack and three CR90s, were attacking the second Interdictor. At the same time, the Errant Venture and three CR90s were pushing on the second Victory, damaging the Tartan. Karrde and his people had only the Interdictor left. And the Strike cutting their course.
— I hear you, Booster, — he said calmly. — Good luck.
Having disconnected, Talon said:
— We are attacking the interdictor cruiser and getting out of here.
— Boss? — Aves blinked. — You and we are... winning.
— Are you sure? — Claw asked. — Thrawn always has a couple of interesting tricks up his sleeve. And judging by everything, before we get out of here, we will have time to see one of them — he tapped his finger on the scanner screen. The pilot of the Wild Karrde cast a thoughtful glance at the panel, watching as the dots of armed freighters of pirates loyal to the Empire suddenly found themselves very, very close to the stern of the Neutron Star, enthusiastically exchanging fire with the Interdictor. TIE bomber marks flashed next to them...
— It's not what I think it is, is it? — Aves asked. — There are too few of them for such a behemoth...
— And they are not going on a boarding attack, — Karrde calmly remarked.
And a minute later, everything became completely clear.
***
— Scimitar Squadron reports that they have only six bombers left, — Lieutenant Tschel informed me, approaching me. — The Neutron Star has sustained breaches in the stern, the engines are smashed. A torpedo attack has deprived them of their shields. The interdictor cruiser is firing on it, suppressing its artillery. Yazuo Vain's ships have lost two freighters...
— Let them provide cover for Captain Tomax Bren and his pilots to retreat, — I ordered. I really didn't want to lose the last six bombers.
The enemy had an overwhelming number of starfighters at the very beginning of the battle. In total, if we are to believe the Chimaera's scanners, more than five hundred fighters were deployed against us. All we could oppose to them were seventy-two fighters, interceptors, and one squadron of TIE bombers from the Chimaera, thirty-six fighters on each of the three Interdictors and Strikes, and two squadrons on board each of the two Victories. There is no air wing on the Tartans. In total—three hundred units against almost twice as many diverse starfighters, including those equipped with deflector shields. And we were suffering losses. At this point, more than a hundred vehicles have already been lost - mainly TIE fighters. But at the same time, they also destroyed two and a half times more enemy ships. Which, in fact, considering the not very high qualifications of the pilots, and the complete non-viability of fighters under enemy fire—is a very impressive indicator. Interceptors are significantly more capable of withstanding superior enemy forces. Which clearly indicates that it is necessary to deal not only with the expansion of the fleet of large ships, but also with the renewal of the air wing. Well, let's hope that they will sell us such a necessary orbital factory on Lianna and that at least some of its production lines can be converted for the production of interceptors. It is too expensive to purchase ready-made and necessary production lines. As well as buying only interceptors.
— Small forward. — I ordered. Pellaeon, having transmitted the order to the helmsmen, switched to commanding the battle again.
Well, I didn't expect that such a large fleet would fall into the trap I had prepared. And with such a huge number of starfighters.
We had already lost one Strike and one Tartan, not to mention Yazuo Vain's ships. The enemy was deprived of the support of the Neutron Star, two Carracks were turned into scrap metal, as was one of the two MC30s. Multiple losses among armed freighters. And yet, we are on the verge of defeat.
The Venator, following in the wake of the Acclamator II, realizing that moving the Chimaera forward meant that if it continued its maneuver, it would expose its stern to our starboard guns, which we would instantly turn into ruins and immobilize it almost in the center of the battle, began to turn to the right. It lacked the space to maneuver, and it could not orient itself on our ship with its nose in order to fire enfilade fire from all the turrets. We were forcing him to fight side to side. And its captain was not at all stupid, realizing that he would not be the winner of this duel.
The advance of escort ships—two DP20-class frigates and the last MC30—in the upper echelon above the Venator was supposed to force us to distribute the firing between these ships. Because tolerating rockets from Corellian ships is a pain.
— Crusader reports that its shields have dropped to fifteen percent and proton torpedoes have run out, — Pellaeon reported. — All three CR90 escorts of the Errant Venture have been destroyed. Captain I-Gor reports multiple damages on all decks. A third of the artillery is smashed.
But that is not the saddest thing - a group of freighters, in which the starships of Talon Karrde are easily visually identified, attacked our last Strike. The ship, having received three proton torpedoes and two cumulative missiles, almost instantly lost its mobility and slowly, describing a circulation in such a way as to hit the enemy in pursuit from the artillery of the undamaged side, was leaving the battle, dangerously approaching the wrecked right side of the Errant Venture. The remaining aviation and the choking Tartan drove away the attacking enemy fighters. Which is not in great condition itself.
And yet, Booster Terrik's ship was taking the blow and, like a beast that had smelled blood, was hitting the Strike from the last remaining intact turret on the right side, bringing its end closer.
— Order to the Crusader, — I said. — Move to the line of fire of the Errant Venture and engage in a shootout, covering the retreat of the Strike and the Tartan. Report to the interdictor cruiser that is being attacked by freighters: "Deactivate the generators, maneuver, repel the attack of freighters. Release them into hyperspace, then support the Crusader with fire and deploy an artificial gravity field along the same vector."
I did not believe that the freighters could destroy the Interdictor, albeit half-weakened compared to the standard Imperial. It has almost the same characteristics as its prototype and is able to withstand an impact. However, damage to this ship will be an almost irreparable loss — and Karrde understands this, and therefore attacks it. Now he only has a couple of ships left. Therefore, he is trying to break out of the fiery bag and leave. Perhaps he did not believe that by going here he and his people would have to fight the Empire and ended up here due to circumstances. But he suffered damage to his organization for interfering in the affairs of the Empire. This means that in the future we should expect retaliatory steps from him.
— Sentinel reports damage in the bow compartments, — Tschel reported. — The Acclamator shelled it with proton torpedoes.
— Order to conduct barrage fire, — I ordered.
Meanwhile, the unhurried movement of the Chimaera forward was bringing us to the right position. Now we had come out on counter courses with the Venator and our turbolasers were literally tearing the plating off it—thanks to the previous shelling, the deflectors were practically worthless. The guns of the left side fired on the left shell of the Errant Venture, forcing it to transfer fire from the Crusader to us, thereby making it easier for Captain I-Gor to fight enemy starfighters and collapse the shield of Terrik's ship.
The turrets of the left side of the Sentinel remaining behind were ordered to fire on the MC30, which was reaching the distance to open fire on us from its cluster munition launchers. Considering that they are designed to combat aviation, it is unlikely that we can receive serious damage, and yet I order to transfer the fire of the right-side turrets to the Mon Calamari-built ship. But the eyes are glued to the DP20s that have come close to us. Our corvette, which had deftly jumped out from under the belly of the destroyer, began a shootout with one of them, but the second one...
— Tractor beam control point, — I turned to one of the officers in the pit. The young Imperial looked at me with some skepticism. — Catch the second Corellian gunboat with your installations. We don't have time to hunt it, adjusting to their maneuvers!
And as if in mockery, the vile pirate ship rammed two missiles into the hull of the Chimaera. Kinetic projectiles dived under the deflector shield and smashed the hull, splitting the armor plate with a double blow. Like a giant vacuum cleaner, the vacuum ripped several crew members, air, and pieces of the interior and equipment disfigured by the force of the explosion from the interior of the ship.
For a targeted shot, this ship needed to slow down a little... And this moment was enough for the tractor beam operators controlled by C'baoth to seize the ship with invisible snares and interrupt its movement.
— Artillery! Disable it with ion cannons! — I ordered. We have already lost two starships, and two more will be under repair for a long time. We will need the captured ships.
A quick glance at the tactical monitor showed me that the enemy was currently using the remaining light ships to strike at close range — seeing the number of losses, Leonia Tavira was taking steps to quickly deal with two of the three Interdictors holding her back. Because the third one turned off its generators after receiving several breaches in the hull.
— Talon Karrde's armed freighters have gone to lightspeed! — Tschel's cry reached me. Good, so there is only one Errant Venture left on the left flank. Well, he found them — in the absence of ion guns, the Crusader of Captain I-Gor was pouring fire from the remaining turbolasers, finally turning the red paint on the destroyer's hull into black traces of scorching. And patiently received rare volleys of turbolaser batteries in response. The Strike, having somehow recovered from the damage, frozen just above the Victory, turned its entire side towards Booster Terrik's Star Destroyer and clearly demonstrated to him everything that it thought about the skills of his gunners, including the occasional filling of the superstructure with tiny, compared to the scale of the starship itself, bundles of ion volleys. The Interdictor swiftly returning to its position added from its own forty ion cannons. The ships of Yazuo Vain, who also had only two left, that had been biding their time, emerged from the stern of the Errant Venture, finishing off several fighters who had tried to hide behind the ship's hull with their short and swift dash.
Well, everything is clear here.
— Master C'baoth, — I addressed the Jedi clone. — Report to all ships of the fleet—"Use tractor beams to immobilize corvettes and frigates."
We will need them later.
The Star Destroyer Invidious, belonging to Leonia Tavira, meanwhile, was practically comparing the Steel Aurora to a vacuum. Captain Kalian, having lost almost all the artillery of the left side, stoically continued to endure the blows, allowing his air wing, which had been reduced by half, to conduct its own battles with the pirate "freaks". The Interdictor, which arrived at the scene, actually aggravated the situation. The exhausted artillery of the Invidious could no longer guarantee its unambiguous dominance over the ships surrounding it. Chimaera, Steel Aurora, and the interdictor cruiser were shooting at it from three sides. Actually depriving Leonia of maneuver, we forced her to disperse fire in different directions, not allowing her to concentrate it on one of them.
Reports of damage were falling behind my back. The Hutt MC30 frigate had still reached us with its cluster bombs, destroying one squadron of interceptors in one fell swoop and ripping off a large section of the Star Destroyer's armor with the shock wave. Concentrated fire, coupled with a dagger attack by the remaining bombers from the Scimitar Squadron, collapsed the ship's shields at the moment when the proton shells detonated, touching a section of the hull near the bridge. The flash of dazzling light almost immediately dissipated, showing us a huge crater in the body of the wounded ship, which after a few seconds began to break in half.
The main obstacle has been eliminated, which means it is possible to test on the Venator what I planned for the Errant Venture, but it is already not feeling so sweet and the fate of this starship is predetermined...
And at that moment, several actions occurred at once.
First, with a gurgling wheeze and convulsions, C'baoth fell from his chair, shaking his head as if he had been electrocuted. But I didn't even have time to be surprised by this, as the second action took place.
The most colorful curse in the execution of the captain of the Chimaera resounded through the bridge.
— The Acclamator is ramming the Sentinel! — Pellaeon swore, drawing my attention to the tactical hologram. — Bastards!
In modern reality, ramming is not the weapon of heroes. Ramming is an extreme measure, after which no one within a radius of a couple of hundred kilometers will survive. Especially if the solar ionization reactor blows. And judging by the trajectory, the assault landing ship is aimed at it. And it is within just a few kilometers. The Interdictor simply won't have time to turn off the projectors and maneuver.
— Sentinel is requesting permission to jettison the reactor! — Lieutenant Tschel shouted across the bridge. His voice seemed to have jumped a couple of octaves up, and for a moment it could not reflect all the horror of the critical situation we were in now. — The power of the gravitational anomaly is falling...
— The Acclamator will break through its armor with a ramming blow to the bow! — Pellaeon said grimly, having dealt with the communication terminal. — All protection and reactor control systems will surely be destroyed. If it is not fired off...
But I could already see it myself. The count is in minutes.
— Jettison the reactor! — I ordered. There is simply no other choice.
Sound does not travel in a vacuum. So no one heard how the giant sphere at the bottom of the minesweeper cruiser, obeying its own engines, instantly ended up hundreds of meters from the bottom of the Sentinel. Just at the moment when the gray hull of the pirate ship began to plow through our Interdictor from the bottom with a glancing blow from its upper hemisphere.
All this took only a few seconds. And the result, as they say, is obvious.
The blunt nose of the old cruiser barely peeked out from under the left side of the ship, while the superstructure of the Acclamator barely clung to the right side like a hook. The vile
— Sentinel - take measures to save the ship, — I ordered, trying not to betray the feelings that were overwhelming me. Without the main reactor, which is what we were talking about, the interdictor cruiser is useless for creating gravitational fields. And it is practically defenseless against the ships attacking it, because the energy reserve it has after shutting down the reactor will not be able to support either weapons or protection.
And what is even worse—a large part of our trap, preventing the enemy from jumping into hyperspace, turns out to be inoperative. And next to the Sentinel is the Acclamator, which will gladly unleash all its artillery power on it...
By transferring all the artillery to the assault ship, we will leave the Invidious, the Venator, and the remnants of Leonia Tavira's fleet alone. And I have no doubt that she ordered to act exactly like this—because, should the Chimaera stop destroying her right side, the Star Destroyer of this lady will correct its course, hit the gas, and rush away from the zone of the gravitational anomaly, covering itself with the other starships, which will allow it to escape.
As if to confirm my fears, the Acclamator, still gleaming with a deflector field, began to torment the hull and superstructures of the minesweeper cruiser with the remaining artillery.
It is impossible to abandon the Sentinel to die—it is unacceptable. At least because there are thousands of men on board who believe in me and obey me. And if you make a choice between capturing Star Destroyers with the remnants of the pirate fleet and saving the loyal crew, then under normal circumstances the option is a bit predictable—you need to grit your teeth and watch as the Invidious, having finally destroyed the Steel Aurora, having lost almost all the artillery of the left side, showing off numerous breaches and smoking like a locomotive, quickly moves away from us along the exit vector, damaging the second Interdictor with its turbolasers and ion guns, throwing all the remaining fighters and starships at it with its right side: three CR90s and a battered Carrack that doesn't need much. But Tavira doesn't need a victory either—she sends her people to be a shield, forcing the interdictor cruiser, which was left without the cover of the Steel Aurora, to maneuver in order to remain combat-capable. I am sure that Captain Kalian and his crew, who are now watching the starship they had practically disarmed at the cost of the combat capability of their own destroyer, are now incredibly angry.
And how mocking it looks, when the Venator turns around to follow its flagship, leaving us only one choice—to stop shelling it, wipe ourselves on the Errant Venture, a couple of corvettes shot from the ion cannons, the Neutron Star that has shut up for the sake of saving its life, and save the Sentinel. For the latter, we just need to transfer the fire of all guns from the Venator to the superstructure and guns of the Acclamator and destroy the central posts, after which we can add this starship to the number of our captured ships.
But in this case, quantity is not equal to quality.
— Major Himron, — I activated the commlink. — Activate your transport. The target is the bridge of the Acclamator. Captain Pellaeon! — the commander of the Chimaera seemed to grow out of the deck. I turned my chair towards him and could see my flagship captain in all his glory. Angry as hell and with eyes burning with rage. I saw how exhausted his watchmen were. I understood that Leonia Tavira had somehow managed to neutralize the cloned Jedi with the help of the Jensarrai, because of which we were actually disoriented and the Sentinel was exposed to the attack. — Maximum speed—we're going after the Invidious. Tell the Crusader that...
— S-sir! — Lieutenant Tschel stammered, pointing towards the main window. — There... reinforcements!
Looking in the indicated direction, I saw a gray wedge of an Imperial Star Destroyer appear from hyperspace. One.
Pellaeon and I looked at the tactical screen without saying a word, where the onboard computer reported the identification data of the arriving starship. Is this some kind of joke?
And a second later, a Mon Calamari star cruiser materialized next to the Star Destroyer Liberty of Captain Sair Yonka.
The New Republic has joined our party.