The commander of the New Republic Star Destroyer Freedom, leading an escort of a transport convoy, Captain Sair Yonka, for a moment thought that fate had rewarded him for his patient attitude towards the perpetually dissatisfied and overly prim Bothans, into whose space he and his strike group had been sent to reinforce the sector fleet. After all, the Star Destroyer was supposed to head to Sluis Van for scheduled repairs and system upgrades, after which it would join the forces escorting transport starships.
For two weeks, he had stoically carried out patrols of the Bothan Space systems, like some disgraced lieutenant on an old tub with a pair of turbolasers. Yonka did not consider himself a conflict-prone person. On the contrary, he was very good-natured and open to constructive dialogue. After all, it was "constructive dialogue" (and a considerable amount of credits) shortly before the Battle of Tyferra that first convinced Sair to leave Isard's fleet, and then, in the heat of battle, to decide to help Wedge Antilles in a shootout with the Lusankya Super Star Destroyer, which at that time was the last warship loyal to the Iceheart.
After the victory over Isard, he had no doubts about continuing his service to the New Republic. The ship, which was severely damaged during the Battle of Tyferra, was restored at the Sluis Van shipyards, using some of the equipment and military property taken from the Malevolence – another Star Destroyer, now called Errant Venture and belonging to the smuggler and information dealer Booster Terrik.
The same Booster Terrik who a few days ago had informed the fleet command on Bothawui about the time and place of the appearance of the pirate squadron Invids. The ruthless pirates, who had an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer as the core of their fleet, and instilled terror in the worlds of the Mid Rim.
Even Admiral Ackbar, commander of the New Republic Defense Fleet, could not resist the opportunity to destroy this ship, and get rid of the enemy threat once and for all. Sair didn't know how many nerve cells the Mon Calamari had lost negotiating with the Bothans to send two capital ships at once to destroy the Invids. But he understood why he was chosen first.
Although his crew were now citizens of the New Republic, they had been trained to Imperial standards. And they were considered one of the best. Therefore, despite the fact that Leonia Tavira, who led the pirate group, had her own Star Destroyer, the same Imperial II as Yonka's Freedom, Sair's crew would definitely be the winner in a direct confrontation. And the accompanying Mon Calamari MC80 star cruiser Mon Karren, while inferior to "Imperial" ships in the number of weapons, was perfectly protected and able to withstand a blow. Its participation in the operation would allow the Invids to be dealt with much faster. No matter what forces they possessed—two first-class capital ships and nine squadrons of starfighters on board: six on the Star Destroyer and half as many on the Mon Calamari cruiser—they would decisively end the battle.
However, according to General Cracken, Booster Terrik would also be in the Rugosa system. And not alone—with numerous allies among the smugglers of the Outer Rim. Surprisingly, according to Cracken, the goals of the criminal elements, whom Sair once succeeded in fighting during his service in the Empire, and the New Republic coincided. The Invids or the Imperials were involved in the abduction of his daughter, who had also been involved in the confrontation between the New Republic and Isanne Isard.
Captain Yonka was well versed in calculating the odds of any battle. After reading Cracken's brief report on the kidnapping of Mistress Terrik-Horn, on the coordinates of her ship, on the kidnapper Niles Ferrier, who was rumored to be working for the Empire, the Captain had no doubt that Booster Terrik was being lured into a trap. Given the rumors that the Empire was seeking to acquire as many ships as possible through purchase or capture, it was no wonder that they were trying to get their hands on the Errant Venture. And that meant that if Ferrier was indeed working for the Empire, then the standard tactics of capturing a ship required at least equal forces for such a confrontation. The Empire didn't have many Interdictor-class cruisers or Immobilizer 418-class light cruisers. Considering that the Imperial Remnants were in a state of local truce with the New Empire after the destruction of the state of warlord Zsinj and Isanne Isard, it was highly unlikely that there would be more than one or two Star Destroyers and one ship equipped with a gravity well generator at the meeting place—one would be enough to prevent a Star Destroyer from fleeing.
General Cracken, who was still investigating in the Sluissi sector, had developed an excellent plan on the fly. And it had been adjusted to take into account the latest data from Terrik that the Invids were not involved in the abduction of his daughter. But they would definitely arrive in the Rugosa system to settle accounts with those who had tried to pit them against Booster Terrik.
After Princess Leia Organa Solo revealed that a separate group of Imperials was acting against the New Republic, the picture began to fall more or less into place. There was a squadron including at least four Star Destroyers and about ten ships ranging in class from frigates to medium cruisers like the Strike-class. Considering that the other Remnants were not taking any action against Coruscant, were not hostile, and did not support the separate group, their forces were the maximum that Yonka's starships could face. And while four Star Destroyers on the Empire's side would be enough to destroy Sair's group, things were not that simple.
It was no accident that General Cracken and Admiral Ackbar developed the operation in such a short time. Intelligence and the higher fleet command working in unison were a truly formidable thing. And effective.
So, the first part of the operation was that Terrik and his allies would go after the Pulsar Skate, and his daughter was most likely there as well, no matter how much Niles Ferrier claimed otherwise. It was too clumsy a trap, but where would the Empire get tacticians these days? Even the victory in the Dafalwean sector was no more than luck. If the Imperials could so easily strike and destroy New Republic sector groups, they would have continued those attacks. But, most likely, they were just lucky to attack a weakened New Republic squadron, and now they were trying to replenish their fleet. That's why they were luring the Errant Venture.
Even with the enemy having four Star Destroyers and up to fifteen mid-sized ships, the fleet that Booster Terrik had brought with him, as well as the Invids he had lured to Rugosa, would be enough to inflict significant, if not fatal, damage on the separate Imperial group. Despite the presence of heavy ships both with Booster and Leonia Tavira, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses in the battle with the Imperials—for this risk, Booster Terrik had demanded a considerable sum from the New Republic. First, Leonia Tavira's ships should be damaged—and they, in turn, would inflict serious damage on the Empire's ships. If she was really involved—Sair had some doubts about that, but he kept them to himself.
After Terrik and Tavira engaged in battle and damaged the enemy ships, whoever they were, ten minutes after the start of the battle, the second phase would begin.
Unaware of the double meaning of the operation, the Invids, whether they destroy the enemy or just get damaged, would be attacked from the rear by Yonka's arriving group. And with the support of Booster Terrik and his smugglers, the pirates would finally be either destroyed or captured.
The plan was not perfect, one might even say risky. However, a comprehensive analysis proved that it was viable and that the risk was actually minimal. It was a pity that there was no time to rearm Terrik's starship with standard weapons, but Sair understood perfectly that Cracken would rather resign than agree to that. Because Booster would definitely never return what he got. And they didn't have enough time for such repairs.
Cracken didn't say it directly, but he implied that despite their wishes, the New Republic couldn't commit significant forces to the operation. Leonia Tavira possessed truly superhuman sensitivity to danger for her flagship. Almost none of the New Republic's operations aimed at destroying her ship and her pirates had been successful. And against the backdrop of the destruction of the fleet in the Dafalwean sector at the hands of the Empire, and the plundering of numerous convoys with supplies throughout the Mid and Outer Rims, the New Republic needed a victory. It was unlikely to be resounding, but it would calm the senators who were increasingly claiming that the fleet was doing nothing to eliminate dangers, but was only burning the money allocated to it in endless escorts and repairs.
In any case, if too noticeable forces were allocated to hunt the Invids, Tavira might learn about it, and then the plan would fall apart. That was why there were only two of them - a Star Destroyer and a Mon Calamari cruiser. But that would be enough.
To cover the operation, they were supposedly sent to deliver military cargo of ship weapons and ammunition from the fleet's warehouses based on Bothawui to Sluis Van. The Mon Calamari star cruiser was officially considered a disarmed transport ship (its weapons were only returned a few hours ago during a short stop at small shipyards on the planet Arbra) and was escorted by a destroyer under Yonka's command. Such a convoy would not cause much concern to the Invids because, firstly, given the size of their fleet, it was clearly losing in a direct confrontation, and secondly, their route passed away from the supposed ambush site.
And yet, he didn't like the operation very much. Even given that on Naboo there was a squadron of six Mon Calamari star cruisers and three dozen starships of a lower class, ready to arrive at the battlefield in just forty minutes from the start of the battle between Terrik and Tavira with an unknown enemy. Sair only needed to send a distress signal and six MC80s, taking advantage of their first-class hyperdrives, would come to the rescue.
And yet, as much as Captain Yonka wanted to put an end to the pirate raids, he openly disliked the lack of information. As well as the speed of the operation's planning. Too many questions.
Sair considered several scenarios.
The first one — everything was really as Cracken and Booster presented it. It was really the Imperials, for whom Ferrier was supposedly working, who were luring Booster into an ambush. In that case, it would be a big surprise for them that, firstly, Terrik would bring a whole fleet with him. And secondly, there would also be a powerful squadron of Invids on his tail. Then, indeed—it might work out both to destroy or damage the Imperials, and to destroy the Invids themselves. Taking into account the arrival of Yonka's starships and the pirates' losses during the battle with the Imperials—the forces loyal to the New Republic would be much superior to the pirates' fleet. The outcome was predetermined.
The second — that in fact the Invids themselves were involved in the abduction of Mirax Terrik-Horn, and they were in fact luring Booster into a trap and intended to take his Errant Venture. Then Yonka's appearance would only equalize the chances. Perhaps Cracken, telling him about the readiness of the fleet on Naboo, meant something like that.
In any case, no matter how the battle turned out before his arrival, Captain Yonka did not intend to take excessive risks. The crew, who had been through so much with him, did not deserve to die in a battle where there was no chance of survival.
And now, immediately after the jump into the Rugosa system, Captain Yonka, as befits the commander of a warship, stood on the bridge of his destroyer. He looked at his reflection on the transparisteel. Not as high-quality as if he had observed it in a mirror, but still.
Sair saw his own distorted reflection: a tall middle-aged man, not muscular, not thin—they call such people "lean." His black hair was already tinged with gray, and his blue eyes harmonized perfectly with his attractive features, which ensured him undeniable success with women. As well as envy from men. As well as jealousy from the husbands of those women who admired him.
He was looking straight ahead... and saw a lot. Thanks to the fact that the Imperial ships had turned on their identification transponders so that the onboard computers could identify targets using the "friend or foe" recognition system, he could understand with utmost precision who was in front of him now. Pirates, for the most part, did not possess such tact, but their starships were identified by the New Republic intelligence by the characteristic features of their engine emissions. Names were no longer needed here—the main thing was to understand which forces this or that ship belonged to.
Yonka saw an Imperial Imperial II-class Star Destroyer rushing towards his ships. Its identifier had already been determined - Invidious. Leonia Tavira's flagship. The ship was running away from the bacchanalia that had unfolded behind it, firing back at the Interdictor to its right, and setting small ships on the battered Victory I. The Star Destroyer was identified—it was Steel Aurora. An Imperial ship, and Sair knew neither its captain nor its crew. The disfigured Neutron Star-class cruiser had only damaged engines and multiple damage. Its artillery was feebly retaliating, but it was clear that the ship had been hit very hard.
The stern of the pirate flagship was covered by the morally obsolete Venator — an aircraft carrier and the flagship of one of the groups in alliance with Leonia.
This ship had already lost its shields, and its left side and rear hemisphere were being worked over with the energy and zeal of the turbolasers of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. An Imperial II-class. And the onboard computer of the Freedom had already identified this ship.
Chimaera. It was commanded by Captain Gilad Pellaeon. Honestly—a commander who doesn't reach for the stars, but a sensible, dutiful toady who had been through the Clone Wars and had been present during the Battle of Endor, had seen the defeat of the Empire, which was the beginning of the end. This ship left behind one immobilized Corellian CR90 corvette and a couple more identical ones, exchanging fire with each other. Judging by the identifiers, the Imperial corvette was coming out of the battle as the winner.
Behind the Chimaera hung, with their hulls pressed together, a pirate Acclamator and another Interdictor, identified as Sentinel. An old acquaintance—they sometimes crossed paths during patrols of the Outer Rim. And this ship was not having an easy time now—the pirates had either damaged or destroyed its reactor. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to be so close to each other. The blue turbolaser bolts of the UDK were slashing the side and part of the superstructure of the Sentinel, and the latter, deprived of its power plant, could only weakly fend off the pirate fighters swarming around it—the Acclamator was out of range of the Interdictor's turbolasers. Oh, and here's the Sentinel's reactor—it looks like they shot it off to avoid a thermonuclear explosion. Hmm... If you carefully remove the Acclamator, the reactor can be returned to its place with the help of improvised means—if you're inventive. And provided that the ship's belly is not an open wound with crushed communications. In the latter case, the Sentinel would not fly anywhere without a tug.
To the right, without weapons or turret artillery, blackened by the battle, the Errant Venture was trying to maneuver. Only memories remained of its former color. It wasn't being fired at too intensely, the battered Victory I — Crusader, the third Interdictor. And the medium cruiser Strike and the patrol cruiser Tartan, which were hardly capable of further existence.
The appearance of the two New Republic ships had not gone unnoticed. Two Interdictors, located on the flanks, slightly adjusted their courses, and almost immediately their invisible cones of artificial gravity covered the space where Yonka's ships and the escaping Invidious were. A desperate attempt to capture them - it was nothing for ships that were not without propulsion to get out of the area of artificial gravity. If the Sentinel had been in working order - then yes, another gravitational cone launched in the center would have formed a huge space.
Yonka could not fail to appreciate the idea of the Imperials—to create an artificial gravity zone in which pirate starships were located. Judging by the disposition, the Imperials themselves were located in a semicircle and arranged a "fire bag" for the attackers — a textbook tactic. However, it did not involve the use of interdictor cruisers. Well, it seemed that Pellaeon had come up with something new. And apparently, it was Gilad who was in command of this formation.
As far as he knew the commander of the Chimaera, he was unlikely to be able to lead such a group of ships. Not because Yonka looked down on him, no. Pellaeon commanded respect. But he was not a leader, not a strategist. He does not go beyond standard tactics—he lacks imagination. But the overwhelming majority of commanders in the Empire were like that.
So Pellaeon might be involved in this trap, but it was highly unlikely that he developed the attack on the Dafalwean sector. Was this another group of Imperials? Or did the Remnants decide to deal with the pirates themselves?
And yet, the disposition was not one that required him to immediately notify Naboo to request reinforcements.
Interdictors, yes, they were good in defense, but they were badly battered by the battle. Sentinel was not an enemy at all—it would be extremely easy to finish him off or capture him. The small ships of the Imperials and pirates did not bother him—they would be enough for a couple of minutes of battle. The Victories were generally in poor condition. Yonka acknowledged that the proton torpedoes of these Star Destroyers were, in principle, capable not only of causing him serious trouble, but also of destroying his starships. However, judging by the fact that the Imperials kept their launch shafts closed, they had already fired and their torpedo bays were empty. And in an artillery duel, even a couple of Victories were no match for his Imperial II. The Strike and the Tartan were not long for this world, ideally, the crews should be removed from them. A couple of armed freighters were nothing more than a training target. The Venator was about to lose speed and surrender—pirates did not like to die. And they were not destined to run away from the Chimaera at all. The Acclamator, having engaged with the Sentinel, would spend about twenty minutes trying to safely separate. If it tried to do it quickly—half of the upper deck would be torn off and it would be turned inside out due to decompression.
Neutron Star... yes, it was turning slowly, crawling—a couple of engines there were still alive. But even in its best years, this ship was no rival.
The analysis was completed rather quickly.
Two fully combat-ready New Republic ships had arrived just in time. The only worthy enemies were the Chimaera and the Invidious. But they were far from perfect. The first had retained eighty percent of its artillery, the second—less than forty.
The remaining starships were no match for Yonka's ships, even if they joined forces. Although no, it was not worth boasting. Together they were capable of giving both New Republic starships a good beating. But it would take about twenty minutes before they could pull together at firing range. But the pirates and Imperials would not agree.
Yes, there were still pirate and Imperial fighters. There were a lot of them—two or two and a half hundred. But they were so busy destroying each other that they posed no danger to Sair's ships right now. And when they came to their senses—it would be too late. Much too late.
His own pilots were exceptionally good, and his gunners groaned from frequent training alarms, but they were unmatched. In fact, Yonka could have dealt with his opponents alone—they had stretched out their formation perfectly, were exhausted, and were unable to organize resistance for a number of reasons. But such a battle could drag on—and that meant that the Chimaera could at any moment order its Interdictors to turn off the gravity projectors and try to escape, realizing that they were about to be killed.
Therefore, first of all, the Imperial and pirate flagships should be eliminated—they were the most combat-capable and could escape. Even if the interdictors and the Victories ran away—it didn't matter. The Empire would need months to repair them. But the Sentinel, Acclamator, Strike, Tartan, and even the Venator — were clearly not going anywhere. The latter had just received a full broadside volley from the Chimaera in the stern, twitched, and apparently, was moving by inertia. No—the Imperial flagship had stuck to it with tractor beams, backed up, extinguishing the speed of its captive. Well, now the fun would begin — the Imperials would either shoot the immobilized vessel or try to capture it. But most likely, they would abandon it and try to escape, saving themselves.
Well, given the fact that Booster Terrik's starship was not in distress, and the Imperials did not have enough forces to destroy it, it was time to deal with the Chimaera as the most combat-ready of the two flagships.
— Tell the Mon Karren to attack the Invidious, — ordered Sair. The commander of the star cruiser was an experienced intelligent being. In its time, this ship was the flagship of General Han Solo during the hunt for the warlord Zsinj. And it acted very successfully. In fact, it was probably why Cracken and Ackbar had chosen them for this mission. — And we'll deal with our old acquaintances.
In moments like these, you regretted that you no longer had a legion of fleet stormtroopers on board, but only a regiment of New Republic space marines. These guys would have to storm a lot of starships today...
However, for the boarding, the fleet from Naboo could also be called. Let them have some fun too.
— Tell the Mon Karren to enter from the right side of their target — we'll enter from the left, help them slow Tavira down, and then switch to the Chimaera, — Yonka considered an addition to his plan. The Imperial flagship had already begun landing troops - shuttles and boarding boats were pouring out of the main hangar. It looked like they had decided to take possession of the Venator and the Acclamator.
— Sir! — his first mate called out. — The orders have been transmitted, but... They are calling us.
— From the Mon Karren? — he asked.
— No, sir. They want to talk to us from the Chimaera.
"I hope Pellaeon wants to surrender," Yonka thought mentally. He didn't want to exterminate old acquaintances, even casual ones. At least not today, when the Imperials had actually helped them reduce the number of both pirates and smugglers.
***
— Major Himron reports that the bridge of the Acclamator has been captured, — Pellaeon reported, having received a report from the watch officer. — The Sentinel has, to the best of its ability, sent boarding parties to them. Lieutenant Jade has just completed the boarding of the Venator's bridge. I have ordered reinforcements to be sent to them from the personnel stationed on the Chimaera.
— A correct action, Captain, — I said, looking at the chronometer. Two minutes. Fairly quickly. — The "diggers" worked as in training?
— Yes, sir, — there was fatigue in the captain's voice. C'baoth's Battle Meditation was, without a doubt, an interesting and useful thing, but after its prolonged use, people felt wrung out like a lemon. Attention was dulled, apathy set in. I had a theory that this Jedi ability was not only able to boost the abilities of sentients, but also their physical capabilities, mobilizing the resources of organisms for a certain period. And when the effect ended, the consequences set in.
— Ask the Sentinel about the damage and the possibility of putting the reactor back in place, — I ordered. — When we are done, there should not be a single intact ship left here—only debris.
— Sir, — Pellaeon looked at me. — There is a Mon Calamari star cruiser and a Republican Star Destroyer there. And they're joining the fight.
— With the Invidious, — I clarified. — They have no business with us yet—we have one and a half minutes in reserve. Start pumping up the deflectors using an additional reactor, but don't transfer energy to the projectors—no need for the enemy to know that we still have protection. Contact the group of ships near the Crusader and find out if they can organize a landing on board the Errant Venture on their own. What about the Steel Aurora group?
— Captain Kalian disabled one of the CR90 corvettes, and shot the carrack. They are holding the other two ships in tractor beams and allowing Captain Vein's ships to start boarding. The Steel Aurora has serious damage, they're fighting off the fighters. The artillery is practically knocked out, there are serious breaches in the hull, only half of the air wing remains. They are being helped by pilots and gunners from the interdictor cruiser. The situation is similar with the Crusader.
— How is our corvette doing? — I asked. Pellaeon, glancing at the tactical monitor, replied:
— Their reactor is breached, they shut it down. They engaged a pirate ship, they are fighting on its decks.
— Send them a landing ship to help, — I ordered, looking at the chronometer. There was only one and a half minutes left. — Oh, by the way. How is our esteemed Master doing?
— He's unconscious, — said Pellaeon. — The medics say he's like he was knocked out by a stunner.
— Either Leonia Tavira's allies worked on him, or C'baoth overexerted himself, — I concluded. — Well, that's useful information.
— Sir, — after ten minutes of silence, Pellaeon said. — The rebels have silenced the turret artillery and two of the three engines of the Invidious. We're going to be in big trouble now...
— Order the interdictors to take turns turning deeper into the formation and transfer the area of gravitational anomaly to the area of the pirates' flagship, — I ordered. — The updated vector should buy us time. And now... Connect me to Captain Yonka's ship. We need to stall for time.
Pellaeon gave me an inquiring look. Then, sighing, he gave an order to the communications department.
— Captain Pellaeon, — a small hologram of a Republican officer appeared in front of me. — Oh...
— Almost guessed, Captain Yonka, — I said. — Captain Pellaeon is currently busy fulfilling his duties. I hope that while you are getting on a battle course, we will have time to talk?
— Of course, — the slight amazement that appeared on the face of the commander of the Republican Star Destroyer was replaced by calmness. Yes, he could hardly have expected that a representative of a non-human race would talk to him from the board of an Imperial flagship. Given the Empire's policy. — Who do I have the honor of negotiating the surrender with?
— Grand Admiral Thrawn, — I introduced myself. A slight smile flashed across Yonka's face. Well, of course. After all, Imperial commanders had a habit of assigning themselves the highest command rank simply because they could. — So, on what terms are you ready to surrender your starships to me?
The Republican did not answer. He blinked. Once more. He looked around, obviously checking the tactical information. Well, yes, his confusion was understandable—the commander of a flotilla that could hardly cope with even one capital ship was offering to surrender. To him, in possession of an undamaged and fully combat-ready Imperial II-class Star Destroyer. He probably had a small catharsis in his head right now, and that was exactly what I needed.
With the help of C'baoth, we might have been able to withstand this confrontation. Most likely, even without him, we could have reduced the result of the battle between our ship and Yonka's Freedom to a draw. But with an exhausted crew, significant damage, and broken artillery—my words seemed like a farce to him.
Yes, it took me a few minutes after the appearance of these starships to understand that not all was lost. If there had been more of them from the very beginning, then yes, we should have retreated, leaving everything that we could not take with us. And so... If reinforcements did not arrive for them in a few minutes, then that meant that he simply didn't have them. Or, more likely—they were on their way. Unless, of course, Yonka and his starships were here by chance, having received information about the accumulation of ships. We had not received any signals from his starships, and in this pair, the flagship was clearly the destroyer, as the most armed. Consequently, if there was help, it would not arrive in the near future.
Rugosa was chosen for the ambush not without a reason—there was only one known path here. And there were no patrols here. Convoys passed far away from here—the intelligence confirmed this reliably. Therefore, randomness or coincidence was ruled out.
Discarding the option with the random appearance of the Republicans here, we considered the most obvious one, according to which Yonka and his wingman had arrived on a tip. And it certainly wasn't Tavira who did it—otherwise her starship wouldn't be beaten like a rabid dog in an alleyway now. Consequently—Yonka was in contact with Booster Terrik, or someone from his gang. And if that was the case... A two-level trap. Exactly the same one that I had staged here.
The first starships engage us in battle, receive damage, we lose combat capability, and then a cleanup crew arrives. And here it was in all its glory and was intending to finish what Terrik and Tavira could not do.
Well, it was time to play the card with confidence in my abilities until the very end. It was a pity, of course, that I could not bring all ten of my Star Destroyers here. But sending spare parts with personnel without escort and protection through half the galaxy—from Tangrene to the location of the "Katan Fleet"—would have been the height of stupidity. At least for the reason that hyperspace routes in this galaxy were used by everyone—including our enemies. And they also have interdictor cruisers. Organizing an ambush was not a big problem if you knew or suspected that hostile elements would be moving through this point in space. And a convoy, which included two Star Destroyers (not counting the "star galleons"), had a better chance of fighting off an enemy than a caravan that did not have such "escorts." No, if I had known in advance that Terrik would also bring the Invids to the meeting—yes, I would have taken another couple of destroyers. But, unfortunately, this news was learned practically at the target itself. It was good that there were ships nearby and there was an opportunity to at least try to organize a trap. If there had been a clear advantage over us—we would have fought our way through and planned another ambush.
— Are you joking, Grand Admiral Thrawn? — Captain Yonka asked. — Your ships are seriously damaged, the artillery is partially non-combat ready, and the formation is broken. Before any of your starships can approach us and cause significant harm — we will destroy you. It is you, not me, who needs to talk about surrender.
A minute passed.
— On the contrary, Captain, — I said in a calm tone. — By surrendering your ship and ordering the star cruiser to do the same, you will save tens of thousands of lives of your subordinates and comrades. No one wants unnecessary victims. I give you my word - you will be treated in captivity as it befits prisoners of war.
— The Empire does not show humanity towards its opponents, — Yonka cut him off.
— This personal offer applies only to you, as a former Imperial commander who possessed a certain authority, — I said. — By making the right decision, you will definitely not lose. I am sure that Admiral Ackbar will not consider you a coward when he is informed of your decision to save lives, rather than engage in battle with an enemy who is numerically superior to you.
— Quantity does not always determine the outcome of a battle, Grand Admiral Thrawn, — in his voice there was no longer that confusion that was initially present. This man had calculated the options for his victory and had made a decision. — You were talking about unnecessary victims, Grand Admiral. While it's not too late, follow your own advice.
Looking at the chronometer, I turned my gaze back to the hologram.
— Is this your final word, Captain Yonka? — I asked. — Do you intend to continue the battle?
It was a great pity that the secret access code to the central computer of Imperial-built ships, received from Mara Jade, could not be used remotely. Whether it was originally intended this way or not, the ships only responded to the sequence when the data was entered directly from the terminal keyboard. What a nuisance—everything could have ended much earlier and with far fewer losses.
— Yes, — Freedom was taking a position to open fire on the Chimaera from the angle where we had the most damage. The enemy's X-wings and Y-wings were already emerging from the hangar, and along with them, interceptors — A-wings. — Your battered fleet has nothing to oppose my squadron. As I have already said — the numerical superiority of significantly damaged ships cannot change the outcome of the battle.
— You just don't see the whole picture, Captain, — the ysalamiri, dozing on my feet, rolled onto its back, offering its soft belly for scratching. — When I spoke of the numerical superiority of my fleet, I did not mean what you thought.
— Then what starships were you talking about? — Yonka chuckled.
A few kilometers behind the Mon Calamari star cruiser, two metal wedges topped with characteristic superstructures materialized.
— About these. — was all I managed to say before the commander of the Stormhawk activated the standard attack protocol, which included communication jamming systems.
Looking at Pellaeon, who was standing a couple of steps to the right of my chair, I ordered:
— To battle, Captain. Ask the gunners not to blow up our future trophies. The Scimitar Squadron should take care of the communication systems of both ships.
The battle alarm siren wailed. Chimaera bristled with a deflector shield, and its guns spat out the first volley of green turbolaser lightning and blue ion cannon bolts.
The second act of the play, called "Ambush in the Rugosa System", had begun.
***
Captain von Schneider watched the battle on the holographic display. Despite the fact that the Stormhawk, next to his Nemesis, had jammed communication systems, this was not a problem for understanding the current situation.
The commanders of Star Destroyers were not those who were not capable of independent action.
— Helmsman, course three point nine, — he ordered. — We are heading to the Chimaera. Raise the aviation, prepare to repel the attack. I hope Astorias will figure it out...
Morgoth lived up to the expectations of the Nemesis commander. The second Star Destroyer made a small turn, blasting the Invidious with turbolasers and ion cannons on its starboard, which at this point was not responding at all—the diligent gunners of the Mon Calamari cruiser had silenced its artillery, occupied with knocking out the destroyer's engine from the stern.
The Stormhawk, describing an arc, fired on the pirate Star Destroyer first with its starboard, then switched to the MC80 that tried to retreat. What happened, happened, but the hurricane fire that Captain Astorias' gunners unleashed was clearly not designed to leave the enemy without problems. Although the deflectors didn't collapse, they sagged by a few percent. And the rebel squadrons, darting about in the ocean of turbolaser fire, hastily abandoned their pirate targets, advancing to intercept the TIE fighters and interceptors that had poured out of the main hangar.
— Left-side turrets and batteries—fire on the MC80 on the move, — apparently, the Republican Star Destroyer, advancing to the Chimaera, also put the Invidious under crossfire. The tactics were standard, and the disposition allowed it.
The turrets on the starboard of the Nemesis, following the captain's orders, fired at the stern of the Republican destroyer.
— Switch the turbolasers to medium power, — von Schneider ordered. — From this distance we won't break through their shields with a couple of volleys, but we will make them pay attention to us. Let Yonka think about what's more important to him—his own engines or the desire to quickly shoot down the shields from the Chimaera.
It was impossible not to recognize the identifier of a former comrade-in-arms. Even a blind man would have seen it.
But Schneider didn't care about the former merits of the Imperial captain. To him, he was nothing more than another enemy—just like his crew. Who, by some misunderstanding, were still flying on an Imperial Star Destroyer.
The concentrated fire of the left side of the Nemesis collapsed the deflectors in the area of the right "wing" of the Mon Calamari star cruiser, which led to the detonation of one of the artillery blisters. A tiny explosion silenced an entire battery. The Stormhawk, seeing the turn of its opponent, began to describe a coordonate in order to face the cruiser and use all the advantages of the wedge-shaped form of the Imperial ship, allowing it to unleash fire on the enemy from both heavy-caliber turret guns and nine medium turbolasers. And at the same time, the starboard of the ship continued to mock the unprotected stern of the Invidious. The blue lightning bolts that ran through the main engine were evidence of the death throes of the pirate Star Destroyer's thruster. Now, until the power-conducting buses were replaced—it was just a target. And the pirate fighters understood this, together with the evacuation shuttles pouring out of the ship's depths, rushing towards the borders of the gravity domes. It looked like the rats had decided to flee the ship. Unfortunately for them, the aviators from the Stormhawk had completely different plans for them. The escape failed as soon as it began.
Meanwhile, Yonka was having a hard time.
In order to save his engines and not become like the Invidious, he had to turn the ship ninety degrees to the left in order to fire on the Chimaera with the guns on the starboard, and on the oncoming Nemesis—with the left. At the same time, the ship was clearly intending to make a turn and try to escape, taking advantage of the fact that its engines were intact.
— Guns at maximum power, — Captain Schneider ordered. — Ion cannons—hit the bridge. Deprive him of central control! Order the bomber squadron—to go along a wide arc to the stern of Freedom and fire cumulative missiles at the nozzles. Escort—one squadron of interceptors. When the mission is completed—move to destroy the turret artillery. To the rest of the fighters and interceptors—keep the starfighters of Freedom away from my ship. We didn't need to get a proton "gift".
— Is that wise, sir? — said the officer in charge of flight coordination. — It would be more effective to destroy its engines with proton torpedoes and...
Schneider rolled his eyes so that the officers wouldn't see it.
Young people! How could they not understand the basics?!
— This ship, — he pointed his finger at Freedom, turning to the "pits", — is a fully combat-ready Imperial II. It does not have specialized anti-fighter artillery, therefore, they will try to fight back either with turbolaser fire with reduced power of artillery, but high rate of fire, or set their starfighters on the bombers. In any case—we are distracting Yonka's attention and artillery, but increasing our own pressure. Destroying the nozzles means immobilizing the ship until the medium repairs. No one will do it for us here. But damaged nozzles are still capable of giving acceleration for a jump. Yonka may have already understood it, but he will never admit it—his ship is operating under the identifier of the New Republic for the last day.
***
The blow was so powerful that Captain Kalian could barely stand on his feet.
The sirens wailed: as if hit by a giant blacksmith's hammer, Steel Aurora shuddered, and the waves that spread across the hull almost shook the ship out of its skin, crumpling the armor like paper. Somewhere in the belly of the "destroyer" secondary explosions rolled in a chain, distorting the ship from the inside.
There was a ringing in his head, but the commander of Steel Aurora was sure that he had left his comlink in his cabin. And that meant...
— Damage report! — he shouted. But despite the loudness of his voice, the sounds of his own speech reached him as if through cotton. Concussion.
— The Venator fired a proton torpedo at us! — a junior officer was nearby. — Sir, the reactor armor is breached, there is a radiation and fuel leak. We're losing air on the lower decks! The cooling systems are failing and...
A Hutt pirate!
After all, they had almost managed to get out of the battle without catastrophic damage! And now—without a reactor, with a breached belly, practically without cover, they were surrounded by enemy fighters. It was good that the DP20 corvette was intact. Beaten up, but intact.
— Report to the corvette—let them move to us under the bottom! — he shouted. Or whispered? With a clouded gaze, the commander of the doomed and dying starship assessed the distance to the nearest starships. Bantha dung. Far from their own. But to the enemy... — All energy to the engines! Send a third of the power to the cruising ones — we're moving to the Invidious!
— Then life support will fail! — his assistant objected. — Sir, emergency power...
Pulling the officer towards him by the scruff of his neck, Kalian shook him, grabbing his chest.
— Do as I ordered! — he growled in his subordinate's face. — One or two more hits—and we'll evaporate! We're going to the Invidious! Distribute the weapons and armor from the armory to the crew!
— Sir, there are seven times more of them there! — his subordinate's eyes widened.
— Get out, you pup! — Kalian pushed the puny subordinate aside, staggering to the panel of the intraship communication. He repeated his order for the reactor and engine departments.
— Listen in the compartments, — he said hoarsely, coughing. — The Aurora has received serious damage. The reactor is breached, and we are forced to stop it. While there is energy—we are moving to the enemy Star Destroyer. Everyone arm yourselves and prepare for boarding. Landing units move in the first wave. Capture the bridge, the reactor... kha-kha-kha! — a well-defined taste of burnt insulation appeared on the bridge. — The engine department and the artillery deck—capture them too. The crew... a-kha-kha-kha! — seized by a fit of coughing, the young captain felt his throat sore. And he noticed the splashes of blood that had flown out of his mouth. — The crew should take measures to capture and hold the key compartments... kha-kha... of the destroyer! Shut down the reactor as soon as the temperature of the coolers reaches a critical point!
The Victory moved forward slowly, like a proud queen, straight to a trio of ships, only one of which belonged to the Empire at the moment.
The Stormhawk, not sparing the tibanna gas, was beating the starboard of the MC80 that had lost its shields, and the latter, having received several torpedoes in the stern and bridge area, just froze in place and furiously snapped back to the best of its strength and remaining capabilities.
Glancing at the Imperial ship, Kalian turned his head towards his own bridge.
Despite their relative youth, the bridge watch without panic was taking apart personal weapons, hanging light armor over their tunics. A stray thought flashed — it was not in vain that he ordered to turn one of the warehouses into an armory for the watch. There was no need to run through a bunch of decks and time could be saved...
The young captain had no doubt that his starship was living its last moments. Even if the reactor was shut down and the emergency parties, which had already put on their spacesuits at the first signs of trouble and were carrying out repairs, the Steel Aurora would most likely die. Whoever was in charge of the Venator now, at least one proton torpedo launcher was under enemy control. Whether they would have time to fire again or not was a lottery.
An even bigger one if compared to the option of throwing themselves into escape pods now, when pirate pilots were swarming around, desperately looking for a way to make the situation worse. The battle had already been lost by them, and without hyperdrives they wouldn't be able to get far. Their destroyer was virtually immobile, there was even an attempted evacuation. So, although a few opponents had escaped, it would be a little easier. Perhaps they would notice on the Stormhawk or the nearest interdictor that the crew of the Steel Aurora had thrown themselves into a suicidal mission and they would support them at least a little, but...
If the communication system was working, he would report the position of the ship to the commander and request help. But the interference did not allow the use of communication systems. And looking for a less clogged frequency while sitting on an unstable reactor was suicide.
It was easier to rush into an attack—after all, they had more than two regiments of space marines on the Aurora. If there were more of them, there would be no need to think about a battle with thirty thousand pirates on board the Invidious.
Ugh, why did the "Imperials" have such an inflated crew? If they were like on the Victory—five thousand two hundred crew members and two thousand and forty soldiers. Or on the same MC80—five thousand four hundred sentients... on board... And a little more than a thousand soldiers...
Kalian turned to the transparisteel of the porthole, assessing the disposition.
The Mon Calamari cruiser was on the left and a little higher, the Invidious was on the right and lower. The distance to the first was less than to the second, and...
— Helmsman! — Kalian shouted, still not realizing the quietness of his voice. — Turn to the left by thirty degrees. Full speed to the MC80. Transfer emergency sources to the deflectors.
Looking at the astonished members of the watch, the captain smiled.
— It's too early for us to die today, — he smiled, seeing how his assistant, whom he had recently yelled at, was handing him a cuirass and a blaster. — Everyone on board ships and lifeboats! Let's go visit the Mon Calamari!
***
Actually, no one doubted it, but I once again stated the fact that Sair Yonka knew his business well when it came to training personnel. Bursts of energy from the turbolaser batteries shook the bow of the Chimaera, which had already lost its shields. The evaporating armor spread in the vacuum in drops of metal, along with debris and the bodies of crew members who had died from decompression.
Gilad did not have much hope that the bow of his ship looked any different than a charred and broken shapeless lump. Sith take this Yonka! Sith take C'baoth, who decided to "doze" at the wrong time!
More than a dozen ion cannons on the left side of the Chimaera fired at the same time. From the side, this volley looked like a wave of white and blue energy, receding from one Star Destroyer and rushing towards its "sistership".
Freedom, whose deflectors had absorbed this destructive energy, seemed to shudder, pleasing the eye with the silenced starboard batteries.
— Captain, we have lost fifteen percent of the power of the remaining batteries!
— There are no more shields on the port side!
Reports, each one more "joyful" than the other.
— Turn the Chimaera to the right side, — he commanded, glancing at the grand admiral sitting in his chair.
The Chiss, like a statue, did not take his eyes off the unfolding picture of the battle between the air groups of the Empire and the rebels. The decimated squadrons of the Chimaera were retreating and were being replaced by the pilots of the Nemesis, who eagerly took up the baton of hunting for the enemy X-wings.
Among the flashes of dying starfighters, the explosion on the roof of Freedom's bridge seemed insignificant. But the fiery inferno that had unfolded at its engines was more worthwhile.
— We are registering the destruction of the shield projectors on Freedom!
— The Freedom's engine nozzles are damaged! Loss of speed by seventy percent!
The Republican Star Destroyer immediately snapped back from all guns. With the naked eye, the flashes of destroyed TIE bombers going aside after a successful raid could be seen. Some were lucky—they either dodged, or the turbolaser bolts passed them by.
— The Stormhawk is turning off the jammer! — Lieutenant Tschiel reported.
Pellaeon cursed. Okay, Freedom got hit, but there was also the Mon Calamari star cruiser! It also had communication systems—and to the envy of many, of excellent quality!
— Don't worry, Captain, — the grand admiral's voice reached him. — The bombers of the Stormhawk have already worked on the bridge and communication systems of the MC80.
— Yes, sir, — Pellaeon threw out. — As you say.
— Medium forward, — Thrawn ordered. — Bring us closer to the port side of Freedom. There's practically nothing to shoot there. Tell the stormtroopers — let them prepare for boarding. Do not spare those who resist—we offered them a choice.
***
Captain Sair Yonka barely peeled himself off the deck and got to his feet. His head felt so heavy that it was amazing how he managed to do it at all. In a reflex motion, he wiped the drops of sweat off his face, looked at his fingers—why was the sweat red?
A moment later, he realized that there was blood on his hands.
Not only his own, but the entire crew.
Looking around, he looked at the bridge behind his back. But only the crackling of sparking wiring and the soot of burning insulation and equipment met him.
Not a single living soul in sight.
— Anyone! — he shouted into the smoky semi-darkness of the captain's bridge. — Report on the situation!
No one answered him. It seemed that someone had flashed in the smoke, but the delusion immediately disappeared.
Sair took a step on stiff legs towards the "pits". One more.
His legs buckled and he fell on the deck again. His chest hit the edge painfully, and his eyes caught a picture of torn-up equipment and the mutilated bodies of the watch officers. His eyes caught someone's severed hand, clutching a regulator in its fingers. The glazed eyes of the chief gunner—and a piece of metal in his neck, from under which the last blood was pouring out in weak jolts.
Sair blinked and realized that the gunner was dead.
Pushing off the deck, he tried to crawl on all fours along the central platform, but a new blow literally swept him off his feet, throwing him into the second pit.
With a distinct crunch, the leg on which he fell broke. Not his leg. The limb belonged to the tractor beam operator—a young ensin who had come to the fleet less than a week ago, half of whose skull had been cut off as if with a knife. Dead eyes were looking straight ahead—at the commander who had not heeded the voice of reason and had engaged in a battle in which he was not destined to win.
The grand admiral played on his ambition, knowing perfectly well what his fleet looked like from the side. No one could have resisted such a temptation—to finish off the wounded animals himself. That's how fighter pilots get carried away by hunting for a downed target, not noticing how new opponents approach them from the stern. From those very seconds, the life of an enthusiastic pilot is measured by the moments needed for the laser beam to overcome the distance separating the hunter and his victim.
Today, Captain Yonka was supposed to act as a hunter.
But he became the victim.
Sair, raising himself on his hands, crawled over the bodies to the end of the pit, intending to get out onto the deck and reach the communication equipment. It was necessary to contact Thrawn, surrender, and buy time for the star cruisers to arrive and deal with the Imperials. To sacrifice himself, but to put an end to this bloodshed.
Suddenly and very clearly, Sair realized that he knew the one who was responsible for the pogrom in the Dafalwean sector.
The grand admiral. A humanoid with a blue face and red eyes. A creature that could not be allowed into the Imperial fleet by definition.
Whether he was a "dressed-up" commander or not, it didn't matter anymore. The New Republic had a very serious and extremely significant enemy, who, like a skilled puppeteer, knew how to provoke the enemy into doing what only he needed.
The New Republic had to know! Had to, even if...
A series of explosions rolled through the combat bridge. With a disgusting squeal, the fasteners of the ceiling cladding plates burst, and they collapsed down with a crash.
Sair screamed when a sharp piece of iron pierced his back and pinned him to the corpse. Having poked his face into the still warm body, the commander of the Freedom clearly realized that his first mate was also dead. A piece of the monitor had entered his eye and reached his brain. A second later, the remainder of the ceiling structures collapsed on the back of the Star Destroyer commander, crushing the man's bones, while disfiguring part of the first mate's head.
Yonka remembered his name. Lieutenant Issen. During the battle against the Lusankya, this young ensign had reported to him on the damage that the Star Destroyer had received from a single volley of the Super Star Destroyer. Then, he had also lost his first mate—the explosion of the monitor had torn off his head.
Then, he had also engaged in battle without thinking. He had decided that it would be better that way. And he had lost half of his crew.
He felt blood on his lips. It seemed that the hull had pierced something important inside him. If so, he did not have much time left.
The captain looked again at the remaining eye of his subordinate. He was looking at him with condemnation and contempt.
Sair Yonka, commander of the Star Destroyer Freedom, the terror of the pirates of the Outer Rim, a man who always calculated risks and tried to avoid them, risked participating in an adventure for the second time in the last year.
On Tyferra, only a miracle saved him and the Freedom—the hopelessness of the situation in which the guys from Rogue Squadron had put the Lusankya. But they were not here today. Sair knew how Wedge Antilles was eager for this battle, because Mirax Terrik-Horn was his childhood friend. Yonka recalled how Corran Horn, the pilot, threatened to desert during the briefing and go rescue his wife on his own. He remembered the assurances of Ackbar and Cracken that he, Sair Yonka, the commander of the best Star Destroyer in the entire fleet, would cope with the task. He remembered Cracken's persuasions, explaining that there was no time to send the "Rogue Squadron", how many questions this movement would take, how important the work in the Sluissi sector was...
Sair remembered all of this. As well as the fact that he had promised his crew not to let the Empire get to them. They had left Isard to stop carrying out criminal orders. They had joined the New Republic because they had no other choice. They had believed that they were on the right side.
Captain Yonka suddenly realized that he did not regret his choice.
He had done what he thought was right—both when he had accepted Antilles' offer, leaving Isard, and now, when he had gone into battle. The fortunes of war were fickle—and everyone who entered the service knew that one day his life might end exactly like this—on the bridge of a starship that had fallen into an ambush, buried under the corpses of young men and women who had never seen life.
Sair Yonka felt that his vision was beginning to blur. A spasm in his chest caused him to cough up clots of blood. A moment later — another one.
His body ceased to be felt, filling with lead and losing its warmth with every second, turning into a cooling piece of mutilated meat.
A new explosion that shook the bridge of the Freedom buried the famous captain. And with him—the hopes of the New Republic for victory in this conflict.