Nine years, five months, and thirty-one days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or forty-four years, five months, and thirty-one days after the Great Resynchronization.
— It is imperative to understand that you have worked on the tasks set before you, Mister Reyes, — I said, observing the chief engineer of the Tangren orbital repair dock enter my cabin. The man, flashing his artificial eye, nodded in agreement.
— I will confess, Grand Admiral, — he said, settling into the chair on the other side of my desk, — in all my years of service, I have not met an Imperial commander who has strived with such zeal not to invent or force more competent specialists to create something new in the field of combat fleet starships, but to modernize what already exists.
— Does your answer indicate agreement or disagreement? — I clarified.
— In our age of advanced technology, nothing is impossible, — Nik Reyes said, looking at me. — The only question is the amount of resources expended and the competence of the personnel to whom a particular task will be assigned.
— I have never had any doubts about the abilities and knowledge of your subordinates, — I said.
— Nor will you in the future, — the chief engineer assured me. — The tasks set before us are ambitious, one could even say – a challenge for the technical thinking of Imperial engineers, but what you have conceived... Is achievable.
— In full, or partially? — I clarified.
— In full, — Reyes assured me. — But I warn you, a lot of money will be required to purchase the necessary equipment. If the "Asteroid Field" project has actually been implemented: the required number of masking screen prototypes has been developed. At the moment, tests are being conducted in various modes. I received confirmation from my workers on Tangren that work on the "Decoy" project is complete. They tested remotely controlled plasma drills on asteroids - the shafts for laying the "filling" are ready. One of the rocks without masking and a drill using commands according to the "after docking" algorithm was tested on the system border.
— And what is the final result of using such an algorithm? — I asked. No, it's really interesting, will it work or not? Because a lot depends on the result. So much so that we will have to reshape half of the long-term plans if we fail.
— The drills respond perfectly to commands within one star system, — Reyes said. — The result is as expected. However, a signal amplifier is required for this - at least a ship's communication system. Otherwise, only installations located in the immediate radius from the signal source will work.
— Can we arrange a chain reaction on the installations?
— Hmm... — Reyes stroked his prosthetic chin with his fingers. — If all the machines are within the coverage area of their own communication systems, then yes, of course. However, this will require additional changes to the design of the remotely controlled plasma drills themselves. This is additional spending.
— You know the limits of our appropriations, — I noted.
— That's the problem, sir, — the chief engineer said. — Not to be rude, but your wishes are inconsistent with our capabilities. Large cash injections are needed to repair and modernize the ships of the Katana fleet. I would suggest reducing the cost of its modernization by abandoning the replacement of the installed second-class hyperdrives on the ships of the "Katana Fleet". This will save us two hundred million credits. These funds can be used to purchase all the necessary materials for the restoration of other captured ships.
— And at the same time, we will get ships in the fleet with different hyperdrive indicators, and therefore different speeds of movement in hyperspace, — I noted. — You know better than I do that the Imperial fleet did not just switch to a single type of hyperdrive.
— But it had funding, — Reyes noted. — At the moment, according to the available and planned expenses, we can count on seventeen million available funds. Plus one hundred and seventy million credits from the sale of captured equipment and weapons. This is too small an amount for the maintenance of a fleet of almost two hundred and fifty starships. Sir, I don't presume to give you instructions, but if we refuse to replace the hyperdrives on the Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers, then you will have not one hundred and eighty-seven million, but three hundred and eighty-seven.
— There is no need to remind me of the numbers, Mister Reyes, — I asked. — Unfortunately, we are forced to take this step. I need ships that can move synchronously with each other in hyperspace.
— I understand, sir, — Reyes looked sadly. — But a million for a hyperdrive of such an outdated type, which the Rendili Stardrive are going to install on the Dreadnoughts... To put it mildly - it's robbery. They understand that they will not be able to offer this old product to anyone else, and in such volumes, and therefore they deliberately inflate the price.
— Are you capable of independently modernizing the hyperdrives that we have on the Dreadnoughts? — I asked.
— No, sir, — Reyes said. — The technologies of the Rendili Stardrive before the start of their joint work with the Kuat Drive Yards are... a very unreliable design. It's not for nothing that before the Clone Wars, they were not considered as the main supplier of fleet ships for the Grand Army of the Republic. Over the millennia, they have lost the quality of their work. One has only to look at the Neutron Star and everything immediately becomes clear about the quality of their work. Unnecessary complexity and excessive pretentiousness where simplicity and lightness are needed. This was done because of Rendili's desire to use only its own shipyards and only its own specialists for the high-quality repair of the equipment they produce. But in essence, it turned out that large customers simply began to refuse their services. It was more preferable for the Old Republic and the Galactic Empire to cooperate with Kuat Drive Yards - their equipment can be repaired at any shipyard and does not require additional equipment or specializations for such work.
Well, that's something.
— But at the same time, we cannot purchase and install hyperdrives manufactured by the Kuatians on the Dreadnoughts, — I noted. — If my memory serves me correctly, they will be even more expensive for us.
— Yes, — Reyes agreed. — Unfortunately, after Kuat joined the New Republic, we can no longer contact Kai Fel for the purchase of navigation equipment and the required number of hyperdrives...
— Kai Fel? — I asked again. — What is it?
— An industrial planet where hyperdrives for starships of Kuat Drive Yards are produced, — Nik Reyes said. — The planet produces parts for them, as well as assembly and adjustment. After that, they are sent to Kuat...
— Are all types of hyperdrives produced there? — I asked.
— All that Kuat Drive Yards uses in its production, — Reyes nodded.
— Is there any problem in combining hyperdrives manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards and ships built by Rendili Stardrive? — I continued to inquire.
The chief engineer thought.
— A small one, — he said after a few seconds of reflection. — The principle of their operation is the same everywhere, the difference may be only in the shape of the motivators themselves, and the nature of the connection - Kuat uses a smaller number of redundant systems compared to Rendili...
Interesting.
— Do they produce hyperdrives for orbital repair stations there as well? — I asked.
— Of course, — the chief engineer confirmed. — All of them...
— Interesting, — I said. — I always thought that Kuat produces everything on its own.
— Oh no, sir, — the chief engineer smiled good-naturedly. — The Kuatians can't stand polluting their ecology. That is why they moved the shipyards into orbit, as well as most of their assembly shops. And almost all their factories are on the periphery. It is much more interesting for them to pollute other people's planets than to make a mess in their own backyard. The Empire has repeatedly issued them an ultimatum regarding the pollution of the atmosphere of Kai Fel, but they ignored them. It is much easier to pay multi-billion fines than to solve the problem.
— You are quite well informed about the state of affairs at Kuat Drive Yards, — I noted.
— I and a number of my comrades had an internship and a long time trained at Kuat's enterprises, — Reyes explained. — So, for the uninitiated, Kuat plays one role, but in reality, everything is much more prosaic. However, your point of view is an extremely common misconception in the galaxy.
— Well, it's never too late to learn something new, — I philosophized.
— Yes, sir, — Reyes agreed.
— Do you know the location of Kai Fel? — clarification is never superfluous.
— Of course, — the chief engineer widened his only organic eye. — Unlike Rothana, Kuat has never made a secret of the location of Kai Fel.
— Report this data to Captain Pellaeon, — I ordered. — And, since we have touched on the topic of Rothana - what is known about this planet? As far as I remember, a subsidiary of Kuat Drive Yards was located there. I am interested in what state it is in now.
— Abandoned, sir, — Reyes sighed. — Oh, what wonderful shipyards they were. And what factories! After the proclamation of the New Order, this planet and the entire sector were guarded by Kuat and Imperial ships. Rothana was a fortress planet of the Empire, but it was abandoned after our defeat in the Battle of Endor. Kuat maintained its presence for some time until the Zann Consortium began to seize the galaxy after the death of the Emperor. Kuat and the rebels made an attempt to resist the capture of the planet and its facilities by criminals, but could not hold the defense. The Kuatians evacuated the planet, its production facilities, and its population. Everything that they could not take out was blown up so that it would not fall into the hands of criminals. No one still knows how Tyber Zann learned about how to bypass the defense of the hyperspace route leading to Rothana, but the fact remains - the Kuatians, in order not to lose control over trillions and trillions of invested funds, had to destroy all of this. Otherwise, they could give criminals such power that would be comparable to the power of Kuat itself. It's no accident that during the Clone Wars, all the ground equipment of the Grand Army of the Republic was manufactured on Rothana.
— And what's so special about the route leading to Rothana? — I asked. No, I have heard about this planet, but somehow I did not have to delve into such details.
— Access to the planet and the Rothana Heavy Engineering enterprise located on it was only possible through a tangled network of hyper-routes, the location of which was communicated to the personnel of Kuat Drive Yards on a need-to-know basis: Kuatian ships did not even receive the coordinates of Rothana. Instead, they made a hyperspace jump to one of several points behind the planet Molavar, which lies at the intersection of the Triellus Trade Route and the Manda Trade Route, the chief engineer explained. There, they uploaded encrypted hyperspace coordinates and an IFF signal from a hyperspace beacon. The signal transmission then temporarily deactivated the numerous mass-shadow mines installed along the Rothana route.
— And Kuat did not recapture the planet after the Zann Consortium lost? — I was surprised.
— They didn't even stir, — Reyes confirmed. — Actually, why? In addition to the fact that during the imperial period of time, the planet lost its main advantage - the confidentiality of its location, all the buildings on it were razed to the ground. There is virtually nothing to restore there - only to rebuild, and this requires huge funds. Kuat now, thanks to the absorption of hundreds of small shipyards, has production facilities of comparable volume. And they can continue to produce all the secret developments on Kuat itself. However, I have heard that Kuat intends to return to Rothana someday - if the volume of orders grows and they need a remote construction site again.
— You mentioned mass-shadow mines, — I remembered. — What are they?
— A very old and extremely expensive technology, — Reyes explained. — A mass-shadow mine was, in essence, an advanced space mine that detonated when it detected the presence of a spacecraft in hyperspace. After the explosion, a gravitational burst is released, imitating the effects of the mass shadow of a planetary gravity well, which forces the ship to leave hyperspace - the standard hyperdrive safety system was triggered. The purpose of this weapon was primarily to ambush ships traveling through hyperspace by disabling their hyperspace engines, and it was widely used during the battle for Coruscant during the Clone Wars, when mass shadow mines prevented the arrival of Republic reinforcements to help the defenders of Coruscant.
— And why were such technologies no longer used by the Empire? — I clarified.
— One such thing costs more than a hundred million, — Reyes explained. — Not to mention the fact that this device does not provide for any reuse. Although I will not hide that there were developments to revive the technology. A later improvement of such mines was the "Empion" project, used by the forces of the rebel commander Zsinj and Admiral Apwar Trigit.
— Trigit is that admiral in the service of Zsinj, who created the "Morrt" project? — I clarified.
— He is, sir, — Reyes confirmed. — But unlike the original technology, the Empion project had greater potential. The mine consisted of five components: an array of sensors to detect ships in hyperspace; a mass shadow gravitational projector to pull them out of light speed; an electromagnetic charge to disable electronics; an ion projector creating a stable ion beam to disable vessels; and a hyperwave transceiver to report the detonation of mines to the mine layer. The project, without a doubt, is more successful, but at the same time - and expensive, due to the increase in the potential of the product. No one in their right mind will spend a volume of credits comparable to the construction of two Imperial-I-class Star Destroyers to build one such mine.
Well, that's how it is.
As far as I remember, there was its own hyperspace route between Rothana and Kamino, along which military equipment developed by Rothana Heavy Engineering moved during the Clone Wars. And Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered Kamino without any problems with mines or anything else. Therefore, we are talking about three different hyperspace routes at once - developed by the Kuatians and protected by mass-shadow mines; a simple, unprotected one that allows customers to fly to Kamino - Obi-Wan Kenobi used it. And the third one connects Rothana and Kamino, along which the equipment of the Grand Army of the Republic ordered on Rothana moved.
We have noted the thought.
What else is known? Kamino and Rothana were attacked by the Zann Consortium. And it is believed he occupied both planets for some period of time. After that, his organization becomes a target for the attack of the powers that be, and Tyber Zann goes underground. Where he is located is unknown. But at the same time, no one can get to Kamino - and no one returns back. And now a moment of assumptions.
What is the likelihood that, having captured the devastated planet Rothana, Tyber Zann, having suffered a defeat, entrenched himself on Kamino and Rothana, using them as a source of replenishment for his Consortium? Creates clones for the ground army and starship crews, builds ships, albeit without the advanced equipment of Rothana. And definitely dreams of taking a rematch. The latter, of course, is an assumption, but it fits too well with the reputation of a bandit and a criminal who has spent years creating an organization that has been destroyed. And if so, then there are certain problems.
The first is that Zann is in an absolutely inaccessible corner of the galaxy, from where it is simply impossible to dig him out - it will not even be possible to fly up because of the mines. If the cloning facilities on Kamino are intact (and there is no information indicating otherwise), then what prevents him from easily conquering the galaxy again? How many Kaminoan clones are produced?
Ten years.
From the moment of his disappearance - in the same year that the Battle of Endor took place (and this happened four years after the Battle of Yavin IV) - five and a half years have passed. This means that his army is already in full production and there is very little time left before it can appear in the galaxy. However, another question remains unresolved.
Why haven't I heard or read a word about the "second coming of Tyber Zann"? Because it did not exist and all my reasoning is erroneous? Or because the heroes of the New Republic, on whose behalf the works of the post-Endor era are written, did not participate in his defeat, and what happened remained "behind the scenes"?
One way or another, but interesting prospects are opening up, which are worth pondering at leisure.
— So, I understand that our version of the "Morrt" project remains in a "suspended" state due to the lack of droids suitable for its implementation? — I clarified.
— Yes, Grand Admiral, — Reyes agreed. — Without buzz droids, the study of the project is purely theoretical.
Well, I'll have to look for buzz droids around the galaxy. Although... Hypori and Salucemai belong to the remnants of the Zann Consortium, don't they? On Hypori, I am interested in the conveyor for the production of droidekas, as well as the source of B-2 type droids, which, according to the reports of the Noghri sent to the planet, act as guards for the local garrison. Considering that I intend to take the factory with all its droid production lines anyway, I will have to face the Zann Consortium. And most likely - in the near future, taking into account the fact that, according to the reports of "Delta Source", the Republicans are preparing ambushes on the largest hyperspace lines in an attempt to catch my starships. If the enemy wants something, then you need to "give" it to him only when you have suitable forces for guaranteed destruction. But I need droids. Without them, the whole plan for using plasma drills, also known as "diggers", does not have the planned scale and any significant resolution.
And therefore - it is necessary to move to Hypori in the near future. Droids will not capture and reprogram themselves.
Speaking of droids, by the way. More precisely - about droidekas.
— Have your workers sorted out the Mark-II series droidekas and other equipment stored on board the starships of the Katana Fleet? — I asked.
— Yes, I just wanted to talk about it, sir, — the chief engineer remembered. — It seems that the source who informed you about the presence of droidekas of the specified model on the Dreadnoughts turned out to be not completely reliable. We did not find any Mark-II series droidekas on board the heavy cruisers. I specifically contacted the technicians on the starships that had not yet been prepared for flight to clarify whether they had such data. But no such equipment was found on their ships either.
Is that so? Interesting. I remember that Luke Skywalker found an almost fully operational droideka on board one of these Dreadnoughts during the confrontation with the Vagaari! Both he and Mara Jade were very worried that the entry of this technology into the hands of the Vagaari people would lead to the Chiss suffering and...
Oh, you!
— It turns out that's right, — I said in as calm a tone as possible, trying not to betray my own annoyance. I confused things! I confused the adventures of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade in search of the surviving part of the Outbound Flight expedition and the epic with the Katana Fleet! There were no droidekas on the latter, they were on the ships of the expedition! — But still, have you discovered anything interesting? — I asked.
— Yes, of course, — Reyes nodded. — We found a considerable number of AT-PT walkers. The first generation, unfortunately, designed for one pilot. The condition, of course, is far from ideal, but they are in good shape and will not require large repair costs. And at the same time, these machines will be a great addition to the ground forces. If desired, they can, of course, be upgraded to the second generation, integrating a place for a second pilot-gunner into the cabin.
— So, I understand that the restoration of these machines will be handled by your colleagues from the ground shops on Tangren? — I clarified.
— I have too few workers to repair ships as it is, — Reyes shook his head. — If we also start working with ground equipment - our priority work simply will not be done.
— Do what you are ordered to do, Chief Engineer, — I said.
So, droidekas have not been found - a problem, but not a critical one. As they say - "I know where to get more." But the walkers - this is already more than interesting. At least, judging by the compilation of files from the Imperial Archive and data from Palpatine's personal collection, there is such an assumption.
The AT-PT were created to lead individual soldiers into tense combat situations alone, possessing the firepower of a squad. They were only three meters high and were controlled by the appropriate pilots - one per machine. This is the same notorious first generation, in which the crew consisted of only one sentient being.
The walkers could reach speeds of up to sixty kilometers per hour and could climb at an angle of forty-five degrees, and hydraulic regulators kept the device in balance. The machines had a long-range antenna for patrolling. The main drive provided power and hydraulic pressure to the two supports and had ventilation holes. The entrance hatch to the cabin was on the side, and the emergency signal flare was located just above the porthole.
The AT-PT - compared to the alleged threat, enemy soldiers - was well armored, so much so that fire from small arms could not penetrate the armor of the transport. The walker was armed with two blaster cannons and one concussion grenade launcher, which were effective only against infantry. The walker's excellent maneuverability compensated for its light armor (compared to most other cavalry units).
AT-PT walker.
A moment of entertaining history.
The AT-PT was developed for the Galactic Republic a few decades before the Clone Wars, but during the war, the Republic had a need for a small anti-personnel walker, and the AT-PT became more relevant. It was one of the first vehicles of the AT series, which Kuat would produce in the future on such a massive scale that there are not enough words to describe the scale of production of all sorts of variants and types of equipment.
Many concepts first implemented in the AT-PT were subsequently used in the production of the AT-AP, AT-ST, and AT-AT.
During the Galactic Civil War, the Galactic Empire used several walkers of this type. They were often used as guard and patrol vehicles near Imperial facilities.
A large number of AT-PT, again, if we believe Imperial data, were used in Imperial offensive operations, which unequivocally hints that, despite the appearance of newer and better-armed opponents, the transports were still used in battles.
— Well, — I concluded. — Now we only have a couple of questions left to discuss. And the first of them concerns the issues of cloning.
— Grand Admiral, sir, — Nik Reyes said thoughtfully. — I'm a technical specialist. Cloning is not my profile. However, if you have a few cloning cylinders lying around somewhere...
— Sixteen thousand, — I said, watching the pupil of his only real eye widen. — I have sixteen thousand, working cloning cylinders. And four thousand faulty ones, which you and your people must inspect and come to a conclusion - whether it is possible to restore them and whether they will work as they should.
— Ah, — Nik Reyes cleared his throat into his fist. — That's the point. I thought you wanted to clone me and my best specialists.
— And that's - among other things, — I said. — You expressed yourself perfectly correctly - I intend to clone only the very best. In addition, in the depths of Mount Tantiss, there is one of the four generators that is currently not working. As I was assured, this is some version of a ship's solar ionization reactor, but it is too unfamiliar to entrust its repair to ordinary technicians. I want to know what's wrong with it and whether it can be used in the "Solar Burn" project.
— Sir, to be honest, I thought that your proposals for modernizing ships would be limited only to the upgrading of Star Destroyers with medium and anti-aircraft artillery, additional starfighter squadrons, the installation of eight-gun turbolaser turret mounts on the Victory-class Star Destroyers, similar to those on the Imperial-class, — the chief engineer admitted. — But "Solar Burn"... I'm not sure that after this modernization, the captured Venator-class Star Destroyer will even be able to accommodate at least part of the original crew, air wing, and landing force. Something will have to be abandoned...
— And here we come to my next idea, — I said. — The Dreadnought-class Star Destroyers have an automation system installed under the code name "Slave Chain". Study this technology. We need to understand whether we can use it to reduce the number of crew members on our Star Destroyers.
The chief engineer looked at me wearily. He was silent. He looked at me again.
— Well, — he said. — Since Moff Ferrus and I have sworn allegiance to you, it would be foolish to give up on overly complex tasks just because I don't have the strength, time, resources, or people for such projects. I will do everything in my power, but it is too early to guarantee anything like positive and encouraging results. We had to disarm the Neutron Star anyway in order to collect the necessary number of guns for equipping three-gun medium turret mounts and to obtain laser cannons for arranging anti-aircraft artillery for Star Destroyers under repair.
— Sounds like your agreement to work on the most ambitious of projects, — I noted.
— Of course, sir, — the chief engineer confirmed. — I haven't even presented all of them to you yet, but I'm sure that even with the help of cloning engineers, you will need creative individuals to implement ship modernization projects. My people and I are more builders than re-designers. But, I know someone who is passionate about changing, improving, and modernizing something.
— Is that so? — I was surprised. — And you have been silent about the existence of such an individual until now?
— We don't get along very well together, — Reyes grimaced. — But if I had known that modernization of equipment would become a habit with you, I would have suggested his candidacy a long time ago. But...
— There is always a "but", — I noted. — Is there a problem?
— Yes, sir, — Nik Reyes' artificial eye flashed with furious fire. — You will have to work hard to lure him away from the Five Star Commonwealth. After all, Ryan Zion is the best shipbuilder of Ardus Kaine. The only thing is that he hates to build and loves to modernize.
— And you are the opposite, — I reminded myself. — Military engineers of two opposite directions. Literally - mutually exclusive. I won't be wrong if I assume that you are not on the best of terms with him.
— He owes me an arm and an eye! — the chief engineer's metal prosthesis clenched with such a grinding sound that the shivers that ran down my spine almost caused the entire Imperial Star Destroyer to rock.
***
— Grand Admiral is expecting you, — rumbled a tall, well-built man, dressed in a navy uniform with the insignia of a major in the Stormtrooper Corps, yielding the way to Molo inside the dimly lit entrance to Grand Admiral Thrawn's personal apartments. — But first - surrender your weapons, Major Himron.
Major Molo Himron.
The commander of the Imperial Intelligence special forces, without saying a word, calmly surrendered his regulation weapon - a blaster pistol, which he carried in a hip holster. Then, smirking, under the keen gaze of the adjutant, he took out another blaster from his sock - a smaller one. And only seeing that Major Thiers' gaze had not changed, he slipped his hand under his tunic and took out a third blaster, safely resting in an operational holster under his uniform.
— Now you can go, — the adjutant allowed, signaling to a couple of stormtroopers standing in front of the door of the vestibule leading to the apartments of the Imperial commander.
This major is interesting. He seems to be a stormtrooper, but he is too proactive, too talkative (from ordinary soldiers of the Stormtrooper Corps, you can only hear "Yes, sir!" and "I'm executing, sir!", since they are not trained to say "No, sir!"). This guy is... a little strange.
However, it is up to Thrawn to decide who to take as his adjutant. There is even a red-haired cute lieutenant with him. Can it be that nothing human is alien to a blue-skinned non-human?
Smiling at his seditious thought (and it is such because everyone in the fleet knows that the Grand Admiral's only love is the fleet), Molo walked inside the dimly lit compartment, where the Supreme Commander himself spent most of his life.
It was not difficult to distinguish Thrawn in this twilight, which concealed the corners and dimensions of his living quarters - here he is, sitting at his desk, surrounded by a double ring of monitors, on which one can easily see duplicate data from the bridge of the Chimaera.
After reporting his arrival, the major began to wait for the Grand Admiral to pay attention to him. And the latter, with a serious and extremely focused look, was examining something on one of the screens, turned with the matrix away from the newcomer. So that with all his desire, Molo would not be able to see what exactly the Supreme Commander was so interested in.
Although... Isn't this mockery on the part of the Imperial Ruling Council? To have millions of stormtroopers, soldiers of the regular army, thousands of units of military equipment, hundreds of Imperial Star Destroyers, not to mention ships of a lower class, under your command, and at the same time to allocate frankly small forces under the command of the last of the Grand Admirals personally appointed by Emperor Palpatine, a brilliant strategist and tactician, who in a couple of months did more for the military affairs of the Empire than any other Imperial, who is not a renegade. So small that Thrawn, in order to return to the Empire each sector captured by the enemy, has to almost conduct a special operation to capture it. And spend a lot of time on what he could have done so easily if he had more ships!?
— You have done a great job, Major Himron, securing the capture of the Acclamator-class Assault Ship, — the Grand Admiral's soft voice pulled Molo out of his thoughts. — In the past, such a brilliant operation would have earned you a great reward. Don't you find that you deserve it?
— With all due respect, sir, serving under your command is the greatest honor that every self-respecting Imperial can receive, — the operative said.
— A flattering review, — Thrawn noted, looking at him. — Your group shows excellent results on any task, wherever I send you. Impressive. Especially considering the fact that the Ubiqtorate tried to put the worst of their personnel under my command in order to tie my hands and feet.
Molo was silent. Not because he didn't know what to answer - he knew perfectly well. But he did not hear the question. And service in Imperial Intelligence determines to keep your mouth shut until a specific question is asked. The Snow Queen diligently hammered this basic truth into her subordinates. Very diligently, not shy about the means. It was rumored that her favorite scarlet uniform was actually white. And then blood of those who were dissatisfied with her got on it. And she got rid of them, taking as trophies the only thing without which any biological organism cannot exist.
— According to a full copy of your personal file, major, you and your unit have conducted more than two hundred successful missions, — Thrawn continued. Molo didn't even flinch. Firstly, he did not count the number of completed tasks - no one wants to remember in detail what he had to do under the command of the Snow Queen. And secondly, if Thrawn has a copy of his personal file, and even a full one, then he should definitely understand who exactly produced the clearing of data. — And yet, you are just a major, commander of an operational unit. While a considerable number of your colleagues, having completed even a quarter of what you have done for the Empire, have already received promotions and entered the elite of Imperial Intelligence. However, I am sure that, despite the disappearance of data about them, your classmates are still alive, aren't they?
— That's right, sir, — Molo said.
— Are they serving in the Ubiqtorate?
— As far as I know, sir.
— And you are not at all tempted by the opportunity to get a promotion and take a place in the leadership of Imperial Intelligence? — Thrawn asked in a businesslike tone. As if he were not asking about what all graduates of Imperial military academies dream of - sitting in offices and, at most, using a stylus on the screens of a deck, receiving as a salary the salary of a whole unit of operatives.
Molo barely restrained a smile.
— No, sir.
— Reason?
— I don't like staff work, sir.
— Did this dislike of yours appear before or after your meeting with Emperor Palpatine? — Thrawn asked, looking at one of the monitors.
Himron felt that he didn't even need to try to hold back his smile. The muscles on his face seemed to stiffen.
He perfectly remembered the fateful meeting with the head of state, which turned the world of a young cadet of the Imperial Academy on Carida upside down. And he was aware that he had lived most of his life exactly as the man in the black robe, impressive with his greatness and power, had fleetingly advised him.
— After, sir, — he said in a steady voice.
— An interesting answer, — the Grand Admiral noted. Not quite. I would also like to know where you know about this from. Because such information was purged from all archives - by the personal order of the Snow Queen, as soon as she came to power in Imperial Intelligence. This is how this strong-willed and cruel woman eliminated all those who could somehow find an approach to the Emperor. The fact of a personal meeting with the ruler of the Galactic Empire and a fleeting phrase he said that "a typical appearance and durasteel in the eyes are what an intelligence operative should have, and not a naval officer" - this is a sufficient reason to drastically change your life. No one knew exactly who was making special notes in the personal files of sentient beings on whom Emperor Palpatine was paying attention, indicating such a thing. But the Snow Queen, with the stubbornness of a maniac, for inexplicable reasons, ruled and destroyed such personal files. And sometimes even people hidden behind them. For what reason she acted in this way - it still remains a mystery. And yet, not so much time has passed since her death. — How long did it take you and your people to take control of the Acclamator-class's bridge?
— Four minutes, sir, — it didn't even take him to recall this information. The speed with which he and his people, with the support of the Marine stormtroopers, were on board the pirate ship and actually subdued it to their power, killing the entire watch and capturing the controls, surprised everyone. And yet how prejudiced Molo and his detachment were against the idea of using plasma drills as boarding ships! And here it is, a result that exceeds all expectations...
— I want to hear your expert opinion on the pros and cons of using these devices as boarding tools, — the Grand Admiral said, beaming with curiosity from his red eyes.
— Non-standard means of landing, sir, — Major Himron admitted. — We moved very fast, experienced overloads, but not critical ones. We overcame the deflector field. We cut through the plating as if it had never existed at all. The enemy clearly did not expect that we would succeed so easily. Despite their size and design, plasma drills are easy to pilot, maneuverable, and have a high speed of movement. During the transportation, not a single enemy shot hit the landing vehicles, although they were firing a barrage at us. The life support systems were working at the limit of their capabilities, but due to the short flight time, we did not experience any particular problems.
— Yes, these devices are designed for use by only two or three sentients, — the Grand Admiral noted. — We put a whole operational squad inside. Will the removal of life support systems and inertial damping allow more soldiers to be placed inside?
— Of course, sir, — Himron said. — But then they will all die. Our dash from the hold of the Chimaera to the superstructure of the Acclamator-class Assault Ship took a little more than two minutes. We were wearing ordinary equipment and almost froze and suffocated during the flight. If we remove the life support systems from there, then we will have to dress the paratroopers in heavy armor designed for space boarding. And therefore, due to the increase in the size of each paratrooper, a very small number of fighters will fit inside.
— Do you advise leaving the devices as they are now? — Thrawn clarified.
— These mechanisms are good, — Himron admitted. — But we were acting against pirates - an untrained, poorly armed crowd. If we have to face professional soldiers, then the number of landed paratroopers will not be enough to capture the ship. After we kill or capture the bridge crew, professional anti-boarding units will come after us. It will be impossible to deal with them without heavy weapons. And since undocking on plasma drills is not provided, the landing force is doomed to either fight to the last, hoping for reinforcements, or die.
— In the event that the crew of the ship that you will be boarding with the help of plasma drills is minimal - what are your predictions for our success? — Thrawn clarified.
— How minimal, sir? — Molo clarified.
— There will be no infantry units or anti-boarding units, the watch is simplified as much as possible, — Thrawn said quickly. — We are talking about capital ships, major.
Himron thought for a moment. He could and loved to analyze risks - this is part of the work on which the success of any mission depends. In the end, anticipatory thinking determines the ability of a sentient being to foresee the consequences of their actions.
— We used five plasma drills for landing inside the superstructure, — he said. — Another five were sent to capture the engine room and the reactor compartment. In total, fifty people in two minutes took control of the ship's control center and ensured the possibility of its movement under our control, but we are not enough to maneuver or fight with the enemy. A decrease in the number of professional soldiers on the ship can be taken as an analogous value of a larger number of less qualified pirates, therefore the resistance will be approximately equal. If the question of capture time is not so important, then I would recommend reducing the number of landing boats in proportion to the protection and size of the ship - or vice versa, increasing them. However, I must note that specialized professionals will be required to control a capital ship. My people are able to use the technical equipment of a larger number of ships - they are familiar with them by the nature of their service. But sir, if we are talking about hijacking ships under enemy fire, and even with a part of the crews on board, it will be necessary to include fleet specialists in the assault landing groups. Which, in turn, will reduce the number of operatives in the first wave of the landing. And therefore, it seems to me that it would be more correct to use landing shuttles directly for the capture of capital ships - one such shuttle is able to transport a landing party of several plasma drills at once. Or our boarding boats...
— Which are mostly created for storming through docking locks, — a smile appeared on the Grand Admiral's lips. — No, major, the speed of plasma drills powered by rhydonium is many times higher than the speed of our landing, transport, or boarding vehicles. And it is thanks to this speed that we are able to deliver the necessary number of boarding parties to their destination with minimal or no losses. You said that your people are able to control ships. Are they competent enough to take the starships out of their moorings and direct them in the necessary direction so that specialized professionals can be delivered on board via landing shuttles and transport shuttles?
— Yes, sir, — Himron said confidently. — If we know the exact parameters of the ships that we will have to board and take out of their moorings, we will do it. But, sir, my people are enough to control only one large ship - and even then, we are unlikely to be a full-fledged bridge crew, there are simply not enough of us. On the Acclamator-class Assault Ship, we had to wait for the arrival of specialized fleet specialists from the picket cruiser Sentinel. Otherwise, our attempts to "unpair" the starships would have ended in death or serious damage to both spacecraft.
— As soon as the intelligence work on the ground is completed, you will receive all the necessary information, — Thrawn assured him. — And about the numbers... — a smile played on the Grand Admiral's lips. — Didn't you get any information about where the Chimaera is heading?
— Sir, with all due respect, I do not use professional information gathering skills on the crew of the ship on which I serve, — Molo stated. — If this information concerned me directly, I would have been informed.
— Without a doubt, — Thrawn said. — I'm telling you this now. We are heading to the planet Wayland, major. There is a secret treasury of Emperor Palpatine, which I will use to get the victory I need.
It was jarring how Thrawn emphasized his personal interest in the outcome of the confrontation with the Republic. Yes, for any other sentient, this phrase could have been written off as a slip of the tongue, but coming from the mouth of a Grand Admiral who is winning despite the actions of those who appointed him to this position... It sounds more than prosaic.
— You thought correctly, major, — Thrawn assured him. — My interests are different from the interests of the Empire. I, like you, like everyone in my fleet, was thrown to the front lines like a bone to a nexu, in the hope that we would become a thorn in the side of the New Republic and it would die. This was done only so that scavengers would come and profit from its still warm corpse. And therefore, I want to ask you, major - whose side are you on if there is a reason to choose between me and what the Empire represents?
And what is there to choose? If he had not decided in advance, he would not have been among those whom the Ubiqtorate sent to the Grand Admiral, actually getting rid of them because of "absentee loyalty". Where to go if you refuse to serve Thrawn? Just shoot a blaster bolt in your temple.
— Sir, I have already made my choice, — Himron said. — I and my people are with you. Otherwise, we would not be on your ship.
— Excellent, major, — Thrawn smiled. — In a short time we will arrive on Wayland, and I will initiate you into some of the secrets of what Emperor Palpatine left us as a legacy. In the meantime, you should know two things. First. You and your people will be cloned. Many times, — not that it sounded wild to him, but Molo was surprised. It seemed that he had heard that cloning was carried out on the planet Kamino in the distant years, but, on the other hand, what prevents them from taking the necessary equipment from there? Actually, this is not a danger for him and his people. On the contrary, firstly, it is flattering that they were chosen. Secondly, it is clear why them - they are tested in action and loyal. In the context of a shortage of personnel, it will be much more correct to surround yourself with copies of loyal people than with a multitude of those who have not yet proven their loyalty. — Second. I will need my own system of intelligence operatives capable of carrying out any task in any terrain. You and your people have proven that you are equally effective both in space and on earth. Therefore, you, major, after completing the cloning procedure, will head this new unit, — and this is already damn nice. — It will consist of your clones, of course, and those loyal officers who have already been selected by me. You will have to establish the structure and command hierarchy yourself. I am sure that you will find a common language with them - a little later, I will explain the reason why no power struggle will occur between copies of the same sentient. You report directly to me. I also want to say that you should put your insignia in order, — Thrawn placed a command plate in front of Molo with a distinct click on the surface of the table. Five red squares arranged in a row. This corresponded to the rank of colonel in Imperial Intelligence. — Congratulations on your long-awaited promotion, Colonel Himron.
— Thank you, sir, — Molo said, swallowing the lump that had welled up in his throat, looking at the Grand Admiral. — My subordinates and I are ready to begin carrying out your orders, Supreme Commander!
— You will receive additional code cylinders with the information necessary for you to continue your work from me later, — Thrawn said. — Study it and get to work. We don't have as much time as we would like. And we need to do more than you can imagine. First of all, I want to explain to you the importance of using plasma drills in the upcoming operations. I would like to hear your assumptions - why I am using these installations for boarding, and not using rhydonium to speed up the specialized Imperial equipment.
— Plasma drills are trophies that you don't mind spoiling by using this type of fuel that destroys the propulsion system, — the colonel confidently suggested. — With these devices, you plan to capture capital ships, — Himron said confidently. — Most likely, these will be starships of Imperial design. Given the latest goals, I can assume that you intend to increase the number of Star Destroyers under your command by boarding them. Minimal resistance is expected due to the fact that in the New Republic, a significant part of the ships are used as transporters with a reduced number of crew members and removed ship weapons.
— Correct, Colonel Himron, — Thrawn said, smiling faintly. — You have stated the first part of my plan concerning "diggers" correctly. In the Rugosa system, we conducted field tests of plasma drills under the manual control of paratroopers. I am satisfied with the results. We will consolidate the success a little later, so that we can approach the main operation of this year fully armed.
— Is there another purpose for the use of plasma drills? — Molo clarified.
— Not one, — Thrawn corrected him. — But ultimately, directly or indirectly, these installations will lead to a political crisis among the New Republic. And that's when the most interesting thing will begin.