Nine years, five months, and thirty-two days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or forty-four years, five months, and thirty-two days after the Great Resynchronization.
The commandant of Mount Tantiss—Colonel Selid—met my transport right at the shuttle's ramp. And this time, the Lambda landed neither in the central part of the city nor at the very central entrance to the cave.
But in a natural hangar located on the mountainside and camouflaged by shutters that imitated the natural part of the rock.
— Grand Admiral, sir, — the colonel addressed me, holding a data pad in his hands.
— It seems, — I nodded barely perceptibly towards the numerous transport containers stacked in pyramids along the walls of the hangar, — you have finally broken through the labyrinth, colonel?
— A significant part of it has been overcome, sir, — the commandant said, not hiding his triumph, as if he considered it his personal achievement, as if he personally had explored every nook and cranny, forced to examine every meter of space, time after time, for the early detection of traps. Yes, it would have been much easier to punch a hole in the mountainside or demolish all the winding parts of the labyrinth... but there was a small problem - all the other levels of Mount Tantiss rested on them.
— Did you use demolition charges to destroy the labyrinth? — I clarified.
— Under no circumstances, sir, — the colonel swallowed nervously. — Considering the pressure and weight of the entire structure of Emperor Palpatine's treasury, which is placed on these numerous overlaps, it is very reckless to make redevelopment here.
That's how it is. The ingenious architect distributed the weight of the upper levels onto the labyrinth's overlaps, which allowed him to solve the problems with the delivery of building materials. He simply lined the walls cut into the rock with permacrete and other building materials to give them an external imperial identity of the interior.
— We managed to de-conserve all the premises of the Mountain, sir, — the colonel said, walking next to me, cautiously handing the data pad. Tiers, walking behind in his naval uniform, tried to take possession of the device, but stopped, seeing that I myself had expressed a desire for it. Rukh, walking alongside, did not react to the adjutant's movement, but it seemed that they had clearly taken a dislike to each other. They act too independently of each other. — The pad contains a modified scheme of the Mountain, to some extent different from the map that we found in the central computer.
Is that so? Interesting.
— Anything else? — I clarified.
— We are preparing valuables, jewelry, and works of art for removal, as you ordered, — he said, explaining the contents of the transport containers in the hangar. Judging by the fact that anti-gravity carts with cargo containers continued to move along the wide corridors from the depths of the complex to the landing area, the movement of valuables continued. Which is not bad. — The check of the complex's database continues, but...
— But? — I asked again. The colonel's face, realizing that such unfinished statements could not be perceived by the command as a light friendly intrigue, hastened to speak:
— Unfortunately, most of the information available to Palpatine's Informer here was in the central computer. The best codebreakers and computer specialists of my fleet worked to check them, to isolate those that had been changed and cleaned up. In most cases, it was an exhausting, monotonous, and... absolutely useless job, — there is a suspicion that your appointment here is too. Let's see the results of your work and make a staffing decision. — Whatever cleaned the database did it perfectly, wiping the data on most of the superweapon projects. Only the file names and some minor explanatory data remained. Apparently, it was some kind of virus that was placed in the central computer, discovered, and changed information in the database. After that, it self-destructed. There were no traces of its existence.
Well, that's the answer to what tried to get rid of Palpatine's personal information database. A computer virus. It's not hard to guess who delivered it here, when it happened, and on whose orders. Now it is clear why a copy of the "Caamas Document" was preserved - it was on a separate data chip, like a number of other information. Not connected to the internal network of the mountain, the file with a list of names of the botanists involved in the genocide of an entire people turned out to be untouched. However, this may not be true - I have not yet entrusted such a source of information to any of the specialists for study, rightly fearing possible corruption. Or, at the very least, the data may become public knowledge. And then every first junior crew member may ask: "And why doesn't the Grand Admiral use such a 'powerful' argument to destroy the enemy state right now?". No, unnecessary questions and gossip. I don't need such "happiness" now.
— Prepare the throne room and the Imperial quarters for me and the guests, colonel, — I ordered, watching Mara Jade, leading a group of scientists, move towards me. — Escort Major Tiers and a group of specialists to the laboratory to collect genetic material and take a personality matrix.
— Will be done, sir, — the colonel assured me. He had already taken a step aside, inviting my stormtrooper-guard-adjutant to follow him, when, as if remembering something, he said:
— Sir, there is additional information on cloning programs. It was found in one of the laboratories.
— Really? — I raised an eyebrow. And what interesting and new could technologies offer for creating duplicates? Something better or worse than Spaarti? If better, then why were these cylinders here, and not something else? — In that case, I will wait for you with a report in the throne room in half an hour.
— Yes, sir, — the colonel smiled. Judging by his smug face, I will indeed have to resolve the staffing issue with the commandant of Mount Tantiss.
And radically.
***
— You know the rules, Captain Tiberos, — Moff Ferrus said wearily, looking at the young (or not so young, who can tell?) privateer. — All warships are transferred to us, and you receive no more than half the cost of the starship. This is the condition of your patent.
— I know, I'm literate, — chuckled the commander of the privateer gang. — But note, the jackpot is mostly interesting for me. A modernized armored and well-armed raider, capable of carrying fighters. Note that this bird costs one hundred and fifty thousand credits. And each of the two Republic "X-wings" that I delivered to you along with the captured pilots also costs one hundred and fifty thousand credits. In total, taking into account the load of hyperdrives and spare parts for this type of starfighter, and excellent ones, modernized by the Verpine, the cost of the loot increases by another two hundred and fifty thousand credits. In total, one sortie brought in seven hundred thousand credits. Three hundred and fifty of them are my legal loot. All I ask is that you give me this ship and give me time at your shipyards, and a few rapid-fire guns, so that I can strengthen its armament and make something more significant out of it.
— Your calculations are simply wonderful, — Moff Ferrus grimaced. — Especially in the context that you are leading them on the basis of the full cost of ships and cargo. If my memory serves me right, and it, unlike my ex-wife, is faithful to me and does not suffer from a tendency to such things, the terms of the patent - no more than half the cost for cargo - is the limit of your dreams.
— Oh, so the Imperials are all right with mathematics? — the former pirate laughed. — Didn't know, didn't know. Strange then, that you are in such a sh...
— Are you sure now that there is a great sense in contradicting your employer? — the Moff chuckled. — They say that if you don't break the hyperdrive of the ship you're flying, you won't have any problems traveling through the galaxy.
— I heard this proverb in a different version, — said the pirate. Yes, he can call himself at least a noble robber in the service of the state, but the fact remains that he was a pirate, is a pirate, and will remain a pirate. Thrawn attracted him and a dozen other motley gangs right now, sending them to rob the enemy's supply lines. But when the Grand Admiral has more forces, when he gathers a sufficient number of his own raiders, there will no longer be any sense in the existence of privateers. And then Thrawn's ships will begin to hunt them. He will certainly start - he can't allow these beings to feel free in the galaxy any further. Otherwise, their own economy will suffer.
The pirates understood this as well. And it's no wonder they tried to strengthen themselves at the expense of captured ships. However, one fact that Tiberos brought to the outpost in the Pakuuni system not only this armored freighter, the "X-wings", the remains of the crew, and a cargo of five hyperdrives for the latter, not counting a pile of spare parts for both the Incom T-65s and their predecessors, the Z-95 Headhunters, indicated that the privateer was interested in cooperation. Isn't this the reason why Thrawn issued very opaque instructions regarding such situations?
Like that other Captain Vain, who is waiting his turn to demand millions for his participation in the capture of Booster Terrik's former ship.
And half a day later, other thugs will arrive, dragging whole caravans of starships seized from the New Republic. Yes... who would have thought that Thrawn would do such a trick - arm the captured freighters, turn them into raiders and order them to form their own pirate gangs from among the volunteers. Who are doing most of the work in hunting the enemy's caravans. And they do it accurately and always successfully - while the real pirates hunt for small things, those who pretend to be them, creating the impression of a huge number of criminals in the service of the Grand Admiral, deliver a huge amount of valuables and strategic reserves to Tangrene. Since there were not as many real pirates who wanted to become privateers in the service of the Grand Admiral as he would have liked, then why not create them ourselves? Especially considering the fact that such pseudo-pirates themselves are happy with what they do - their salary is not even close to that of real pirates, but for them such work is a chance to earn their loyalty to the Grand Admiral.
"Wolf Packs," as Thrawn himself called them. And he did not explain the meaning of the code name. He just said that these auxiliary forces are able to paralyze the logistical structure of the New Republic. And with each new captured transport ship, the number of such pseudo-pirates only increased.
Hmm... the New Republic. And nothing else now. The Grand Admiral said during the repair of his flagship, it was all simple. And there were few options - either to join him and accept his worldview, or to be against him. Although... considering that he laid his hands on the "Katana Fleet" (realizing this fact, Moff Ferrus almost earned a nervous tic, remembering how he joked on a similar topic), only an idiot in his right mind would risk getting involved with him. Two hundred heavy cruisers, albeit outdated, but still cruisers, capable of standing up for themselves and taking the blood out of any enemy properly. If before Thrawn was just a "whipping boy" in the eyes of most of the rulers of the Imperial Remnants, now... this is a force that you either need to be friends with, or not interfere with. Or - prepare big guns so that you don't find yourself among his targets.
"Everything is going according to plan," the Grand Admiral said to him in the end, after hearing the oath of allegiance brought by the Moff. After that, he went where... Actually, no one knew where he went. The Grand Admiral did not have the habit of dedicating anyone to his plans, except for the direct executors. Nick will return, having gone into the unknown with Thrawn, and then it will be possible to find out what they have been doing all this time.
And at the moment, it was necessary to fulfill the will of the Grand Admiral regarding the privateers. Those of them who do not try to deceive their employers should receive certain privileges. A measure of stimulation that will make their cooperation more complete and trusting. But the Moff was not going to give up just like that.
— You have a wonderful ship, Captain Tiberos, — the Moff said. — It is well-armed, well-armored. With the help of the Rabid Ewok, you captured the Gozanti. Isn't this an indication that you have a much better starship than the one you are asking for?
— As I said, I will improve the Gozanti, — said the privateer. — And then I will have two full-fledged raiders. I have a loyal assistant who can lead one of my ships, I will fly on the other. We can do twice as much damage.
— Suppose, — said Moff Ferrus. — There may be military benefits for this, if, of course, you find a way to provide your ship with cover. Even after the modernization, this starship is not able to move at high speed, and it maneuvers...
— The Republicans did everything for us, — Tiberos smirked. — Two external mounts for the "X-wings" are perfect for escort fighters. And the cargo hold will accommodate another fighter.
— Thought about it while flying here? — Ferrus chuckled.
— Yes, there was some time, — Tiberos nodded. — Agree, Moff. You are making a profit. I do not demand my share of the loot, you do not need to spend money on paying bonuses for me and my people.
— A tempting offer, — Felix snorted. — And perhaps I would even agree to it, if it weren't for a couple of points. First - we have enough money to pay you for the goods. Second - I will have to talk to the Grand Admiral about this. And be very convincing. And so far, apart from saving one hundred and seventy-five thousand credits - your half of half the cost of all the goods, I see no benefit. And such money is not a big expense for me.
— Even if I give you both "X-wings" and spare parts for them completely free of charge? — Tiberos raised an eyebrow. — This covers even more than half the cost of the cruiser - the one that is due to me and my people. The offer pays for the entire ship. In fact, consider that I worked for free, only out of respect for you.
— I like the last one, — the Moff assured him. — In our troubled times, this is not honored by most sentient beings. And yet... You can capture any other warship for yourself, or just buy it. What is your gain?
— In mocking the New Republic, — said the pirate. — I will use this ship with the identifier enabled on the mission. Let them know that it was me, it was me who raided the Verpines, I stole their ship and captured the pilots, and such a valuable cargo. They will hunt for me — and I am sure that the Grand Admiral will be able to realize this fact in his interests. Only the lazy are not talking about the Ambush at Rugosa on the Outer Rim - I talked to several of my acquaintances. The Hutts became wary - after all, Thrawn actually deprived them of several good clients and henchmen. The pirates begin to whisper among themselves, considering whether the Empire is really as defenseless as they say. Thrawn even managed to squeeze "The Claw".
— Are you talking about Talon Karrde? — Felix clarified.
— About him, — Tiberos nodded. — The disappearance of Booster Terrick with all the fleet he had gathered is a landmark event. Very, very indicative. As is the disappearance of Leonia Tavira and her gangs. Your boss may not pay attention to this, but his actions are closely monitored. The criminal world is very sensitive to changes in power vectors. They keep their noses to the wind when danger is in the air. And if I act on my ship, a trophy, it will only show that the rumors spread about the treachery of the Empire are nothing more than misinformation. No, you, of course, are a few as... gentlemen, but you can do business with you. Not only smugglers who bring expensive trinkets and exotic things to your Moffs and admirals, but also among pirates. You are expanding, — he noted. — I saw several dozen new converted ships - which means that those who want to make easy money are coming to you. Well, let me show them by my example that it is possible not only to earn credits, but also to improve their own affairs. What is one Gozanti to you when you have a lot of Star Destroyers? Give me this ship, and I will not only give you the entire cargo, but also drop the information I have about the defense of the Roche asteroids - the birthplace of the Verpines. Imagine how much you can plunder there if you show up with the entire fleet? It will take a lot of time to get to the nearest base. To break through the defense of the asteroids and start looting... the catch will be huge.
— And it seems to me that things are completely different, — Ferrus smiled. — You have a personal score to settle with the Republicans, don't you?
— Like many pirates, — Tiberos noted.
— But not many are trying to play a double game, — noted the Governor of the Morshdain Sector. — You, for example, are trying. You want to attract attention among pirates through the use of a trophy, don't you? You think that when they hear about our terms of cooperation and see a military trophy on you, they will decide that you have authority with us, and therefore they should adhere to you?
— Well, the Grand Admiral didn't forbid bringing people who want to earn money to you, — Tiberos grinned, leaning forward. The stormtroopers guarding the office instantly raised their blaster rifles, aiming them at the privateer. — I thought that Imperial Moffs were not so smart.
— The most cunning and stupid ones have been shot long ago, — Ferrus said with coldness in his voice. — The very cunning and smart ones are left. Your idea is not new - it's nothing more than an attempt to create your own pirate fleet, operating "on salary" from the state. During the Clone Wars, this flourished on both sides of the conflict.
— And what's wrong with a pirate fleet loyal to the Grand Admiral? — Tiberos continued to smile.
— The fact that your desire to get the Gozanti is nothing more than a test stone, — the Moff noted. — Now you want this armored transport, a week later you will capture a light cruiser and you will decide to get it as well, a month later it will be a Star Destroyer and so on. And what will be the result? You will get an armed gang of pirates...
— Privateers, — Tiberos corrected.
— ... pirates, — the Moff insisted. — And all of them will be tied to you. A centralized and well-armed crowd of criminals who will gain strength under our noses. And as soon as you decide that you are strong enough, you will turn against us.
— At a time when the Grand Admiral is strong anyway? — Tiberos chuckled. — I'm sure that Thrawn has thought through a similar situation more than once and knows how to react to it in order to stay in the black.
— Of course he knows, — Felix chuckled, drumming his fingers on the table. — Well. You want your own pirate fleet. If it is loyal to us, there is no problem. Perhaps we will even express our offer to you to become auxiliary forces of our fleet sometime, — at the thought that these pirates will join the "wolf packs", the Moff became melancholy. Where is the galaxy going, if it is necessary to cooperate with such scum? — Well, for now, let's clarify something. Since I am responsible for the coordination and actions of privateers and I will have to have a conversation with the Grand Admiral, you will have to first convince me of your actions. First, let's deal with what you got in your last operation. We take everything except the ship you specified. From this day on, a trial period begins for you in our updated contractual relationship. You give me all the cargo and you do not receive prizes for your operations. What you find in the cabins of the crews of the ships being attacked, their property - is your loot. We are only interested in cargo. And, of course, warships. Information, if you have it. In exchange for this, you will get the Gozanti. I will arrange for its modernization at our shipyard. You can start collecting your pirate fleet right now. You can rob any targets of our enemies - except for the Empire and their allies. But at any moment when we need you - be ready to drop all your affairs and go where we tell you. But as soon as we find out that you have begun to appropriate part of the cargo, or are acting against our orders - a reward will be announced for your head that you will not live for a few days. And as soon as we find the pirates who betrayed us - all of you will be executed. I will ask you to pay special attention to the fact that I said "when", not "if". I think you understand that this is an opaque hint of the lack of trust in you.
— It seems to me, or your offer is not very different from what I myself voiced? — Tiberos asked with a smirk, making it clear that he understood everything perfectly even without explanations.
— Oh, you haven't listened to the end of the offer yet, — Ferrus said meaningfully. Once again, it only remained to be surprised by the foresight of the Grand Admiral. — If you want to continue to have your privateer freedom in our service, then you will have to assure me and the Grand Admiral of your loyalty to our cause.
— I'm not going to enlist in the Imperial Fleet, — Tiberos snorted.
— And no one is offering, — the Moff assured him. — The New Republic cooperates with some smugglers and free traders. From now on, we will deal with the convoys ourselves, — you will simply be smeared when you stick under the barrels of escort frigates and the turbolasers of the Mon Calamari star cruisers, which now form the basis of the escort of the caravans that Thrawn is interested in. — But you and your gang, which you hope to organize, must open the hunting season for simple freighters. They transport small cargoes and try to use unofficial or remote hyperspace routes. So you should deal with them. I am sure that in addition to official cargo, they have a lot of interesting things in the hiding places on their ships. You will have something to profit from.
— A juicy jackpot, — Tiberos smirked. And although there was discontent in his voice, Felix had no doubt that he would agree to the offer. He really wanted to have his own power and become a force himself. Everything, as Thrawn predicted. True, he did not name specific names when he warned that soon the privateers, feeling the smell of profit and the light power they receive thanks to the "tips" of the Empire, will want to represent something more. Especially those who have personal scores to settle with the New Republic. — But, I doubt that at the moment even a couple of my ships will be of any significant use. It takes time to assemble a flotilla and...
— It is unlikely that we are interested in this, — the Moff noted. — You want more, captain, than to be a simple helper. You want to lead our privateers. The Grand Admiral allows you to do that. But here are our conditions. Yes, you can go on a free voyage, it is entirely your right. But I advise you to think about continuing to work for us.
— I didn't even try to buck, — Captain Tiberos said smugly, rising from his chair. — You know, it's very funny and comfortable to release the guts of the Republicans, and also have the opportunity to gain my own power, being covered by the Empire, — well, here you are clearly exaggerating, but you clearly do not need to know this, at least now. — And since we have reached an agreement, then I went to my ship, I need to shake it up well and go hunting for freighters.
"Well, of course," the Moff chuckled to himself, watching the lean privateer leave his office. "Everything, as Thrawn predicted. First you hunt the New Republic, then their servants. And in the end, you will start cutting your former buddies left and right with passion, wanting to curry favor with the Grand Admiral. It's so simple"...
***
— I didn't even think that this complex was so huge, — Mara Jade said, looking at the huge hologram of the layout of the premises inside Mount Tantiss. It was created by a holoprojector located not far from the center of the throne room. I, sitting in the chair that Palpatine once occupied, watched with what interest and awe the Hand was examining the lines of passages, corridors, and turbolifts connecting the network of internal caves like threads of a giant spiderweb. Rukh, having habitually taken a position in the corner, seemed to merge with the shadow of the narrow space between the turbolift cabins.
The cage with the ysalamiri stood nearby, allowing the girl to enjoy freedom from this small animal, which was mostly located on her back, in order to provide her with protection from the Force. However, if everything goes today as I imagined, then she will no longer have to see the ysalamiri. The girl will finally get rid of the influence of Palpatine's last order on her destiny.
And while the colonel was not in a hurry with a report, I decided to study the layout of the Mountain properly. Considering the presence of explanatory notes from the architect himself, with an indication of the calculations and materials used in the construction. Which greatly simplified the construction of a duplicate of the Mountain in a pre-selected location.
However, the structure of the Emperor's treasury also represented a large conglomerate of aesthetic and technical wonders.
So, the underground part of the Mountain was the lowest.
Numerous "underground" levels were located deep beneath the surface of the soil, at a depth of several hundred meters and were connected to the lower levels by a series of turbolifts and stairs. It was here that four massive powerful thermonuclear reactors were located on Mount Tantiss. Their marking corresponded to those installed on Star Destroyers, but the specifications... Someone had clearly worked to adapt these four huge spheres to work underground and in planetary gravity. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of technical details and changes made to these energy sources, explanations written in a simple and accessible language "for those who do not understand the technologies of creating and functioning artificial stars" were completely absent. Only three of them were functioning at the moment, the last one needed repairs and maintenance that the local technicians could not handle. Chief Engineer Reyes has already gone there to inspect and deliver his verdict. Considering that the entire structure can be disassembled and extracted without harm to the entire power system, the reactor will also be delivered to the hold of the Chimaera for transportation to Tangren. Whether it will be useful in the "Sunburn" project or not is not yet clear. But at the very least, we will have spare parts for the solar ionization reactor - and that is already a lot. The Steel Aurora is about to complete its minor repairs in the orbit of Lainuri and will move to the main base.
What's curious is something else. Each generator produced enough power to launch and operate an Imperial Star Destroyer, which indicates that Mount Tantiss, when it is fully operational, requires a huge amount of energy. However, at the moment, the colonel and his subordinates manage with only three reactors - due to the fact that significant parts of the complex are de-energized.
The infamous labyrinth was located even lower than the reactors and stretched for kilometers around the mountain. At first, its purpose was not clear, but over time, through trial and error, it was discovered that its winding and gloomy corridors had paths to an even lower level, dubbed by the locals as the "crypt." Here, ancient energy weapons, amulets with a clear esoteric basis, crystals and jewels barely distinguishable from each other, alien trinkets and religious idols, mummified bodies, and countless works of art were stored in special stasis containers to ensure their preservation. Considering that this equipment required a considerable amount of energy, a check of the central computer's data logs revealed why the fourth reactor had failed – it had been powering the complex in minimal consumption mode for decades, almost since the proclamation of the New Order.
Above were the Lower Levels.
This was precisely where the main entrance to Palpatine's treasury was located. In addition, within the mountain were barracks for the stationed legion of stormtroopers and their respective posts, as well as vehicles, an armory, storage for equipment and weapons necessary to defend the mountain. On these levels were also facilities for food production - a hydroponics system, food dispensers, and storage for soldiers' rations that never aged. Not to mention the truly enormous stasis storage for exotic food, clearly not intended for simple soldiers or officers. For them, food was preserved in carbonite plates, like the one in which Han Solo was frozen in the original trilogy. And to my surprise, it was here, after so much time, that I learned for certain that carbonite freezing is used for long-term food storage, not for living beings.
Of greatest interest at this level was the War Room - a semicircular tactical hall, covered in monitors and holoprojectors. It was a communications and planning center. Obviously, from here it was possible to maintain contact with any military unit of the Empire, and thanks to encryption equipment, remain untraceable. And this beautiful place, clearly designed for use as a high-ranking Imperial command center, would have been indispensable if it weren't for one "but". All data for the War Room's equipment was obtained directly from the central computer. The data on which is either damaged or erased. At least, those relating to the locations, numbers, and composition of the Imperial fleets have been completely removed. Only files with names remain. And there is no possibility of restoring this data. Well, it's logical from Palpatine's point of view - when gathering his armada back, he, anticipating that some of his ardent supporters would definitely get here, did everything so that no one would ever know how large the Imperial armada really was. And I no longer trusted data from official sources, like military journals and headquarters data. Palpatine managed to hide the construction of this complex from the Senate and the military, as well as the establishment of a base on Byss, which directly indicated his ability to manipulate information.
But the data on land bases and the required number of personnel and assigned equipment on them was of great interest to me. The amount of information is enormous, but it seems I know how to keep my adjutant busy in the near future. In this variety of data, I need to find a few interesting places and find out how to get to them.
It's just a shame about the "Maw Installation" object - Grand Moff Tarkin's personal science center in the depths of the Maw black hole cluster, where not only a few Imperial Star Destroyers, fully staffed and led by the only woman admiral I know in the Empire, Natasi Daala, but also a fine team of brilliant scientists, known for developing and creating superweapons that made the galaxy sweat, languish and wait for their time. They are there in complete secrecy and isolation from the entire galaxy - it is not easy to get out of there, and communication signals do not break through the barrier of black holes.
Well, in the events known to me, Natasi Daala's voyage through the galaxy from the Maw cluster and the infliction of minor damage to the New Republic began a few years after the death of Palpatine's clone. For a number of reasons, this next settling of scores between the Imperials and the Republicans was not very successful. Which does not mean that such a "pantry" can be overlooked. No, unfortunately, this is not the case at all. Everything in its time. Now it's frankly pointless to go there and try to lay my hands on all the good things that Daala had at her disposal. Not only because the only known path through the black holes was known to Tarkin and Daala herself - and neither of them, for known reasons, would tell me this. And not even because discovering a course between the black holes would require a Force-sensitive being (as happened in the events known to me). I had a Jedi, but the mad C'baoth is not someone I would want to share this secret with.
Gaining the loyalty of the military and personnel at the "Maw Installation" is unrealistic in such a short time. It's better to wait and penetrate there under other circumstances - when there will be no need to fear the defection of personnel and ship crews to the side of the Reborn Emperor.
Well, let's get back to reviewing the Mountain's scheme. The command wing was the center of military operations on Mount Tantiss, similar to the bridge of a Star Destroyer. All administrative duties were performed in this section. The base commander's office, who was also the garrison commander, was located above the main part of the command center and overlooked the main floor through a massive mirrored viewport. The curved amphitheater-like chamber next door, much larger than a cave, filled with cloning cylinders, was precisely the Mountain's central computer. Its official name was the Main Computer Core, a huge bank of computers and servers that collected and indexed all the information that passed through the communication and data retrieval systems of Mount Tantiss.
The security department, the detention block, and the premises for medical personnel, technicians, and military units of the rank-and-file were also located on this level. Curious. There was also a guardhouse for the military. And if so, then who is the detention block for? Did Palpatine intend to bring his political opponents here? Rather strange logic. Or did he think that even if there were only his supporters here, some of them would "be lucky" enough to be in the dungeons?
What's strange is something else. There were no traces of a garrison being stationed here. It felt as if before C'baoth arrived here first, and then our fighters, there had never been a garrison here. Or perhaps it was not even intended and the entire fortress, although equipped as a residence, shelter, and warehouse at the same time, became only the last... It sounds logical, considering that Palpatine had an entire planet in the Deep Core to gather his secrets and store them safely. One way or another, but it is not possible to penetrate Byss without knowledge of the local security system. And Wayland is in known space. Any accident, an error in the hyperdrive - and unwanted "discoverers" may end up on the planet.
Apparently, Palpatine decided to use Wayland as a bargaining chip for those who find this place and use it to fight the New Republic. Well, that lucky son of a bitch turned out to be me.
And here are the middle levels of the Mountain.
— The main lift connects the central "layer" of the complex to the upper levels, which are reserved for Palpatine and his dignitaries, — Mara Jade noted, pointing to several small vertical shafts that pierced the rock vertically in dozens of places. — Too small for personal turbolifts or emergency channels.
— Service lifts for droids among the service personnel, — I explained, making a note on a few shorter shafts. — But this row of turbolifts connects the middle levels, in particular, the cloning chamber, with the barracks of the garrison units.
— That is, almost a direct indication that it is soldiers who are being cloned? — Mara Jade inquired.
— I doubt that the cloning complex was ever used at full capacity, — I said. — And at the same time, an interesting fact. At the end of the Clone Wars on Coruscant's moon, Centax-2, Arkanian scientists used Spaarti cloning technology to create so-called Spaarti clones. And at the same time, according to data from the central computer, these twenty thousand cloning cylinders were delivered here by Kinman Doriana immediately after the Battle of Cartao at the height of the Clone Wars, — after checking the base commandant's report, I continued:
— The cylinders were not taken out of here. The question arises.
— What technologies did the Arkanians use to create "Spaarti clones"? — Even in the dimness of the dark hall, it was clear how tense Mara Jade's face became. — Grand Admiral, you don't mean to say that Palpatine has another couple of hundred thousand Spaarti cloning cylinders hidden somewhere?
— I didn't say that, — I had to remind the girl. — You said it. But the assumption is indeed interesting. Given the data on the cloning of Palpatine's body, it can be assumed that the cloning cylinders from Centax-2 were taken from the moon and sent to Byss. Or they were destroyed during the Separatist attack on Coruscant at the end of the Clone Wars. We can build hypotheses as much as we want. It is necessary to check whether the base on Centax-2 is functioning at the moment and whether there are secret levels there that have not been discovered so far.
— The appearance of additional Spaarti cloning cylinders will allow you to instantly increase the production of a clone army, — Mara Jade noted.
— It's too early to think about that, — I said. — At the moment, we only have sixteen thousand functioning cylinders. We start from this number. Dreaming at the moment is harmful to us.
"Or the term 'Spaarti' is not the self-designation of the cloning technology produced on the planet Cartao, but a common name for a complex of systemic approaches to cloning, characterized by the speed of growing copies of a sentient being," I thought. But I kept my thoughts to myself. For now, this is nothing more than a guess that needs to be checked. If confirmed, then it is worth tackling the development of this information closely. In the meantime, it is necessary to resolve issues with the existing cloning technology.
The funny thing is that on the plan of Mount Tantiss, the huge cave where the twenty thousand Spaarti cloning cylinders were located, twenty percent of which were still not functioning and were just ballast, also had a name. "Cloning Chamber."
It was located on the upper floor of the middle level, going deep down. A recent discovery for the base commandant was the detection of almost thirty technology storage facilities, located under unimaginable security systems. And that's where the most interesting part began... New data on cloning technologies known in the galaxy. And not just theoretical calculations, but also technologies. Actually, half of these storage facilities were occupied by the equipment of "imprit" machines, carrying out the technology of instant uploading information into the clone's mind. Actually, that is why the "Spaarti clones," according to the idea of their creators, should not be worse than the Kaminoans. But in reality... well, I have Colonel Selid for such reports. While he is getting here, it's time to study the map of the complex completely.
Several ventilation shafts and service hatches wound through the mountain, but most of them met on the middle levels of the facility in service areas. The technical zones of the mountain were incredibly vast spaces - it was here that equipment, mechanisms, weapons, and gear could be repaired. Also, to my great surprise, various laboratories and scientific stations were located here. According to documents, Colonel Selid and his subordinates assumed that these premises were used to test and improve a number of alien and exotic technologies stored at the facility. And, apparently, it was here that those very twenty percent of cloning cylinders were broken... TRYING TO REPEAT THEM!!!
I felt a trickle of sweat run down my back. Is this really possible?! I was assured that it was impossible to build new Spaarti cylinders. And in the events known to me, those that were inside Mount Tantiss were the last ones produced on Cartao before Palpatine destroyed the production plant. But... what if there were scientists and engineers working here who were able to recreate the technology? If so, then... Could the Spaarti cloning cylinders on Centax-2, operating at the end of the Clone Wars, be precisely the result of the work of scientists in these laboratories? Or were they still struggling with the madness of the clones here? Or something else besides recreating technologies? Unfortunately, the data has been removed. No, not destroyed, not erased, but specifically removed. Someone, having worked here for a certain amount of time, took their work with them and left the planet - otherwise the scanners of the Chimaera and the station, not to mention the ground patrols, would have discovered at least a hint of metal. The shuttles available in the Mountain's hangars are in preservation packaging - that is, they were left here for long-term storage. According to the records, their number matches the available one. Therefore, whoever flew here, they flew away. And if we remember what C'baoth said... Hmm... could the madman have encountered only one group of arrivals, some of whom he killed, while others managed to escape?
Or did they arrive here more than once? But again - where are the starships, landing craft?!
Questions, questions, no answers. And I really don't like questions without answers. On Earth, I was used to all the information surrounding me being neatly organized and "shelved" to trace the cause-and-effect relationship. And I would like it to be the same here. That's how I'm used to it. In addition, having complete information preceding certain events, it is always possible to build cause-and-effect relationships and calculate the reaction.
The personal domain of Emperor Palpatine crowned the complex of Mount Tantiss. The throne room was always in a state of readiness for the comfort of the Emperor, who arrived unexpectedly - and it was exclusively droids who kept things clean here. We were just in this room now. There were three ways to get here - a common turbolift, through which absolutely all visitors entered; a spare staircase or by using the Emperor's personal turbolift. Which, by the way, was not reflected in the plans at all. But physically - here it is, the real thing. But to access it, a scan of Palpatine's retina was needed - a security measure so that no one could use this passage. However, the base technicians have already solved this problem and one of my code cylinders now plays this role.
It was on this elevator that the Emperor could get into the complex of personal apartments. I can't say anything about them, because I haven't been there. But, I assume that there is definitely not just a bed "two by meter" and a couple of chairs welded to the floor. Considering that the living quarters occupied three floors at once, it only remained to guess how many sentient beings could be accommodated there... Although, it cannot be ruled out that only Palpatine should live here.
Under the residential area was Palpatine's private hangar, where, like on any other level of the complex, the Emperor could get through the second turbolift, connected to the retina scanner. Obviously, it was created primarily so that the ruler of the Galactic Empire would not mingle in the same cabin with various kinds of "servants." And if necessary, he could discreetly and separately from everyone escape through a personal hangar.
Ah... No, here are the rooms for servants and advisors - below the imperial chambers. Hmm... The offices are also located here, as well as the work area for high-ranking associates. The computers are absolutely clean, no hint that data was ever loaded into them. Therefore, no one ever worked here. This only confirms the hypothesis that no sentient beings came here.
And here's what's interesting. The upper storage facilities - part of the warehouses, access to which only Emperor Palpatine had. Carved directly into the rocky rock of the mountain, they are huge in size... and empty. Not because there was never anything here - on the contrary. It was here that Palpatine kept his collection of trophies from his victory over the Jedi - lightsabers, armor, tablets, and some trinkets of unknown purpose to me... Judging by the fact that they were previously laid out in accordance with strict codification, and there are signs of a search, it suggests that something was still taken from here. And in considerable quantities. Could these be holocrons - Sith and Jedi devices for storing an extraordinary amount of data - remains only to guess.
***
Mount Tantiss Plan.
A fascinating structure. The longer I studied its plans, the more I realized that to repeat a similar complex somewhere else, it would take billions of credits. Too bad... It's a great shame that something like this remains unattainable for me.
The light indicators of the main turbolift announced arrival at the Throne Room. Mara Jade, turning off the hologram, with a barely noticeable movement pulled a blaster pistol from her hip holster.
In vain. It's just Colonel Selid. He arrived with a report, as expected.
— Report, — I ordered.
— Sir, in the storages under the Cloning Chamber we found data and devices not only for loading data on the Spaarti cloning program, — the commandant did not start with a prelude. — By the way, there are exactly one hundred such installations and all of them are in working condition. With their help, we extract the consciousness matrix from donors and load it into cloning cylinders. At the same time, according to observations of the first batches of clones, I consider it my duty to point out that such "products" are inferior to ordinary sentient beings and, especially, to stormtroopers in combat training. To achieve optimal results, training and exercises are needed to consolidate professionalism.
— That is, in fact, by creating clones and not training them, we get almost cadets who have only theoretical knowledge that needs to be confirmed in practice? — I clarified.
— Exactly, Grand Admiral, — Colonel Selid confirmed.
Not the most pleasant information. Frankly speaking, although I knew that "Spaarti clones" were less effective, I believed that this was caused by the speed of their cloning and was completely neutralized, like "clonic" madness, with the help of ysalamiri, which do not allow the Force to influence the formation of minds and personalities of clones. However, it is not scary. Considering that I firmly intend to direct the capacity of the cloning cylinders exclusively to the creation of ship crews, whom I intend to subject to ruthless training, both on Star Destroyers and on other ships of my fleet, the conditionally expressed ailment can be overcome. Maybe. Tests will show.
— Is that all the information?
— No, sir, — the commandant smiled. — In one of the storage facilities, we found another cloning cylinder. Of Kaminoan design.
Really? How many questions and they all arise at the same time.
— Continue, — I ordered.
— In the absence of data, we assumed that there used to be something like a test site here, — the colonel said. — Someone was studying cloning technologies known in the galaxy. Spaarti and Kaminoan technology were taken as a basis and experiments were clearly conducted with them, as evidenced by the damage to the existing samples. Our technicians managed to repair the Kaminoan cylinder, however, without verification tests, we will not be able to make sure whether it is working or not. But... — the colonel hesitated. — As far as the medics who are engaged in growing clones know, it will take ten years to get a sample.
Ten years... This is exactly how long it takes for a fully functional and complete clone to grow using Kaminoan technology. Three thousand six hundred and fifty standard days. Ten times longer than it takes for basic maturation of a clone grown using Spaarti cylinder technology. Thanks to the use of ysalamiri, I managed to reduce this period to fifteen standard days. But what if...?
— Deliver the Kaminoan cloning cylinder and all the necessary documentation aboard the Chimaera, — I ordered. There is one wild idea, but... it needs to be tested in practice. And preferably in secret from the others.
And this number - ten years - didn't let me rest. I didn't even have to strain my memory - the analytical Chiss mind found the necessary information in my baggage of knowledge about this universe almost instantly.
In the events known to me, Thrawn died in the ninth year after the Battle of Yavin IV, if we take the most well-known chronology – the New Republic, which was used in the Expanded Universe. And at the same time, there was a meeting and acquaintance of the offspring of Darth Vader and the red-haired Hand of the Emperor.
In the nineteenth year after the Battle of Yavin IV, Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker, by that time almost bosom friends, moving along a "trail of crumbs", arrived from the known part of the galaxy on the planet Nirauan - the capital of the Empire of the Hand created by Thrawn in the Unknown Regions. The same one where I'm ordered to stay away at the moment because I have no knowledge of how to get there.
But the key point in this jumble of dates is different. Or rather, there are even two of them.
First.
Ten years passed between these events. Almost ten years.
Second.
On Nirauan, Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker learned from Admiral Voss Parck, whom Thrawn had left in command of the Empire of the Hand after himself, that the Grand Admiral had left a very interesting message for his subordinates in the Unknown Regions. I don't remember it verbatim, but the Chiss warned that if the Empire of the Hand ever heard that Thrawn had died, then they should expect his return in ten years. And both Jedi discovered in the dungeons of Thrawn's fortress on Nirauan... A cloning cylinder. With a copy of Thrawn inside.
Ten years. The maturation period of a clone using technology from the planet Kamino.
But I clearly remember that the last Grand Admiral of the Empire had only Spaarti cloning cylinders at his disposal. And they cope in a year - such is their production cycle. I don't recall that it would be possible to set a timer on "more" in them. The technology determines the maturation period, and not the time setting by the operator.
Ten years. A clone grown in ten years.
Could Thrawn have left his copy on Nirauan before his departure to the Empire? If so, where did he get the technology from Kamino? Were there any facts that it was taken out of this planet?!
If not, then it turns out that the Chiss in the events known to me, while commanding the fleet here, sent a Kaminoan cloning cylinder and his genetic material to Nirauan for growing his clone... And again - where did he get the cloning cylinder?! Did he fly to Kamino? Or...
Fixed thought.
One cylinder - one clone. And this is about Nirauan.
One cylinder. Here, on Wayland.
Coincidence? But why does this fact not figure in the events known to me? Is this my omission, did I not read, not learn, not understand, not remember something somewhere?
Or is this part of the universe that remained "behind the scenes" due to its insignificance?
I didn't even want to consider the possibility that I was not in the familiar Star Wars universe, but in its "alternative" version. I would rather believe that some of the information was simply forgotten by me, or was not indicated in the sources and books that I know.
One way or another, it is worth conducting one fascinating experiment. And if it succeeds, then the second one will follow.
— Judging by your meaningful expression, colonel, you have something to tell me, — I said, seeing a poorly restrained smile on the face of the commandant of Mount Tantiss.
— Yes, Grand Admiral, — he said. — There is another cloning technology.
"It seems Skywalker had a Jedi who was a representative of a race that cloned themselves," I thought. — "If memory serves, then the planet is located in the Deep Core... Selid is probably talking about it."
— Well, tell me about it, — I said. It is unlikely that the technology I was thinking about is more effective than Kaminoan. Or they would have been attracted to create the Great Army of the Republic, instead of placing the order with Kamino. Although, in favor of the latter, the fact that the production site of Rothana Heavy Machinery was located nearby also played a role...
— Sir, if I may, I will demonstrate, — only now did I notice that behind the colonel was... a stormtrooper. The simplest, unremarkable stormtrooper. With a blaster rifle slung over his shoulder, fully armored. I glanced at Mara Jade, who had tightened up, like a cat ready to pounce. Actually, I have a light body armor under my tunic, and in general, if this is an attempt on my life, then it is extremely stupid. — Stormtrooper, report in formation!
Stormtrooper THX-0297.
— Grand Admiral, sir, — the fighter took a precise step forward. — Stormtrooper THX-0297 has arrived for demonstration by order of Colonel Selid.
— Demonstration of what? — I inquired.
— Effectiveness of the GeNod cloning program, Grand Admiral, — Colonel Selid smiled. — THX-0297 - remove your helmet.
The fighter obediently took it off. Colonel Selid took a step back, lined up with the soldier and grinned smugly.
— He is perfect in every way, Grand Admiral, — the colonel said. — He possesses all my knowledge, but his personality is completely different.
— Is that so? — I clarified. Something about what this Imperial is saying I do not like at all. Like some kind of maniacal obsession...
— Exactly, — the colonel smiled smugly. — I found information that it was with the help of this equipment that the consciousness of a Dark Jedi, known as Joruus C'baoth, was created. Considering that you ordered to use sample B-2332-54 to create a special clone for today's arrival, — the turbolift behind the colonel again dissolved its doors, letting another figure inside. But this time it was dressed in a dark robe, the hood of which hid its face. But I didn't even need to look into this twilight. I knew what face I would see there.
— Colonel, — I said as calmly as possible. — Did you use the personality matrix of Joruus C'baoth on object B-2332-54?
— The simplest way to prove to you how effective the GeNod program is, — the colonel smiled. — Clones can be created in fifteen days using Spaarti technology, and brains can be washed using the GeNod personality matrix program. They will be identical in appearance, but completely different...
The hiss of a lightsaber blade piercing the back and chest of the commandant of Mount Tantiss. A scarlet lightsaber, like arterial blood, with one movement cut Selid in half. The parts of the self-satisfied colonel collapsed onto the polished floor.
The stormtrooper, jumping forward, moved out of the way of the new clone's blow, opening accurate fire at him from his blaster, hiding behind the console from the reflected scarlet rays... Mara Jade began to drop the cage with ysalamiri from her back, taking out a lightsaber hilt from a hidden pocket of her tunic on the go.
Well, and I... And I looked at Luke Skywalker, who had thrown off his hood.
And I saw in his eyes only the madness of Joruus C'baoth.