Nine years, seven months, and three days after the Battle of Yavin...
Or forty-four years, seven months, and three days after the Great Resynchronization.
If he previously thought that patrolling the Chasin system was humiliating, today he realized that Grand Admiral Thrawn's cunning simply knew no bounds.
Atoa sector, Hoth system, quadrant K-18.
A lone Strike-class medium cruiser named Striking, frozen in orbit around a world forgotten by all, called Hoth...
Akrey Dobramu barely restrained his irritation with what was happening.
"What is even going on?! What does this Hutt non-human think he's doing?! Why should he, the commander of a warship, have to fly halfway across the galaxy so that fleet intelligence can rummage through the innards of a long-abandoned rebel base?!"
— Ground teams have discovered an abandoned Rebel base, — the first mate reported. — They are beginning to drill an entrance...
— I don't care what they're doing there, — Akrey said sharply. — Let them rummage around in their Hutt glaciers as much as they want!
Despite the fact that he almost switched to Corellian cursing, the first mate did not react to his commander's outburst of anger. They — from the first mate to the last youngling — understood Dobramu's feelings.
While the rest of the fleet is striking at enemy bases, they have to waste time here, digging through what the Rebels left behind anyway. Who even needs these ruins?! Even Darth Vader didn't bother to rummage in this glacier when he drove the Rebels out of their notorious Echo Base many years ago. And Thrawn decided he was smarter than everyone else and that there was something here?! Three times "ha"! Everything has long been plundered by marauders, smugglers, and other scum. They are only wasting time! It was long overdue to see and understand that the Striking and its crew are nothing more than errand boys for Thrawn!
"Nothing," Akrey thought to himself. "The Emperor's Envoy promised that the alien's tyranny would not last longer than necessary! You just need to understand what exactly he planned, report it to Solusar, and wait for an invitation to Byss to stand under the banner of the Reborn Emperor Palpatine and proceed in a victorious march through the galaxy, destroying the Rebel scum. And then every other world will want to become Imperial again! Kam Solusar said that the Emperor has a big plan, which means victory is guaranteed! The Emperor is wise and understands that this galaxy needs not endless courtesies, but a strong will sitting on the throne!"
Maybe in the past, the Empire made mistakes, sparing certain aliens, but now... We need to burn every rebellious planet to the ground, and then the rest of the non-humans will understand exactly who rules the galaxy!
Everyone who has raised a weapon against the Galactic Empire will be destroyed, and the surviving non-combatants will become no more than slaves — what they are supposed to be under the New Order!
Satisfied with his thoughts, the Commander looked at the crew members occupied with their affairs, occupying the bridge.
Grand Admiral Thrawn did not inform him of what intelligence needed in the bowels of the long-abandoned rebel base. Well, that's his business. There's nothing interesting there anyway...
Despite the fact that he was not tempted to play the role of an ordinary carrier, the Commander kept his opinion to himself. To be honest, he hoped that in fact the rebels would continue to use Echo Base and his crew would have a good "warm-up", trampling them into the snow.
It didn't work out... And the young Commander of the ship was even more angry about it.
The question is, why did he study the archives to better understand what exactly he would have to fight? Why did he waste time that he could have spent with much greater benefit, for example, talking with Thrawn's scouts and getting information from them?!
Akrey felt himself overflowing with irritation. Hutt alien, how many humiliations should Dobramu endure from his actions?! Not only does he keep him in the backwoods of the galaxy, but some of the members of his ship's crew have been arrested!
Akrey did not know where the special services had sent them. He tried to talk to this Captain Steben, but he only brushed him aside, emphasizing that everything was done by order of Thrawn himself, which means that it was not subject to discussion...
That cursed alien has too high an opinion of himself! Who even gives him the right to arrest crew members?! Let him be glad that anyone even serves him!
His soul was warmed only by the realization that Grand Admiral Thrawn's song would soon be sung. Soon Akrey will exchange the bridge of this disgusting Star Destroyer for the bridge of something better, bigger, and many times more armed.
Kam Solusar promised him... It is only necessary to find something valuable in Thrawn's plans that will be useful to the Reborn Emperor to destroy the arrogant traitor.
And the fact that Thrawn is a traitor, after talking to Solusar, Akrey had no major doubts. According to the Emperor's henchmen, the Grand Admiral has started a double game, which is aimed at destroying the foundations of the New Order. Unheard-of audacity!
For which a separate torture chamber has been prepared for Thrawn in the residence of Emperor Palpatine...
Very soon, this alien will experience on his own skin what it is like to be a second-class creature...
Only a few months left...
***
Attacking the fourth planet from the star in the Ottega system, located in the eponymous sector of quadrant M-6, seemed pointless. After all, everyone in the galaxy knows that the sapient beings living here are peace-loving, love nature, admire the beauty of their trees and settlements, but not everything is as clear as it seems.
Ithor is one of the oldest members of the Old Republic. It really is beautiful here. This world is full of lush, flowering plant life, and thanks to the view from space, you can say that there is no hint of cities, industrialization, or other steps of the technological process on the land areas of this planet.
Planet Ithor.
According to records from the database obtained on Obroa-skai, I know that the Ithorians live in huge floating cities. The local population, which numbers nearly two billion sentients, strive not to harm the environment. This is part of their religion, which they have adhered to for more than eight thousand years. Amazing perseverance.
The Ithorians forbid guests of the planet from descending to the surface of the planet. There were exceptions to this rule. As always, but they didn't interest me.
I was much more concerned about the two Mon Calamari star cruisers, which had rearranged themselves into a defensive formation to contain the power advancing on them from Chimaera, Nemesis, Bellicose, and Mortem, moving with the support of four CR90 corvettes and four Strike-class medium cruisers.
And looking at how the local squadron is trying to form a barrier from its starfighters, putting a total of six squadrons against our fighters and interceptors, I had only one question.
— They're insane! — Pellaeon said, voicing the thought that had appeared in my head. — From the Star Destroyers alone, we are able to field twenty squadrons of fighters and interceptors, and from the cruisers — another twelve. In terms of total power, we surpass them... And they started the fight without even demanding that we get out of the system!
— Would you have withdrawn, Captain, if they had asked us to? — I asked.
— No, of course not, sir, but... — Pellaeon hesitated. — It's idiocy!
— These are Mon Calamari, — I corrected, although the assertion of the commander of my flagship Star Destroyer was not far from the truth. — They are famous for their inertness of thinking and their desire to support doomed and unrealizable ideas. Resisting the Empire, even when in the minority, is their national sport.
— Are you joking, sir? — Pellaeon frowned.
— Remember the battle for the Hothdocking yards, Captain, — I said.
— That's right, — the commander of the Chimaera sighed. — Well, I thought everything would be limited to destroying their orbital station...
— As you can see, Captain Schneider did not cope with it before our arrival. — I said, examining the icon of a massive defensive structure protecting the sleep of the locals on the tactical screen. So much so that even two squadrons of fighters, which make up the air wing of the Golan-I station, did not deign to join the battle. And the distance of two hundred units between the station and the fighting starships did not allow the gunners of the orbital fortification to join the attack. However, judging by the maneuvers of the New Republic starships, they do not mind tearing apart the hemisphere of the formation built by Captain Schneider, breaking out of the trap and retreating under the protection of the Golan.
— Permission to report to the Grand Admiral, Captain Pellaeon? — Lieutenant Tschel asked briskly, approaching.
Gilad, judging by the quiet cursing, almost choked on his own reply. How many months has he been tormenting the young officer to make him comply with the letter of the Charter? At least three months. How much time has passed since that conversation here, on the bridge of the Chimaera? Less than a day.
The result, as they say, is obvious.
— Report, — Gilad said between coughs, turning away.
— Grand Admiral, sir, Nemesis is on the line. Captain Schneider asks the Chimaera to support him with fire and cut off enemy ships from a possible retreat, — Lieutenant Tschel reported.
— We need to help, — Pellaeon said, clearing his throat, returning to his original position to my right. — Sir, — he added after a split second.
— Move the Chimaera to point three-seven-nine, — I said, leaning forward slightly, which the ysalamiri dozing on my lap didn't particularly like. The animal, giving me a disgruntled look, moved slightly. — Inform the commander of the Nemesis of our course and refusal of the request.
— Yes, sir, — Tschel replied, striding towards the "pits".
— Sir, — Pellaeon said quietly. — But in this case, the enemy has the opportunity to get out of the trap. At this point, the Chimaera is capable of carrying out a perfect landing, but will not be able to block the retreat of enemy starships.
— Von Schneider has three Star Destroyers, five medium cruisers, three Corellian corvettes under his operational control, — I listed. — Against him are two Mon Calamari star cruisers and six squadrons of small aircraft. If he is not able to cope with an enemy that is numerically and qualitatively inferior to him, he does not belong on the bridge of a Star Destroyer. At least under my command.
— I understand, sir, — Pellaeon said.
Despite their peace-loving nature, the Ithorians were extremely not fond of the Galactic Empire and everything associated with it. They cannot be blamed for this — shortly before the Battle of Yavin IV, Ithor was besieged by the Imperial fleet. The reason is simple — for nineteen years Palpatine ignored the fact that the Ithorians are the owners of some of the best agricultural technologies. And then they realized that they could use their knowledge for military purposes. The Imperial officer threatened to destroy the Ithorian forests, consisting of semi-intelligent plants, in case of disagreement with the ultimatum. The crisis was resolved thanks to a local resident, an Ithorian, who traded the planet's security in exchange for the disclosure of Ithorian secrets.
After the defeat at Yavin, the Imperials repeated the attack, but its meaning escaped me — at least there was no data in the Imperial archives. But the position of the Ithorian senator in the Imperial Court of the New Republic is very prosaic — to wage war against the Imperial Remnant until the threat from the Imperials ceases to be such. Amazing militarism on the part of such a peace-loving race...
Well, I have no desire to negotiate with them. Aggressive rhetoric leads to aggressive reflexes.
My own reason for attacking Ithor is very prosaic — the New Republic was beating itself on the chest, saying that it was able to protect any member of its state. The peace-loving Ithorians were under the protection of a reinforced squadron of the New Republic.
The truth is that at the moment they are trying to repel attacks on numerous New Republic bases in nearby quadrants. Strikes against other, seemingly insignificant bases also have their own goals, leading to the finale of Operation Crimson Dawn.
But first of all, I need to understand whether Von Schneider is another candidate for promotion, and whether he can command a battle group.
Or the Chimaera will still have to join the battle, because...
— Grand Admiral, sir, — Pellaeon said hastily, hearing the reports. — The Bellicose has lost its deflector shield generators, the enemy has disabled one of the medium cruisers and is trying to break out of the trap.
— Landing barges dropped? — I clarified.
— Affirmative, sir, — Gilad replied. — Send fighters to intercept? If we don't destroy them, we'll at least delay them...
— Don't be petty, Captain, — I said. — The Chimaera is joining the battle. Activate the Reckoning transponder. The rest of the fleet to keep the identification system deactivated. Release the air wing completely, and then batten down the hatches with armored shutters. Equip TIE bombers with proton torpedoes. Move the corvette from the lower hemisphere to the upper one. Increase the speed of the Star Destroyer to maximum and go to intercept both enemy starships. Inform Captain Schneider of my dissatisfaction with his actions. Now his task is not to let the enemy escape.
***
Once the main entrances to the rebel Echo Base were two large bay doors located at the northern and southern ends of the mountain range. But after the base was visited by the stormtroopers of the 501st Legion of Darth Vader, little resembled the fact that there was once a well-organized enemy base here.
Watching the stormtroopers cut massive blocks of ice with industrial lasers, Captain Steben looked back, looking at the large hollow space behind him. The hangar was one of the first segments of Echo Base built by the rebels to ensure a constant flow of resources. The outer defenses of the facility once included trenches to protect the perimeter, stationary infantry defenses, vehicle firing points, the V-150 Planetary Defender ion cannon, the planetary communications unit, and the planetary deflector shield... Now little of this remains — the trenches were covered with snow, the fire support facilities were destroyed by walkers and stormtroopers during the attack on the base by Darth Vader...
But somewhere here, inside the thickness of ice and snow, the medical facility and the command center were still untouched.
Steben was familiar with the brief report of the Imperials who examined the base after the rebels had left it. At its peak, the base housed seven and a half thousand sentients of combat and command personnel, three hundred and fifty medical personnel, and a large number of droids. According to estimates by Imperial investigators, the hangar alone could simultaneously accommodate at least thirty GR-75 medium transports and five full-fledged squadrons of enemy starfighters, not to mention numerous snowspeeders and other rebel equipment.
You cannot deny the enemy's ingenuity — due to the low temperatures of the area, they used local animals — tauntauns to patrol the perimeter of the base during blizzards and other unfavorable weather conditions. The Imperials would never have acted in this way — they would have used exclusively frost-resistant and expensive equipment to fight in comfort.
Echo Base.
Stormtrooper scout groups have already discovered several observation posts that the rebels placed around the perimeter of the base — long-term firing points for early warning of the main base. Judging by the fact that there was nothing left in most of them that could be studied, they did not help much in the defense.
Much more interesting was the V-150 ion cannon, which, to the great surprise of the technical intelligence fighters, turned out to be not simply not destroyed or disabled, but also in good technical condition — despite the years of its stay in permafrost. Of course, significant repairs will have to be carried out, but the Grand Admiral turned out to be right — the Empire did not even bother to burn everything behind it that could be used by the enemy again. After all, no one even thought about the fact that one way or another the rebels could return here to clean up after themselves and reuse what was preserved.
— Captain Steben, sir, — a voice in the earpiece said, belonging to the commander of the team of technicians providing reconnaissance of the ion cannon bunker. — There is preliminary data regarding the Planetary Defender.
— I'm listening, — the scout stepped aside so that the sound of the operating laser would not interfere with the negotiations.
— As I said, the cannon itself is in conditionally good condition, — the commander of the technical reconnaissance group continued. — Target designation and tracking systems are damaged, but the Panel Defender is capable of firing in manual aiming. A little repair, and the weapon will be able to perform the tasks assigned to it.
— Is this despite the fact that the generators were destroyed? — Steben clarified.
— And this is the most interesting thing, sir, — the Imperial said on the other side of the comlink. — The reactor powering the ion cannon is not damaged.
— How is that? — the scout frowned. — According to reports, the generators were destroyed during the landing of the 501st Legion!
— Apparently, they were directly responsible for the operation of the deflector field, — the technician suggested. — But the high-power ship reactor that powered this cannon is intact. We found traces of an attempt to self-destruct the gun — the rebels wanted to apply power from the reactor and blow up a good piece of the mountain. But due to the excess power, the energy-conducting buses short-circuited and the sabotage failed. I concluded that the cannon was powered by excessive power, as a result of which the wiring failed. Something similar was reported during the Battle of the Hast yards from aboard the Dragon. Conflict of cannon and reactor systems.
— Really? — Steben almost whistled. — It turns out that the rebels used Imperial technology as an energy source?
— It looks like it, but not quite. My technicians went down the shaft to the reactor, sir, — the scout said. — Apparently, this is the main ship installation that was installed on Secutor-class or Questor-class Star Destroyers. The marking of some parts indicates that this energy source was built quite a long time ago — at least twenty years ago, or even in the last years of the Old Republic. It seems that someone with a great desire to blow up decided that burying such an energy source at a depth of one kilometer in permafrost would be a good solution. But that's not the case...
— Is it possible to extract the reactor? — Steben asked.
— Theoretically — yes, — the technician agreed. — Practically... Too difficult. I would suggest disassembling the installation on the spot and moving it to the ship along with the active zone of the reactor. And already at the shipyard give the equipment to mechanics for repair.
— That's what we'll do, — Steben decided. — I'll send you additional groups.
— Affirmative, sir.
After making several orders, the scout noticed with relief that the passage into the bowels of the base was completed. Squads of stormtroopers in winter gear were quickly moving through the corridors, checking the remnants of the base for traps.
Judging by the reports pouring in from different ends of the structure, the base was clearly trying to be blown up with mines. However, this only led to the collapse of passages and floors, but a significant part of the premises remained untouched. As well as the contents in them — equipment, gear, small arms...
Including...
— This is just a holiday, — Captain Steben smiled grimly, seeing a spacious room clearly for command purposes, filled with snow-covered computer panels. It took a long half hour to clear the snowdrifts to get here. But the game was clearly worth the candle.
— Up to ninety percent of the computer core has survived, — one of the technicians reported half an hour later. — We have carried out service work, connected an autonomous power source... Sir, we have a complete database about the enemy at the time of their evacuation from Echo Base.
— Excellent work, — the scout grinned. — Report to the Chimaera that the tasks set by the Grand Admiral at the Glacier facility have been completed. Although... — the man paused. Meeting the eyes of the nearest commander of the technical group, he said:
— I saw several broken AT-ATs around the base. — Examine them while the others work inside the facility. If they can be repaired, we'll take them with us, if not, disassemble them for parts and blow them up. When we finish, mine the base. Anyone who sticks their nose in here after us should pay dearly for it. And yes, make sure that the traps work as long as possible in this climate...
***
In the events known to me, Grand Admiral Thrawn used a variant of the maneuver known as the Marg Sabl to defeat a New Republic force during his information raid on Obroa-skai.
The essence of this technique, which I studied to the point of ridicule, is simple.
A ship or many ships performing this maneuver approached the enemy starship at high speed. Which is what the Chimaera was doing now.
The distance between the three ships was rapidly decreasing to the distance of confident destruction. I practically felt the nervousness of Pellaeon, who perfectly understood that even two Mon Calamari star cruisers, even if battered in battle, were a very serious opponent for a lone Imperial Star Destroyer, even a "two".
— Distance between us and the Golan? — I asked.
— Eighty units, sir, — Pellaeon said, receiving reference information from "pits". — Between the Besh squadron and the enemy cruisers — sixty units...
— As is between us and the enemy, — I finished the phrase for him. — Maintain this speed up to forty units. Move the air wing to the upper hemisphere. Ships under the command of Captain Schneider to move at the same speed, half of the cruising speed. When the specified distance is reached, reduce the speed of the Chimaera by half and work out with the maneuvering engines of the starboard side, place my flagship against the vector of movement of the enemy.
— Affirmative, sir, — Pellaeon said. After a pause, he asked:
— Sir, you don't hope that the enemy will fall for such a textbook tactic as the Marg Sabl?
— I am sure that they will regard our maneuver in exactly the same way as you, Captain, — I said. — Since you with your experience have decided so, then the Mon Calamari has no chance to recognize the upcoming changes.
— Are you sure that the enemy ships are commanded by Mon Calamari? — Pellaeon frowned.
— In this galaxy, there are not so many races whose hatred of the Empire is so impressive that they will recklessly rush at the superior forces of the Empire and fight until they realize the complete inability to resist obvious problems. Which we are now, in fact, able to observe.
— Yes, sir, — Pellaeon echoed.
Meanwhile, the battle was unfolding according to the designated scenario.
Approaching both ships to a distance of sixty units, watering the enemy's deflector shields from the onboard artillery, the Chimaera, sharply changing the vector of its movement, began to rotate, simultaneously tilting to the starboard side so that in the end it would show the enemy its armored belly. I have no doubt that the Mon Calamari, whose tactical skills I never intended to belittle (like all my other opponents), were shaking with laughter, thinking what an idiot the Imperial commander was, who decided to use the maneuver invented during the Clone Wars, the purpose of which is to protect the superstructure and the main hangar of the Venator-class Star Destroyer on an Imperial Star Destroyer, both hangars of which — cargo and combat — were just in the bottom and now should have become the first targets for attacks by artillerymen of both ships. I literally felt the disappointment they experienced when they saw that at least someone from the Imperials on the Star Destroyers remembered the armored shutters protecting the hangars. And now the enemy, instead of an easy victory by creating a series of internal explosions when the hangars are hit, only had to try to break through the deflector shields of the lower hemisphere of the Chimaera, and then — not such a fragile hull.
— Reduce the power of the deflector in the upper hemisphere and transfer the released power to the opposite projectors, — I ordered. — Use an additional generator to power the lower hemisphere.
— Yes, sir! — it seems Pellaeon understood that now the bottom of the Chimaera is the most protected place on the ship. And at the same time — one of the most defenseless due to the absence of artillery there. Well, shipbuilder Ryan Zion promised to solve this problem. Let's see what he gets.
The Marg Sabl allowed him to protect his carrier groups during an attack. Then these fighters were built and, covered by the ship's hull, made a flank maneuver to attack enemy ships; if the enemy commander does not know about the maneuver, his fighters and point defenses will not be able to react in time.
But the Mon Calamari knows about this. They know it perfectly well.
Watching the six dozen enemy starfighters rearrange in front of their starships in order to react to the alleged flank strike of the Chimaera air group, I just smiled.
— Captain, move our fighters to the starboard side of the destroyer so that the enemy sees them. Place the bombers and the corvette above the conning tower, and concentrate the interceptors in the bow hemisphere.
— Y-yes, sir, — there was uncertainty in Pellaeon's voice.
Looking at the tactical screen with the Star Destroyer's weapon map in the corner, I noted with satisfaction that every battery of the Chimaera was still intact. Excellent. So, during the convergence, the enemy did not manage to cause us any significant damage.
— Sir, the distance is decreasing to thirty units, — Pellaeon said, holding his breath. I am sure that now he is wondering why he is demonstrating the direction of the attack with fighters...
— All three squadrons of fighters — attack the enemy on the flank in the projection of the starboard side, — I ordered.
— Yes... Distance is fifteen units! — the tactical screen changed the disposition of the enemy fighters, who collectively pounced on the TIE fighters of the Chimaera with the clear intention of tearing them to pieces.
— Start rotating the destroyer with the bow towards the left Star Cruiser, Captain, — I ordered, watching both enemy starships remain without air cover. Excellent, their pilots have not yet understood what's what. — Do it so that the nozzles of our engines remain out of reach for the artillerymen of the right Star Cruiser.
— Affirmative, sir...
— And open enfilade fire, Captain, — I ordered. — Maximum power.
Noticing how streams of green energy fell on the barely appeared bow of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, I noted with satisfaction that the manufacturer of the turbolasers that equip the Chimaera and other Star Destroyers was obviously honest. At maximum power, green arrows of energy could really briefly break a hole in the enemy's deflectors at short distances. And now the snow-white and gray hull of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser was covered with black burns, blue lightning of ion charges was snaking along the hull, and every now and then the plating could not withstand such intensity, blooming with explosions and turning twisted pieces of metal and equipment into space.
— Interceptors to strike the enemy squadrons on the flank, — I ordered, seeing supernovas forming on the board and "wings" of the Star Cruiser caught in the dagger fire of the Chimaera's turbolasers. — The Corellian corvette to carry out a mirrored attack.
Twenty-four nimble interceptors, bypassing the bow of the destroyer, unleashed their fire on the cruisers who tried to rush to the aid of their comrades in distress... But it was already too late. A corvette slipped out from the opposite side, which instantly reversed the situation with the fire of its guns, finally closing the fire sack for the enemy's small aircraft.
But my goal was different.
A "two" is a ship of the line, created not just to fight, but to destroy enemy spacecraft. A large number of turbolasers, continuously tormenting the enemy ship, is a green hell that evaporates, breaks through armor and metal ceilings, destroys the ship's personnel, causes internal explosions. The hangars of the Star Cruiser, which are open for rotation and not protected by a deflector shield or armored shutters, have been turned into a source of fire and continuous explosions tormenting the ship from the inside. The left side and its guns have been turned into molten pieces of metal and blackened borders of holes, through which the atmosphere of the Star Cruiser is breaking out.
— Bombers to attack the Star Cruiser passing behind us, — I ordered, checking the tactical monitor and noting that while we were performing the maneuver known as "deck ripping" (although it was performed quite differently, and therefore I masked it as the classic Marg Sabl), the second ship tried to slip under our stern...
But even this was a pre-prepared trap.
— Start aligning the ship, — I ordered Pellaeon. — Give the Chimaera a lateral acceleration from the left side, without stopping firing at targets from all guns.
My flagship, gradually adopting a "horizontal" position, connected all the starboard artillery of the left side to the shelling of the enemy starship, parallel to which was the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser subjected to "deck ripping". It was terrible to look at the latter, given that its side facing the Chimaera was already actually a molten and riddled piece of metal, more like a termite-eaten fragment of wood.
This ship no longer posed a big threat to us.
But the second one...
Bombers that had worked over its stern left no space untouched after their strike, which the enemy simply couldn't repel due to their lack of air support. It seemed as if the star cruiser's stern had simply evaporated. A dozen proton torpedoes are indeed terrifying, even for a large warship.
Looking at what a relatively combat-capable ship had turned into, whose aft section now more resembled a piece of plasticine that had survived an encounter with an open flame, generously seasoned with a trail of debris of varying degrees of mangling and size, I thought that the crew of the Lusankya had done absolutely the right thing during the Battle of Thyferra by surrendering to the New Republic. Devoid of deflector shields, uncontrollable, with damaged engines, a nineteen-kilometer Super Star Destroyer slowly drifting into the planetary gravity zone under the sights of hundreds of proton torpedo launchers... Yes, in such a situation, if the goal is to save your life, then surrender is quite a suitable option for the development of events.
Hmm... But how did the New Republic prevent the Lusankya from crashing if the ship was falling towards the planet?
Most likely, they used tractor beams from nearby ships and moved it from its path, raising it to a high orbit, where the force of planetary attraction is many times less and clearly insufficient to drop the ship onto the surface of Tyferra. After all, in a vacuum, the size and mass of an object are not of great importance for giving it acceleration. Small port tugs perfectly manage large starships with the help of just one or two tractor beam installations... Our (and not only our) evacuation shuttles operate on the same principle, delivering damaged ships back to their bases... They simply drag them through airless space from one place to another. Like in that toy claw arcade game.
— Both enemy ships are sending a distress signal and reporting that they are surrendering, — Captain Pellaeon said, having listened to Lieutenant Tschel's report, made in a whisper "in his ear." — We are detecting multiple launches of escape pods and escape craft. They are not showing hostility. Only three pilots in shot-down machines survived from all enemy shipboard squadrons. I have already sent evacuation ships for them.
— Collect the escape pods and downed pilots. Place the prisoners on the Nemesis and Mortem, Captain, — I ordered. — Inform both ships that their crews are given exactly five minutes to leave their starships. Otherwise, they will regret their decision to remain aboard the doomed vessels.
— Is it wise to engage in boarding now, sir? — Pellaeon asked cautiously. — We have a battle with the Golan station ahead. The enemy crews on board our ships may try to sabotage the starships or try to interfere with us in some way...
Turning my head, I looked at the commander of my flagship with a questioning gaze.
— I had no intention of boarding, Captain Pellaeon, — the graying man's eyebrows rose. — And I am not going to fight with the Golan I-class space station either. Bring the Chimaera closer to the nearest star cruiser, and in exactly five minutes, activate the tractor beams, and then set the trajectory...
Having listened to the instructions to the end, the commander of the Chimaera smirked:
— The New Republic will remember this day for a long time.
— And the Ithorians even more so, — I said. — Recall our landing teams from the surface. They have clearly completed their task there.
***
In the eponymous system of the Githrop Sector is located the planet Edan II.
A world unremarkable due to the icy wastelands covering its surface.
And yet there are sentients here — settlements were clearly visible on the scanning data that Captain Erik Shohashi of the Imperial Star Destroyer Commanding was currently looking at.
But his ship arrived here not at all to raze the habitats of the locals to the ground.
The Commanding was moving in geostationary orbit, setting a combat course to destroy a New Republic base. This was its purpose for being in the Edan system.
— Target locked, — the chief gunner reported. — We will reach the distance of confident destruction in two minutes.
— Does the enemy know about us? — Erik asked, running his thumb over a photograph of a young and beautiful woman, fixed on the inside of his pocket chronometer.
— Affirmative, sir, — the first mate replied. — They are not showing activity yet.
— Launch fighters and interceptors, — he ordered. — Provide protection for the Commanding. As soon as we reach the firing range, activate the Star Destroyer's transponder.
— Sir, this will unmask us, — the communications specialist reminded him.
— This will primarily make it clear to the command of the New Republic base on Edan II who exactly has come for them, — Erik said with grim satisfaction, snapping the chronometer shut and putting it back into his tunic pocket.
— Affirmative, sir, — came the reply.
Erik peered into the deathly pallor of the surface of Edan II, mentally running through Grand Admiral Thrawn's orders. To indicate his presence during the assault on the base and allow the enemy to contact the nearest fortress planet... Tactics standard for raids conducted by the Grand Admiral, but for what reason did Thrawn order him to activate the transponder? Moreover, not a fake one, but a real one. Did he decide to play on the fact that the New Republic base on Edan II is commanded by an old acquaintance of Shohashi? Does he hope that the "glory" of the "Butcher of Atoan" will force the enemy to surrender? No, this option is not rational, since the rebels on the planet will prefer to die sooner than fall into his hands. But then what is Thrawn trying to achieve by indicating that the attack on Edan II is being carried out directly by Shohashi himself, and not by an "unknown Imperial Star Destroyer"?!
— Captain, the enemy has detected us, identified us, and is sending a signal for help, — the communications officer said. — The New Republic base on Brentaal IV has responded. Four Mon Calamari star cruisers and a cruiser-trawler have been dispatched to us.
— What an interesting reaction, — Shohashi chuckled. — Inform the crew about this. The New Republic has appreciated us. The order remains the same — to erase the base from the face of the planet.
— We are detecting a transmission from the surface, — the communications officer reported.
— Where did they decide to complain about their doomed situation at the moment? — Erik frowned.
— To us, sir, — was the answer.
The right eyebrow involuntarily shot up, expressing the Alderaanian's surprise.
— Are there any coded messages in the transmissions?
— None at all, sir.
— Open a comm channel to the surface, — Erik ordered. — Transfer the call to the holoterminal.
A moment later, a white and blue figure of a man, devoid of hair on his head and dressed in the uniform of a New Republic general, appeared to his left.
— The "Butcher" continues his bloody work, — instead of a greeting, the enemy leader said.
— General Tyr Taskeen, — Erik's lips involuntarily spread into a predatory smile. — And I've been wondering when the person responsible for the bloody massacre in the Imperial Palace would crawl out of his hole.
— You are not one to reproach me for anything, Shohashi, — the image of the hologram's face twitched, as if it had been slapped. And the quality of communication had nothing to do with it... This man was clearly hurt by the fact that his "pranks" on the total purge of Emperor Palpatine's residence had become known outside the New Republic's high command. — I see you are still hunting for your compatriots.
— Two enemy fighter squadrons are taking off from the surface, — reported from the left "pit". — X-wings and Razor fighters.
— Send three squadrons of fighters to intercept them, — Shohashi ordered, watching as
— Sir, should we begin bombardment? — the chief gunner asked quietly.
— Hold off, Lieutenant, — Erik said, continuing to watch the hologram of his compatriot.
He gestured to the datapad in the hands of a subordinate. The latter, instantly orienting himself, handed the device to the commander. Shohashi's fingers ran across the keyboard, while he continued to observe the behavior of his opponent.
— The career didn't turn out the way it should have, did it, General? — he asked, returning the datapad with the order written on the screen to the subordinate: "Send an interceptor squadron to the far side of Edan II. Begin broadcasting on an open channel." — The hero who stormed the Imperial Palace ended up in the backwoods of the galaxy and is now, like a boarding school girl, begging for help from a former Imperial planet?
— I am here because such is the order of command, — the general replied. — You better surrender, Shohashi. The times of the Empire are behind us. I promise, if you bring your Star Destroyer to a New Republic port and surrender, then you and your crew will be guaranteed a pardon. I will personally secure it for you.
— You won't be able to achieve anything anymore, General, — Erik told him, looking Tyr Taskeen in the eye with cold fury. — Even in such a trifle, you remain what you were — a liar.
— I told you the pure truth, Erik, — the New Republic general shook his head. — Surrender yourself and hand over control of the Star Destroyer to us, and I, as well as two hundred Alderaanian fighters under my command, will petition the New Republic government for your pardon. This is an exclusive offer.
— And as I heard, Imperials do not need to look for intercessors among the New Republic command, — Erik noted coldly. — You can disarm and get an indulgence for all committed crimes. Why do I need you, General?
— You have too many sins against the people of Alderaan, Shohashi, — General Taskeen shook his head. — No one believes that you can come to your senses and understand the fallacy of the Empire's path. After all, you have already basically lost... Everything that is happening now is no more than convulsions of a headless body. Only the intercession of surviving Alderaanians can save your life and the lives of your crew. Yes, Sith take it, Erik! — the general raised his voice. — I am the only one of the Alderaanians who even believes in your redemption! No one else and never again from your own countrymen will even try to intercede for you before the tribunal!
— You are mistaken here, General, — Erik said quietly, leaning on his cane and feeling the edges of the precious stone dig into his palm. He looked at his subordinates — the only crew in the entire fleet that was not affected by the counterintelligence purges. And the bridge watch was looking at him, ready to support him in a single impulse. — I have already realized the fallacy of the Empire's path...
— Then you need to surrender! — Tyr said hotly. — Right now, before it's too late! I will personally board your ship, and we will agree on everything!
— Then fly over, General, — Erik smiled. — After all, you are already in a transport shuttle — this is evident from the communication problems. And your people are also on ships. And, if I'm not mistaken... — he glanced at the tactical monitor. — Three GR-75 transports? Really, General. It was foolish of you to try to talk me over. I am not seeking forgiveness — I am true to my oath. As are those twelve pilots who will open fire to kill on your ships in a minute if you do not turn off the engines and go adrift.
— What?! — the general's gaze darted to the sides. — Interceptors! Sith take it, Shohashi, but how?!
— Brains, General, — Erik explained. — They are needed to think with them. To study your enemy. Each of those you may encounter. I have studied you and other Alderaanian commanders. And I know that you would never leave your base without an early warning system. As soon as you decided to sweet-talk me, I realized that you are already evacuating the base in the direction opposite to the attack vector. It seems that this is what you so diligently taught the cadets on Alderaan? Distraction?
— Used my own strategy against me, — the Alderaanian general snarled.
— I give you a choice, — Shohashi said. — In ten seconds, my pilots and yours will engage in combat. If they do not surrender by this point, they will die. You probably know how effective my crew is, so there is no need to build illusions. The choice is yours, General — to throw your pilots to the slaughter and try to save yourself with a load of secret data from the base, or to order them to surrender and save the lives of subordinates.
— Do you want to personally shed the blood of Alderaanians under my command? — General Taskeen asked sarcastically. — Shohashi, you are a completely insane bastard, the only one of all the Imperials who pisses me off! I'd rather blow up my ship than fall into your hands!
— Really now, — Erik smirked. — But Princess Organa was not so categorical in her judgment when I boarded the Verity in the Milagro system several weeks ago.
— So it was you, — the enemy general began to boil over.
— Me, — Erik confirmed. — With minimal losses, I captured the last representative of House Organa, an Imperial Star Destroyer, and one and a half billion credits from your state... A wonderful gift, I must say. And I offer it to you and your subordinates — life and comfortable captivity, instead of certain death in an unequal battle, into which you were thrown by the New Republic officials, who did not even bother to ensure that help could arrive at your bases in time.
— I will not surrender to you, Shohashi! — General Taskeen said confidently, momentarily averting his gaze from the Imperial officer. — My people are elite pilots from the Fourth Fleet! They are the best in their business and will fight to the last! We will all die, but we will not surrender...
Erik looked at the transport shuttle that flashed past the Commanding's nose, rushing towards the targets on the edge of geostationary orbit. From here, they seemed like tiny drifting dots... Which were being held in the sights by a Corellian corvette and most of the air wing of the Imperial Star Destroyer.
— At least twenty-four Alderaanians have chosen life, General, — Shohashi smiled. — Apparently, your speech about fighting to the death impressed them as little as your attempt to return to Coruscant, bringing me, my crew, and my starship as prisoners. A pathetic parody of tactics, General Taskeen.
— You will burn in hell, Shohashi! — the Alderaanian general threw out furiously.
— I am already burning in it, — Erik said calmly. — Every day of my life... Battery deck — destroy the enemy base. Interceptor squadron — destroy the engines and life support systems of the enemy cargo ships. As soon as we finish with the base, we will take with us those who survive this time without heat and oxygen on board these Rebel tubs. I hope, — he smiled in the face of the Alderaanian general, — you will have the courage, Tyr, to shoot yourself before I get to you and give you to be torn apart by those Alderaanians whom you ordered to fight to the last for your own salvation.
With a furious cry, Tyr Taskeen turned off the holoprojector on his side.
Fifteen minutes later, it became clear that this man had no courage.
A day later, after the interrogators squeezed out of him everything he knew, down to the size of underwear worn by his proteges, the general was thrown into a cell with Alderaanian prisoners.
By the time of his return to base, the captain of the Commanding had received twenty-four reports with a request to be enrolled in the crew of his Star Destroyer as pilots. As the "price" for a positive outcome in considering this request, the Alderaanian pilots attached an impressive amount of information regarding the situation in the New Republic Armed Forces.
Reading these documents, Erik Shohashi could not restrain a smile. Grand Admiral Thrawn really used his reputation as the "Butcher of Atoan". But not in the way he initially thought about it...
The flagship of the Fourth Fleet of the New Republic Armed Forces was commanded by a former Imperial military leader...
A protégé of General Tyr Taskeen and his close friend...
Thrawn was catching big "fish" with live bait.
Weighing the options, Erik decided that in the current circumstances he had an additional request for Grand Admiral Thrawn.
***
Leaning back in his cabin chair, for some time I sat with my eyes closed, completely immersed in the rolling sounds of Mon Calamari music.
Heavy, like rolling tsunami waves, melodic, like light ripples on the water, it was as if hypnotizing, allowing one to enjoy and admire its beauty.
Once in the past, I happened to attend an organ music concert. The first experience, to be honest, was not the best. But after the second time, as they say, I "got hooked."
With Mon Calamari music, it's exactly the same. You just need to accept it as it is.
So, the first stage of Operation Crimson Dawn is completed.
The New Republic base on the planet Baskarn has been destroyed. The V-150 Planetary Defender ion cannon has been captured. As well as prisoners, as well as possible necessary information from data carriers. And this also diverted some forces from Ithor.
The military depot on planetoid RZ7-6113-23 has been captured, and its property, as well as eleven ships, are at my disposal. Tactics have also been worked out to neutralize the destructive impact on the attacking fleet of anti-space defense weapons in small quantities. It has been выяснено who this base belongs to, and where to look for him. And therefore, I am one step closer to acquiring the coveted Worldship. In addition, I was very interested in the presence at this depot of walking self-propelled units with plasma emitters and huge reactors... I remember at the end of the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker found a very interesting use for such self-propelled guns on fleet ships... After all, if the scheme is working, the necessary equipment is available, then why not try to repeat it? Moreover, for several Acclamator-class assault ships, I have already come up with roles much more interesting than continuing to remain just assault landing ships.
Combat tests of the Crusader II have been carried out, and I like its characteristics. Despite the fact that this ship was created without adding beskar to the alloy of the armor. But the operation of laser point-defense turrets intercepting missiles and proton torpedoes is definitely a plus for the Mandalorian gunsmiths.
The New Republic special forces training base on the planet Xyph has been destroyed. Even if it is not the only one where the enemy is trained to capture Imperial Star Destroyers, it is not so important.
Republican equipment, communication equipment, and a headquarters computer from the Circle of Dalgaire base have been captured. As well as the Merr-Sonn MX-10 anti-fighter missile launcher and the Merr-Sonn TX-2020 dual laser cannon. Weapons, without a doubt, will be useful to us, and very much so, as will the captured X-wings in good condition. But most of all I am interested in the possibility of connecting to the New Republic military tactical network. And even if it works only once, the New Republic will not forget this case. It is only necessary that Mara Jade fulfill her part of the mission and deliver me the necessary sentient. For whom, again, I have my own plans.
Prince-Admiral Delak Krennel has been deprived of the weapons necessary for him to restore the Mon Calamari cruisers that I obtained for him. This allows me to arm my own starships and have the necessary supply of weapons. Absolutely free of charge. And at the same time — to increase tension between Krennel and the New Republic.
The "duck" with Ysanne Isard's agents allows me to start hunting for her, using the little post-knowledge that I am still able to manifest. Given the reports from the Imperial Palace about the very eloquent death of General Jan Dodonna, there is no doubt that either the Snow Queen's clone, or she personally, has "entered the game". That is why additional "security officers" will soon appear in each starship crew, whose task will be to observe whether there are really her agents in my fleet or not.
Establishing trade relations with Agamar... Well, I did not lie to Pellaeon — I really need food and seed material from them. Going underground, you need to think about what you intend to eat yourself and what to feed your people. As well as how to gain access to the Jedi relics on the planet before Mr. Skywalker gets there.
The capture of the ion cannon and the Star Destroyer reactor on Hoth, coupled with two other weapons of the same type discovered, gives me the opportunity to re-equip at least one of my new Venator-class Star Destroyers according to Project Sunburn. However, I am sure that buying several additional solar ionization reactors at the Bilbringi shipyards or the black market will not be a big problem. But to get four Star Destroyers at once, one salvo of the main caliber of which is enough to disable a Star Destroyer or an orbital defense station... Yes, the expenditure of money is worth it.
And I also seized all information from the planet and got hold of a couple of damaged walkers. And now, when (or if) the Disciples of Ragnos order appears in the galaxy, they have absolutely nothing to gain on Hoth... As well as on Vjun.
Erik Shohashi not only solved the issue with the enemy outpost on Edan II, but also, without unnecessary body movements, received confirmation that the New Republic had placed its military base on Brentaal IV. A bonus is that now the hatred of his compatriots for the Alderaanian has reached incredible heights. Which plays an important role in the implementation of subsequent stages of Operation Crimson Dawn.
The fleet and intelligence conducted several dozen operations in various parts of the galaxy. Now I have the necessary number of Republican starfighters to equip the air wings on the captured Star Destroyers, which are necessary to provoke against the company producing TIE series equipment for the Empire and the New Republic. If you have to play a performance, then you need to do everything so that the audience believes in what is happening on stage. After all, Prince-Admiral believed that "rebels" from the New Republic had attacked his caravan. And they will believe that he attacked Ithor...
Ithor...
Clicking a few switches on his desk with his fingers, I connected the monitors hanging around the room to work, turning my apartments into a copy of the Chimaera's bridge. I looked at how two mangled hulls of Mon Calamari star cruisers, accelerated by two Star Destroyers, at great speed (if you watch the picture from the surface of the planet), rush through the vacuum, shelled by the guns of the Golan I-class space station, desperately fighting for its existence. Continuously shelling the first ship with turbolasers and proton torpedoes, the station's gunners were able to destroy the defenseless ship, which had only a deflector shield and a meager hull, only when the distance between them was reduced to twenty-five units. The ship calmly passed fifty units in a straight line, not reacting to continuous shelling and maintaining relative combat capability.
And at the very moment in time when the enemy gunners, relieved, sighed, watching the fire cloud decorated with myriads of debris, another one swept through the remains of the first star cruiser.
Inertia in space is a cruel thing, especially when your mind is not adapted to the fact that a huge ship can be used as a fireship and launched using the "accelerated and released" tactics with only the tractor beams of an Imperial Star Destroyer...
I watched as the second enemy star cruiser broke through the crimson deflector shields of the orbital defense station, after which the hulls of the two space giants collided with each other...
A miniature sun arose in Ithor's orbit. The intensity of its glow was falling, and myriads of debris were falling onto the surface of the planet. Burning pieces of armor and building communications, turning into a stream of artificial meteorites, fell on the continents of the planet, destroying semi-intelligent forests and hiding from those who would later investigate Prince-Admiral Krennel's attack on the planet of peaceful Ithorians, the fact that Imperial stormtroopers dug up a whole forest here, which was delivered on board an Imperial Star Destroyer filled with Agamarian grain and animals breeding like rabbits with a fake transponder signal.
Why do I need bafforr trees? Firstly — they are very beautiful. Secondly — the pollen of these trees during the war with the Yuuzhan Vong decomposed the organic armor of the enemy. Aliens from beyond the borders of the galaxy destroyed Ithor as soon as they learned about this, and its priceless trees were lost. The New Republic tried with all its might to recreate the pollen of bufforr trees during the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, but could not achieve success during all the years of confrontation. Well, one thing is military science during a merciless war, the second is fifteen years of preparation for the upcoming bloodshed.
And besides, Ithor is one of the most important planets on the path of the Yuuzhan Vong. This means that the properties of pollen will definitely be known to the enemy. And the planet will be bombarded. I think the Ithorians will be grateful to the one who presents them with samples of such valuable trees in the future.
Watching the fires blaze on the surface of the continents where there is not a single sentient life, I gave the order to withdraw.
After some time, New Republic ships will return to orbit, rushing to the defense of the attacked bases. And their commanders will have to withstand a torrent of criticism from the local population. If I have correctly studied Ithorian psychology, then they will blame not the one who committed this atrocity for what happened to their planet, but the one who allowed it.
Whether Ithor will secede from the New Republic, starting a parade of sovereignties or not, is not important to me in the grand scheme of things. I know for sure that the New Republic government will concentrate all its attention on solving Ithor's problems and curtsying to other attacked planets, groveling before them and promising reliable protection from all enemies, claiming that this will never happen again. They will long explain that Ithor became the target of bombardment by debris due to the treachery of the Imperials and the strong character of the locals.
The only sentient being in the entire New Republic military machine who could understand that the attack on Ithor and the organization of fires is no more than a diversionary maneuver is now in a Republican maximum security prison on suspicion of treason.
Nothing personal, Admiral Ackbar. They won't have time to execute you, but you should definitely not interfere in my plans, which outwardly look like the cleansing of the galaxy before Palpatine's arrival. Rest, reflect, come up with new plans. You have turbulent years ahead.