Grand Admiral

Nine years, five months and six days after the Battle of Yavin...

Or forty-fourth year, five months and six days after the Great ReSynchronization.

Captain Kalian stood on the bridge of the Steel Aurora, a Victory I-class Star Destroyer, looking phlegmatically at the blue and white hyperspace tunnel through which his ship was breaking through towards the distant Sprizen sector.

Sector Sprizen.

Bordering the territory of the Ciutric Hegemony, under the control of Prince Admiral Delak Krennel, one of the military leaders allied to Imperial Space, the Sprizen sector included about a dozen well-known and a considerable number of unexplored star systems.

The planet Abafar was located in the backwater system of the same name, located in quadrant H-5 on the tactical coordinate grid. There was little that was noteworthy or valuable in it therefore, the Imperial Ruling Council, under whose control this region was located, did not even bother to organize an outpost in the system they frankly did not care about the sector of the Empire itself. Even the simplest patrol never appeared here.

And so, the Grand Admiral ordered to send an entire Star Destroyer to a remote system! It's as if the times of the former greatness of the Empire have returned, when "Victory" operated on the outskirts of the galaxy. The armament and air wing of such ships were enough to disperse the weakly armed, rusty gangs of pirates and smugglers. True, in the past, they operated in pairs... Two victory are a more than formidable force in the absence of battleships from the enemy.

However, now the young Star Destroyer commander was interested in something more than simple memories of the past.

The reason why "Steel Aurora"is aimed at the planet of the same name in the Abafar system. Considering that the Grand Admiral has only nine Imperials and only two Victories, excluding Interdictor-class Star Destroyers from the linear battle equation is somewhat... wasteful. Any of the "Victories" could easily kick the ass of a rebel corvette or frigate, and with a successful combination of circumstances, even a Mon Calamari star cruiser, which formed the basis of the rebel fleet.

Probably, the Steel Aurora is about to do something important, since they were sent to such a wilderness, and even «equipped» with a high-ranking officer of the Imperial Security Service, who has some business on this mossy planet that the Grand Admiral did not inform the commander of the ship. Perhaps he considered this redundant information. Perhaps the mission is secret (which explains the presence of a high-ranking ISB officer on board) and Kalian simply does not have any security clearance suitable for disclosing information about the mission. But what is even more plausible is a test.

Various rumors circulated throughout the fleet about the reasons why the Grand Admiral, having at his disposal as many as nine first-class Star Destroyers, especially singled out from among them only six, which made up his personal armada. Nobody knew the exact answers, and therefore naval officers, prone to gossip and gossip in their narrow circle over a glass of something low-alcohol, could only speculate. And the most prudent ones boiled down to the fact that the commanders and crews of only these six ships deserve the Grand Admiral's trust.

At a time when the Imperial Remnants have a Grand Admiral for the first time in many years one of the twelve intelligent ones trusted by Emperor Palpatine himself, geniuses of tactics and strategy, it is not difficult to understand that very soon the score with the rebels will be settled. And if so, then it is the duty of every self-respecting imperial officer to take part in this.

And if this task is a test, then it must be completed with maximum efficiency in order to prove to the Grand Admiral that Captain Kalian and the five thousand crew of his Star Destroyer are worthy of becoming part of active combat operations. On the outskirts of Imperial Space, cruisers can also hang around, at worst "Star Galleons". But not a Star Destroyer. Even of the victory-I type.

—Time until arrival, captain? — Lieutenant Colonel Astarion asked dryly, almost silently approaching the starship commander. Kalian suppressed the involuntary urge to tremble with his whole body from surprise, as well as from the desire to edifyingly tell the "security guard" that sneaking up on the commander of a warship like that is at least immoral...

But this is an ISB officer, he won't understand. More precisely, he will understand, but will ignore it, because he will not consider it something worthy of his attention.

—Four minutes,— the commander of the Steel Aurora checked the chronometer. Turning to the crew members on the bridge, he commanded:

— Yellow alert level! All crew to report to their combat posts!

The ship's buzzer howled briefly, letting everyone on board know that quiet times were a thing of the past. Now it's time to work.

The watch commander immediately began to duplicate orders, bringing them to the attention of lower-ranking officers.

In a minute and a half, each crew member was already where he was prescribed by the combat schedule. With the exception of the watchmen they are already in place until the replacement watch arrives.

There was no need to check whether the order was carried out or not. Kalian trained his crew well so as not to even think about whether they would meet the time allotted by the regulations or not. He knows perfectly well that they will succeed.

Typically, ships of the imperial fleet, if they are not sent to a combat zone, exit the hyperjump at the «green» alarm level. There are only watches at the posts, responsible for the performance of the ship's many systems. The rest of the crew is either in the cockpit or busy with their own business. The «yellow» level instructs all crew members to arrive at the place of duty on the gun deck, in the hangar, in the engine room or somewhere else. «Red» meant that it was time to launch fighters and interceptors all twenty-four vehicles on board the ship into space, turbolasers aimed at their firing sectors, gunners had already put their hands on the control panels of deadly weapons, and concussion missiles or proton torpedoes are already being loaded into launchers...

The chronometer obediently counted down the last moments of the flight and the light tunnel crumbled, turning into the familiar blackness of a vacuum, strewn with the lights of distant stars.

—Watchman,— Captain Kalian addressed the officer responsible for the watch on the bridge. — Report the situation.

—No enemy starships were detected,— he said, after checking with the officer in charge of the scanning systems. — Union and civilian ones too. The orbit is clear.

—Sounds good,— Kalian said. — Release duty fighters. Reduce the alarm level to green. Prepare landing ships and escort fighters. Lieutenant Colonel Astarion —do you need your own shuttle?

—I'll go with the landing force,— said the counterintelligence officer. — Place the ship into orbit over the city of Ponce Ora. In its vicinity, during the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems located an installation for the extraction of volatile and explosive fuel —rhydonium. Our goal is to study what is left and start mining. I will take command of the ground units —one battalion will be stationed in the city itself, the second at the mining site.

Turning, he walked towards the exit from the bridge.

—So that's why we were sent,— Kalian thought. Well... an unusual decision on the part of the Grand Admiral.

Rhydonium is quite famous in the galaxy. A volatile, almost gaseous substance with extremely high energy output. Compared to regular fuel, of course.

However, the rayonium did not meet the safety requirements set by shipbuilders. Yes, this substance could significantly speed up the engine of any small ship perhaps even by orders of magnitude. But the use of rhydonium led to the actual destruction of the ship's propulsion system, destroying fuel lines and combustion chambers. Not to mention the frequent detonations in engine rooms during prolonged use of this type of fuel. Modernization of the power system required such colossal funds that it is impossible to imagine that one day rhydonium would replace a standard and practically safe fuel.

Therefore, no one in their right mind would ever agree to such an upgrade these are additional tens, if not hundreds of millions needed to re-equip one ship. And even more so, placing fuel tanks with rhydonium on board a warship that can and should take part in battle... Suicide. Of course, if you value the crew and your goal is not to blow up the ship, small volumes will be enough for critical damage. After all, it's a volatile substance. The effect of a volumetric explosion of ammunition when a tank with fuel is damaged. It's strange, of course, that the army did not use this substance in their ammunition...

Stop. And who said that the captain's mission is not precisely to obtain new weapons to defeat the enemy?

If so, then of course, this explains absolutely everything that is happening. After all, how can volatile and explosive fuel, suitable only for use in «disposable» engines, help the fleet? Like an explosive? What nonsense —the fleet does not use kinetic ammunition, which could have a similar «filling».

But...

But what difference does it make? After all, he is carrying out the orders of the Grand Admiral. And he definitely knows what he is doing.

Speaking of orders...

—Communications compartment,— Captain Kalian turned on his heels towards the "pits" and the back of the conning tower. —Connect me with Chimera.

***

—Grand Admiral, sir,— Captain Pellaeon appeared on the threshold of the cabin. — Dispatch from the Steel Aurora.

—Just in time,— I looked up from the computer screen. — Tell us what Captain Kalian tells us?

—No enemy presence was detected on Abafar,— the Chimera commander began to read. — —Ground units have been landed. The city and its landing sites, as well as the mines, were taken under control. Work is underway to clear old CIS quarries for the extraction of rhydonium. Local residents own their own mines with low levels of production of the substance. Lieutenant Colonel Astarion intends to capture them...

—Unacceptable,— I said. —We will not seize anything from the Empire's planets. ISB, as always, unnecessarily complicates the situation. Tell the lieutenant colonel to stop complicating the situation. It would be much more effective to negotiate with local residents and provide them with the means to mine rhydonium. Their extraction is our money and transportation. Mutually beneficial cooperation.

—Sir,— Pellaeon coughed delicately into his fist. — We don't have a lot of money in free circulation to pay some miners...

—I am aware of our difficult situation, captain. But thanks for reminding me. There is no question of spending here. It's just a question of efficiency. No more, no less. How long will it take us to get mining equipment, learn how to use it, and start mining? Even if Captain Kalian and Lieutenant Colonel Astarion take the entire planet prisoner, we cannot avoid problems in the form of miniature uprisings. It will be another matter when we start purchasing rhydonium from local residents. Apparently, they extract it in small quantities, therefore the expenses will not be the greatest. Moreover, we need rhydonium not only in the short term. Order to send one "Star Galleon" to them with the equipment necessary for storing and transporting rhydonium.

- As you say, sir,— Pellaeon saluted. — A report has arrived from Nemesis. They arrived on Myrkr. The source of the signal is Talon Karrde's base.

—Curious,— I said. —Signs of life?

—The scanners don't work there,— Pellaeon reminded, frowning.

—It's good that you remember this,— I hastily praised the captain, mentally scolding myself for the mistake. Thrawn never forgets anything! A puncture, however. — Land ground units. Order that the stormtroopers act in strict accordance with the situation. Surround the base with several cordons so as not to allow our target to jump out if he suddenly changes his mind about his role in the further future of the Empire.

—Yes, sir,— Pellaeon saluted.

—Have your orders been transmitted to the Noghri? —I asked.

—Yes,— answered the commander of the Chimera. —Two combat detachments are already moving towards Hypori.

— What about our unit sent to the Sluissi sector? —I asked. I need to demonstrate to Pellaeon that the failure with the sensors on Myrkr was nothing more than a test of him, and not my own mistake.

—In sixteen hours they will reach their positions and be ready to launch an attack,— the officer assured me.

—Remind them to coincide with the attack on Nklonn,— I said. —We do not need the Sluis Van base to be able to send reinforcements to Lando Calrissan when Captain Brandei and the Judicator begin their attack. Any word from the Bilbringi shipyards?

—Yes, sir,— Pellaeon confirmed. — Installation of a prototype invisibility generator on the ship has begun to test the functionality of the entire camouflage system. We will be notified separately upon completion.

—Okay,— I said. — Did the Ubiqtorate respond to our request?

- A message has arrived that one of the coordinators is ready to meet with you,— Pellaeon said.

But this is already dIrespect. A coordinator is a mid-level executive who oversees the activities of agents in certain sectors. Nothing more than an intermediate link between theJudicators and the leadership of Imperial Intelligence. This is not even the Ubiqtorate, which is above the intelligence command. This is the very "formal answer" that I don't need. Not good.

—I'm not happy with this,— I said. —Such dIrespect should not be ignored. Do we have data on the ships and crews of Star Destroyers that are located on Tangrene?

—Of course, sir,— said Pellaeon. —But they... are subordinate to the Ubiqtorate...

—The Armed Forces are subordinate to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,— I snapped. — The Ubiqtorate takes on too many unnecessary functions. However, as always. Send me information about the Tangrene Defense Fleet. We will solve the problem of unity of command.

***

Mara Jade opened her eyes when she heard the faint, barely audible sound of a buzzer.

The consciousness, trained by years of service to Emperor Palpatine, instantly shook off the remnants of drowsiness from the body, switching to an assessment of reality.

Her shelter is intact, no disturbances have been noticed. Therefore, the unknown enemy did not cross the perimeter of the base, but only...

Glancing at the screen that displayed images from several dozen holocameras placed around her, the red-haired beauty just sighed, shaking her head.

She was proven wrong twice.

Firstly, the enemy is not "unknown". On the contrary, he is well known. And it's not a fact that the enemy.

Secondly, they were intelligent, that they quickly but carefully spread throughout the entire territory of the base and did not cross its perimeter. They simply sat down in the very center of the base in their Sentinel-class landing shuttle. And now half a company of stormtroopers in snow-white armor methodically and concentratedly searched one room after another in the abandoned base. A strange tactic stormtroopers don't act so stupidly, at least not before. Now, as she had heard, in many Imperial Remnants there was a practice of putting the famous white plastoid armor on ordinary civilians and passing them off as Stormtroopers. Well, if so, then... It turns out that the beacons were not left by Thrawn at all. Although... you never know what kind of mess is going on in the inner kitchen of the Imperial Remnants right now. Suddenly rumors are not rumors at all, and in fact now the armor of attack aircraft is now being given to all sorts of mediocrities who are not versed in the tactics of ground units...

The girl flipped the switch, moving from one camera to another, until she was convinced that her assumptions were wrong.

No, they weren't mediocrities who came to Myrkr.

The "Sentinel" in the center of the base is only part of the ground squad. Three more similar vehicles were located along the perimeter of the abandoned Karrde base, and now one and a half companies of attack aircraft were blocking the retreat into the forest.

And judging by the fact that the only reason she was able to figure out the presence of a barrage detachment was the hulls of their ships, the workers were clearly not yesterday's farmers. It is possible that a half-company in white armor is precisely a «distracting» factor that should «scare off the game» and force it to rush towards the saving forest area. Straight into the hands of other stormtroopers. The fact that the cameras don't pick out snow-white armor outside the base's perimeter doesn't mean anything there are no idiots in the Stormtrooper Corps who would wander around the jungle in their everyday uniform.

The girl, remembering the stories about the ground part of the Battle of Endor, bit her lip. Okay, she got excited about idiots. But she was firmly convinced that the perimeter of the base was surrounded by attack aircraft, whose armor was painted in camouflage color. Not to mention the fact that some other units are probably holding on to the second wave of the blockade.

Felt a pain in the pit of my stomach...

The actions of the stormtroopers here on Myrkr, verified according to circumstances, and not according to a textbook, gave her a feeling of nostalgia. While the galaxy was going to hell and everything that Palpatine had built was torn apart by ambitious military leaders or rebels, and she herself was once again losing everything she could achieve, it's even somehow nice to see that the guys in snow-white armor remain true to their traditions to be the same dutiful and soulless messengers of death.

True, judging by the fact that an entire army of stormtroopers and Empire soldiers was not enough on the forested moon of Endor to stop the rebel detachment, questions still remain about the competence of the guys in white armor.

However, as in her own...

Mara felt somewhat taken aback by the fact that right now she remembered the reproach expressed by the red-eyed Grand Admiral to herself.

 «Luke Skywalker is still alive»

That's what Thrawn told her the last time they met. Here on Myrkr...

A phrase that seems to have no meaning. After all, what does the former Emperor's Hand care about the fact that some Jedi knight is alive? Moreover, it is the only one in the entire galaxy. And in general, it's not such a big pain in the ass, compared to the stories about how the Jedi from the Order destroyed on the orders of Emperor Palpatine could drink blood...

If not for one «but».

The same thing that almost caused her to go crazy at the time of the Emperor's death. Even being hundreds of light years from the Endor system, she saw Palpatine's death... He broadcast what was happening into her mind. The way he sat in his seat aboard the Death Star II, his irises glowing with molten amber, watching the lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. The way both interrupted their fight and turned against the Emperor, destroying him... The way, on the verge of death, he looked at a point through space and time, looked straight at it, giving his last order...

The one that only she could hear - the Emperor's Hand. She who could hear any of his orders across hundreds and thousands of light years...

"You will kill Luke Skywalker".

The girl shuddered. The echo of memories swept through her, stirring up what she tried to forget...

For a moment, it began to seem to her that the phrase sounded in her mind as if Palpatine himself had said it. But this was impossible.

He is dead. And she spent years forgetting everything she was taught. And even skills in handling the Force. Only then did Palpatine's voice and his final order leave her alone. And ever since she succeeded, she was able to at least partially live the way she should, the way she wanted... Completely pushing out all the enthusiastic memories of the Empire from her head, deciding to live in reality, not in the past.

But today she remembered the Emperor's order. For the first time in many years. All you had to do was take a positive attitude towards what still remained unchanged in the Empire and so...

Jade bit her lip.

Looks like she shot herself in the foot. Desiring to return to the service of the Empire, she forgot that she would have to finish unfinished business. And until she does this, the voice of the Emperor, repeating the same order over and over again, his last will, will torment her day after day.

And Thrawn should have remembered this! The Sith would have taken that moment when they met, and the Chiss reminded her...

Wait a minute! How did he know?

The thought was fresh, sobering and coincided with the moment when the brave guys in white began to inspect the residential modules.

She was the only one in the entire galaxy who could hear the Emperor's voice! Because she was his Hand! She felt the Force! And she could command her! It was with the help of the Force that Palpatine conveyed his orders to her!

And the Force, as far as Mara understood it, is not «HoloNet News», where every first and capable hacker can connect to the broadcast channel. But even if this were so, and someone else could hear Palpatine's will, then this intelligent person should also have sensitivity to the Force!

But the Grand Admiral was not like that. More precisely, it would be correct to say that it was Thrawn who did not possess such powers. But his other colleague, Nial Declann, was a Force-sensitive sentient. However, Declann, like many others, died along with Palpatine.

Then... HOW THE FUCK HUTT DID THRAWN FIND OUT PALPATINE'S LAST ORDER!?

She didn't have an answer. But he must be. Definitely. Thrawn didn't come up with such a good excuse for her, forcing her to delve into herself. No, of course he could, it was not without reason that Palpatine valued him. The Chiss himself could have guessed that Palpatine, before his death, would have tried to leave behind some kind of message to add bitterness to the triumph of the rebels.

But Thrawn could never have known exactly what Palpatine's order was.

And yet, he had such information. The only question is where from?

You can guess until the second coming of the Galactic Republic, and still, this may be an erroneous guess.

Mara stood up, deciding that there was no longer any point in watching the Imperials.

They won't leave she called them here herself. In order to return to the Empire.

She has nowhere else to go.

So, stop sitting here and indulging in conclusions. It would be much easier and faster to do it completely differently.

Thrawn, at a meeting with Karrde and Jade, said directly that he intends to return —to the stock— everyone and everything that the Empire has lost, if these "resources" are ready to serve the Empire under his leadership. A simple and straightforward solution.

Thrawn told her that Karrde was not being honest with her and his other subordinates. In the first case, he was right. In the second... No, most likely someone from his organization is fully privy to Karrde's plans. But not her.

Well, dear Grand Admiral. Did you want the Emperor's Hand to leave the one who hides his dirty secrets and affairs from her? The Emperor's hand is gone. Did you want the Emperor's Hand to return to service? Bravo, you have achieved your goal. She's back. And she will serve the Empire under your command, Grand Admiral.

That's only on one condition.

You will have to be completely frank, red-eyed Grand Admiral.

Extremely!

***

Well, the Ubiqtorate is doing well. Not bad really.

The fleet defending Tangrene both the planet and the shipyards themselves even surpasses mine in the quantity and quality of linear forces.

Six Imperial I-class Star Destroyers. Three Star Destroyers of the "Imperial" type, but "two". And the one and only «Victory I». A simple count of the guns of this fleet, as well as the defense forces of Tangrene, gives an excellent idea that an attempt to attack this object with my damaged ships will only lead to me washing myself in blood.

All of the ships in the "service" of the Ubiqtorate are staffed by teams with combat experience. A sort of bison from the remnants of the Imperial Navy.

«Tyranny», «Titan», «Shieldmaiden» , «Adjudicator», «Assassin», «Black Star» are one-type star destroyers. «Eviscerator », «Red Dragon», «Eradicator» were classified as twos. And a lonely "Victory" called «Crusader». I'm not even talking about the armada of frigates, corvettes and other ships I'm interested in linear starships.

The flagship of this entire armada is the Red Dragon. A very interesting Star Destroyer from the point of view that it is the only one equipped with TIE Avengers.

TIE Avenger.

Quite a successful attempt to move away from the concept of cheap and unreliable TIE fighters, whose pilots died in batches when colliding with more expensive, but high-quality "X-wings" of the New Republic. The development is very interesting, as it involved the installation of both a hyperdrive and deflectors. But a little expensive for full use in the huge fleet of the Empire.

My cheekbones cringed when I realized how many promising projects the Empire is "slowing down" due to economic costs. The main idea of ​​the New Republic is quality over quantity. In Imperial Space it's the other way around. There are vulnerabilities in both concepts of the military-industrial complex, however...

The censorship words are running out! Is it really so difficult to save money and start modernizing the fleet? Indeed, in fact, after the Battle of Endor, Imperial Space did not build so many starships, spending more and more money on... unknown. In the events known to me, Thrawn did not interfere in the affairs of politicians and economists, preferring to deal exclusively with military aspects this is one of the conditions for his recognition as the Supreme Commander. Although... I have a suspicion that there weren't a large number of people willing. The Imperials prefer to sit in their sectors, praying that the evil and treacherous rebels do not take away their last. Only Ardus Kaine is increasing his strength. Perhaps try to conclude a new, more active alliance with him? The only question is: will the Grand Moff do something like this? He will easily respond, as I remember from what I read, to the proposal of the Reborn Emperor to participate in the destruction of the New Republic. It is quite possible that he already knows about Palpatine's resurrection, and therefore is accumulating strength in order to show his best side to the old new master. The mere fact that he retained the Reaper in a combat-ready state indicates that Ardus Kaine is head and shoulders above all his opponents in the Imperial Remnants. If so, then it is absolutely inappropriate for him to give me any additional privileges. Unless the "owner" allows it.

And if so...

Everything is very bad. We need money, we need ships. This is an ongoing problem.

Among the additional ones is the lack of desire of the Ubiqtorate to meet me. Negotiations at the highest level through a coordinator are like spit in the soul. Or a check will I "swallow insult" or not.

In any case, I don't like this. Therefore, it is worth reminding the presumptuous guys that the Armed Forces of the Empire are subordinate to me. Yes, this only applies to those that the Imperial Ruling Council allocated under my command. But...

Well, let's use the good old and wise trick. Don't know how to act? Act formally.

Is there a Supreme Commander? There is. Are the Armed Forces subordinate to him? Subordinated. Is there a whole fleet that could benefit? There is.

Well, let it benefit.

—Captain Pellaeon,— I contacted the commander of the Chimera via comlink. —Send the message to the Red Dragon: «Be ready for the review and campaign». The message should be addressed from me personally. And tell them our arrival time.

There was tense silence from the speaker. Surely the gears in Pellaeon's head are grinding now. After all, I have just gone beyond my agreements with the Imperial Ruling Council by interfering in the activities of third-party imperial authorities. And in fact he intends to mobilize the fleet belonging to the Ubiqtorate, leaving their base with minimal cover! And this is almost a declaration of war on one of the most powerful organizations of the Empire! Of course, here it's worth thinking about, can we, and will we survive? So Pellaeon began to think.

And at the same time, we'll check to whom he is more loyal — to me, who has already brought victory to the imperials after many months of their inaction, or to Imperial Space, which is desperately looking for a way to satisfy its personal interests.

—Captain? — I asked the question into the comlink.

—Message sent, sir,— Pellaeon replied. —I apologize for the delay —I personally composed the text.

—Okay, Admiral,— I said. —Contact the fleet ships —we are going to the "yellow" alert level.

—Yes, sir! — the commander of the Chimera quite cheerfully told me his decision (even two). He is a simple-minded, straightforward and loyal person. He just confirmed his loyalty.

Loyalty to me.

Well, perhaps I was biased towards him in terms of competence and intelligence. Let's see how events unfold further. Perhaps the deputy should not be as «brainy» as his boss and simple diligence with an ordinary level of initiative is enough.

I don't know... in my past life I didn't get along particularly well with my deputies.

***

Karrde re-read the message received from the New Republic intelligence agency. And I thought about it.

—Do you think it's a trap? — Aves watched impatiently as "Claw" thoughtfully examined the ceiling of his residence on the planet Rishi.

A small, in general, even —modest— dwelling a few blocks from a group of warehouses, where numerous stocks and unsold goods were stored, for which a buyer had not yet been found. But there will definitely be one.

—Hardly,— said "Claw" after five minutes of tense silence. —If they wanted to catch us, they would have done it in the Dafilvean sector.

And How? — Aves was surprised, scratching the back of his head. — Actually, we had «clean» data on identification codes on freighters...

Yeah. Aves is Aves. He is smart, proactive, loyal... but not Mara Jade.

—The New Republic knows me by sight,— reminded —Claw.

—From where? Aves widened his eyes. —We sent a message to the intelligence of the New Republic with information for General Cracken only on your behalf. And no one attached a holocard with the appearance.

—Have you forgotten that I helped them on Thyferra resolve the issue with Booster Terrik? I'm sure that General Cracken, like all the intelligence of the New Republic, knows my face better than I do myself,— Talon said. —No, they want to reach an agreement.

—So we already conveyed the message about the collection of asteroids by the Imperials to them,— Aves recalled. He reminded me disapprovingly after all, the organization did not receive a single credit for this gesture of goodwill.

—Nothing more than bait,— Talon explained. —So that they would want more. And they wanted to. That's why they offer a meeting. They want to understand whether they can get another piece of information for free, and if they have to pay, then how much.

— Are you going to try to push military junk on them again? —suggested Aves.

Talon chuckled, running a hand through his beard.

—If they had the money to buy it, they would have bought everything we have in our warehouses long ago,— he said with a good-natured laugh. —No, Aves. I'm sure they want to try to get free information about who exactly defeated them in the Dafilvean sector.

—Do you think it was our friend with red eyes and blue skin in a snow-white uniform and polished boots? —The assistant chuckled.

— Do you have other candidates in mind? — "Claw" asked.

—Yes, in general... Aves hesitated. — The Imperial Remnants have a lot of military personnel. The rancor might have stepped on one of them, so they gave them a show flogging. Same Kaine. He has a whole super star destroyer —the only one in the entire territory of the Empire.

—Grand Moff Ardus Kaine doesn't really care about the New Republic,— Karrde said. as well as the Empire as a whole. He has his beloved Pentastar Alignment, and he is happy with everything. He has not taken large-scale action for five years and is accumulating strength. If it were him, he would choose territories closer to the Commonwealth. No, this is our old friend, the Grand Admiral. Of course, if the destroyers had identification codes, we could say this for sure, but...

—The Imperials are not so gallant anymore,— Aves chuckled.

—It's not a matter of gallantry,— Talon noted. —They don't have enough Star Destroyers to allow the New Republic to count them by identification codes. By turning off the transponders, the Imperials are trying to avoid identifying their ships in the hope that someone will not have enough brains to believe that Imperial Space has more Star Destroyers than it actually does.

Aves scratched his stubble in embarrassment. Yes, he would definitely fall for such a trick.

—So, shall we sell the name of the Grand Admiral to the New Republic? —he suggested. —For a couple of million.

—No way,— Talon shook his head. —The New Republic thinks it has gotten rid of all twelve Grand Admirals. The name of someone they clearly don't know is worth a lot. Much more than they can offer.

—Then I don't understand why the hutts would need us to meet with them,— Aves complained. —I think they themselves know that the Empire attacked —imperial ships throughout the sector gave them a beating. You are not going to sell the name of the imperial commander...

—Definitely not yet,— Talon clarified. —But I'll give them a hint that I know him. Let them scrape through their bins, maybe break a couple of "little boxes" —it doesn't matter to me where they get the money. But I won't sell them the Grand Admiral's name for less than ten million. Even if they offer me an exclusive contract for transportation throughout the New Republic.

—Well, you've had enough here,— Aves laughed.

—Not at all,— Karrde said coldly. — Han Solo has already tried to contact the smugglers with a proposal for legal transportation. They cautiously hinted to him to take such initiatives further to Coruscant. But they gave me my name for contact. And so, taking this opportunity, Mrs. Leia Organa-Solo, almost the first diplomat of the New Republic, flies to us for negotiations. And it would be okay if she went on board a Mon Calamari star cruiser, but no. The supply and humanitarian aid convoy moves separately, but the Millennium Falcon and Rogue Squadron move separately. It turns out interesting. Han Solo wanted to bridge the gap between smugglers operating cargo lines in the New Republicand he needed our organization to do that. Leia Organa Solo plans to speak with me —regarding previously reported information about what happened in the Dalfivean sector,— "Claw" read from memory part of the message sent by General Cracken. and they take an elite squadron to accompany them. The commander of which is Wedge Antilles, a student of Booster Terrik, my... companion. Corran Horn also serves in the same squadron. A sub-Jedi married to Booster Terrik's daughter.

—You raised a lot of money at the wedding of Horn and Booster's daughter,— Aves recalled a long-standing dispute with Terrik Sr.

—I'm sure Booster is no longer offended,— Talon chuckled. —At least the bet was fair. A curious company is gathering... It looks very much like the New Republic has gathered everyone they can to make offended, pleading faces and get something for nothing from me.

— Isn't Terrik himself coming by chance? asked Aves.

—Booster does not interfere in the affairs of the Republic unless they directly concern the safety of Antilles, Horn, or his beloved daughter,— Karrde noted. —Especially in such a turbulent time, when the Empire trumpeted throughout the shadowy HoloNet that it was ready to shell out a lot of money for combat starships.

—By the way,— Aves looked at him uncertainly, —it's a good deal. Maybe we can do it? The risk is minimal, the profit is huge.

—Let someone of the caliber of Niles Ferrier or that bruised pirate handle the thefts,— Karrde said with shades of irritation. — Yazuo Vayne. I remembered his name. No, ship hijacking is not our business.

—Sure? Aves clarified. Talon, without a moment's hesitation, nodded silently. — I heard that the Corellians lost one frigate DP-20...

—So what? —Talon clarified. —Ships are disappearing all over the galaxy. Some people lose, some people find.

—That's right,— Aves agreed. —But as your first assistant, I am obliged to keep my finger on the pulse... So, just yesterday it became known that two CR90-type corvettes were stolen from Corellia at once.

—Let me guess,— Karrde narrowed his eyes. — The ships had just completed repairs, but due to some signals, the crew was forced to leave the spaceships, after which they gave them a hand?

—Yeah,— Aves nodded. are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking?

—If you're thinking that Ferrier made a lot of money off of his molestation and his —fail-safe— hijacking scheme, then yes, I'm thinking about it,— said Karrde.

—I just figured it out,— said the first mate. — Why did "Sniff" begin to hijack ships so actively? And not just any, as I always did, but those that were barely repaired. After all, he usually stole even those from which the casing was about to come off. There will still be a buyer...

—I think in this case too, Sniff has a solvent client,— Karrde answered dryly.

—Thrawn? ave clarified. "Claw" nodded silently.

—Our Grand Admiral is doing his best to assemble a fleet for himself,— the smuggler said thoughtfully. as escort ships, these starships have proven themselves in the service of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic. High speed, good turbolaser weapons... I remember the military commander Zsinj used several of these ships with radical changes as light aircraft carriers. If desired, an entire squadron of fighters or interceptors can be placed on the hull or in the hold...

—"Claw", didn't you think that all these movements of the Imperials could hit us? asked Aves. —If this guy has a lot of light ships, it won't cost him anything to return the old money and start inspecting any freighters...

—Even in past times, we knew how to negotiate with the Imperials,— Karrde reminded. —Even now we have good contacts in Imperial Space. If he starts hunting us, interferes in our business, we will find a way to get rid of his annoying attention. In the meantime... I think we need new freighters.

—For what? Aves was surprised.

—I want to create a shell company that is not directly related to me,— Karrde explained. —The Solo family will obviously try to invite us to participate in transportation throughout the galaxy. We won't do this directly it's too noticeable. And trade with Imperial Remnants brings more income than with the New Republic. No, let a third party take care of this enterprise. Find ships and suitable reasonable crews.

—So,— Aves looked at his boss in confusion. — If legal transportation does not bring us a lot of money, then why spend money on it?

—Information,— Karrde sighed. — The Empire will pay a lot of money for stories about exactly how the defense systems of certain planets in different sectors of the New Republic are arranged. Grand Moff Ardus Kaine periodically indulges in an interest in such issues and pays excellently for them. At the meeting, we will probe how deep the pocket of the New Republic is and decide whether they should provide similar details regarding the Empire.

***

The coordinator finished reading the memo and put the tablet aside, noticing that the long-distance communication holoprojector was blinking red.

Having buttoned the collar of his uniform shirt and jacket, he touched the activation key. The hologram that appeared, a quarter the size of a real person, was very familiar to him.

—Bravo-2,— the supervising Ubiqtorate officer addressed him without prelude. — What is happening in your area of ​​responsibility?

You might think you don't know? Or has the Ubiqtorate stopped monitoring its own agents for some time now?

—Grand Admiral Thrawn was not happy with meeting me,— said Sergius. —I believe that he considers it insulting to communicate with an ordinary employee of the Ubiqtorate instead of representatives of the leadership. He clearly demonstrated this by sending a mobilization message to the commanders of the ships of the Tangrene Defense Fleet.

—It looks like this alien takes on too much,— the Curator snorted. —He's not in a position to demand anything from the Ubiqtorate.

—No,— thought Sergius. —That's exactly it. Supreme Commander-in-Chief after all. Moreover, having just achieved a stunning victory.

—Sir,— the coordinator continued to maintain cold professional politeness. — The Grand Admiral destroyed the enemy fleet and bases in the Dafilvean sector. This caused a huge response in the hearts of the military stationed on Tangrene. The first victory over the enemy after the destruction of the military leader Zsinj. As far as I know, significant trophies were captured, including rebel ships. With a seventy percent probability, the Grand Admiral intends to make contact with Imperial Intelligence to carry out the following acts of intimidation...

—I read your analytical note, coordinator,— the Curator interrupted him. —Provide all possible assistance to the Grand Admiral to strengthen the authority of Imperial Intelligence among the Imperial space.

—That's right, sir,— Bravo-2 agreed. —This will be the most favorable scenario. This way, we can authoritatively declare to the Imperial Ruling Council that the Ubiqtorate and Imperial Intelligence have committed their efforts to the destruction of the rebels. This will allow us to finally deal with the Imperial Security Service and optimize the system in our interests...

—The ISB is almost exhausted,— said the Curator. —They are no longer our rivals. There is no need to build a long-term strategy based on taking counterintelligence into account as our adversaries. Very soon they will finally prove their inconsistency and the Imperial Ruling Council will place them under our control. The Grand Admiral is a great danger.

as you say, sir,— Sergius did not argue. And what's the point if the Ubiqtorate has already decided everything? — Will there be any instructions?

—Yes,— the Curator was quick to announce his decision. — We are recalling the Tangrene defense fleet to Yaga Minor, to headquarters. Let Thrawn now try to order the ships subordinate to Grand Moff Ardus Kaine.

Bravo-2 continued to remain silent, analyzing everything he heard.

After the rebel attack on Tangrene, the Ubiqtorate realized that, while remaining at the disposal of the Imperial Ruling Council, which was rapidly losing power, they were also losing their position. Therefore, all Ubiqtorate facilities and intelligence command resources were moved to the Pentastar Alignment. The reason for choosing a new location was not communicated to ordinary performers orders come down from above and are not subject to discussion. Not in any form.

That is why, in response to a request for a meeting from the Grand Admiral, the Ubiqtorate only waved it off, slipping him Bravo-2. He is also written off «from accounts». Tangrene is losing its importance for the Ubiqtorate. It seems that the intelligence command has decided to go over to the side of the stronger Imperial Remnant the Pentastar Alignment. If the process of transferring information and transferring employees only hinted at this, the withdrawal of the fleet guarding both the planet and the shipyards in its orbit spoke for itself. When the Ubiqtorate withdrew just one Imperial-class Star Destroyer from Tangrene, replacing it with the Victory, Bravo 2 realized even then, two weeks ago, that the final withdrawal of troops was approaching. But so soon...

—Sir,— Sergius said carefully. — Without a fleet, the base and shipyards will become vulnerable to the enemy. Especially considering the fact that the enemy still considers her part of the Ubiqtorate system...

—So much the better,— the Curator stunned him. — We need to cut costs and our own communications. You will remain on the planet along with several groups of agents in case of need. They will be commanded by Major Molo Himron,— Bravo-2 began to guess what was happening. But wanted to listen to everything to the end. — Thrawn wanted imperial agents for himself? Well, let him think that he received them. Of the fifteen garrisons on Tangrene, one will remain it has already been formed from the least effective parts of the remaining units. To keep things looking decent, the shipyard will continue to be guarded by the Crusader. Small ships are also withdrawn. According to our information, Thrawn's ships were damaged in battles in the Dafilvean sector. Consequently, they will remain in the shipyards for some time and provide security. Then let him deal with the planet and the shipyards himself. The Ubiqtorate will not allow anyone to dictate its terms!

—Yes, sir,— Sergius said. — So I understand that the content of Tangrene is now completely transferred to Imperial Space?

—That's right,— said the Curator. —Your task is to monitor the activities of Thrawn and the officers who want to act under his command. The Ubiqtorate must know their names immediately.

—It will be done,— Bravo-2 calmly answered.

— Were there any other requests from the Grand Admiral to the Imperial Intelligence archives? —the Curator suddenly asked.

—No, sir,— Sergius answered without wavering.

After waiting for the end of the transmission, he slowly unbuttoned the collar of his uniform jacket. Then he unbuttoned the collar of his shirt.

So this is how it is.

Ubiqtorate leaves Tangrene. Surely the destroyer that the "Crusader" arrived to replace was the one who took out the highest ranks of Imperial intelligence and the most valuable sources of information. It seems they have long ago agreed with Grand Moff Kaine about patronage, abandoning Imperial Space and going over to the side of the Pentastar Alignment, as the most powerful.

This means that all archives have also been moved to Yaga Minor. Most likely, only general databases were left on Tangrene, which have many copies in all Imperial Remnants. And which every now and then interests Grand Admiral Thrawn.

As the coordinator of everything that happened in the Morshdine sector, Bravo-2 was excellent at monitoring all incoming requests for information, compiling reports for the Ubiqtorate. How much of a malfeasance did he commit by concealing from the command the Grand Admiral's increasingly frequent requests regarding the events of the Clone Wars? It doesn't matter anymore. He was actually written off.

This was not said directly, of course, but no one will say so.

The Ubiqtorate weeded out those unnecessary, leaving them only for the appearance of their presence. Thanks to multi-channel communications, they can operate from anywhere in the galaxy, and no one will guess that the command has settled on Yaga Minor.

Simple and tasteful. Moreover, another big question is: are the Ubiqtorate and Imperial Intelligence now located in the Pentastar Alignment? Or was this data provided to Bravo-2 to cover tracks?

Sergius could bet his monthly salary that it was the latter.

It was not for nothing that the Curator told him that his task from now on was to record the names of imperial officers who would strive under the banner of Thrawn.

Most likely, he himself was listed as one of the Grand Admiral's supporters. As did Major Molo Himron and his operatives. And "Crusader"...

After rummaging through his memory, Sergius even smiled. And how could he forget? After all, he himself informed the Ubiqtorate that Captain I-Gor expressed irritation at the inaction of the Tangrene defense fleet, while the Imperial Remnants could easily strike enemy worlds and subjugate them without any problems.

The Moff in charge of the Morshdine sector is also a supporter of Thrawn. After receiving a message that the Grand Admiral was heading to Tangrene, the Moff developed simply indecent activity in preparing the shipyards to receive non-human ships.

This means that he, too, was —written off. I am sure that the last remaining garrison on the planet also once expressed words of support to the Grand Admiral.

Shipyard workers... who even considers them people in the Ubiqtorate?

In general, the situation is more or less clear.

Imperial intelligence got rid of the unreliable ones, placing them at the de facto disposal of the Grand Admiral, who is too dangerous to keep in power. Inadvertently, the initiative of the Imperial Ruling Council to appoint the last Grand Admiral as the ruler of the Imperial Remnants (if, of course, he achieves a turning point in the war with the rebels) put pressure on the callus of the Ubictorat, which has its own plans for everything that happens in the galaxy. This means that they decided to deny the Grand Admiral access to optimal resources in order to slow down the growth of his victories, and therefore his authority, in the imperial environment.

For what? To prevent an equivalent confrontation between Thrawn and Grand Moff Kaine, obviously. The Ubiqtorate intends to make the Grand Moff the new Emperor. As the most capable organizer. That is why the Ubiqtorate does not want to help the Grand Admiral, even a little — their protege will not appreciate it.

Consequently, in the near future against Thrawn and his allies... No, the Ubiqtorate will not start a war within Imperial Space. Never. They understand that then the rebels will take over even more territories.

Then how will they get rid of Thrawn?

Assasin? Maybe. But not now they need the Grand Admiral to achieve victory. As many victories as possible. And only then will he become truly dangerous for Kaine — when he begins to annex more and more new territories. And before that, they only need him as a source of problems for the rebels...

Sergius pulled away from his desk, massaging his temples.

How simple it was when he was just the commander of a special squad of Imperial Intelligence. Carry out tasks, thoughts at your level... But no, he always thought more broadly. That's why I got the position of coordinator here on Tangrene. And now they got rid of him.

He could have sworn that whatever reports he sent to the Ubiqtorate from now on, no one would read them. No, for the sake of caution, the work should continue. As an appearance of what is happening. But exact data...

The command was very wrong to think that it could just get rid of its employees just like that. It's a shame for Khimron and his people these are very promising guys, real experts in their field. Specialists for all occasions. And now they have been written off only because Himron speaks positively of Thrawn as a reasonable one who continues to live up to the ideals of the Empire. One phrase: «He will lead the Empire to victory!» cost Molo his career. And his guys supported the commander, sharing his views.

Sergius knew this better than anyone.

It was he who reported the decrease in loyalty of the major and his subordinates to the command. And they got rid of him like garbage.

It's a shame? No. He assumed that this might be the case. But he didn't think it would.

Maybe you should try to jump over the Curator's head and contact someone higher? It's almost impossible he doesn't know anyone except his Curator.

It turns out there is only one thing left...

As the Curator said, — Thrawn wanted Imperial agents for himself? Well, let him think that he received them. Only now this applies not only to Major Himron's group, but also to himself, Sergius.

Wonder if Thrawn only needs spies, or would a saboteur operative work just as well?

Ubiqtorate coordinator, Bravo-2 operative, Sergius.

***

—You know what, kind Grand Admiral,— Yazuo Vayne could barely contain his rage, looking into the indifferent holographic image of the imperial commander. — these games of yours don't fit into any rancor's ass at all! We had an agreement a dozen ships in exchange for my guys. I delivered the ships to you. And not a single Hutt said anything about dragging me to the Ubiqtorate base! Damn it, my ass and its contents are still important to me!

The Grand Admiral calmly listened to the entire tirade, after which he began to look at his gloves in a bored manner.

—Mr. Vayne,— he said in a calm tone. —I understand your concern about my order. And I'm even ready to put myself in your position. After all, you will be risking your beloved part of the body, finding yourself on the territory of an imperial institution that has been trying for five and a half years to find someone who is somehow involved in the theft of twenty Tartan-class patrol cruisers and seven Carracks, — The half-breed pirate felt a shiver run down his spine. Come on? Since when did the Imperials learn to put two and two together? —I suggest you stop playing with my personal time and stop playing innocent. I don't care about your past and I'm not going to prosecute you for theft of imperial property. Of course, if you return it voluntarily as a sign of your gratitude and respect for the Empire. It's not difficult to come up with a suitable legend to clear the charges against you. So, a test of honesty. How many more Tartans do you have left?

—Three,— Yazuo lied. He stopped liking this imperial more and more.

—I doubt your sincerity, Mister Vayne,— the Grand Admiral said disappointedly. —But as a sign that you gave us as many as a dozen "tartans" completely free of charge...

Oh you... Yazuo fidgeted in his captain's chair, glancing through the window at the Strike-class medium cruiser hovering nearby.

—... I will forgive you this little lie,— said the blue-skinned exotic. I wonder how he became an imperial officer? With their well-known dislike for various non-humans. —Moreover, I will say, in gratitude for your help, I will fulfill my part of the deal and convey to you all your crew members who have experienced imperial hospitality. They will soon be at the imperial base on Tangrene,— Yazuo gritted his teeth. Cunning, that is. Either fly to the Ubiqtorate base, or you can forget about your subordinates. If he refuses to take the prisoners, the rest of the group will decide that Vayne has chickened out and does not intend to rescue the guys. And this will damage his reputation and cause a split in the group. —Well, since we no longer have any reason to work with each other, you are free to fly away... —Yes, with joy, I'll just warm up the nozzles. And the farther I go, the better. The hutt with these ships —there will always be someone to drive the other six. In the Pentastar Alignment, for example. And not this extremely cunning red-eyed guy. We just need to figure out how to rescue our friends... —However, I have a more solid offer for you. And this time it's paid.

Yeah, we know your «payments». You go to them with all your heart, and not only do they take away fourteen starships right from under your nose, they also take the crew members prisoner. And they unequivocally drag him to places where he wouldn't go in his right mind. Because Imperial Intelligence will skin him for a theft that took place almost six years ago.

after everything that happened, I somehow don't really want to work with the Empire,— said Yazuo Vayne.

—No one is offering you to work for the Empire,— the Grand Admiral noted. —Work for me personally.

What? How do even understand this? Aren't the Grand Admiral and the Empire one and the same?

—I'm completely confused,— Yazuo winced. —What's the difference?

—You don't need to know her at all,— Thrawn said. — The main thing is that you will receive payment for your services. And nice bonuses on top of that.

—Sounds promising,— Yazuo scratched his ear. and what kind of work?

—To begin with, bring the six remaining Tartans you have to the Pakuuni system,— said the Grand Admiral. —You will be paid full price for them. Considering that you won't get even half the cost of starships anywhere, this will cover your losses for most other ships. After that, go to the Tangrene system —I will be waiting for you. If you agree to work for me, you won't have any problems with the Empire. If you don't agree... well, I think you understand —I don't make offers that I can refuse.

Yes, it's clear what's going on here. If you say «no» now, "Strike" will hit you with all its guns, and then they won't even find the wreckage. If you say yes, but actually refuse to cooperate, there will be big problems. And so the New Republic almost got on its tail when trying to sell the one and only —Tartan— four years ago...

On the other hand... six Tartans at full price is just over twenty-five million. Huge amounts of money that you can use to make the most of it. And no one else will grumble in the team that they are getting by with petty robberies, having a gold mine in their hands. Plus some other work from the Imperials...

—Can you at least give me a hint about what my line of work will be,— Yazuo suggested. — While I'm flying to Tangrene, I'll at least think about how to do everything in the best possible way.

—The details of the work will be discussed in person, Mr. Vayne,— said the Grand Admiral. — But so that you don't get bored during the flight, I advise you to read an article on HoloNet called Privateering.

After the hologram disappeared, a predatory smile formed on the half-breed's face. Looking at the crew members looking at him expectantly, the pirate smiled even more intimidatingly.

—Well, this is our lucky ticket, guys,— he said. —Contact the base, let them drag these imperial troughs here.