Grand Admiral

Yay. I finally had time to translate another chapter for you boys and girls. Also I started to write my own fanfiction about Legendary Mechanic. Do you want to see it or not? Let me know in the comments. But for now enjoy reading!

Nine years, five months and thirty-one days after the Battle of Yavin...

Or forty-fourth year, five months and thirty-one days after the Great Resynchronization.

- You must understand that you have worked through the tasks assigned to you, Mr. Reyes, - I said, watching as the chief engineer of the Tangren orbital repair shipyard entered my cabin. The man, his artificial eye flashing, nodded in agreement.

- I confess honestly, Grand Admiral, - he said, sitting down in the chair on the other side of my desk, - in all my years of service, I have never met an Imperial commander who would strive with such zeal not to invent or force more competent specialists to create something new in the field of battle fleet starships, but to modernize what already exists.

- Does your answer mean consent or lack thereof? I asked.

- In our age of advanced technology, nothing is impossible, - Nick Reyes said, looking at me. - It's only a question of the amount of resources expended and the competence of the personnel who will be entrusted with this or that task.

- I have never had any doubts about the abilities and knowledge of your subordinates, - I said.

- And there won't be any in the future, - the chief engineer assured me. - The tasks set before us are ambitious, one could even say they are a challenge to the technical thought of imperial engineers, but what you have conceived... Is feasible.

- In full or in part? I asked.

- In full, - Reyes assured me. - But I warn you, it will take a lot of money to buy the necessary equipment. If we actually implemented the - Asteroid Field - project: we developed the required number of prototypes of cloaking screens. At the moment, tests are being carried out in various modes. I received confirmation from my employees on Tangren about the completion of work on the - Deceiver - project. They tested remotely controlled plasma drills on the asteroids - the shafts for laying the - filling - are ready. They tested one of the stones without cloaking and a drill using commands according to the - after docking - algorithm at the borders of the system.

- And what is the final result of using such an algorithm? - I asked. No, I really do wonder whether it will work or not. Because a lot depends on the result. So much that we will have to rework half of the long-term plans if we fail.

- The Boers respond well to commands within a single star system, - Reyes said. - The result is as expected. However, a signal amplifier is required for this - at a minimum - a ship's communications system. Otherwise, only installations located within the closest radius of the signal source will work.

— Can we create a chain reaction at the installations?

- Hmm... - Reyes stroked his prosthetic chin with his fingers. - If all the machines are within the coverage area of ​​their own communication systems, then yes, of course. However, this will require additional changes to the design of the remotely controlled plasma drills themselves. This is an additional expense.

- You know the limits of our appropriations, - I noted.

- That's the problem, sir, - said the chief engineer. - Without being rude, your wishes are at odds with our capabilities. We need large cash injections to repair and modernize the Katana Fleet ships. I would suggest cutting the cost of its modernization by refusing to replace the installed second-class hyperdrives on the Katana Fleet ships. This will save us two hundred million credits. With these funds, we can purchase all the necessary materials to restore other captured ships.

- And at the same time, we will get ships in the fleet with different hyperdrive ratings, and therefore, speed of movement in hyperspace, - I noted. - You know as well as I do that the Imperial fleet did not just switch to a single type of hyperdrive for no reason.

- But it had the funding, - Reyes pointed out. - At the moment, based on current and planned spending, we can count on seventeen million in available funds. Plus one hundred and seventy million credits from the sale of captured equipment and weapons. That's far too little to support a fleet of nearly two hundred and fifty starships. Sir, I'm not going to tell you, but if we forgo replacing the hyperdrives on the Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers, you'll be left with three hundred and eighty-seven million instead of one hundred and eighty-seven.

- There is no need to remind me of the numbers, Mr. Reyes, - I said. - Unfortunately, we are forced to take this step. I need ships capable of moving in sync with each other in hyperspace.

- I understand, sir, - Reyes looked sadly. - But a million for a hyperdrive of the obsolete type that Rendili Drive Yards intends to install on the dreadnoughts... That's robbery, to put it mildly. They understand that they won't be able to offer this stale product to anyone else, and especially in such quantities, and so they deliberately inflate the price.

- Are you capable of upgrading the hyperdrives we have on our dreadnoughts? I asked.

- No, sir, - Reyes said. - The technology of Rendili StarDrive before they started working together with Kuat Drive Yards was... a very unreliable design. It was not for nothing that they were not considered as the main supplier of naval ships for the Grand Army of the Republic before the Clone Wars. Over the millennia, they have lost the quality of their work. One only has to look at the Neutron Star and everything immediately becomes clear about the quality of their work. Unnecessary complexity and excessive pretentiousness where simplicity and ease are needed. This was done because Rendili wanted to use only their Drive Yards and only their specialists for high-quality repairs of the equipment they produced. But in fact, it turned out that large customers simply began to refuse their services. It was therefore preferable for the Old Republic and the Galactic Empire to cooperate with Kuat Drive Yards - their equipment can be repaired at any shipyard and does not require additional equipment or specializations for such work.

That's how it is.

- But at the same time, we can't buy and install Kuat-produced hyperdrives on the dreadnoughts, - I noted. - If my memory serves me right, they'll cost us even more.

- That's true, - Reyes agreed. - Unfortunately, after Kuat joined the New Republic, we can no longer turn to Kai Fel to purchase navigation equipment and the necessary number of hyperdrives...

- Kai Fel? - I asked again. - What is it?

- An industrial planet where hyperdrives for Kuat Drive Yards starships are manufactured, - Nick Reyes said. - The planet is where the parts are manufactured, assembled, and tuned. Then they're sent to Kuat...

- Are all types of hyperdrives produced there? - I asked.

- All that Kuat Drive Yards uses in its production, - Reyes nodded.

- Is there any problem in combining hyperdrives produced by Kuat Drive Yards and ships built by Rendili Drive Yards? - I continued to inquire.

The chief engineer thought about it.

- A small one, - he said after a few seconds of thought. - The operating principle is the same everywhere, the only difference may be in the form of the motivators themselves, and the nature of the connection - Kuat uses fewer duplicate systems compared to Rendili...

Interesting.

- They produce hyperdrives for orbital repair stations there too? I asked.

- Of course, - the chief engineer confirmed. - Every single one of them...

- That's interesting, - I said. - I always thought Kuat did everything himself.

- Oh, no, sir, - the chief engineer smiled good-naturedly. - The Kuati hate to pollute their ecology. That's why they moved the Drive Yards into orbit, as well as most of their assembly shops. And almost all of their factories are on the outskirts. Polluting other planets is much more interesting for them than crap in their own pockets. The Empire has presented them with an ultimatum several times regarding the pollution of Kai Fel's atmosphere, but they ignored them. It is much easier to pay multi-billion fines than to solve the problem.

- You are quite well informed about the state of affairs at Kuat Drive Yards, - I noted.

- I and a number of my comrades underwent industrial training and trained for a long time at Kuat's enterprises, - Reyes explained. - So for the uninitiated, Kuat plays one role, but in reality, everything is much more prosaic. However, the point of view you expressed is an extremely common misconception in the galaxy.

- Well, it's never too late to learn something new, - I remarked philosophically.

- Yes, sir, - Reyes agreed.

- Do you know the location of Kai Fel? - clarification is never superfluous.

- Of course, - the chief engineer's single organic eye widened. - Unlike Rotana, Kuat never made a secret of Kai Fel's location.

- Report this information to Captain Pellaeon, - I ordered. - And, speaking of Rothana, what is known about that planet? As I recall, there was a subsidiary of Kuat Drive Yards there. I'm interested in its current status.

- Abandoned, sir, - Reyes sighed. - Oh, what wonderful shipyards they were. And what factories! After the New Order was declared, this planet and the entire sector were guarded by Kuat and Imperial ships. Rothana was an Imperial fortress planet, but was abandoned after our defeat at the Battle of Endor. Kuat retained a presence for some time until the Zann Consortium began to take over the galaxy following the Emperor's death. Kuat and the Rebels attempted to resist the takeover of the planet and its facilities by criminals, but were unable to hold the line. The Kuati evacuated the planet, its manufacturing facilities, and its population. Everything they couldn't take away was blown up so that it wouldn't fall into the hands of criminals. No one knows to this day how Tyber Zann learned of a way to bypass the hyperspace route to Rothana, but the fact remains that the Kuati had to destroy it all in order not to lose control over the trillions and trillions of invested funds. Otherwise, they could have given the criminals a power comparable to the might of Kuat himself. It is no coincidence that during the Clone Wars, all ground equipment of the Grand Army of the Republic was manufactured on Rothana.

- What's so special about the route to Rotana? - I asked. No, I'd heard about this planet, but I'd never had to delve into such details.

— Access to the planet and the Rothana Heavy Engineering facility located there was possible only through a complex web of hyperlanes, the locations of which were communicated to Kuat Drive Yards personnel on a need-to-know basis: Kuat ships did not even receive Rothana coordinates. Instead, they made a hyperspace jump to one of several points beyond the planet Molavar, which lay at the intersection of the Triellus Trade Route and the Manda Trade Route, the chief engineer explained. There, they downloaded encrypted hyperspace coordinates and a friend-or-foe signal from a hyperspace beacon. The transmission of the signal then temporarily deactivated the numerous mass-shadow mines planted along the Rothana route.

- And Kuat didn't retake the planet after the Zann Consortium lost? - I asked, surprised.

- They didn't even move, - confirmed Reyes. - Actually, why? Not only did the planet lose its main advantage during the Imperial period of time – the confidentiality of its location, but all the buildings on it were razed to the ground. There is practically nothing to restore there – only to rebuild, and this requires enormous funds. Kuat now, thanks to the absorption of hundreds of small shipyards, has production capacities of comparable volume. And they can continue to produce all the secret developments on Kuat itself. However, I heard that Kuat intends to return to Rotana someday – if the volume of orders increases and they again need a remote construction site.

- You mentioned mass-shadow mines, - I recalled. - What are those?

- A very old and very expensive technology, - Reyes explained. - The mass shadow mine was essentially an advanced space mine that would detonate upon detecting the presence of a starship in hyperspace. Upon detonation, it would release a gravitational surge that would mimic the effects of a planetary gravity well's mass shadow, forcing the ship out of hyperspace by triggering the hyperdrive's normal failsafes. The weapon was primarily intended to ambush ships traveling through hyperspace by disabling their hyperdrive engines, and saw extensive use during the Battle of Coruscant during the Clone Wars, where mass shadow mines prevented Republic reinforcements from arriving to aid Coruscant's defenders.

- And why weren't such technologies used by the Empire anymore? I asked.

- One of these costs over a hundred million, - Reyes explained. - Not to mention that this device is not intended for reuse. Although I will not hide the fact that there have been efforts to resurrect the technology. A later improvement of such mines was the - Empion - project, used by the forces of the rebel warlord Zsinj and Admiral Apwar Trigit.

- Trigit, is that the admiral in Zsinj's service who created the Morrt project? - I asked.

- That's it, sir, - Reyes confirmed. - But unlike the original technology, the Empion design had more potential. The mine had five components: a sensor array to detect ships in hyperspace; a mass shadow gravity projector to pull them out of light speed; an electromagnetic charge to disable the electronics; an ion projector to create a stable ion beam to disable blood vessels; and a hyperwave transceiver to communicate the detonation to the minelayer. The design is undoubtedly more successful, but at the same time - it is expensive due to the increased potential of the product. No one in their right mind would spend an amount of credits comparable to the construction of two Imperial-I-class Star Destroyers on one of these mines.

That's how it is.

As far as I remember, there was a hyperspace route between Rothana and Kamino, which was used during the Clone Wars to transport military equipment developed by Rothana Heavy Engineering. And Obi-Wan Kenobi found Kamino without any problems with mines or anything else. So, we are talking about three different hyperspace routes at once - the one developed by the Kuat and protected by mass shadow mines; a simple one, not protected at all and allowing customers to fly to Kamino - this is what Obi-Wan Kenobi used. And the third one - connecting Rothana and Kamino, which was used to transport the equipment of the Grand Army of the Republic ordered from Rothana.

We captured the thought.

What else is known? Kamino and Rothana were attacked by the Zann Consortium. And he supposedly occupied both planets at some point. After that, his organization becomes a target for attack by the powers that be and Tyber Zann goes underground. Where he is is unknown. But at the same time, no one can get to Kamino - and no one comes back. And now a minute of assumptions.

What are the chances that after capturing the Kuat-ravaged planet of Rothana, Tyber Zann, having suffered a defeat, dug in on Kamino and Rothana, using them as a source of replenishment for his Consortium? He creates clones for the ground army and starship crews, builds ships, albeit without Rothana's advanced equipment. And he definitely dreams of taking a rematch. The latter, of course, is an assumption, but it suits the reputation of a bandit and criminal who spent years creating an organization that was destroyed too well. And if so, then there are certain problems.

First, Zann is in an absolutely unreachable corner of the galaxy, from where it is simply impossible to dig him out - even flying up to him will not work because of the mines. If the cloning capacities on Kamino are intact (and there is no information indicating otherwise), then what prevents him from easily conquering the galaxy again? How many Kaminoan clones are produced?

Ten years.

Five and a half years have passed since his disappearance, the same year as the Battle of Endor (which was four years after the Battle of Yavin IV). This means his army is already in full production, and there is very little time left before it can manifest itself in the galaxy. However, another question remains unresolved.

Why haven't I heard or read a word about the "second coming of Tyburr Zann" ? Because he didn't exist and all my reasoning is wrong? Or because the heroes of the New Republic, on whose behalf the works of the post-Endor era were written, didn't participate in his defeat, and what happened remained "off-screen" ?

One way or another, interesting prospects are opening up that are worth thinking about in your spare time.

- So I understand that our version of the Morrt project remains in a - suspended" state due to the lack of droids suitable for its implementation? I clarified.

- Yes, Grand Admiral, - Reyes agreed. - Without buzz droids, the design is pure theory.

Well, I'll have to search the galaxy for buzz droids. Although... Hypori and Saleucami belong to the remnants of the Zann Consortium, don't they? On Hypori, I'm interested in the droideka production line, as well as the source of the B-2 droids that the Noghri have reportedly sent to the planet to act as guards for the local garrison. Considering that I intend to take the factory and all its droid production lines anyway, I'll have to deal with the Zann Consortium. And most likely soon, given that Source Delta reports that the Republicans are setting up ambushes on major hyperlanes in an attempt to catch my starships. If the enemy wants something, you should - give - it to him only when you have the necessary forces to ensure its destruction. But I need the droids. Without them, the entire plan to use plasma drills, also known as diggers, lacks the planned scope and any meaningful resolution.

And therefore, it is necessary to move to Hypori in the nearest future. The droids will not capture and reprogram themselves.

By the way, speaking of droids. More precisely, droidekas.

- Have your workers sorted out the Mark-II droidekas and other equipment stored aboard the Katana Fleet's starships? - I asked.

- Yes, I just wanted to talk about it, sir, - the chief engineer suddenly remembered. - It seems that the source that told you about the presence of droidekas of the specified model on the "dreadnoughts" was not entirely reliable. We did not find any Mark-II droidekas on board the heavy cruisers. I specifically contacted the technicians on the starships that were not yet prepared for the flight to clarify whether they had such data. But such equipment was not found on their ships either.

Really? Interesting. I remember that Luke Skywalker, during the confrontation with the Vagaari, found a practically fully functional droideka on board one of these "dreadnoughts"! Both he and Mara Jade were very worried that if this technology fell into the hands of the Vagaari people, it would lead to the Chiss being in trouble and...

Oh my!

- It turns out that way, - I said in as calm a tone as possible, trying not to show my own annoyance. I messed up! I confused the adventures of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade in search of the surviving part of the Outbound Flight expedition and the epic with the Katana Fleet! There were no droidekas on the latter, they were on the expedition ships! - But still, did you discover anything interesting? - I asked.

- Yes, of course, - Reyes nodded. - We have found quite a few AT-PT type walkers. The first generation, unfortunately, is designed for one pilot. The condition is, of course, far from ideal, but they are in good shape and will not require large repair costs. And at the same time, these machines will be an excellent addition to the ground forces. If desired, they can, of course, be upgraded to the second generation, integrating a second pilot-gunner's seat into the cockpit.

- So I understand that your colleagues from the ground workshops on Tangren will be engaged in the restoration of these machines? I clarified.

- I don't have enough workers to fix the ships, - Reyes shook his head. - If we start working on the ground equipment, our primary work simply won't be done.

- Do as you are ordered, Chief Engineer, - I said.

So, droidekas have not been found - a problem, but not a critical one. As they say "I know where to get more". But walkers - that's more than interesting. At least, judging by the compilation of files from the Imperial Archive and data from Palpatine's personal collection, there is such an assumption.

AT-PTs were designed to lead single soldiers into intense combat situations with the firepower of a squad. They stood just three meters tall and were flown by dedicated pilots, one per vehicle. This was the infamous first generation, with a crew of just one sentient.

The walkers could reach speeds of up to sixty kilometers per hour and could climb at an angle of forty-five degrees, with hydraulic regulators keeping the machine in balance. The machines were equipped with a long-range antenna for patrols. The main drive provided power and hydraulic pressure for the two legs and had ventilation holes. The entrance hatch to the cabin was on the side, and an emergency flare was located just above the porthole.

The AT-PT was heavily armored compared to the intended threat, enemy soldiers, so much so that small arms fire could not penetrate the vehicle's armor. The walker was armed with two blaster cannons and one stun grenade launcher, which were only effective against infantry. The walker's excellent maneuverability made up for its light armor (compared to most other cavalry units).

Walker AT-PT.

A minute of interesting history.

The AT-PT was developed for the Galactic Republic decades before the Clone Wars, but during the war the Republic had a need for a small anti-personnel walker, and the AT-PT became more relevant. It was one of the first of the AT series of vehicles, which Kuat would produce in such large numbers in the future that words fail to describe the scale of production of all possible variants and types of vehicles.

Many of the concepts first implemented in the AT-PT were later used in the AT-AP, AT-ST, and AT-AT.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Galactic Empire used several walkers of this type. They were often used as guard and patrol vehicles near Imperial installations.

A large number of AT-PTs, again according to Imperial data, were used in Imperial offensive operations, which clearly suggests that despite the emergence of newer and more well-armed opponents, the transports were still used in combat.

- Well, - I concluded, - there are only a couple of issues left to discuss. And the first of them concerns cloning issues.

- Grand Admiral, sir, - Nick Reyes said thoughtfully. - I'm a tech guy. Cloning isn't my thing. But if you happen to have a few cloning cylinders lying around...

- Sixteen thousand, - I said, watching the pupil of his one true eye dilate. - I have sixteen thousand of them, working cloning cylinders. And four thousand that are broken, which you and your people need to inspect and decide if they can be repaired and if they will work as they should.

- Ah, - Nick Reyes coughed into his fist. - That's the thing. I thought you wanted to clone me and my best specialists.

- That, too, - I said. - You put it quite correctly - I intend to clone only the very best. Also, deep within Mount Tantiss there is one of the four generators that is currently inoperative. I have been assured that it is some version of the ship's solar ionization reactor, but it is too unfamiliar to be trusted to ordinary technicians to repair. I want to know what is wrong with it and whether it can be used in Project Sunburn.

- Sir, to be honest, I thought your proposals for ship modernization would be limited to simply equipping the Star Destroyers with medium and anti-aircraft artillery, additional SFU squadrons, installing eight-gun turbolaser turrets on the Pobedas, similar to those on the Imperials, - the chief engineer admitted. - But the Sunburn... I'm not sure that after this modernization, the captured Venator will be able to accommodate even part of the original crew, air wing, and landing force. Something will have to be abandoned...

- Which brings us to my next idea, - I said. - The Dreadnoughts have an automation system codenamed "slave chain". Study this technology. We need to see if we can use it to reduce the number of crew members on our Star Destroyers.

The chief engineer looked at me tiredly. He was silent. He looked at me again.

- Well, - he said, - since Moff Ferrus and I have pledged our allegiance to you, it would be foolish to back down from such a daunting task simply because I lack the strength, time, resources, and manpower for such projects. I will do my best, but it is too early to guarantee anything like positive or encouraging results. We have already had to dismantle the Neutron Star to gather the necessary weapons to arm the three-gun medium turrets and to obtain laser cannons to equip the Star Destroyers undergoing repairs as anti-aircraft artillery.

- It sounds like you're willing to work on the most ambitious of projects, - I noted.

- Of course, sir, - confirmed the chief engineer. - I haven't even introduced you to all of them yet, but I'm sure that even with the help of cloning engineers, you will need creative individuals to implement ship modernization projects. My people and I are more builders than redesigners. But I know someone who loves to change, improve and modernize something.

- Really? - I was surprised. - And you have remained silent until now about the existence of such an individual?

- We don't get along very well together, - Reyes winced. - But if I'd known that upgrading equipment would become a habit for you, I would have suggested him a long time ago. But...

- There's always a "but" - I noted. - Is there a problem?

- Yes, sir, - Nick Reyes's artificial eye flared with a furious fire. - It'll take a lot of work to lure him away from the Pentastar Alignment . After all, Ryan Zion is Ardus Kane's best shipbuilder. But he hates building and loves upgrading.

- And you are the opposite, - I reminded myself. - Military engineers of two opposing schools. Literally, mutually exclusive. I wouldn't be wrong if I assumed that you and he are not on the best of terms.

- He owes me an arm and an eye! - The chief engineer's metal prosthesis squeezed with such a grinding noise that the goosebumps that ran down my spine almost caused the entire Imperial Star Destroyer to rock.

***

- The Grand Admiral is expecting you, - a tall, powerfully built man wearing a naval uniform with the insignia of a major in the Stormtrooper Corps rumbled as he stepped out of the way of Molo's path into the dimly lit entrance to Grand Admiral Thrawn's private quarters. - But first, surrender your weapons, Major Himron.

Major Molo Himron.

The commander of the Imperial Intelligence special forces, without saying a word, calmly handed over his service weapon - a blaster pistol that he carried in a hip holster. Then, grinning, under the keen gaze of his adjutant, he pulled another blaster "a smaller one" from his sock. And only seeing that Major Tiers's gaze had not changed, he slid his hand under his jacket and pulled out a third blaster, which was resting securely in an operational holster under his uniform.

- You may pass now, - the adjutant permitted, giving a signal to a pair of stormtroopers standing in front of the vestibule door leading to the imperial commander's quarters.

This major is interesting. He seems to be a stormtrooper, but he is too proactive, too talkative (from ordinary Stormtroopers you can only hear "Yes, sir!" and "Roger that!" because they are not trained to say "No, sir!"). This guy... is kind of strange.

However, it is up to Thrawn himself to choose whom to take as his adjutant. Look, he even has a pretty red-haired lieutenant. Is it really true that the blue-skinned non-human is not alien to everything human?

Smiling at his seditious thought (and it was so because everyone in the fleet knew that the Grand Admiral's only love was the fleet), Molo walked into the semi-dark compartment where the Supreme Commander himself spent most of his life.

It wasn't hard to spot Thrawn in the gloom that obscured the angles and dimensions of the living space he occupied - there he was, sitting at his desk, surrounded by a double ring of monitors, on which you could easily see duplicate data from the Chimaera 's bridge.

Having reported his arrival, the major began to wait for the Grand Admiral to pay attention to him. And he, with a serious and extremely concentrated look, was examining something on one of the screens, turned by the matrix away from the one who entered. So, with all his desire, Molo would not have been able to discern what exactly the Supreme Commander was so fascinated by.

Although... Isn't this a mockery on the part of the Imperial Ruling Council? To have millions of stormtroopers, regular army fighters, thousands of units of military equipment, hundreds of Imperial Star Destroyers, not to mention ships of a lower class, under their command, and at the same time to assign frankly small forces to the last of the Grand Admirals personally appointed by Emperor Palpatine, a brilliant strategist and tactician who in a couple of months did more for the military affairs of the Empire than any other Imperial who was not a renegade. So small that Thrawn, in order to return to the camp of the Empire each sector captured by the enemy, has to practically conduct a special operation to capture it. And to spend a lot of time on something that he could have implemented so easily, if he had more ships!?

- You have done a fine job, Major Himron, in securing the capture of the Acclamator, - the Grand Admiral's ingratiating voice brought Molo out of his reverie. - In the old days, such a brilliant operation would have earned you a great reward. Don't you think you deserve it?

- With all due respect, sir, serving under your command is the greatest honor any self-respecting Imperial can receive, - the operative said.

- A compliment, - Thrawn said, looking at him. - Your team has performed admirably on every mission I've sent you on. Impressive. Especially considering the fact that the Ubiqtorate has tried to put their worst men under my command in order to tie me down.

Molo remained silent. Not because he didn't know what to answer - he knew perfectly well. But he didn't hear the question. And service in Imperial Intelligence predetermines you to keep your mouth shut until you are asked a specific question. The IceHeart diligently hammered this truism into her subordinates. Very diligently, without being shy about the means. They said that her favorite scarlet uniform was actually white. And then the blood of those who were dissatisfied with her got on it. And she got rid of them, taking as trophies the only thing without which any biological organism cannot exist.

- According to a complete copy of your personnel file, Major, you and your unit have conducted over two hundred successful missions, - Thrawn continued. Molo didn't even bat an eye. Firstly, he didn't count the number of missions he'd completed – no one wants to remember in detail what he'd had to do under the command of the IceHeart. And secondly, if Thrawn had a copy of his personnel file, and a complete one at that, then he should definitely understand who exactly was erasing the data. - And with all that, you're just a major, the commander of an operational unit. While a considerable number of your fellow soldiers, having accomplished even a quarter of what you've done for the Empire, have already received promotions and entered the elite of Imperial Intelligence. However, I'm sure that despite the disappearance of data about them, your classmates are still alive, right?

- Exactly, sir, - said Molo.

— Do they serve in the Ubiqtorate?

- As far as I know, sir.

- And you are not at all tempted by the possibility of getting promoted and taking a place in the leadership of Imperial Intelligence? - Thrawn asked in a casual tone. As if he was not asking about what all graduates of the Imperial military academies dream of - sitting in offices and, at most, moving a stylus across the screens of a deck, receiving as a salary the salary of an entire unit of operatives.

Molo could hardly contain his smile.

- No, sir.

— The reason?

- I don't like staff work, sir.

- Did you develop this dislike before or after your meeting with Emperor Palpatine? - Thrawn asked, looking at one of the monitors.

Himron felt like he didn't even have to try to hold back a smile. The muscles in his face seemed to have gone rigid.

He remembered very well the fateful meeting with the head of state, which had turned the world of the young cadet of the Imperial Academy on Carida upside down. And he was aware that he had lived most of his life exactly as the man in the black robe, impressive in his grandeur and power, had casually advised him.

- Later, sir, - he said in an unwavering voice.

- An interesting answer, - the Grand Admiral noted. That's not the word. I'd also like to know how you know about it. Because such information was purged from all the archives — by personal order of the IceHeart, as soon as she came to power in Imperial Intelligence. So this strong-willed and cruel woman eliminated all those who could somehow find an approach to the Emperor. The fact of a personal meeting with the ruler of the Galactic Empire and his casually thrown phrase that "a typical appearance and durasteel in the eyes are what an intelligence operative should have, and not a naval officer" is enough reason to drastically change your life. No one knew exactly who entered special notes into the personal files of intelligent beings, to whom Emperor Palpatine turned his attention, indicating such things. But the IceHeart, with the persistence of a maniac, for inexplicable reasons, edited and destroyed such personal files. And sometimes the people hidden behind them. For what reason she acted in such a way - still remains a mystery. And after all, not so little time has passed since her death. - How long did it take you and your people to take control of the Acclamator's control room?

- Four minutes, sir, - he didn't even need to recall this information. The speed with which he and his men, supported by marine stormtroopers, had boarded the pirate ship and effectively subjugated it to their power, killing the entire watch and capturing the control devices, had surprised everyone. And how biased Molo and his squad had been about the idea of ​​using plasma drills as boarding ships! And here it was, a result that exceeded all expectations...

- I want to hear your authoritative opinion on the pros and cons of using these devices as boarding tools, - said the Grand Admiral, curiosity shining from his scarlet eyes.

- An unusual landing craft, sir, - admitted Major Himron. - We moved very quickly, experienced overloads, but not critical ones. Overcame the deflector field. Cut through the skin as if it had never existed. The enemy clearly did not expect us to be able to do this with such ease. Despite their size and design, plasma drills are easy to pilot, maneuverable, and have high speed. During transportation, not a single enemy shot hit the landing craft, and they fired barrages at us. Life support systems worked at the limit of their capabilities, but due to the short flight time, we did not experience any particular problems.

- Yes, these devices are designed for use by only two or three intelligent beings, - the Grand Admiral noted. - We have placed an entire task force inside. Removing the life support and inertial dampening systems will allow us to place more soldiers inside?

- Of course, sir, - said Himron. - But then they'll all die. Our dash from the Chimaera's hold to the Acclamator's superstructure took just over two minutes. We were wearing our normal gear, and during the flight we nearly froze and suffocated. If we remove the life support systems from there, we'll have to dress the troopers in heavy armor designed for space boarding. That means, because each trooper is so big, only a small number of fighters will fit inside.

- You advise leaving the devices as they are now? - Thrawn asked.

- These mechanisms are good, - admitted Himron. - But we were acting against pirates – an untrained, poorly armed crowd. If we have to face professional military, the number of landing troops will not be enough to capture the ship. After we kill or capture the bridge crew, professional anti-boarders will come for us. Without heavy weapons, it will be impossible to deal with them. And since undocking on plasma drills is not provided, the landing force is doomed to either fight to the last, in the hope of reinforcements, or die.

- In the event that the crew of the ship that you will board with the help of plasma drills is minimal, what forecasts of our success do you give? - Thrawn clarified.

- Minimal, sir? - Molo asked.

- There will be no infantry units, no anti-boarding units, the watch is simplified as much as possible, - Thrawn said quickly. - We are talking about battleships, Major.

Himron thought about it. He knew how to analyze risks and he loved it - it was part of the job, on which the success of any mission depended. In the end, anticipatory thinking determines the ability of a rational being to foresee the consequences of its actions.

- We used five plasma drills to land inside the superstructure, - he said. - Another five were sent to capture the engine room and reactor compartment. In total, fifty people took control of the ship's control center in two minutes and ensured its ability to move under our control, but we are not enough to maneuver or fight the enemy. The reduction in the number of professional soldiers on the ship can be taken as a similar value for a larger number of less qualified pirates, therefore the resistance will be approximately equal. If the issue of capture time is not so important, then I would recommend reducing the number of landing craft in proportion to the protection and size of the ship - or, conversely, increasing them. However, I must note that specialized specialists will be needed to control a battleship. My people are able to use the technical equipment of a larger number of ships - they are familiar with them from duty. But sir, if we are talking about hijacking ships under enemy fire, and with some of the crews on board, it will be necessary to include naval specialists in the landing and assault groups. Which, in turn, will reduce the number of operatives in the first wave of landing. And therefore, it seems to me that it would be more correct to use landing shuttles directly to capture battleships - one of them is capable of transporting a landing party of several plasma drills at once. Or our boarding bots...

- Most of which are designed for assault through docking airlocks, - a smile appeared on the lips of the Grand Admiral. - No, Major, the speed of plasma drills powered by rhydonium is several times higher than the speed of our landing, transport or boarding craft. And it is precisely due to this speed that we are able to deliver the required number of boarding parties to the target with minimal or no losses at all. You said that your people are able to operate the ships. Are they competent enough to take the starships beyond the parking place and direct them in the necessary direction so that specialized specialists can be delivered on board by means of landing shuttles and transport shuttles?

- Yes, sir, - Himron said confidently. - If we know the exact parameters of the ships we are to board and remove from their moorings, we will do it. But, sir, my people are only enough to control one large ship - and even then, we are unlikely to be a full-fledged bridge crew, there are simply too few of us. On the Acclamator, we had to wait for the fleet's specialized specialists to arrive from the minelayer cruiser Sentry. Otherwise, our attempts to - undock - the starships would have ended in the death or serious damage to both spaceships.

- Once the field reconnaissance work is complete, you will have all the information you need, - Thrawn assured him. - As for numbers... A smile played on the Grand Admiral's lips. - Didn't you get information about where exactly the Chimaera is heading?

- Sir, with all due respect, I do not apply my professional intelligence gathering skills to the crew of the ship I serve on, - Molo said. - If the information in question had directly affected me, I would have been informed.

- Without a doubt, - Thrawn said. - I am telling you this now. We are heading for the planet Wayland, Major. It contains the secret hoard of Emperor Palpatine, which I will use to achieve the victory I need.

The way Thrawn emphasized his personal interest in the outcome of the confrontation with the Republic was jarring. Yes, for any other intelligent person this phrase could have been written off as a slip of the tongue, but coming from the mouth of a Grand Admiral who was winning despite the actions of those who appointed him to this position... It sounds more than prosaic.

- You have the right idea, Major, - Thrawn assured him. - My interests are different from the Empire's. I, like you, like everyone else in my fleet, was thrown to the front lines like a bone to the nexu, in the hopes that we would become a thorn in the side of the New Republic and cause it to die. Only so that the scavengers could come and feed on its still-warm corpse. So I want to ask, Major, whose side would you be on if there was a reason to choose between me and what the Empire represents?

What was there to choose? If he hadn't decided in advance, he wouldn't have been among those the Ubiqtorate sent to the Grand Admiral, effectively getting rid of them because of their - loyalty in absentia. Where was he to go if he refused to serve Thrawn? Only to put a blaster bolt through his temple.

- Sir, I have already made my choice, - said Himron. - My people and I are with you. Otherwise, we would not be on your ship.

- Excellent, Major, - Thrawn smiled. - In a little while we will arrive on Wayland, and I will initiate you into some of the secrets of what was left to us as a legacy from Emperor Palpatine. In the meantime, you must know two things. First. You and your people will be cloned. Many times. Not that it sounded wild to him, but Molo was surprised. It seemed that he had heard that cloning had been done on the planet Kamino in the distant past, but on the other hand, what was stopping them from taking the necessary equipment from there? Actually, it did not pose a danger to him and his people. On the contrary, firstly, it is flattering that they were chosen. Secondly, it is clear why them - they are proven in practice and loyal. In conditions of personnel shortage, it would be much more correct to surround yourself with copies of loyal people than with a multitude of those who have not yet proven their loyalty. - Second. I will need my own system of intelligence operatives capable of carrying out any task in any terrain. You and your men have proven that you are equally effective in space and on the ground. Therefore, you, Major, after the cloning procedure is complete, will lead this new unit - and that is already a damn pleasure. - It will consist of your clones, of course, and those loyal officers who have already been selected by me. You will have to establish the structure and command hierarchy yourself. I am sure that you will find a common language with them - a little later, I will explain the reason why no struggle for power will occur between copies of the same intelligent being. You will report personally to me. I also want to say that you should get your insignia in order, - Thrawn with a distinct click on the surface of the table laid out the command plate in front of Molo. Five red squares, executed in one row. Which corresponded to the rank of colonel in Imperial Intelligence. - Congratulations on your long-awaited promotion, Colonel Himron.

- Thank you, sir, - Molo said, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat and looking at the Grand Admiral. - My subordinates and I are ready to begin carrying out your orders, Supreme Commander!

- I will provide you with additional code cylinders containing the information you will need to continue your work later, - Thrawn said. - Study it and get to work. We do not have as much time as we would like. And there is more to do than you may imagine. First, I want to explain the importance of plasma drills in the upcoming operations. I would like to hear your thoughts on why I am using these units for boarding, rather than using rhydonium to accelerate the specialized Imperial equipment.

- Plasma drills are trophies that you wouldn't mind ruining with a type of fuel that destroys the propulsion system, - the colonel confidently suggested. - With these devices, you plan to capture battleships, - Himron said confidently. - Most likely, these will be starships of Imperial design. Given your latest goals, I can assume that you intend to increase the number of Star Destroyers under your command by boarding them. Minimal resistance is assumed given that the New Republic uses a significant number of ships as transports with a reduced number of crew members and removed ship weapons.

- That's right, Colonel Himron, - Thrawn said, smiling faintly. - The first part of my plan concerning the 'diggers' you voiced is absolutely correct. In the Rugosa system, we conducted field tests of plasma drills under manual control of marines. I am pleased with the results. We will consolidate our success a little later, so that we will approach the main operation of this year fully armed.

- Is there another purpose to using plasma drills? - Molo asked.

- Not one, - Thrawn corrected. - But ultimately, directly or indirectly, these attitudes will lead to a political crisis within the New Republic. And that's when things get interesting.