Nine years, nine months, and thirty-four days after the Battle of Yavin…
Or the forty-fourth year, nine months, and thirty-four days after the Great Resynchronization.
(Five months and nineteen days since the arrival).
Leia activated the holoprojector with hidden fear, connecting to the Provisional Council's communication channel.
Organa, which should have been abolished long ago, but due to the crisis of Thrawn's campaign, as the actions of the well-known Grand Admiral are called in the HoloNet, the Council's powers remained for the duration of the crisis.
This did not prevent preparations for the election of the first head of state and the strengthening of the positions of normally functioning government bodies.
"Everything will be fine, sweetheart," Han, standing behind Leia who was sitting in front of the communication device, placed his strong hands on the woman's shoulders.
His husband's soft fingers soothingly pressed on the tense muscles, relaxing them.
"After Fey'lya's statements, I'm not sure," declared the former Alderaanian princess. "He's overdoing it…"
"Let Mon Mothma deal with the Bothan," advised Han. "He can say whatever he wants; the fact remains. The Sluissi and Sullustans have calmed down after receiving payment for their work. The Imperial ships are practically restored. A couple of days, and the delivered armament will be installed on them. And our fleet will have combat-ready formations of nearly three hundred ships. I'm sure Bel Iblis will immediately throw them at the Dominion."
"We still have a week to wait until full crews arrive on all the ships," winced Leia.
"The main thing is that the process is underway," assured Han. "And everything else isn't really that important, actually."
"Honestly, you've not been very good at calming lately," Leia smiled guiltily. "Sorry for being so direct…"
"It's all right," Han leaned down, kissing his wife on the top of her head. "Go on, knock them dead in the Council, boast about the results of your work. And I'm off to play a game of sabacc with Lando."
"You're so relaxed because Calrissian promised not to take the Falcon as a bet anymore?" joked Leia, looking around the ship from inside with a grateful gaze, which had saved all their lives more than once.
Han, of course, grumbled about the Imperial repairs, had already redone some things here and there, but overall, the starship looked fabulous and didn't resemble the old junk heap it was at the time of their first meeting.
An encryption module and necessary equipment had been installed on board, in case the Sluissi forbade using their terminal, or if it became impossible for one reason or another.
And honestly, Leia trusted this old ship more in matters of security than the local special services, which had already tarnished themselves with cooperation with criminals, selling military property, and participating in the shady dealings of one particularly unreasonably ambitious Bothan, who also happened to be a member of the New Republic's Provisional Council.
"No, the salary just came in," Solo smiled charmingly. "And besides, I know this guy like the back of my hand. Unlike Karrde—I definitely wouldn't sit at the same gaming table with him."
"The Claw, as far as I remember, is currently busy setting up his new ship," Han scratched the back of his head. "So he definitely won't be playing with us. Eh, if only Chewbacca were here…"
"I talked to him and Winter a couple of hours ago," declared Leia. "Everything's fine with them. Jacen and Jaina are behaving well and not tiring out their nanny and guards with nighttime wake-ups."
"And I called Chewie half an hour ago," confessed Han. "He didn't complain, and I suspect he likes being a big furry nanny. I'm even starting to get jealous. The kids will grow up and definitely steal my co-pilot from me for their sandbox fun."
"You'll always have me," assured Leia.
The encryption module's indicator blinked, signaling the establishment of a secure connection.
"Sorry, I have to go," said the girl.
"Yeah, me too," Solo winked at her. "Don't forget to ask Mon Mothma how we're going to rescue Luke, Wedge, and Madine. And yes, remind them about the transporters—I wouldn't dare meet with them again and tell them to wait. In the end, they might just leave the system and sell our goods for half price, getting good money. Less than what the New Republic promised them, but more than nothing and the costs of downtime."
"This question is first on my agenda," Leia declared firmly. "As well as Luke, Wedge, and General Madine."
Winking at her, her husband left the cockpit of his beloved ship.
Holograms of three councilors appeared before Leia, and the sound turned on…
"… and by what right did you give that interview at all?!" the hologram of Garm Bel Iblis roared in anger, pointing a finger at the white-blue projection of Councilor Fey'lya. "Don't you understand that this is another trap?!"
Sighing, Councilor Organa-Solo prepared herself for the fact that this meeting would clearly proceed in raised tones.
***
"Madam Moff," Chief Engineer Nick Reyes entered Moff Tavira's reception hall with a quick step. "There are a number of critical issues we need to discuss. Urgently."
Leonia, tearing herself away from the conversation with a man in fleet uniform, looked at the appearing technical specialist for the entire Karthakk system with a clearly displeased gaze.
"This can wait, Chief Engineer Reyes," she said.
"Sorry, Madam Moff," Nick shook his head negatively, "but no. The task set before me and my subordinates is simply unrealistic. These ships will not be repaired within the specified timeframe."
"Which ships are we talking about?" inquired the man, turning his face to the engineer.
"About that scrap metal that ended up in our system by mistake," declared Reyes, his artificial eye flashing.
"Could you be more specific?" inquired Tavira. "We have a large number of ships, I must note. Mon Calamari star cruisers, Imperial Star Destroyers…"
"That's exactly what we're talking about," said Reyes. "Specifically about the "two""—"Endurance," the "ones": "Fate Crucible," "Messenger of Retribution," "Striking Sword," "Star Hammer," "Shining Star," — in the process of listing, Nick realized that he was seeing this fleet officer for the first time, despite being familiar with the commanders of all starships stationed in the Karthakk system, — "Medusa," "Wyvern," "Griffon," and one Victory-type: "Swift Strike." All these ships were clearly repaired hastily, just to get to us.
"That's how it is," declared Tavira, smiling radiantly, while her violet eyes expressed anything but friendliness. "They were sent from the Dominion by personal order of Grand Admiral Thrawn. By the way," she pointed to the officer sitting opposite her, "meet, Chief Engineer Reyes: this is Captain Vivant, commander of the "Endurance" and commander during the transit of the ships you mentioned."
"Pleased to meet you, Chief Engineer Reyes," the indicated officer said in a calm tone.
"Likewise," grumbled Nick, shifting his gaze to Moff Tavira. "Ma'am, I request your permission to send Grand Admiral Thrawn a report noting the impossibility of carrying out work on the specified ships within a month's timeframe. We have neither full-fledged shipyards nor adequate reserves of equipment, and certainly not enough armament to bring these starships to combat-ready condition according to Project "Three" in two months. Considering the volumes of supplies to the Dominion, we don't have a significant amount of artillery of all types left to finish the repairs on time. Especially considering the fact that another "two," five "ones," and four "Victories" are heading to us. As well as three dozen battle-damaged star cruisers… And the second batch of destroyers also needs to be brought to the required "threes" state within seventy days! I have only one shipyard—Station "Lok"! It's not adapted for repairing large-sized starships! And the personnel don't have the capability to repair all this in such short terms."
"Chief Engineer Reyes," Moff Tavira's violet eyes flashed with genuine fury. "Stop immediately. We have been given a task—and we will fulfill it. Grand Admiral Thrawn is well aware of our capacities and capabilities! If a task is set, then the means to fulfill it will be provided."
"Ma'am, but we haven't been informed of anything like that," declared Reyes. "I'm proceeding from the available information and existing means."
"The conversation is over, Chief Engineer," the small woman with violet eyes said in a commanding tone, her beautiful face instantly turning into a stone statue, deaf to any pleas. "Return to work. Proceed from the available forces. By evening, I want to see data on the damages to Captain Vivant's flotilla. Twenty-four hours after the arrival of the next batches of ships—full reports on them. Is the order clear?"
"Yes, Madam Moff," Nick understood that arguing was pointless. "By the specified deadlines, I will prepare all the data. Including—on the timelines for commissioning the ships."
"Excellent," the Moff smiled amiably. "And now, Chief Engineer, you are dismissed."
The man nodded in agreement and turned to leave Tavira's office when he heard:
"So, Captain Vivant, your task is the Karthakk sector?"
"That's correct, ma'am. As soon as Grand Admiral Thrawn gives the order, we will begin. Currently, I am in command, but it is assumed that the combined forces directed to this system will be led by another officer…"
Deciding that this was none of his business, the Chief Engineer preferred to think about where to find a couple of orbital repair yards and an arsenal of turbolasers to finish on time.
***
"Have you finished, General Bel Iblis?" the Bothan inquired only once during the entire time of the criticism pouring down on him from the Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Forces.
"I've only just begun!" growled the Corellian, opening his mouth to continue his tirade, but the sound of Mon Mothma's gavel tapping on the stand cooled his ardor.
Leia sighed covertly.
"Order," called the Chandrilan, looking at the military man with a touch of disapproval. "Control yourself, General Iblis."
"Excellent advice," the Bothan sneered.
"And you, Councilor Fey'lya," the fiery-haired woman looked at the indicated sentient with disapproval, "please inform the Council of the reasons that prompted you to make a statement about Coruscant's involvement in the attack on Lianna."
"Considering that we did absolutely nothing except the blockade!" clarified Bel Iblis.
The Bothan's violet eyes looked at the two other councilors with a note of superiority and condescension.
"The problem is precisely that you did nothing," he explained. "Let's have a bit of backstory. You, General Iblis, developed a multi-level trap for the Imperial Remnant fleet, for Isard, for Thrawn. Only the first one worked, and even then—our fleet suffered such losses that declaring victory is at least foolish. In case you've forgotten, I'll remind you. The fleet at Brentaal IV lost two-thirds of its ships, destroying a little more than half of Orinda's strike group of Star Destroyers. At the same time, we lost three more interdictor cruisers, and the remaining eleven destroyers escaped the trap under the protection of the Dominion's "Red Star" squadron."
"But they didn't join the Dominion," noted Leia Organa-Solo. "The commander of that formation made an accusatory speech, stating that they were thrown into battle without support and escort. According to him, Grand Admiral Thrawn refused to accept them into his armed forces, and they deserted, getting lost somewhere in the southeast of the galaxy."
"Oh, really, Councilor Organa-Solo?" the Bothan looked at the woman condescendingly. "And since when do we believe that Thrawn doesn't take all possible efforts to consolidate power over a large number of Star Destroyers in his hands? Or have you forgotten that he has a Super Star Destroyer somewhere that hasn't yet shown itself in the galaxy? Or do you entertain the thought that the appearance of the Lusankya and the fleet of ships captured from us at Lianna is some sort of surreal or trick? No, personally, I don't think so. Thrawn is leading us by the nose, implementing his plans. And I'm more than confident that those eleven destroyers are somewhere in the part of the galaxy not under our control, preparing to strike where we can't resist them. And they obey only Thrawn."
"You think Thrawn deliberately staged this spectacle to avoid problems with Orinda?!" a thought dawned on Leia.
"Well, see, I'm not the only one visited by this bright idea," smiled the Bothan. "Yes, I think so. And I can clearly say—in the trap at Brentaal IV, ships fell whose crews mostly expressed their desire to join Thrawn's campaign. I assume that the Imperial Ruling Council deliberately sent them for the Lusankya to thin their numbers in battle with our defensive flotillas on Rendili. And thereby reduce the possibility of internal dissatisfaction among the military. If they had succeeded in capturing the Lusankya, it would have crossed out all of Thrawn's successes, showing the military that Orinda is not in a catching-up position either and can conduct its own military operations against the New Republic."
"And if they all died, it would help Orinda get rid of potential traitors," said Mon Mothma.
"That's fair too," agreed the Bothan. "And Thrawn, who clearly calculated our ambush at Brentaal IV, came to their aid when Captain Vivant and his colleagues were in a hopeless situation—destruction or surrender. While Thrawn himself was destroying our flotilla at Sarapin. He calculated your plan, General Bel Iblis. And traditionally—used it for his own purposes. He effectively saved the Imperials from defeat at Brentaal, destroyed the ambush on himself, taking General Antilles prisoner. And since we didn't participate in the attack on Lianna, and ships that disappeared over the past six months in confrontations with Thrawn "lit up" there, the conclusion is obvious: Thrawn captured the Lusankya. And he did it precisely for what he planned all this time to capture our star cruisers. He attacked Lianna, captured the equipment he needed, destroyed the defenses of Santhe/Sienar Technologies, and now can essentially declare himself a monopolist in the production of TIE-series flight technology."
"We discussed this option," said Leia. "That's why we refused the attack."
"The blocking forces were supposed to strike Thrawn precisely when he carried out the provocation," noted Mon Mothma.
"But Thrawn struck our blocking forces," continued Fey'lya. "Destroyed or captured ships from all ten detachments. And after that, he arranged a "miraculous rescue of Lianna from the Republican threat." And received as a reward all that technology and resources that the New Republic allegedly controls or captured. You'll see—in a few days or weeks, Thrawn will announce that he found and captured everything that we allegedly took from Lianna on the Lusankya and the star cruisers that escaped from Shohashi. In confirmation of this, simple logic can be cited: the "Republican fleet" fought to the death with mercenaries protecting Santhe/Sienar Technologies, but surrendered as soon as Thrawn appeared on the horizon."
"Thrawn wasn't there," declared Bel Iblis.
"Yes," agreed Leia, feeling a sucking emptiness inside. "The Red Star is commanded by Erik Shohashi."
"Pay attention to how often the "Butcher of Atoan" takes direct part in high-profile operations," suggested Fey'lya. "We know he's a competent enough officer, of which there are few in the Imperial Remnants. Perhaps what we see is career growth within the Dominion. But, as it seems to me, Thrawn still participated in the battle for Lianna."
"And what is your confidence based on?" inquired Bel Iblis, demonstrating clear disbelief.
"On the fact that according to Bothan intelligence, Lianna concluded agreements with a large number of mercenaries, pirates, as well as with Moff Grann from the Allied Tion sector for its own security. But none of these allies arrived to help the Liannans. Want to know why?" asked the Bothan.
"Stop this circus, Councilor Fey'lya," advised Mon Mothma. "If you have something to report to the Council, do so. We have an emergency Senate session coming up, where councilors will be asked some unpleasant questions."
"To you, but not to me," clarified Fey'lya with sarcasm in his voice. "But, so be it, I'll share the information. At some distance from the Lianna system, on the shortest path from the Allied Tion to the planet, Bothan scouts discovered a battlefield. Literally dozens of ships of various types were destroyed. Many starship remains simply cannot be identified, but they clearly did not belong to the Imperial class. We suspect these are the very mercenaries who were supposed to come to the rescue in case of attack. But someone destroyed them. At the same time, there are some fragments of Imperial warships. Comparing the number of destroyed starships, one can draw a direct conclusion—whoever the victors were, they clearly arrived there on Imperial Star Destroyers."
"It could have been Moff Grann," suggested Leia. "Especially since our intelligence indicates that he left the base of his fleet's core with ten destroyers, and none of them has returned yet."
"What a wonderful coincidence, isn't it?" smirked Fey'lya. "Eleven destroyers deserted from Orinda, ten destroyers left the Allied Tion. But at the same time, Lianna is effectively in ruins. And the Allied Tion sector has significant light forces—they have more than a dozen escort carriers, a squadron of Corellian corvettes, and half a dozen heavy cruisers of the Defender type. And, according to the latest information, there should be more destroyers held in reserve. For the next few years, they won't be able to build anything except equipment and ground vehicles—the Dominion took everything from them that wasn't destroyed during the "Republican fleet" attack. Even the orbital defense stations, as it was on Coruscant, Balmorra, Sarapin—simply towed beyond the range of scanning equipment, and that's it—no one could detect the stations anymore. Thirty stations on Lianna, dozens in another place, more dozens in another… General, do you understand what this means?"
"First, I'd like to hear your opinion, Councilor," said Bel Iblis in a falsely conciliatory tone.
"As you wish," easily agreed the Bothan. "Thrawn is openly robbing us. I don't know how he does it, but he's clearly transporting all these stations where he needs them. At the expense of our defense capability, he increases his own. Not to mention that Golan Arms sold almost all its stored stations."
"And the Bothans, who are buying planetary weapons across the galaxy, have nothing to do with this?" unobtrusively asked Mon Mothma.
Leia didn't miss that Fey'lya bristled his fur for a moment, but a second later, he was doing everything to calm down.
"No, Bothawui is not involved in this," he said.
"Let's assume," said the Chandrilan. "However, I still don't understand what exactly you want to convey to the Council. What is the key idea of your reasoning?"
"Very simple," declared Fey'lya. "No matter what plans we try to curb Thrawn with, he's always one or two steps ahead of us."
"That's why you decided to say that we are involved in the attack on Lianna?" Leia said stunned.
"Yes, precisely for that reason, Councilor Organa-Solo," declared the Bothan. "Precisely because our military command and this Council lack something critically needed to surpass the Dominion. Tiny compared to us, but meanwhile—inflicting painful blows. Every operation of ours—is our defeat. Every trap of ours for Thrawn—is our trap. We know that Imperial spies are working in the Imperial Palace, but we plan operations, discuss them here, yet we can't find the source or sources of the leak. What kind of government are we?"
"It seems to me, or have you strayed from the topic, Councilor Fey'lya?" Mon Mothma inquired in an icy tone.
"No, I'm still on the same thing," the Bothan said carelessly. "I just thought it necessary to share my heartfelt pain. So, now about why I was bold enough to declare our participation in the attack on Lianna. General Bel Iblis, tell me, how many successful operations against the Dominion have we conducted this year?"
The Corellian's hologram shuddered as if he had been slapped.
"None," declared the Bothan. "And most of this Council has been in Thrawn's captivity. But only I drew the necessary conclusions. While you try to present our near-defeat at Brentaal as a victory, I had the courage and intelligence to claim the operation on Lianna. Precisely because you," he pointed a clawed finger toward Bel Iblis, "couldn't plan a proper trap on Rendili and Brentaal. And continued to tell the New Republic that the Lusankya is not lost but undergoing trials. While internally, each of you already understood what happened to it. And you couldn't accept it. You act with half-measures, and as a result, the New Republic suffers defeat after defeat. One of my speeches and taking responsibility for what we didn't do, but it was a guaranteed victory, the mythical successes of which exceed the losses, brought us stability! Am I wrong, Councilor Organa-Solo, if I say that the Sullustans and Sluissi stopped grumbling because they fear for themselves?"
"This is primarily related to the fact that we made payments for the repair work," objected Leia.
"I beg you, stop lying to yourselves," grimaced the Bothan. "If we continued to remain silent about the situation with Lianna, we would lose faith. If we denied that we did it—we would lose more sectors. The same Sullust or Sluis Van."
"And by agreeing, we condemned ourselves to having to answer for what happened!" roared Bel Iblis. "Where will we get all these machines, technologies? What will happen to our reputation as soon as Thrawn presents the galaxy with the Lusankya under his flag?"
"Were you really a senator, dear General?" the Bothan inquired challengingly. "Do you understand politics?"
"This is starting to sound like an insult," declared Leia.
"This is a statement of incompetence in current realities," declared Fey'lya. "You condemn the Bothans for our approach to politics and conducting affairs. But if you listened to us a little, stopped pouring water into our tanks a bit, you would see what can be achieved. Look at Thrawn. Look carefully at what he does. There are no barriers for him. He essentially doesn't care about other Remnants, though he doesn't say it openly. He does what he must, as he sees fit. And he wins. He does it the Bothan way! And he's always the winner! Unlike us."
"Don't engage in self-promotion, Councilor," Mon Mothma cooled the Bothan's ardor. "You'll have time during the election race. Speak clearly and to the point of the question."
"You don't even have the tact and ability to understand what's happening," Fey'lya shook his head. "You're afraid that Thrawn will show the galaxy the Lusankya? Yes, he will. But not today, not tomorrow, not in the nearest month will he do it."
"What makes you think that?" Leia was surprised.
"It's simple, dear Councilor," Fey'lya said condescendingly. "A month is the ideal time to launch all the productions he needs, repair the ships that participated in the battle, prepare crews for them, and so on. If he announces his alleged capture of the fleet that attacked Lianna in the near future, the peoples of the galaxy will wonder—if you're so smart and strong to do this, why didn't you capture them when they were just going to assault Lianna? Yes, we know he didn't take that step because he didn't need to prevent the attack. He arranged it himself. Which means he became a hostage to circumstances—he'll have to continue playing the spectacle he started. And therefore, he'll hide the Lusankya. That's why he didn't bring out his second Super Star Destroyer of the Executor type, but sent the Crimson Dawn—to make no one think he has equal forces for war with us. He's earning political reputation by making loud victories allegedly with small forces or over our superior units. Small numbers—great achievements. That's why he's admired. Don't you notice that he's using our own PR strategy against us?! Remember how many worlds joined us after we destroyed the first Death Star? We did it with the forces of just a few fighters…"
"And a multitude of victims," clarified Leia.
"We were defeated at Hoth, but the Empire didn't rejoice much when the force ratios became clear. The Death Squadron against a bunch of rebels without warships? And the success—a destroyed base and only part of the rebels? That's not a victory; that's humiliation! We rehabilitated ourselves at Endor—and that became the zenith of our glory. We continued the campaign and defeated the enemy in our usual style—destroying the enemy in parts with a minority, making them quarrel among themselves. And we were admired. And now, what? We have about ten thousand warships—from frigates and gunboats to star cruisers and destroyers. If Thrawn has a twentieth of that—it's good. But we keep ships at bases, and he—singles out our small forces and attacks them, winning. The galaxy mocks the Imperial Remnants, which have superiority over Thrawn in ships and manpower but do nothing. They laugh at us because despite having the largest forces in the galaxy, we can't do anything with him."
"You're mistaken," declared Bel Iblis. "We've already calculated his next strike."
"Sluis Van?" inquired Fey'lya in a bored tone. "You know, it's even dull. You repaired hundreds of Imperial ships, first disarming them," Leia almost choked at such audacious accentuation, "now you're trying to scrape together crews for them. While Thrawn has hundreds of thousands of our cadre military in captivity, motivated to fight against him. To avenge the fact that he defeated them."
"Yes, only there are no Bothans there," declared Leia. "Interestingly, for what reason, considering your campaign against Thrawn at Ciutric IV?"
"The campaign was against Prince-Admiral Krennel," clarified Fey'lya. "And that, as well as Isard's deception, taught us Bothans simple lessons. We didn't wait and ask for the New Republic's permission. We bought out our fighters and officers from captivity."
"And thereby acted like separatists!" cried Mon Mothma's hologram. "How long has Bothawui been acting behind the New Republic's back?"
"We act in the interests of our people," cut off the Bothan. "If you think the best option is to keep millions of our cadre military either in filtration camps or in Thrawn's captivity, you're very mistaken. Our former prisoners are already reporting that hundreds of thousands of our fighters have gone over to the Grand Admiral's side, considering themselves betrayed by the New Republic. And I warned you!"
Leia exchanged stunned glances with Bel Iblis.
"What is even happening?!"
"What is the Bothan leading to?"
"One way or another, Thrawn returned our fighters to us," declared Fey'lya. "And, by the clan government, I am authorized to declare that not all pilots of Rogue Squadron were destroyed."
"What are you talking about?" Mon Mothma narrowed her eyes.
"You'll find out during my election campaign," smiled Fey'lya. "Bothan intelligence, unlike the Republican one, really works. But, back to the topic of our conversation. As I already said, Thrawn won't declare in the near future that he allegedly recaptured Lianna's technology—this will raise many questions, including whether it was a simulation. He doesn't need that now for sure. He's accumulating forces and strengthening his defense. Why? I think for the same reason he attacks our key worlds—Coruscant, Balmorra, Bespin, Sarapin… We've become so unaccustomed to fighting the enemy in the rear that our defense is worthless. But after his attacks—we rush to build it up. Will you say it's not so, General Bel Iblis?"
"It is," the Corellian admitted reluctantly. "Are you now also going to tell us that you've supposedly believed in Palpatine's survival?"
"Not exactly," the Bothan busily looked at his nails. "But, for example, our scouts have established that it's impossible to get to the planet Byss, which in Imperial times was spoken of as a paradise for settlers. The navigation system doesn't work. Or more precisely—it doesn't work with old identification codes."
"Perhaps it's Thrawn's trap to distract our attention," suggested Mon Mothma.
The Bothan shook his head as if disappointed in something.
"In that case, I suggest thinking about why Thrawn struck precisely in the Core Worlds," he said. "And then we got the provocation at Lianna. We threw all forces to defend Coruscant and Balmorra, now we've pulled forces to the Core Worlds because we fear a repetition of Brentaal and Sarapin—and meanwhile, he's dealing with us on the other end of the galaxy. From where we withdrew ships to support the Core Worlds. I'll remind you that Thrawn openly indicated that he would attack Sluis Van. Literally in plain text."
"And what do you propose?" Leia couldn't stand it.
"I propose to beat the Grand Admiral with his own weapon," Fey'lya said harshly. "Since he doesn't report the capture of the Lusankya on Rendili, he needs it for his purposes. The most obvious is provocations in our name. Look at the situation as a whole. He's getting rid of Imperial warlords. Krennel, Devian, some H1 at Mustafar," Leia glanced at Mon Mothma to see if she intended to tell what her brother had told Leia herself, but the Chandrilan shook her head negatively. So the time for the story of H2 and the Gray Squadron hasn't come yet, "now he's surely intercepted control over the fleets of the Allied Tion sector and Orinda's strike group, but hides them to avoid direct conflict with the Imperial Remnants. We know we didn't attack the convoys of Grand Moff Kaine, Krennel, and Lianna—Thrawn does it for us. Which confirms his fight against the Imperials. Why he does it is his business. But he's literally handing us on a platter a reason to strengthen our positions! We can easily declare: "Yes, these were our operations!" and this will increase trust in us! We can finally "confess" that we destroyed the Ubiqtorate, and not deny it, fearing what Thrawn has planned! With a couple of interviews, we can regain the people's trust. Explain to them that yes, we had failures, but we also have successes. Thrawn certainly won't go telling the whole galaxy that he's fighting against Imperials—otherwise, the Remnants will destroy him. Simply because they'll fear: what if they're next? As it was with Zsinj. And excellent reasons to restore our reputation, we just need to show a little more will."
"You understand that as soon as Thrawn announces the "capture" of the Lusankya, we'll be in a difficult position?" clarified Mon Mothma.
"Do you really think so?" smirked the Bothan. "Thrawn likes to release videos of his battles. But any staged holorecording will be exposed by our specialists. He understands that. So he won't do anything besides another statement. But we've drawn conclusions that the Grand Admiral is true to his word? As I already said, we have about a month for him to figure out how to announce his "triumph." Well, let's catch him at his word. After all, he asked us to return the Lusankya to him?"
"As I recall, he preferred to abandon that idea and allowed relatives to buy back prisoners," frowned Bel Iblis.
"Read between the lines," advised the Bothan. "As soon as he declares that he allegedly captured the Lusankya, we'll immediately come out with a refutation, saying we handed him the ship as a gesture of goodwill and demand our prisoners back. We need to assess his previous statements, how many prisoners he promised for the Lusankya—and demand them back. And do the same for all ships he announces captured but doesn't provide proof. He's allowed enough vulnerabilities and reservations in the public arena to be caught at his word. So, we just need to wait."
"This is some kind of nonsense," declared Bel Iblis.
"Playing with fire," supported him Mon Mothma.
"It might work," said Leia.
The gathered, even Fey'lya, with whom the girl had traditional skirmishes, looked at her in surprise.
"Explain, Councilor Organa-Solo," demanded Mon Mothma.
"Councilor Fey'lya, strangely enough, is right," cautiously declared the former princess. "We don't take into account that Thrawn is fighting us on several fronts. Military and informational. He so generously offered us exchanges, but at the same time understood we wouldn't go for such a deal. So why not catch him at his word? We won't be able to return the Lusankya anytime soon anyway. But we can free our guys from captivity without spending a credit on their ransom. This will increase our authority and combat capability. Especially since, if we assume for a moment that the Bothans' arguments about the monthly timeframe are correct, by then our fleet will receive a huge number of newest ships that need to be staffed with crews. The Force, we can go on the informational offensive ourselves, saying we handed him the Lusankya and demand our prisoners in return. Any attempts by him to evade these agreements, citing changes in principles, will play into our hands. If he refuses to exchange prisoners, citing something, we'll launch an information war against him, announcing that he can't be trusted and his given word is worthless."
"And this will serve as a good lesson for those systems and sectors intending to join the Dominion," picked up Fey'lya. "They'll understand, or we'll convey our message: Thrawn can't be trusted, for he keeps his word only when it's beneficial to him. He'll fall into an informational-logical trap."
"Something like that could work," agreed Mon Mothma.
"Only if the ship is really with Thrawn," sharply declared Bel Iblis.
"What do you imply by that statement?" inquired the self-lovingly radiant Bothan of his superiority.
"That it might not have been Thrawn after all," declared Bel Iblis. "I'll remind you that the trap was calculated for Isard as well. And we conclude that Thrawn pulled it all off only based on the information given to us that there are two Icehearts, one working for Thrawn, and the other not. But we've already dealt with one of them, or it was pretense. She lured our fleet into a trap, and we lost many good guys."
"The information that Isard cloned herself could be disinformation," agreed Mon Mothma. "But I doubt Thrawn would forgive Isard for betrayal—she gave away his location."
"That's why I say—it could have been pretense," declared the Corellian. "She could have worked according to his plan, and all these stories about a clone—are nothing more than another disinformation she deliberately fed to Rogue Squadron to lure them out or confuse us."
"But Isard directed the Rogues to kill Thrawn and Devian," reminded Leia.
"And it all ended with the destruction of Rogue Squadron's composition, the defeat of Devian's fleet and H1," gloomily said Mon Mothma. "We're surrounded by a web of disinformation, lies, and contradictions. In such a situation, it's impossible to say which course of action is correct."
"It would be simpler to sit and do nothing, right, councilors?" taunted the indefatigable Bothan. "So what if the Lusankya isn't with Thrawn? Even better? We'll say we negotiated with him. Imagine how pathetic his excuses like "And can you prove it?" or "Provide evidence?" will be. Such speeches don't suit any ruler, and certainly not a commander. His entire image of a noble fighter for "truth" will be destroyed in the eyes of the galaxy because such excuses sound like an attempt to hide involvement and not be caught "red-handed.""
"Promising initiatives, Councilor Fey'lya," said Mon Mothma. "We'll consider them and decide how best to proceed. At the moment, public support is indeed important to us…"
"Considering the upcoming elections for head of state, right?" the Bothan grinned predatorily.
Leia remembered that Fey'lya mentioned survivors from Rogue Squadron and promised to present data during his electoral campaign, which was about to begin.
As soon as the new year arrives, the tenth after the Battle of Yavin IV.
But neither Bel Iblis nor Mon Mothma, for some reasons, even bothered to pry from the Bothan what he meant.
Perhaps they simply don't believe Borsk, since the destruction of the Rogues was always confirmed by objective control data from Republican ships or observation satellites.
Exceptions were only the battle of the Rogues at Distna, when the fate of Tycho Celchu and Asyr Sei'lar remained unknown.
And Sarapin, when data from the planet's observation satellites were damaged and irretrievable.
A memory came to mind of the attack on the Hast shipyards, when Fey'lya, using his authority, seized data from the Mon Calamari about the battle and the attackers' identification data.
Perhaps something similar is happening now.
But Bel Iblis claimed that among the debris, all the Rogues were found and identified…
Except that Corran Horn and Wedge Antilles himself were not found, but it was assumed they were captured…
However, even if some of them survived, it clearly won't help Fey'lya—none of them will say a word in his defense and support, because this particular Bothan's real attitude toward Rogue Squadron is widely known in the New Republic Defense Forces.
"Esteemed Council," said Leia, remembering her promise to her husband. "I would like to report that at the Sullust and Sluis Van shipyards, repair work on the Imperial ships, as well as Admiral Duplex's flotilla, is practically completed. In a day or two, all weapon systems will be installed, and only crews are needed. The Sluissi are directly demanding to free the shipyards, as they have large civilian contracts. More than a thousand transport ships from the entire New Republic are concentrated at the system's borders, awaiting their repair and modernization."
"Unfortunately, we currently don't have enough crews to take away all the ships," said Bel Iblis. "I'll send an order to General Solo to withdraw the starships from the docks so the Sluissi can fulfill their obligations under the New Republic's transport contracts."
"Indeed, the congestion of transports not only disrupts logistics in the south of the galaxy but also makes the Sluissi nervous," agreed Mon Mothma. "The amount of goods in the system is already estimated in billions; is that so, Councilor Organa-Solo?"
"Yes, Councilor Mothma," confirmed Leia. "The repair of Imperial ships played a big joke on us—due to the wear and tear of our transport fleet, a large number of starships need repair—the systems of many are worn out from frequent and continuous use for the benefit of the New Republic. In addition, by noon tomorrow, according to the schedule, several hundred more of our GR-75 transports from the Second Fleet will arrive for major repairs—and the number of ships at the system's borders will increase. It will be a crush at which movement in the system will simply stop."
"Most of these ships belong to private traders or former smugglers who were attracted by the Council to restore state logistics and interstellar trade," snorted Fey'lya. "They can wait a while."
"They can't," firmly said Leia. "Han and Lando Calrissian have already had several meetings with their representatives. Our transport contracts have ended. The ships delivered the cargoes and are waiting for payment, repair, and other fulfillment of our contractual obligations. Our own freighters and transports can wait, but not private contractors. If we make them wait too long—they'll either leave the system or never work with us again. We'll lose authority and cargoes."
"The Council understands this," declared Mon Mothma. "General Iblis, as a specialist, tell us, can the ships be rearmed directly in space, not on the slips?"
"Of course they can; it will just create certain difficulties," declared the Corellian. "The Sluissi, like the Rendilians, are accustomed to working with ships up to two kilometers long in orbital docks, since the main docks on these stations can be sealed and filled with breathable mixture, which facilitates work for the personnel."
"And they are also equipped with hyperdrives," suddenly said Councilor Fey'lya, narrowing his eyes.
"What is this remark for, Councilor?" asked Mon Mothma.
"That the Sluissi can move the docks closer to the transport ships to conduct work on eight to ten ships simultaneously," explained the Bothan.
"That's not for us to decide," cut off the Chandrilan. "The Sluissi are not our slaves but allies. And certainly, we won't interfere with our proposals in their current activities. We have enough that the Verpine, after Thrawn's attack on the Roche asteroids, still can't restore their shipyards. General Iblis, continue."
"For external installation work, of course, the ships can be driven to the docking bays of the same docks and work on barges, dressing the personnel in spacesuits," said the Corellian in conclusion of his explanation. "However, this may complicate the process, as it will require more time for repair compared to working in a dock with atmosphere."
"How much longer?" asked Mon Mothma.
"A day, two, maybe a week," Bel Iblis's hologram shrugged. "Work in space is twice less efficient than in atmosphere."
"Leia, you need to convince the Sluissi together with General Solo that the New Republic will not make any claims against them for delaying the installation of armament on Imperial ships," declared Mon Mothma. "Let them withdraw them from the shipyards and work with civilian transport first. We'll transfer the advance for repair by the end of today."
"Especially since on the destroyers and other Imperial ships, we have only duty shifts and watches," declared Bel Iblis. "They'll suffice for driving the ships to the place of completion and staffing."
Orbital docks of Sluis Van.
"Of course, I'll report this," declared Leia. "But the question of Luke's, Wedge's, General Madine's fate remains."
"Intelligence is working on an operation to find and free them," said Mon Mothma.
"I understand, but… " the girl hesitated. "Thrawn still hasn't reported anything about their fate."
Honestly, she feared that the Grand Admiral had secretly handed Luke over to Palpatine if he was indeed alive.
Thrawn spoke of the Emperor's similar desire, but where to find the grain of truth in this ocean of lies?
"Leia, dear," Mon Mothma said the name of Darth Vader's daughter in an almost maternal tone, "we're doing everything possible to find and free them. Don't doubt—as soon as we know more than now—you'll be informed immediately."
"Yes, of course," sighed Leia.
"With that, I propose to conclude the meeting," said Mon Mothma. "The next regular meeting will be scheduled for the first day of the new year…"
"Wait," protested Fey'lya. "Is that all? No more pressing issues?!"
"And what else do you want to discuss, Councilor?" inquired Bel Iblis. "Want to repeat again that you supplied our enemy with aurodium or whatever else in exchange for the lives of your kin?"
"No," the Bothan bared his teeth so that even on the hologram, it was visible how his fur stood up on the nape. "I would like to know what measures have been taken to repel Thrawn's planned attack on Sluis Van!"
"The defense of the Sluissi's homeland is impenetrable due to more than a hundred orbital stations of Golan II and Golan III types," categorically declared Bel Iblis. "And besides Admiral Duplex's fleet, there is the sectoral fleet, and that's more than two hundred Mon Calamari cruisers. Thrawn isn't stupid enough to attack now—even the duty teams and watches on our Imperial-class ships will be enough to flood any fleet he can bring unnoticed along the main hyperspace arteries connecting the north and south of the galaxy with a sea of fire."
"Perhaps, as with the promise to visit Coruscant, Sluis Van is nothing more than a distant target, and he'll strike in another part of the galaxy," suggested Leia.
"Maybe so," agreed Bel Iblis. "All fleets have been brought to combat readiness after the attack on Lianna. If the esteemed Councilor Fey'lya is right, and Thrawn personally participated in the destruction of the pirate and mercenary fleet near Lianna, and Shohashi commanded the operation, then they won't reach Sluis Van in less than five or six days. And our full crews will have been on the repaired ships for several days by then. If he does show up, he'll be destroyed."
"You speak as if hoping Thrawn will come to Sluis Van," snorted the Bothan.
"Because that's how it is," Bel Iblis declared quite harshly. "I've analyzed him and calculated. Let him just show up—and only debris will remain of his fleet. And then I'll lead our fleet to the Dominion, and we'll eliminate this threat once and for all. He's used to winning and has relaxed, thinking we're some incompetents. Nothing, I'll destroy the thirteenth Grand Admiral of the Empire with his own weapon."
Experience in dealing with Bel Iblis, other politicians and military, as well as unambiguous whispering in the Force, gave Leia an understanding that the words of this particular Corellian were not just empty sound.
Something is happening on Sluis Van, literally under her nose.
The girl felt icy shivers run down her spine simultaneously with the disconnection of the voice link.
That's why Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma were so skeptical of Fey'lya's words and proposals about information war against Thrawn!
It seems that Bel Iblis, not trusting communication systems, has indeed set a trap for Grand Admiral Thrawn.
But such snares have been set before.
Where's the guarantee it will work this time?
If Thrawn strikes Sluis Van and wins, the Sluissi will definitely leave the New Republic.
And with them—the entire sector.
And those adjacent to them.
And all those somehow connected with the shipyards on Sluis Van.
And that's nearly a tenth of all southern sectors!
"I hope they know what they're doing," thought Leia.
***
"Sir, if possible, I would like to speak personally," Captain Tiberos's hologram flickered as the ship accelerated beyond the light barrier. "The question is delicate and…"
"Captain, you are on active duty in the Dominion's armed forces, so if you have something to say—say it; if not—be silent," I advised.
The mask with glowing lenses moved aside, removed by the officer's hand.
Tiberos's facial expression could be characterized by a short phrase: "He's clearly angry."
And I suspect I know the reason for his foul mood.
"Sir, I would like to receive an assignment to destroy the killer of my friend and mentor Eymand," slowly, clearly restraining himself, said Tiberos.
As I suspected.
However, it's hard not to guess here.
The headquarters reports the death of servicemen to their relatives.
Eymand, though not such and having no relatives, I thought Captain Tiberos should know about the loss.
After all, I've used these two without a twinge of conscience.
I have a certain degree of sympathy for the sentient who lost more than a friend.
As well as a plan for this case.
Initially, I hoped to use Mara Jade to destroy Skywalker if he crosses the line.
But she proved her uselessness at the moment.
So why limit myself to just one counterweight?
"You'll get it, Captain Tiberos," I assured. "You'll get a chance to destroy the self-proclaimed Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. As soon as you're ready. And when he's no longer needed by me."
"Sir," Tiberos gritted his teeth. "May I ask for more specific time bindings?"
"Of course, Captain," I agreed, glancing at the viewport. "You're heading to Sluis Van as part of the strike fleet… Stay close to the Chimaera, and you'll understand when the time comes."
Judging by the twitching jaw muscles on Tiberos's face, he clearly expected more precise instructions.
But some things in this life need to be comprehended oneself.
***
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