25 Chapter 24 — Understanding

I'll redact everything tomorrow. Write more comments and reviews they motivate me quite well. Have a good reading :) [CORRECTION: REDACTED]

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

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

It must be admitted that without the presence of the Grand Admiral, the meeting between the chief engineer of the shipyards, Nick Reyes, and Moff Ferrus took place in a less tense atmosphere. It was as if the mere appearance of the Chimera, its loading and departure, along with most of the free ships in the fleet, allowed the Grand Admiral's political and technical assistants to breathe more freely. Despite the fact that the Grand Admiral's flagship and his starships departed only an hour ago, the impression from the short conversation... This is something that cannot be forgotten. It is unlikely that any of his subordinates in the current time, after the Battle of Endor, could boast of having delivered bad news, but at the same time remained alive.

—He wasn't particularly happy with your conclusions,— Felix noted, pouring his friend a full glass of Corellian whiskey. The chief engineer, wincing, drained the container in one gulp.

—More,— he asked. Moff looked questioningly at his comrade, but said nothing. An amber-colored liquid flowed into the glass. But this time Felix filled the glass only a third, despite the disapproving look of his comrade. Getting drunk on duty is bad manners. Another thing is to calm your nerves.

Throwing a few ice cubes into both glasses of alcohol, the Moff handed one of them to the engineer.

—I don't think there's any need to worry about it,— he said, taking a sip of his whiskey. The alcohol slightly burned his throat and went down with a pleasant warmth. - After all, he is not a stupid um... person who understands that his projects require costs.

—It's not the hyperdrive for the "Golan" that I'm worried about,— Reyes winced, taking a sip. — Here everything is already clear — we need hyperdrives. If he had just for a moment explained the reason why he needed the orbital station to be not only invisible, but also have the ability to independently change its location through hyperspace, it would have been easier for me...

—What would it change? — Ferrus was surprised. —Well, Thrawn will tell you the reason why he needs mobile Golans and then what? What will change?

—Yes, I could at least talk him out of this venture! — Reyes grinned mercilessly. Considering the light from his optical sensor, it was quite ominous. —Well, this is just nonsense! Orbital defense stations are not built to fly on their own! There are star destroyers for this almost the same size and weapons! His entire fleet is mobile, my guys worked like hell to ensure that every ship was repaired as quickly as possible. And he, as soon as he heard that the Golan would require a hyperdrive of the same class as the one at the shipyard, he just chuckled. And he ordered me to continue working! Can you imagine?

—What exactly bothers you? —Felix was surprised. —You would have to repair the Golan anyway. And make it invisible...

—Here we go again,— Nick picked up. — Why is there a camouflage field at the station? Here's a simple question — why? The orbital platform is designed to protect, not hide! Its mere appearance is enough to make attackers think seven times before attacking. But if we hide it, so what? What good is it? Under the camouflage field, it is still impossible to monitor what is happening outside it. I'm not even talking about the fact that when this installation is working, those who are under it cannot contact anyone or receive orders from the command. You're just sitting in a metal box in orbit, beyond the gravitational forces of the planet, and there's blackness all around. My guys tested these delights for themselves — the feeling is so shitty that it is impossible to describe. You just want to get out as quickly as possible. However, that's okay, the navy will still be on the Golan, I don't care about them. But the camouflage field at the shipyard... Can you imagine what it's like to work in isolation from everyone, as if you were in the middle of nowhere in the galaxy. And at the same time you must also work with starships? Yes, not a single psyche can withstand it!

—I don't think the disguise will work all the time,— Felix winced. He knew that his always calm friend was just on edge at the moment. He sleeps little, works a lot. Naturally, the psyche cannot stand it, and even such a phlegmatic person as Reyes explodes in a flood of emotions. — This installation consumes a decent amount of energy.

—What am I talking about? —Nick grimaced. — I calculated the required power consumption. If we turn on the camouflage, my guys will have to work under emergency lighting. And in red light it is not so easy to figure out what color the wiring or sensors are. What about this work on asteroids? First, reflash the Hutt "miners" with their crappy operating system, then test them on asteroids, then, in his presence, test how they open asteroids and ships... An assault frigate is already not the most durable design, but no, he started poke holes in it with "miners". It's a good thing I didn't turn on the remote mode yet — otherwise there would have been fireworks. By the way, do you know what he ordered me?

— Besides the fact that, on Thrawn's orders, almost all of your technicians loaded onto star destroyers with a supply of spare parts and went to God knows where? — Felix clarified.

—That worries me most,— Nick admitted. Taking another sip, he winced as a melted ice cube fell into his mouth. — He keeps everything secret! Absolutely! Where did my people go? How long will they be gone? What will they do there? But now I will not only have to repair these Hutt escort frigates, Carrack and damaged "Strikes", but also work with asteroids! Can you imagine? As if I don't have another job?!

—Don't get angry,— Ferrus advised him. —We all have a hard time. But do you remember what it was like before Endor? Almost always worked in emergency situations — when compared with the modern state of affairs. After a serious beating, starships had to be repaired and returned to service in a matter of days, although the regulations provided for weeks of work. And all because of the rebels. Thrawn, on the one hand, can also be understood — he is a military commander and our semi-civilian needs and justifications are somehow not particularly interesting to him, just like our needs. He is the commander. He sets tasks, and you have to cope on your own.

—Yes, that's what's annoying,— Reyes took a sip from his glass. - At first it seemed that he was not the same martinet as the rest of the Grand Admirals. That he understands the conditions under which we have to work. Honestly, when I heard that several groups of mechanics from Bilbringi and almost twenty thousand naval technicians were flying to us, I was even happy. Imagine how we could turn around? My guys wouldn't have to work three shifts at the shipyards. What is the result? We have a huge number of tasks, so he not only did not give me additional people, but also took mine! So he also gives out orders from a series of science fiction - «Calculate whether it is possible to install hyperdrives on orbital repair workshops of the first type in order to change their location», «I want to know whether it is possible to use the V-150 «Planet Defender» ion cannon in space and what what is needed for this?», «Prepare a report on which starship systems need to be repaired after being fired upon by an ion cannon in order to restore its systems and ensure a jump into hyperspace, develop sets of equipment for the fastest replacement», «I need ready-made equipment options for installation on golans» for their movement in hyperspace. And also test these miners on asteroids, install cloaking devices on these rocks. And it's not easy to put - he also has special wishes! I could barely restrain myself, but I told him that it would be best to find at least one fourth-class hyperdrive, which the Kuatians put in type-II orbital shipyards like ours, if he wanted his Golan to at least not be torn to pieces. And do you know what he told me? «You will have them, work». It's that simple! It's like he has his own hyperdrive factory! I don't know why he is considered a legend of the Imperial Navy, but this guy clearly wants the impossible! And it would be nice if we had a supertanker with aurodium hanging out in orbit, but no, we just have captured freighters with fuel. Well, at least the warehouses are now filled with ore, equipment and spare parts...

—Listen, Nick,— Ferus cleared his throat. —I understand that it's difficult for you in the current situation, but you should still not cross the boundaries. Your guys work for three, but in the end —Thrawn ordered them to be put on naval pay! In one decision, he enlisted them all for military service, which meant career growth, privileges, and increased salaries due to length of service. Yes, we'll have to do some documents,— the chief engineer snorted irritably, knowing full well that the category «some» implies thousands of regulations, circulars and simply orders that will now guide military engineers and technicians in their work. — For their overtime they receive a commensurate salary and this is by no means small money. If earlier wages were low, then demand was small. Now everything has increased progressively — both salaries and work requirements as such. Cause and effect, so there's no point in complaining about a decision like this. You just have to take it for granted. Yes, among the volunteers on the planet, there is already a queue waiting to go to your shipyard! And they understand perfectly well that there is no sugar there, but with other alternatives they are even worse off — either working for decicreds, or lack of work and salary. Civilian specialists from all over Imperial Space as such are flocking to us in thin streams and they are ready to take the oath and work two or even three shifts on a standard day!

—Even so? — the scarlet filter blazed with a greedy light. — So, are there a lot of volunteer technicians?

—It's already about three hundred,— Ferrus stroked his chin. — They are young, of course, just after their studies and their level of professionalism is low...

—Yes, professionalism to the Hutt,— Reyes waved his hand. —Send them to me urgently! I will put them in menial jobs, and I will transfer my guys from these posts to more qualified jobs. I have about twenty high-level technicians to whom I can conduct a certification commission and issue patents to junior-class engineers! And put them in charge of these recruits of yours. I'll stick them somewhere where they won't mess it up, and at the same time, they'll stay away from secret projects.

—There won't be any problems redirecting them to you,— Felix admitted. —They are almost all civilians, so sending them to the fleet is stupid. And spending months drilling into their heads what military engineers spend years learning is a waste of time. But there is a certain catch.

—Which? —Nick wilted. He knew perfectly well that if Ferrus voiced the presence of a problem, then it was a real problem, and not something that could be solved in a couple of minutes.

—Lieutenant Colonel Astarion,— the Moff said the name of the «problem». — Thrawn seems to have decided to create his own counterintelligence and security service in one person. And it is headed by this same lieutenant colonel. He rejects every third volunteer for one reason or another. The reasons are not particularly stated, but as I understand it, the problem is in the «dark» past. It's one thing for naval personnel transferred to serve under the command of Thrawn —they just send out requests for previous duty stations, and after a couple of procedures drive them away and then Astarion simply distributes many of them to the planetary garrison. At best, six out of ten people end up in the fleet. But with civilians... We don't have so many "security officers" for the process to go quickly, so these specialists are still in a bureaucratic machine. However, I will try to discuss this point with him — we currently have enough naval specialists to plug the holes in all or almost all starships that can move. But with civilians... the lieutenant colonel seems to be his own man — by the way, it was he who got you the rhydonium...

—I already really hate him,— the chief engineer complained. —What a headache with these modifications of the "miners"...

—Who has it easy now? Ferrus grinned. —I started to feel like a criminal king — I never would have thought that I would have to coordinate the trade in rebel trophies on the black market. In my own sector! But cannot say that this is bad — within a week, the sector's income increased three times compared to the annual turnover. I can finally pay salaries to my subordinates in full, purchase the necessary equipment to maintain garrisons without handouts from the Ubiqtorate or the Imperial Ruling Council from Orinda. And we are not even selling infantry weapons yet, leaving them to arm the militia among the volunteers there are many who want to serve under the command of a victorious Grand Admiral, but are unfit for naval, pilot or army service. But they will make excellent militia units — to replace stormtroopers, of which we don't have so many. But the pirates hired by Thrawn are quite toothy and the spoils flow from them hand in hand. From Yazuo Vayne alone, since the patent was concluded, the sector has received more than one and a half million credits of its share. And there are so many freighters that it's time to organize our own cargo fleet. But Thrawn ordered them not to be touched — he needs them for military operations.

— At least the money from the sold trophies of Thrawn and privateers allows us to motivate workers to stay in place overtime,— Reyes said more calmly. He glanced eloquently at the open bottle of whiskey. He thought about it and shook his head negatively. No, he has already drunk his quota for today. It is necessary to check how work is going at the shipyards and production facilities, give instructions and take a nap until the Grand Admiral returns from his campaign and once again begins to demand the impossible from him.

—Yeah,— Ferrus chuckled. —Could I have thought that I, the imperial Moff, would one day have to deal with such nonsense —trading to pay salaries and purchase equipment... By the way! — Remembering something from the conversation with the Grand Admiral, the Moff turned to his computer. —There is something interesting. He ordered me to look on the black market for spare parts for Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers.

—Why illegal? - Reyes frowned. — We seem to have Rendili as our allies, and these ugly bricks with engines are their development. He can always order it if he really wants to get himself into trouble with these slow-moving hogs. I have already informed him that we at the shipyard are able to repair and modernize a maximum of thirty-nine such ships.

—So much? —Felix was surprised.

—Three can be driven into each cell of the shipyard, and one can be placed on the outside of each cell,— Reyes explained. —Total — twenty-seven «inside» docks and a dozen - outside. But, I honestly can't imagine where he will find so many of these old starships, and even sixteen thousand crew members for each... But I didn't ask any questions. I looked at the data from the Nomad and said that yes, we could quickly convert the Dreadnought so that it would have two squadrons of TIE fighters on board. However, I don't think that he really intends to acquire such ships.

—Don't tell me,— Ferrus smiled mysteriously. —There's something interesting here. First, he instructed me to contact Lianna...

— With Valles Santhe herself? Reyes' eyebrows rose. — I wonder if he doesn't know that she doesn't really like the Empire? Despite the fact that she trades with everyone.

—I don't know what he knows, but the fact remains that I intend to discuss with her a contract for the purchase of a huge number of TIE fighters and interceptors. Potentially, it is also necessary to test the waters regarding the sale of full-cycle production lines to us - an orbital construction plant - at least to produce fighters.

—You know, they say grand admirals are geniuses,— Reyes sighed. — I don't argue, Thrawn may be a genius in military affairs, but in economics... Does he even know how much a full-cycle orbital construction plant costs, even for the production of TIE fighters? From processing to finished products... Yes, it's a useful thing —considering its significant automation and ninety percent of the staff are droids... But it costs...

—Like two Imperial-class Star Destroyers,— Ferrus chuckled. and this was in the best years of the Empire, when the «Sienar Fleet Systems» were in favor. Now the cost of such an orbital plant is four hundred and fifty million imperial credits.

TIE fighter orbital workshop.

—That's what I'm talking about,— Reyes nodded. as far as I remember, it produce approximately three full-fledged squadrons of fighters per day in three work shifts of eight hours each. Does he intend to create twelve hundred fighters a month? No, I don't argue — with a certain approach, you can make changes to the production process and produce not fighters, but interceptors, or bombers... You can even trade them with other Imperial Remnants again, if the deal works out and Vallis Santhe agrees to build a factory for Thrawn, and not wave her hand at him, like all the other military leaders who came to her with similar proposals. And yet I believe that the purchase of such a workshop is a whim that has nothing to do with reality.

—You're just afraid that you'll have to stick a hyperdrive on this station as well,— the Moff of the Morshdine sector laughed good-naturedly.

—Even if you thought about this, then it is possible that Thrawn was also thinking about this,— Reyes said gloomily. —If he wants that, then let him look for some «Secutor» and cut off the hyperdrive from it. I think my guys will be able to work with such an installation so that it can move the station... But the problem, the main one, is different! How many resources will it take to operate such a plant? Not to mention the fact that for that kind of money you can buy much more of the same fighters from the same Ciutric Hegemony. Yes, there are about fifty thousand human personnel needed for this three-kilometer station to operate normally! And not just any technicians, but highly qualified engineers and mechanics! Just imagine how many ships are needed to equip such a horde with fighters? Hundreds of starships! And even if all our ships lose all their fighters at once, there will still be more of them than necessary... And besides, do we have that many pilots?

— And there won't be a tenth of it, even taking into account the ever-increasing number of volunteers,— Ferrus admitted. —However, you are wrong about the ships...

—In what sense? —Reyes tensed.

—Imperial Space intends to give us one Imperial-class star destroyer, which is being completed at the Bilbringi shipyards,— Ferrus recalled the already known information. — One of the privateers intends to deliver us an armored transport of the Gozanti type...

—You understand that all this is not the same,— Nick winced. —Unless they are modified...

—Okay, I won't torment you,— Ferrus grinned, turning his monitor screen to face the chief engineer. — Thrawn instructed me to purchase spare parts for one and a half hundred Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers. Second-class hyperdrives, engine parts, energy buses, capacitors... The list is huge and amounts to seventy million.

—Oh, you... Reyes stopped short. —This is, of course, interesting information, but... there are not so many starships of this type even in the Corporate Sector! Who has such junk and in such quantities? No, even corporate companies have no need to keep such a fleet — they have several hundred victories...

—That's what I'm talking about,— Felix noted. —Why then would the Grand Admiral spend such huge amounts of money if no one has so many ships for sale?

Reyes paused, thinking about his comrade's words. He mentally went through information about the "dreadnoughts" in his memory, trying to remember where he could have heard about a whole fleet of "dreadnoughts" of one hundred and fifty, or even more...

Dreadnought fleet...

—Felix, you don't mean to say that... - he began, looking at the grin on the Moff's face. —No, well, it doesn't happen like this...

—Nick, he destroyed the fleet of an entire sector without losing a single ship,— Ferrus recalled. —I don't know where the Grand Admiral got such luck, but let's hope it doesn't betray him. I am sure that all your guys, as well as new technical teams, flew precisely for these ships.

— And then what? — the chief engineer was curious. —Even if he found the Catana Fleet, he still needs crews, tibanna, fuel to support it all... And you can't ask practically anything from Orinda!

—You know,— said Sector Moff Morshdine in a low voice, —if Thrawn defeats the rebels and unearths ancient secrets so easily, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he one day becomes the head of the Empire. And we had better be ready to serve the right sentient.

— Do you think Thrawn is aiming to become the Emperor? —Reyes asked in the same whisper.

—I am at least sure that he absolutely does not like the fact that the Imperial Remnants, armed with hundreds of star destroyers and millions of stormtroopers at least, sit idle while he and his small fleet smash the rebels to smithereens,— Felix reported. —I am seeing an increase in the number of volunteers coming to us and experienced officers with a rich track record are already appearing among the youngsters. The military likes what he does. Civilian specialists are attracted by high salaries. Moff Getelles of the Antemeridian Sector wonders if I would be so kind as to arrange a meeting for him with the Grand Moff to discuss the supply of new Strike-class medium cruisers to his fleet if he continues to strike at the rebels. He even has a couple of goals as a proposal. The Rindelians have found out about the search for spare parts on the black market and are wondering if they can help with anything, hinting that if you add a dozen or two million, they will provide the same parts, but factory quality and completely new. And these assholes were already trying to go over to the side of the New Republic! Sith take it, but xenos are already contacting me with the question of whether they could be useful somewhere. Nick, do you understand what this smells like, if even non-humans have become active and want to work for the benefit of Thrawn's policies?

—Gnat among the Imperial Remnants,— Reyes said meaningfully. —I will never believe that the same Grand Moff Kaine, or the Imperial Ruling Council, or even the same Prince Admiral Delak Krennel would just give up power like that... No, I believe more that they will try to finish one way or another.

—Look at it in another way,— suggested Moff Ferrus. —If the Empire really goes against Thrawn, and he does not lose... And if he managed to win with only a few star destroyers and a few cruisers, and even managed to strike the enemy on the other side of the galaxy, capturing rich booty, then with the "Katana Fleet" to his assets, he can easily not only outshine several sectoral rebel fleets, but also conquer the same Ciutric Hegemony! Krennel has only a dozen and a half large starships, and here there are only two hundred heavy cruisers! Not the newest ones, but with the right approach you can make them just candy! And with such a fleet, he can clearly at least not lose. And with his genius in tactics — no, I will definitely bet on him. But the rest... How grateful do you think he will be to those who will stay by his side and not leave him in difficult times?

—I never would have thought that you were so ambitious,— Reyes scratched his neck.

— Appetite comes with eating,— Felix said meaningfully. —I'm not calling for anything, my friend, I'm only advising... Remember, the number of people close to the future Emperor can be strictly limited.

—Yeah, I'll keep that in mind,— Reyes noted. —I don't know, maybe everything is as you say, but personally I'd prefer to watch him for now. Perhaps the Dafilvean sector, Nkllon and the commotion in the Sluissi sector are all he can achieve.

— And if not? —Moff Ferrus clarified.

— And if our Grand Admiral turns out to be a really damn victorious and successful commander, then I'll bet on him,— Nick Reyes sighed. And then he added:

—But I will demand an appropriate salary for myself!

***

More technical staff is definitely needed.

Many times more.

The plan to storm the Hast shipyards takes on certain features. Rough sketches that can be used one way or another. By the time Lieutenant Rederick and Mister Fodeum Sabre De'Luz complete their infiltration mission, a period of gathering information and adjusting existing plans will begin.

As far as I know, no one other than General Grievous and the Separatists in the relatively recent history of the galaxy has used long-spectrum ion weapons in space combat. For one simple reason — to build a huge dreadnought just to be able to fire from a ring cannon capable of disabling an entire fleet... No, really, who would even think of such a thing? It is much more efficient to repeatedly throw trillions of credits into the construction of battle stations the size of a planetoid...

And yet, it was necessary to increase production or replenish the contingent of technical personnel. Scouts sent to the location of the Katana fleet successfully discovered the ships. Exactly where Captain Hoffner indicated. Conventionally, we can say that this sentient is loyal. And motivated. During a short stop on Tangrene to load the first batch of "miners" aboard my flagship Star Destroyer for field testing, a very short but intense conversation took place with both Moff Ferrus and Chief Engineer Reyes. And if the first continued to carry out my orders unquestioningly, within the limits of his competence and sound initiative, then Mr. Reyes, as a person in more civilian than military service, allowed himself to demonstrate the presence of his own opinion.

On the one hand, this is good. A subordinate of this level should not be a lack of initiative performer. He must receive an order and find ways to optimally implement it. Moff Ferrus understands this. Mr. Reyes — not really. He and his people worked for too long in conditions far removed from the clear order customary to the Empire, therefore, a certain level of snobbery and conceit is present in them.

The Battle of Endor, the infighting of the Imperial Remnants, warlords, the victories of the New Republic and the subsequent fragmentation of the Empire led to the fact that a significant number of former Imperials now wear the insignia of "rebels". The governments of the Remnants had no choice but to «plug the holes» of military positions in the rear contingent with yesterday's military or youth without experience. The peculiar caste character of military engineers began to steadily decline. As well as labor productivity — where the military did everything clearly, quickly and responsibly, realizing that they were part of a huge system, its cogs, civilian specialists sometimes found hundreds of excuses and justifications for their delay. Young officers, who had not overcome the ease of perceiving the surrounding reality and did not have sufficient personal discipline, condoned this state of affairs. The high command was forced to accept such «game rules» — because there was no alternative as such. The result, as they say, is obvious.

Therefore, we had to make a «knight's move» — not only to increase the pay for the workers of the rear services, such as the workers of the orbital shipyard, but also to actually recruit them into the ranks of the military. Not the most thoughtful step, since in fact, civilian specialists for the most part are not able to obey military regulations. But there is no other way —such a step will allow me to attract even more specialists to my service, perhaps even luring military engineers from other Imperial Remnants. Or, what is more obvious, a queue of civilian specialists will line up for a «long credit», who can only dream of similar salaries at their old jobs. And here the notorious «fork» comes into its own — either meet the requirements and receive the salary, or say goodbye to service and salary. Because imperial laws are very harsh in relation to negligent workers. And to the military... Yes, the conversation there is short a tribunal and punishment. Well, Lieutenant Colonel Astarion is a fairly competent fellow and chose the right ones from naval intelligence to help him sift out the wheat from the chaff at a preliminary stage. In the end, on Tangrene itself there are many facilities that require specialists and civilians can find work there. Even if the salary is not as high as that of the military, it is still higher than anywhere else in ordinary engineering companies and in the civilian shipyards of the Empire.

Cloning as such will not solve this problem at the root — it is necessary to set priorities correctly. Gaining access to the Katana fleet gives me a free hand in terms of the efficiency and scale of the offensive into the territory of the New Republic. I need crews and lots of them. If it is still possible to reluctantly allow former civilians onto some patrol starships, then the ships that will have to operate strictly on the front line are practically sabotage. I have no intention of shooting myself in the foot and then running a marathon. Therefore, until the issue of manning the ships of the fleet is resolved, it is wrong to even think about spending the resources of Mount Tantiss on cloning everyone possible.

Even when I learned that the Spaarti cylinders were still working, I had the idea of ​​​​visiting Kamino. Despite the Kaminoan uprising, despite Palpatine's refusal to use clones in the army after the proclamation of the New Order, Kamino... was not destroyed. They just... didn't mention it. It's that simple. Even during the Clone Wars, few officers of the Grand Army of the Republic knew not only the way there, but even the quadrant location of this planet on the galactic tactical map. Palpatine's notes from Mount Tantiss contained similar information. As well as information about how brutally the Empire suppressed the Kaminoan uprising after the victory in the Clone Wars.

No, they didn't annihilated, they didn't destroy, they didn't bomb, they didn't destroy the race of cloners and their production facilities. The Empire took strict control over the business of the Kaminoans, receiving huge percentages from each of their transactions. Kamino never produced a clone army again — until recently. After the Battle of Endor, Kamino came under the control of the Zann Consortium and with the help of such a base, the leader of the Consortium, Tiber Zann, was able to extend his influence over almost the entire galaxy. However, when the New Republic began to strike his positions over and over again, they were joined by some Imperial Remnants, Hutts, the Pyke Syndicate, and a considerable number of other outside forces, including those hidden in holes throughout the Outer Rim, pirate fleets, some of which consisted of hundreds of ships of the line.

Yes, oddly enough, but this whole motley crew managed to knock Zann out of his dominant position. No one knew where Tiber had gone, having lost almost everything. There are several other Consortium enclaves in the galaxy, such as Shola, Hypori and Saleucami, which are holding firm under enemy pressure. In fact, if you believe the reports of the Noghri from Hypori, the various factions of the Consortium are independent groups that somehow got along with the rest of the criminal elements. Most of them are protected by either Pykes or Hutts and these are already powerful forces at the state level.

So, back to the Kamino. Not a single starship sent to this planet ever returned. The Kaminoans, after their capture by Zann, stopped providing their cloning services on the galactic arena and their fate is unknown. However, I remembered from the books I read that the same Boba Fett in a later period dealt with the Kaminoans and flew to their planet to undergo medical procedures in an attempt to overcome his aging. Consequently, Kamino is still not destroyed or devastated, its population is alive. But what prevents free access to the planet? Astronomical anomaly? If yes, which one? Enemy navy? It may well be — it is too strange that the disappearance of Tiber Zann and the inaccessibility of Kamino occurred at approximately the same period of time.

There were other races in the galaxy engaged in cloning. However, they either made insane demands for payment for their services, and were protected from direct capture by mercenary fleets, or were under someone else's control. Like, for example, the inhabitants of the planet Khomm in the Deep Core. Consequently, I only have Spaarti's cloning cylinders at my disposal. The imperial engineers simply could not increase their numbers, just as they could not repair the four thousand damaged ones. It seems that everything was done according to science, since it should all work, but... It doesn't work. Despite the fact that Mount Tantiss is slowly but surely becoming settled, its reserves are being added to the general fund of my forces, and the exploration of the labyrinth under the mountain continues and more and more valuable discoveries are being made, this does not affect the number and speed of production of clones.

The only good news is that Palpatine is a very thrifty ruler. Who is very fond of memorable trophies. And the latter, if you believe historical, antique and other reference books, are worth a lot. Quite a lot. I would even say — indecently a lot. The jewelry alone in Palpatine's vault was found, according to the most conservative estimates, to be worth half a billion imperial credits. Of course, this is a very approximate, most likely even an inflated estimate of the value of antiques. Which still needs to be implemented. Well, Captain Hoffner will receive some new instructions soon. Let's see how effective the anonymous underground auctions organized by the Hutts and in the New Republic can be.

Actually, this prompted me to give Moff Ferrus the go-ahead to negotiate with Valles Santhe, the management company she inherited from Sienar. And here I was satisfied, strictly speaking, with both tactical and strategic successes. If Mrs. Santhe refuses to sell us the orbital fighter production workshop —which is most likely what will happen, since this almost completely autonomous full-cycle production line can be quite easily (if you know how and have the appropriate equipment, software and handy employees) repurposed into not production only fighters, but also interceptors and bombers. There are three such workshops in Lianna's orbit, and they fully satisfy the needs of all of Ms. Santhe's clients without exception. So, the negotiations will most likely end with the signing of contracts for the purchase of a huge amount of TIE fighters. But by that time I will already know enough about Lyanna's defense system to find an answer to the dilemma —take by force or try repeated diplomacy.

Of course, I understand that I can continue to acquire the equipment I need, or try to recreate industrial lines through regressive engineering. But this is time and a huge money. Reyes calculated one such assembly line for me offhand. Even if there are tens of billions worth of jewels and valuable items inside Mount Thantiss, I am not willing to spend several of them on military engineers to get their hands on. When financial resources tend to run out, you should slightly «cut back on the sturgeon».

And yet, Mount Tantiss is a real treasure. Its construction probably cost a tidy sum. Even despite the fact that there have already been structures here in the past, built inside the rock during the times of the Old Republic several thousand years before the present during the Mandalorian Wars, the scope of the project is amazing. The fact that inside, in addition to warehouses, there are also laboratories, workshops, own food production farms, hangars with shuttles and other thousands of reasonable devices necessary for comfortable living is impressive. The only pity is that even this miracle of technology will not allow maintaining an army of at least a million or two people. No matter how thrifty and prudent Palpatine is, food production capacity is limited and was designed to provide food for the garrison according to the standards set by the Imperial military, and several thousand people from the retinue of the Emperor himself.

The garrison on Wayland is undoubtedly in a good situation and requires virtually no outside resources. And this fact clearly hints that it would be nice to repeat this very project somewhere else. Less... crowded, perhaps. But again, these are all strategic plans. However, it is clear without words that over time the Mountain's content will have to be evacuated. They are too valuable to be left unattended, much less allowed to be destroyed. Relocating the Noghri here, as happened in the events of the Galaxy Far, Far Away that I know of, is also pointless — even wastful. No matter the hour, Skywalkers may arrive on the planet, having discovered its coordinates one way or another. Or, after the implementation of my strategic plan, after the campaign at the shipyards of Sluis Van, Palpatine himself will come here to look at what is left — in any case, such a valuable resource as the Noghri will be lost to me. But leaving these sentients on their home planet - Honoghr - is just as fraught. And the point here is not even that their world is contaminated with chemicals and the ecology leaves much to be desired, and the Empire has been promising to help correct this situation for many decades, but only pretends to help. In fact, the Imperials continue to do their best to prevent Honoghr from healing from the man-made disaster of the past, because this ensures the loyalty of these sentients. The reason why gray-skinned saboteurs need a completely different planet, unknown to the galaxy, to live on. The Noghri, despite the fact that they were first subordinate exclusively to Vader and then to Thrawn, are widely known among Palpatine's power circles. After he begins his campaign for a new conquest of the galaxy, the hour is uneven —for the sake of form he will end up on Honoghr. The coordinates of this planet in the emperor's data from Mount Tantiss have been erased, but references to cross-references can no doubt be found. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before Palpatine's followers, after the start of his campaign, come here too.

For the same reason, Myrkr is not suitable either. Yes, the planet is not so widely known in the galaxy, but still at least Karrde and his organization have its coordinates. Therefore, there is a high chance that the Noghri settlement on Myrkr, if they are resettled on the specified planet, will also be compromised. We need a completely unknown world, or one that is as inaccessible as possible. And there are some problems with this. Because discovering such a planet is not as easy as it seems. And presenting such a gift to the Noghri at the moment also does not correspond to my plans to win the hearts of this people. Here you need to act more subtly.

The Noghri, in the events known to me, changed their loyalty to the Empire to serve Leia Organa Solo, not only because she is the daughter of Darth Vader, whom these sentients revered and considered their master. But also because the meeting of the Alderaanian princess and the Noghri led to the latter's journey to Honoghr and the revelation of the deception with the cleansing of the planet. The Noghri realized that the Empire had betrayed them and switched to the service of the one who offered them the whole planet. Blooming with life and not posing a health hazard as such. And... if this plan worked, then why not adjust it for yourself and implement it to suit your interests.

Is this mean to the Noghri? Yes, from a certain point of view, it is even hypocritical to assert to the same Mara Jade that I am honest with my allies, and at the same time do nothing to eliminate the problems on Honoghr. At the moment, my participation in the life of the Noghri was limited only to the fact that after a long disgrace, they nevertheless returned to carry out my orders — on planets as far from the stay of the Organa and Skywalkers as circumstances allow. From time to time, imperial transport ships arriving at Honogr deliver food and other necessary supplies, as well as more and more droids to fight the environmental crisis. But not all of these droids operate according to the original program — some of them are converted into reconnaissance droids and record everything that happens on the planet near the Noghri settlements. When a new ship arrives, its technicians carry out routine technical inspections and necessary repairs to the droids and collect information from the mechanical spies. This is how the fact of the absence of extra ships and sentients on the planet is monitored.

I have a definite course towards finding a new world for the Noghri. And it is directly related to the search for the super star destroyer Guardian. Having rummaged through my memory, over and over again reconstructing the chain of events known to me, I nevertheless came to the conclusion that it was the Sentinel that was the second super star destroyer of the Executor type in the service of the New Republic. I also remembered that the ship was in orbit of some distant planet suitable for habitation. But the name of the planet is not so remarkable that it's so easy to remember it.

Unlike another planet directly known to Noghri history. Yalara. A world hidden from everyone by some kind of cloaking device built by the Jedi. This planet appears in one of the quests in the computer game "Jedi Academy" and is visited by the protagonist. Who encounters the Noghri there. Who were sent there by the Empire in order to obtain a cloaking device.

But certain questions arise. To which I cannot find the answer in my memory. Either because I don't know, or because I don't remember. And rummaging through your own memories is not so easy. The Chiss mind allows facts to be broken down into their components and analyzed comprehensively. But the less consistent the memory, the more fragmentary it is, the more difficult it is to "remember" it in detail. And it takes a lot of time. It took me several days to remember the details of the protagonist's mission from the Jedi Academy on Yalara. As sad as it is to state this fact, I didn't pay much attention to the less iconic moments from the Star Wars universe. And yet, working on your own memories helps you move forward in understanding a large number of poignant moments.

So, Yalara. The coordinates of this planet are unknown. They are not in the galaxy's navigational guides, not in Thrawn's code cylinder records, not in the Empire's database. And what is most unfortunate is that they are not in the Emperor's information library.

Dry facts at some time between Darth Vader's discovery of the Noghri and the events of the game «Jedi Academy», Noghri troops were sent to Yalara for a known purpose. They achieved their goal. And at the same time they killed the entire local population, which was not developed enough to come into contact with the rest of the galaxy. Actually, for this reason, the Jedi built a cloaking field that hides the entire planet both from scanners and visually. Interesting technology, I would like to study it.

Luke Skywalker sent one of his Jedi students, Jaden Korr, to Yalara. A very... interesting character. But that's another topic.

Korr flew to the planet, found the Noghri there and entered into battle with them, won, the New Republic received at its disposal an entire fertile planet with a camouflage function. However, Yalara seems to have never been mentioned again in the history of Star Wars. As well as the fact that the camouflage technology from this planet was at least somehow assimilated by the Republicans. What is the reason? There may be hundreds of them. But the most banal thing is that the device cannot be reproduced. Or the technology is still not so perfect. Or it was still used in the future, but "behind the scenes" of the events known to me.

However, there are a number of questions. Who sent the Noghri to the planet and when? Where did those who sent the death commandos to this planet get the coordinates of this world? Why weren't the Noghri recalled from there? Do the matriarchs of the Noghri clans on Honoghr know about their mission?

Well, let's record this thought. While the Chimera and its escort are moving towards the target, there is time to analyze the current situation with the Noghri. Lately, there are fewer and fewer free hours for such "brainstorming" sessions, as well as time for sleep. Fortunately, I was able to set up a small sports corner in my apartment and slowly improve my physical shapes. The admiral is an admiral, but I don't want to grow a paunch due to "sedentary work". In addition, physical exercise made it possible to clear the head and properly unload the body, which contributed to the most effective restoration of the body's strength during a short sleep.

So, the starting point is the end of the Clone Wars. It was closer to the nineteenth year before the Battle of Yavin that the disaster occurred on Honoghr a separatist ship with chemicals shot down by the Republicans fell onto the planet. Darth Vader found the Noghri already during their period of ecological disaster. Consequently, there are two confirmed facts in order to take exactly the last year of the Clone Wars as the starting point for the beginning of the Noghri's service to Vader. No, you can certainly call the same Rukh and ask him directly when Vader became their master. But this will at least damage my reputation with the Noghri due to ignorance of such simple things. I am sure that Thrawn knew this date reliably after all, Vader gave him control of the Noghri for providing high service to the Sith Lord on the part of the Chiss, when he was already serving the Empire in a fairly high rank. Consequently, since the Noghri met not Anakin Skywalker, but Darth Vader, then the latter's arrival on Honoghr for the first time occurred after the battle of Darth Sidious's student with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar and Darth Vader's acquisition of the well-known heavy breathing and noticeable armored suit with stylish helmet.

Analysis of the second date. When exactly did Jaden Korr fly to Yalara and has the planet already been discovered? There is only one answer — no, it has not been detected.

Digging through my memories, I came to the conclusion that Jaden Korr not only had not yet begun his training in the Jedi profession, but had not even been created yet. Yes, it is «created», not «born». Jaden Korr was never born — he is Grand Admiral Thrawn's genetic experiment to create Force-sensitive sentient beings. I once read about this fact on Wookieepedia, but I haven't seen the original texts of Jaden Korr's adventures after Jedi Academy. Therefore, if experiments are not carried out to create Force-sensitive clones, then Korr will not fly to Yalara. This does not change the fact that at least someone will fly there. But the fact remains a fact. Even without Thrawn's memories, it can be concluded that he did not begin the cloning experiments and genetic manipulation that led to the creation of Jaden Korr until the moment I took over his body. Why? Because at the time of my meeting on Wayland with Joruus C'baoth, Thrawn had no way of obtaining DNA samples from a Force-sensitive sentient from anywhere. Luke Skywalker, unlike his father, does not scatter genetic material in his youth. His sister's children have not yet been born, and getting her blood sample... To put it mildly, it is difficult.

Let's return to date analysis. I don't know exactly when Jaden Korr flew to the desired planet. In the universe, I was more interested in the events and characters than in the chronology itself. If the date is not critical for understanding the situation, I did not focus on it. Another point is the events that led to Korr being sent to Yalara by Skywalker. The emergence of such a movement as the Followers of the Mark of Ragnos. A schismatic sect of Force-sensitive sentients who intended to revive the spirit of the long-ago, approximately five thousand years ago, deceased spirit of the Sith Lord Mark Ragnos. The burning question is: "is the sect still functioning?" I assume not, because if my memory serves me correctly, it was created by one of the unsuccessful students of Luke Skywalker himself.

The son of Darth Vader did not begin training new Jedi now, or even next year. When exactly? Again there is a gap in the dates. But this definitely happened after the victory over the Reborn Emperor — because it was his threat that proved to Skywalker the necessity of returning the Jedi to the galaxy. Problems with training a new generation of Jedi undoubtedly existed, but they are not relevant now. So, Skywalker trained several Force-sensitive sentient Jedi in his praxeum on Yavin IV and one of his students left him, creating a sect of Followers with their own intentions...

Stop. Recorded the thought. A student who left Praxeum to pursue his own goals.

Why does this seem familiar to me? The student who left... That's right!

In the initial period of the creation of Praxeum, Skywalker had many problems, including with the restless ghost of another Dark Lord «Exar Kun». Yes, the young Jedi defeated him, but lost several students. However, this is not important now.

The moment is different — Skywalker destroyed almost all the apostates of the first release of new Jedi either himself, or members of his family contributed to this. Therefore, if my estimates about the resurrection and final death of Palpatine in the tenth and eleventh years after the Battle of Yavin are correct, then the first course of Jedi was recruited around the eleventh year after the destruction of the first Death Star. Perhaps later.

Consequently, Korr was trained by Skywalker and his assistants - later. But, if so, then my assumptions that Jaden was created were wrong. Yes, he could have been raised in a cloning cylinder, but... again, I remember that it was certain relatives who knew him from childhood that contributed to his referral to Praxeum. So it's a mistake. Or not?

Although, on the other hand, what difference does it make whether the guy is real or artificial? I am not going to conduct experiments on creating genetic hybrids - both Force-sensitive and not. It's trivial because the history I know shows that nothing good came out of it — only psychopaths. This time would be better spent creating more of the clones I need.

Okay, the conclusion that Korr was not trained in the first stream of Jedi is correct. Otherwise, he would have been mentioned in Kevin Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy of books. Yes, there were some... But there was something else. There was a side-story book for this trilogy, which told that among Skywalker's first students was Corran Horn, who arrived there to comprehend Jedi science in order to search for his wife, Mirax, who disappeared due to...

No. Well, that doesn't happen.

Mirrax Terrik-Horn was captured by a gang of Invida pirates under the command of Leonia Tavira. The woman and her group have already shown themselves in the present and I have certain plans for them... Which are already in the process of implementation. Well, now it's clear why the operation plan came to me so quickly and seemed so familiar.

Well, an interesting flashback, but let's get back to business.

So, the events on Yalara took place between at least the eleventh and no later than the sixteenth year after the Battle of Yavin. Why is that? Because on the last date, an event known as the "Black Fleet Crisis" occurred — the New Republic faced the Yevetha and their controlled fleet of Star Destroyers captured from the Empire after the Battle of Endor. Four to four and a half years...

Big spread. Korr probably trained later around the twelfth — fifteenth year after the Battle of Yavin. Since I remember well that at the end of the story there was a battle on Coruscant. And there were much more Jedi there than two and a half Padawans, whom Skywalker could train in the first, and possibly in the second stream. If I remember correctly, even with Corr there were no more than a dozen students studying at the same time. This means that several years have passed since the events of Palpatine's final death. And for some reason it seems to me that the most likely date is the fourteenth year after the Battle of Yavin. Intuition, not logical conclusion. Such arguments should be relied upon only as a last resort. However, if we abstract from dates, then these events are not very important, since they clearly occur in the future.

Okay, we've captured the idea, now we'll cut off the unnecessary.

The last Imperial Noghri commander is Thrawn. He will die in the events known to me this year. After this fact, the Noghri will no longer be aggressive towards the New Republic. At all. Consequently, the order to capture Yalara came before Thrawn's death. Then why didn't the matriarchs recall the group from the planet after the murder of the Grand Admiral? The most likely answer is because they maintained radio silence. For what? So that they cannot be detected. Then why didn't the one who sent them take measures to capture the planet and place a garrison and some strong units of the Stormtrooper Corps on it? Or... no, there were still soldiers of the Empire on the planet. Or were they the Imperials who defected to the Followers of the Marks Ragnos? Most likely it's the second one. This statement is supported by the fact that at the end of the game the New Republic destroyed not only the Followers, but also stormtroopers in the service of the sect, as well as an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. What is the reason for the followers to have imperial military and equipment? An alliance between the Empire and the sect, or was it some kind of group of renegade Imperials?

Most likely it's the second one. And they probably appeared on the planet after the Noghri had been there all this time. Because, if the Empire was present on Yalara all this time, then it would be more logical to place there not only a garrison, but also a huge base, shipyards, production... Yeah, any Imperial Remnant would give its hand to be cut off for owning such a world.

However, we return to the questions of who sent the Noghri to Yalara? Not Thrawn for sure — he would definitely use the advantages of the planet to the fullest. And before Thrawn, the Noghri were commanded by... Darth Vader.

Therefore, based on this simple logical chain, which may not be correct, Darth Vader either had information about where Yalara was located, or had data indicating its location, and the Noghri themselves found the planet.

Either way, the Sith Lord took this secret to his grave...

Or not?!

Let's return to the episode with the Followers of Ragnos. One of Jaden Korr's missions was to travel to a planet with acid rain. And there was the fortress of the Dark Lord of the Sith. Vader's psychological profile indicates that he partially copied his style from his teacher, Darth Sidious. And he preferred to have personal residences — Mount Tantiss will not let you lie — where he kept a lot of valuables. Therefore... How likely is it that Vader's Fortress has data to locate Yalara? Too intriguing to pass by such a guess. In the end, checking this conjecture does not require much time and attention from me...

If only I remembered the name of the planet on which that very fortress is located. Ask Pellaeon if he knows where the residence is located, possibly secret, belonging to the second person in the Galactic Empire? Yes, it will be funny. But inappropriate.

However, should we despair?

No, it's not worth it. Because in fact, the most important question is how did the Followers of Marka Ragnos themselves know the coordinates of Yalara? After all, they arrived there much earlier than Jader Korr. And again... how did the New Jedi Order know about the planet? It seems they found her coordinates in one of the Jedi holocrons. Where did Skywalker get his holocrons? He searched for the Jedi heritage throughout the galaxy. And also, he stole a number of data sources from the Reborn Emperor during the latter's campaign. After all, then Skywalker Jr. turned to the Dark Side of the Force and became Palpatine's right hand...

Stop. The order of cause-and-effect relationships is broken. Ragnos followers were on Yalara. Jaden Korr also met them in Vader's fortress on a planet with acid precipitation. But in what order did this happen? First the fortress, then Yalara? If so, then it is likely that the Followers received the coordinates of Yalara in Vader's fortress. This is a working hypothesis and requires testing. I would also like to find this planet with the residence of the Dark Lord of the Sith. Otherwise, all I remember about it is acidic precipitation, but a breathable atmosphere at least I don't remember a Jedi running around in a spacesuit in the game. And he used the Force only to protect himself from acid... Of course, this could also be a game convention, but... The reality in which I found myself corresponded too closely to the events described in the literature. What if not only books are implemented in this universe, but also games? That is, the game events and what was conventions in them are part of the conventions of real events in the universe? And if so, then...

So somewhere there is both Kyle Katarn and... Galen Marek.

The mood somehow immediately dropped. If the first is still conditional a typical Jedi about whose life relatively much is known, then the second... His story indistinctly ended at the end of the plot of another computer game —the second part of «The Force Unlished». Then he captured Vader on Kamino and intended to put him on trial... True, Boba Fett, who worked for Vader, flew after Marek's ship. Let's imagine for a second that this game is also part of the reality in which I find myself. Therefore, Galen Marek is also not a fiction. And if so, then after the finale of the second part of the mentioned game, the events of which took place definitely before the Battle of Endor, during which Darth Vader was alive and well, there are two options for the development of events. The first, so to speak, «canonical» — Marek actually captured Vader, but the latter was repulsed by Boba Fett. And it is not clear whether Marek is alive or killed after this. Given his anti-imperial sentiment, it would be better if he was dead. And if not, then what is the reason that he has not yet manifested himself and Luke Skywalker is considered the only Jedi in the galaxy? I doubt that conventions like — The game was released after the Thrawn books, so Galen Marek doesn't exist and Skywalker doesn't know about him — actually work. No, this whole clump of «lore» is probably intertwined with each other.

Which leads to the second conclusion. Did Galen Marek capture Vader? After all, there was a "non-canonical" version of the development of events, when the first intended to finish off the last. But he was stabbed in the back by Marek's clone and died. Like all those rebels who participated in the attack on Kamino, where the plot of the second part of the mentioned game ended... True, there was also an addition to the plot, where this clone, who stabbed in the back, went to Endor and killed Princess Organa, who also became a Jedi because Luke Skywalker was killed in the first part of the game in a «non-canonical» plot development...

Okay, stop. Leave drugs behind. All these «non-canonicalities» are easily refuted. Luke Skywalker is alive. The Empire at Endor was defeated. Organa Solo is still not a Jedi. Consequently, if the events of the duology of the games "The Force Unleashed" have an impact on my reality, then they followed the «canonical» version of the development of events. When Vader was captured after the battle on Kamino and so on...

For the first time I felt like I had a headache. Since the emergence of my consciousness, there has not been a hint of such an illness in this body. A mockery of fate that thinking a lot is harmful? Funny.

So, Yalara is generally a good place for a secret base. You can resettle the Noghri there and enlist their support. There you can secretly place things from Mount Tantiss and accumulate forces there for at least the next two to three years. Accordingly, several more are added to the list of tactical tasks — to find the acid planet, if again, it is not a secret world, to visit Vader's fortress, to find Yalara. And I already thought that the galaxy was ceasing to be languid.

After a short sound notification, Mara Jade entered the cabin. The girl, despite her attitude towards the animal, still allowed Ysalamiri to be on her shoulder.

—The codebreakers have sent an urgent message,— she handed over the deck, which I, intrigued, unlocked with my code cylinder. What could have happened that was so important that the red-haired beauty brought the report herself?

Having glanced over the lines of the transcript of Major Molo Himron's report about the conversation between Niles Ferrier and Booster Terrik, I thought for a moment. Something clearly doesn't add up here. No timing, no indication of «closeness» to the goal... Unless... Interesting thought. And just in his spirit. This means our little "prank" has been revealed. And this is fraught with problems. Very big.

—Captain Pellaeon,— I activated the comlink, calculating the distance, the speed of the ships, the time required... Yes, we are too far from the base, unfortunately. But if you do everything right now, the time gap will be small. — Which destroyers have already delivered personnel and cargo to the Katana fleet?

— According to the schedule, these are Nemesis and Stormhawk, sir,— the Chimera commander answered without hesitation. —They unloaded technicians, specialists and stormtroopers to guard the dreadnoughts and repair them an hour ago, and now they are waiting for the appearance of theBellicose and the Relentless with the next batch...

—Contact Captains Schneider and Astorias,— I ordered, trying to keep a calm expression on my face and an even voice. — send them the coordinates of the meeting place and hurry up with the departure. Let them leave their corvettes to guard the "Katana Fleet". I need Star Destroyers and their air groups as soon as possible. Contact Captain Yazuo Vayne — he is active in the region nearby the operation. He should be at the meeting place ten minutes after it starts.

—It will be done, Grand Admiral,— Pellaeon answered with a slight hesitation and immediately passed out. Well, at least he didn't demand answers.

Putting the comlink aside, I looked at Mara Jade, standing opposite me with suspicion on her beautiful face.

— Any problems? —she asked.

—No,— I allowed myself a slight smile. —They're just preparing a trap for us for the designated time of the Errant Venture's appearance.

— Is the operation cancelled? —she clarified.

—No way,— I shook my head. —Since our opponents want it, we will take part in the ambush.