Chapter 31- Probabilities

Dear boys and girls. I remind you that it is only thanks to me and my generosity that you can enjoy these huge chunks of translated text. Thank you me for doing this. Have fun reading.

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

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

- Damage fully repaired, supplies and fuel loaded, crew, contingent, and air wing resupplied, Grand Admiral, - Captain Pellaeon's hologram said, looking down at me from the projection tile of the device that had been installed in my desk during the flagship's repairs on Tangren. A few days of emergency repair of damage - and the starship is ready to continue service. Unlike most of the star destroyers brought to the base. - "Chimaera" is ready for combat missions!

- Are our guests aboard my flagship?- I asked.

- That's right, sir!- Gilad said. - Lieutenant Colonel Astarion and three of his best subordinates, Chief Engineer Reyes, as well as one hundred engineers and two hundred technicians, along with Major Tiers' selected stormtroopers, are on board, sir.

- Set course for Wayland, - I said, still reading the Delta Source reports. As always - most of it is gossip and gossip, but there are also a number of extremely interesting messages. But I'll deal with them later. -Tell Major Himran I want to see him in half an hour.- That's all.

-Yes, sir!- the hologram saluted and dissolved. Several seconds passed before a slight, barely perceptible tremor on the deck signaled that the star destroyer had broken the light barrier.

I leaned back in my chair and looked at my new adjutant standing in front of me. Lieutenant Jade was no longer suitable for this purpose at the moment - she would soon be working on her own and my aide-de-camp duties would become part of the cover story, nothing more.

- The new uniform suits you, Major Tiers, - I said, taking stock of Grodin's impression of his Navy uniform as he stood at the entrance to my cabin, clutching the bright red Imperial Guard uniform that the former TR-889 stormtrooper had worn on his former duty station.

A blind helmet with a horizontal visor, a scarlet robe and a black suit under it, a cuirass made of heavy-duty material, and a power peak are attributes well known throughout the galaxy.

 An Imperial guardsman in battle gear.

- Thanks sir - In the old days, it was unthinkable for a guardsman to talk to his master. But, time does not stand still. - But it's obviously not the right color.

- Little things that can be solved later, - I said. - It is interesting that you decided to stop serving, but still kept your combat gear.

-Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a chance to prove who I am,- Tierce said. -The armor of the Imperial Guard cannot be forged.

-We don't need to, - I said. - On Wayland, inside Mount Tantiss, there are workshops capable of producing both Stormtrooper and Guard armor.

-Not to mention the warehouses filled with such stuff,- the Major said.

- You're well aware of the Mountain's plans,- I said.

- During your time there, I had time to study it, - my new adjutant said. - There are enough uniforms in the warehouses for ten legions of stormtroopers and five hundred Guardsmen.

-It won't take much longer,- I said. - You've done a great job, Major, these past few days. Well, now I want to hear the reason why you arranged for the transfer of several dozen stormtroopers from all over my fleet to your unit.

-They were formerly in the 501st Legion, sir,- Tierce said.

- Vader's Fist? I asked, surprised.

- The ones that survived the last five years and were within range, sir, - the Major replied. - After Vader killed the Emperor, the 501st Legion was disgraced in the eyes of the Empire's top brass. The guardsmen and crewmembers who escaped from the second Death Star provided enough indirect and direct evidence to create an understanding of the situation - knowing the power and ferocity of Darth Vader, the young Luke Skywalker could not kill the Emperor in his presence. At least not by myself. Either Vader did it himself, or he helped his son. The fact of their relationship was also revealed, but the bearers of this secret are now either in the grave or prefer to keep quiet. Those who took over the Empire after Palpatine's death were not idiots - they understood that the disclosure of such data would only lead to a split among the Imperials. The 501st was almost completely destroyed when the Hangman rammed the hull of the battle station, but those who remained on duty in other cantonments, those who escaped-they were stripped of their regalia and the legion was disbanded, and the soldiers were distributed to other units. No one who knew the truth about the Emperor's death would have ever said so-otherwise, it would have destroyed the Empire much earlier. The reason for the dissolution was mired in a pile of bureaucracy, and now no one really knows why it happened. Everything was done quickly and in strict secrecy. Most of them are already dead - especially the Jango Fett clones. But I was still able to find some of them and facilitate their transfer to my division.

- Well, - I said, squinting. - Recreating the 501st Legion will be a great ideological success for us.

- Like the appearance of an Imperial Guardsman at your side, - Grodin said, with a hint of displeasure in his voice.

- I remember that you were against this initiative, Major, - I said. - But your wishes don't really matter right now. You will become a donor for cloning a new sample of stormtrooper commanders, and your fighters will serve as matrices for creating stormtrooper fighters. While your clones will command the units, you will remain with me as an adjutant and officer for special assignments.

- I take it you're going to use my genetic material to make your own Imperial Guard?- the adjutant asked.

- I'll use it as I see fit, Major - the guardsman must be reined. He already knows that he is ten percent superior to the other Stormtroopers under my command, which makes him the best candidate for cloning. And with Mount Tantiss laboratories discovered, and the cloning data available there, the Major doesn't need to know how much his clones will be altered. Just like him. Like so many others who are now flying to Wayland aboard the Chimaera. - Report on the status of the fleet, Major.

- Captain Dorya of the Inflexible reports that eighty more Katana Fleet Dreadnoughts have been brought up to speed by technicians.- He and the commander of the Warlike, Captain Aban, are ready to escort these ships to Tangren immediately, as Captain Harbid's Death's Head and Captain Brandei's Judicator have already arrived with their escorted Star Galleons and have begun repairs to forty more ships.

- Send a refusal, - I said. -Have them await the arrival of Stormhawk Captain Astorias and Inexorable CaptainMorand continue their repairs.

These star destroyers make up the last pair of escorts that will deliver the necessary spare parts and personnel to the Katana Fleet's location to complete repairs to the last five dozen starships. And right after that, one hundred and seventy Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers, supported by six Imperial I-class star destroyers, a similar number of CR90-class corvettes in the main battleship hangars, and eighteen under way, three Udar-class medium cruisers, and a dozen Tartans that I had temporarily commandeered from the fleet The Morshdine Sector defenses, not counting the three dozen Star Galleons - all the military transporters I have available-will be sent to the shipyards for repairs and upgrades. Which will take place on Tangren, Rendili, and Bestin IV while guarding the star destroyers in the second and third cases. These planets may have declared their support to me personally after several days of negotiations, but their loyalty was bought only with money, and therefore is not reliable in the future. As well as the loyalty of those rulers of the imperial sectors and planets who decided to show their attention to Tangren after rumors spread through Imperial Space not only about my capture of captured ships, but also about the capture of the Katan Fleet. Fortunately, the latter is still mostly speculation, but they will soon go beyond the borders of the Empire and become public - that's why we have to withdraw the ships from their berth all at once.

I'm not ready to believe people who are interested in me just by waving money in their faces. At the same time-a lot of money that will be used to pay for repairs and modernization work. Not to mention the fact that I had to spend a lot of money to buy an SFU from Krennel. In fact, he received the cost of an entire star destroyer from me. All in all, out of the half-billion, after all this spending, I have just under seventeen million left-and that's taking into account the sale of the spoils from the base on Ord-Pardron. This part of the income no longer "works" - moff Ferrus sold absolutely everything that I delivered to him after my first campaign, making about a hundred million more over the existing half-billion. As well as those goods that Talon Karrde left on Mircre Mar Jade as -compensation-were sold. The next step is the sale of 'freaks" - pirate fighters and their other property obtained as a result of the ambush at Rugos. But the estimated one hundred and seventy million from the proceeds of the sale of trophies - these are not the biggest figures in modern realities. They, as well as the metal reserves obtained as a result of the raid on Nklon, will gradually go to the maintenance of the fleet, technical specialists, purchases of fuel, ammunition, uniforms and other necessities. On Tangren, volunteers are being formed and trained to join the ranks of the regular army, which is already not very large in my subordination - just over twenty thousand. Despite the fact that there are almost a hundred attack aircraft and most of them are now stationed on the ships of the Katana Fleet. And it will stay there until the ships are finished. Considering that each star destroyer must have a standard legion of them - almost ten thousand on each ship, not to mention the rest of the fleet-you have to start cloning the stormtroopers as well, leaving out the technical specialists. Support - at least armor-will be enough for almost a hundred thousand stormtroopers, this is already an army. But you also need small arms, thermal detonators, baradium, nergon-14, tibanna and so on-both for attack aircraft and for the regular army. What determines more and more new expenses.

However, in the matter of completing the army with everything necessary, I currently have some thoughts. If possible, the need to clone stormtroopers will disappear after recreating the 501st Legion. If not... Well, it will be sad. But not critical.

First of all, it is necessary to solve fleet issues, they are always a priority-after all, but without it, you should not even think about operations outside the sector. At the moment, my campaign is limited to a space confrontation, and ground battles are only a "necessary evil". However, in the future we will have to pay attention to these aspects as well.

First of all, we need to make up for our financial well-being.

The money is flowing away. However, this fact does not particularly grieve me - for the first time since the departure of the Ubiqtorate from the Morshdine sector, the base's warehouses, arsenals and other storage facilities are filled to capacity. No matter how much the Imperial Ruling Council might object, I have ordered a huge amount of spare parts removed from Bilbringi for the Imperial star destroyers and ships of my fleet. Well, most likely this is the last such "sortie" - I'm not sure that it will be possible to pull off at least one more.

But purchased proper quality spare parts from the manufacturer. And all of them, without exception, will now have the standard Imperial Navy second class hyperdrive engines.

However, the "Katana Fleet" has a lot of interesting and promising things for my fleet - starting from droidekas of the Mark-2 model and experimental (at the time of creation) walkers of the AT-RT type, ending with automation schemes for working systems. All of this, as well as the nearly two hundred fourth-class hyperdrives for ships six hundred meters long that will come to my disposal after the ships are upgraded, is undoubtedly a boon that can both increase budget occupancy through sales on the black or regular market, and in principle will be useful in the future. It is a pity that Rendili StarDrive have no desire to acquire this "ancient piece of technology". Well, at least I know where to put them. And I will do it as soon as the finances are available.

Baron D'Asta, who arrived a few days ago, congratulated me on my victory, presented me with several CR90 corvettes, bringing their total number under my command to thirty units, provided me with three thousand pilots from his sector (for which I am immensely grateful to him), as well as an unlimited number of spare parts and damaged TIE series SFUs, in secret he said that he had emptied out absolutely everything that he had in the warehouses. But he refused additional funding, citing urgent matters in his sector. Well, but it helped with another material point.

And by refusing to accept the gift of a Mon Calamari cruiser confirmed my assumption that he didn't want the spoils of Hast Shipyards . He wants direct revenge for the insults inflicted on him and the loss of political influence. And this in turn makes it clear that the baron wasn't honest with me - he, like the other Remnants, just needs someone to do their dirty work for them. Well, I'll remember that moment.

However, the money is needed now. And that's one of the reasons the Chimaera is going to Wayland. It's time to properly "shake up" Palpatine's treasury and remove from it everything that can be realized from the number of jewelry and cultural objects.

- Has the Imperious already arrived on the Liner for the Nemesis shift?- I asked a new question.

- -Yes, Grand Admiral,- the Major said. Unlike Pellaeon, the new adjutant kept all the information in his memory. And during the three days of his service, he never made a mistake, which does honor to his professional training. And it makes you wonder if you should visit Yinchorri, where the Imperial Guard base is located, and try to recruit a few more of Major Tiers's associates, if there are any still there. However, I can't help but think that Grodin is probably the only guardsman who was smart enough not to continue his service to the dead man. However, there is an assumption that data on the training of guards or something else useful could have remained on that base. At the very least, it is necessary to search the planet. Because the Palpatine files I found in Mount Tantiss do not contain this data - another revealed fact of data erasure by Palpatine's agents.

It's a good thing that the file with the notorious "Caamas Document" was not changed. But to use it now is to definitely destroy the New Republic. Well, this ultimate weapon will have its turn - as part of my backup plan, which I didn't even tell Mara Jade about.

- The shipyards have prepared information about when the Nemesis will come out of repair? I asked.

- She needs three days to get from the Linuri to Tangren, a day to repair and make up for losses, and then the ship will be at your complete disposal, - the major reported cheerfully.

Total-in four days the ship will be in service. It will take us two days to reach Wayland, and we will have to travel part of the way on non - hyperspace routes, which will take up a lot of time.

- Contact Captain Schneider, - I said. - After the repairs are completed, he is scheduled to return to Wayland for further instructions.

 -It will be done, sir,- Grodin Tierce said.

- There will be a mission for you, Major - He was watching me expectantly. - Contact Brintooin and make an appointment.

- Of course, sir - the Major said with a tight smile. - But I feel it my duty to inform you that Colonel Johans has not maintained any contact with any of the Imperial Remnants for a long time. There is a high probability that it will ignore your message as well. Just like Carida did.

- In that case, we will remove Colonel Johans and his Hell's Hammersrs from the list of potential allies, - I said calmly. - So is Carida. That's all.

- As you say, sir, - Tierce said, without further ado. -May I proceed with your orders immediately?-

- Permission granted, - I said.

After the door to my cabin closed behind the former Imperial Guardsman, I took another look at the Delta Source's report. According to him, just a day ago in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, a number of extremely interesting points were discussed. From Admiral Ackbar's report on what had happened in the Rugosa system, to the question of whether the inhabitants of the planet Brintooin in the Seswenna sector , near Eriadu, might be behind the recent failures of the New Republic. An Imperial planet, as well as the entire system that lives by imperial laws, and is under the control of Imperial Colonel Johans, commander of the 112th "Hell's Hammers" Repulsorlift Armor Regiment. A legend of the Empire's regular armored forces, entrenched in the home system so well that the New Republic doesn't even think about taking them by storm. They just don't want to lose millions of fighters in a war with those who, from the very first days of the Clone Wars to the present, are professionals in their field. And they instilled love for him on the part of the local population at such a level that it is hardly possible to find a "civilian" person who does not know how to own weapons or equipment at the level of a regular military. This... undoubtedly a plus - which means that the New Republic won't come to this planet anyway. And even more so, Brintooin will survive the invasion of the Reborn Emperor - if it takes part in it at all. As far as I understand from the intelligence reports, Colonel Johanson has no desire to participate in the feuds of the Imperial Remnants, preferring to wait until the right leader is found who will restore order to all this mess. The Imperial civil war is the most disgusting of all activities for him. Not what these brave tankers were taught and not what they were trained for.

"Hell's Hammersrs" know only one correct occupation, where they can use all their skills to their full advantage - to destroy the enemy on the ground. And they understand it just fine.

It is logical that I need them in the future right now.

***

- Leia, I'm sure this would be a bad idea,- Luke said pessimistically, but he continued to pace alongside his sister, her husband Han Solo, and their mutual friend Lando Calrissian. But unlike the young Jedi, the latter were silent, frowning at each other. They knew better than to try to dissuade the Alderaanian princess from doing what she had decided to do. -General Cracken has a meeting...

- I'm sure he'll spare us a few minutes, - Organa Solo said coldly as she approached the right door. But before she could touch the panel, the bulkhead slid aside and a young man in flight suits burst out of the cabin as if stung. He glared at the four of them, muttered something between his teeth, and then walked away at a brisk pace, not even noticing that he had shoved his shoulders past Han and Lando.

- What was that just now? Solo looked after him, puzzled.

- What did you want?- Calrissian chuckled without humor. - You've taken off the general's bar - now even the X-wing pilot doesn't put you in decicred .

- Corran, wait! Luke started to run after the grim-faced man, but he was already lost in the crowd of crew members scurrying about on deck. Shaking his head in frustration, the Jedi returned to his friends.

- Was it Horn? - asked Leia. My brother pursed his lips and nodded.

- The same "Rogue" who lost his wife and left only an obnoxious father-in-law flying a star destroyer? Lando flashed his knowledge.

- That's the one, - Skywalker sighed. - I can tell he's furious.

-That's why I think he greeted me in Corellian,- Han blurted out. But no one appreciated the joke. Leia shook her head in disapproval and stepped inside. The two men exchanged glances and followed her. - However... I only met someone who might have been my father-in-law once, and he froze me in carbonite. Luke, don't give me those expressive looks! I remember that he's your father, but that doesn't mean I'll forget that I was transported across half the galaxy like a container of perishable vegetables.

As expected, it was a small room located near the main hangar of the battlecruiser Mon Calamari. It is intended for pilot training, and judging by the dozen scowling and literally "glowing with happiness" sentients moving to the exit, one of them has just ended. And it wasn't easy to miss each other in the narrow corridor. But no one wanted to give in either. And if the pilots preferred to avoid Leia with her regal bearing and gait, pressed against the wall, then they took full revenge on her escorts.

- Luke - after a sturdy twi'lek patted Han's legs, not forgetting to press them down with the prosthetic leg that replaced one of his legs below the knee,- remind me, you were part of Rogue Squadron's formation, weren't you?

- It was called Red then, and there were other sentients flying in it, - the Jedi muttered without rancor.

- So, it's useless for you to reprimand these flyers for their lack of manners and respect for the heroes of the Alliance? Calrissan asked as the Shistavaren bully pushed him unceremoniously out of the way.

- You can find Wedge and whisper a few soft words to him, - the Jedi suggested.

- Then I can get carried away and rip the kid's ears off, - Han snapped, looking after the last of the Rogues. Yes, now that you could see the stripes on the sleeves of their coveralls, there was no doubt about it. Only Rogue Squadron has a chevron in the shape of twelve tiny X-wings that radiate out of the circle in the center of the insignia.

- Lando glared at the burly Twi'lek, but decided that this wasn't his war, so he decided to pretend that the Twi'lek wasn't pushing him against the wall.

- Don't stop me! Han demanded. -Wedge has long earned a good beating for the lack of discipline in his unit.

- And I won't hold you either! Calrissian smiled.

- In that case, it's all right, - the Corellian returned Tom's smile.

Finally, they reached the center of the amphitheater, where the holoprojector was working, and Leia was already standing next to it, along with Wedge Antilles and General Cracken, still with their disheveled hair.

And above the projection plate, a hologram of Admiral Ackbar flickered.

- It's like the light of the New Republic in one place, - Lando couldn't resist joking.

The New Republic's chief Intelligence officer looked in their direction and grimaced as if he had a toothache. Although no - this is its normal state.

After exchanging greetings with everyone present, Solo walked over to Antilles and pinned him to the spot with his eyes.

- Your "Rogues" are completely out of hand - they almost trampled us in the corridor, - he complained.

- They've had a very bad day, - Wedge said without humor. -All of us.

- We've just arrived, - Han said. -We were doing our joint work in the Sluissi sector while you were flying to Rugosa to check on your admirals 'assumptions,- Solo chuckled. -But I must say that Naboo isn't so bad.

- Captain Solo, - Admiral Ackbar interrupted. -This is no time for jokes.

- What's wrong? Han spread his hands. -Everyone's alive and --

- Not all of them, - Admiral Cracken said dully. -The Rugos trap failed.

- You said there'd be no jokes, - Lando said, frowning. - How could an ambush using eight battleships fail?-

-Especially when you were both involved in planning the operation,- Han said, looking first at Ackbar, then at the Cracken. The Republican military men looked away. - Come on!? Don't tell me we've been tricked again?!

-That's right,- Ackbar said with a grunt. - The trap for the Imperials in the Rugosa system turned out to be a trap for our forces.

- We trusted Corran Horn's father - in-law and lost, - Cracken added grimly. -The enemy defeated the Invid fleet, Booster Terrik's fleet. The fate of our two ships, which were sent ahead of the main forces, is also not clear now. In the orbit of Rugosa, in the place where the meeting was supposed to take place - the wreckage of the "Pulsar Skate". And at a considerable distance from them - a real massacre.

- There's enough scrap metal to make the scavengers rich, - Wedge said. -If they don't run into any more Imperial surprises.

- What happened? Luke asked quietly.

-The Naboo - bound fleet was supposed to leave as soon as it received confirmation from Captain Yonka,- Ackbar explained. - They haven't received a single message in the ten minutes since the operation started. I ordered them to move into position. We arrived fifty minutes after Yonka and the cruiser arrived.

-It's been a little over an hour since the battle started,- Cracken added. - In that time, the Imperials have destroyed both fleets and clearly destroyed our ships.

-Apparently they were pulled out of hyperspace by a interdictor cruiser,- Antilles continued. -And they had to fight. Bottom line, we were able to identify almost all of Booster's ships from the wreckage, as well as those that he indicated were part of the fleet of Leonia Tavira. But not a single large ship was found. Just the wreckage of a couple of imperial cruisers, and two more of the same - thoroughly disfigured.

- I've sent teams aboard these ships to collect data, - the Cracken said. -The ships exploded. We lost more than two hundred men - landing craft crews, boarding parties, and equipment. Of course, no data was received.

- What does Terrik say? Solo asked.

- He's gone, - the Cracken said. -Like Yonka, like Tavira and all the other big starships. Everything else is wreckage.

- I take it Corran's wife hasn't been found, either?- Luke asked.

- No word from her, - the Cracken said. -As well as from Captain Yonka or any other members of the operation. There are no survivors at the battle site. Even damaged small aircraft - only wreckage.

- Well, that explains why Horn is mad, - Calrissian said, nodding his head in understanding.

- I understand him, - Han said suddenly. - If this had happened to Leia and the kids ... Ow!

After receiving a sharp nudge in the ribs with a sharp elbow, the former smuggler met his wife's eyes and let her know that this was a battle he had lost with a crushing score.

-So we don't even know who it was?- Luke asked.

-Not exactly,- Cracken said. - We can only assume that the same task force that destroyed our sector fleet in the Dafilvean sector and attacked our bases in the Sluissi sector had a hand in what happened.

-And robbed Nklon,- Calrissian said.

- Lando, - Solo said, grimacing. - Can you at least now not think about your «Nomad City» ? I talked about him all the way.

- I lost the most precious thing! - the entrepreneur was indignant.

- Technically speaking, you lost your conscience back on Bespin when you turned us in to Vader, - Han mused.

- I told you-they arrived before you, and I had no choice! Calrissian said emphatically.

- With all due respect, the loss of Nomad is the least of our problems right now, - Admiral Ackbar said.

- I mean, when your Navy supply guys were lying at my feet and begging me to sell them metals at a big discount - you were interested in Nomad,- Lando said, offended. - And now that he's gone, there's no need to remember.

- Mr. Calrissian, - the New Republic's chief intelligence officer snapped. - The government has already told you that we have put you on the waiting list for compensation for the loss of your business from the Empire's actions. That's all any of us can do!

- Well, yes, well, - the entrepreneur snorted. - And you can offer general planks and ask them to hunt for Imperials?

- But that's how you'd settle accounts with them, - Antilles said softly.

- Or he would have disappeared like Yonka and his battle group, - Calrissian countered.

- Lando, don't get worked up, - Han said to his friend. - Let's go out and play sabacc, and I'll win you a planet or two, and you can do whatever you want with them?- Agreed?

- Not a good idea, - the Alderaanian princess said. -Honey, the last time you won a planet in Sabacc, we found the warlord Zsinj, who was supposed to be dead, his Executor-type super star destroyer Iron Fist, who was supposed to be destroyed, and there were Dathomir witches on the planet who wanted to take over the galaxy...

- And in the end, Dathomir had to be given over to the witches who lived on it, - Calrissian reminded him with a smile. -Friend, thank you for the offer, but I will decline. Not so desperate.

- That's what I'm saying-maybe you won't play sabbuck on the planets anymore. Organa-Solo smiled.

-Like it's something bad,- Han muttered.

- They're just afraid that the next time you win another planet, the Emperor will show up with a whole fleet to boot.- And we don't have an extra Darth Vader in stock, - Wedge smiled without malice. He looked at Skywalker, who suddenly stiffened.

-Luke, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you.

-It's all right,- the young Jedi said with a tight smile. -So, what do we do now?

-Mon Mothma calls us back to Coruscant,- Ackbar said with a heavy sigh. -There's a commotion in the Senate. We fear that all these attacks are the beginning of a war with the Empire.

-Not that it doesn't make sense,- Calrissian said, scratching his chin. - They probed our defenses, dealt a couple of serious blows...

-The loss of a fleet or two won't ruin the New Republic,- General Cracken said. - We are not a colossus with feet of clay.

-Actually, Admiral Ackbar just said that the Senate is hysterical,- Han said.

-That's not what I said, Captain Solo,- Mon Calamari said, grimacing.

- As far as I know, our Senate is already shaking with fear, - Solo said. - Lando's right. These attacks are just the beginning. At first, they attacked remote outposts - probing our defenses, assessing our response. Then they struck a bigger blow and bled us. After that, they diverted attention from Nklon, a source of rare metals, and destroyed our bases near Sluis Van, then trapped our ships and disappeared into space. Knowing the sensitivity of the Imperials, our military, if they are still alive, is now being cut to pieces and elicited everything they might know.

- We'll take care of state secrets, - General Cracken said, waving his hand.

- From what I've heard, you can't even secure the convoys, - Lando taunted the scout. - How many have been robbed so far?- Three? Five? Ten?

- Forty one, - Wedge said grimly, despite the scout making scary eyes. - General, this information is all over the HoloNet, and any schoolchild can find it and make sure that they're blowing our jets wherever they can.

- Forty-one convoys, - Luke said, shaking his head. - What did they get?

- Construction, medical equipment, - Antilles continued to ignore General Cracken. - Weapons, ammunition. And the latter is strictly imperial.

- Do we have one? Han asked, surprised.

- And quite a few, - Admiral Ackbar admitted. - The Coruscant sector was surrendered to us virtually without a fight. On Anaxis, there was enough in the warehouses to arm ten million soldiers. We use these weapons and equipment to secure units on the outskirts of the galaxy.

- And you're helping the Imperials arm themselves quite a bit, - Calrissian chuckled. - General Cracken, are you sure your intelligence guys are actually working?- It just feels like your office is leaking like a dilapidated roof in the rain.

-Unlike you, Mr. Calrissian, we test them before we hire them,- the scout retorted.

-Actually, Lando's right,- Skywalker said suddenly.

- What do you mean?- Admiral Ackbar blinked his huge eyes.

- Am I right?- Calrissian asked. - I was joking.

-But there's a grain of truth in that joke,- the Jedi pointed out. - You said the Imperials were after caravans with specific cargo, right?- But how do they find them?

-All you have to do is put a minesweeper or minelayer cruiser on the hyperspace path and pull the ships out,- Mon Calamari said.

- But in that case, shouldn't there be reports of Imperial ships on hyperspace lanes, or missing ships other than convoys?- Han asked.

-There aren't any,- General Cracken said. -Only convoys.

-If you say that these coincidences didn't strike you as coincidental, I'll definitely file a complaint against you, Mon Mothme,- Calrissian laughed. -General, the Imperials know exactly where your ships will be!

-Impossible! Cracken retorted. - Routes are developed and discussed only in the Imperial Palace. And there are no extra reasonable ones there - everything has been checked a hundred times and does not cause doubts.

-And the listening devices?- Han suggested. - This is Palpatine's former residence. Didn't the old rascal spy on anyone or listen in?

-We've searched every room in the palace - no listening devices,- the general said. - Yes, you are right, we are working out the option of information leakage. And they concluded that the Imperials were being told their routes directly at the spaceports. As soon as we find out who it is - we can immediately stop these attacks.

- Maybe try the option with a fake convoy? Han suggested. -The documents will show what the Imperials need, they'll catch the convoy, and then our X-wings will fall out of the holds...

-Captain Solo, if you want to teach us how to fight - the general's bar is always ready for you,- the chief scout said.

- I'm afraid the New Republic doesn't have enough money to meet my salary requirements, - Han remarked, and immediately received a warning look from his wife. -But finding the snitch is essential. You said yourself that there are not enough ships for freight. And here are forty-one convoys! After all, no one here thinks that the Imperials just successfully set up nets every time and get what they want?

- No, no one believes in coincidence, - Admiral Ackbar said. - For now, all we can do is increase the number of escort ships in the caravans.

- Well, just hope they don't get taken away like they did in the Rugosa system, - Lando chuckled. - They even stole my diggers and spare parts from the warehouses.

- It looks like they've been holding out, - Wedge joked. - But one way or another, they must be stopped.

- Pinning down people we don't even know about? Luke asked. -I'm afraid that's impossible even for the Force.

- The Provisional Government has another suggestion, - Leia said, exchanging glances with Admiral Ackbar. -Actually, that's why I'm here.

-Mon Mothma didn't tell me anything,- Mon Calamari said.

-Yes, she shifted that responsibility to me,- the princess sighed heavily. -Everyone on Coruscant is panicking - they're afraid that the attacks will continue and even become more frequent. Nerds are tearing their hair out and demanding even more ships to protect them...

- There's an entire fleet based on Bothawui - one of our four ships!- Cracken grimaced. -Where do they want more?-

- Fey'lya has a prodigious appetite, - Wedge chuckled. - I remember him calling for the Rogue Squadron to escort his yacht.

- And the adviser doesn't do small things, - Lando said. -Leia, what's the offer?

- There is money in the treasury from trade, - she said. -Two billion.- Mon Mothma suggested that I get in touch with Talon Karrde again and try to buy all the information I needed from him to nail the Imperials.

- Calrissian threw up his hands in mock anger. - So you have a budget to throw away credit cards for the information merchant, but you don't have to restore Nomad City?

- I'm sorry, Lando, - Organa-Solo smiled apologetically.

- We don't have the right democracy, - Khan said with a grimace.

- Wasn't Karrde one of the participants in the attack on Rugosa? Wedge asked. -Booster said he'd bring his entire fleet.

- Let's hope he survived, - Leia said. -And he has a motive for getting even.- Then we can save money.

- -If what I've heard about the Talon is true,- Calrissian muttered, - then it will cut you to the skin.- But yes, they say that he does business honestly, so if he has the information, he will sell it.

- I don't want to get involved with smugglers again, - Admiral Ackbar admitted. - You can expect anything from them.

-Such unpredictability helped me destroy the Death Star once,- the young Jedi said quietly.

-Don't thank me,- Han winked at him. - I ended up marrying your sister. The princess knows how to pay off her debts for the entire Rebellion... ugh...

This time Leia's sharp elbow caught him in the solar plexus, and the Corellian shut up for a few seconds.

- So, what do you need from us? General Cracken asked.

- An escort, - Leia said. -Mon Mothma has ordered me to take the battlestar Mon Calamari, but I think it will attract too much attention. I was thinking that Commander Antilles might be able to accompany us to the meeting. In case of trouble, he and his guys will cover us and be able to leave on their own.

- Always ready, - Wedge said in a playful salute. -The Admiral?- What do you say?

- I really can't give you a cruiser, - Mon Calamari admitted. -General Cracken and I have decided to set up several ambushes on key hyperspace routes-we will gather battle groups, disperse them, and fish out ships from hyperspace.

- We wanted to use this tactic to capture Leonia Tavira, but it always eluded us, - the chief scout admitted.

- How can you be sure that it will work this time?- Han asked. No one answered him. And suddenly the Corellian made a discovery for himself - the commanders standing in front of him do not know what to do next. They are at a loss and ready to grasp at straws, just to do something.

This... it was alarming. It is unlikely that the loss of a couple of ships, or even an entire fleet, would have harmed the New Republic enough to cause two of the smartest creatures in its high command to surrender. No, that's not the case here. It seemed that while he and Leia, Lando, and Luke were running around the galaxy pretending to be a fire department, Coruscant was getting hotter than anyone could imagine.

- We just hope so, - Ackbar finally said. - I've requested several minelayer cruisers from the Core Worlds, explaining why we need them... Like I said, I'll have to leave for Coruscant.

Solo didn't like the tone in which Mon Calamari said those words. As if he wasn't telling me something. And the Cracken looks away strangely. Here, here, here, even small Antilles began to look at the ceiling, pretending that he was stupidly interested in ceiling welds. Where did the Sith find it?

-What about Rugosa?- Luke asked. -Any chance of finding any leads there?- If necessary, I can help... I just don't know what or how.

- My ships in the Rugosa system are now loading the last of the wreckage into their holds, - Admiral Ackbar said. - We will deliver them to the capital and analyze them.

- What for? Han asked. Who needs scrap metal?! And in such quantities?

- Maybe we'll find some kind of lead that will lead us to the one who did all this, - Airen Cracken's voice wasn't very confident. Which was extremely rare for him. - That's all we can do right now to continue the investigation.

-But that's nonsense! Han said. - What can you tell from the wreckage?- How much did the Tibanns spend on destroying this or that "freak"? We won't even be able to calculate the vector of their departure from here - the trail of engines decays very quickly. We need to shake up the underground world properly - they'll know exactly where to look. And most importantly who!

-Corran said the same thing,- Antilles sighed. - Only... a little sharper. He said that he would look for a wife on his own.

-But he's on duty,- Skywalker said.

- He asked for a vacation, - Ackbar said. - I refused.- He threatened to desert...

- That's a good way to beat a man up, - Calrissian whistled admiringly. - Who can I take skill courses from? I'll need some new tricks in case of important negotiations.

- Horn is a Corellian, - Solo said. - And my compatriots don't need much. I would have done it myself... Admiral, I take it you've put him under arrest?

-I can't let an elite squadron pilot do as he pleases at a time like this,- Mon Calamari snapped.

-If he stays in the brig for a couple of days, he'll clear out,- Cracken said. -We all feel sorry for his wife and father-in-law, but hysterical fits and frantic pacing around the galaxy won't get us anywhere.

-Actually, he said they'd help him find her,- Antilles said.

- Who?- Lando asked.

- I don't know, -the Rogue Squadron commander shrugged. -Admiral Ackbar made fun of him...

- Keep in mind that if a young guy named Rederick offers to help, it's an imperial trap, - Calrissian shared his experience. - Tested on your own experience.

- No, he said about the help of some Jedi, - General Cracken stunned his friends with just one phrase. Everyone looked at Luke, but he just shook his head.

- It's not my fault, - he said. - We only met once, on Sluis Van. He asked me a few questions about Jedi communication methods and that was it.

- What exactly did he ask questions about? General Cracken immediately took a stance.

- I was wondering if one Jedi could mentally talk to another, - Luke said.

- And what, maybe? Han asked curiously.

- The force gives us many abilities, - Skywalker said vaguely. - when I attacked the Death Star, Ben's voice advised me to use the Force to aim at the target. I did, and it worked.

- So that's why your guidance computer was disabled, - Leia recalled.

- Antilles scratched his head. - I remember being pretty freaked out by all this stuff back then. I immediately remembered your stories about hunting cat rats in the canyon. I also wondered if you'd seen a couple of them in the cooling shaft.-

- No, it was Ben Kenobi, - Skywalker smiled sheepishly. - This was the first time I used the Force and succeeded.

- But not the last one, right? Han asked. Luke nodded.

- When I was on Dagobah, I saw what would happen to you in the future. I ran headlong to save you and walked right into a trap. Back in Cloud City, when Darth Vader's flagship almost caught us, I could hear his voice in my head on the Falcon, calling out to me. It was only the memory of Ben that overcame that call.

-You didn't mention it,- Leia said.

-I didn't have to,- the Jedi knight said, embarrassed.

- Did you tell Horn about this?- Cracken continued to ask.

-He comes from a Jedi family,- Luke reminded her. -And he has a right to know about his abilities.- After we captured Coruscant, I asked him to become a Jedi, but he refused, saying it wasn't his way. And when we met on Sluis Van, it occurred to me that he might have changed his mind. But he didn't talk about voices.

-So he's not as mad with grief as we thought,- the New Republic's chief scout said grimly.

-I told you,- Antilles said. -Horn is one of the most mentally stable sentients in the squadron! He hadn't broken down while being held captive by the Isards aboard the Lusankya - the only one who had ever been there! And rumor has it that thousands of sentients.

-Tens of thousands,- General Cracken corrected grimly. -If not hundreds. It was a secret she took to her grave.

- Hang on, - Han said, shaking his head. - What's all this about?- What are the voices in a Corellian's head? No, we do, of course - the voice of reason haunts people from Corellia. But we're always faster.

- Officer Horn reported that during the approach to Sluis Van, a certain voice in his head claimed that it would help find 'her', - General Cracken explained. -And that was before Booster Terrik contacted us and reported his daughter missing, suggesting a plan to catch her kidnappers.

- I didn't know that, - Luke said seriously.

- You're not the only one, - Han said, squinting at the scout. - But that's not the end of the story, is it, General?-

- Yes, - the Cracken admitted reluctantly. -Horn claims that during the flight to Rugosa, while the battle was raging, he was contacted again by this person and this time clearly told that his wife was in danger, and only he, a Jedi, could help him save her.

- It's a bit of a mystery, - Calrissian said, grimacing. -The hatch... Friend, why are you so pale?

- Vader communicated with me in the same way, - the Jedi knight said.

- But he's dead, - Leia pointed out, looking at her brother. -Luke, he's dead, isn't he?

- The Emperor burned his life support system with lightning bolts, - the young Jedi replied. -My father died in my arms in the hangar of the Death Star. And I personally burned his body on the wooded moon of Endor. I also saw his ghost there - as did Yoda's ghost, Ben Kenobi.

- You didn't mention the ghosts, either, - my sister said with a touch of resentment.

-I'm sorry,- Skywalker smiled apologetically. - But it's a little personal. Moreover, none of them came to see me after that - until recent events. However, I think the situation is more serious than we think.

-I thought he was going to say that he would pick up a lightsaber and solve all the problems,- Han Solo sighed. - Can you tell me what 'recent events' are?

- Have you made contact with Obi-Wan Kenobi?- Leia asked. - Just wanted it, that's all?

- I don't think I wanted to. I was actually asleep, so I was talking to Ben in my sleep. But from the records I have, I know that Jedi can communicate with each other mentally - if even one of them is powerful in the Force. But it seems to be done a little differently, - the Jedi said. - Around the same time that the Imperials were fleeing our frigates in the Obroa-sky system, I felt a distortion in the Force. Indignation, but not so obvious, more like echoes. Ben's ghost appeared to me. He said he was leaving and couldn't stay in our world any longer. But he warned me that the Dark Side is strong in the galaxy, despite the deaths of Vader and the Emperor. I flew to Dagobah to investigate, but...

- Didn't find anything? My sister asked.

- Nothing significant, - he said. -Now I'm starting to think that everything that happened - the distortion, Ben's vision, the voice in Horn's head - is all part of the same puzzle. We just don't see the big picture.

- He needs to be questioned immediately, - Cracken said. -Maybe Horn didn't tell us something, or purposefully kept it from us...

- Careful around the bends, General, - Antilles said, suddenly serious. - You're talking about my pilot right now!- About one of the best! The one that helped us take over Coruscant, minimize the Kraytos virus outbreak, and then completely destroy Isard! Should I remind you where you and the New Republic were when I and my pilots fought against it?

- Officially, no one accepted your resignation at that time, - the general said sharply to the Comesca. - So you were in the service of the New Republic.

- Be careful, General, - Khan defended his younger friend, realizing that another legal -swing-was beginning. - This game can be played together. If you remember, I also wore general's slats. I can easily return them, become a Wedge commander, and then you'll have to deal with me somewhere far away from Coruscant and the princess's cooking. And I'm always obnoxious when I'm hungry.

- You're often hungry, - Leia sighed. Han just gave her his favorite smile.

- Okay, so if we're trying out the bar, does anyone else remember that I was involved in the destruction of the second Death Star? Calrissian asked.

- I remember, - Wedge said grimly. - I had your back.

- Please calm down, - a representative of the traditionally non-confrontational Mon Calamari race said conciliatingly. -No one will question Lieutenant Horn. Jedi Skywalker, may we ask you to speak with him?- It may open up more to you than to us.

- I'll do my best, - Luke said. - But you must understand that I am not omnipotent. If he doesn't want to talk to me, I definitely won't invade his mind against his will. This is the path to the Dark Side.

- This whole thing smells really bad, - Lando said suddenly. -Some Jedi, the activation of Imperials slapping us like we're little kids, tantrums in the Senate... Are we sure we beat the Empire?

- I'm much more interested in something else, - Han admitted. -Luke, you said Darth Vader and the Emperor destroyed all the Jedi. How could anyone contact Horn?

- I don't know, - he said, spreading his hands. - If he wants to tell you, he'll tell you.

- Actually, the Emperor and Vader couldn't find Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda, - Leia pointed out with a sudden smile. -What if there's someone else left?- Just as hidden as they were? Galen Marek, for example, may still be alive, as may General Kota.

- Honey, - Han said, his eyes narrowing. - Why do you smile so mysteriously when you say two male names I don't know?

- I met them about a year before the Battle of Yavin, - she said. -General Kota is a Jedi who survived the Purge. Galen Marek was supposed to be his student, and quite powerful. Kota said that he had a dark past, but he returned to the light, helped save the leaders of the Alliance. But it seems that he died fighting the Emperor on the unfinished Death Star.

- First or second? Wedge asked.

-At the time of those events, we thought she was the only one,- Leia admitted. -My father told me that Galen was once able to drag an Imperial star destroyer out of Raxus Prime's orbit and smash it against the planet...

- Is this even legal?- Lando whistled.

-Talent,- Han said. -Luke, can you do that?

- well... Skywalker hesitated. - I can get the X-wing out of the swamp. Master Yoda said that size doesn't matter.

- -I remember we got some medicine on Ryloth to fight the Krytos,- Antilles said. - One of the dancers also told me...

- I don't think she was a Jedi, - Lando chuckled. Wedge smiled and caught himself when his comlink started playing. After a furtive glance around, he excused himself and walked away, talking quietly to someone. Han watched him go and thought that Antilles was making a bad pretender. Should I give him a couple of lessons? -Seriously, where are these two Jedi now?- Luke could use their knowledge and skills.

- What for? Han grimaced. -The kid's already a Jedi, isn't he, Luke?

- I'm only at the beginning of my journey, - Skywalker pointed out. -And I wouldn't mind your help.- But shooting down star destroyers by Force is... too much.

- We could use a guy like that on Endor, - Mon - Calamari grumbled.

-I seem to remember reports about this very Marek,- the Cracken mused. - He was supposed to be dead, then surfaced during the Battle of Kamino in one of our cells, about a year before the Battle of Yavin IV. It was rumored that he had captured Darth Vader himself. And this Kota was with him. Yes, I remembered! They had their own rebel cell, quite a serious one.

-That's true,- Leia said. -But then Vader was released, and Galen Marek, General Kota, and their cell were never heard from again. They are considered dead.

- And if so, why do we even remember them? Lando asked.

- I just thought maybe the Jedi who contacted Horn was Galen Marek.- Leia suggested. - If so, we may be able to win him over to our side.

-To throw around more star destroyers?- Wedge grinned as he returned to his seat, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. - If that's the case, the Rogues and I will be out of work in a couple of months.

-It's all bullshit,- Lando said. - If that were the case, there would be rumors all over the galaxy. I've never heard that before.

-So am I,- the Cracken confirmed.

-We seem to have drifted away from the subject,- Mon Calamari said, sounding impatient. -Jedi Skywalker, I hope for your help. At this point, this unknown Jedi, if he really exists, is our only real lead to the Terrik-Horn Mirax.

- If we find her, we'll find the men who ambushed our ambush at Rugos, - General Cracken said.

- Too many ambush words in one sentence, - Lando muttered.

- I don't mind talking about ambushes again, - Wedge smiled.

- Later - Cracken waved. - We don't have much time left. If the Imperials strike again and we're not prepared for it, we'll be in big trouble. Commander Antilles, - Wedge cocked his head. And Khan really didn't like the mischievous twinkle in his compatriot's eyes. Inwardly, he prayed that the kid hadn't done anything wrong. After all, the kid decided to talk on the comlink for a reason. Oh, for a reason... -Lieutenant Horn should be in his cabin by now. Summon him here - Jedi Skywalker will speak with him in my presence.

- How will this differ from an interrogation? Wedge asked. -Let me remind you that Corran is a former CorSec operative, General. No matter how you mask your desire to turn him inside out, he will still sense a setup. It's better to leave the guy alone and let him do what he thinks is right...

There was a tense silence. Han, once again convinced of the lack of higher powers (or mercy on their part), looked at Wedge. He just smiled boyishly and spread his hands.

- You didn't expect me to sit on the sidelines when the people who replaced my family disappeared, did you?- He asked as he watched the Cracken's face turn red.

-Commander Antilles! he hissed.

-I'll be celebrating my anniversary as a commander soon,- he sighed. - And thirty years as the Antilles.

- What did you do?- Admiral Ackbar asked.

-Wedge,- Leia said, shaking her head. - Don't tell me you helped him escape!

-Technically, he didn't run away,- Antilles said. - He's following my orders-looking for Booster Terrik and Mirax Terrik-Horn. As a former operative, he is in a position to conduct an investigation and report the results. By the way, he has an interesting theory that in fact everything that happened was the work of Leonia Tavira and her Invids...

-He may be a danger to others because he doesn't know how to control his powers...

-He's a Corellian,- Han said. -Which means he is a threat from birth.

- It still doesn't make sense, - Leia said. - He took the last of our leads away from us.

- I wouldn't say that, - Wedge smiled. - I've known him for years. Three, to be exact. We spoke before the squadron general meeting, General. And he quite accurately said what the results of this meeting will be. But I was hoping for the best. It didn't work out. Therefore, he received the order and, as a proper pilot, went to carry it out in a disciplined manner. But finally he gave us a clue.

- Which one? Cracken's complexion softened slightly.

- Name, - Wedge said. - The Jedi who spoke to him is named Joruus C'baoth. He just told me that on the comlink and got permission to leave. So, this is not a star destroyer thrower, but someone completely different.

Luke only spread his hands when he saw the way they were looking at him:

- I don't know that name.

- You can search the Imperial Palace archives, - Leia bit her lip. - If it's one of the old Jedi, there must be records. The Empire was very good at reporting on the Jedi extermination.

-What if it's one of the young Jedi who was born under the Empire?- Admiral Ackbar asked.

-Then you can search the citizen database for him,- Lando said. -It's unlikely that we'll find it, but it's not torture to try.

-I'll check the Jedi archives,- Luke said. -If they find anything, I'll let you know, Wedge.

-Thank you, Luke,- the Corellian smiled, - but I don't think I'll have any mail delivered to the brig.

-What guardhouse?- Han frowned.

- Commander Antilles is under arrest, - the Cracken said, and it was clear that this speech wasn't coming easily to him. - He gave permission for a man, the only witness, to fly out in a case of national importance. After he was sent under arrest by a senior officer. This is insubordination and just a little bit of a war crime.

- Antilles pointed to the small space between his thumb and forefinger. - They won't send you to Kessel, of course, but they'll turn you out of the army. I'm going to help Corran.

- I wouldn't be so sure, - the Cracken said. - In light of recent events, violating a senior officer's order could end up with a life sentence in prison and even the death penalty - if some crafty nerd comes up with some durabetone excuse to take you seriously, Commander. Honestly, you brats! -Stop it!- he snapped. -Could you at least tell me?- I wouldn't run Horn's suspension order through the database! Antilles, you shot your own planes off!

- That was awkward, - Wedge said sadly. His bangs fell over his eyes. He no longer had the energy to blow it away.

Han sighed heavily. He looked at Leia. The Princess looked at him. They understood each other without words.

- General Cracken, - Solo said. - You don't have to be so categorical. As I recall, I gave the commander that order myself. So, he didn't violate any disciplinary regulations and...

- Captain Solo, - sighed the New Republic's chief scout. - The best thing you can do right now is just not to make things worse. Everyone on this ship knows you're retired....

- So no one will pay me anything for today? Solo demanded, glaring at Admiral Ackbar. -It's an outrage! It was only necessary to leave the service for a few months and the personnel department already loses my application for reinstatement in the rank!

- I haven't seen any statements. mon Calamari blinked, obviously not understanding the game.

-I can confirm under oath that I gave it to one of the crew members as soon as I boarded today in order to send it to your ship for inspection,- Han insisted.

Wedge looked at him gratefully, knowing full well that this number wasn't going to work. Well, who would believe a former smuggler without witnesses?..

- I fully support my colleague, - Lando said, pulling a bar with red and blue cubes from the inside pocket of his jacket. - There was also my application. Exactly the same content. And I also ordered Commander Antilles to send Lieutenant Horn to investigate this incident.

- Some kind of sur, - Cracken shook his head. - I agree with you wholeheartedly, but the rules... Well, no one will believe you!

- Even if their words are confirmed by an Alderaanian princess and part-time acting adviser to the New Republic? Leia asked, snuggling up to her husband. - Especially since it's unlikely that you, General, and you, Admiral, would have let the civilians know what they just heard here.

- The Cracken gave her a fatherly look. - Where are you going?- Fey'lya will be happy to get rid of you all...

-I don't think he'll be able to get rid of the Jedi,- Luke said suddenly, walking over to his friends. - As you know, Jedi never act to harm sentients. So if I hadn't been there when Lando Calrissian and Han Solo were handing over their retirement reports, how would I have been able to confirm that fact? He looked at Mon Calamari. - Didn't you get these documents?

Ackbar blinked a few times, then said gruffly, - I don't know.:

- I don't like this, - he added after a pause. - They sent me these reports. But I don't remember where they went. But just now, and for the last few hours, Generals Solo and Calrissian are already on active duty. We've just instructed them about ambushes, haven't we, General Cracken?- Or do I have a memory like a golden fry?

Laughing soundlessly into his fist, the chief scout just waved his hands.

If Ackbar himself played along, taking the blow for violating the bureaucracy on himself, then Antilles can not be punished - formally, after all, he carried out the order of an officer equal in rank to the chief intelligence officer.

And the difference in positions... This can be settled.

- I'll send you detailed information about the situation and the data we have, along with the new insignia, - he said, heading for the exit. -General Calrissian, we haven't used such slats in a long time. Remove this rarity already...

-Thank you,- Admiral Ackbar said as the door closed behind the scout. -Find these Imperials, or we'll all be in trouble.

After the hologram of Mon Calamari faded, a sigh of relief broke the silence as Antilles blew away his bangs.

-The line just above the cockpit has passed,- he said. -Just a little more and... Han?- Han, don't make that face! Luke, what are you up to?- Lando! Let me go!

- -Welcome to General Solo's command, kid,- Han said hopefully. - Let's start by tidying up the appearance. Luke, can you use your lightsaber to trim his ears so that they're still there?

- I'm not sure, - said Skywalker, who now had a green blade in his hand. -Wedge, I'm not kidding, you better not move, I haven't practiced for a long time, my arm might shake.

- At least leave the bangs! Antilles pleaded, squeezing his eyes shut as the first batch of thick black hair fell to the floor.