Chapter 5 — The Hidden Tiger

Here's another translation for you boys and girls. Thank you me for doing this.

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

Or forty-fourth year, four months and thirty days after the Great ReSynchronization.

You cannot deny the late Emperor that he loved to live in comfort.

Even if it concerned his own secret treasury.

Several dozen levels filled with storage rooms filled not just with treasures - there were also jewelry, art, figurines, antiques, even a collection of lightsabers - but also technological advances.

Something that could bring the New Republic to its knees.

What could have crushed the Rebellion if Palpatine had even thought for a moment about using Mount Tantiss to fight the enemy.

Standing on a small balcony, I admired the gloomy grotesqueness of a huge cave. Once dark and damp, it was now filled to the brim with technological mechanisms, around which technicians from the Chimera scurried around, checking the functionality of the systems of each sample. Every...

Twenty thousand Spaarti cloning cylinders huddled together in the cave, one by one, like grains in an ear.

Spaarti cloning cylinders 

ukh, squatting a few meters away from me, was playing with his throwing knife. Well, how it was played... Sharpened. Noghri on a mission have no free time to do nothing. Only maximum efficiency.

And Rukh was just on a mission.

The quiet sound of heels quickly descending onto the grated platform distracted me from contemplating the beauty.

"Admiral, sir," Gilad Pellaeon appeared in my field of vision.

"Captain," I greeted him. We started today without meeting each other, so an exchange of pleasantries is quite appropriate. — Any news?

"Yes, sir," it was already clear, Pellaeon literally glowed with happiness. "The lower level is like a labyrinth. We almost lost seven teams of technicians before we realized what was going on....

"Not "like a" I noted. - This is a labyrinth.

- Sir? — the Chimera commander was clearly hoping for an explanation.

"Captain, I don't particularly hope for a positive answer, but I'll ask anyway," I looked at the officer. — Do you know the name Garbo V'Diosa?

The middle-aged man (although, who among us is young here? Except perhaps Rukh) pulled back his uniform cap, scratching the back of his head, clearly going over names and events in his memory.

"No, sir," he replied after a few seconds. - Should I?

"If you are not interested in architecture, then no," I said. — Garbo V'Diosa is one of the most extravagant and arrogant architects in the galaxy. He had a hand in many of the buildings in the Imperial Center. Of course, at that time, the planet was called differently, Coruscant.

"I come from Corellia, sir," Pellaeon said.

"But grew up on Coruscant," I clarified, having already become familiar with the captain's personal file. "However, don't think that this is a complaint, captain." In no case.

- Sir, what does the Imperial Center and this one have to do with it...

"Garbo V'Diosa," I reminded. - It's simple, captain. Garbo V'Diosa is the man who built most of the levels of Mount Tantiss.

"That's right," the man scratched the back of his head again. "I thought this mountain had been filled with secrets for much longer, back during the Clone Wars."

"Yes, that's true," I agreed, pointing to the grotto. "Do you see how strikingly different the designs of the levels of the cloning center are from the rest of the mountain?" There is something spacious there, high ceilings, graceful rounded lines, a minimum of corners. The rest of the mountain is a distinctive Imperial design that emerged towards the end of the Clone Wars and was finalized during the early years of the Galactic Empire.

"Sir, I am far from art," Pellaeon admitted.

"Yes, me too," I wanted to answer. But instead, I continued to recite what I had read in the files of the throne room of Mount Tantiss. Yes, there is a throne room here too. Very, very similar to what I remember from the interior of the Skywalker and Darth Vader battle scene aboard the Death Star II at the Battle of Endor.

"The Emperor hired Garbo V'Diosa to design a labyrinth in the lower levels of Mount Tantiss," I said. "When the work was completed, the Emperor executed both Garbo, who created this architectural masterpiece, and his brother, who worked as a foreman at this construction site. And all in order to keep secret the secrets of the mountain and the way to overcome the labyrinth.

"Did you learn this from the Emperor's notes?" - Pellaeon asked curiously.

"This and much more," I admitted. "We really have a treasury at our disposal, captain." The only problem is that most of the "treasures" are inaccessible to us until we figure out the labyrinth.

"However, we already have something," Pellaeon looked at the cloning cylinders. - Just think, twenty thousand cloning cylinders... Yes, only sixteen thousand of them are in working order, but engineers assure that over time they will be able to restore the rest... When they figure out this technology. The only pity is that it will take us ten years to raise at least one generation of clones in them. This Kaminoan technology is absolutely insane. Some pipes with liquids, hydraulics... To be honest, I thought that the clone makers from Kamino were a more technologically advanced race.

"Kaminoans, yes," I confirmed. "The problem of your indignation towards the people of Kamino, captain, actually has not the slightest basis. These cylinders are not from there.

- Indeed? - Pellaeon wrinkled his brow. "But it was Kamino that supplied clones to the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars." Isn't this the same technology?

"No," I answered. "These cloning cylinders were created by a very interesting enterprise, known during the Clone Wars as "Spaarti's Creation." It was located on the planet... Come on, captain, strain your memory. There was such a scandal.

"Cartao," said Pellaeon. - Yes, I remembered. A production facility that supposedly could have changed within a day to produce a completely different product than before.

"Not in a day, but in a night," I clarified. - But everything else is correct.

"Then it's doubly unclear," said Pellaeon. "I remember there was a scandal that the Republic placed an order on Cartao for the construction of cloning cylinders, since they supposedly could create clones faster. But nothing came of it, since the separatists, who also needed this technology, landed on the planet after the Republicans. A battle broke out, the Republic sent reinforcements, several Jedi. However, the Jedi lost control and crashed their ship, destroying the "Spaarti's Creationi" until they were able to produce at least some product...

"That's all true," I confirmed, remembering this story well. Of which there was not a word in the Emperor's records here on Wayland. Which is not surprising - who would keep such damning incriminating evidence on themselves? "With the only exception that there were no Jedi on that ship."

"You were probably mistaken, Grand Admiral," Pellaeon cheered up, probably thinking that he could point out the mistake to me. "I remember well—lightsabers were found at the scene of the disaster. The entire HoloNet was trumpeting about this...

"And yet, this is not so," I sighed. Why give any details? Okay, I'm at least somewhat familiar with Palpatine's deeds from the books. But if I tell Pellaeon, he will obviously grab the blaster. — "Creation Spaarti" managed to create cloning cylinders. Exactly twenty thousand.

"So it's them," Pellaeon said in amazement.

"They are," I confirmed. "We have twenty thousand incubators at our disposal, which can provide us with our own army of clones in a relatively short time." A useful acquisition, I must say.

"But again, it will take time, years," Pellaeon became sad.

"Not years," I clarified. "No more than a standard month," the captain followed my gaze, watching as technicians from the Chimera placed cages with ysalamiri near each installation. "Our little animals will help us here too." It is possible that we will get our army of clones even faster than thought.

"That's how it is," the Imperial remarked meaningfully. "And I kept wondering why we need a hold full of them."

"It's possible that even more will be needed," I said. - A lot more...

- Do you think those who remained on the ship will not be enough to protect us from this... C'baoth? — Pellaeon did not hide his contempt.

"If not, we always know where to find more," I said.

"Sir," Pellaeon lowered his voice. "Are you sure that the deal with this C'baoth is the right step?" He's the one..." the officer twirled his finger at his temple. - Not quite normal.

"No, captain," I answered. "The deal with C'baoth is not the right move. But necessary to achieve a number of goals. And besides, our friend is not C'baoth at all.

You should have seen the expression on Pellaeon's face. The officer was clearly struggling not to allow a nervous tic to set in.

- What? - he said chokedly.

"Jorus C'baoth is dead," I explained. - Now... - oh, these chronology systems. - Twenty-six years, if you don't pay attention to some liberties in the calculation.

- But how? — Pellaeon almost dropped the deck from his hands.

"Pay attention to how our ally introduced himself," I asked. - "Joruus C'baoth." He even pronounces his own name incorrectly. The real C'baoth led an expedition beyond the galaxy. "Outbound Flight Project"

"I heard about this initiative of the Jedi," Pellaeon frowned. — Fifty thousand sentients those who were dissatisfied of the Galactic Senate boarded a ship of unique design and set sail beyond the galaxy with the intention of establishing colonies. Then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine supported them.

"And Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth was a member of our Emperor's inner circle for a long time when he was head of the Republic. "But even then the Emperor understood that the Jedi and their philosophy posed a danger to the galaxy. Therefore, he supported the project. There were half a dozen Jedi Masters alone gathered aboard the expedition ships, not to mention the knights and so on. The expedition set off to the edges of the galaxy through the Unknown Regions.

"But there has been no news from them since then," said Pellaeon.

"There's no one to send reports to," I explained. — The expedition was discovered, intercepted and destroyed. No one returned and continued on their way.

Pellaeon swallowed loudly, looking at me intently:

- How do you know this, sir?

"I destroyed them," and that's how you label yourself as a mass murderer. However, Pellaeon himself is not without sin - serving the Galactic Empire, it is difficult to leave your hands without blood.

"Sir," the captain looked crushed. - Then who...

"Who is Mister Joruus C'baoth?" - I smiled. Gilad nodded silently. - Come on, captain, think about it. A long-dead Jedi finds himself on a planet with cloning technology...

- Clone?! - Pellaeon said dumbfounded. - Clone of a Jedi?!

"That's right," I confirmed. "Moreover, I will say that it is not a fact that the Guardian of the Mountain existed at all." It is likely that this was our friend C'baoth from the very beginning. And it has been serving here for a very long time - it was probably created even before the death of the original Jedi. Or a little later. Yes, most likely he was the first to be created in this cloning laboratory. In any case, I don't see any point in the Emperor creating a Jedi clone that would compete with the Guardian. And even more so - to inform C'baoth's clone of Wayland's coordinates.

"Perhaps C'baoth arrived on this planet himself?" - Pellaeon suggested.

"Did his ship dissapeared" - I clarified. - No, captain. No matter how much the rebels praise the Force and the Jedi, they have not yet learned to fly between the stars. However, the essence of the dilemma "Was there a Guardian?" it doesn't matter to us. What we have now is enough.

"Sir," Pellaeon said carefully. "I'm not an expert on cloning, but I remember very well that there were clones, especially in the last year of the Clone Wars, who went crazy." Psychologically unstable, emotionally unbalanced. Psychos, in a word. If C'baoth was not created using Kaminoan technology, then he could be dangerous to everyone around him.

"Yes, our dear "master" has problems, this cannot be taken away," I agreed. - Over time, they will even progress - I think we will soon witness outbursts of rage, emotional resentment, paranoia and other symptoms of disorders.

"And are you ready to entrust such a subject to lead the coordination of our forces?" - Pellaeon was surprised.

"Do you know of another trained Jedi with such talents?" - I asked. Pellaeon shook his head negatively. "Me too, no." We will work with what we have. And work with great care. You are actually my second-in-command, captain. Consider my request an order. But while C'baoth is on board, you must be friends with the Ysalamiri. Preferably with the entire bridge crew. It is unknown when our kind master will want to reconsider the terms of our cooperation, but this will definitely happen. And no one knows what exactly he can do to the minds of our soldiers.

"There are more and more reasons to destroy it and not go to extremes," Pellaeon grumbled.

"We need him for now, captain," I remarked. "As soon as we learn to cope without him, we'll solve the problem." We don't need unnecessary risk. But we can't live without him either.

"You promised him the restoration of the Jedi Order," frowned Pellaeon, to whom I recounted the contents of the conversation with the clone during an examination of Mount Tantiss. - And they even named the name of the pilot who particularly distinguished himself in the capture of Lusankya...

"And also Virulence," I reminded. — Yes, Corran Horn did a lot of harm to the cause of the Empire. I think if we can deliver him to C'baoth, or C'baoth to him, we will at least get moral satisfaction from what our master will do with him.

Pellaeon shuddered.

"You're not going to let C'baoth actually create the Order, are you?" - he clarified. - He alone is dangerous, but if he has followers...

"It will be a disaster," I agreed. "No, if I wanted the good of our dear "master," I would have told him about Luke and Leia Skywalker. The latter, pregnant with twins, would certainly make our ally worry. However, I won't hide it. Having the Jedi on the side of the rebels gives them some advantages. Imagine how far we would have advanced in our cause if we had at our disposal a man with the talents of C'baoth, but absolutely loyal to the ideals of the Empire?

"I served side by side with the Jedi in the Clone Wars," Pellaeon admitted. — Among them there were those about whom one can speak positively, but...

"These are things of the past, captain," I remarked, summing up the discussion. I've given some slack. Can not be so. You can't get out of character! Control! Control! — Any news from the Center of the Empire?

"Oddly enough, but yes," said the captain, handing me the deck. — "Delta Source" sent another report. Encrypted, of course.

"Well, let's take a look," I touched the code cylinder containing my access codes to the receiving socket of the device, activating the decoder. As soon as the symbols on the screen gave way to digestible scribbling, I delved into reading.

A few minutes later, having deleted the message, he returned the device to the captain.

"Everything is unfolding better than ever, captain," I allowed myself a restrained smile. "We are informed that the rebels were unable to conclude an agreement with the smugglers for direct centralized supplies of goods. Their logistics network is in shambles. An interesting decision was made by their commander-in-chief - to disarm warships in order to increase the amount of usable space for transporting goods.

"Stupid decision," said Pellaeon. - Using the fleet as freighters is idiotic.

— Do you want brilliant solutions from yesterday's farmers? — I grinned. Pellaeon looked at me carefully. Crap. Looks like I'm out of character again. Why didn't I take acting classes?! "Their rash decision will play into our hands."

- How? — Pellaeon asked in bewilderment.

"Everything has its time, captain," I said. — Better yet, tell us how things are going with the search for technical circuits for the invisibility generator?

"We found him," a smile appeared on Pellaeon's lips. — Schemes, several conditionally working samples. Technicians are still working to verify their suitability for use, but I think this is a success.

"Undoubtedly," I agreed. - Send the data to the Chimera, we will take it with us - we need to test the technology in natural tests. Did you find anything else useful?

- Just this for now, sir. - the captain admitted. - But, the invisibility generator... this is a huge success! We will be able to sneak up on the enemy and destroy his ships...

"No, we can't," I destroyed the hopes of the star destroyer commander.

- But why? - he was surprised.

"Because it uses a substance known as "hibridium," I explained. "The cloaking device you discovered is Grand Admiral Martio Batch's first attempt to create one.

— I've never heard of this technology. - Pellaeon admitted. "To be honest, I read that we found drawings of camouflage means that were used during the Clone Wars.

"Unfortunately, judging by the Emperor's records, this is not so," I explained. —Martio Batch was an outstanding person. Talented and at the same time modest. While the imperial court was mired in political squabbles, he distanced himself from it. For which he even received the nickname "invisible admiral" - judging by Pellaeon's grin, he is aware. "After our defeat at the Battle of Yavin, the Emperor commissioned Batch to create a cloaking device. After many attempts, he created an original scheme - the same one that we discovered. However, it had a significant drawback - when activated, the ship's pilot could not see anything outside the masking field. But the ship itself was impossible to detect. This is actually why the technology ended up in the hands of the Emperor and ended up in the treasury - it has prospects.

- Really? - Pellaeon noted sadly.

"Yes," I confirmed. "When Grand Admiral Zaarin betrayed the Empire, he was working on problems with the shortcomings of the hybridium-based cloaking device. He managed to reduce energy consumption and reduce the size of the installation, but he did not achieve a breakthrough in this matter. By the way, Zaarin owes his death to another shortcoming of the hybridium - when trying to make a hyperspace jump, a ship with such technology enabled is torn to pieces.

- And you know this? - Pellaeon clarified.

"Yes," I confirm with a barely noticeable nod. - After all, it was I who destroyed Zaarin.

At least that's what was stated in Palpatine's documents related to information about cloaking systems.

The study was called the Vornskr Project. His goal was to refine Batch's research. And Grand Admiral Zaarin did this. An outstanding engineer and inventor, he once decided to betray Palpatine. And so Thrawn was sent on his trail. The Chiss defeated Zaarin in direct combat before tricking the rebel Grand Admiral into using the frigate Vornskr to escape. Demetrius Zaarin and his associates bought into the trap. In an effort to throw Thrawn off their tail, they activated the cloaking device the frigate was equipped with in order to escape into hyperspace and remain undetected. Unfortunately for them, Thrawn was expecting this step. He knew full well that if he tried to go into hyperspace with the cloaking device turned on, the entire ship would be destroyed. A simple and at the same time effective trap.

Palpatine, enraged by Zaarin's betrayal, ordered the project to be curtailed and all materials on it destroyed without exception. Quite strange, considering the fact that he retained Batch's work. Although, judging by the Emperor's records, Zaarin had not made much of a breakthrough before his betrayal. However, records and diagrams for reducing energy consumption and installation dimensions are still available. As well as indications of the planet where the hybridium was mined. Garos IV. This is important because we will need a lot of raw materials.

The technologies that Pellaeon spoke about, referring to the experience of the Clone Wars, used stygium crystals as their basis - and this allowed them to avoid adverse consequences such as absolute "deafness" and "blindness".

But here's the problem - stygium is so rare and so expensive, and to produce camouflage based on it will require tons of this substance, that, unfortunately, you can forget about the existence of this scenario. We can't afford it now. And by "we" I mean the remnants of the Empire, and not specifically our fleet.

"Captain," I said, turning to Pellaeon. - Contact the ships of our fleet. Once Mount Tantiss is operational, I want the best pilots, technicians, engineers and soldiers here to create copies of them.

"Yes, of course, Admiral," the Imperial said absently. - Only... Sir, it's unlikely that the warehouses of Imperial Space will be so full of equipment and uniforms. I'm talking about assault armor. After all, it is almost never produced now - the factories are under the control of the rebels.

"We'll take whatever we need," I said firmly. "The Empire has property on the black market, smugglers have it, and I'm sure Karrde has something too." By the way, do we have data from beacons?

"They are still on Myrkr," said Pellaeon. - "The Death's Head" 

Star Galleon-class frigate.

- Is that so? - I was surprised. - Eleven days have passed, and they are still at their base? Interesting. No, tell Captain Kharbadaa to change course and head straight for Wayland. Those ysalamiri that are on the Chimera will be enough for the first time. There is no need to give our enemy more information to think about than necessary.

— Do you think that the smugglers do not intend to leave the planet? — the commander of the star destroyer clarified.

"No," I said confidently. "It's more like they discovered our beacons and left them as a souvenir for us," glancing at the Noghri, he added:

"It seems, Rukh, you are not as effective as I would like."

"I will correct my mistake, our new master," Rukh readily rose to his feet.

"Do you think I'm so naive as to trust a new task to someone who failed the previous one?" — I said in an expressionless tone. - No, let our intelligence officers check it. About supplies, captain," looking at Pellaeon, I noticed that he was looking at the cloning cylinders. "Aren't there millions of Phase 2 armor sets left in warehouses for clones?"

"Yes, sir, of course," Pellon nodded. — They are in strategic reserve warehouses...

"Which are located in the Deep Core," I concluded. Palpatine settled in well. The best always for yourself. "I don't think they'll share them with us."

"Yes, and they are typical, designed only for one sentient person, a donor of clones of the Grand Army of the Republic," added Pellaeon.

"Of course," I agreed. - Well, there is a source of replenishment for our army and navy. Now let's take care of the rear, supplies and... new ships for our fleet. Organize a meeting for me with representatives of pirates, corsairs and hijackers. We will have an offer for them.

***

Joruus C'baoth.

A mentally unstable clone of the Jedi, who even in his best years was not particularly patient and peaceful.

A very dangerous resource. Very.

Going to Wayland, I convinced myself that I would use his services without revealing the secret that there were Jedi in the galaxy. Because it is dangerous - first of all for me. However, the only thing that could interest the madman was the legacy of the Jedi. Potential students.

And the worst thing is that I knew perfectly well what this clone was. And what will be the consequences of its use as part of the Thrawn Campaign?

To destroy the city to kill him would be too reckless and stupid. In the events of Thrawn's campaign that I know of, he played a significant role in tactical victories, but also caused a lot of problems in strategic terms. Destroy it now—many of the campaign episodes I know of will have to be presented under a "different sauce." If it would be possible to implement them at all. But leaving someone alive, allowing the situation to develop according to a known scenario, is reckless, if not stupid.

And it is not clear which of these options will be better.

That's why I started my own game, exposing not the strongest of the potential Jedi to attack. Yes, Corran Horn will be a very significant addition to the New Jedi Order created by Luke Skywalker. But this will happen in the distant future. If it happens at all.

In the events of the Thrawn Trilogy that I know of, the Grand Admiral promised the madman to deliver the unborn children of Leia Organa Solo so that he could train them. A decision that led to disaster. Because he used noghri for this. The same Noghri who worshiped Darth Vader as their god and master. Either Thrawn did not know that Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker were the same people, but at different periods of their lives, or he did not know that Luke and Leia were his children. Or perhaps he had no idea about the almost supernatural ability of the Noghri to determine kinship by smell.

One way or another, I will not hand over the Skywalkers to Joruus C'baoth of my own free will. This family is dangerous on the Dark Side - Darth Vader will not let you lie. And his grandson, the unborn Darth Caedus, aka Jacen Solo, is from the same pack. There is little that can defeat a Jedi—less than another Jedi. Well, or Sith. I didn't have any of those at my disposal. I didn't want to send special forces and stormtroopers to slaughter. Risking the Noghri going over to the side of the enemy is the same. It is necessary to track the Skywalkers' movements throughout the galaxy and keep the Noghri away from them. This is the first. The second is to resolve the issue with their planet. As far as I remember, the Empire, in order to keep the Noghri in line, promised to eliminate the consequences of the environmental crisis that erupted during the Clone Wars due to the fall of a Separatist ship with poison on board on the surface of Honoghr, the homeland of the Noghri. Darth Vader took advantage of the situation and made sure that the return of the planet to its original form was very slow. And in exchange for food, medicine, technology, the Noghri served the Empire as killers and saboteurs. And here certain prospects open up.

However, let's return to the Jedi.

I have some doubts that the Skywalkers can be defeated at all without possessing the Force. I was spared a similar fate, and, most likely, thank God. Because all these Force-sensitives have their own ideas about the world around them. It's like you're having a conversation with autistic people. And there is no difference here between the Jedi or the Sith - they are all equally shell-shocked all over their heads.

Distracting attention from Skywalker has another purpose. If Thrawn had not started the hunt for Luke and Leia Skywalker, the future Grand Master would not have met Mara Jade. If he doesn't meet, he won't want to resort to her help. And if so, then circumstances will not put her on the side of the New Republic.

For this and other reasons, no one sent the Noghri to Bimmasaari to capture the Skywalkers. It is pointless. They'll get out. And I will only reveal my interest in them and reveal to the New Republic the secret of the existence of the Noghri and their skills. No, let them live. For now.

The idea of ​​creating a Jedi Order loyal to the Empire is, I admit, intriguing. But it is unlikely that it can be accomplished under the leadership of Joruus C'baoth. More precisely, it is completely impossible. And certainly not at the moment. It takes time, a more decent situation in the galaxy and intelligent people loyal to the Empire, capable of becoming mentors for young talents.

And therefore, this is not a decision for today. This means we'll remember it, but put it off the list of short-term and necessary tasks.

A number of more urgent issues need to be addressed.

For example, replenishment of my modest fleet.

There it is... quickly got used to the role of the real Thrawn. Well, so much the better. The main thing is to continue to control yourself and not allow yourself to relax. Failure will quickly shorten my second life.

The door to my cabin slid aside, allowing Captain Pellaeon inside.

"Sir," he said. - The Death's Head has arrived. Specialists collected from all ships were delivered to Mount Tantiss. As well as a temporary garrison of the base along with all the necessary equipment.

"Great," I said. — Tell the commandant to begin cloning operations. The more technical specialists we have, the better.

Better yet, it would be to clone one of the best, if not the best, Imperial pilot - Baron Soontir Fel. Well, here's the problem - this sentient is located at the base of the Empire of the Hand on Nirauan. And unfortunately, or fortunately, the coordinates of the Empire of the Hand are not available to me. I expected that this data was on Thrawn's code cylinders, but I was wrong. The Chiss did not trust such data to any data storage device other than its own memory. Which I no longer have. It's a shame, of course. But who knows, if Thrawn's consciousness had survived, my own would have survived? Or, according to the laws of the genre of isekai, we would become something new. No thanks. I don't need other people's thoughts. Thrawn may be a genius, but he relied on the analytics of his mind. His brains are mine. And, unlike him, I have knowledge of the future. An interesting option emerges - genius versus mediocrity (what is there to hide?), strengthened by after-knowledge. Let's see what comes of this. You can take a ship and fly far, far away at any time. But we will save this option for the most extreme case. All is not lost for me and the Empire. It's just that not everyone knows about it.

"But we don't have ships for them," Pellaeon noted reasonably. "Sir, I doubt that the criminal rabble you are planning to meet in the Pakuuni system is able to obtain a fleet for us." Wouldn't it be better to try to negotiate with the military leaders in the Deep Core? Moreover, they have something to offer us. The same armor of the "Phase-2" clones... On the black market, completely indecent amounts of money are required for fully serviceable sets. And we could save them by concluding an alliance...

"Let's immediately fly to Byss and swear allegiance to the Reborn Emperor Palpatine?" I wanted to answer. But it's better to remain silent about this, otherwise Pellaeon and other commanders, not to mention the Remnants of the Empire, will really rush there headlong.

"We are the Empire, captain," I reminded. "They are nothing more than rebels." Albeit of a different caliber than those that hold Coruscant under control. An offer to join was made to them - they rejected it. I do not intend to beg or ask anyone. In due time we will deal with them too. And I ask you not to raise this issue again.

"Yes, Admiral," Pellaeon said firmly.

I stared at my computer monitor screen for a while. Then he said:

- Contact our intelligence people. I will have a number of tasks for them.

— Ubiqtorate or...? - Pellaeon clarified.

"Our own naval intelligence will be enough," I clarified. — How are things going with the defense systems of Mount Tantiss?

"Three of the four reactors are in good condition," Pellaeon reported. — The fourth one needs expensive repairs, but according to the commandant, three will be enough for normal operations. As soon as the stormtroopers from the Death's Head unload, it will be possible to say that the mountain is completely protected. However, I remember you said that a legion of stormtroopers on the planet is a risk of exposure.

"On the planet, yes," I confirmed. — Stormtroopers and their associated equipment, such as AT-ST walkers and speeder bikes, will be located inside the mountain. Our late Emperor kindly equipped his treasury with shielding installations to protect against scanning. So we don't risk anything here. But in the event of an attack, a legion of attack aircraft and heavy equipment will provide sufficient resistance to any enemy to delay them until the main forces arrive.

"Sir, perhaps we should have used a regular legion then, and not collected it throughout the fleet?" - Pellaeon clarified. - In fact, we deprived our troops of the best of the best...

- So they were deprived? — I asked, looking closely at Pellon. Come on! It's simple! Think about it! Yes, I told you everything on a silver platter during our last meeting!

-You clone them! — the captain of the Chimera finally realized.

"That's right," I confirmed. "Right now we don't have much need for ground connections. Therefore, we will be the first to create technicians - to win we need a large number of specialists. This is why both the garrison and the vehicles on Wayland are the best we have. They will work in Mount Tantiss while also serving as sources of genetic material for cloning. We don't have that many ships, even seemingly useless ones, to drive them across half the galaxy, sending more and more specialists for cloning. We optimize work. We need technicians - we will have them. When the turn comes to increase the number of stormtroopers, we will also deal with this problem. But first we need to provide our clones with uniforms, food and a place of duty. Not to mention we need a win. We simply cannot defeat the rebels at once, in one general battle - we do not have a sufficient number of ships. But at the same time, we can kill the krayt dragon by inflicting not the most serious blows on it. One, two, three - they will not destroy the New Republic. However, they will instill confidence in the hearts of our soldiers that we can fight. Summarizing all of the above, I have identified our first, but not the last goal.

Touching the computer keys, he projected a hologram of the star system under the ceiling.

- Sluis Van? - Pellaeon was taken aback. "This is one of the largest rebel shipyards." Not to mention, this is a sector fleet base! There are about thirty Mon Calamari star cruisers there!

"That's right," I said calmly. "Our intelligence doesn't get paid for nothing. In fact, Sluis Van is a fairly fortified place. Like Fondor, like Kuat, like Sullust, like Mon Calamari, aka the planet Dac. Not to mention shipyards of a lower class. Only on Sluis Van, the homeland of the Mon Calamari Dac, Fondor and Kuat, can the rebels build their battleships. And accordingly, they are thoroughly protected. That is why no one expects an attack on this planet.

"Admiral," Pellaeon said with concern. "I would like to remind you that we have only six Imperial-class Star Destroyers in the first and second modifications of your task force, three Imperials as a support ships, two Victory-class Star Destroyers, three Interdictor-class Star Destroyers, two "Immobilizer 418"-class interdictor cruiser, medium cruisers of the "Strike" type with ten pennants, and frigates of the "Star Galleon" type...

Interdictor-class Star Destroyer.

"Thank you for reminding me of the kind of fleet I command, captain," I said dryly. "If you were going to compare our combined forces to the rebel sector fleet at Sluis Van, then let's take the Star Galleons out of the equation right away." They are just armed freighters, albeit capable of fighting off pirates on their own. But not from the Mon Calamari star cruisers, who are capable of dueling on equal terms with an Imperial Star Destroyer.

Pellaeon looked embarrassed, apparently realizing that he had forgotten himself somewhat. But I won't stop "removing shavings" from him.

"Also, let's not forget that the design features of the Immobilizer 418 class interdictor cruisers do not allow it to withstand the threats of light ships and small aircraft that the rebels love to use," I continued. - And its frankly weak weapons during the operation of the gravitational funnel generators are practically devoid of energy due to the fact that all of it is spent on powering four generators.

Interdictor (interceptor) cruiser of the "Immobilizer 418" type.

"Sir, I..." he tried to say something in his own defense, but was shamelessly interrupted.

— In total, in a battle with a sectoral fleet, we can use, without regard to the enemy, only nine Imperial-class star destroyers of the first and second models, two Victory-class star destroyers, three Interdictor-class star destroyers, equipped with gravitational funnel projectors and capable to take part in a full-scale battle, and ten medium cruisers, which in total are unlikely to reach the firepower of a couple of Imperial Star Destroyers - I found myself starting to get excited and add my irritation to my voice. Your division early in the morning and on a forced march! - Did I miss anything, captain?

"No, sir," Pellaeon swallowed noisily. - I apologize, Admiral, I forgot and...

"Apology accepted, captain," I said dryly. "But I will not deny that there is a grain of fair truth in your words."

The captain stood motionless.

—What do we know about the rebel fleet? — I asked a rhetorical question. — Oddly enough, quite a lot. Or, if you look at everything from the other side, on the contrary, it's not enough. But, let's turn to our intelligence information - I found the corresponding file on the computer and displayed it as a holographic projection.

"Currently, the New Republic Defense Fleet, as they grandly call themselves, consists of four regional fleets, with headquarters on the planets Kashyyyk, Elom, Bothawui and Anaxes. The latter is the home fleet protecting the Coruscant sector. And we cannot cope with it with our current forces. But the other three... Despite the fact that most of the rebels come from seedy worlds, among them there are many traitors from our ranks, who, one way or another, contributed to establishing order and centralization in the enemy's ranks. We know that until the occupation of Coruscant three years ago, the enemy's main tactical ploy was based on the flexibility of operational formations - in order to be able to move them between vast spaces. This is not the Imperial Navy in its heyday, when each sector had its own fleet, quite combat-ready and autonomous. The rebels have to resort to defensive knot tactics. They have headquarters for each of their fleets, after which they create a smaller regional base on a planet and move smaller tactical units, such as squadrons or battle groups, there. Such an organization creates the appearance of protecting territories in a given square of the galaxy. If something happens, several ships will arrive from the regional base in order to properly defend the independence of the attacked worlds," I shared generalized information from the imperial archives. In fact, there are a lot of interesting things there! The only pity is that there are only twenty-four hours in a day and you can't spend a lot of time studying this information treasure. I also had a suspicion that very few people access this data. "Consequently, the enemy's structural organization has vulnerabilities. Not only tactical and strategic plans. But also moral and ethical.

"I don't quite understand, sir," Pellaeon admitted. — How do moral standards relate to the conduct of war?

"For us they don't," I assured. - An order is an order. For the New Republic, which is already barely holding on, preserving the face of the fighters for democracy and other ideals of the Old Republic is very important. Imagine what would happen if, say, a hypothetical enemy ended up in some rebel system. Condition: this system does not have its own fleet.

"They will send a request for help to the nearest base," the captain of the Chimera gave a reasonable answer.

"Exactly," I nodded. - Moreover, they will respond in proportion to the threat, otherwise the rest is meaningless. A hypothetical enemy will destroy an operational unit that is too weak; a unit that is too strong will be a waste of resources. But let's return to the conditions of the theory. One system is attacked and the first enemy combat group is rushing to its rescue. Then, in the area of ​​responsibility of the same regional base, another planet is attacked. What will the rebels do?

"They will send reinforcements again," Pellaeon said confidently.

"And so on," I didn't bother with details. — Each new attack is another reinforcement. But in the end, what will be left at the base itself?

"Orbital defense platforms, perhaps some kind of patrol force, ships under repair," Pellaeon began to suggest.

"Or - those undergoing disarmament," I clarified.

— The rebels intend to use their warships as transports! - Pellaeon exclaimed.

"Yes," I agreed calmly. - Convoy system. It is clear that they will not disarm all ships in a row - only some of them. The purpose of our intelligence is to find out which ones. Our retreat at Obroa-skai gave them hope that the back of the Empire had been broken. And they desperately need an economic recovery. Interstellar trade would give them the necessary funds to repair and upgrade their ships, not to mention build new ones. And our primary goal is to prevent them from strengthening their armed forces.

— An attack on Sluis Van? - Pellaeon asked a rhetorical question.

"Yes," I confirmed. — As you rightly noted, our fleet is not the largest. We are unable to penetrate Dac's defenses - there are too many Mon Calamari star cruisers there. Same thing with Fondor. The Kuat sector is absolutely teeming with their own fleet, including Mandator-class dreadnoughts. So Sluis Van is our most optimal of the unacceptable targets. The rebels use the shipyards of this planet to disarm their ships. The planet itself is an important transport hub in this part of the galaxy. Just look at the fact that the rebels actively flirt with the local species, the Sluissi, to ensure their loyalty. Once upon a time, only Dac and Sluis Van could provide our enemy with battle-class ships. With the annexation of other planets, in particular the Kuat sector, the importance of Sluissi for the rebels fell. Using their world as a transport artery should make the Sluissi more important to the government on Coruscant. Therefore, our blow will be strong enough to not only shake the rebel fleet, but also make local residents think about the question - did they do the right thing by exchanging their allegiance to the Empire for pipe dreams of democracy.

"Do you hope that the Sluissi will become loyal to the Empire?" - Pellaeon asked incredulously.

"I intend to take measures to this end," was the answer he received. "We don't have many shipyards of the same class as those on Sluis Van." Not to mention the fact that the dry docks available there make it possible to carry out repairs in a significantly short time. For example, the orbital docks of Sluis Van type V-475.

Sluis Van orbital docks type V-475.

"As far as I remember, the Sluissi build them only for themselves," said Pellaeon.

"Exactly," I agreed. — Their dry dock technology is especially good. An enclosed space that could comfortably accommodate a Mon Calamari star cruiser or an Imperial star destroyer. It is enough just to secure the ship in special devices and fill the dry dock with air, which will allow you to work without special equipment. You understand - this approach allows repair teams to operate not in weightlessness and in spacesuits, but in more comfortable conditions of normal breathing and without constraint. The efficiency of repairs increases. And this is to our advantage. We need it.

- In other words, we are only aimed at harming the rebels, and not the Sluissi shipyards? - Pellaeon clarified.

"The latter is out of the question," I said sternly. "Whatever we destroy, we will potentially have to rebuild ourselves." And the extra expenses will also affect the mood of the sluissi.

"You don't want to punish them for betraying the Empire?" - Pellaeon was surprised.

"There are too many traitors, captain, to waste our already limited resources on executing each of them," I said. "With the death of Emperor Palpatine leading to a power struggle, the confusion has frightened many. So, the question - who betrayed and who went over to the side of the rebels out of commercial or other economic interests - remains unclear. I am sure that as soon as we declare ourselves as a reliable force capable of resisting the rebels, and most importantly, providing shipyards and factories with orders, even Kuat will think about whether he should return to the fold of the Empire.

"An unusual approach," Pellaeon admitted. "The Empire kept everyone in fear and with an iron fist for a long time.

— Maybe that's why the Rebellion arose? - I asked. "The Empire brought stability to the galaxy that was not there under the previous government. But like any other political regime, the New Order is not without its shortcomings. Our task is to learn from the past and prevent the mistakes of the past from being repeated.

"I understand, Grand Admiral." - Pellaeon straightened up.

I also made conclusions.

"Inform our scouts that we need a number of additional elements," I said. "Otherwise the success of the operation on Sluis Van will be in doubt." The first of them are autonomous geological drills. I heard on the planet Nklonn there are such plasma drills developed by Slayn & Korpil. And also a lot of interesting things. For example, a large amount of rare earth minerals needed in the construction of starships. Inform Captain Brandei that the Judictaor must be properly prepared for the upcoming mission.

"Yes, sir," the star destroyer commander saluted, leaving my cabin.

As soon as the door closed behind him, I allowed myself to relax, leaning back in my chair. I spent some time looking at the three-dimensional map of the Sluis Van system. Nothing outstanding, nothing remarkable. Except for the planet and its shipyards.

Even the source of resources for these production and repair facilities is external. That is, the occupation of the Sluis Van shipyards for the purpose of using them also presupposes the availability of a source of materials for the operation of slipways and docks. And it must be quite close, otherwise you will have to drag resources - spare parts, ore, materials across half the galaxy. Which is expensive and ineffective.

Under such conditions, throwing Lando Calrissian off the planet Nklonn, rich in minerals but too dangerous due to increased radiation, is not a bad idea. It's one thing to overcome two or three, well, five sectors, and another thing to overcome a couple of hundred. But again, these are the prospects for our attack on Nklonn. The tactical benefit is of a completely different nature.

There was a very good opportunity to destroy the Skywalker family by provoking an attack on Bimmisaari by my agents against this venerable group. As in events known to me, they would be afraid for the unborn twins. And if they weren't scared, the attack could have been repeated. And it didn't have to be Noghri. One way or another, the Skywalkers and Han Solo would have ended up at a mining facility on the plane of Nklonn, owned by Lando Calrissian. And if desired, they could be destroyed with one orbital bombardment, but...

Again, you have to take the circumstances into account.

Nklonn is located too close to its star, and the radiation, and even the radiation of the star, can literally bake the Star Destroyer in its own juice. Staying there for a long time, even taking into account the available protection, is impractical. Using a slow ship for protection is a very bad scenario. Safe - yes. But in the time it takes to capture the necessary starship, to jump to the planet itself, the intelligent ones at the enterprise can not only prepare for the attack, but also hide what they have. We'll make do with simple robbery. Let the technology suffer.

The second, and main reason why it is necessary to save the life of this family is Emperor Palpatine. In the events known to me, only the Skywalkers (by the law of the genre, who would doubt it) were able to destroy both the Reborn Emperor and his armada. And if I didn't really grieve about the first, then here's the second... Hundreds of ships, many of which are super star destroyers... And all of them are destined to die in the finale of the campaign of the Reborn Emperor. Very, very sorry.

I found a lot of interesting things in the Emperor's private chambers inside Mount Tantiss. Obviously Palpatine didn't really think through the computer protection of his data, since any information chip could be removed from his vast collection and read on any deck.

Some of them could be used now - and then the New Republic would have fallen without my direct participation. But then again, who will stop the cloned madman? And I'm not talking about Joruus C'baoth. Palpatine will have enormous resources - just look at the technical data of the ships that were built for his personal fleet. And it immediately becomes clear that it is unlikely that Thrawn himself would have been able to defeat this man and his supporters.

It is a curious fact that the construction of many ships was not a special secret in the imperial armed forces. They are even included in specialized reference books with approximate tactical and technical characteristics. However, it seems that none of the imperials ever asked the question: "Where did all this wealth went?"

It is difficult to imagine that a good dozen, if not more, different super star destroyers, if they were destroyed by the rebels, would not thunder in their motivational populist speeches. But no, no one really set out to find these ships. Years and billions were spent on construction. It's simply impossible not to notice such expenses!

Or did wonder?

It is very curious that a significant part of such starships disappeared from the expanses of the galaxy just in the period after the Battle of Endor, when a mess of war between one Imperial and another began, known as the Imperial Civil War. Most likely, given the size of the galaxy, they were considered destroyed, without going into details.

And in vain, because very, very remarkable ships disappeared - and not only disappeared, but I even suspect where exactly they settled.

For example, Procursator-class Star Destroyers. Having rummaged through my memory, identifying the name of the ship with analogues from my native language, I still couldn't find a translation. It's a pity. Okay, let's remember him as "Procursator".

One kilometer and two hundred meters long, which is shorter than a standard Imperial Star Destroyer. Three axial linearly elevated towers with main caliber artillery. Unfortunately, Palpatine's files did not indicate the number of guns in each tower, but I can assume that each of them had from four to eight - the standard configuration of turbolaser towers in the Imperial Navy. Total - from twelve to twenty-four heavy turbolasers. Plus eleven batteries of heavy turbolasers, spaced along the hull and sides. To provide energy for all this goodness there is a solar ionization generator under the bottom. Not the most powerful ship, I must admit - Imperial-class Star Destroyers will have more guns. Probably... I would also like to know how many guns on the "Procursator" are in each battery... But, one way or another, this is a rare "beast" - they were built, again, if you believe the data from the treasury... An unknown number. At first I couldn't even believe my eyes. No data available. Although there is similar information on the same Imperial-class star destroyers. Data on orders, supplies of building materials - for each ship. And, for a moment, over almost thirty years of the existence of the Galactic Empire, more than twenty-five thousand of them were built. And this is only the number of ISDs, without taking into account other types of ships.

Most likely, only a pilot batch was built, after which they decided not to develop the project. But, I'm willing to bet that since these ships are not in the vastness of the galaxy, neither the Empire nor the New Republic, all these ships are now serving in the Defense Fleet of the planet Byss, hidden and reliably guarded in the Deep Core. The secret residence of the Reborn Emperor Palpatine... A place that in your right mind should be avoided on the tenth route.

Procursator-class Star Destroyer.

Or, for example, a modular taskforce cruiser. Created by Tagge Industries Shipyards Limited. Considering that a high-ranking officer named Tagge served on the Death Star, one could assume that nepotism was the reason for everything, but this will remain a secret behind seven seals. All those who, one way or another, can reveal the secret of why the Imperial Navy would hold a competition for the construction of a similar type of ship when there are hundreds of types of highly specialized starships, have already died one way or another. The only sensible idea is to create a model type of ship capable of performing various missions. It's very convenient - there is only one ship, and it can also be a hospital ship, a prison ship, or a reconnaissance starship - just change the huge modules with the necessary personnel and equipment inside. Considering that in the fleet of Imperial Space and other fragments, no, no, yes, there are medical ships from the times of the Clone Wars, if not even more ancient, it becomes clear that the project of a modular cruiser either did not find much popularity among the ranks of imperial naval commanders, or however, it is located in a place where you don't particularly want to appear before bright eyes. What's strange is that there is not a word about the armament of this ship, or the "stuffing" of the modules. As well as about the number of ships built, contract data... As if such data does not exist at all. Strange.

Modular task force cruiser.

So what is next...

And then it becomes just scary. And I'm not kidding.

Length - seven thousand two hundred meters. Classification - "Fast Dreadnought". Bellator type. Based on the concept of the Mandator-class dreadnoughts built on Kuat. Smaller than its predecessors, less armed, but much faster than the Mandators, Executors and all other ships of the Dreadnought or Super Star Destroyer classification. What is noteworthy is that there is not a word about his weapons. Even in Palpatine's files. And I'm starting to suspect that it's not without reason.

But if this doesn't seem enough to make the sweat start to appear on your forehead, then what about the fact that the number of ships built is also classified? Even for Imperial Intelligence. Even for the Ubiqtorate. There is simply a fact - this type of ship existed and exists. Yes, it was developed before the first of the Executor was constructed. And that's it, deal with it. There is not even a technical specification. No approximate characteristics, nothing. Only the length...

And so that I don't relax at all, in the reports of the Ubiqtorate you can find information that the rebels have at least one such ship in their arsenal. One starship with more power than my entire fleet... And not a word about how much more. But even from the diagrams it is clear that the number of turbolaser towers alone is comparable to what is on my nine Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Not to mention that there are batteries, launchers of proton torpedoes or concussion missiles. Apparently, someone tried very hard to ensure that data on the ships, each of which is head and shoulders superior not only to the main linear starship of the Empire but also of the New Republic, was not in the public domain. It will be necessary to carefully ask Joruus C'baoth if any of those who came for the Guardian of Mount Tantiss before me managed to get inside. Because it is very, very strange that the Emperor's personal treasury lacks data on such types of ships. While the technical specifications of the same "Executor" are available. Even tomorrow can star building. If only there would be money somewhere. Much money. So much money. Considering that at the height of the Galactic Empire, billions were spent, with well-organized logistics and thousands of worlds supplying resources to well-equipped shipyards, it is no wonder that no one among the Imperial Remnants is now trying to build at least one Super Star Destroyer. There is simply no money for this.

Bellator-class fast dreadnought

Well, let's move on to the next file.

"Vengeance-class Super Star Destroyer."

Am I surprised that again I didn't really find anything? No data on weapons, nor on the speed of the ship, nor on the number of crew members, aircrafts, and so on. There is simply a file with a name and a visual image.

Vengeance-class Super Star Destroyer.

There is no longer any doubt. The files have been cleared. Clumsily, they probably worked in a hurry - which is not surprising, given the fact that the insane Joruus C'baoth could follow their tracks. They did the maximum possible - they destroyed what was of greatest interest - technical details. You can look at a three-dimensional copy of the ship as much as you like, but you won't get real data, even if you're a smartass. Starships could undergo modernization, they could undergo upgrades, refurbishment, or, conversely, partial disarmament.

The same information about the Eclipse and Sovereign-class super star destroyers, equipped with an axial superlaser hardly weaker than those used on the Death Star, is completely missing. Which is not surprising, given the fact that Eclipse was or will be Palpatine's flagship for the next year. A simple and effective procedure for covering tracks. So that no one - not even his allies - knows what exactly Palpatine has at his disposal. Apparently, after the grand admirals died, the remaining military were so filled with the desire to rip each other's throats out that they did not even notice how half the fleet, if not more, had disappeared.

No, it won't be long until I actually begin to think that the entire Imperial military was under Palpatine's control until the Battle of Endor, when his death left the Imperial forces to do little more than pitifully fight off a handful of enemy ships. Then why doesn't he, if he has already been resurrected, do it again? He could easily have made himself known to the entire Empire, and they would have followed him. Hmm... this must have something to do with erasing documents in the treasury.

The data on "Executors" either did not have time to delete, or, on the contrary, they did not try. The type of this starship is well known, and was in full view of millions of sentient people. Surely the New Republic has information about him, and had it before they captured Lusankya. No, I'm willing to bet that Palpatine's henchmen helped remove data on ships that have great destructive power from the Imperial and personal archives of the Emperor. But they served somewhere far away from the deployment sites of the main forces of the Imperial Navy.

And the question immediately arises - if the files in the Emperor's personal collection were corrected, then perhaps there is a copy of them somewhere else?

For example, the notorious "Caamas Document" is a list of bothans who turned off the planetary shield and allowed the Imperials to carry out an exemplary extermination through orbital bombardment on the heads of the local population. It is in Palpatine's personal treasury. And there is Grand Moff Ardus Kane at his disposal. True, judging by the fact that he still has not brought it to light, the head of the Pentastar Aligment either does not know about its existence in the archives of the Empire on Yaga Minor, or has decided to save it for more appropriate times. The publication of this document now would lead to the collapse of the new Republic. Because bothans play an important role in it. And given their natural craving for power, I'm sure they aim very high. One of the rebel fleets is based in a sector known as Bothan Space, by the way. This is known, and it's not really hidden...

Here it is!

Locations!

Here's what I need to know to understand how big the Emperor Reborn's fleet is. Atleast approximately.

The imperial archives must contain data on the locations of all ships without exception. Who is included in which fleet, battle group, squadron. Who reports to whom, who underwent repairs where, what amounts were spent on it, and so on. The Empire clearly keeps its accounting and archives, therefore, excluding from the total number of known ships of the Empire's fleet those who were guaranteed to be destroyed, those who were captured by the rebels, those who are in the service of various Imperial Remnants - we will get at least approximate data on what powers does the Reborn Emperor have? I am sure that no matter how many minions Palpatine had, who are now acting secretly, they could not comb through and correct all the archives without exception. As far as I remember known events, the archive on the planet Bastion was considered the most plausible. Even the rebels tried to get in there to get information about the unaltered copy of the Caamas Document. The only problem is... Among the available list of planets there is not a single Bastion. At all. Neither in names, nor in symbols.

Badly. We'll have to think about how to understand the enemy differently. Flying to Byss and asking Palpatine directly is the last thing. You need to get out on your own.

It seems that I need trusted people from Imperial Intelligence. A group that could comb through the archives, compare data and provide a summary. I can't do everything myself. I simply don't have enough time to fight and rummage through papers. All free time is spent studying imperial tactical schemes, data on past battles and campaigns. What other imperial warriors have studied for years, I have to comprehend in a matter of weeks.

The beginnings of a global plan began to form in my head.

With very difficult conditions.

Because I will have to allow the New Republic to survive now, so that Palpatine does not take over the galaxy a second time. Let the "plot script" work.

However, to prevent Palpatine from calling me into his service, or crushing me in case of disobedience, I don't have many options.

No matter how much I know about future events, if I don't want to end up on Palpatine's lab bench, I'll have to make sure the New Republic wins.

This is pure mathematics. Palpatine actually has more followers. All the reserves of the Deep Core are at his disposal. The military leaders who fled there left with their fleets, and these were thousands of warships of various classes. Yes, the entire Imperial Space has at most two or three thousand of them, and this is if you count them as ships of ancient times before the Clone Wars.

And he will literally begin his campaign in six months. Even if you break into the Imperial flag, you won't be able to defeat the New Republic in six months or build an armada capable of fighting what the Reborn Emperor has got for himself. All that remains is to allow the New Republic to defeat myself, so that this will serve as a "plot script" and bring Palpatine out of the shadows and force him to rush headlong towards the New Republic. And then the traditional Skywalker luck will work.

But even if I lose, Palpatine will still call me to him - the original Thrawn was held in high esteem by him. The only reason I can think of for why the Grand Admiral did not join the forces on Byss was because Palpatine wanted to use resources to prevent the New Republic from gaining a foothold while he assembled an armada around him.

Quite... logical. Died, reborn, you observe how and what your subordinates achieved in your absence, you choose those who are the best. The rest will either join themselves or be destroyed by the New Republic. Well, or anyone else.

It turns out funny... I can't go to Palpatine - they'll expose me.

I can't warn the New Republic - they won't believe me.

I can't form an alliance with them - they'll execute me. But at first they won't believe it.

Running is pointless. Palpatine will turn the entire known galaxy upside down, but he will find it and finish it off. And living in fear is not my thing. How long will it take for the New Republic to defeat the maniac and his henchmen? Year? No, it seems like one and a half or even two. This is a sufficient period of time for one of the ship's crew members to betray or for bloodhounds to follow the trail. Except that...

Hm...

Interesting thoughts. And sad.

Palpatine cannot be allowed to reign over the galaxy, because he is insane. Only those who have at least an approximate number of ships can defeat his armadas. That is, the New Republic and its allies. You can destroy the Emperor himself only with the help of a "cheat" - "the Skywalker family".

It turns out, one way or another, I need them all alive.

But no one needs me alive. For the New Republic will not stop chasing me until they destroy me, as soon as I attack them. And attacks are already underway - maybe raids, but still. A start has been made and there is no turning away from it. This is a game of survival - either I am them or they are me.

Thrawn is a hero and a genius in the eyes of the Imperials and the Empire. For Palpatine, he is now just a consumable item. The padding needed to weaken the enemy before the grand triumphant return.

And from all of the above, it turns out that in order for the New Republic to defeat the Reborn Emperor, for the events I know to happen, I need to lose...

Moreover, die.

Great.

P.S. you can go check this translation on Wattpad to see pictures that should be here that I can't put.