From each according to his ability... (IV)

The Ubiqtorate seems to be holding its own. Quite well, actually.

The fleet defending Tangren—the planet and the shipyards—is formidable, even surpassing mine in terms of both quantity and quality of capital ships.

Six Imperial I-class Star Destroyers. Three Imperial II-class Star Destroyers. And a solitary Victory I-class Star Destroyer. A quick assessment of this fleet's firepower, combined with Tangren's defenses, makes it clear that any attempt to assault this target with my damaged ships would end in a bloodbath.

All the ships under the Ubiqtorate's command are crewed by seasoned veterans—a cadre of battle-hardened officers from the remnants of the Imperial Navy.

The ISD-I Star Destroyers are named Tyranny, Titan, Warrior, Arbiter, Assassin, and Black Star. The ISD-IIs go by Ripper, Red Dragon, and Eradicator. The lone Victory-class ship is aptly named Crusader. I'm not even counting the numerous frigates, corvettes, and other smaller vessels—I'm focused solely on the capital ships.

The flagship of this entire armada is the Red Dragon, an intriguing Star Destroyer because it's the only one equipped with TIE Avengers.

** TIE Avenger **

The TIE Avenger represents a significant shift away from the Empire's previous strategy of relying on cheap, disposable TIE fighters, whose pilots often perished in droves against the superior, albeit costlier, X-wings of the New Republic. The Avenger was a promising design, featuring both hyperdrives and deflector shields, but it was deemed too expensive for widespread deployment across the vast Imperial fleet.

I clenched my jaw in frustration at the realization of how many promising projects the Empire has stalled due to budgetary constraints. The New Republic's military-industrial approach prioritizes quality over quantity, whereas the Empire traditionally does the opposite. Both strategies have their weaknesses, but...

It's infuriating! Is it really so difficult to allocate funds for fleet modernization? After Endor, Imperial Space has hardly built any new starships, squandering resources on... well, who knows what. In the events I'm aware of, Thrawn didn't meddle in politics or economics, preferring to focus exclusively on military matters—that was a condition of his acceptance as Supreme Commander. Although... I suspect that few people in the Imperial hierarchy had the interest or ability to intervene. Most Imperials seem content to remain in their sectors, praying that the treacherous rebels don't strip them of their last holdings. Only Ardus Kaine appears to be strengthening his position. Perhaps I should explore a more active alliance with him? But would the Grand Moff even consider it? From what I recall, he was quick to join the Reborn Emperor's efforts to destroy the New Republic. He might already know about Palpatine's return and is likely building up his forces to present himself favorably to the old-new master. The fact that he has kept the Reaper in fighting condition suggests that Ardus Kaine is far more capable than his rivals within the Imperial Remnants. If that's the case, he has little reason to grant me any additional privileges—unless the "master" commands it.

And if that's true...

Then things are worse than I thought. We need funds, we need ships—this is an ongoing crisis.

One of the additional challenges is the Ubiqtorate's reluctance to cooperate. Negotiating at the highest level through a coordinator feels like an insult—or perhaps a test to see if I'll take it in stride.

Either way, this won't work for me. It's time to remind these presumptuous fools that the Imperial Armed Forces are under my command. Yes, this technically applies only to the forces assigned to me by the Imperial Ruling Council, but…

Well, let's stick to a tried-and-true tactic: "When in doubt, follow protocol."

Is there a Supreme Commander? Yes. Are the Armed Forces subordinate to him? They are. Is there a fleet that could be useful? There is.

Then let's put it to work.

"Captain Pellaeon," I addressed the Chimera's commander over the comlink. "Send a message to the Red Dragon: 'Prepare for inspection and deployment.' The message should come directly from me. Also, notify them of our arrival time."

There was a tense silence on the other end. No doubt Pellaeon's mind was racing. After all, I'm overstepping my boundaries with the Imperial Ruling Council by interfering with another Imperial authority's operations. Essentially, I'm mobilizing a fleet under the Ubiqtorate's control, leaving their base vulnerable. This is practically a declaration of war against one of the most powerful factions within the Empire! Naturally, Pellaeon has to wonder—can we pull this off? And will we survive it? So, he's hesitating.

And at the same time, he's weighing his loyalties—whether to me, who has brought the Imperials victory after months of stagnation, or to the Imperial establishment, which is desperately trying to preserve its own interests.

"Captain?" I prompted over the comlink.

"Message sent, sir," Pellaeon finally responded. "Apologies for the delay—I composed the text myself."

"Understood, Captain," I acknowledged. "Alert the fleet—we're moving to yellow alert."

"Yes, sir!" Pellaeon's voice was more confident now. He's straightforward, loyal, and dependable. He just affirmed his allegiance.

Loyalty to me.

Perhaps I've underestimated his competence and intelligence. We'll see how events unfold. Maybe a deputy doesn't need to be as sharp as his superior; perhaps diligence and a moderate level of initiative are enough.

I'm not sure... In my previous life, I never got along particularly well with my deputies.