Chapter 29 – Accents

I am very sad. No activity = no motivation = me wanting to stop and delete translation.

Nine years, five months and twenty-second days after the Battle of Yavin...

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

Oddly enough, I have never before wondered whether it is possible for a person to independently "program" his body to sleep at a strictly defined time. No special techniques, alarms, reminders, medications, spiritual practices or anything like that. It's so trivial that he said that the meeting should take place in five hours, therefore it will take place in five hours. But the body reacted in a more correct way, waking me up in accordance with the schedule of meetings compiled before the night's training and sleep.

Returning to my cabin yesterday, I habitually entered my immediate plans into a kind of diary on the computer, completed a physical training program, unloading my mind from the experience and allowing adrenaline and other hormones to splash out in a productive way. Following this, I cleaned myself up and, as soon as my head touched the pillow, I immediately fell asleep. Without dreams, rushing around the bed, millions of logical chains swarming in my head.

The body woke up an hour before the scheduled meeting with Mara Jade. Because before her I intended to talk with a couple more "comrades".

Consciousness cleared up by itself, and the eyes opened, habitually staring through the twilight at the gray-steel ceiling of the cabin.

- Still, this is strange,- I muttered, getting out of bed. The usual warm-up exercise, morning assembly and refreshment activities, and, in fact, the Grand Admiral is ready for battle.

Fresh, well-rested and dressed in a brand new Grand Admiral's uniform. The one that hung in the closet second in a row.

In fact, the real Thrawn has an extremely interesting wardrobe. There are simple clothes here, but they look too much like something in military style. There are several sets of carefully packaged, completely inconspicuous sets that you can wear to get lost in the crowd. Of course, if you hide your flaming eyes.

However, if we judge this way, then Thrawn's body is a very, very perfect example of intelligence. Of course, judging by my subjective feelings.

A brain that works like a computer. Flexible and strong body - I became convinced of the fact that my body, although it looks like the average lean person, is actually more resilient, stronger. Not so that you can run a marathon without shortness of breath, or park an aerocar with a snap of your fingers, but still. Whether this is due to genetics, or to the individual structural features of Thrawn's own body, I don't know. I simply have nothing to compare it with.

Oddly enough, there was information about the Chiss in the imperial archives. Inaccessible to anyone anyway. But extremely superficial, although the category of secrecy implied exactly the opposite. Brief references to their homeworld, located somewhere in the Unknown Regions, external descriptions, notes regarding the difficulty of pronunciation of the native Chiss language - Cheun - which is why it is believed that the Chiss have a slightly different speech apparatus. But no one was able to verify this fact experimentally - this can only be done by performing an autopsy on the Chiss. But for some reason the Domination did not send anyone willing to this honorable position.

However, I have some additions to this file, wonderful in all respects.

The Chiss see well in the dark. It's not so that it's completely possible to hide lard without a night vision device on a quiet Ukrainian night, but it's much better than in my previous body. You can literally walk in the dark and navigate perfectly. Of course, the painting "Killik Twilight

", which has finally returned to my collection, cannot be seen in detail, but at least there is no need to turn on the night light to walk to the refrigerator at night.

And at first, the gluttony of Thrawn's body surprised me to a large extent. He ate more than a common man—I suspected this as soon as food was delivered to my cabin from the galley for the first time. But, oddly enough, the fat did not appear - even before I took up sports. From which, as well as from a number of other "beacons," I concluded that Thrawn (and possibly all Chiss) has an accelerated metabolism. Which is quite interesting, since this should logically indicate the accelerated maturation of body cells, that is, rapid "growing up." And that means old age.

Clones of the Grand Army of the Republic had a genetically determined maturation - twice that of an ordinary person. And their metabolism was also significantly higher than that of the average person. The Kaminoans made them that way. Which raises the question of whether my body's accelerated metabolism is associated with premature aging or not. Unfortunately, no matter how much time I spent thinking, delving into my own memory, there was nothing definitive in what I could remember from what I read and saw about the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Either this information was missing from the lore, or, most likely, I had never encountered it. Because in addition to books, most of which I once read, there were dozens of reference books on this universe, as well as on many other fictional worlds. Which, unfortunately, my hands never got around to. I didn't see the need for this.

However, it is safe to say that since the Chiss' body is practically similar to a human's, then with a high degree of probability, the signs of aging will be common - at least in some cases. Of course, there are caveats - the people here, like many other races, live longer than people on Earth. Sometimes - by orders of magnitude. Thus, it is not a fact that I will face aging problems in the next fifty years. And if the first signs come, I will notice them. After all, I've already been through this.

And it would seem, why all these thoughts against the backdrop of yesterday's victory? I wish I knew. Somehow it came out on its own, as soon as I sat down at the computer, unlocked it and saw a shortcut to a file about the Chiss. Located right in the central part of the "desktop" of the central of the monitors that surround my desktop in a semicircle. Nope. It turns out that questions about the race to which my body belongs interest me much more than I thought. After all, I received this document from the archive before arriving at Tangren, read it and thought that I had sent it to the folder with already processed documents. But it turns out that no. It seems that the unconscious is manifesting itself.

The door to the cabin swung open - Rukh, constantly standing "on the bedside table" in the vestibule of my cabin, knew perfectly well that if I had made an appointment with someone, then this reasonable person could be allowed in without additional notification to me. After all, the Grand Admiral does not forget anything. Maybe the real Thrawn did this, and I'm just recording meetings and planning my work day. Analytical habit. Quite useful actually.

- Grand Admiral, sir! - an elderly man in a black jumpsuit - the standard uniform of Empire pilots - stood at attention in the doorway. - Captain Tomax Bren has arrived on your orders!

- At ease, captain,- I said, pointing him to a place opposite my desk. The pilot silently walked over and stood in front of the table.

Having each taken our place, we were silent for several seconds.

- You are the only one who survived from the entire Scimitar squadron,- I broke the silence by right of the senior officer.

-That's true, sir, it's hard to deny the facts.

- You were transferred to the Chimaera because your unit aboard the medium cruiser in the Bfassh system showed its best performance,- I reminded. - With minimal losses, you achieved your goal - inflicted the maximum possible blow on the enemy, depriving the New Republic base on this planet of not only aviation, but also fuel and tracking systems. The results of your raid were censored and classified by the New Republic government to prevent the media from getting information that their base on Bfassha was virtually defenseless, and cover aircraft would be unable to operate until fuel was supplied. And tracking movements in the sector is now completely impossible. This is definitely a masterful piece of work. But in the next battle you lost all your subordinates, captain. And they returned to the Chimaera alone. What is the reason?

- My people were destroyed by enemy fighters,- to a formal question, a formal answer.

— Were your subordinates poorly trained to complete the mission and return to base?

- No, sir, I was personally responsible for the preparation of each of them. All of them are professionals and excellent pilots.

- Then what is the reason for the failure, captain?

- We have completed all the tasks assigned to us, sir...

- When out of twelve pilots who go on a mission, only one returns, it's a failure!

The bomber pilot's posture is tense and he speaks in the simplest, monosyllabic phrases possible. He has something substantive to say, but he does not go beyond the scope of the statutory report. Meanwhile, this particular imperial, in the events known to me, made a significant contribution to the development of imperial bomber aviation. That's actually why he's on board the Chimaera.

- Stating generally known facts is not the way to solve the problem,- I noted. - You are an ace pilot. The only ace bomber on all the ships subordinate to me. From you I want to know the reasons for failure - whatever they may be. If you intend to continue making formal excuses, you are free, captain.

Tomax Bren did not move.

- Do you have anything to tell me, captain? - I asked.

- Yes, sir,- the ace pilot said a little more quietly.

-In that case, report,- I ordered.

- TIE bombers are not suitable for the missions assigned to my squadron,- the pilot replied.

- Is that so? We were like that for more than twenty years, but now we're not?

- This machine is larger and less maneuverable, sir, - Bren said. — In conditions where the enemy has "X-wings" and "A-wings", this type of bomber, like all TIE-type SFUs in service with our fleet, are not suitable.

- Explain, captain.

— All enemy vehicles are equipped with deflector fields and catapults, sir. - The bomber explained. - Our bombers also have the latter, but in a protracted battle, almost all ejected pilots die - the enemy simply shoots them or they die due to the lack of the necessary supply of oxygen fosr breathing. If the vehicle is damaged in battle, the enemy has every chance of surviving. In the face of a proportionate barrage of fire, our pilots simply have no opportunity for either protection or maneuvering. TIE bombers have a slightly thicker hull compared to fighters and interceptors in the series. However, the existing pair of laser cannons are positioned so as to conduct exclusively directional fire. But at the same time, while fighters and interceptors are able to break away due to maneuverability and speed, a bomber does not have such advantages. He becomes an easy target for this kind of enemy. The cluster ammunition rack allows us to take with us only one type of payload - either cumulative missiles, or proton torpedoes, or bombs, which, in a collision with the enemy, does not allow us to fight off him on our own. You have to resort to the help of fighters and interceptors, which themselves are not particularly capable of dealing with a large number of new enemy vehicles. If we were armed with faster, more maneuverable, protected vehicles, we would not have to lose pilots on every first combat mission. This is a complex problem, sir - the obsolescence of our aircraft fleet. It results in irreparable losses for our pilots, and as a result, it deprives them of the opportunity to improve and more confidently confront the enemy in the future.

-That's how it is,- I said. — Do you think we need other bombers?

-Yes, sir,- he said. — More maneuverable and faster model. With deflectors. Most likely, in addition to the pilot, there should also be a bombardier, who will take on the duties of an onboard gunner from the turret, which should also be equipped with the vehicle. We should also reconsider the principle of ammunition storage - we must have in our permanent arsenal, in addition to the same type of payload and laser turret, also cumulative missiles, which have proven themselves excellent in the fight against enemy aircraft. That is, no matter what they load into our bomb bays—bombs or torpedoes—we must certainly have missiles as a means of attack and self-defense.

-Quite a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the problem, captain,- I said. - Considering that the battle ended several hours ago, to spend the time allotted for rest to work on mistakes... You can be proud of yourself.

A small logical trap and test of honesty.

Because I knew very well that the officer sitting in front of me did not waste his sleep preparing this report. TIE pilots do not think about this after a combat mission - they are well aware of the vulnerability of the equipment on which they have to fight. And after the battle they always go to sleep, and not draw brilliant conclusions. Because they know that the next flight may be the last.

So let's see how honest the commander of the destroyed squadron is with me. Is he the man I need?

-No, sir,- he admitted. -I prepared this concept and specifications for a new order for bombers quite a long time ago and even submitted it to the Armed Forces competition, but the technical specifications were not considered by the commission as excessive.

-They also had enough TIE bombers,- I said. -And yet, what do you think will happen, Captain Bren, if your specifications are approved by me?

-Sir, I...- the pilot fell silent, interrupting himself. -This will be a completely new machine that will incorporate all the best from the TIE series.

— Do you know that we do not have assembly lines for the manufacture of your types of ships? - I clarified.

-That's right, sir,- he said. — If you give permission for the production of prototypes, allocate people and funds, then we will produce a sample that fully corresponds to the specializations I have indicated. Most likely, new cars will have to be assembled manually at first, but it will certainly be worth it!

-I agree,- I won't try to drag the Jedi to the Dark Side. — You have my permission to create a prototype. Resources and equipment will be allocated. When will you be able to provide the first flight-capable prototype for testing?

The pilot was silent for a few seconds, thinking.

-Two months, sir,- he said confidently. — During this period, I will be able to prepare the car from scratch.

-Okay,- I summed up the meeting. — For everything you need, contact Moff Ferrus and Chief Engineer Reyes on Tangren.

- Yes, sir! — a smile appeared on the lips of the bomber pilot.

- Free, captain,- I allowed the pilot to leave my apartment.

After the door closed behind him,Isat for some time, looking after him.

Made it? Or will it be a waste of time and money?

It's difficult to say now, having nothing but promises in hand.

But the likelihood of the appearance of Scimitar-class bombers, which Captain Bren created in the events known to me, required at least an attempt to implement this type of ship.

If everything goes well, then industrial production will be out of the question. If the resulting «Scimitars» are similar to their -literary prototypes,- then my fleet will have one more line of combat-ready SFUs.

***

-Grand Admiral,- a red-haired girl, dressed in a naval uniform with lieutenant's dice on the command bar, greeted me. Two red over two blue. Nothing strange.

-Mara Jade,- I returned the courtesy, continuing to look at the transcripts of the -Source of Delphi- on the screen. And also, waiting for a response from the equipment, I opened the personal file I needed. - Which planet is best for us to land the former slaves on?

- Sir? - Hand looked at me in surprise.

-You don't think that we will drag them to our forward or rear bases and release them from there?- The left eyebrow raised itself in surprise.

-That would be unreasonable,- the girl agreed, showing with all her appearance that she had not even seriously thought about the option I voiced. - Actually, I thought it would be a big mistake to let them go.

— If you have ready-made proposals, I'm ready to listen to them.

Actually, I called her to discuss other issues, but we still have a lot of time before arriving at Tangren.

-You indicated that you intend to build a new state on different principles than the Empire,- she said. — In particular, to abolish the oppression of foreigners. So I understand that this is a kind of PR stunt for the masses who listen to Republican propaganda?

-Without a doubt,- I agreed. - Those who are smarter understand perfectly well that the Empire in former times was negatively disposed only towards rebellious peoples - including people. For most other races, the internal politics of the Empire were tolerable. Of course, with the exception of the facts that very few of them were allowed to reach the highest echelons of power, over and over again, replaying my conversation with Baron D'asta in the context of the man-centric policy of the Empire, I still could not agree with the fact that the baron turned out to be so uneducated in matters of domestic policy. Such ignorance could be expected more likely from me due to my long absence from the known galaxy and upon my return I discovered an increase in hostility towards aliens against the backdrop of the defeat of the Imperials. No, this is most likely something completely different. And I think I know what exactly - the baron has found a -close-minded scapegoat- whom he can use for his own purposes. Most likely, he only needs me to return to his past political positions, which is why he is not really seriously considering our alliance. Or - maybe something else. But the fact remains that before you really get into the hell at the Hast shipyards, you should thoroughly think about the situation in order to avoid pitfalls.

-You could make freed slaves citizens of the Empire,- she noted.

-Completely different government bodies deal with issues of migration and acquisition of citizenship,- I objected. But I understand her train of thought. However, I'm even more interested in her arguments.

-But as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, you could accept them for military service,- Mara crossed her legs, looking into my eyes defiantly. No matter how much she wanted to work for me, the girl still had a caustic character and a provocative nature.

—Are you so sure of their loyalty? - I clarified. Mara hesitated to answer. - Wookiees are not the people who, because of one act, a couple of affectionate phrases, will believe that any changes have occurred. Not to mention the representatives of other races who were on the starship.

-And at the same time, we can try to play the card of their indoctrination,- she said.

— An interesting proposal from someone who was dealt with in a similar way — the girl's pragmatism in this matter surprised me, to say the least. Leaning back in my chair, I looked at her with a searching and interested gaze:

- What are you up to, Mara Jade?

-The former slaves are now in the crew barracks on the Venator.- By the time they exit hyperspace on Tangren, they will have no information about where they arrived. I propose to go to them and make an offer to become part of the Empire.

- And why should they agree? - I asked.

-You will offer them service in the Imperial Navy,- she said. -They were already part of the crew of this Venator, right?- This means you are familiar with its systems. If at least some of them remain on board, this will be a good step towards forming a crew. Much better than offering former defectors and pirates to become Imperials.

There it is. The logical emphasis of her entire reprise falls directly on the last phrase. And therefore, everything was started for her sake. However, I cannot help but say that there is a grain of truth in her words. Something might actually come out of the freed slaves a new face of imperial agitation, for sure. But I intended to simply land them somewhere on a Republican planet, providing them with food supplies and some money (a hundred thousand for everyone is not so much, considering that many times more would be received from the sale of pirate booty). The appearance of the slaves freed by the Empire should have had the effect of a bomb exploding - primarily among the civilian population of the New Republic, who could never have expected such behavior on the part of their ideological opponents. Because recruiting someone from them for service means forcing the nascent counterintelligence service to choke on work at the very start. Not to mention the fact that the same Wookiees do not speak the common galactic language - and this means that in the crews in which they will be located, communication problems are obvious.

-There is no intention of opening the doors to the Imperial Navy to every first pirate, defector or anyone else,- I said. — Expressing a desire to join us, each of them pursued only one goal - to save their own skin. If they wanted to fight on the side of the Empire, they would have done it long ago. No, no matter how tempting the offer may be, I am not going to implement it. But I didn't have any extra crews to ferry the trophies to the base. This is pure mathematics - after the battle with the fleets of pirates and smugglers, after the use of C'baoth's Battle Meditation, the entire watch is squeezed out and exhausted, so replacing them with another one and sending them to captured ships is stupid. Tired subordinates are doomed subordinates.

- And what do you intend to do with all this number of prisoners? - she asked.

-For some - those who surrendered in exchange for help in delivering the ships and placing them at my disposal - I will keep my word and let them go,- I admitted. -The Republicans will be held captive until the New Republic is dealt a few more blows, hard enough that they begin to take me seriously.

— But the destruction of a sectoral fleet group, the destruction of a fleet of pirates and smugglers, the capture of a star cruiser and a star destroyer are not serious enough blows? Mara Jade asked incredulously.

-The fleet in the Dafilvean sector was weakened and small in number - that's why it was attacked,- I said. — Pirates and smugglers are a significant force, but they do not directly relate to the New Republic. Two battleships captured with all their crew members are, of course, a powerful argument for starting a dialogue. But not enough.

- Insufficient for what? — asked Mara Jade.

-We'll talk about this later, Mara Jade,- I smiled. -First we need more captured Republicans.- That is why it is necessary to remove Karrde from this equation.

- Because he took part in the battle? - Mara clarified. — And could it become a problem with his network of agents?

- Exactly. -My patience is not unlimited,- I said. — While he was playing -dark,- that's one thing. But yesterday he actually opposed my ships. And this already puts him in the category of enemies.

-The Claw might not have known who Terrik was calling him to fight against,- Jade said thoughtfully. - Perhaps I guessed, but I probably wouldn't have known, otherwise the sectoral fleet of the New Republic would have come for our souls.

-Maybe so,- I shrugged. -However, there is one circumstance that cannot be overlooked. Smugglers identify Imperial and Republic ships by their engine emissions. In this case, it is impossible not to identify the Chimaera. And establishing a cause-and-effect relationship between my flagship and the imperial starships lying in ambush around it is quite simple. I have no doubt that Karrde can do this.

The girl nodded silently.

-Karrde attacked my ships,- I continued. - Caused damage. Imperial military personnel were injured. Therefore, he is now an enemy.

-Technically, we were the first to destroy several of his starships,- Jade noted.

-Technically, nothing prevented the «neutral» from leaving the battle, contacting the «Chimaera» and reporting a missunderstanding,- I objected. — Immediately after the problem with Palpatine's last order is resolved, in addition to the search for the «Guardian», there will be another task for you. It can be completed in parallel with the search for the Super Star Destroyer.

— What will my new task be? - she asked.

-After the Nemesis completes its mission of escorting our damaged starships to Lainuri, the ship will undergo repairs and replenishment, and then will be handed over to you,- I explained. — The capture of Republican soldiers opens up new prospects. Events are gaining momentum, and therefore, there is a need to act on several fronts at once. Acting as my representative, you will visit Imperial worlds on the Nemesis to determine the extent of their possible cooperation with us. You have been in Karrde's service for about six months and you know exactly how he conducts business. It will be easy for you to find out which of the imperial moffs and governors are collaborating with him. After that, we will decide what to do with them next.

- How will this deprive Karrde of influence? - Jade clarified. -It would be easier to hire bounty hunters.- Especially since the Dark Forces are in your pocket.

-The ships are not yet on Tangren, which means they are vulnerable,- I said. — Karrde's losses and the failure at Rugosa will definitely lead to the fact that the New Republic will still find funds to acquire the information they need from him. And therefore, the time is not far off when they will direct significant forces of professional military personnel against us. By this time, the starships of the Catan Fleet will already be partially operational, which will be a surprise for our opponents.

-And I kept wondering how you intend to capture even more prisoners,- Mara chuckled. -Lure an entire fleet into a trap?-

-As long as Karrde doesn't know that I have Dark Powers, he can only tell what he knows,- I said. — Namely, the location of my bases, the composition and size of the fleet. Continued raiding operations will force the New Republic to become concerned about the security of its own territories, forcing it to keep sectoral fleets in place to protect trade caravans and supply routes. It will also slow down the process of fleet formation, directed against me. This time will allow us to repair the dreadnoughts and form crews for them.

-And accordingly, when they come to Tangren...- Jade's green eyes flashed dangerously, -will you lure them into a trap and destroy them?

-If there is no other choice, then yes,- I agreed.

-With the Catan Fleet, you could now begin to conquer the territories of the New Republic, taking away a sector from them while your raid groups strike throughout the galaxy,- she noted. -A month or two, perhaps six months or a year, and you would have a force capable of resisting Palpatine.

-It is impossible to build the same fleet as Palpatine has in such a short time,- I reminded. -It's impossible to grow an army of clones in the same amount of time.- He has at his command the most destructive weapons ever created by the Empire. Not to mention the fact that he brought back more than one military leader and their armed forces into his service. No, such quantitative superiority cannot be defeated with small forces. Even with the use of the "Katan Fleet". Even if you start conquests and at the same time continue the search for the remaining secrets of the Empire, this step is virtually meaningless. Palpatine has dozens of superstar destroyers at his fingertips «Executors», «Vengences», «Eclipses», «Sovereigns» and so on. Thousands of smaller ships, millions, if not billions of fighters. To reliably confront him, he needs proportionate force. The New Republic will act as a buffer, allowing me and my followers to survive the entire coming crisis at the secret base.

— In the Unknown Regions? - Jade clarified.

-Including there,- I did not go into details. On the one hand, revelations with her are another reason to show Jade reinforcement of my thesis that I am honest with my allies. On the other hand, yes, she may not be loyal enough at the present time, but in light of recent events, the circle of those involved needs to be expanded. Even if it happens that she betrays me, goes over to the side of Palpatine or my other enemies, nothing critical will happen. After yesterday's defeat of three opponents at once, loyalty to me on the part of fleet officers increased by orders of magnitude. The upcoming campaign will only strengthen the existing effect, securing it on a permanent basis. And besides, having come face to face with C'baoth, the girl once again confirmed her opinion that I was right regarding Palpatine's madness. And she won't go to anyone, but to him. Freeing her from his mental command will be the last building block of our cooperation. -Now it is necessary to take away everything that can be used by Palpatine in the war - in one form or another. Take everything out of his reach and put it at my service.

-It seems that you know much more about the forgotten secrets of the Empire than you are willing to tell now,- she noted. Provocative question. Timely.

-Yes,- I didn't deny. — Too much has been thrown into the dustbin of history as allegedly unnecessary. While all this can be put to work, and it will bear fruit. But again, as I said, in due time.

-Is that why you are laying waste to Mount Thantiss?- Jade clarified. — So that Palpatine could not use it on the occasion of his official return?

-That's right,- I confirmed.

-But you're using it to fight the New Republic,- the Hand reminded. - At the same time, you claim that the rebels should become the force that will destroy Palpatine. What is the point of weakening them and at the same time hoping for cooperation with the rebels in the future?

-First of all, don't forget that the Rebel Alliance is no longer the same bunch of robbers that it was nine years ago,- I said. - The roles have changed. If we continue to call them rebels, it will not reduce their strength. There is no permanent sense in humiliating the enemy, and if it is not supported by the facts of victories, then it is completely stupid and empty bravado. It is necessary to respect our opponent - and then we will fight them as equals. And they deserve it and have proven it more than once. While we are only squabbling over the fragments of former greatness.

-So that's why you call them Republicans,- Mara Jade narrowed her eyes. — State their actual position.

-Yes,- I confirmed. — And in your speech the correct terminology is also found. Repeat this often and you will be able to see the whole picture.

- Well, since it is not available to me at the moment, would you mind the courtesy of sketching it out? - Jade asked with a hint of sarcasm, without a cruel joke or mockery.

-Not at all, why not,- I shrugged. - As my Hand, you must have the correct view of things, without embellishment and assumptions. Yes, I do not intend to fight Palpatine - the Republicans will do it for me. This thesis was repeated several times. But it does not change its essence - even though you believe that my actions weaken the New Republic. To some extent this is indeed true. However, they control almost the entire galaxy. They have a huge one, compared to what I own and what the Imperial Remnants, navy and army own. Having lost one, two, five, ten sectors and the military and naval units covering them, they will not lose their combat effectiveness as a whole. But by destroying small enemy formations, my armed forces will be able to gain much-needed experience in the future. Take my word for it - we will need it.

-But why, if you don't intend to fight Palpatine?

-The general strategy is exactly this - to allow sworn enemies to destroy each other on their own,- I confirmed. -But we shouldn't discount the fact that my plan may not work.- In the key sequence of events, I am still confident that Palpatine will definitely try to put the Skywalkers into his service. And he will crush worlds and armies that stand in his way. Without a doubt - with the help of his own fleet and the armed forces of the Imperial Remnants, which will come into his service. His madness and hatred will play a role in remembering the inhabitants of the galaxy the reason why they hate him. And therefore, by the time Palpatine falls, his troops will be left to their own devices. The Endor disaster will repeat itself, which means the New Republic will go on the offensive against imperial territories. With all our strength. It is during these conflicts, following the death of Palpatine, that I intend to emerge from the shadows onto the stage, pursuing my own campaign and policy, distinct from the Empire. If they join me, accepting the conditions of my realities, well, I will be only glad, extra strength will not hurt anyone. If not, by this time I will have enough strength not to fear revenge on their part.

-I bet you will be operating on the opposite side of the galaxy to the new war between the Imperials and the Republicans,- Mara Jade snapped her fingers. - Will you give them a choice - to fight on several fronts, or to solve primary problems?

-Of course,- I agreed. -It will be a matter of honor for the New Republic to return the Empire to its former territories.- I would even say 0 obsession. The attack on the Dafilvean sector and the Sluissi sector only demonstrates their typical behavior - having suffered a defeat that is not critical for themselves, they will again assure all those affected that this will never happen again. In such a context, the reconquest of territories from the Empire will be a priority step for them, necessary to preserve the state as such. I admit that the campaign of the Reborn Emperor will be characterized by excessive cruelty, and therefore, in any case, we ourselves will have to face the remnants of Palpatine's troops in order to recapture the sectors we need. But we will position ourselves as liberators - humane and respectful of all sentient beings and races without exception. I have considered your proposal regarding the slaves - it suits my long-term strategy. Those of them who wish to join us can do so. They will become the face of the new Empire, under my leadership, and a real example of the implementation of the theses of equality that we will declare. And when between the sentient, occupied by Palpatine's ruthless Imperial butchers and the New Republic, which has made no conclusions about strengthening its own defenses after my current campaign, and my forces, positioning themselves as the humane protectors of their allies, what will they choose?

-Personally, I would choose the latter,- the girl admitted.

-Like most,- I agreed. - This way we will get territories, a loyal population. It goes without saying that in battles with other military leaders we will seize their territories by force of arms - and annex them to ourselves. And again, the calculation is made on the psychology of races - which owner is better to go to? The one that oppresses and executes, or the one that promises prosperity and has already been seen in this field?

- Again - to the last one.

— Thus, striking the territories occupied by Palpatine's imperials in order to liberate the inhabitants of these sectors, as well as simply luring planets and systems under their control with the promise of protection, will bear fruit in the form of creating a resource core for the army and navy, which will allow them to defend themselves , and attack.

-But wouldn't it be easier then to show up immediately after the death of the Reborn Palpatine in the Empire and demand a leading role for yourself? - Jade asked.

-And deal with xenophobes who carried out Palpatine's criminal orders?- I clarified. — To lead the Empire that most of the politically active population of the galaxy hates? Really, this is a direct path to crisis and one's own demise. No, I am not going to fight with anyone for power over the remnants of the Empire - they will either join me themselves, of their own free will, turning to me with a request, and thereby in advance putting themselves in a less advantageous position during negotiations, or they will remain to fight themselves against the New Republic. I am sure that there will be representatives of both variations of the development of events.

-You talk as if you intend to acquire forces comparable to his own during Palpatine's campaign,- Mara Jade noted.

-I'm afraid that even if I start doing this right now, I won't have time,- a grin echoes the smile on her face.

-And yet, for some reason you are sure that the New Republic will first of all seek to destroy the Imperial Remnants, and not you,- Mara said. - Isn't this too presumptuous?

-This is an assumption that is based on existing facts and premises,- I answered. -There is currently a political struggle going on within the New Republic. Certain forces strive to increase their political weight and seize the slightest opportunity to do this. My current campaign will help ensure that the most rationally thinking part of the government of the New Republic finds itself in disgrace, and certain successes in the political arena are achieved directly by those forces that consider themselves great and formidable, but understand absolutely nothing in matters of military art. Thus, in the time period I am interested in, the New Republic will be nothing more than a colossus with feet of clay, unable to defend all the territory that they have worked so hard to gather over the previous years. The population of the galaxy is passive for the most part, but at the same time does not lack brains when it comes to satisfying their basic needs. And first of all - in security. Which we will give them.

-Provided that we stand out favorably against both the background of the Empire and the background of the New Republic,- Mara Jade clarified.

-That's right, - I confirmed. -That's why it is necessary to spend the time of the Reborn Emperor's campaign outside of active events - to accumulate forces, improve the training of our own armed forces, and develop a further strategy.

-Palpatine, even in the body of a clone, is hardly a fool,- Mara Jade said with doubt in her voice. -At least the clone of the Jedi C'baoth is capable of adequate comprehension and constructive analysis. Despite the fact that he is alone. And in any case, Palpatine at all times had a galaxy of both sycophants and quite competent intelligent ones. If he disappears from the galaxy so easily, taking with him the entire fleet and army that he can, he will definitely wonder what happened to Thrawn and where his subordinates disappeared. At least, if not him, then his associates.

-It all depends on how artistic the «leaving the stage» will be,- I noted, hinting that I did not intend to dedicate this detail of my plan to her. As well as the fact that I fully admit that my current actions can greatly weaken the New Republic, as a result of which Palpatine's imperials will have enough strength to subjugate much larger territories than in the events known to me, where his territorial conquests were limited to a good hundred sectors. Which, however, were happily lost in the subsequent civil strife. However, there is an action plan for this case too. Which I am not going to voice, because I suspect that this is what will have to be implemented, and not the fairy-tale picture I described. No, I am confident that all those parts of the plan I have agreed on that depend on my actions will be implemented as needed. The Republic will indeed lose its most «brainy» representatives not completely, but only for a time sufficient for me to successfully complete the current campaign. Such is the cyclical nature of the history of this galaxy - heroes come, achieve world peace, after which they are replaced by hardened politicians who have a black belt in the discipline of -raking in heat with someone else's hands.- Heroes retire and return in times of great need - and even if now I get rid of or critically weaken the influence on the New Republic of Admiral Ackbar and his team, the Skywalkers and others, with the return of Palpatine, they will play their roles. Simply because they will not be able to stand on the sidelines and see how others suffer. This is the essence of heroes and they cannot overcome it.

As I already said, if you can't overcome the -plot armor,- then make it work for you.

-Republican prisoners,- Mara Jade said unexpectedly. -With their help, you intend to elevate someone in the New Republic by proving that this «someone» is capable of solving military problems peacefully.

-Brilliant,- I smiled. - Yes, prisoners play an important, but by no means critical role in my plans.

-The Empire has never handed over prisoners of war before,- Mara Jade noted. — The rebels always achieved the return of their comrades from captivity only through force operations. Whoever, on the part of the New Republic, can agree on this without bloodshed will receive enormous influence and power.

- That's what we're counting on.

-But in the end he can become a dangerous opponent,- the Hand noted. — Precisely because of increasing his influence on the New Republic.

-Of course,- I confirmed. -Therefore, a «peacemaker» should be someone who only imagines himself to be sufficiently competent in matters of military strategy. Someone who is blinded by power and wants to get as much of it as possible and is ready to take any chance in order to get as high as possible. An unprincipled, reasonable person who does not know what honor, camaraderie and brotherhood are. Someone who only uses others to achieve his own goals.

-It looks like I guessed who we're talking about,- Mara Jade smiled wryly. - Inventive. But his innate suspicion and mistrust will not play against us?

-It will be enough to play the cards correctly,- I said. -And he'll buy it like he's cute.- Let's show him that his ideas are brilliant and successful, and those of others are insignificant. And he will do half the work for us himself. All you need is the right incentive. And the defeats inflicted on the New Republic will only strengthen the view that the current military leadership is untenable and must be replaced.

-He will never buy the fact that the Empire just decided to hand over the prisoners,- Mara warned Jade.

-No one is going to act out scenes of altruism,- I noted. - To achieve the desired result, it is necessary to assure him that we play by the same rules as he does. Introduce into his mind the idea that all the operations taking place are necessary only in order to gain strength and make a mirror image of what he himself dreams of. Like reaches out to like. Such is the nature of his race - to be loyal only to the struggle for power. Convinced that I am only interested in power and control over the Imperial Remnants, and for this I am ready for a secret alliance with him and the subsequent division of the spoils, he will be ours wholeheartedly. And when he realizes what's what, it will be too late - I will get what I want one way or another. No matter how they hide it from me.

-So what do you want to gain by flirting with the enemy, Grand Admiral Thrawn? — Mara Jade asked with a smile on her face.

-The best version of the Empire under my command,- I said without blinking an eye. - Fair, strong, without oppression. Capable of resisting any threats - both within this galaxy and from without.

-Globally,- Jade assessed. -And I already heard this during a conversation at Moff Ferrus's residence in the past.- Prisoners... As I understand, you intend to capture as many of them as possible in future raids so that the stakes in the game are on your side. So what is something significant that you are willing to exchange them for?

I smiled and answered.

Mara Jade widened her eyes in amazement.

- You must be joking!?