Grand Admiral

Admiral Firmus Nantz was one of the most distinguished naval commanders of the New Republic.

For two years, he commanded the First Battle Group, which eventually expanded into the New Republic's First Fleet.

Two years of successful campaigns...

He was one of four commanders personally selected by Admiral Ackbar after the Battle of Endor. One of four sentients who led the Rebel Alliance's fleet, divided into equal quarters.

The Mon Calamari made this decision to more effectively wage war against the Galactic Empire and the various state entities that emerged following Emperor Palpatine's death.

Warlords multiplied like bacteria in a nutrient-rich environment. Less than a year after the Emperor's fateful plunge into the shaft of the second Death Star, the Galactic Empire had fractured into feudal territories, warring with one another for dominance, resources, power, and wealth...

Nantz provided significant support in advancing the Alliance's efforts in the Core Worlds, an achievement highly regarded by Admiral Ackbar and the provisional government. He was tasked with reclaiming the Western Reaches from the Imperials—a vast swath of the galaxy, stretching from the vicinity of Thyferra to the galactic edge near Terminus.

Familiar planets from history, such as Mustafar, Bespin, Yag'Dhul, and thousands of others, groaned under the yoke of Imperial oppression.

Nantz began his campaign from the planet Saijo in the Saijo sector of the Outer Rim. From there, he directed the First Battle Group to Abraxas in the Yushan sector, where the fleet engaged pirates on the planet Eriadu, where the notorious Leonia Tavira had once made her mark.

Next, he confronted formidable Imperial warlords—Utox Prentioch and Sander Delvardus.

He operated in the Hevvrol sector of the Mid Rim, conducting a campaign against multiple targets in the region. A strike on Bannistar Station was followed by the capture of an Imperial base after heavy bombardment.

He attacked the planet Glom Tho, where New Republic forces decisively crushed an Imperial flotilla, and General Tyr Taskeen's forces seized key foundries. Glom Tho was a decisive battle in the Hevvrol sector campaign, blunting the expansion plans of another warlord, Moff Par Lankin, who ruled the Lambda sector.

A year after the Battle of Endor, Nantz's forces achieved a relatively straightforward victory at Yag'Dhul against Delvardus's forces, halting the warlord's expansion into the Core. Nantz's forces subsequently linked up with the rebellious worlds of Kilpar, Mrisst, and Bestine in the Colonies. Entering Herglic space, Nantz established contact with the planet's native inhabitants, who had declared their independence in the post-Endor era.

While Nantz was in the Inner Rim, Delvardus attempted to retake Sullust but was defeated by units of the First Battle Group. Delvardus then lost a series of battles along his border at Sanrafsix, Kabala, Klak'dor, and Sluis Van. This string of defeats forced him to abandon his holdings and retreat to the Deep Core.

A year later, Nantz and the First Battle Group moved against Prentioch's territory, culminating in his capture during the siege of Bomis Koori. With the Western Reaches firmly under New Republic control, Nantz began planning the conquest of the Core Worlds.

This was achieved with the support of the Third Battle Group, then under Admiral Ackbar's command.

Ultimately, the New Republic successfully liberated Coruscant, the galactic capital.

Nantz transitioned to another post when the First Battle Group was fully reorganized into the First Fleet and placed under Admiral Drayson's command.

However, recent events forced his return to his former position—following General Kracken's death, Drayson assumed the role of Director of Republic Intelligence, and Firmus Nantz took command of the First Fleet.

Almost immediately, he faced the need to enhance his forces' combat readiness and shift to round-the-clock patrolling of the Core Worlds, his area of responsibility.

Ackbar intended to address the threat by taking the entire First Division of the fleet, bolstered with light forces.

A small, understandable sacrifice in terms of weakening the Core Worlds' defenses, if it meant decisively resolving the threat posed by Grand Admiral Thrawn and his neo-Imperial state—the Dominion.

Firmus Nantz did not believe that Chandrila, toward which his squadron was advancing, was under siege by Thrawn himself. More likely, it was one of his subordinates.

But, one way or another, the job would be done—Chandrila would be free, and the enemy defeated.

The squadron transitioned into realspace.

For a moment, Firmus thought nothing was happening in the system.

Where was the enemy squadron that had been reported?

Why was there no hint of a siege? No trace of a battle?

But no, there it was—communication stations destroyed, patrol ships as well...

Combined with the silent sector relay, there was now an explanation for why Chandrila's government was silent...

— Full speed ahead, — ordered Firmus. — We'll reach orbit and figure out what's going on...

The fleet, consisting of thirty MC80 star cruisers, moved from the entry vector toward Chandrila's orbit.

Straight into the minefield of Asteroid-IIs set by Captain Dorja and his unit.

On this day, rhydonium had never been so popular.

***

The Stormhawk, accompanied by its escort ships, was closing in on its target: a group of Mk-II assault frigates.

Captain Morgoth Astorias observed the enemy reforming into a battle formation, noting their blatant and disorganized intent to attack the Stormhawk's formation from the right flank.

— Good, — said Morgoth, assessing the prospects. — Ships of the formation, prepare for the "Decoy" maneuver. Bombers, move to the destroyer's stern and be ready to attack. This applies to the corvettes as well.

Unlike the New Republic's ships, the Dominion's starships could maintain communication with one another, and the ships responded instantly.

The enemy advanced in a frontal formation, clearly maintaining contact through laser-based data exchange. They had no other options—any other method would be too slow to respond to the threat.

After reconfiguring from its initial formation, the Stormhawk's group also advanced on its target in a frontal formation—a Star Destroyer at the center, flanked by three Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers on each side.

Given the considerable distance between the New Republic's seven assault frigates and Morgoth's clear intent to wedge between them, firing on the enemy starships with both broadsides, the plan was obvious.

The enemy commanders understood it too, tightening their formation. This would allow them to execute a semblance of an "Alpha Strike" with their forward batteries. Few ships would appreciate being fired upon by every available gun.

The problem was that the Republic commanders were too caught up in blindly mimicking Imperial tactics.

Yes, they thought Astorias intended to transition to the "Brawl" tactic, mixing formations and switching to individual ship-to-ship firefights. A decent option, but time-consuming.

The "Alpha Strike"—concentrating all shipboard artillery on a single target—was designed for Imperial fleet starships with their wedge-shaped design. This configuration allowed for devastating enfilade fire.

But assault frigates lacked the individual firepower and suitable artillery placement for such a maneuver. They intended to compensate for this with the number of ships involved in the attack.

Golden-scarlet turbolaser blasts danced across the Stormhawk's forward deflector shields. They spread helplessly across the energy barrier, unable to penetrate it.

Not yet, at least.

— Distance to the enemy—thirty-five units, — came the report.

— Formation—attention, — an excellent distance to execute the plan. — Begin the "Feint" maneuver. Target at discretion. Bombers—attack the fifth frigate in the line. Corvettes—sixth. Interceptors—free hunt. Fighters—general cover.

Were twelve squadrons of TIE fighters enough to cover seven large ships?

Under normal circumstances, no, as the enemy also had its own starfighters.

But in the current circumstances—yes.

Because the enemy no longer had starfighters worth considering.

The essence of the "Feint" was that an organized fleet, advancing primarily in a frontal formation, charged at the enemy as if preparing for a "Brawl." The calculation was that the enemy commander, through ignorance or negligence, would disrupt their own formation to counter the attacker's actions and prevent the battle from devolving into a melee.

But by the counter-maneuver—tightening their ships and consolidating the front—Morgoth realized he was dealing with relatively experienced commanders. They had chosen perhaps the best way to counter both the "Brawl" and the "Feint." A tightened formation allowed them to increase the power of their salvo, and overlapping shields further enhanced their collective defense.

The problem was that Morgoth had no intention of executing a standard "Feint."

At the last moment, at the turning point, his approaching ships executed a sharp turn to starboard. They formed a line astern, one behind the other, unleashing the full power of their broadside artillery on the enemy ships, slowly shifting behind the lead ship, the outermost heavy cruiser in the formation.

Yes, the enemy commanders realized they had been misled from the start, so they eagerly began pummeling the trailing heavy cruiser in the line astern...

And that cost them precious minutes, during which they missed the interceptors' and corvettes' assault.

*Tactical Maneuver "Feint"/"Decoy"*

The sixth assault frigate in the line was swarmed by a dozen CR90 corvettes, which almost instantly approached from its rear hemisphere, firing relentlessly and draining its shields, even with the support of allied ships.

Attempts by the fifth and seventh frigates to reposition and support their beleaguered ally had some success—the ships turned to fire on the pesky corvettes, but...

A dozen proton torpedoes launched by TIE bombers obliterated the stern of the fifth assault frigate...

— Prepare to envelop the enemy, — ordered Morgoth.

The trailing trio of heavy cruisers reorganized to move behind the last ship and encircle it. The seventh assault frigate of the New Republic, realizing that the Dominion was now transitioning to the announced "Brawl" by breaking their formation, could do nothing but engage the trio of ships surrounding it in a triangular formation, the most effective for delivering firepower from multiple directions simultaneously.

The sixth frigate valiantly spun in place, firing back at the swarming CR90s, but a second pass by the bombers stripped it of its ability to defend effectively.

Gaping with jagged wounds on its starboard side, belching smoke and flashing flames from its breaches, the corvette was overwhelmed by fire, losing deflector power but refusing to surrender.

The Stormhawk began targeting the fourth frigate, letting it feel the full devastating power of a Star Destroyer's enfilade fire at "pistol range."

The three heavy cruisers, supported by interceptors and fighters, circled in the dance of a classic "broadside versus broadside" battle, showering the assault frigates with a hail of turbolaser and laser blasts, while awaiting their turn for support from the TIE bombers or the Stormhawk's gunners.

Well, the aforementioned did not keep them waiting long...

***

Captain Abyss observed as the New Republic's star cruiser unit prepared for a breakthrough.

Formed in a blocking formation, the unit led by the Void Wanderer fired on the starships of a detached enemy group, successfully isolating them from the main body of the First Fleet, which held the right flank of the Grand Admiral's fleet.

Formed in a line astern, the enemy advanced for a breakthrough, hoping that a tactic used successfully in the past would work again.

— They've picked the wrong target, — Abyss said quietly.

The maneuver was called "Ackbar's Slash."

Naturally, as is often the case in military space tactics, it was named after its creator.

The essence of the maneuver was that it was ideally suited for ships with strong deflector shielding and powerful broadside salvos.

The execution involved passing through the enemy's battle line at its center. Due to the aforementioned conditions, the tactic was perfectly suited for the New Republic's Mon Calamari star cruisers. With the SEAL system boosting deflector shields directly under enemy fire, the star cruisers could withstand the hurricane of fire that Imperial ships might unleash during counterattacks or broadside engagements.

As the line passed through the enemy formation, the attacking ships fired broadsides at enemy ships on both sides, like threading a needle. Meanwhile, the "needle's eye" could only respond with the fire of the two nearest ships at any given moment, while the ships in the "thread" could maintain continuous fire on the "eye."

Given the speeds at which the maneuver was executed, the "eye" had no time to reorganize and mount a full counterattack.

But now, the enemy commander had made a mistake.

He was breaking through the Void Wanderer's formation, completely ignoring the fact that the Dominion's fleet units did not operate at great distances from one another.

Or perhaps they simply failed to account for this, given the wrecks of starships drifting everywhere and the turbolaser chaos reigning around each ship on the battlefield.

— Contact Captain Aban, — he ordered. — I need the support of Abyssal Fury and his unit.

— Yes, Commander!

Admiral Ackbar's tactic was undoubtedly effective. The enemy's return fire came only from the ships on either side of the attack line, as ships on the outer edges of the enemy formation were outside optimal firing positions. Not to mention that the fighter cover surrounding the enemy formation would inevitably attack the Void Wanderer and the adjacent heavy cruiser.

— Captain Abyss, — came the near-instant response from the commander of Abyssal Fury. — I'm a bit busy with a "dialogue" with one stubborn MC90. The pest refuses to be boarded and is fleeing straight toward Coruscant...

From reports, Abyssal Fury was one of the few Star Destroyers whose commanders preferred not to reduce the enemy to "drifting scrap" but instead deployed boarding parties as soon as the opportunity arose.

— I need assistance, — admitted the Void Wanderer's commander. — I'm blocking a commodore's unit...

— Doesn't matter, — the hologram of Stormaer waved dismissively. Indeed, the "firstborn" of Thrawn's fleet were allowed to operate somewhat... outside protocols. The Guard, what can you say... — Need help?

— I'd be grateful, — stated Abyss. — They're using Ackbar's Slash against my unit.

The hologram of Captain Stormaer nodded knowingly. Judging by the shifting pupils of the volumetric projection, the Bellicose's commander's gaze had moved to the tactical display on his own destroyer's bridge.

— Thirty units distance, six MC80s, — he stated the disposition flawlessly. — I see you've begun transitioning from a front to a "bowl"...

— ...with a subsequent shift to "pincers," — Abyss finished the thought. — I need backup. The enemy's lead ships will break through. I request you disengage and provide support...

— Disengaged three minutes ago, — said Stormaer. — Prepare the "pincers," I'll execute the "Tartarus" attack pattern, but without a hyperspace jump.

Logical, given the gravitational anomaly they were all in.

— Thank you, — replied Abyss.

Glancing at the tactical screen, he noticed the Bellicose, supported by its Corellian corvettes, beginning a combat turn.

Captain Stormaer's unit was positioned behind and twenty units to the right of the Void Wanderer's formation, engaged in a "dialogue" with the aforementioned MC90. According to the IFF transponder indicators, about twenty Gamma-class assault shuttles had already docked with the Mon Calamari cruiser, meaning that by withdrawing the most powerful and fastest ships of his unit, Antonias was leaving only six Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers to counter the MC90.

An unequal priority of targets—the MC90 was a valuable prize, but six Dreadnoughts wouldn't hold it.

But if Stormaer didn't assist Abyss, they'd lose six enemy ships, and not just any ships, but star cruisers that could be boarded...

The tactical display readings changed—the MC90's acceleration ceased. The Void Wanderer's onboard computer indicated that the MC90's engines were either disabled or destroyed...

It seemed Captain Stormaer had found a way to both support Abyss and not lose his prize.

Truly, the Abyss was insatiable...

Meanwhile, the distance between the lead ship of the Republic unit and Abyss's formation had shrunk to ten units. The density of fire was such that missing was unthinkable—effectively pistol range, where any shot would hit something.

The enemy focused fire on the Void Wanderer and the cruiser to its starboard, clearly designating their breakthrough corridor.

But Abyss wasn't idle.

Initially, he had engaged the enemy with his ships in a line abreast, but now both groups of three cruisers each began to advance slowly in a staggered formation, mirroring each other's positions.

Yes, a standard "bowl" for an ambush tactic. This allowed them to form a fire pocket around the enemy ships caught in the center. And that was happening now.

The primary weakness of Ackbar's Slash was the possibility that the lead ship of the breakthrough formation could be disabled or destroyed. Abyss was doing everything to execute this counter-maneuver. If successful, the alpha strike on the lead MC80 would cause the following ships to disrupt their formation to avoid collisions.

— Bombers and corvettes, join the attack on the lead ship, — ordered Abyss. — Interceptors, engage the enemy's fighters. TIE fighters, transition to guarding the formation's ships.

Unlike most of the enemy's cruisers, this group of six had retained its own starfighters. The Republic ship's commander clearly intended to use fighters to distract attention. Roughly eighteen squadrons of X-wings against a dozen TIE fighters, unevenly distributed to protect seven large ships in the formation.

Uneven odds, but that would change as soon as the dozen TIE bombers, escorted by interceptors, did their job...

But before the proton torpedoes began tearing into the lead MC80's hull, Abyssal Fury joined the battle.

From a distance of twenty-five units, its gunners mercilessly disrupted the lead star cruiser's plans for a safe breakthrough. Using the "Tartarus" attack pattern, which involved damaging the enemy fleet from an elevated position—two echelons higher—the Star Destroyer, under ideal conditions, began hammering the MC80's upper deflector shield.

Abyss noted a squadron of bulbous TIE bombers emerging from Abyssal Fury's lower hangar, heading toward the Republic ships.

— All fire on the lead cruiser's forward shields! — roared Abyss, understanding his comrade's tactic. — Dreadnoughts, maximum speed! Close the "pincers" immediately!

Stormaer was dismantling Ackbar's Slash, forcing the lead ship to endure crossfire not only from the Void Wanderer and the cruiser to its right but also overloading its deflector generators from above. The enemy struggled to execute Ackbar's tactic, firing at their original targets, but it was too late.

The Void Wanderer's bombers were already shredding its stern, dooming the ship to the role of a wounded prey.

The Republic's fighter escorts rushed to intercept, but they were engaged by TIE interceptors from Abyss's ship.

Meanwhile, the heavy cruisers, previously moving in a staggered formation, executed a simultaneous turn to face the broadsides of the enemy's six star cruisers. This allowed the two pairs of Dreadnoughts to bring both broadside turbolaser blisters into the fight, doubling their firepower.

And all of it was directed at the six Mon Calamari star cruisers, primarily targeting the trailing trio.

The twelve Corellian corvettes, six from each formation, couldn't turn the tide of the battle, but moving at high speed and bathing the star cruisers' shields in laser and turbolaser fire, they thoroughly frustrated the enemy gunners, preventing them from concentrating fire on any single ship in Abyss's formation.

The Dominion fleet executed the worst-case scenario for Ackbar's Slash—they disrupted the enemy's formation by damaging the lead ship in the line astern.

In this case, the attacking group risked being annihilated by the enemy.

Any attempt at organized resistance turned into scattered pockets of resistance, effectively a "Brawl."

With one small exception.

The Void Wanderer, Abyssal Fury, six Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers, and twenty-four Corellian corvettes from both formations completely surrounded the six star cruisers.

And now, as the fighter wings of the two Star Destroyers focused on eliminating the Republic's X-wing escorts, the outcome was inevitable.

The six New Republic star cruisers were caught in a fire pocket.

Ackbar's Slash ended in a pathological dissection in six instances.

***

— Some of the enemy ships are retreating to the defense stations, — noted Gilad, observing as a portion of the star cruisers and their support ships, turning their engines toward the advancing Dominion forces, fled rapidly.

The Grand Admiral watched as eight Victory-class ships, organized into two units of equal numbers under the command of Captains I-Gor and Kalian, fired on an equivalent number of MC80s, tearing into the New Republic's starships.

— They've likely decided to defend the final line of defense, — Gilad continued. — If the Golans fall, Coruscant will be defenseless against invasion.

— Don't indulge in fantasies, Captain, — the Grand Admiral chuckled softly. — Generals Solo and Antilles are doing what they believe is most optimal in this situation—retreating under the protection of the Golan platforms. It seems the former smuggler and the young commander are smarter than their more renowned comrades.

— Sir? — Gilad looked at him, puzzled.

— Under normal conditions, Golan defense platforms can provide better security for a protected object when it comes to defense, — Thrawn explained. — Antilles and Solo need time to repair the damage inflicted by the units of Captains I-Gor and Kalian to decide whether to continue the fight. By the time we reach the range of the Golans' weapons, most of their malfunctions will be repaired. As will their communication with the surface and ground command; at the very least, they'll try to reestablish it. Look, — the Grand Admiral pointed to the increasing retreat of battered First Fleet ships. — The other commanders also realize that attacking our forces was not the best idea. They've decided to shift to defense and adopt a wait-and-see approach.

— What are our next steps, Admiral? — asked the commander of the Chimaera.

— First, — Thrawn said thoughtfully, surveying the space beyond the viewport, — we'll finish off those we're currently engaged with. Then, we'll deploy boarding teams to the least damaged ships, and technical crews will attempt to make them transportable before we withdraw. The starships we can't take with us will have to be abandoned. But first, — a mischievous glint appeared in the Grand Admiral's devilish gaze, — we'll strip them of their most valuable components. Primarily, the SEAL systems.

Pellaeon nodded understandingly.

Acquiring this Dac shipbuilders' technology, which allowed shield boosting directly during combat, was impossible even for vast sums on the black market. Mon Calamari did not favor smugglers and, by their sophisticated nature, did not deal with black-market traders. The only way to obtain such technology was to strip it from a damaged enemy ship. Given the growing fleet and its needs, it would take time for specialists to reverse-engineer the system and build the necessary factories in the Dominion.

For now, they had to resort to scavenging, "defatting" captured ships for the benefit of Imperial-designed starships. Not to mention that the SEAL technology on MC80s and MC90s differed significantly. There was no point in retaining MC80 SEAL generators for further upgrades to "Imperial" standards.

And with captured MC90s, the situation was rather sparse...

Thus, the attack on the New Republic's First Fleet would provide a stockpile of both ships and spare parts.

The viewport darkened, protecting the sentients on the bridge from the blinding flash where a Republic assault frigate had been.

The enemy ship couldn't withstand the concentrated fire of the Chimaera's gunners and exploded when turbolaser power reached its core, vaporizing the reactor casing.

Gilad surveyed the scene of carnage.

The Dominion fleet was crushing the enemy.

Deformed and torn-apart New Republic starships drifted in an ocean of their own hull fragments and mangled fighter wrecks. Some were already being approached by Gamma-class assault shuttles or other military transport ships...

In total, about fifty enemy ships still showed signs of "life," meaning they could at least be restored to an acceptable level or stripped of key components needed by the Dominion.

Roughly the same number of ships continued to fight.

The Grand Admiral's fleet's operational-tactical units were pulling these starships apart across vast swathes of space, depriving them of allied support.

Significant forces of the First Fleet had retreated, but no more than thirty star cruisers and assault frigates remained, along with a couple dozen escort frigates and two dozen Corellian corvettes or gunships.

Considering that each of the twelve reinforced squadrons of the First Fleet sent to the "attacked" systems faced surprises in the form of rhydonium-laced asteroids, it was no surprise that the entire linear core of this portion of the New Republic Defense Forces had ceased to exist.

Yes, the First Fleet, like the Fourth before it, wasn't entirely destroyed, but the power of propaganda should not be underestimated.

By defeating the First Division of the Fourth Fleet in the Battle of the Ciutric Hegemony, Grand Admiral Thrawn launched a full-scale information war against the New Republic, portraying the capture and destruction of individual enemy ship formations as the defeat of an entire fleet.

A significant exaggeration, of course, when you consider that each New Republic fleet comprises nearly three thousand combat ships. Yes, most are support ships, gunships, corvettes, frigates, and light cruisers—easy to build and repair.

But the grateful galactic audience consumed these news reports with open mouths.

Those closer to the military understood that Thrawn's claims focused on linear ships, the backbone of any fleet, tasked with the most challenging missions. So, in stating that he had stripped the New Republic of numerous star cruisers and destroyers, Thrawn wasn't lying. For example, after the massacre at Ciutric IV, the Fourth Fleet ceased to be anything more than a simple combat escort for controlled territory.

The New Republic still hadn't managed to fully dispel this rumor. Even the return of starships from the Ghost Nebula and the cessation of the search for Ennix Devian didn't significantly improve the situation.

And now...

Thrawn hadn't just destroyed the core of the enemy fleet without suffering significant losses (who even counts those destroyed Corellian tubs anymore?), but he had also delivered a resounding slap to the entire New Republic Defense Forces and their prestige.

Who could they protect if they couldn't even safeguard their own capital?

Yes, a question that, after this day, more than one sector that had rashly joined the New Republic would ask itself.

However, one question lingered in Gilad's mind, no matter how much he pondered the events.

He asked himself this question every time Thrawn conducted grand attacks on New Republic territories.

"Will the future buffer against Palpatine's hordes collapse before the old psychopath returns?"

— You have questions, Captain, — and this habit of Thrawn's, knowing almost exactly what was on his flagship officer's mind, was starting to feel a bit unsettling.

— Yes, sir, — admitted Pellaeon. — After the Ciutric campaign, the Fourth Fleet can no longer conduct offensive operations.

— Indeed, — Thrawn agreed easily. — We've forced them to focus on defending their assigned sectors.

— Now we're effectively destroying the First Fleet, — Pellaeon continued. — Traps in a dozen systems, asteroid attacks here at Coruscant, — he glanced at the battlefield, where the blackened hulks of star cruisers and other enemy ships loomed ominously. — Sir, if we defeated the Fourth Fleet "on points," the First... We're annihilating its linear core. Cruisers, assault frigates...

— So far, all correct, Captain, — a half-smile played on Thrawn's lips. — What's the question?

— Palpatine, — replied Pellaeon.

Thrawn let out a barely audible sigh, as if the name itself was becoming an inconvenience.

— You said the New Republic would be the buffer to stop Palpatine's war machine, — Pellaeon continued. — Then you began a campaign that not only deals significant damage to the Republic's military potential but also peels away their sectors. Yes, I remember you said it's unlikely Palpatine would attack neutral systems—he'll primarily target the New Republic. But the scale of the campaign against the New Republic... Sir, without the First Fleet's core, they'll have nothing to defend the Core Worlds with, and those will fall first when Palpatine's armada emerges from the Deep Core. So what's the point? Are we destroying the New Republic, or are we trying to preserve it as a buffer?

For a few seconds, Thrawn was silent.

He calmly observed as a squadron of TIE interceptors, like a flock of predatory birds, tore a Corellian corvette to pieces. With each pass, they riddled it with so many holes that it resembled a starship less and less with every second.

— Order Grey Wing to stop damaging our future trophy, — instructed the Grand Admiral, pointing at the battered New Republic starship. — Pull it into the hangar with a tractor beam and conduct a boarding.

— Yes, sir, — Gilad activated the comlink, issuing orders to the duty assault unit and flight controller. — Done.

The Grand Admiral calmly watched as the mangled vessel, smoking from all engines and ablaze from its shattered bridge, slowly approached the Chimaera. At close range, several ion cannons fired on it to ensure the doomed crew harbored no ill intent.

— Regarding your question, Captain, — though Gilad had been waiting for an answer, Thrawn spoke unexpectedly. — Palpatine's primary goal is to settle scores with his enemies. The New Republic and the descendants of Darth Vader are priority targets. We realized this after the attempt to capture Jedi Knight Skywalker on Polis Massa. As long as neutral systems don't harbor Palpatine's enemies, they're secondary targets. Ones the Republic won't let him reach, defeating him in the process. So yes, the more systems secede from the New Republic, the more will survive the coming invasion with minimal issues.

— But at the same time, we've effectively defeated two of the New Republic's four fleets, — reminded Pellaeon. — Sir, the First Fleet... after this attack, they'll have maybe a hundred star cruisers, at best, for the entire Core Worlds.

— Correct, Captain, — said Thrawn.

So...

There's logic buried here somewhere.

But Gilad couldn't see it.

There was logic, though.

Probably.

The Chimaera's commander was silent for several minutes before his thoughts coalesced:

— Do our campaigns somehow enable the New Republic to strengthen? — A wild assumption, considering how many of their forces they'd destroyed in this battle alone.

Not to mention their own losses.

— Correct, Captain, — replied Thrawn. — I had to attack Coruscant to make you piece together the simple picture.

Gilad thought that today was a lucky day for the New Republic.

If he hadn't figured it out, who knows what Thrawn might have done in the future? Perhaps burned Bothawui, shaved every Wookiee bald, or recruited the Ewoks who defeated the Imperials on Endor's forest moon into the Dominion's army—with him, you could never be sure that even simple actions weren't part of a grand plan for victory.

— Observe what our enemy is fighting with, — Thrawn continued, evidently deciding that a Star Destroyer in the thick of battle was the perfect place for another instructive speech. — Tell me, what do you see before you?

— Star cruisers, assault frigates, gunboats, corvettes, fighters... — Pellaeon listed, hoping he'd hit the mark somewhere. Because he had no idea what the right answer was.

— You could have stopped at star cruisers, Captain, — noted Thrawn. "Could've stopped me," echoed Gilad's thoughts. — The New Republic's range of equipment is diverse. So vast that you sometimes wonder how they afford to maintain such a motley crew. But that's not the point—their logistical miscalculations are the key to our prosperity. The primary type of New Republic linear ship is the MC80 star cruiser in various configurations and Imperial Star Destroyers. We obtained the entire roster of the latter, as well as information on damaged, abandoned, or lost Imperial ships, thanks to an attack on the files of the Republic Intelligence division known as "Asset Tracking"...

Gilad mentally cursed.

Now it was clear why Zakarisz Ghent was aboard the Chimaera. Thrawn had stolen data from the New Republic on all Imperial ships they'd encountered in battle.

All the abandoned and deemed irreparable, all the shot down and damaged, those contaminated by reactor leaks, the lost...

At one point, Thrawn had tasked fleet analysts with cross-referencing Imperial archives with fleet data to determine where Imperial ships had gone after Endor. This was necessary to get a rough idea of Palpatine's forces.

Now, he had a copy of that same work from the New Republic. Not only did he know exactly how many Imperial ships Coruscant's masters had, but he also had precise information on how many had been destroyed!

Though, recalling the history of the Guardian, it was tempting to say, "Not so fast, not so fast!"

The Republic was notorious for not finishing what it started.

No difference whether it was the Old or the New...

— Early in our campaign, we frequently encountered the belief among both Imperial and Republic officers that the MC80 could fight Imperial-class Star Destroyers on equal terms, — Thrawn continued.

"Really?" Pellaeon mentally smirked. — "Mon Calamari tubs never..."

Then he remembered Endor.

Remembered the six years since.

Remembered how easily Republic "tubs" fought against Imperials.

Remembered how confidently Thrawn's fleet officers felt when the mad clone of Jorus C'baoth supported them.

Remembered how Imperial combat readiness had fallen and how many months it took Thrawn to restore it. Not just combat capabilities—for nearly a year, the Grand Admiral had been piecing together and stitching back Imperial self-respect, restoring it to its rightful place in his subordinates' minds, displacing uncertainty in some and arrogance in others.

Remembered that only with the cloning of top specialists had Thrawn turned the tide in their favor...

Yes, under those conditions, an MC80 seemed equal to a Star Destroyer... crewed, at best, by slackers and conscripts.

— Now we're successfully proving, first to ourselves, that this isn't true, — Thrawn continued. — The only New Republic ship of this type that can truly stand against a Star Destroyer in an artillery duel without the ubiquitous proton torpedoes and fighters is the Home One type...

Admiral Ackbar would surely have disagreed, but there were likely not even molecules left of him.

— Everything has its limits, Captain, — said Thrawn. — Including my patience. It's pointless to explain to the New Republic and their hard-of-hearing government that years of strenuous effort lie ahead, and they should focus on rearming their fleet to face a more dangerous foe. No, they don't want to hear it. They cling to the past, measuring their victories by old laurels. Though, — Thrawn glanced at Gilad, — they're not the only ones.

The idea was simple, as all genius things are.

— You're bleeding their fleets to force them to modernize? — clarified Pellaeon.

— At shipyards across the galaxy, particularly on Admiral Ackbar's homeworld, hundreds of New Republic combat ships sit unfinished, — Thrawn continued. — While an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, even in its current state, will remain combat-ready and relevant for ten, twenty years, the MC80's time is passing. The New Republic doesn't see this. But I do. So I'll take from them what I need to bolster the Dominion's defenses. I'll take as many MC80s as I need. Destroy as many as necessary, seize Star Destroyers—do whatever it takes to make them act as I want. And they will.

— You want to form sector fleets from Mon Calamari ships, — Pellaeon realized.

— Exactly, — Thrawn continued. — In secondary roles, their assault frigates and MC80s will still be useful for some time. But only if superior ships—Star Destroyers—take the forefront. This approach guarantees two straightforward outcomes. First, by taking the New Republic's equipment, useless in open combat against Star Destroyers, we'll force them to redirect efforts to completing their MC90s across the galaxy. By taking their Star Destroyers, we'll strengthen our regular fleet and bolster our armed forces. Second, by transferring former Republic ships to the moffs and sector defense fleets, we not only increase the number of defenders who can hold out until the regular fleet arrives but also secure a qualitative advantage.

— The regular fleet's advantage over sector formations? — Pellaeon asked, surprised.

— Yes.

— Sir, but...

— Why? — Thrawn anticipated his question. Pellaeon nodded affirmatively. — Security, Captain. The regular fleet is staffed with officers and sailors loyal to the Dominion, clones. Sector defense forces are conscripts. If a planetary governor or even a moff decides to test our strength by playing at separatism, we'll crack their skull and turn it into a bowl before they realize how deeply the trap was set at the Dominion's founding.

It was uncouth, but Gilad's jaw dropped.

— We're building a state on the ruins of old orders, sometimes gaining consent willingly, sometimes imposing it by force, — Thrawn continued. — It will take time for old ways to fade and new traditions and mutual understanding to take root. During this time, rebellions are possible, which, in the context of the reborn Emperor's campaign, would be devastating for the entire Dominion. If one sector betrays us, the entire metropolis falls. That's why the primary task of forces assigned to moffs and governors is maintaining order. While they think everything is fine and they can do as they please, Lieutenant Colonel Astarion's subordinates continue their work. There will be no loud trials, no exposés, no public tribunals for treason—traitors will be quietly identified and eliminated.

The Chimaera's commander stood silently, listening...

As always, when Thrawn explained his plans, everything fell into place.

"One step ahead," right?

Hutt's chance!

Thrawn always had a plan within the main plan, and if you looked closely and thought about it, there were hints of a couple more backup plans alongside the contingency ones.

He truly wasn't human—a machine. Ruthless and soulless, striking with the power of his intellect. Not a single inefficient move, not a single action without multifaceted benefits.

Even now, under the threat of Palpatine's invasion, Thrawn continued to fulfill not only the latter's desires (crushing Republic formations fit that paradigm) but also increased the New Republic's combat readiness. Not to mention addressing the expansion and technical needs of the Dominion's armed forces.

One question remained...

— Sir, — Pellaeon said, clearing his throat. — If the New Republic introduces a large number of new starships capable of fighting our and Imperial destroyers on equal terms, won't that cause problems with their Defense Forces in the future?

Thrawn turned his head.

His eyes blazed with infernal fire, a slight smile playing on his lips.

— By the time the reborn Emperor's campaign ends, the New Republic's fleets will be mere remnants, — he promised. — Which won't pose a significant problem for us.

Except for one fact...

— But Palpatine's followers will still have the fleet he's been amassing in the Deep Core for decades, — Pellaeon reminded him.

Thrawn gave a barely perceptible nod.

— Correct, — he said. — In militaristic states, after the death of an ambitious and capable leader, with no clear hierarchy and rampant ambitions among subordinates, civil war is inevitable. Each follower will pull the blanket to themselves until it tears.

— Which we've already seen with the Galactic Empire after Endor, — Gilad said meaningfully, giving the Grand Admiral an appraising look.

But Thrawn remained an unyielding wall, continuing to observe the battle's progress.

Republic starships burned, Dominion starships stood out with blackened hulls. In several places, Strike-class medium cruisers from the Grand Admiral's fleet struggled with damage, having been less fortunate in linear combat. Their unit's commander was surely in for an unpleasant conversation with the commander-in-chief. What a pity it wasn't Dobramu commanding those cruisers...

Yet one thought lingered in Pellaeon's mind.

Once, Thrawn had told him he would die. A simple conclusion when you tie your life to the armed forces.

But the Grand Admiral had given him a data carrier, saying it contained everything he'd need after Thrawn's death. The device was encrypted with the highest clearance codes...

And for the first time since those events, Gilad considered finding out what was stored there.

But he wouldn't.

If there was one thing Gilad had learned serving directly under Grand Admiral Thrawn, it was that he never did anything without purpose. If the device was meant to be viewed after Thrawn's death, so be it.

— An escort frigate is heading toward us from the right, Captain, — Thrawn's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Gilad looked in the same direction but saw only a Nebulon-B2 desperately fleeing a pair of medium cruisers. No hint of...

It turned.

The escort turned toward the Chimaera, unloading its surviving guns on her deflectors and rapidly closing in.

Was it surprising that Thrawn had anticipated the enemy's maneuver? No, it wasn't.

— Starboard guns, — Pellaeon activated the comlink. — Target the Nebulon-B2.

The Grand Admiral silently turned, heading to his favored chair. Settling into it, he habitually stroked the ysalamiri, continuing to observe the battle.

And though it was nearing its final stage, one thought lingered in Pellaeon's mind.

If Thrawn died, everything would end.

Literally—everything.

But such thoughts were unbecoming.

Ahead lay the final act of the spectacle.

The "Siege of Coruscant" began now.