Grand Admiral

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

Or forty-four years, nine months, and twenty-five days since the Great Resynchronization.

(Five months and eleven days since the incident).

No one aboard the crew of the Skywalker even recalled the starship's former name.

The Acclamator II-class assault cruiser had served the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. Despite its venerable age, the starship had diligently served its masters for many years.

Unlike most of its contemporaries that survived to this era, this Acclamator was used by the Imperials as a prison transport.

Its final voyage in that capacity occurred approximately eight months after the Battle of Yavin. The ship was transporting captured loyalists from the planet Jabiim to a world known as Kalist VI. This prison planet, located deep within the Deep Core, served as a detention facility.

Back then, the Rebel Alliance facilitated a change in the ship's ownership.

Luke Skywalker personally led the capture of the vessel and the liberation of its prisoners. It was due to his selfless bravery that the freed captives renamed the ship to its current designation and joined the young Jedi in the ranks of the Rebellion.

Following the establishment of the New Republic, the Skywalker returned to its former role. But now, it served as a prison transport for the New Republic. Any Imperials aboard were solely in the capacity of prisoners, whom the crew intended to deliver to the Bakura system.

There, the New Republic's leadership decided to utilize an old Imperial prison to house the most dangerous captives—those who remained loyal to Imperial ideals, refused the New Republic's amnesty, and were deemed potentially hazardous to the fledgling democratic state.

However, the majority of the prisoners aboard had long since grown disillusioned with the Empire, yet were not so broken as to rally under the banner of galactic democracy.

Such individuals were considered the most dangerous, as it was unlikely they would fight against their former Imperial masters if freed, nor would they show aggression toward the New Republic.

The young government's leadership still harbored hopes that, one day, this category of prisoners would prove reasonable and agree to fight on the side of good.

And now, the Skywalker was preparing to exit hyperspace to offload its pro-Imperial contingent.

The crew would have a chance to rest during the processing of the prisoners before charting a return course to the prison planet to retrieve a new batch of Imperials.

In anticipation of this respite, the crew's vigilance waned.

Thus, the sudden exit from hyperspace did not alarm them enough to take full precautionary measures.

From the bridge, they could see the Bakura prison station, swarmed with boarding craft. Nearby, several Acclamators were present, with transport ships shuttling back and forth between the station and the attacking vessels.

A keen observer might notice the mangled hulks of Bakuran defense force patrol ships drifting around the station. The scorched and battered hulls, ravaged by turbolaser fire and anti-ship torpedoes, clearly indicated the brutal battle the system's defenders had endured.

Moments later, the culprits behind the chaos came into view.

A Victory-class Star Destroyer, supported by an even older Venator-class Star Destroyer.

Slightly farther off were an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, another Victory, and approximately ten CR-75 transport ships, well-known to those who had supported democracy since the days of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

All these ships broadcasted transponder signals identifying them as New Republic vessels. However, judging by their lack of intervention in the unfolding events, the crews aboard these starships had either switched sides or were no longer in control of their vessels.

The commander of the Skywalker attempted to turn the ship around to flee the dangerous system, but a powerful ion blast struck the vessel, stripping it of that option.

Moments later, emergency airlocks began to be breached by the plasma cutters of Dominion space marines.

The Crusader, a Star Destroyer, and its commander, Captain I-Gor, continued their crusade along the galaxy's southern fringes, liberating Imperial prisoners who could easily bolster the ranks of the Dominion's regular fleet.

For the Dominion was not the Empire. And it was an enemy of the New Republic.

When selecting targets for prisoner liberation, Grand Admiral Thrawn took into account the Republicans' own comments in documents obtained through slicer attacks on Coruscant.

***

It felt strange, after so many years, to return to a planet that had been the battleground for one of the bloodiest conflicts in the early stages of the Clone Wars.

Ahsoka, focused on piloting the Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor gifted to her for personal use, mentally channeled the Force to prepare herself for the impending battle.

Yes, in these times, the Actis was hardly a cutting-edge machine—after all, it was over thirty years old. But the Togruta liked the interceptor. Perhaps because she never had the chance to fly one during her service in the Jedi Order—she was expelled before she could "test the new model."

And now...

From what she knew, the Dominion had somehow acquired samples of Clone Wars-era technology, which were being rapidly modernized to meet the demands of contemporary space combat.

This was evident in her interceptor. Incidentally, it was one of the last of its series before Kuat Drive Yards discontinued the model. Moreover, based on indirect signs and additional equipment, it could even be inferred that this machine once belonged to a Jedi.

And now patchwork modifications. Even considering its venerable age.

Its speed rivaled that of a TIE Interceptor, and its four laser cannons were sourced from the same. Ion engines with variable thrust vectors, a new reactor. The base Eta-2 model never included a hyperdrive—even now, Ahsoka reached her destination using a ring accelerator. Nor did the base model feature deflector shields.

On the upgraded Eta-2 Actis-Dominion (yes, it sounded rather silly, but someone among the modernization project's leadership thought appending the state's name to new machine variants reflected their essence), a hyperdrive still wasn't added. But shields...

Shields were present, though Ahsoka made the bold decision to remove the inefficient system, which drained vast amounts of energy from the reactor while offering protection from only one or two shots. And what good was that?

Absolutely none—this machine was designed for delivering swift strikes and maneuverability as a combat style, not for absorbing enemy fighter shots with its hull.

Thus, after some thought upon first seeing her "gift," Ahsoka ordered the removal of both the hyperdrive and the pair of ion cannons, which, alongside a pair of light laser cannons, comprised the interceptor's entire armament. What could she do? The machine was built specifically for combating droid fighters. And against them, there was no better weapon than ion cannons.

She wondered if Kuat Drive Yards, their subsidiaries, or other manufacturers of the equipment now in the Dominion's possession would raise objections to Thrawn so casually modifying their machines, their trademarks, and essentially passing off others' designs as his own.

But the folks at Kuat, Fresia, and other shipbuilding worlds weren't fools to publicize such trifles. Thrawn owned the Empire's property and was free to do with it as he pleased. However, if he started producing these machines—then yes, there could be issues.

But as Ahsoka understood, Thrawn wasn't resorting to old equipment out of choice. He was unlikely to manufacture updated versions of these machines—as long as spare parts were available, they remained combat-ready. When those ran out, he'd have to procure from Kuat's warehouses. It was impractical, especially when he controlled production facilities for the TIE series, which was standard for the regular fleet.

Most likely, Thrawn needed old and captured machines to equip planetary defense forces and raider "wolf packs" to avoid advertising the shortage of TIEs for all branches of his armed forces.

The timer on the dashboard counted down the final seconds.

Ahsoka glanced at the astromech's dome, visible through the side of the cockpit.

Once painted entirely black, the R2-series droid had also been provided by the Dominion. Ahsoka scrubbed off the garish paint, repainting her companion in gray-blue hues, making it resemble R2-D2. It wasn't that she harbored tender feelings for her former master's astromech, but the dour "standard" colors didn't suit her.

Thus, the gray interceptor was now yellow-gray.

The dashboard displayed "zero," and the astromech brought the ship into realspace.

Eta-2 Actis-Dominion light interceptor.

The streaks of light routinely compressed into pinpoints of stars, and the Togruta sighed, realizing she was at the edge of a battlefield.

The eight-kilometer wedge of the Crimson Dawn sharply contrasted with the dirty-brown disk of Hypori's shadowed side, against which the battle unfolded.

Hypori.

Located in the Ferra sector within the Outer Rim Territories, this planet boasted a breathable oxygen-rich atmosphere, small oceans, and rocky landscapes rich in minerals. However, it lacked any native population, so anyone with sufficient forces and connections could claim the planet and build whatever they desired.

Provided they could hold it.

In the final decades of the Republic, Hypori belonged to the Techno Union. Nearly thirty years ago, this organization became a founding member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the droids and war machines produced here supplied armies waging conquest against the Galactic Republic across this part of the galaxy.

Ahsoka, shedding the accelerator ring, transmitted her call sign to the squadron's flagship. Receiving a response and confirming she wouldn't become another target for Dominion pilots, she straightened her shoulders.

Many years ago, operatives of the Zann Consortium landed on this planet to seize one of the few surviving droideka factories. Despite the supposed destruction of this organization, they survived.

They went deep underground, continuing to flood markets with illegal weapon modifications and pursuing a policy rooted in corruption, racketeering, kidnapping, and slaving. But they operated covertly, "off the radar."

Ahsoka had fought against them, but the efforts of a single sentient, even a Jedi, couldn't yield the necessary results without a reliable force backing them.

Now, Ahsoka had such a force.

The Dominion and Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thanks to them and their resources, she had managed to buy the freedom of thousands of her kin in Hutt Space, along with tens of thousands of other sentients who might otherwise have fallen into the hands of various scoundrels.

Now, under the protection of Dominion escort frigates, they were heading to their new home in a massive transport convoy.

And Ahsoka herself had finally found a way to deal with the Consortium.

Once and for all.

***

It had to be admitted—the enemy had formidable forces.

Twenty-two frigates. The Consortium utilized both Interceptor IV-class and Vengeance-class frigates.

Interceptor IV-class frigate.

While the former was a heavily modernized ship, armed with only two turbolaser batteries and at least three missile and torpedo launchers, originating from the Corellian Action-class freighter beloved by smugglers for its spacious hold and relative affordability, the latter...

The Vengeance was a full-fledged combat starship, designed by Mandalorians and packing plenty of "surprises" in its arsenal.

Erik had encountered such starships from the Consortium before, and they were no easy foe. Especially if equipped with cloaking fields.

Vengeance-class frigate.

But these two types of starships weren't the only ones defending Hypori from invasion.

From the enemy's disposition, Erik immediately realized they hadn't anticipated an attack—at least not one involving a fast dreadnought and twenty Corellian corvettes.

Of course, he could have brought both operational-tactical groups now under his command, but they had other objectives—Salucamai and Shola. And, judging by reports from the Judicator and Imperious, the enemy's starships guarding those planets had already moved to reinforce Salucamai's defense.

The enemy's substantial forces weren't due to the Consortium fearing an invasion. No, the hundreds of transport ships orbiting the planet made it clear—a major shipment was being prepared on the surface. And it was undoubtedly destined for the same kind of scum and criminals as the Consortium's own fighters.

— Sir, — the watch officer appeared beside him. — We've received an encrypted message from the surface. Agent Bravo-II reports that the droideka model two factory is currently vulnerable to a ground assault. The enemy has no intention of defending it due to its poor strategic position. They're evacuating personnel and mining the facility. They're requesting assistance with a landing force.

Shohashi, without taking his eyes off the battle, ran his thumb over Iren's portrait. With a characteristic click, the archaic chronometer closed and slipped into his uniform pocket.

— Inform Bravo-II that a landing operation under current conditions is impossible, — Erik said. — There are sufficient Dominion ground forces on the planet—let them handle preserving the facility until we eliminate the enemy fleet.

— Yes, sir! — the watch officer saluted and hurried off.

The commodore glanced at the tactical screen.

The Interdictor-class Star Destroyer Eternal Wrath, supported by its own starfighters and ten Corellian corvettes, was steadfastly holding off attacks from six Crusader-class corvettes.

Of course, these were no longer the same Crusaders that the Imperials and Rebel Alliance had dealt with years ago. No, these were Crusader II-class corvettes, one of which, thanks to intelligence efforts, had fallen into Dominion hands and was recognized as a far more formidable and well-armed escort vessel compared to Corellian corvettes.

From what Shohashi knew, the Dominion's military-industrial complex was currently dissecting the captured vessel, intending to study it and use reverse engineering to replicate this type of ship for their own needs.

A worthwhile endeavor.

For Erik had personally witnessed these ships excellently fulfilling their role in intercepting missiles, which the Crimson Dawn was relentlessly pouring into the enemy's formation.

Yes, not all missiles were intercepted, but the laser-based point-defense system and rapid-fire laser cannons neutralized two-thirds of the missiles launched from the Dominion dreadnought.

Crusader II-class corvette.

The missile and cannon fire from the Crimson Dawn, concentrated in the forward hemisphere, mercilessly crushed the Vengeance-class frigates, preventing them from advancing beyond the mid-range security perimeter.

Like many other starships in the Zann Consortium's service, the Vengeance ships had a nasty feature exploited by their utterly indoctrinated crews.

Namely—self-destruction.

A genuinely useful feature when your ship faced capture. And truly terrifying when several cloaked Vengeance ships approached your starship's engines or detonated near its main reactor.

The Vengeance ships and Aggressor-class Star Destroyers frequently employed such "tricks." However, Aggressors were rarely equipped with cloaking fields. In Shohashi's memory, only Tyber Zann's flagship, the Merciless, possessed such capabilities, but it was absent from this battle.

Yet, this changed little in practice.

The self-destruction of an enemy starship near critical components of your own was an unpleasant and dangerous affair.

Thus, Erik mercilessly targeted the former, directing half his fighter wing to eliminate the latter.

There weren't many Aggressors—only five.

But these ships, while weak in linear combat under conventional artillery duels, had a particularly nasty feature.

Mounted in the bow were two truly monstrous weapons.

The first delivered a massive ion charge, capable of knocking out the shields of nearly any class of ship.

The second fired a spiraling plasma bolt, inflicting tremendous damage on its target.

Aggressor-class Star Destroyer delivering a plasma strike.

They were also equipped with turbolaser batteries on their lateral planes, similar to the armament layout on Mon Calamari star cruisers. However, once their primary weapons were destroyed, the ship was nearly defenseless against standard capital ships, with only one turbolaser battery per side.

This was precisely why the Empire had never considered this type of ship for its fleet. The ion-plasma "pair" demanded enormous energy, leaving insufficient reserves for the additional artillery Imperial commanders desired. The placement of a solar ionization reactor on the ship also failed to solve the issue, as its narrow hull made it an obvious target, even with thick armor plating.

The proposed technology of multiple reactors within the starship and reduced crew size through increased automation also found no favor.

For this reason, Erik sought to neutralize all possible advantages of the enemy ships, leveraging accumulated knowledge and experience to destroy them.

Thus, Aggressors were vulnerable to fighter attacks—hence why they were targeted by interceptors and bombers. Yes, the latter suffered losses, but war demanded task completion. To aid this, the Crimson Dawn's gunners and missile operators supported their pilots with salvos against these enemy ships. Typically, each salvo reduced the number of Aggressors by one. Now, only one remained, but bombers were closing in on its stern... Proton torpedo launch. Done—no more destroyers for the enemy. Time to shift focus to the "small fry."

The Vengeance ships had decent artillery for engaging medium and small enemy vessels, so Erik forced their rapid-fire guns to focus on intercepting missiles launched by the Crimson Dawn, while the dreadnought's turbolasers shredded their unshielded hulls.

The Interceptor IV was a complete misunderstanding, usable in combat only by those with severe judgment issues or a dire shortage of more capable ships.

They couldn't withstand artillery barrages or fend off fighters. Thus, the combined efforts of the Crimson Dawn's ion artillery and several fighter squadrons bore fruit. While these ships held little military significance, they would serve excellently as transports for evacuating equipment vital to the Grand Admiral. The Consortium's cargo ships were already packed with goods that would undoubtedly be needed. Thus, several CR90 corvettes "carefully" suppressed enemy actions with their guns.

A significant portion of the Crimson Dawn's fighters and most of its escort corvettes were dedicated to countering the enemy's starfighters.

And here, problems arose.

The StarViper-class attack platforms in service were renowned not only for their excellent performance as heavy fighters but also for their tendency to deploy buzz droids into space.

However, the Dominion pilots faced not just StarVipers but their second generation—Mark II.

This model had less firepower than its predecessor.

Heavy laser cannons were replaced with lighter lasers and heavier armor, reducing the fighter's danger and maneuverability but increasing its durability.

The original model's proton torpedo launchers were removed and replaced with ion cannons. However, the increased versatility of ion cannons made them popular among pirate groups and other criminal forces, including the Zann Consortium.

Four low-power laser cannons and two ion cannons.

No buzz droids.

It seemed the enemy, having gone underground, failed to restore production of those cunning droids. Or perhaps this particular group lacked such machines.

Regardless, no leniency would be granted to the enemy on this account.

Meanwhile, TIE Interceptors, leveraging their superiority in speed and maneuverability, were decimating the new StarViper variants. Yes, they took losses, but these were far less severe than if they had faced the original models.

Beyond the StarVipers, the enemy also deployed Skipray-class blastboats. Though too small to be based on large capital ships, the Imperials classified them as gunboats due to their large crew complement.

GAT-12s were used by the enemy as bombers, operating in squadrons and threatening to breach the mid-range perimeter.

Erik reviewed the data he had studied in preparation for this battle.

The most common variant in the GAT series used by the enemy, the GAT-12h, had a standard crew of a pilot, co-pilot/sensor operator, and two gunnery officers, though it could be operated by a single person.

The craft was equipped with a Class 2 hyperdrive and a limited navicomputer capable of storing four hyperspace jump coordinates, with supplies sufficient for a month of autonomous operation. Two sensor pylons were mounted on short wings flanking the cockpit.

Two forward-swept stabilizers branched from a rotating assembly at the ship's stern, housing two ion cannons. In flight, the stabilizers were held vertically, with the ion cannons positioned above and below the fuselage; for landing, they rotated horizontally, placing them on either side in a more traditional winged configuration.

A third ion cannon was mounted in the nose, with a concussion missile launcher and a proton torpedo launcher on the starboard and port sides, respectively. A twin laser cannon turret at the rear of the fuselage could cover the ship's stern and fire into the upper hemisphere.

Though designed as a spacecraft, it performed better in atmospheric flight, with a (claimed) maximum speed of 1,200 kilometers per hour; its aerodynamic frame provided superior maneuverability in atmosphere compared to most airspeeders. Its maneuverability was less impressive in space, and the craft often relied on quick first strikes or coordination with other ships in space combat. This time, however, experienced clone pilots reliably blocked the possibility of a first strike and now proceeded to pummel the enemy's fighters.

Skipray GAT-12 blastboat.

The battle was proceeding as planned, but Erik felt some unease regarding the enemy's flagship.

A Keldabe-class battleship, designated Keldabe-II by the Dominion.

Compared to its predecessor, developed by MandalMotors, the Keldabe-II had a more streamlined hull, increased armor, and greater turbolaser armament.

Its predecessor, though considered by most Imperial commanders a nominal alternative to Imperial Star Destroyers and Mon Calamari star cruisers, relied far more on its defenses than its armament.

In reality, the truth was far harsher and more prosaic than the fantasies of military theorists and analysts.

The predecessor was outgunned by most ships of its class but could still pose a serious threat in open combat to many contemporary capital ships. Both Star Destroyers and Mon Calamari star cruisers could suffer from the Mandalorian battleship's guns.

The original version of this starship was well-protected and highly durable.

The primary weapon of the Keldabe-class battleship was a mass-driver—a launcher firing missiles or heavy slugs without explosives. When necessary, Zann Consortium operatives didn't hesitate to fire asteroids of suitable size.

The mass-driver, like all weapons of its kind, was massive, occupying significant space in the ship's central and forward sections. Most of that space was devoted to the barrel, long enough to accelerate projectiles to tremendous speeds. Aiming the mass-driver required turning the entire battleship, a significant drawback in its design.

Judging by the fact that the sole Keldabe-II in the battle hadn't used this capability, nor displayed a massive muzzle in its bow, the enemy had abandoned such impractical armament in the updated version.

Yes, kinetic weapons had their advantages.

As a non-energy weapon, the mass-driver ignored the target's deflector shields, striking the hull directly. However, it could only bypass shields protecting against energy weapons. Particle shields had to be breached conventionally. The Mandalorians, in designing this ship, capitalized on the galaxy's traditional ignorance. Mass-drivers were long considered obsolete and rarely used, so few warships had particle shields strong enough to withstand a "slug."

At such speeds, a kinetic projectile was impossible to intercept with point-defense fire or disrupt with jamming.

However, sustained combat required a stockpile of ammunition aboard the ship, further reducing usable internal space.

Likely for this reason, the enemy had switched to turbolasers in the second model.

Which was quite effective: the Crimson Dawn single-handedly held its own against the entire enemy fleet and could effectively counter even the Keldabe-II.

But the latter was carefully avoiding the thick of battle, flanking the fast dreadnought on the left.

The enemy commander likely aimed to approach the dreadnought's side and utilize the second exclusive feature that had once "surprised" both Imperials and Rebels aboard the Keldabe.

The original series ship carried unique equipment capable of "siphoning" an enemy ship's shields, redirecting the stolen energy to power its own systems, particularly its deflector shields and weapons.

Moreover, draining an enemy's deflector weakened that sector of their shield, increasing the chance of penetration by the Keldabe's turbolasers and ion cannons.

Such weaponry seemed promising in combat—and it was, when the Zann Consortium first emerged as an enemy on the battlefield.

But over time, Imperial engineers cracked the mechanics of these weapons. And used that knowledge to destroy the Consortium in the past.

The shield-draining technology was far from flawless.

For one, it had an extremely short range—about a kilometer. In space combat, that was practically synonymous with "point-blank."

Additionally, it could only operate briefly due to the risk of overloading critical systems. And it required a lengthy recharge period, primarily to cool the draining system.

Given the vastly smaller number of these ships among criminals compared to the thousands of Star Destroyers in the Empire's arsenal or the hundreds of star cruisers in the Rebel Alliance's fleet, the tactic was inherently doomed.

Star cruisers couldn't be stripped of defenses due to their SEAL shield-recharging system. And Imperial destroyers were sturdy enough, even without shields, to withstand the weaker artillery fire of the Keldabe. Moreover, the "siphoner" required the target ship to remain stationary.

The Keldabe couldn't ensure this, causing its attack to fail due to these shortcomings. The Empire, despite capturing some of these ships as trophies, didn't equip its own starships with this technology. Improving it, like the mass-driver, was deemed infeasible. For standard Star Destroyers, it was unsuitable, and installing it on Executors was considered near-sacrilege.

Yet, Erik, having taken command of the Crimson Dawn, didn't agree to attack the Zann Consortium lightly.

Access to Imperial research on the "siphoner" or mass-driver was impossible for obvious reasons. But capturing a trophy always allowed for studying the equipment with Dominion specialists.

Considering shipbuilder Ryan Zion's desire to automate most systems on nearly every Dominion ship, there was a strong possibility that the Crimson Dawn could become a carrier of such weaponry. It was large enough to use its mass to control a captured enemy battleship with tractor beams. And reducing crew size would free up internal space for installing a mass-driver and storing sufficient ammunition.

Erik watched as a squadron of interceptors, per his orders, attacked the Keldabe-II.

The ship met the Dominion fighters with dense anti-aircraft laser fire, similar to that mounted on the Crusader IIs. Evidently, the Consortium's shipbuilders had learned from past mistakes, bolstering the ship's armament with defensive guns.

Like its predecessor, this ship carried only three starfighter squadrons, but since they were StarViper Mark IIs, they played no significant role in the confrontation.

Shohashi drummed his fingers on the knob of his cane.

The enemy's frigates were destroyed, unable to harm his flagship. The Eternal Wrath calmly fended off the Crusader IIs harrying it, seizing two with tractor beams and mercilessly blasting them with ion cannons. So, the clone of Captain Stormaer, commanding that destroyer, also aimed to claim trophies.

Good.

The Crusader II was a fine prize. Far better than a CR90. But Erik didn't judge the Grand Admiral's decision to flood the fleet with these corvettes. Thrawn did what he had to—securing ships the fleet desperately needed. It wasn't his fault better options existed; at the campaign's outset, he took what was available.

— Helm, left! — Erik ordered, seeing his chosen target begin to maneuver.

The Keldabe-II clearly realized the battle was not in its favor.

Thus, it made the only sensible choice—to flee.

And there was only one way out—through the Eternal Wrath.

The enemy flagship's engines flared brighter as it accelerated.

A sound decision, but it wouldn't help.

— Maximum acceleration, — Erik commanded. — Move to intercept.

The Crimson Dawn's reactors surged to full power, and the fast dreadnought executed a turn, unleashing turbolaser, ion, and missile barrages that smeared the few surviving Interceptor IVs across the vacuum in a thin layer.

The eight-kilometer giant, moving at an angle to close with the enemy flagship, redirected its broadside artillery fire onto the opposing ship.

The laser point-defense worked diligently, shooting down anti-ship missiles, but no matter how skilled the Consortium's anti-aircraft gunners were, they couldn't stop everything.

Thus, the Keldabe-II's deflector shield bloomed with explosions, not only on its surface but beneath it.

Erik pondered why only one ship of this class was present in the system, rather than the dozen intelligence had predicted. He found no sufficiently motivated answer.

The only theory was that the Zann Consortium was evacuating its base here. Likely, the transport ships carried not only products but also equipment. Perhaps the droideka factory wasn't the sole evacuation target—explaining why Bravo-II couldn't report this to the flagship.

Well then...

— Escort corvettes, — Erik opened the comm channel. — Take all measures to contain the enemy's transports within the system. Do not open fire to destroy—disable only.

For the nearly defenseless transports, the laser and turbolaser cannons aboard the corvettes would suffice to halt their escape. Support from five TIE Interceptor squadrons wouldn't hurt either.

Meanwhile, the battle shifted to a classic exchange of broadsides.

The Keldabe-II endured the Crimson Dawn's artillery strikes, returning fire in kind.

By Erik's estimation, the enemy's shield strength was comparable to that of an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer. Its armament was equally formidable, including its defensive cover.

A well-balanced starship.

Equip it with a SEAL system and Imperial-style fighters, which the Zann Consortium had evidently abandoned, and it would make an excellent raider.

The Keldabe-II and Crusader II were fine examples of technology the Dominion should adopt from the enemy.

They weren't on par with Executor-class ships, but as an alternative for defending Dominion borders, replacing the hopelessly outdated Mon Calamari star cruisers—why not?

It was worth discussing with Thrawn once the mission to destroy the Zann Consortium's squadron at Hypori concluded.

Meanwhile, the starships continued to close.

Less than fifty units remained to the Eternal Wrath, and its deflectors were already under heavy fire from the criminal ship's turbolasers. The Interdictor ignored them, using SEAL to replenish lost shields and methodically blasting enemy corvettes with ion cannons. Its turbolasers joined in, primarily to keep the pesky ships at bay and avoid interfering with trophy collection.

Another missile salvo from the Crimson Dawn, though weakened by laser point-defense, struck the Keldabe-II's stern, destroying the left half of its engine cluster.

The enemy was unprepared for this, and the shift in thrust vector caused the Consortium ship to yaw toward the Crimson Dawn's starboard side.

— Helm, right! — Erik ordered.

Here was the perfect moment to test his theories.

The distance between the two starships shrank to an acceptable range, so Shohashi commanded:

— Engage starboard tractor beams! Seize it so its bow faces away from us!

Invisible tractor beams, like ancient boarding cables and grapples, dug into the damaged starship's hull, pulling it closer to the Crimson Dawn's gunners.

— Enough! — Erik ordered, satisfied with the current situation.

If the enemy detonated its reactors at this distance, damage would be minimal. And the range prevented the enemy crew from using the "siphoner."

The Crimson Dawn's crew executed their commander's orders flawlessly.

Now, the Keldabe-II was held by its starboard side and stern. Even if it had mass-driver weaponry, it couldn't harm the fast dreadnought.

The Dominion starship unleashed its full fury on the captive.

Attempts to break free from the invisible grip yielded no success, forcing the Keldabe-II to endure missile and cannon barrages.

Anti-ship missiles breached the point-defense and deflectors, damaging the starship as much as possible.

The Crimson Dawn's overwhelming artillery pierced the shields in several sectors, and white-blue ion beams tore through the breaches, silencing enemy gun emplacements.

After two minutes, quantity became quality.

The deflector shielding the bridge finally collapsed, exposing the most coveted target to the dreadnought's gunners.

After two broadside salvos of ion cannons, all signs of energy aboard the Keldabe-II vanished.

The Crusader IIs that rushed to its aid, abandoning the Eternal Wrath, fell under crossfire from ion-turbolaser and missile artillery.

Given that the Interdictor's commander had secured three corvettes, and the Crimson Dawn had disabled much of the enemy's equipment, Shohashi deemed further time spent capturing ships unwarranted for the Crimson Dawn squadron's current objectives.

The selfless attack by seven Crusader II corvettes on the Dominion's fast dreadnought faltered at its outset.

Leaving the Eternal Wrath's crew to deal with the ravaged hulks, most of which were still repairable, the Crimson Dawn, towing its trophy with invisible tractor beams and letting the enemy crew choke in the vacuum with a disabled life-support system, headed toward Hypori, where a battle raged between Dominion and Zann Consortium corvettes.

Ten minutes later, the Crimson Dawn, with its gunfire and fighter sorties, ended the engagement.

One Keldabe-II and ten Crusader II corvettes—a fine "catch" for a single battle.

— Commence boarding the transports, — Shohashi ordered calmly, watching as the enemy corvettes, immobilized by the dreadnought's ion cannons, were drawn in by tractor beams.

— Inform Bravo-II that the landing force is en route. Notify Lady Ventress and Lady Tano that they're deploying to the surface leading the ground contingent.

— It will be done, sir!

— Also, connect me with the Judicator and Imperious, — Erik ordered.

Before reporting to the Grand Admiral, he wanted to know the status of the other two parts of the attack on the Zann Consortium.

***

After concluding his report, Commodore Shohashi's hologram looked at me, awaiting further orders.

There was no need to rush with those.

— So, Shola was used by the enemy for resource extraction, — I concluded.

— Affirmative, sir, — Shohashi replied. — Several front companies funneled funds from resource sales to private enterprises into the criminals' accounts. Before the task force led by the Imperious landed troops, the enemy evacuated the base. Scout teams inspecting the Consortium's palace were forced to flee to avoid bomb detonations inside the structure.

— The enemy was covering their tracks, — I stated the obvious.

— And destroyed the mines, — Shohashi added. — The local population is attempting to excavate in search of survivors, but with the equipment they have, there's little chance of success.

An unspoken hint, clear without words.

— Do we have the means to assist? — I clarified.

— Yes, sir, — Shohashi replied without elaborating. — However, the planet's government representatives aren't discussing joining the Dominion. They are, however, grateful for our actions in driving off the Zann Consortium's fighters.

No, it's not that simple. According to intelligence from Vulture Sergius, Shola was used to produce "vulture droids" and brainwash them. The explosion was likely staged to cover tracks, possibly to destroy equipment and the training program.

— Offer the locals assistance, — I ordered. — Also, request permission to investigate the Consortium's ruins and facilities. Announce a reward for any information or technology found by locals and handed over to our forces.

— Understood, sir, — Shohashi replied.

— Did Captain Brandei succeed in the attack on Salucamai? — I asked.

— The enemy abandoned that planet as they did Shola, — Shohashi said. — A small rearguard was eliminated. Several fighter pilots were captured. From them, we learned the enemy was mining resources and engaging in racketeering. Additionally, the Zann Consortium was excavating a morghul cloning facility from the Clone Wars era.

That was troubling news.

— Did they succeed? — I pressed.

— No, sir, — Shohashi replied. — The Jedi and the Grand Army of the Republic destroyed the cloning facilities, flooding them with magma. The enemy wasted time on the excavations. However, they extracted millions of tons of resources, including rare earths. Combined with what they took from Shola, it's enough to build a fleet with the right infrastructure.

I was certain that's exactly what they were doing. And the necessary facilities weren't on Hypori, Salucamai, or Shola, but much closer to the galaxy's eastern borders.

— Is Salucamai prepared to join the Dominion? — I asked.

— Negotiations are ongoing, — Shohashi said. — But Brandei is confident the locals are content with neutral world status.

Logical. In the past, Salucamai was a major trade hub in the Outer Rim and thrived without external oversight. The locals were willing to risk their safety for freedom.

Fair enough. I already had enough enclaves beyond the metropole to impose my will on another world. Besides, unlike the remote Shola and Hypori, Salucamai was well-known and hard to defend due to its proximity to major regional hyperspace routes. Turning it into another fortress world would require time and resources I didn't have.

— In that case, our work on Salucamai is done, — I said. — If they refuse to join the Dominion, leave scout droids on Shola and Salucamai. I want to know if enemy ships return.

— It will be done, Grand Admiral.

— Hypori, — I indicated my next concern.

— Based on the pattern, the enemy intended to evacuate all their positions from this part of the galaxy, — Shohashi explained. — They gathered and prepared to transport all Separatist equipment on the planet, except the second-series droideka factory. They were preparing to destroy it, but intelligence operatives prevented the detonation. Currently, Lady Tano and Lady Ventress are leading an offensive to secure the factory for the Dominion, while Bravo-II and Noghri teams defend the interior. In addition to several enemy ships, their transport fleet was captured. The pattern is consistent—resources, minerals, machine parts, and disassembled production lines. Several thousand completed droidekas. Additionally, during the flagship's boarding, we confirmed the Zann Consortium uses droidekas for boarding and counter-boarding operations, just as we do.

Pragmatic and logical. Nothing less was expected from a tactician and strategist like Tyber Zann.

— Continue the operation to seize the droid factory on Hypori, — I ordered. — Transport it to the Dominion—everything is ready for production restoration. Transfer the completed droidekas to regular fleet ships for the third phase of Operation Crimson Dawn.

— Affirmative, sir, — Shohashi echoed. — I have several proposals. May I send them now?

With the Mustafar operation looming, Shohashi was unlikely to have prepared a tome spanning thousands of pages.

— I await your report, Commodore, — I ordered, deactivating the holoprojector.

My gaze shifted to the hologram hovering in the center of the cabin.

Mustafar... The site of our next strike, where we'd arrive in a few hours. On Coruscant, a new day would dawn...

— Sir, — Rukh's voice came through the comlink. — The Hand is here to see you.

In the Noghri's parlance, the title sounded distasteful.

And it grated on the ears.

For the umpteenth time, I considered devising something less clichéd for Lady Jade, yet reflective of her role.

— Invite her in, — I ordered, dimming the hologram and increasing the cabin's lighting.

The fiery redhead didn't keep me waiting long.

— You killed hundreds of thousands of civilians! — she began, barely crossing the threshold.

— Good evening to you too, Mara, — I said calmly, gesturing to a chair. — Please, sit.

Fury blazed in Jade's eyes.

— Grand Admiral, seriously? — she asked caustically. — You struck Coruscant! The New Republic is barely managing to tally the dead and aid the wounded! You promised to target only military objectives!

I leaned back in my chair, calmly meeting the gaze of the barely restrained, furious woman.

The gray shadow of Rukh and Grodin Tierce's figure loomed invisibly behind her, ready to intervene at any moment.

— What exactly are you referring to? — I asked, maintaining a polite tone.

She trembled with overwhelming emotion.

— Coruscant, Thrawn, — she growled, her voice hoarse, as if she'd been shouting elsewhere. Or sobbing uncontrollably. — You attacked a civilian target! Hundreds of thousands dead! How are you any better than Palpatine's thugs or the man himself? Fires have been burning on the planet for a day, and they can't put them out!

From her tone, she was ready to kill me on the spot. And then burn and scatter my ashes to the stellar winds.

No wonder her lightsaber was confiscated before entry.

And once again, thanks to the engineers for the stationary ysalamiri cages. I was certain in such a situation, she wouldn't hesitate to use something from the Dark Side's arsenal.

— First, lower your tone, Lady, — I said calmly. — You're not in a position to yell at me like I'm a wayward spouse. That's the first point. Second, — I pointed to the chair against the wall. — Sit!

She opened her mouth to retort, but Tierce's deliberate cough brought the fiery woman to her senses.

Collapsing into the chair, she leaned forward, glaring at me.

— Now, to the details, — I said. — Remind me, what am I accused of?

— Planetary bombardment! — she exploded. — You blockaded Coruscant with invisible asteroids, and when they dropped the shield, they all crashed onto the surface! Hundreds of asteroids!

— One hundred and three, to be precise, — I countered calmly. — Each three meters in size, packed with ryll. The explosive yield equivalent to an anti-ship missile warhead. Blast radius—one hundred fifty standard meters.

— And you're boasting? — she raged on. — You held an entire planet hostage! For a day, Coruscant's population has been evacuating, not knowing where to go if there's another attack!

— Thus, the intended result was achieved, — I said, maintaining my composure. — That's all.

She gasped, like a balloon deflating, shaking her head.

Disappointment mixed with horror flickered in her eyes.

A certain resignation...

— You said I bombarded Coruscant, — I continued, crossing my arms. — I don't recall doing so in my career.

— The asteroids... — she whispered.

— Ah, yes, — I nodded. — I recall. I believe I used thirty-three forty-meter asteroids to destroy the core of the New Republic's First Defense Fleet at Coruscant, and about fifteen hundred smaller asteroids to eliminate a dozen New Republic squadrons. I also used three large asteroids and one hundred three-meter ones to blockade Coruscant. One of those asteroids was deliberately aimed at an orbital mirror to show the enemy what they were dealing with, ensuring they wouldn't lower the planetary shield until the threat was neutralized. By my calculations, that should've taken them a month.

— During which time Coruscant would've faced a starvation riot! — she said venomously.

— And why is that? — I asked.

— Because there wasn't enough food for everyone!

— And that's my fault? — I inquired.

— Whose else? — she retorted, stunned. — Your attacks on the fringes triggered a migration to Coruscant as the safest world in the galaxy. Supplies couldn't keep up, so...

— Stop, — I requested. She fell silent obediently. — Excellent. Without the New Republic's propaganda pouring from your mouth like a venomous torrent, you seem quite rational. Now, to the facts.

Mara huffed indignantly.

— The New Republic's attack on the Ciutric Hegemony led to pirates seizing control of several systems, — I said. — Thousands of residents and soldiers died clearing those criminals from the captured systems.

— What's the connection between the New Republic's attack on the Hegemony and pirates taking control? — she asked, surprised.

— A direct cause-and-effect, — I stated. — With no legal basis for invading a neutral state, the New Republic attacked the Hegemony's worlds. Prince-Admiral Krennel's mistakes led to pirates being hired to repel the attack, and they seized control. I had to deal with them. Remember this point—government error. Next, the New Republic put a bounty on my head, — I glanced at Rukh. — How many hunters responded?

— Forty-seven, — he replied.

— And only thanks to the Noghri am I still alive, — judging by her expression, Mara still didn't grasp it. — Did I turn to Boba Fett for a counter-"favor" against Mon Mothma?

— No, probably not, — she said.

— Exactly, — I confirmed. — I went to great lengths to convince those sentients I bore them no ill will. I explicitly warned them of the danger of Palpatine's return. And not one ship did they send to the Deep Core for reconnaissance. Instead, they launched a manhunt against me using Bothans and Admiral Ackbar. As far as I'm concerned, that's a poor way to show gratitude.

Jade remained silent.

— I'm tired of babysitting them, — her face showed confusion. — Playing a one-sided game isn't the sport I enjoy. If Coruscant's government can't feed its population, swollen by migrants—that's not my problem. If they don't realize Coruscant, as a symbol of galactic power, will be Palpatine's first target, regardless of losses on either side—that's, again, not my problem. If Coruscant's government didn't think to disable the shield by segments and instead dropped it entirely—that's their fault. As is the fact that they disabled the inner shield and, due to power issues, couldn't reactivate it. These are government mistakes, not my villainous scheme.

— Bel Iblis, in his interview, said there's no structural provision for disabling the planetary shield by segments, — Mara said, looking at me. She clarified: — I watched his speech ten minutes ago.

— Is that so, — I smiled. — Did Bel Iblis tell the public that, years ago, when Ysanne Isard ruled the planet, the planetary shields were disabled by segments without issue, and with both shields active, there were no problems powering the planet? In just two and a half years of controlling Coruscant, the New Republic rendered its backup defense system inoperable, allowing leaks or unregistered connections, preventing them from using the inner shield without risking public unrest. They can't protect or control the lawful behavior of their population. If the New Republic can't manage its territory, defense, or care for its citizens—that's not my problem. No one forced them to drop the shield. No one forced them to trust Talon Karrde's word that there were only thirty-six asteroids, — Mara shot me an exhausted glance.

Her fiery charge seemed to have fizzled out.

Good, if so.

— The trap was designed for the military, — I said. — It's not my fault that, even after a year and a half of fighting me, they haven't learned to use the gray matter in their skulls.

— Civilians died, — Mara said plaintively.

— Yes, — I agreed. — Further proof the New Republic doesn't care about its citizens. When you lower a shield suspecting invisible, explosive-laden rocks might fall, you don't usually tell civilians to hide in bunkers. No, you use the planetary garrison to forcibly evacuate everyone to safe zones. Leia Organa-Solo ensured her children survived the asteroid strikes. But somehow forgot about the thousands of other children she didn't send to the same bunker.

— Are you saying your hands are clean of the blood of those poor souls killed by bombardments, collapsing buildings, or avalanches from the Manarai Mountains? — Mara asked weakly.

— Who's to blame when a weapon forged by a smith kills a civilian? — I asked. — The armorer who made it, or the one who used it directly against unarmed residents?

— That's a poor analogy, — Mara grimaced.

— Then consider that a state, instead of accepting peace on feasible terms, continues a futile war against a qualitatively superior opponent, is the true culprit behind civilian deaths, not the one who launched cloaked asteroids into the orbit of a planet with a deflector shield, — I said calmly. — Nothing stopped the New Republic from disabling one shield segment, positioning freighters beneath it to detonate some asteroids in the air, and shooting down debris with turbolasers. That's what I expected, but I evidently overestimated the New Republic's Joint Command.

— And that's your justification? — Mara asked, giving a bitter smile.

— I have nothing to justify, — I said emotionlessly. — The Dominion doesn't wage war against the New Republic or other enemies without ensuring the safety of its citizens. If the Republicans lack the sense to grasp basic war-fighting principles, I hope at least Coruscant's forced resettlement will prevent Palpatine from turning it into a slaughterhouse upon conquest.

— I understand, — Mara Jade said after a few minutes of silence, standing and giving me a short nod. — I apologize for my behavior. It won't happen again.

She headed for the exit but was stopped by my voice.

— One last thing, Hand, — I said. She turned to face me, our eyes meeting. — If your convictions tell you to abandon your service, do so immediately upon arriving at Mustafar. And don't stand in my way.

Her right eyelid twitched.

— I understand I was wrong, — she whispered. — I remain loyal to you.

Well, that called for a dressing-down.

— In that case, Hand, ensure that in our next interaction, the pronoun "you" is used only in two scenarios, and only after they occur, — her right eyebrow arched upward. Thank you, dear chief medic, for such a splendid jest. If only you knew the context I'd use it in... — First, you've saved my life or protected the Dominion from destruction. Second, we've grown so close that a celebrant is nearby, ready to bind us in marriage. In all other cases, your fate will be unenviable. There will be no further warnings.

Mara gave a crooked smile but quickly hid it.

— Understood, Grand Admiral, — she said softly. — The warning is noted.

— Dismissed, — I ordered.

As the door closed behind the Hand, I glanced at Rukh and Tierce.

— Arrange surveillance on her, — I ordered. — If she intends to betray us, I need to know as soon as possible.

Both bodyguards nodded silently and set to work.

I took a deep breath and opened Commodore Shohashi's report.