Grand Admiral

Nine years, six months, and thirteen days after the Battle of Yavin...

Or forty-fourth year, six months, and thirteen days after the Great Resynchronization.

The return to Tangrene was somehow... usual.

The triumphal arch, built by two light Carack-class cruisers, although it symbolized our victory, looked somehow pale compared to the completion of the operation at Rugosa. Not that I insisted on honoring my own ambition, but... However, what's the difference in all these celebrations, if it's only about returning to base. Without losing ships. After a not-so-easy battle.

Now the main thing is to think about what to do next and prepare for the assault on the Hast shipyards. It's time to get rid of the "obligations". The money reserve, formed both after receiving money from Krennel and expropriated as a result of the capture of the Loyalty by Captain Shohashi, made it possible not to worry about their shortage in the near future. And finally resolve issues with payments of salaries to shipyard workers and military personnel. Even to the stormtroopers, who in the past had only small receipts from the state for their constant service. Something at the level of funding for soldiers and sailors of conscript service in my past. Yes, I discovered this fact for myself, as always, by studying documents from the Imperial archives. During the time of the Galactic Empire, weekly payments for service to the military and stormtroopers in particular were indeed made. But they stopped being carried out after the territory controlled by the Empire shrank to the Remnants. On Orinda, they decided that it was really worth continuing to pay salaries to naval specialists, officers, and sailors. But as for the stormtroopers... the policy is simple – why do people who have been turned into "meat droids" need money? After all, they will uncomplainingly accept any changes. Actually, I also took this calmly, taking it for granted, without going into the details.

And here, after the loss of the Noghri's loyalty, I pondered a simple question: how to ensure the loyalty of the military to me and at the same time not make great efforts? You can't live on victories alone.

At the very least, the inspiration of my subordinates in the face of victories is already available. But even with this money there was a certain "hitch", because it was constantly being spent on the repair of the fleet and the purchase of necessary spare parts.

But now there are many more funds... It's clear that there will be more expenses, but the positive example that has been carried out in relation to civilian specialists is indicative in its essence: people and other sentients are ready to work overtime in order to receive funds that they will not receive anywhere in the future. A direct cause-and-effect relationship: the demand for highly paid positions of sentients, albeit with a mandatory transition from the category of "volunteer" to "conscript", gives rise to an offer from both civilians and other specialists, including military personnel, leaving their places of service and heading to recruitment points.

Yes, I was wrong again. Moff Ferrus did not call sentients directly to Tangrene – I understood this from the studied operational reports. It's nice that the moff turned out to be smarter than I thought – in order not to discredit the main rear base, he organized recruiting points on the planets of the Imperial Space, where volunteers arrived. And then they were transported by transport ships to the former Ubictorate residence. This is how information about the location of the fleet base under my command was fragmented. I made a mistake by revealing the location of the base on Tangrene to Ferrier and other pirates, although previously an outpost in the Pakuuni system was used as a meeting point. This was done precisely in order to exclude the main base from the equation. I was wrong to decide that capers deserve to be trusted with such information. Well, a lesson for the future. And the realization of the fact that I intuitively made the right choice of the moff as commander of the financial, economic, and personnel underpinnings of my forces.

Therefore, despite the actions of Lieutenant Colonel Astarion's operatives, who destroyed republican spies, the disclosure of this secret can be expected. Which led to a simple truth – the security of the rear base should be taken care of. Our Golan II-class defense station will soon be in service, but as such, it will not cause serious harm in the event of a rapid and massive offensive by enemy ships. But if there are about a dozen of them...

No, there will definitely not be a dozen of them – it's too expensive to acquire them. It's another matter if you borrow and modernize them according to the existing project... However, I knew for sure where I could get some of the equipment I was interested in.

— And Moff Ferrus has gone out of his way, — Captain Pellaeon distracted me from my thoughts.

Following his gaze, I looked towards the orbit of Tangrene.

— Interesting, — that's all I could say, seeing the unfolding picture. — Contact Tangrene's control room, Captain. — Send them our cargo manifests and determine the order of unloading and repairs. We won't be staying here long. Order the fleet ships to rearrange into a column formation according to the existing protocol and, at thirty percent of the maximum speed of the marching speed, proceed through both Triumphal Arches. The Chimaera is leading, — that is, it moves first in a formation that civilians usually call "single file" or "one after another." — The Implacable is closing.

— It will be done, Grand Admiral! — Pellaeon saluted and briskly headed towards the communications compartment, leaving me alone to stroke the ysalamiri sleeping obediently on my lap and examine the scene unfolding in front of my flagship.

And there was clearly something to see.

The Nemesis and two "twos" from among the previously captured and repaired Freedom and Invidious were forming into the second triumphal arch – closer to the shipyard. And if I'm calm about the Von Schneider's destroyer — there is a full-blooded crew on it, but the other two... "Where did the firewood come from?" That is, where did enough sentients for this kind of show come from? It needs to be figured out. I don't think that Moff Ferrus and Lieutenant Colonel Astarion solved the acute staffing issue with such great speed. And after all, the Imperious and the Loyalty captured by it are still heading here... In total, four ships already need not small crews. Things...

Three Imperial Star Destroyers, having formed a semblance of a triangle, invited us to proceed between them immediately after our caravan of starships passed a pair of Caracks. The path from the point of appearance in real space directly to the place where most of the "goodies" we captured would be unloaded. Some of the cargo — second-class hyperdrives for heavy cruisers — will be unloaded directly at the shipyard, while the rest — will be delivered to warehouses located on the surface of Tangrene.

It's nice, damn it, when you are greeted like this. The tradition of the fleet, after all...

And my thoughts once again turned to solving the next dilemma that I faced. There is no need to command the "parade", everyone knows their job. Badly or well, but they know it. And the column formation and instructions from the planet's ATC will allow to prevent tragic collisions.

But how much time will we spend getting to our bases, participating in this ceremonial procession? The question, of course, is rhetorical — three times more than if we were moving at maximum speed, as always happens. However, a certain thought has already formed, requiring implementation and obtaining from it an intangible surplus for my cause. You cannot deprive people of their legal right to a legal triumph. They have earned the last one – we went straight into the trap, carried out all the tasks set before us almost without incident and even more, and returned to the base without losing any ships. May all the raids be like this!

Hmm... Psychology and economic interest as a means of gaining loyalty? And why not, one wonders? Any being likes it when their actions are appreciated – for young and not-so-young Imperials, this rule also has no exception. Consequently, it is worth thinking about making this tradition permanent – for every ship returning from battle to the base. Of course, in case of victory... The crews will definitely be pleased, especially if you connect ground services to the triumphal welcome, say, provide leaves to the surface. For bravery in battle and high results in service.

Why not? In my past life, conscripts, and even contract soldiers, were happy about this. Are local sentients any worse or better than people from my past? Well, I think not.

And if we apply analytics, why not return cash payments to stormtroopers? Of course, not in the same amount as before, the fleet's budget simply will not withstand such expenses for paying for service to all sentients without exception according to the old Imperial tariff grids. But if you look at the situation logically... If stormtroopers and other Imperials received nothing for their service except rations, and now they will receive at least fifty credits on top of that in the same month, then this is a very significant amount of money. Yes, not the limit of dreams, but for understanding the price level and the cost of goods, it is worth saying that you can live a day on one credit in modern times. And quite decently. And if you take into account the fact that the armed forces under my command are provided with food, uniforms, housing, and other everyday needs almost completely at the expense of the fleet's budget, then it can be said that they should like the extra money.

It only remains to calculate the economic feasibility of such a step. Otherwise, you can break a lot of things out of stupidity... Including the fragile economy that is based only on the availability of "looted" and "honestly earned".

Which leads to another question – does it make sense to invest money and resources in the economic development of the Morshdain sector. Initially, I planned to use the sector only as a rear base for the supply and repair of the fleet. But the more ships are under my command, the more sentients pass under "my flag", the stronger the understanding becomes – there are still about four months of confrontation ahead before the end of the current year and making a fundamental decision about the future fate. The money I have now should be enough to continue operations as planned.

But there is also an understanding of the fact that without an economic base I will have to continue "earning through plunder". And this is a dead-end path. At least due to the fact that in the future this option will no longer work. If you don't go into details, then to maintain three hundred (or even more) ships of various types, a significant amount of money will be required. The fleet and the army must fight and thereby justify the economic feasibility of their existence in such an unstable time in the galaxy. And therefore, economic relations should be maximized to extract profit in order to ensure income even in "peacetime".

Which kind of hints that you can't live on military infrastructure alone. One day the supply of money will come to an end, and then you will have to face the impossibility of paying for the purchase of spare parts, paying for the work of shipyard workers, or purchasing equipment that we ourselves are not able to produce. War does not always bring the profit that you hope for. And at this moment in time, normally functioning states pour into the military economy that part of the budget that is formed from the collection of taxes from the population and economic operations in the civilian sectors.

And if even simpler – the fleet and the army are very, very expensive to maintain. An economy is needed, similar to the one that the D'Astan sector, the Syutrik Hegemony, as well as all other Imperial Remnants have. After all, they are not only engaged in the production of weapons and the export of suffering...

Which leads to the next dilemma – I intended to abandon Tangrene, taking everything necessary from here for further operations. There are no guarantees that after the fleet leaves after Sluis Van, the sector will not be taken by the Republicans or someone from the Remnants. Not to mention whether the Reborn Emperor will decide to retaliate against those who supported me. And therefore, all the funds that I invest in the development of the civil economy of the Morshdain sector may ultimately simply end up in the hands of the enemy. And I will spend a huge amount of money on this project instead of using it to finance my campaign.

Or somehow wriggle out to make Morshdain and Moff Ferrus my economic base, even when I go "into the shadows"? But again, where is the guarantee that the returned Palpatine will not remove the moff from the management of the sector and everything that will be created?

A dilemma... And you don't know how to proceed so as not to go broke with money.

Or just don't fill my head with what I'm generally extremely far from and let Ferrus solve the problem on his own? Especially since the Syutrik campaign is not far off... And there will be both factories and all the necessary supplies, an already developed and well-functioning economy...

Hmm... what if I make it so that the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe?

There will still be a war, so why am I panicking?

— Sir, Lieutenant Jade reports that she is ready to come aboard the Chimaera as soon as you approve her request, — Lieutenant T'schel appeared next to my chair.

— Consider that I have already approved, — I said, handing the sleeping ysalamiri to the Imperial. The animal is lucky – it sleeps all day, eats, basks on warm limbs, there are no requirements or complaints to it, and all that it needs is simply to continue its natural physiological activity of "reflecting the Force".

I wish I could live like that!

***

— You knew about it! — Councilor Fey'lya's clawed finger poked accusingly towards Mon Mothma.

The red-haired woman wearily looked at the documents spread out in front of her. And yet the meeting had started for a completely different reason...

— This... this action of yours is on the verge of betrayal! — the Bothan continued to loom over the table. And his tone was shifting from harsh rhetoric to practically accusations. Not to say that he was far from the truth. She really knew that Leia and General Cracken intended to go on a reckless journey in order to obtain the data that were so necessary to save the New Republic. And unfortunately, no one – even Cracken's ubiquitous agents – could find any valuable information about the threat from the Imperial separate task force. If intelligence data from the Imperial Space did arrive, they were only of a general nature. The one that was already known. Yes, there is some unit of Imperials, acting separately from the policy of the Imperial Space and any of the Remnants. Yes, this task force is headed by a being with the rank of Grand Admiral.

And... that's it.

The main part of the intelligence data came from Orinda, but few people there knew what was happening. Most likely, the level of access to such secrets began and was limited in the area of the Imperial Ruling Council. Which was not too forthcoming about what was happening. And watched closely what was happening. And punished everyone who somehow provided information to the New Republican scouts. The most recent information that was obtained concerned the fact that the person heading the separate task force not only calls himself a Grand Admiral, but also received from the Imperial Ruling Council the post of Supreme Commander more than a year ago. Along with the ships that he had at the beginning of the campaign several months ago. Judging by the fact that hundreds of star destroyers did not fall on the worlds of the New Republic, the Imperials preferred to restrain the destructive impulses of their Grand Admiral. For some reason.

What they were – it was not possible to find out. Before the scouts, who were working on the mystery of the mysterious Imperial commander, could obtain a new portion of information, their bloodless bodies were delivered by a courier droid to Coruscant, in the hold of an old freighter. The entire group of agents, killed in the traditional way for the Imperial Security Service — with particular cruelty, were delivered to Coruscant in the hold of their cover ship. It seems that the illegal agents in the Imperial Space remained, but... No one had access to them after Cracken's death. The question of where exactly the agents who intended to reveal the location of the Grand Admiral's base flew remained unanswered. And after the disappearance of General Cracken, the chances of getting to the remnants of illegal agents became even more ghostly.

No matter how hard the scouts tried, it was no longer possible to find out anything beyond this. Neither the location of the base, nor the name of the person heading the Imperials, acting so boldly, coordinated, mercilessly... Only vague hints that unknown star destroyers are found in the territory of the Five Star Commonwealth, the Syutrik Hegemony, and the D'Astan sector. But this is not new – the Imperials prefer not to use "friend-or-foe" identification systems even in their own territory, which did not allow the identification of ships without special and cumbersome equipment.

Admiral Ackbar, before his dismissal, made an interesting observation. Interesting from the point of view of the enemy's tactics and strategy. But extremely depressing for the New Republic.

Whoever this Imperial is, he fears a direct clash with large formations of an enemy state. His tactics are based on fast, short-term actions that damage military infrastructure. He has problems with the number of ships in his fleet, or a craving for trophies, so he seeks to capture damaged starships of the linear, cruiser, or corvette class, less often frigates. Consequently, he does not have enough forces to organize a full-fledged invasion of any sector and subdue it to his authority. He intends to build up his forces – slowly, but surely. Having now received three star destroyers (four, if General Calrissian's Loyalty also turned out to be among the Imperial trophies), this being cannot immediately put them all under his command – this requires forming crews, and the Imperials have problems with recruitment. As far as Mon Mothma understood from the story of the new head of intelligence of the New Republic, the dead agents tried to penetrate the Imperial task force under the guise of volunteers, which the Imperials are still trying to scrape together. As it turned out, this Grand Admiral has a well-functioning counterintelligence system.

— Sit down, Councilor Fey'lya, — Mon Mothma advised wearily. — Your feelings are understandable to me, what happened is a tragedy for all of us.

— A tragedy? — a spark of ridicule and threat appeared in the Bothan's eyes. — Is that what you call it, Head of the Council? Do you call the disappearance of an Imperial-I-class star destroyer of our fleet that has just been returned to service with a crew on board, as well as Princess Organa-Solo, Generals Cracken and Calrissian a "tragedy"?

The native of the planet Chandrilla looked at the Bothan with a silent reproach. Why this pathos? Why the pomp and populism? Here, at a meeting of the reduced composition of the Provisional Council, there are no those who could somehow support the Bothan in his high speeches. Her head hurts from the latest news even without this.

— Our high-ranking politicians and military personnel have either been captured or are dead, — Borsk Fey'lya continued to make his speech. — And you say "Tragedy"? No, Mon Mothma – this is a catastrophe. Imagine how much the Imperial warlord can get from our citizens!? And after all, we have already actually provided him with a fourth Imperial Star Destroyer! I'm not even talking about the huge sum that was secretly transferred to Princess Leia to buy information! And this is despite the fact that at the moment the Bothan intelligence is sparing no effort in the search for the smallest pieces of information about our enemy and his forces! Well, with your permission, respected Mon Mothma, we have actually financed the construction of a super star destroyer of the Executor-class! I'm not even talking about how vulnerable our military and political secrets have become! The Imperials will get the information they need through torture, — the Bothan paused, taking a sip of water from a glass. — I'm not saying that Princess Leia's pregnancy will make her act rashly and voluntarily answer the questions of Imperial interrogators in order to save her life and the lives of her children... — Mon Mothma felt like she was about to feel sick. These are not just words. Borsk found out about what had happened much earlier than her and definitely prepared for this speech. Most likely, he had already prepared the ground among his supporters and now, while she was wasting her time and energy on him, rumors were spreading through the Imperial Palace, defaming the honor and dignity of the heroes of the Rebellion — the princess, the generals...

— Stop immediately, Councilor Fey'lya! — she struck the gavel on the board, interrupting the talkative orator in mid-sentence. — We do not have information about what actually happened in the Milagro system. Our investigators are still working on the site...

— And they found enough fragments of Imperial small ships, our fighters and bombers, but not a single fragment from civilian starships that could belong to Talon Karrde's starships, who lured our people into this system. And even more so — not a single destroyed large Imperial ship! I am, without a doubt, confident that our valiant soldiers fought as befits heroes, but facts are a stubborn thing! You and your friends believed in the honesty of a smuggler and an information trader! And this led to the capture of our people at best...

— You are too confident in your categoricality, — Mon Mothma regained her composure. Borsk, deciding that she was tired and could be finished off right now, made a serious mistake. He, as always, was in a hurry, believing that the same laws apply in republican politics as in Bothan. No, Councilor. In the New Republic, there are not so many reckless schemers ready to pounce on the defaulter following the accuser. The New Republic needs facts and evidence. — At the very least, you exclude from the constants assumptions you declare the fact that our star destroyer Loyalty was seriously damaged in battle and is now moving towards the nearest base on backup power. You are the head of the armed forces of the New Republic, Councilor Fey'lya, and you are obliged to allow the possibility that the Loyalty could have survived the battle...

— In light of recent events, I am not sure that we have the opportunity to count on an optimistic outcome, — Councilor Fey'lya said significantly. — The Empire attacked our training base, where the "Yellow Aces" trained in the past, having mined it after their departure. Fortunately, our naval specialists, already taught by bitter experience under the command of Admiral Ackbar, approached the study of the base with all thoroughness, and the explosions of the main and backup reactors were avoided. The attack on our weapons supplier — Hauff Darklighter from Tatooine — is also an unpleasant sign, not to mention that the Empire carried out sabotage at several other military facilities. Their attack on the planet Kai Fel is outrageous in nature! They captured a huge number of various models of hyperdrives! Not to mention the enormous damage caused to our allies from the Kuat sector!

— The Kuat shipyards have not made any claims against us, — Mon Mothma reminded her, seizing the opportunity to change the subject of the conversation. She understood perfectly well that the Bothan did not just lash out at her with masked accusations – he was studying her diplomatic defense. He wanted to determine her counterarguments in order to be able to prepare to challenge them. Mon Mothma no longer doubted that this being had initiated a special meeting with the sole purpose – as a rehearsal before speaking to the Senate of the New Republic in order to remove her from the position of head of the Provisional Government. In fact, only Leia, Cracken, and Ackbar could stop him from striving to climb to the very top of power. And now they, for one reason or another, have dropped out of the political battles... A strange fact – only the Bothan party benefits from any troubles of the New Republic.

And this fact is extremely suspicious... If Mon Mothma were not a reasonable person, she would have thought that the Empire is acting in order for the Bothans to seize power. But this cannot be by default – the New Order does not like non-humans. And given that only dyed-in-the-wool xenophobes remained in power in the Imperial Remnants (well, except for Grand Moff Ardus Kane, who stands out against their background for his peaceful character – he does not claim what is foreign, but will not give up his own either), their alliance with Fey'lya cannot exist by definition...

By the definition of the heyday of the Galactic Republic. And if you believe the carefully cultivated propaganda of republican agents, imposing on the galaxy the idea that the Imperials oppressed exotics and hated them regardless of skin color, race, religion, and other criteria... Only the top of the New Republic knew that this was not true at all... But they wisely kept such information away from prying eyes, speculating on the real crimes of the Empire's military machine. In times when the influence of the Imperials has been minimized, finishing off a wounded enemy is much easier than fighting him in the open. Therefore, the New Republic did not switch to a full-scale offensive – it was simply not yet ready for such a thing. First, it was necessary to prepare the ground ideologically in order to facilitate the actions of ground forces — and among the fanatically loyal to the Empire worlds, the battle "to the last soldier" is observed too often. For this reason, the New Republic prefers not to meddle where mass casualties and protracted battles are expected.

But this is a strategy, and a state one at that. At the moment, she needs to switch to counteracting Borsk in the political plane. And for this, she needs her own allies... If only I knew who to count on... Oh, if only Jedi Skywalker or General Solo were on Coruscant... But no, they were far away. And, to be honest, they do not have such a great political weight compared to Ackbar and the princess... But something. Unfortunately, calling them to Coruscant right now for her support... would be good. But it would look like a gesture of desperation. The Bothans could eliminate both of them from politics quickly and efficiently. So that in the future they will never again be able to provide any support.

And they are carrying out assignments... serious ones. In general terms, Mon knew what missions they were carrying out. And she very much hoped that Fey'lya and his campaign would in no way interfere with Skywalker and Solo carrying out their missions. Otherwise it will be a complete failure.

And political suicide. If only Leia's husband could get in touch with Grand Admiral Octavian Grant and persuade him to return to the "fold", but under the flag of the New Republic. This being could sufficiently replace Admiral Ackbar in the military field (and, more likely than not, even surpass him). Perhaps he will even be able to destroy the Imperial task force. And then things will get better, and the encroachments of the Bothans can be leveled and their thirst for power controlled, directing it in a positive direction.

— They haven't made any claims yet, — Councilor Fey'lya stated. — Because they are calculating the damage caused. But one thing is clear — it's billions of republican credits. And if they file a claim against us...

— The Kuat shipyards will adhere to the diplomatic development of negotiations with us, — Mon Mothma said confidently. — They, like most of the New Republic, are independent autonomies. Kuat refused to deploy our military bases on the territory of his sector – they promised to monitor their own security independently. They have nothing to blame us for.

— Except that our fleet let the Imperials through their territory into the systems controlled by Kuat, — Borsk stated.

Mon smiled faintly.

— But this, Mr. Councilor, is your own problem, — she said restrainedly. — You are the head of our Armed Forces. For the time being, anyway, — she made a logical emphasis at the right moment when pronouncing her phrase. — So responsibility for their actions, successful or not, rests entirely on you and your assistants. You claimed that you were able to control our valiant military personnel and lead them to victory. It seems to me that you should pay the closest attention to this, — she added with a polite, perfunctory smile. — As well as an investigation into how our training base on the planet Tierfon was destroyed under your sensitive leadership, its defenders, who were, among other things, under the command of your compatriot and protégé, were killed, seven X-wings and a YT-1300 transporter were hijacked, an unknown number of our young recruits were taken prisoner, an arsenal was taken out, and, apparently — the central computer is also in the hands of our opponents. I think that at the next meeting of the Senate of the New Republic, this issue will be raised first, since you tactfully evade its discussion at an emergency meeting of the Provisional Government now. I hope you will be ready to provide all the explanations that interest me and the senators.

— Oh, make no mistake, — Borsk Fey'lya assured her with surprising calm. — I have already taken all the necessary steps. And our opponents will be destroyed in the near future. By the end of the year, optimally – within three months, the repair of the Lusankya will be completed. And we will open a hunt for the Imperial separate task force.

Mon Mothma felt that she was running out of air. She definitely did not expect such a step from the Bothans. And did not know how to react to it – after all, the warships were under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces. She did not even know where the captured trophy Imperial star super destroyer, the flagship of Isanne Isard's fleet, was located as a result of the Bacta War... But she understood that she urgently needed help to prevent something terrible from happening, like the complete control of the pro-Imperial hating Bothans over the most powerful ship in the New Republic fleet.

It seems that Princess Leia had a wonderful assistant who was a field agent in the past. With excellent analytical skills. What was her name? Winter, yes, exactly, Winter. Leia said that this girl is capable of a sober assessment of the situation and is her advisor. At this time, she should be working in the Vestibule of the Imperial Palace with citizens' requests.

Excellent. There they will discuss the news of the last few hours.

***

The operational meeting was held in a small compartment designed for briefing officers. Hmm... if you think about it, there are too many rooms with narrow functionality on board an Imperial Star Destroyer. A compartment for briefing the duty squadron, reconnaissance, bombing, for fighter and interceptor pilots... Yes, yes, yes, they are all separate rooms. For senior officers — their own wardroom, for junior officers — their own... And I haven't even fully studied the layout of my flagship as such.

But, I hope, I won't need this in the future.

The man sitting in front of me was frankly bored. Which can't be said about Messrs. Reyes and Ferrus, who were located to my right.

— Mr. Zion, — I addressed the recruited shipbuilder. Mara Jade, standing behind my back, finally stopped pretending to be a fool. And now she appeared in her true intellectual form – calm, dangerous, and not reacting to anything. — I'm glad that you have joined us.

— Your assistant promised me an orbital repair station of the second type, — the man said in a tone full of dissatisfaction. The patch over his left eye made him look like a pirate. At least, it should have. — And for all the time that I have spent here, I have not even been allowed to the shipyard. And how, I wonder, am I supposed to work, not knowing either the engineers or the technical capabilities of your ORS? Is it of the second type at all or the first?

— Second, — Chief Engineer Reyes said irritably.

— H-huh? — the shipbuilder Zion grimaced, looking at his colleague with a sneer in his single eye? — And where are the production complexes then?

— On the planet, — the fact that Mr. Reyes was looking too obviously aside did not escape my attention. So, so, so, something interesting.

— And for me, you don't have a couple or three hundred hectares of industrial complexes to have a full cycle, — Zion snorted. Looking at me, he added:

— Orbital repair shipyards of the second type are considered shipbuilding ones, but in fact, their difference from the first, ship repair type, is only in the presence of a hyperdrive and a number of additional technical improvements. They are not capable of building ships themselves without the presence of a suitable industry, which you do not have.

— Thank you for reminding me of this, — I said. — As if we didn't know that...

— I was promised full-fledged shipyards! — the shipbuilder said emphatically, poking his finger at the table top as if it were somehow to blame. — But in fact, all you have is repair and can only do...

— If something does not suit you, Mr. Zion, then you can always take a shuttle and fly away, — I said calmly. — No one will tolerate hysterics. Or arguments – as well. This is the first and last warning. Is that clear?

— As clear as a supernova explosion, — Ryan Zion snorted, but still less impulsively. He stared at Reyes sitting in front of him, and then looked at me:

— So, the terms of my contract. I want to receive one hundred and fifty thousand credits for a month of my work, to have complete freedom to dispose of the personnel at my disposal. I do not tolerate arguments with me, advice, and other techno-heresy. If you have read somewhere in reference books and quasi-technical literature and require me to turn your star destroyers into miniature Death Stars – I will pack my things and fly to find a place for myself on Kuat. Do you accept my terms, Grand Admiral?

Well, even that... Yes, they said that it would be difficult with him.

— Lieutenant Jade, — I said quietly. — Teach this man reverence.

Before Ryan could imagine anything, Mara was behind his back, twisted his right arm in a lock, and pressed his face to the table. She pressed it with a swing.

— And now listen to me, Mr. Shipbuilder, — the red-haired beast continued to twist the arm of her captive, not allowing him to move. Judging by the smile that flashed on Nick Reyes' lips, he was pleased. But Moff Ferrus, seeing that the issue under discussion did not concern him, switched to work, conducting the economic calculations that I had previously thought about. I shouldn't meddle in what I don't understand. — No one here dares to set terms for me. You will not receive a salary at the level of a planetary governor, since you are not one. Your colleagues from civilian specialties, commanding shipyards, earn three times less – and we are now talking about "Kuat Shipyards", a leader in galactic production. I offer you a salary of seventy-five thousand credits per month, full fleet allowance. You will be free in matters of fulfilling the tasks set before you. If you have sentients under your command, then they will carry out your orders related to the work process. If I or someone from those who stand in our small hierarchy above you needs to get information from you, then you will assemble and arrive to give a report. Now, regarding the shipyard, which will be under your direct control. At the moment, we only have it in one copy and it is commanded by Mr. Reyes, — judging by the glance thrown, their dislike for each other is mutual. — As soon as we get a second one, it will be transferred to your full disposal. A more detailed description of your rights and obligations will be indicated in the employment contract. Are these points clear?

The shipbuilder, spinning his eye wildly, nodded.

— You can let him go, Lieutenant Jade, — I said. The red-haired beast promptly allowed Ryan to regain control of his body. — Will there be any other constructive proposals regarding our long-term cooperation?

— I hope I was not invited here to wipe the table with me? — the man lamented, glaring at Mara. — And you pretended well...

The girl, without even honoring him with a condescending glance, returned to where she was standing.

— Okay, — Zion said after a couple of seconds of a staring game with me. — I accept your offer. It's better than nothing.

— Better than most sentients in the Imperial Space, — Moff Ferrus noted, without taking his eyes off the documents on the deck.

— I won't argue, — the shipbuilder snorted. — So, I would like to hear what you need from me. You have a starship creator, — he nodded in the direction of Nick Reyes, — but you called me. I specialize in the modernization of ships of certain classes.

— We have ships suitable for you, — I noted. — Almost two hundred Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers, for example.

— And whose production are they? — the shipbuilder inquired.

— Rendilian, — I said, deciding not to betray my lack of information on the issue "What, were they produced somewhere else?". However, maybe they were, since the Rendili shipyards had a considerable number of small shipyards scattered throughout the galaxy. It is possible that part of the production was carried out outside the Rendili star system.

— Ah, well then it's not so bad, — Zion nodded, thinking about something of his own. Then he remembered: — Are you not talking about the "Katana Fleet" now?

— About it, — I did not deny. — We have one hundred and ninety-six such heavy cruisers at our disposal. What proposals do you have regarding these ships?

The artificial eye of the shipbuilder Zion seemed to smoke slightly. Out of joy, it seems.

— We have the necessary supply of spare parts to replace outdated technologies and units, — Moff Ferrus said, finally tearing himself away from contemplating his datapad and looking at the shipbuilder. — The cargo of second-class hyperdrives has also been delivered and is ready for installation.

— Clever, — Zion smirked. — Well, these ships, although morally outdated, can still make some trouble. Especially if we take into account that the rebels also have not the newest ships...

— The New Republic, — I corrected him. — Not rebels.

— Well, as you wish, — Mr. Zion shrugged. — A stool can be called a throne, but its meaning remains the same. So, of course, you understand that I will not provide you with a plan for the modernization of two hundred ships now, with all the details, estimates, and so on. I can only outline the general points – what can be done with them...

— I think it will be easier for you to hypothesize if you look at the list of spare parts that we have already purchased for this type of ship, as well as study the project documents that we have, — Reyes said with a polite smile, passing his datapad to his colleague across the table.

— Well, yes, yes, I would go with my opinion, — the wayward shipbuilder muttered, but meanwhile he took the device with the data.

For some time, silence ensued in the room. I was not in a hurry to receive reports from the moff and the chief engineer – there was no trust in Mr. Zion as such yet. And I was in no hurry to reveal any of our secrets in his presence. But I took advantage of the break to type out an order for Mara Jade on my deck and send it to the girl for review.

It turns out that finding the planet Vjun is not so difficult. It is in the archives... And it is surprisingly close to the Gordian Reach. The very one that contains the memorable Yavin star system inside itself...

— In general, — the shipbuilder put the documents aside, — the direction of the ideas is correct. Replacing the main engines will increase the sublight speed – not by much, by about thirty percent at best, but this already means that the heavy cruiser will become a cruiser, and not a slow bantha. I understand that you simply do not have a sufficient number of modern guns to rearm them... well, those that are already on the starships will do. We will update a number of mechanisms and units and the difference from standard systems will be small – about twenty percent, after all, there has not been such a strong scientific and technological progress in this area over the past hundred years. Second-class hyperdrives... I would say how this disgrace will look – Kuatian mechanisms connected through adapters with a Rendilian base, — the man threw a cautious glance at Mara Jade, — but, I think, you understand everything yourself.

— Will they work properly? — I clarified.

— Yes, of course, they will, — Ryan Zion grimaced. — But you will have to tinker with them, of course. So, what else is there... Hangars... A bold idea, however, I understand that the old Imperial project is being used...

— Why invent something new if there is a well-tested old one? — the chief engineer Reyes smiled rhetorically.

— And who argues? — my new employee returned his smile. — But I warn you right away, it's better to discuss this point. Very little will remain of the holds. In fact, we will reduce the autonomy of the ship to a month – at most, and these are only approximate figures. By modernizing generators and reactors, I can certainly achieve a gain in internal space, but not half of the ship. I repeat, so far these are only approximate calculations. But we will definitely be able to place two squadrons of TIE fighters inside each of the heavy cruisers. Plus the necessary supplies of fuel, weapons, a few spare parts... Yes, it should turn out not bad, — the man squinted his only eye. — With Rendilian automation, of course, it's not so chic, but what we have...

— There are now several dozen heavy cruisers at the shipyard that are in the process of replacing engines, hyperdrives, and equipping hangars, — Reyes said. — If you want, I will organize direct access to it for you.

— I am a shipbuilder, — Zion said pompously. — And not a theorist. I want to see what I'm going to work with, and not imagine it in my head. There are not so many idiots like Lyra Blissex in the entire galaxy to establish a connection between the brain and the computer...

— As far as I remember, you were involved in the modernization of Victory-class star destroyers, — I said, casting a line for a new dialogue.

— "More guns instead of rockets and torpedoes," Zion smirked. — Yes, there was a sin of youth.

— The Steel Aurora will arrive on Tangrene soon, — I explained. — It's a first-generation Victory. The ship is badly damaged and needs a major overhaul...

— I am a creative person, spare me from the responsibilities of repairs, — Ryan frowned, pointing his finger at Reyes. — You have Nick, let him deal with the routine... — There was a click as Mara Jade unfastened her holster. — And on the other hand, why not?

— I do not advise you to interrupt me again, — I said in an indifferent tone. — This is fraught with your imminent death. But back to the Steel Aurora. Correct me, technical specialists, if I'm wrong, — are the solar ionization reactors on the "victories" work on the same principles as on the "Imperial" ones?

— The technology is the same, — Reyes shrugged. Zion nodded silently, continuing not to take his eyes off Jade. — The question is in the output power. But the errors are small, of course...

— Then, I suggest that you, Mr. Zion, consider the issue of rearming our victories in the matter of four-gun turret turbolaser installations to eight-gun ones, used on Imperial-class star destroyers, — oh, the reaction of those present had to be seen. Zion's real eye twitched, Reyes's implant filled with crimson, Moff Ferrus flinched.

Even Mara Jade tensed up.

— Ahem, — shipbuilder Zion cleared his throat, looking away. — Grand Admiral, sir... Excuse me, but why do you need such an approach to "victories" when you have a dozen and a half "Imperials"?

— Because I consider it necessary, Mr. Zion, — the shipbuilder threw a very eloquent look in my direction, but immediately became embarrassed, not deciding to enter into another confrontation. — At the moment, there are ten turbolaser turrets around the superstructure of the Victory I – five on each side, left and right. Given the number of gun barrels — the turret artillery consists of forty turbolasers. Modernization will bring their number to the mark of "eighty turbolasers". Forty twin-barreled turbolasers on the hull bring the number of heavy artillery on board this type of ship to one hundred and sixty barrels of different calibers. Given that twin-barreled turbolasers also play the role of medium and anti-aircraft artillery – this is more than worthy weaponry for such a fragile and small ship.

— And together with eighty missile launchers, the ship gets a striking power equal to the "Imperial" one in the best modification, — Zion muttered, calculating something in his mind... — The project is, of course, not the easiest... You'll have to tinker with it, of course... Installing such guns is not a problem. But on "victories" there are problems with energy reservation. Additional generators will be required...

— On the Chimaera we integrated an additional deflector shield pumping generator, — I reminded him. — And this bears fruit.

— Strange, I didn't notice a third sphere on the superstructure, — Zion said.

— We used a pumping generator from a captured MC30 frigate, — Reyes explained. — A surplus of energy for deflectors...

— And if you use a scheme to transfer energy from the shields to weapons? — shipbuilder Zion unexpectedly lit up, looking at his colleague so intently that even I became embarrassed.

— Hmm... — Reyes pondered. — I didn't have such a task. But in principle...

— Additional flow rectifiers? — Zion suggested to his colleague. It seems that the guys are switching to their own language of communication. I'm starting to feel frankly superfluous here. However, judging by Moff Ferrus's gaze – I am not alone here with such thoughts. — They will be sticking out of the Victory...

— And I'm not talking about such a trifle, — Reyes waved his hand. — The Victory will have enough pumping generator from a Mon Calamari frigate, but most likely even two will be required. But...

— Only if you take it on yourself, — shipbuilder Zion unexpectedly backed away. — I will not touch these thousands of design flaws.

— So, from the modernization of the "victories" we switched to the "Imperials", — I stated. — I would like to hear your thoughts, gentlemen.

— It is theoretically possible to modernize the "victories", — Zion admitted. — In practice, we will need to put two, or even three, pumping generators under the armor, like the ones you have installed on the Chimaera. Normally, there should be enough energy for an average rate of fire with the main power unit, but more powerful volleys will have to be powered additionally, so...

— You need pumping generators from the MC30, — I summed up.

— And more, and better, and newer, — Chief Engineer Reyes said, looking at me. — Grand Admiral, sir. In general, we can try to modernize the "Imperials" according to your project...

— What project? — shipbuilder Zion reluctantly became interested.

— The unification of the weapons of my subordinate star destroyers, — I explained. — At the moment, even in my fleet, "Imperials" are represented in the matter of armament in several variants. The proposal is to use the "Imperial-II" as a weapon platform, returning to it the medium turret artillery of turbolasers for fighting against frigates, corvettes, and other ships of their class. Installation of point defense laser cannons — to counter the enemy's starfighters... Expansion of the air wing, optimization of the crew. Theoretical assumptions.

— Hmm... And you, like all Imperial commanders, do not plan to get rid of the landing parties? — shipbuilder Zion barely grimaced.

— At the moment, we don't have that many transport ships to transport them, — I reminded him. — And no, I don't intend to abandon the stormtroopers on board the ships — Imperial Star Destroyers have been captured with boarding actions more than once or twice. Armed fighters on board are the best guarantee that we will not lose our starships again.

— In that case, the idea is doomed to fail, — Zion summed up. — The landing party barracks are a huge space inside the ship. Let me remind you that an Imperial Star Destroyer is a line ship. At least it was intended to be. Until the fool Blissex came up with the idea that using a warship as a universal means of warfare is normal.

— The deployment of landing parties on board "Imperials" is a sign of the times, — I noted. — After the end of the Clone Wars, there were no large-scale military operations throughout the galaxy. The clashes were, though bloody, but still not massive in nature. In conditions where it was necessary to deliver both a landing party, an air wing, and firepower to suppress a rebellion on remote planets, such an approach was fully justified.

— But now we are no longer fighting individual rebels, — Moff Ferrus noted.

— I agree, — I nodded. It seems that Zion is planning something...

— Your proposals are aimed at increasing the firepower of your ships, right? — he asked impatiently.

— That's right, — I agreed.

— But all this artillery needs additional power, — Reyes continued his thought. — It would be stupid to take the generators outside the hull. It is enough that the solar ionization reactor sticks out of the bottom. In general, I offer you the same thing as Grand Moff Kane – to correct the shortcomings that Blissex made. To carry out the rearmament of Imperial Star Destroyers, the restoration of anti-aircraft artillery... There will most likely be a problem with the expansion of the air wing, since the hangar and its structure are extremely difficult to process. But, I think in the main hangar, above the landing pad for cargo ships, you can install brackets to hold a few more TIEs.

— A small amount of additional aircraft will not solve the problem of unreliable cover, — I objected.

— Of course it won't, — Zion agreed. — TIE fighters and interceptors are already a thing of the past. Why not consider other options? Avengers or Defenders.

— Moff Ferrus, make a note to yourself, — I remembered my conversation with Captain Mor. — Find out at the manufacturers about the purchase of Alpha-class strike fighters, which the destroyers were deprived of when they were transferred to my operational command. I want to receive at least one squadron for each of the star destroyers. Including those ships that are currently without crews.

— A commendable step, — the shipbuilder appreciated. — Maybe then you will listen to me? — he suggested.

— What exactly do you propose? — I clarified.

— Reduce the number of landing forces transported on the "Imperials", — the shipbuilder said. — Redevelopment of the interior of the ship. Installation of additional reactors inside the destroyer to power additional strike and anti-aircraft artillery – including the coverage of hangars and the placement of turbolasers in the lower hemisphere. Additional aircraft – one, a maximum of two squadrons by reducing the number of landing craft and heavy equipment. Say, two regiments of stormtroopers will be enough to repel a landing on the ship?

— Quite, — I agreed. — Provided that we strengthen them with the samples of droids that we have.

A predatory smile appeared on Zion's lips.

— Finally, a commander who isn't narrow-minded, — he said. — I've been fighting with the authorities for five years about the issue of the extreme automation of ships, but I've only received rejections.

— I do not intend to allow droids to control starships, — I need to rein him in immediately.

— And I'm not talking about them. — Zion snorted. — The extreme automation systems on the ships of the Katana Fleet made it possible to reduce the number of crew members by almost eight times. On "Imperials" this, of course, will not work in such proportions, but I am sure that I can reduce the need for crew members by at least two to four times. As far as I understand, you have problems with them, since for two out of the three star destroyer-class ships that participated in the Triumphal Arch, Moff Ferrus used B-1 droids and a small number of recruits, — so that's how he did it...

— But you are right, Grand Admiral, — Zion continued. — Droids are of little use when controlling a ship. The Clone Wars proved this very clearly. So I suggest that we study the automation technology of the Katana Fleet and violate the sacred law of Imperial shipbuilding – introduce automation where ten nominal people are located at the same post. After those two hundred heavy cruisers went into an uncontrolled jump, the automation program was buried, like many great things from the past. I am sure that such an approach will only make the ships better! Say, if the "Imperials" will be confidently controlled without loss of combat capability by ten to twelve thousand people, then this is a clear progress. And if it is also armed as you want it and as I can do it, then none of your trophies will be deprived of crews.

— In that case, why not try? — I suggested.

— Sir, this is an extremely deep modernization, — Reyes interrupted. — In fact, it will be necessary to redo most of the internal compartments of the ships, change their location, lay new power lines, pipelines, install additional firing points, reactors...

— But we will be able to place additional pumping generators for deflectors, like the one you did on the Chimaera, — Zion objected, looking at his colleague in the shipbuilding business disapprovingly. — And the space inside the ship freed from unnecessary barracks, canteens, cabins, skippers' and other duplicating compartments can be used to place additional generators powering ship artillery. As it was done on the Venator-class star destroyers — additional second-stage reactors. Only we will make them the same main energy sources as the solar ionization reactor.

— It sounds too optimistic, — Reyes said doubtfully, wiping the lens of his eye implant. — It will take a lot of work...

— A whimp, — shipbuilder Zion frowned. — Now it is clear why you have not yet restored that red destroyer — you are simply afraid to take it on seriously!

Reyes opened his mouth to object, but I stopped him with a gesture.

— And you, aren't you afraid, Mr. Zion? — the shipbuilder withstood a direct gaze, after which, raising his chin, he said:

— Give me that bucket with a hyperdrive for a month, or maybe a little more, and I'll show you what real modernization of an Imperial star destroyer is! I assure you, you will have the most powerful of the line ships of this class.

— Too loud a promise, — I noted. Glancing at Reyes, I noticed that he was not happy. Not happy at all. — But I give you a carte blanche for such an experiment...

— Grand Admiral, sir! — Reyes was about to jump up, but I restrained him.

— Thank you for the trust, — the shipbuilder smiled crookedly, victoriously looking at his defeated opponent-colleague. — I won't let you down!

— I'm sure you won't, — I agreed. — As you may have noticed, there are ships straight from the Clone Wars in my fleet. The Providence — and soon a second ship of this class will join this fleet, the Venator, which has already undergone some modernization and will soon be baptized in battle, as well as the Acclamator. Since you are proposing to re-profile my star destroyers mainly into line ships, then I demand from you to strengthen the armament of the Venator and Acclamator II. The first, as you know, is armed with only sixteen turbolasers in eight double-barreled turrets, and the second has only twenty-four main-caliber guns. So, you will be provided with the blueprints of these ships. If you want to prove to me the effectiveness of your project to modify the "Imperials", then try to provide me with armed and capable of repelling the enemy auxiliary and landing ships first. As I have already said, I am interested in unifying my starships in terms of armament... And the margin of safety for the redevelopment of the internal compartments of both types of ships is impressive. I think that eight-gun turbolaser turrets will be suitable for re-planning. And will mortally surprise any enemy who gets in their way.

— And you are not haggling over trifles, Grand Admiral, — shipbuilder Zion said, recovering from the shock, with a smirk. — Maybe you should also add missile launchers to them or remove cluster bombs from the MC30?

— A great idea, — I agreed, not hiding my sarcasm. — Take care of it first. Moff Ferrus will help you purchase the necessary equipment.

***

— The Nemesis is at your full disposal, — I was finishing the briefing of Jade. — Bast Castle must be searched. Deliver everything that is in it to Tangrene. If there are Imperial soldiers quartered on the planet, they must come under my service. Kill those who disagree.

— Local population? — Jade clarified.

— It is unlikely that anyone can live there, — I said. — However, this issue should also be studied. If there can be any benefit for us from the natives, we will solve this dilemma in due time.

— There may be Palpatine's people in Vader's residence, — Jade said. — or his supporters...

— Do I have to give you instructions on every occasion, Hand? — I asked.

— No, Grand Admiral, — the girl became serious. — I will solve all the problems.

"If you look at it globally, I highly doubt that," a thought flashed through my head.

— Do I have permission to go? — the girl asked.

— Are you still here? — I smiled easily. Mara, flashing her green eyes, spun around and left my cabin.

Leaning back in my chair, I ran my eyes over the monitors with the reports from "Source Delta".

A cunning Bothan... Lusankya, you say... Three months until full readiness?

Well, let's wait.

I have plenty of patience.

But by the end of next week you will clearly speed up the pace of repairs of the Executor's double. And you will finally start talking in the Imperial Palace about where they hid it...