Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas, and I do not own Star Wars or any of the other authors characters etc mentioned in this story. I am making no money off this, so please do not sue me.
25. Cloning a Military Force
Over the past three years, the Cloning Research Centre and the two cloning facilities have grown since their inception by Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Yaga Minor, Cloning Research Centre
On Yaga Minor, in the Cloning Research Centre (also now includes a very large area set-aside for the 50,000 Spaarti cloning cylinders and their associated equipment as well as an area being set-up to mass-produce the Spaarti cloning cylinders).
Admiral Pellaeon along with General Hestiv had originally setup this Cloning Research Centre to try to reverse engineer the remains of several Spaarti cloning cylinders, however the remains brought back by Admiral Pellaeon were not enough to reverse engineer a single Spaarti cloning cylinder.
During the first year, the recent acquisition by Admiral Pellaeon (via Grand Admiral Thrawn) of a complete set of schematics for the Spaarti cloning cylinder, along with a how to construct and setup guide. The scientific and engineering research teams were amazed at the level of detail in the data cards that are passed onto the scientific and engineering research teams by Admiral Pellaeon.
The scientific and engineering research teams set about their tasks for building the first prototype of a Spaarti cloning cylinder this would take them more than a year, as they insisted on documenting every single step. This level of detail was painfully slow, but when something went wrong, the scientific and engineering research teams could simply start from the last step that they made, rather than from the beginning.
In this way, the long path that they would take would ensure that when fabrication of the Spaarti cloning cylinders began, these Spaarti cloning cylinders would be able to produce a working clone.
As the first year went by the scientific and engineering research teams began to construct there, first prototype Spaarti cloning cylinder, this process would take them six months of methodical systematic approach. Once the first prototype Spaarti cloning cylinder was constructed the testing began of the prototype Spaarti cloning cylinder, this testing would take another six months.
During the second year, several additional prototype Spaarti cloning cylinders are constructed, these are considered pre production units, by the end of the second year there are twenty Spaarti cloning cylinders set up to begin cloning. These clones will be produced from different genetic samples, to test the different clone versions that need to be produced in the prototype Spaarti cloning cylinders.
By the end of the second year the twenty prototype Spaarti cloning cylinders have been fully tested by cloning various test subjects of Imperial Army and Navy personnel, these first clones have gone through various medical tests to ensure that the Spaarti cloning cylinders are working properly.
At the beginning of the third year, production of the 100,000 Spaarti cloning cylinders is given the all clear to proceed by the scientific and engineering research teams, just as Thrawn had predicted.
Three Years Later
As the third year comes' to an end the final batches of the 100,000 Spaarti cloning cylinders are coming of the production line from the cloning research and now production base on Yaga Minor.
The cloning facility on Nirauan is almost ready to begin production of their clones, as is there "sister" facility on Yaga Minor.
By the beginning of year four cloning will be well underway, with the first batch of the new Imperial class star destroyers coming out of the Deep Ranged Shipyards in the unknown regions.
The Empire of the Hands military forces are set to explode in there numbers of not only military personnel but also warships, by the end of year four there will be an additional 100 Imperial class star destroyers available to the Empire of the Hand. This does not include various versions of the Tagge Industries Modular Taskforce Cruiser and an increase in TIE Defenders production to match the numbers of clone pilots being produced.
Along with these warships and starfighter, the ground forces of the Empire of the Hand are also seeing an expansion.
After Thrawn's meeting with Admiral Niriz, several other projects are started, these project a specifically designed to deal with the coming war against the Yuuzhan Vong. For this part of Thrawn's strategy, he is able to use the production facilities on Yaga Minor, as the production of these bits of military equipment does not involve the use of the Yaga Minor shipyards and therefore can be concealed from the New Republic.
The pieces of Thrawn's plans are now starting to fit together.
The removal of the Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators has caught the attention of Warmaster Tsavong Lah.
Yuuzhan Vong Infiltrators
When Thrawn first returned, he gave certain information to Admiral Pellaeon about the Yuuzhan Vong this has allowed Admiral Pellaeon to eliminate certain Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators that had managed to gain access to some areas within the Yaga Minor sector and to a lesser extent the Bilbringi system.
The Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators that have managed to infiltrate the New Republic along with certain areas of the two Imperial factions with ease over the past few years (before Thrawn's return). However, recently several Yuuzhan Vong infiltration teams within the Yaga Minor sector and the Bilbringi system, within six months of Admiral Pellaeon's crackdown, all Yuuzhan Vong infiltration teams have been eliminated.
Admiral Pellaeon then informs Admiral Daala for this alien threat, for deception purposes stating that it is probably the New Republic Admiral Daala also begins a purge of these Yuuzhan Vong infiltration teams from the Imperial Remnant.
The size of the Imperial Remnant means that it will take Admiral Daala a lot longer to deal with these alien spies than Admiral Pellaeon took to eliminate them. What Admiral Daala has not been told by Admiral Pellaeon is that these aliens are not part of the New Republic, but the vanguard of an alien invasion from another galaxy, Thrawn will deal with that issue later when he announces his return to Admiral Daala.
Worldship of Warmaster Tsavong Lah
Warmaster Tsavong Lah was viewing the recent report that all of the Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators within the Yaga Minor sector and the Bilbringi system had been eliminated this has also led to the Imperial Remnant to also started to eliminate there Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators as well. The numbers of Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators are quite small compared to the numbers deployed against the New Republic. However, the elimination of the Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators in any numbers has been flagged for Warmaster Tsavong Lah attention.
Warmaster Lah asks, "How have these Imperials managed to discover our infiltrators with their blasphemous technology?"
Yuuzhan Vong executor Nom Anor replies, "Warmaster Lah, I do not think that they have discovered our infiltrators by using their blasphemous technology."
Warmaster Lah asks, "Then how?"
Nom Anor replies, "Warmaster, these Imperials have been hunting for New Republic spies within their midst, I think during these sweeps they simply 'bumped into our infiltrators' so to speak and eliminated them. This would then lead these Imperials to seek out more of our infiltrators, as they assume that they are from the New Republic.
Warmaster Lah asks, "So it is just pure coincidence then due to these Imperials paranoia, so how soon will these Imperials will make public what they have discovered."
Nom Anor replies, "Possibly not Warmaster, so far the Imperials have not gone public with this information, I suspect that they do not want to provoke the New Republic into attacking them."
Warmaster Lah says, "These Imperials do not seem much of a threat as they once did."
Nom Anor replies, "You are correct Warmaster Lah, they only control fifteen sectors and a few very minor holdings." Pausing for a moment, then nervously Nom Anor says, "If I may make a bold suggestion Warmaster?"
Warmaster Lah looks at Nom Anor and says, "You may make your suggestion Nom Anor."
Nom Anor bows deeply and says, "Thank you Warmaster. I would suggest that we ignore these imperials, along with the other minor powers, until the New Republic has been defeated."
Warmaster Lah looks at Nom Anor and laughs, causing Nom Anor to take a few steps back from Warmaster Lah, who then replies, "I have already come to that conclusion Nom Anor. We will strike here at the edge of New Republic space, you have already started to stir up rebellion between Rhommamool and its neighbour Osarian to distract the New Republic from its our important attacks that will follow."
Nom Anor replies, "Yes my agents have done this, I am posing as the leader of the Red Knights of Life. This has proved to be a relatively easy task as the populations of Rhommamool and its neighbour Osarian already distrusts each other."
Warmaster Lah says, "Good, we are almost ready to be cleansing this galaxy of their blasphemous technology."
Nom Anor replies, "Yes Warmaster. What of these Imperials, shall I dispatch more agents to replace those that have been lost?"
Warmaster Lah thinks for a few moments then says, "No need, these Imperials are weak, focus your efforts on the New Republic, we will deal with these Imperials after the New Republic has been eliminated."
Nom Anor bows deeply and says, "As you command Warmaster Lah."
Warmaster Lah replies, "Good."
Warmaster Lah is certain that their enemy's blasphemous technology will prove to be inferior to their own pure "technology".
What Warmaster Lah does not know about is that there is a growing Imperial force within the unknown regions, led by an Imperial commander that everyone thought was dead.
End of Year Three
At the end of the third year, Thrawn's cloning and manufacturing facilities within the Empire of the Hand are now running at full capacity, with additional manufacturing facilities coming online every few months, along with a rapid as possible expansion of the existing Deep Ranged Shipyards as well.
Grand Admiral Thrawn has also chosen his new flagship to replace the Phoenix, this is one of the first of the New Imperial II class start destroyers that has come off the nearest Deep Ranged Shipyard, Thrawn has named this Imperial II class start destroyer, the Executor (for obvious reasons).
The Executor is now in orbit around Nirauan, with Thrawn running the Empire of the Hand from his own quarters onboard the Executor, these quarters are similar to those onboard the Chimaera, when he had assumed command of the Chimaera four years after that battle of Endor.
Thrawn's quarters onboard the Chimaera had been a conversion of existing facilities. Thrawn's new quarters along with his own private meditation chamber/command room on the Executor had been constructed from scratch to Thrawn's own personal specifications. The Executor has become Thrawn's own custom-built Imperial II class start destroyer.
Rejlii Mithel is now captain the Executor, along with the crew from the Phoenix forming the core of the crew for the Executor, along with a large number of clones forming the bulk of the crew, fighter pilots and troops. The Executor has shielding and weapons that superior to standard production Imperial II class star destroyers, making the Executor a dangerous opponent in combat, even without Thrawn onboard, however with Thrawn in command this makes the Executor almost unstoppable.
From his private meditation chamber/command room Thrawn flicks the comm button and says, "Captain Mithel, set course for the edge of the Yaga Minor sector, I am sending you the coordinates now, we will not need any escort for this mission."
Over the comm Captain Mithel replies, "Understood Admiral, coordinates received."
Thrawn says, "Jump to hyperspace when ready Captain."
Over the comm Captain Mithel replies, "Yes sir."
Thrawn says, "Good, Thrawn out" and switches of his comm, standing next to the entrance to his private meditation chamber/command room is his personal bodyguard, the Royal Guardsman Kir Kanos resplendent in his new crimson/black guard uniform.
In the years since Thrawn has united the last two remaining guardsmen, a new Royal Guard training facility had been setup. The Royal Guard has expanded from just the last two remaining Royal Guard, Kir Kanos and Grodin Tierce. With Grodin Tierce running the new Royal Guard training facility somewhere with the unknown regions, the Royal Guard now number thirty-two including Kir Kanos and Grodin Tierce.
With all thirty of these new Royal Guardsmen onboard the Executor as the cadre of Thrawn personal bodyguard unit, in the long term Thrawn hopes to steadily increase the size of the Royal Guard back up to its pre Endor levels.
Within the next ten years, the Royal Guard will have the strength in numbers equivalent to an Imperial Line Regiment of 2,304 Guardsmen. Thrawn has "toyed" with the idea of cloning Guardsmen, but then dropped that idea, even though Grodin Tierce is a clone, Thrawn has decided that it is better to train the Guardsmen the traditional way, rather than clone as many as he needs, as Royal Guard training produces a better Guardsmen than cloning.
Thrawn does not send the Royal Guard directly into combat missions, instead Thrawn is using detachments of 10 Guardsmen at a time that are rotated into elite stormtrooper and Imperial Army units, such as the Storm Commandos so that they can gain combat experience. These missions have so far been against opponents in the unknown regions over the past few months, Thrawn never sends either Kir Kanos or Grodin Tierce on these missions, as they are too valuable to loose on such minor missions.
Executor
Thirty-three minutes after Thrawn had issued his instructions, the Executor jumps into hyperspace towards the coordinates at the edge of the Yaga Minor sector that Thrawn had given to Captain Mithel.
On the journey to the edge of the Yaga Minor sector, Thrawn is again studying Fleet Admiral Natasi Daala profile along with the various forms of art works that Admiral Pellaeon had observed in Admiral Daala's quarters onboard the Gorgon during his frequent meetings over the past few years.
Fleet Admiral Natasi Daala
Rank had not come easy to Natasi Daala, because Daala was female, born in the Renatasia system she enlisted in the Imperial Navy on Carida, but was discriminated against due to her gender. While she was a very talented student and officer at the Imperial Academy, she was continuously passed over for promotion due to her gender, though accounts by Imperial military officers said that she argued too much.
To take out her frustrations toward the male-dominated military, she made herself a false computer identity. Under this alias, Daala was able to defeat many high-level officers, including some of her own instructors, in simulated battles, many of her tactics where based upon ideas formed by former Galactic Republic commander Jan Dodonna. Daala's tactics where studied and then implemented throughout the entire Imperial military despite the fact that the no one was aware of her identity. Daala graduated from the academy, but ended up a non-commissioned officer in the Imperial Army, without knowing the academy had put one of their star pupils at the bottom of the pile of graduates.
Due to her talents, she soon gained the attention of Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. He investigated Daala's hidden exploits at the academy, hiring two black-market slicers who worked for several months to find the identity of the hidden strategist. He was pleasantly surprised to discover not only her identity, but also that the hidden strategist was female. At the time of her discovery by Tarkin Daala held the rank of corporal and had first been a computer clerk, then a member of the kitchen staff preparing food for visiting star destroyers.
When the Carida staff discovered her identity, at first they were shocked, then embarrassed at how easily Daala had fooled them for too long, the Carida staff then planned to reassign her to a meteorological station at the planet's southern pole. The one thing that the Carida staff could not do is discharge Daala from the academy, as this would get out, as Daala would be free to tell her story to the whole galaxy and that would not be very good for the promotion prospects of the Carida tutors. However, Tarkin took her on as his protégé and mistress, using his influence and authority to bypass the normal military hierarchy and promote her rapidly though the ranks of the Imperial fleet. Daala eventually received the rank of full Fleet Admiral, though, in later years, her rank badge would come to represent the rank of Grand Moff.
"My skills came to the attention of Moff Tarkin, who journeyed to Carida so that he could meet the mysterious individual who had developed such innovative tactics. Tarkin was astonished to learn I was a woman and even more astonished to see that I was a lowly corporal working in the kitchen" Admiral Natasi Daala, to the late Commander Kratas onboard the Gorgon after their escape from the "Rebel trap" at Kessel.
After Admiral Daala's unsuccessful campaigns against the New Republic and then the eventual peace treaty with the New Republic, Admiral Daala has proven to be a successful supreme command of the Imperial Remnants military forces. Daala has also found time to marry her first love Liegeus Vorn and have a son.
As Thrawn looks through the reports, he sees Tarkins influence in the way Admiral Daala is running of the Imperial Remnant, along with those tactics and traits that she used to hide her real identity from her instructors. Thrawn thinks that Daala is slowly moving away from Tarkins influence and cresting her own tactics, in the way she did when she was at the Imperial academy on Carida. Tarkins influence in Thrawn's mind has been a backward step by Daala not a forward one, Thrawn however will change all that, Daala will become much more potent after Thrawn has finished with her.
This is good Thrawn thinks it means that Daala is not enraged as she once was after coming out of the Maw all those years ago.
It will be several weeks before Admiral Pellaeon will be able to arrange a meeting with Admiral Daala, after that it will be another few days before Admiral Pellaeon can bring Admiral Daala to the rendezvous point onboard the Chimaera.
The Admiral Daala will understand why Admiral Pellaeon has been refusing unification attempts by Admiral Daala between their two Imperial factions.
The one other thing that Grand Admiral Thrawn notes is to review all the current and past crops of Imperial academy pupils' records, for ones like Daala, to make sure that no else is being discriminated against. Once the Imperial Remnant becomes part of the Empire of the Hand, it would be such a waist of good command personnel, if personnel like Daala are being sidelined due to discrimination. Thrawn is sure to find several academy pupils like Daala that have been discriminated against, even with Admiral Daala improvements to the Imperial Remnant there are still problems that need to be addressed.
That however, is for later, for now, Thrawn must focus on getting Admiral Daala's support.
To be continued.