Chapter 5
Lomeir slowly opened his eyes. Something was wrong. He wasnt in Iridonia's forests nor in its vast steppes. The air smelled differently. Slowly he remembered his little exibition against the Empire on Iridonia, and the last thing he remembered was being shot by a wounded stormtrooper. They stunned me. He realized. Guess they need me alive. He tried to sit down, but he found his hands clamped to the bed. An electronical voice said:
"Inform the Grand Admiral that he has awakened."
Then he heard something activated, and another voice spoke.
"Admiral, he is awake. What should we do?"
He couldnt hear the reply, but he feared the worst. Imperials were known for torturing all who opposed them.
"Yes admiral."
This time he heard something deactivated, and a face came into his wiew. The man was holding a hyprospringe filled with some liquid.
"Hold still, I am not going to hurt you. Do you understand?"
He slowly nodded. There was something in this man that made him to trust him. The man slowly injected the liquid into his neck, and his vision started to blurr. iThey are stunning me again…/i and he faded into blackness again.
With a flick of the switch Thrawn turned the comm off, then focused his burning look on Cayel.
"Captain, how much time before we exit hyperspace?"
"23 seconds Admiral."
"Is my admiral ship ready?" said Thrawn
The question brought memories to Cayel's mind when the Empire was at its peak. When the Imperial protocol was an unwritten rule.
"The 'Reaper' is fully under your command sir." said Cayel automaticly giving the formal answer.
The hyperspace tunnel turned into lines, and lines turned into stars. They have arrived.
"Shields up!" said Cayel
"Quad cannons, concentrate your fire on weakening the frigate's bridge shield, ten turbolaser turrets concentrate fire on starfighters." said Thrawn, paused for a second, then said: "Full speed, bring us at one point five or one point zero clicks near the frigate."
"Admiral, if we go anywhere near that frigate we are space dust!"
"Your point is noted captain. Full speed."
A sphere of fear started to form in Cayel's stomach, what if Thrawn is mad… he turned his head to look at the admiral. And found Thrawn staring at him.
"Captain, tell me, do you like art?"
"Admiral, I hardly find it appropriate to disscuss about art in the middle of a battle."
"That is the problem with all Imperial officers."
"Pardon me?"
"You lack adaptability and imagination captain."
"Admiral, i.."
Thrawn silenced him with a wave of hand, seeing that there were no remaining starfighters to oppose them, then he said: "five turbolaser turrets, concentrate your fire on weakening their bridge deflector shield!"
"You were saying captain?"
"I dont see how imagination would help us here."
"Easily captain.If you were the captain of the frigate,how would you counter my move?"
"Strenghten the bridge deflector shield offcourse, and open fire from all weapons." said Cayel still puzzled. Every rookie knew how to counter that.
"Then watch captain. And learn" said Thrawn,briefly pausing,then saying: "Bring us in ramming position, then reduce speed by 77%."
"Admiral…"
"Wait, and learn captain." said Thrawn in a teaching voice.
The 'Reaper' slowly raised its front part toward the assault frigate, which in return prepared for ramming by strenghtening their bridge shields even more.
"Admiral,we have no chance at ramming them and surviving.I strongly urge you to reconsider!"
"We are not going to ramm them captain."
"Then why did you did all this?" said Cayel in a panicked voice.
"Watch and learn captain." said Thrawn calmly, then ordered: "All turbolaser turrets, on my mark concentrate on the frigate's bridge deflector shield. Quad cannons on my mark stop shooting. Mark." Thrawn watched as his orders were executed with perfect timing, then slightly turned his head and looked at Cayel who pondered if he should restrain this madman and order retreat.
"Engineering, full speed."Thrawn said,not revealing any feelings in his voice, nor in his face.
"Do you see now captain?"
"Im sorry admiral, what am I supposed to see?"
"Ahh. Study the art captain. When you know your opponents art,you know their every weakness." Thrawn said,then ordered: "All turbolaser turrets and quad batteries, fire with maximum firepower on their shield generator on my mark. Mark."
As his orders were confirmed,green spears answered Thrawn's call stabbing into the frigate's exposed shield generator, destroying it utterly.
Then, Thrawn obviously pleased ordered:
"Good job. Now, start disabling their weapon and comm systems,quad turrets, start destroying the engines on those transports. Helm, turn us starboard and decrease speed to 33%."
"Admiral… I… I…." said Cayel, still awed by Thrawn's manuever.
"Study all aspects of the problem captain. Eventually, they can be used as levers."
"I apologize for my behavior Admiral." said Cayel.
"Dont worry about it captain." said Thrawn calmly.
Thrawn was silent for a bit,as he watched with his fiery eyes how his cannons disabled the transports.
"Captain,prepare three shuttles." Thrawn spoke at last.
"Yes sir." Cayel said,turned to face the communication officer,and nodded to him to proceed the orders.
The shuttles slowly disembarked from the 'Reaper', gliding toward the disabled transports.
"Shuttle's Gamma, Alpha, Beta, fill up with that materials. We are going to need them." Thrawn said,then turned his head slightly, then turned the comm on, and said:
"Intelligence, I want a full report on all planets known to the New Republic."
"Yes sir!" answered the Intel officer over the comm.
"Admiral?"
Thrawn motioned Cayel to wait, then he ordered: "Order the shuttle crew to hurry up!"
After he reciewed aknowledgement, Thrawn turned his head to face Cayel.
"Pardon me captain. You were saying?"
"I was wondering why did you request that report from Intel."
"Simple captain. I wish to know if Iridonia's location is known to the New Republic."
"Yes admiral." said Cayel,althrough he was still puzzled.
"You dont accept the fact that I dont tell you everything, dont you?"
"Im sorry admiral, but I like to be informed."
"That is commendable captain, but consider this as a test on which your confidence is built."
"Sir?"
"In due time captain, in due time. Navigation, once the shuttles have entered the hangar, set course for Bespin and enter hyperspace when ready."
In ten minutes, the 'Reaper' was back in hyperspace, leaving behind an empty convoy.
Lomeir slowly opened his eyes. Something was wrong. He wasnt in Iridonia's forests nor in its vast steppes. The air smelled differently. Slowly he remembered his little exibition against the Empire on Iridonia, and the last thing he remembered was being shot by a wounded stormtrooper. They stunned me. He realized. Guess they need me alive. He tried to sit down, but he found his hands clamped to the bed. An electronical voice said:
"Inform the Grand Admiral that he has awakened."
Then he heard something activated, and another voice spoke.
"Admiral, he is awake. What should we do?"
He couldnt hear the reply, but he feared the worst. Imperials were known for torturing all who opposed them.
"Yes admiral."
This time he heard something deactivated, and a face came into his wiew. The man was holding a hyprospringe filled with some liquid.
"Hold still, I am not going to hurt you. Do you understand?"
He slowly nodded. There was something in this man that made him to trust him. The man slowly injected the liquid into his neck, and his vision started to blurr. iThey are stunning me again…/i and he faded into blackness again.
With a flick of the switch Thrawn turned the comm off, then focused his burning look on Cayel.
"Captain, how much time before we exit hyperspace?"
"23 seconds Admiral."
"Is my admiral ship ready?" said Thrawn
The question brought memories to Cayel's mind when the Empire was at its peak. When the Imperial protocol was an unwritten rule.
"The 'Reaper' is fully under your command sir." said Cayel automaticly giving the formal answer.
The hyperspace tunnel turned into lines, and lines turned into stars. They have arrived.
"Shields up!" said Cayel
"Quad cannons, concentrate your fire on weakening the frigate's bridge shield, ten turbolaser turrets concentrate fire on starfighters." said Thrawn, paused for a second, then said: "Full speed, bring us at one point five or one point zero clicks near the frigate."
"Admiral, if we go anywhere near that frigate we are space dust!"
"Your point is noted captain. Full speed."
A sphere of fear started to form in Cayel's stomach, what if Thrawn is mad… he turned his head to look at the admiral. And found Thrawn staring at him.
"Captain, tell me, do you like art?"
"Admiral, I hardly find it appropriate to disscuss about art in the middle of a battle."
"That is the problem with all Imperial officers."
"Pardon me?"
"You lack adaptability and imagination captain."
"Admiral, i.."
Thrawn silenced him with a wave of hand, seeing that there were no remaining starfighters to oppose them, then he said: "five turbolaser turrets, concentrate your fire on weakening their bridge deflector shield!"
"You were saying captain?"
"I dont see how imagination would help us here."
"Easily captain.If you were the captain of the frigate,how would you counter my move?"
"Strenghten the bridge deflector shield offcourse, and open fire from all weapons." said Cayel still puzzled. Every rookie knew how to counter that.
"Then watch captain. And learn" said Thrawn,briefly pausing,then saying: "Bring us in ramming position, then reduce speed by 77%."
"Admiral…"
"Wait, and learn captain." said Thrawn in a teaching voice.
The 'Reaper' slowly raised its front part toward the assault frigate, which in return prepared for ramming by strenghtening their bridge shields even more.
"Admiral,we have no chance at ramming them and surviving.I strongly urge you to reconsider!"
"We are not going to ramm them captain."
"Then why did you did all this?" said Cayel in a panicked voice.
"Watch and learn captain." said Thrawn calmly, then ordered: "All turbolaser turrets, on my mark concentrate on the frigate's bridge deflector shield. Quad cannons on my mark stop shooting. Mark." Thrawn watched as his orders were executed with perfect timing, then slightly turned his head and looked at Cayel who pondered if he should restrain this madman and order retreat.
"Engineering, full speed."Thrawn said,not revealing any feelings in his voice, nor in his face.
"Do you see now captain?"
"Im sorry admiral, what am I supposed to see?"
"Ahh. Study the art captain. When you know your opponents art,you know their every weakness." Thrawn said,then ordered: "All turbolaser turrets and quad batteries, fire with maximum firepower on their shield generator on my mark. Mark."
As his orders were confirmed,green spears answered Thrawn's call stabbing into the frigate's exposed shield generator, destroying it utterly.
Then, Thrawn obviously pleased ordered:
"Good job. Now, start disabling their weapon and comm systems,quad turrets, start destroying the engines on those transports. Helm, turn us starboard and decrease speed to 33%."
"Admiral… I… I…." said Cayel, still awed by Thrawn's manuever.
"Study all aspects of the problem captain. Eventually, they can be used as levers."
"I apologize for my behavior Admiral." said Cayel.
"Dont worry about it captain." said Thrawn calmly.
Thrawn was silent for a bit,as he watched with his fiery eyes how his cannons disabled the transports.
"Captain,prepare three shuttles." Thrawn spoke at last.
"Yes sir." Cayel said,turned to face the communication officer,and nodded to him to proceed the orders.
The shuttles slowly disembarked from the 'Reaper', gliding toward the disabled transports.
"Shuttle's Gamma, Alpha, Beta, fill up with that materials. We are going to need them." Thrawn said,then turned his head slightly, then turned the comm on, and said:
"Intelligence, I want a full report on all planets known to the New Republic."
"Yes sir!" answered the Intel officer over the comm.
"Admiral?"
Thrawn motioned Cayel to wait, then he ordered: "Order the shuttle crew to hurry up!"
After he reciewed aknowledgement, Thrawn turned his head to face Cayel.
"Pardon me captain. You were saying?"
"I was wondering why did you request that report from Intel."
"Simple captain. I wish to know if Iridonia's location is known to the New Republic."
"Yes admiral." said Cayel,althrough he was still puzzled.
"You dont accept the fact that I dont tell you everything, dont you?"
"Im sorry admiral, but I like to be informed."
"That is commendable captain, but consider this as a test on which your confidence is built."
"Sir?"
"In due time captain, in due time. Navigation, once the shuttles have entered the hangar, set course for Bespin and enter hyperspace when ready."
In ten minutes, the 'Reaper' was back in hyperspace, leaving behind an empty convoy.