Chapter 13
The green world of Iridonia flowed in the vacuum of space. The home of the Zabrak, the species Emperor Palpatine almost destroyed in his Jedi Purge.
Now,decades later, the last Imperial warlord has set his base on Iridonia, and has ironicaly forged an alliance with the Zabrak, in effort to completly drive off the invaders, and to destroy the rebellion once and for all.
Ships exited hyperspace at the same time. One group consisted of two Lancer-class frigate's and one battered shuttle,and the other group consisted of a modifyed Nebulon-B frigate, and a strange starship that looked like a pyramid with engines and hyperdrive.
Aboard the shuttle 'Alpha', Kowes was suprised. He assumed the Grand Admiral would wait for him until he returned with a starship, but now he saw that the legends about Thrawn were true. The admiral's time table was shaved to a half second. The comm light flashed, indicating that someone was trying to get in contact with the shuttle. Kowes reached with his hand, and pressed the switch, while simultaneously lowering his throttle.
"Major Kowes, this is Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Empire, I congradulate you on your efforts, the ships you aquired shall be put to good use. Im expecting your report on the mission." said a cool voice emotionless as always. Kowes smiled. Just like the good old days.
"Admiral Thrawn, this is major Kowes. Requesting permission to come aboard sir."
"Permission denied major. Take your shuttle down on Iridonia, meet us at our base."said Thrawn in a cool voice.
"Admiral, we have prisoners, what is your order?"
The other side was silent for a moment, as if thinking of the best way of disposing them.
"Im sending shuttle 'Gamma' to pick up the prisoners and deliver them on Iridonia. Load your shuttle with prisoners and meet us down on Iridonia. Thrawn out."
The voice was replaced by static, signifying that the connection was terminated.With a sigh, Kowes turned his shuttle and headed for the nearest Lancer.
Kowes couldnt belive his eyes. The last time he was in their base on Iridonia, they were rising the palisade wall, and now, defence parimeters were in place,a mine field active, Two anti-personel batteries were in place, several smart-plastic buildings were up. And the wierdest thing of all, the piramid that arrived with the 'Reaper' now stood in the middle of the base.
It looked like the piramid's top was cut off, and a smaller piramid putted on top. On each corner of the cutted top of the larger piramid, there were turbolaser batteries. Out of date, but apparently functional.
They had even suceeded into making several landing spots for incoming ships.
He elegantly landed his shuttle, and drawed his blaster. Profesionally he checked the power pack, and entered the passenger part of the shuttle.
"Get out, keep your hands where I can see them." said Kowes.
The prisoners raised their arms, and slowly descended down the ramp where they recieved the greatest shock of their life.
Flanked by two detachments of stormtroopers, stood a humanoid wearing spotless white uniform of a Grand Admiral. His hands were clasped behind the small of his back. his skin was pale blue, and his crimson red eyes glowed with deadliness. Grand Admiral Thrawn. Presumed dead for sixteen years.
"Greetings gentlemen. I apologize for the uncivilized way in which you were hijacked and treated." said Thrawn with his always-emotionless voice.
The prisoner's were staring at Thrawn like they saw a ghost, several started whispering with each other but most of them fell on their knees, as if their spirit has left their body.
Thrawn raised an eyebrow in suprise, then said in a comforming tone: "Calm down. Answer a few questions, and you shall be allowed to leave. Resist and I will be forced to hand you over to the interrogation droids."
They sistematicaly started nodding and Thrawn motioned to the stormtroopers that they can take the prisoners to the prison pit.
Kowes marched with safety in his walk toward the admiral. When he stopped infront of him, he saluted. Thrawn nodded, then said with his eyes blazing: "Greetings major.I presume you havent heard the latest news. We payed a visit to Valonar VI, and we found something valuable." he said, then motioned with his head toward the piramid.
"It's an ancient Sith stronghold, and has a complete Spaarti cloning chamber."
"If I may say so sir ,I think our offensive against the rebels might start sooner then we thought." said Kowes with a diabolical grin.
"I think you are right major." Thrawn said and smiled.
"By the way major, I will need your DNA sample." Thrawn said.
"You are going to clone me?" said Kowes wih a suprised tone.
"Yes. Your next mission is to go to Myrkr and bring us approximately forty ysalamiri. Take a V-38 starfighter and a shuttle that are waiting for you on landing platform 3."
Kowes saluted, his face lighten with satisfication. His dreams of forming the perfect squadron will soon become real.
He and Thrawn splitted up,he went toward the landing platform, and Thrawn went toward the fortress. Where Lomeir and a stormtrooper wearing a commander's insignia waited for him.
"Commander, order leiutenant Cordero and sargeant Jiggins to oversee the interrogation of our prisoners. I want a complete report on what is their position, and their skill at work. Take the best and the smartest and brainwash them." said Thrawn in a dreadful tone.
"Yes sir." said commander Hotan,the stormtrooper skull-like helmet making his voice sound electronic, saluted and left toward the barracks.
"Admiral,my people cannot feed this much troops. And not to mention we will have clones soon." said Lomeir after Hotan was gone.
"Yes, you are right. The rest of the prisoners shall be brainwashed for agriculture work. They will work in the fields, that should help your people." said Thrawn in a conforming voice.
"What about shelters?"
"I will instruct Intel to locate a convoy transfering smart-plastic buildings along with our further requirements, until then, your people will have to live in their current shacks." answered Thrawn.
"Could you define the time it would take us to get the S-P buildings?" pressed on Lomeir.
"Several days." said Thrawn in a annoyed voice, subtly implying to Lomeir that it would be good for his health if he would cease withh his constant questions.
"Now Lomeir, either use the time we currently have to hone your Force skills or awake two or three Darktroopers." said Thrawn so quietly that Lomeir had to strain to hear him.
"Now pardon me, I have to prepare our ships." said Thrawn,and elegantly walked into the fort, toward the War Room, where another copy of the admirals chair was ready for the greatest Imperial warlord.
The green world of Iridonia flowed in the vacuum of space. The home of the Zabrak, the species Emperor Palpatine almost destroyed in his Jedi Purge.
Now,decades later, the last Imperial warlord has set his base on Iridonia, and has ironicaly forged an alliance with the Zabrak, in effort to completly drive off the invaders, and to destroy the rebellion once and for all.
Ships exited hyperspace at the same time. One group consisted of two Lancer-class frigate's and one battered shuttle,and the other group consisted of a modifyed Nebulon-B frigate, and a strange starship that looked like a pyramid with engines and hyperdrive.
Aboard the shuttle 'Alpha', Kowes was suprised. He assumed the Grand Admiral would wait for him until he returned with a starship, but now he saw that the legends about Thrawn were true. The admiral's time table was shaved to a half second. The comm light flashed, indicating that someone was trying to get in contact with the shuttle. Kowes reached with his hand, and pressed the switch, while simultaneously lowering his throttle.
"Major Kowes, this is Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Empire, I congradulate you on your efforts, the ships you aquired shall be put to good use. Im expecting your report on the mission." said a cool voice emotionless as always. Kowes smiled. Just like the good old days.
"Admiral Thrawn, this is major Kowes. Requesting permission to come aboard sir."
"Permission denied major. Take your shuttle down on Iridonia, meet us at our base."said Thrawn in a cool voice.
"Admiral, we have prisoners, what is your order?"
The other side was silent for a moment, as if thinking of the best way of disposing them.
"Im sending shuttle 'Gamma' to pick up the prisoners and deliver them on Iridonia. Load your shuttle with prisoners and meet us down on Iridonia. Thrawn out."
The voice was replaced by static, signifying that the connection was terminated.With a sigh, Kowes turned his shuttle and headed for the nearest Lancer.
Kowes couldnt belive his eyes. The last time he was in their base on Iridonia, they were rising the palisade wall, and now, defence parimeters were in place,a mine field active, Two anti-personel batteries were in place, several smart-plastic buildings were up. And the wierdest thing of all, the piramid that arrived with the 'Reaper' now stood in the middle of the base.
It looked like the piramid's top was cut off, and a smaller piramid putted on top. On each corner of the cutted top of the larger piramid, there were turbolaser batteries. Out of date, but apparently functional.
They had even suceeded into making several landing spots for incoming ships.
He elegantly landed his shuttle, and drawed his blaster. Profesionally he checked the power pack, and entered the passenger part of the shuttle.
"Get out, keep your hands where I can see them." said Kowes.
The prisoners raised their arms, and slowly descended down the ramp where they recieved the greatest shock of their life.
Flanked by two detachments of stormtroopers, stood a humanoid wearing spotless white uniform of a Grand Admiral. His hands were clasped behind the small of his back. his skin was pale blue, and his crimson red eyes glowed with deadliness. Grand Admiral Thrawn. Presumed dead for sixteen years.
"Greetings gentlemen. I apologize for the uncivilized way in which you were hijacked and treated." said Thrawn with his always-emotionless voice.
The prisoner's were staring at Thrawn like they saw a ghost, several started whispering with each other but most of them fell on their knees, as if their spirit has left their body.
Thrawn raised an eyebrow in suprise, then said in a comforming tone: "Calm down. Answer a few questions, and you shall be allowed to leave. Resist and I will be forced to hand you over to the interrogation droids."
They sistematicaly started nodding and Thrawn motioned to the stormtroopers that they can take the prisoners to the prison pit.
Kowes marched with safety in his walk toward the admiral. When he stopped infront of him, he saluted. Thrawn nodded, then said with his eyes blazing: "Greetings major.I presume you havent heard the latest news. We payed a visit to Valonar VI, and we found something valuable." he said, then motioned with his head toward the piramid.
"It's an ancient Sith stronghold, and has a complete Spaarti cloning chamber."
"If I may say so sir ,I think our offensive against the rebels might start sooner then we thought." said Kowes with a diabolical grin.
"I think you are right major." Thrawn said and smiled.
"By the way major, I will need your DNA sample." Thrawn said.
"You are going to clone me?" said Kowes wih a suprised tone.
"Yes. Your next mission is to go to Myrkr and bring us approximately forty ysalamiri. Take a V-38 starfighter and a shuttle that are waiting for you on landing platform 3."
Kowes saluted, his face lighten with satisfication. His dreams of forming the perfect squadron will soon become real.
He and Thrawn splitted up,he went toward the landing platform, and Thrawn went toward the fortress. Where Lomeir and a stormtrooper wearing a commander's insignia waited for him.
"Commander, order leiutenant Cordero and sargeant Jiggins to oversee the interrogation of our prisoners. I want a complete report on what is their position, and their skill at work. Take the best and the smartest and brainwash them." said Thrawn in a dreadful tone.
"Yes sir." said commander Hotan,the stormtrooper skull-like helmet making his voice sound electronic, saluted and left toward the barracks.
"Admiral,my people cannot feed this much troops. And not to mention we will have clones soon." said Lomeir after Hotan was gone.
"Yes, you are right. The rest of the prisoners shall be brainwashed for agriculture work. They will work in the fields, that should help your people." said Thrawn in a conforming voice.
"What about shelters?"
"I will instruct Intel to locate a convoy transfering smart-plastic buildings along with our further requirements, until then, your people will have to live in their current shacks." answered Thrawn.
"Could you define the time it would take us to get the S-P buildings?" pressed on Lomeir.
"Several days." said Thrawn in a annoyed voice, subtly implying to Lomeir that it would be good for his health if he would cease withh his constant questions.
"Now Lomeir, either use the time we currently have to hone your Force skills or awake two or three Darktroopers." said Thrawn so quietly that Lomeir had to strain to hear him.
"Now pardon me, I have to prepare our ships." said Thrawn,and elegantly walked into the fort, toward the War Room, where another copy of the admirals chair was ready for the greatest Imperial warlord.