Chapter 18
"Do you have any other proof aside from this?" said Torroro sceptically.
"First answer me a question. How well do you know captain Cayel?" Thrawn replied with the same booming voice.
"I know him enough to trust him in battle." replies Torroro without delay.
"Then, captain, would you provide the admiral with your impressions of me? You may exit the room if you wish." said Thrawn in a teaching voice.
"Thank you sir." said Cayel, rose from his seat, and motioned Torroro to come with him. When they exited the room, Torroro boomed: "What the hell is this, Cayel?"
"Listen, and listen good. I saw him obliterate a Yuuzhan Vong fleet with only my ship and four others that he aquired. I belive you heard of the Yaga Minor battle?"
"Yes, saved by a miracle."
"We were that miracle." interrupted Cayel.
"Come on Cayel..." started Torroro.
"I saw him find a stronghold full of pre-Clone wars tech, including a cloning chamber. In a bit more then one month, he has more then tripled my group, and hasnt lost a single battle since we took command." finished Cayel.
"How and where did we meet?" interrupted Torroro.
"We met at Commenor, you saved me and my crew from our damaged Victory-class star destroyer."
"What was the destroyer's name?" pressed Torrero.
"Scepter." said Cayel without thinking. Torrero sighed, then gave Cayel a surrendering look.
"Cayel, Ive worked hard to get my ships. I dont want to give them up to any would-be-warlord."
"That's where you are mistaken. The Grand Admiral wont take away your ships, he will merely incorporate them in our growing fleet." explained Cayel.
"Damn, Ive grown to like you... okay, Ill join. For the glory of the Empire."
"For the glory of the Empire and the Emperor's New Order." Cayel nodded.
They entered the room, and took their respective seats.
"Gentlemen?" Thrawn raised a blue-black eyebrow.
"I will join your forces admiral." said Torroro.
"Thank you admiral." Thrawn said, and turned the communication system online.
"Star Destroyers 'Fearbringer' and 'Oathbraker', tractor in as much asteroids as possible."
"Asteriods?" asked Torroro.
"Yes. Its time to play our ace, admiral." Thrawn said, granting them with a smile. Then he explained.
Pelleaon watched the holovid again. And again. Something was there. Something he overlooked.
"Admiral?" Ardiff called out from behind.
"Yes captain?" answered Pelleaon not taking his gaze off the screen.
"Several minor battles with the Vong. We fended them off, but for how long, we cannot tell." said Ardiff.
"Captain, I want you to contact admiral Ka'frey, transmit him the Yaga Minor batte recording. Then order Intelligence to discover the identity of our unknown helper." Pelleaon smoothed his white mustache with his right hand.
"Yes sir." Ardiff clicked his heels in salutation, then exited the room.
"Admiral, all ships are ready." informed Cayel.
"Excellent. Order the 'Fearbringer' and 'Oathbraker' to assume lined formation." Thrawn boomed. Cayel nodded to the communication officer to proceed the orders. Soon the two Victory star destroyers lined up side by side.
"Full speed. Set course for Belkadan system." ordered Thrawn.
"Admiral?" said Lomeir for the first time since their meeting.
"Yes lieutenant?" Thrawn turned his head slightly to face Lomeir, fixing his gaze on him.
"I am ready." he informed emotionlessly. So thats it. Cayel thought. After two weeks of preparations they were finnaly ready.
"Excellent!" Thrawn said with satisfication, but in a moment that burst of feelings was gone, and he was strictly-business again.
"Tractor control, launch on my command." Thrawn said, and leaned backward as if he was in a cinema.
"Admiral, the 'Fearbringer' is ready." informed Cayel again.
"Helm, full speed. Tractor control, mark." boomed Thrawn dramaticly, and nodded to Lomeir, who nodded back. In perfect coordination, both star destroyer's launched their cargo while rushing toward the planet in the distance. Asteroids. Over one hundred asteroids.
"Tractor control, lock on them." said Cayel. Several asteroids drifted out of range, but the remaining asteroids continued their vector toward the planet barely visible in the distance. Thrawn looked at Lomeir, who nodded with strain.
"Enter hyperspace on my mark." said Thrawn casualy.
"Mark." Thrawn dramaticly boomed.
The two star destroyers engines beamed up, and they entered hyperspace, along with their deadly cargo.
"Reverting to realspace..." said the Navigation officer said after about ten seconds.
The usual hyperspace background was replaced by the starfield, only exception being Belkadan that loomed infront of them. They have arrived.
"Tractor control, release the asteroids!" boomed Cayel.
"And scan the area for any starships." added Thrawn, then he nodded to Lomeir: "Lieutenant, your turn now."
He could sense the weight of the asteroids. Nothing compared to the power of the Force. He mentally pushed them, but his power was small. Slowly, he opened himself to the Force, and like a flood, it flushed into him, overwhelming him. Reaching far outside of the ship, beyond the metal and vacuum, he pushed again. He drowe them onwards toward the planet. And he crumbled lifelessly to the floor.
Thrawn leaned forward from his command chair, waiting for Lomeir to succeed. The asteroids accelerate at first, but then suddenly they started accelerating torward the planet. The first wave burned in the atmosphere. The second brought cataclysm. The third rendered the planet to ruin. A barren planet, evaporated of all life. Lomeir crumbled to the ground. He layed lifelessly on the ground.
"Get a med team up here. Fast." said Thrawn.
"Coralskipper squadrons spotted." someone called out from the crew pit.
"Navigation, calculate a jump for the Hoth system." said Thrawn, then continued: "Full speed by side, Turbolaser control, use standard snubfight tactics."
"Estimated time before calculations are finished?" asked Cayel.
"About twenty seconds sir." came the answer from the crew pit.
"Enter hyperspace as soon as calculations are done." Cayel ordered.
"Disregard that order!" interrupted Thrawn with a wave of his left hand.
"Sir?" said Cayel in astonishment. They couldnt possibly waste time here.
"We are still far from our final victory captain. The crew of our newly aquired ships is inexperienced, and honing their skills is our primary priority." he waved his hand toward the starfighters advancing toward them: "Here, we have a perfect opportunity to give our gunners at least a little field experience which they need so badly. I dont throw away prizes, captain."
"Aye aye sir." Cayel gulped.
"We are ready for hyperspace, my lord." boomed Torroro.
"Sensor report?" asked Thrawn.
"Less then ten coralskippers still operational sir." came a reply.
"Tractor some of them in. Notify Genardi and his group to make shure the pilots survive." ordered Thrawn.
"Four coralskippers locked on." crackled Tractor control over the commlink.
"Enter hyperspace once we have taken care of the remaining coralskippers. Captain, contact the rest of the fleet. Tell them to be on one-hour alert until we arrive, and request a total report on the cloning procedure." boomed Thrawn.
"Yes sir."
They were in hyperspace racing toward Hoth in less then a minute.
"We just got word from the Admiral sir." quietly said the deck officer to Frey.
"New orders?" inquired Frey. There werent any news since Thrawn and Torroro went off in the 'Fearbringer' and the 'Oathbraker' toward Belkadan. Now he was stuck on a barely operational Lancer frigate.
"Apparently sir. Their attack on Belkadan suceeded. We are to go to one-hour standby alert." the deck officer replied.
"Very well. How are the repairs on the 'Warhammer' going?" said Frey.
"I estimate they will be finished before the Grand Admirals return." the deck officer informed him.
"Very well. Dismiss." nodded Frey. The deck officer clicked his heels in salutation and wandered off to preform the orders.
* * *
"How much time before we exit hyperspace?" boomed Torroro.
"Ten minutes admiral." came the reply.
"Very well. Prepare a shuttle ready, I shall be meeting with the Grand Admiral as soon as we exit hyperspace." he continued.
"Yes admiral."
Torroro nodded. He still didnt trust this supposed Thrawn, but he could end up in a win-win situation if he played his cards right.
* * *
The turbolift hissed. And Cayel walked out. His military style boots clomped on the durasteel floor. He liked perfectionism, but he didnt allow it to interfere in his image. He was proud of his height, being meter and eighty centimeters tall. Just like the grand admiral. He came near the command chair settled on the bridge, he saluted and stiffed in a parade style stand.
"Yes captain?" said Thrawn, his fiery gaze fixed in the reports coming in.
"I just wanted to inform you that Lomeir has recovered sir." said Cayel innocently.
"Yes, and?" Thrawn encouraged him.
"I think we should spread out our forces sir. The attack on Vorkraft station isnt something we should worry about."
"But it is captain. Vorkraft station is just a stepping stone towards our goal. Remember captain, with our Spaarti cloning cylinders we are taking the initiative. We will need ships to twart our overflow of personell, and we shall need bases and defense platfroms to defend Iridonia." explained Thrawn in a teaching voice.
"Sir?"
"Captain, I presume you are familiar with the factors that destroyed Mount Tantiss?"
"Yes sir. Master C'baoth, the Noghri, and the Rebel team that landed on Wayland."
"That was one of my primary mistakes. I allowed Wayland to be undefended. If I had stationed a Victory star destroyer with a few Lancer-class frigates, the rebels would have never made that landing." said Thrawn in a killing tone.
"I didnt observe it from that point of wiew sir." said Cayel, intrigued.
"Observe all aspects of the problem. Eventually, they can be used as levers in solving that problem. Now captain, prepare a shuttle, we are returning to the 'Reaper'."
"As you wish sir." Cayel nodded in clicked his heels in salutation.
* * *
Jacen and Jaina sitted alone in the room. Each of them had their share of problems. Jacen wanted to find a way to be a better Jedi, and Jaina was still troubled over her loss. They both raised their gaze when the door hissed. A broad shouldered figure entered, with dark hair and a smile from ear to ear. He looked like a boxer.
"Simms!" shouted Jacen in suprise.
"Whats up with you, life-lover?" said Simms smiling. A Corellian, he met Jacen on the Jedi Academy. He was on the first year when Jacen was on the third.
"Waiting for you to stomp your way in here!" answered Jacen. They both started laughing, and Jaina joined them.
"So, what happened?" said Jacen when he caught his breath.
"Youre looking at master Colenath's padawan, matey!" Simms laughed.
And they all burst into laughter.
Little did they know, that hundreds of light years away from their paradise, the last Imperial warlord was gathering his forces, and this time, the ruthless Grand Admiral didnt have a bodyguard with him to help the rebels.
"Do you have any other proof aside from this?" said Torroro sceptically.
"First answer me a question. How well do you know captain Cayel?" Thrawn replied with the same booming voice.
"I know him enough to trust him in battle." replies Torroro without delay.
"Then, captain, would you provide the admiral with your impressions of me? You may exit the room if you wish." said Thrawn in a teaching voice.
"Thank you sir." said Cayel, rose from his seat, and motioned Torroro to come with him. When they exited the room, Torroro boomed: "What the hell is this, Cayel?"
"Listen, and listen good. I saw him obliterate a Yuuzhan Vong fleet with only my ship and four others that he aquired. I belive you heard of the Yaga Minor battle?"
"Yes, saved by a miracle."
"We were that miracle." interrupted Cayel.
"Come on Cayel..." started Torroro.
"I saw him find a stronghold full of pre-Clone wars tech, including a cloning chamber. In a bit more then one month, he has more then tripled my group, and hasnt lost a single battle since we took command." finished Cayel.
"How and where did we meet?" interrupted Torroro.
"We met at Commenor, you saved me and my crew from our damaged Victory-class star destroyer."
"What was the destroyer's name?" pressed Torrero.
"Scepter." said Cayel without thinking. Torrero sighed, then gave Cayel a surrendering look.
"Cayel, Ive worked hard to get my ships. I dont want to give them up to any would-be-warlord."
"That's where you are mistaken. The Grand Admiral wont take away your ships, he will merely incorporate them in our growing fleet." explained Cayel.
"Damn, Ive grown to like you... okay, Ill join. For the glory of the Empire."
"For the glory of the Empire and the Emperor's New Order." Cayel nodded.
They entered the room, and took their respective seats.
"Gentlemen?" Thrawn raised a blue-black eyebrow.
"I will join your forces admiral." said Torroro.
"Thank you admiral." Thrawn said, and turned the communication system online.
"Star Destroyers 'Fearbringer' and 'Oathbraker', tractor in as much asteroids as possible."
"Asteriods?" asked Torroro.
"Yes. Its time to play our ace, admiral." Thrawn said, granting them with a smile. Then he explained.
Pelleaon watched the holovid again. And again. Something was there. Something he overlooked.
"Admiral?" Ardiff called out from behind.
"Yes captain?" answered Pelleaon not taking his gaze off the screen.
"Several minor battles with the Vong. We fended them off, but for how long, we cannot tell." said Ardiff.
"Captain, I want you to contact admiral Ka'frey, transmit him the Yaga Minor batte recording. Then order Intelligence to discover the identity of our unknown helper." Pelleaon smoothed his white mustache with his right hand.
"Yes sir." Ardiff clicked his heels in salutation, then exited the room.
"Admiral, all ships are ready." informed Cayel.
"Excellent. Order the 'Fearbringer' and 'Oathbraker' to assume lined formation." Thrawn boomed. Cayel nodded to the communication officer to proceed the orders. Soon the two Victory star destroyers lined up side by side.
"Full speed. Set course for Belkadan system." ordered Thrawn.
"Admiral?" said Lomeir for the first time since their meeting.
"Yes lieutenant?" Thrawn turned his head slightly to face Lomeir, fixing his gaze on him.
"I am ready." he informed emotionlessly. So thats it. Cayel thought. After two weeks of preparations they were finnaly ready.
"Excellent!" Thrawn said with satisfication, but in a moment that burst of feelings was gone, and he was strictly-business again.
"Tractor control, launch on my command." Thrawn said, and leaned backward as if he was in a cinema.
"Admiral, the 'Fearbringer' is ready." informed Cayel again.
"Helm, full speed. Tractor control, mark." boomed Thrawn dramaticly, and nodded to Lomeir, who nodded back. In perfect coordination, both star destroyer's launched their cargo while rushing toward the planet in the distance. Asteroids. Over one hundred asteroids.
"Tractor control, lock on them." said Cayel. Several asteroids drifted out of range, but the remaining asteroids continued their vector toward the planet barely visible in the distance. Thrawn looked at Lomeir, who nodded with strain.
"Enter hyperspace on my mark." said Thrawn casualy.
"Mark." Thrawn dramaticly boomed.
The two star destroyers engines beamed up, and they entered hyperspace, along with their deadly cargo.
"Reverting to realspace..." said the Navigation officer said after about ten seconds.
The usual hyperspace background was replaced by the starfield, only exception being Belkadan that loomed infront of them. They have arrived.
"Tractor control, release the asteroids!" boomed Cayel.
"And scan the area for any starships." added Thrawn, then he nodded to Lomeir: "Lieutenant, your turn now."
He could sense the weight of the asteroids. Nothing compared to the power of the Force. He mentally pushed them, but his power was small. Slowly, he opened himself to the Force, and like a flood, it flushed into him, overwhelming him. Reaching far outside of the ship, beyond the metal and vacuum, he pushed again. He drowe them onwards toward the planet. And he crumbled lifelessly to the floor.
Thrawn leaned forward from his command chair, waiting for Lomeir to succeed. The asteroids accelerate at first, but then suddenly they started accelerating torward the planet. The first wave burned in the atmosphere. The second brought cataclysm. The third rendered the planet to ruin. A barren planet, evaporated of all life. Lomeir crumbled to the ground. He layed lifelessly on the ground.
"Get a med team up here. Fast." said Thrawn.
"Coralskipper squadrons spotted." someone called out from the crew pit.
"Navigation, calculate a jump for the Hoth system." said Thrawn, then continued: "Full speed by side, Turbolaser control, use standard snubfight tactics."
"Estimated time before calculations are finished?" asked Cayel.
"About twenty seconds sir." came the answer from the crew pit.
"Enter hyperspace as soon as calculations are done." Cayel ordered.
"Disregard that order!" interrupted Thrawn with a wave of his left hand.
"Sir?" said Cayel in astonishment. They couldnt possibly waste time here.
"We are still far from our final victory captain. The crew of our newly aquired ships is inexperienced, and honing their skills is our primary priority." he waved his hand toward the starfighters advancing toward them: "Here, we have a perfect opportunity to give our gunners at least a little field experience which they need so badly. I dont throw away prizes, captain."
"Aye aye sir." Cayel gulped.
"We are ready for hyperspace, my lord." boomed Torroro.
"Sensor report?" asked Thrawn.
"Less then ten coralskippers still operational sir." came a reply.
"Tractor some of them in. Notify Genardi and his group to make shure the pilots survive." ordered Thrawn.
"Four coralskippers locked on." crackled Tractor control over the commlink.
"Enter hyperspace once we have taken care of the remaining coralskippers. Captain, contact the rest of the fleet. Tell them to be on one-hour alert until we arrive, and request a total report on the cloning procedure." boomed Thrawn.
"Yes sir."
They were in hyperspace racing toward Hoth in less then a minute.
"We just got word from the Admiral sir." quietly said the deck officer to Frey.
"New orders?" inquired Frey. There werent any news since Thrawn and Torroro went off in the 'Fearbringer' and the 'Oathbraker' toward Belkadan. Now he was stuck on a barely operational Lancer frigate.
"Apparently sir. Their attack on Belkadan suceeded. We are to go to one-hour standby alert." the deck officer replied.
"Very well. How are the repairs on the 'Warhammer' going?" said Frey.
"I estimate they will be finished before the Grand Admirals return." the deck officer informed him.
"Very well. Dismiss." nodded Frey. The deck officer clicked his heels in salutation and wandered off to preform the orders.
* * *
"How much time before we exit hyperspace?" boomed Torroro.
"Ten minutes admiral." came the reply.
"Very well. Prepare a shuttle ready, I shall be meeting with the Grand Admiral as soon as we exit hyperspace." he continued.
"Yes admiral."
Torroro nodded. He still didnt trust this supposed Thrawn, but he could end up in a win-win situation if he played his cards right.
* * *
The turbolift hissed. And Cayel walked out. His military style boots clomped on the durasteel floor. He liked perfectionism, but he didnt allow it to interfere in his image. He was proud of his height, being meter and eighty centimeters tall. Just like the grand admiral. He came near the command chair settled on the bridge, he saluted and stiffed in a parade style stand.
"Yes captain?" said Thrawn, his fiery gaze fixed in the reports coming in.
"I just wanted to inform you that Lomeir has recovered sir." said Cayel innocently.
"Yes, and?" Thrawn encouraged him.
"I think we should spread out our forces sir. The attack on Vorkraft station isnt something we should worry about."
"But it is captain. Vorkraft station is just a stepping stone towards our goal. Remember captain, with our Spaarti cloning cylinders we are taking the initiative. We will need ships to twart our overflow of personell, and we shall need bases and defense platfroms to defend Iridonia." explained Thrawn in a teaching voice.
"Sir?"
"Captain, I presume you are familiar with the factors that destroyed Mount Tantiss?"
"Yes sir. Master C'baoth, the Noghri, and the Rebel team that landed on Wayland."
"That was one of my primary mistakes. I allowed Wayland to be undefended. If I had stationed a Victory star destroyer with a few Lancer-class frigates, the rebels would have never made that landing." said Thrawn in a killing tone.
"I didnt observe it from that point of wiew sir." said Cayel, intrigued.
"Observe all aspects of the problem. Eventually, they can be used as levers in solving that problem. Now captain, prepare a shuttle, we are returning to the 'Reaper'."
"As you wish sir." Cayel nodded in clicked his heels in salutation.
* * *
Jacen and Jaina sitted alone in the room. Each of them had their share of problems. Jacen wanted to find a way to be a better Jedi, and Jaina was still troubled over her loss. They both raised their gaze when the door hissed. A broad shouldered figure entered, with dark hair and a smile from ear to ear. He looked like a boxer.
"Simms!" shouted Jacen in suprise.
"Whats up with you, life-lover?" said Simms smiling. A Corellian, he met Jacen on the Jedi Academy. He was on the first year when Jacen was on the third.
"Waiting for you to stomp your way in here!" answered Jacen. They both started laughing, and Jaina joined them.
"So, what happened?" said Jacen when he caught his breath.
"Youre looking at master Colenath's padawan, matey!" Simms laughed.
And they all burst into laughter.
Little did they know, that hundreds of light years away from their paradise, the last Imperial warlord was gathering his forces, and this time, the ruthless Grand Admiral didnt have a bodyguard with him to help the rebels.