Chapter 34 – Check
Mara was unceremoniously pushed into a harshly lit office, not nearly as grand as Franzis Sarreti's office in the citadel had been. Apparently Hah Kima was making do with what he had left. Seated behind a metal desk, the moff was seemingly recovered from the stun bolt and he was glaring daggers at Mara.
"Rest assured that we will find your associate too. He cannot escape us," Kima began without preamble.
"What the hell do you want?" Mara retorted sharply, frowning. "If you think you can deceive the Republic you are way off the mark. We know that there's a traitor, and you are first suspect. No way they're going to trust your representative. Not even if it's Sarreti," she added, when she saw a sly smile spread over his lips.
"You should consider your chances, Mara Jade. The Yuuzhan Vong will win this war. There is no other option but to surrender, or else you will perish. As for Lieutenant Sarreti, he tried to convince us that he'd cooperate, but he has proven to be a traitor before." Hah Kima smiled nastily. "So we used different methods to make him talk. He won't be trouble, but I won't be sending him to Coruscant either. The Empress has suggested that assassins be sent to get rid of all political leaders, like Piett, the Princess, Joral, even the Chiss' emperor."
"They will fail, "Mara told him icily.
"And even if, I doubt Mon Mothma will dare send reinforcements into the Unknown Regions. And the Confederate Zone will likely seek a more willing ally than the New Republic. The Empire, of course, would happily offer protection."
"I see. One flaw to that plan."
"What would that be, Mara Jade?"
"Your master deceived you. Just as he deceived everyone else. But Yana knows he's been playing false. She'll take a different path."
Hah Kima shook his head, an almost compassionate expression on his face. "Poor, deluded rebels, always believing in the good of people. Yana Dar has no choice, really, and she'll find out soon enough that resistance is futile."
Mara laughed. "You don't even know what game is being played!"
"Then why don't you enlighten me?"
Just then an officer rushed into the office, panting, eyes wide with shock. "Sir! Anobis is being attacked!"
"What!" Rising abruptly, Hah Kima clenched his hands into tight fists. "Impossible!" Whirling around, he snatched something from the back of his desk and put it on the table top. Mara almost took a step back. The roughly round thing was wrinkly, organic, and she guessed it was of Yuuzhan Vong origin. Hah Kima reached out almost reverentially to stroke the thing, and after a while it transformed gradually, molding itself into a face that bore rough similarities to Yana Dar. Mara gasped in surprise.
"Hah Kima, what is it?" Yana snarled, and when she frowned Mara realized that the Empress had changed more than she had anticipated.
"Your Majesty, I have just received news that Anobis is being attacked! How can that be?"
"Don't act so stupid. You need credibility, if you do not want the New Republic to find out about your betrayal. A few sacrifices surely won't hurt your overall goal, am I right?"
"But you promised –"
"I promised nothing, Hah Kima. As far as I recall your deal was with Warmaster Marayl Carr. Do you wish to speak to him, maybe? No? I thought so. Have the New Republic representatives arrived?"
Hah Kima's eyes flicked toward Mara. "Yes," he grated out.
"Do they suspect you?"
"Unfortunately, yes, they do."
"Unfortunate indeed. For you, that is," Yana purred. "I suppose a bit more of a sacrifice is needed. I will send someone to – see you."
Hah Kima paled. "Your Highness, what do you suggest –"
"You are of no use to me alive, it would seem," the Empress told him harshly. "You have failed the last time, Hah Kima." The strange thing reverted into its original rounded shape, and the moff of Anobis hung his head miserably. For a moment there was silence, then Mara decided to make her move.
"Perhaps there is a way," she said cautiously.
His head came up abruptly. "What are you getting at?"
"You could prove your courage and end your alliance with the Yuuzhan Vong."
"They would exact terrible revenge on us for that betrayal," he answered softly.
"Coward!" Mara snarled. "First you betray the Empress to turn her into a simile of her father and then you are too afraid to admit that you've made a mistake. She's right. You're useless."
"Not all that useless," he whispered, a feverish gleam in his eyes. "I think there is still one thing I could do ... Guards!" he called out and waved casually at Mara as two troopers entered the office. "Get her to detention."
Jix was quite impressed by the stealth and efficiency the bounty-hunter employed in leading them up and back into the garrison. While the Corellian knew as a fact that he would have managed on his own, too, he grudgingly had to admit that he probably would have taken more time. Okay, but he's been here longer than you have been, he told himself, he's got an advantage. Jix' advantage, of course, was that he knew their quarry. Finding Sarreti did not prove too difficult, because they could guess that he would be held in the living quarters, and finding a couple of troopers stationed in front of a sealed door was pretty easy, after all. The troopers did not have a chance to put up much resistance, and Jix managed to crack the lock in record time. They needed to hurry, and somehow working under pressure always brought the best out in him. Grinning to himself, Jix opened the door and slipped inside, followed closely by the silent bounty-hunter. Jix pointed toward the sleeping room and Fett nodded, before he walked off to search that part of the apartment, while Jix himself checked over the living room and a walk-in closet that seemed to house mostly trash. A barely audible sound from the door prompted him to spin around, only to see Sarreti drop from a stately cupboard next to the door, eyes intent on the Corellian.
"Got him!" Jix called out to the bounty-hunter, just as Sarreti brought a blaster to bear and aimed a shot at him. "Whoa!" Ducking out of the way, Jix, made a grab for his own weapons. "Hey, we just wanna talk to you!"
"Guards!" the counselor hollered out and Jix frowned. Oh no you won't. Leaving the cover of a finely crafted chair by the window, the Corellian was just in time to see Fett come rushing out of the bed-room, straight at Sarreti, who moved aside elegantly, but slowly, a clear sign for his weakened state. Good. Cannoning into Sarreti, while Fett took up a defensive position, Jix wrestled the man to the floor, using all of his weight and strength. He pressed a hand over his mouth to prevent him from screaming out again. But Sarreti did not seem to plan on anything of that sort. He was just glaring up at him furiously.
"Got something to tie him up?" he asked when Fett joined them. Wordlessly, the bounty-hunter started wrapping Sarreti's wrists tightly together with a slender robe. "Good." Jix released the man and rose. "Now we should talk."
"There is nothing to talk about," the counselor spat.
"You're angry because you think Yana has betrayed you."
"She has betrayed her ideals," Sarreti snorted. "That's far worse."
"What if I told you that we know for sure she's playing the Vong false?"
The man's gray eyes flickered uncertainly. "She told me," he insisted hoarsely. "She told me I had to betray our allies. For her."
Jix held up his hands soothingly. "Okay. I understand. But she could hardly tell you to your face that she was betraying the Vong at the same time, could she?"
"I suppose not," Sarreti admitted reluctantly. "But she has changed. She – " He broke off, and fear flashed across his face. "She is turning into something bad, evil."
"And you still chose to serve her?" Jix commented. "I always thought you Imperial types were far too loyal for your own good. Look, you've been beaten up bad, and its only natural that you would assume the worst. But you know Yana. She's tough." Helping Sarreti to his feet, Jix smiled. "Remember the Seeker? It seems to share my view. Yana's setting them up for a fall, a particularly hard one."
The counselor closed his eyes. "I have been a fool," he breathed after a while. "I have been such a damned fool!" When he looked at Jix again the Corellian almost took a step back at the intensity of the man's gaze. "You're right, Mister Jixton." He threw a hard glance at Boba Fett. "You are willing to help too?"
The bounty-hunter shrugged. "I've got nothing else to do at the moment."
"Excellent. You could start by untying me," Sarreti retorted coolly, raising his bound hands toward Fett, who complied with a soft chuckle.
"And now?" he asked, sounding almost bored.
"Now we're going to gather some information. I suggest Hah Kima will do nicely."
On the way to detention, Mara picked up the sound of blaster fire from above, and smiled. Her escort exchanged a glance, then hurried her along faster as the wailing of alarms started assaulting their ears.
"Damn!" one of them cursed, when they found the front desk in detention deserted.
"Hurry," his companion urged him, "just take the next best cell."
"Yeah, yeah, don't push it." While his collegue held on to Mara, Moron Number One checked the cell status report and pointed at the closest one. "Get her in there."
"Occupied?"
"Nope." Moron Number One gave the report another hard glance. "Tricky code," he muttered, but then the door to the cell clicked open. Mara was pushed into the windowless room and the heavy door crashed close behind her. Nevertheless she could still overhear the conversation that ensued when the warden on duty reappeared.
"What the hell are you two doing here? Have you tampered with anything?"
"Just checking, sir," Moron Number One explained hurriedly. "'Cause of the alarm."
"Gads! I'm just away for a moment and you come wandering in where you're not wanted! Get out! You can see there's nothing here for you! Go and take care of whatever caused that blasted alarm!"
By the time the storm troopers could be heard clanking away, Mara was laughing hard, and a moment later the door opened and Jix grinned at her. "Thought I might find you here, baby."
She tugged at the lapels of his jacket playfully. "Hm, uniforms really suit you. Perhaps you should wear them more often. What kept you?"
"Fett. Come, he and Sarreti are causing a bit of a riot up there."
"All by themselves?" Mara asked, suitably impressed.
"Yeah. We'd better hurry to join the fun."
He handed her a spare blaster and started jogging back the way she'd come, but took a different turn that led them to a turbo-lift. Entering, Jix pushed third level, which was labeled 'Administration' and Mara's brows rose slightly. "We're paying a visit to Hah Kima?"
"Sure. He's such a charming guy, enjoying his company is always a pleasure," he replied nastily. "There we are. Stay sharp."
They entered level three with blaster at the ready, and found themselves in the middle of a heavy fire-fight. It were mostly strom troopers that were firing blindly at some unseen target, and by sheer luck Jix and Mara had landed behind them. But that didn't help them, really.
"Watch out!" a voice shouted from the opposite direction the storm troopers were facing, and Mara spun around to open fire on another squad that was heading toward them. Jix bolted across the hallway, so they could cover them in a cross-fire. Suddenly a loud boom shook the corridor, and smoke rose from the floor, where a grenade had hit the first squad.
"What a mess," Mara commented drily, then used the opportunity to pump another round of laser bolts into the ranks of the second squad. Unexpectedly a trooper raced past her, covered by his comrades, and went into a huddle with the squad leader, while the others continued answering Jix' and Mara's fire.
"Cease fire!" a voice bellowed from somewhere behind the screen of black smoke, and Mara's jaw dropped, when the squad complied instantly. Then Franzis Sarreti appeared, face soot-covered, with Boba Fett acting as rear-guard. The counselor gave Jix and Mara a grim nod, then zeroed in on the sergeant leading the squad. "Excellent performance, Sergeant," he told the soldier coldly, then waved the squad on. Following them, feeling slightly bewildered, Mara fell in step with Jix and the bounty-hunter.
"What's up?" the Corellian asked quietly.
"A little insurrection. Turns out that most here would rather place their bets on Sarreti than Hah Kima and his cronies. Most are loyal to Yana Dar. Guess she's impressed them. Her disappearance and the Vong attack seem to have been a nasty shock, though."
They entered Hah Kima's office, now pretty crowded, together, only to find the counselor shaking the moff like a rag-doll, his gray eyes spitting fire. Blood was flowing down Hah Kima's face, but he was grinning hard. "You're too late," he pressed out. "You can't save her in time."
"You may be mistaken," Sarreti replied icily, then let the traitor crash to the floor. "Arrest him. Arrest his so-called councilors and execute them."
"Yes, sir," the sergeant said with a nod at his soldiers.
"Wait a minute, isn't that a bit rash?" Jix asked, holding up a hand cautiously.
"Rash? We are at war, Mister Jixton. I cannot afford any sort of honor, morals or pity," Sarreti added acidly. "Now get out of my way, I have work to do."
"Charming," Mara said sweetly, standing next to Jix as they watched Sarreti stalk away.
He needed some time alone, some time to get rid of the anxiety and defiance that had turned into resignation over the past few days, once the Empress had made her intentions clear. Only now he was coming to realize that his sense of duty, had blinded him to what was really going on. Franzis Sarreti remembered wistfully the ominous prediction the Dark Lord had made when they had met, that he would learn that duty was not everything. He had been right. But the disappointment over his own failure in waking a sense of duty and loyalty toward the Empire in Yana Dar herself had paralyzed him, had made him forget what she truly was, what she was capable of.
Roj Kell had told him that she was more her father's daughter than she wanted to realize, but Franzis had interpreted that as her being prone to falling to the Dark Side, to becoming a ruthless tyrant, just like Palpatine. The object lesson, Yana's dangerous outburst after her half-brother's and Abla Othana's death, had seemingly confirmed that assumption. But now he was coming to understand that Yana's experience as an information broker had honed her skills as a manipulator immensely. He only had to play into her hands.
If you seek to betray my allies now, you will learn the true wrath of your mistress, she had said, and Franzis gave a soft groan when he felt the true meaning of her words come into focus. She had wanted him to betray the Yuuzhan Vong, help her unleash her wrath on them. In a rare show of emotion he stopped his headlong flight to punch the corridor wall hard. Irresponsible, foolish, that came not even close to describing the way he had acted ever since his imprisonment. When he heard someone approach fast, he whirled around to face Jixton and Jade. Both seemed cautious, as if they expected him to order their execution too. Franzis smiled at them reassuringly.
"Don't worry, I am quite all right," he told them in a low voice, and tapped his forehead gently. "I just needed to adjust to this new information."
"Good to see you're adapting so quickly," Jixton replied wrily. "And now that you're so eager to give the Vong what they deserve, I can safely claim that we have a present for you."
"A present?"
The Corellian gave him a wide grin. "Yep. A special gift, one that only a very few people have seen so far. The Seeker's predictions and calculations on the outcome of this conflict." Jixton shrugged. "Pretty weird stuff, in places, and hard to understand. But it offers a few pointers and a lot of references Karrde is checking up on."
"You have brought it here? Are you mad?" Sarreti exclaimed, shocked. "What if Hah Kima had managed to get his hands on that report? If he had handed it over to the Warmaster?"
"I do not believe that would have changed much," Mara Jade answered quietly. "Have a look at the report. You'll see what I mean. Jix?"
Jixton gave a small nod, then theatrically started patting the pockets of his vest, before he bent down with a grin to work on his right boot. "There you go," he said at last, offering a datacard to the counselor with a tiny flourish.
"Excellent," Franzis breathed, as he accepted that gift. "Come. Let's have a look."
He quickly turned around, checking his memory for the closest data station and remembered that there would be one in the comm center of the garrison's administrative wing. Once he had reached the center he found a squad of stormtroopers assembling in front of the door, for protection. He smiled at that. Perhaps he had been more successful with introducing Yana Dar to the Empire than he had believed. A data station was quickly found, and Jixton and Jade stood to either side of him, watching with a mild interest that told him that they belonged to the select group of people who had already seen the report. On the blank screen a simple query path appeared and he inserted the datacard into the appropriate slot and called up the file's position. The report appeared instantly.
Alliance is founded between the New Republic, the Chiss, and a number of people, mainly members of the Triad Community of Laa'kuan under leadership of the Star People [Ref. Triad Worlds, Triad Community, Star People]. This alliance will form the basis of the Yuuzhan Vong's defeat [Ref. People of Death, Jen Motha]. A great battle will end the conflict with the Yuuzhan Vong, site of battle inside Chiss controlled territory. Outcome not determined [Ref. Battle tactics]. Variables: [Ref. Darth Sidious].
Activating the reference link to the name Darth Sidious, Franzis frowned ever so slightly. The reference link led him to a summary of the late Emperor's interests in the conflict.
Chaos and control are the major elements of this plan [Ref. Sith History]. Three different variables: [Ref. Yana Dar, Irek Ismaren, Roj Kell]. Each approach ultimately leads to chaos, the variables [see Ref.] determine the extent and direction of the scheme. [Ref. Irek Ismaren]: Total annihilation of the Empire, separatist movements, turmoil and violence prevail. [Ref. Yana Dar]: 1) Stability will be restored, 2) Empire will grow to greater dominance, 3) Annihilation of the Empire 4) Return of the Sith. Determined by [Ref. Roj Kell]: 1) Not existant, 2) Ignorant, 3) Counter-Scheme, Result to 1)-3): Death.
The summary offered a reference link to Roj Kell, which Franzis found particularly intriguing, but the result was meager.
Ultimate goal is return of the Sith [Ref. Initiation, Biography, Liyuma]. Approach dependent on [Ref. Yana Dar, Cor'dan].
Clicking the reference link to Yana Dar, Franzis held his breath in anticipation. This was the most important variable for his own role in the scheme, he knew. All of his actions had to complement whatever Yana was planning. He already knew that she was seeking to betray the Yuuzhan Vong, but he did not know how.
Choose [Ref. Stability, Dominance, Annihilation, Sith]. Most likely outcome [Ref. Sith].
Hitting the last reference link, Franzis found his eyes narrowing in anticipation.
History predestines [Ref. Jen Motha] outcome. Means [Ref. Sith History]: deception and adaption. Most successful strategy: The victim is fooled by outward pretense of understanding and cooperation. Include possible betrayal in calculation and plan accordingly. Use trust and distrust to sow discord among victims, offer assistance but instead plan destruction. Use ignorance of victim by offering alternate solution. Use [Ref. Roj Kell] to confuse victim.
Nodding to himself, Franzis returned to the previous screen and hit the link to Cor'dan.
Cor'dan [Ref. Jen-People, Os'jen'thana]: acts as motivator for [Ref. Yana Dar, Alliance] and is instrumental in achieveing [Ref. Victory] or [Ref. Defeat]. [Ref. Roj Kell, Sith] to determine Cor'dan.
The reference to Defeat proved to be particularly interesting:
Defeat will be achieved by defensive stance [Ref. Battle tactics] and will result in total annihilation. Defeat will result when using an obvious ally for attacking the enemy. The enemy will learn of your deception and act accordingly. Defeat will result when [Ref. Yana Dar] is forced to act alone and [Ref. Cor'dan] determines goal [Ref. Compassion] and [Ref. Survival, Jen Motha]. One complements the other toward defeat.
Franzis leaned away from the screen, his thoughts busily attacking the problem from the different angles the report had presented so far. So Yana would be trying to play the Yuuzhan Vong leaders against one another, using Roj Kell, probably his execution, since his death had been included in the calculations, which meant that her chosen victims would be Warmaster Marayl Carr and Priestess Alyn Cha. At least that was what he would do, but he had no idea whether there might not be others who led the Yuuzhan Vong campaign. Yana would also pretend to cooperate, and she had ordered him to cooperate too. Additionally she would focus their efforts on the New Republic.
He smiled as a thought unfolded. The Yuuzhan Vong were aiming at isolating the Chiss and frightening the New Republic and the Confederate Zone into inaction. So perhaps it might make sense to follow Hah Kima's plans and ally himself with Tomas Piett. Just for show, of course. At the same time he could offer the Yuuzhan Vong spies and saboteurs to aid them, drawing their attention on possible threats from within the New Republic. While he had no idea what the Chiss and the New Republic troops were up to in the Unknown Regions, he would certainly use the reference link to the Battle tactics, which he suspected would contain some clues as to the warlords' plans. But then he remembered what Mara Jade had told him.
"You said that the report would have been of no use to the Yuuzhan Vong," he began, looking up to meet Jade's gaze. "How so? If Hah Kima had gotten this, he would have warned them of the alliance that is gathering against them. And of Yana's betrayal."
She nodded. "Yes. But they count on Yana deceiving them. She'll do what she needs to, find her way, I'm sure. You will also have noticed that the outcome of the battle at Almashin, which is where it will take place, we assume, was not determined by the program. If you hit the Battle tactics link you'll find that only someone with a sound knowledge of quite a few battles conducted both by Thrawn and Vader will understand what is meant. There are no references in there. If you want the real prediction you have to think a bit further."
"And you found out where the real prediction can be located?"
"Karrde found out. You have to follow the reference link here," she returned to the first passage of the report he had studied, where it said something about the alliance being the basis of the Yuuzhan Vong's defeat. Activating the reference link to Jen Motha, she called up a historical report and activated a link that said [Ref. Return], then withdrew again to let him see for himself. Staring at the screen dumb-founded, Franzis found his mind go blank. Presented on the screen were the weaknesses and strengths of the Yuuzhan Vong, and creative input on how to counter them, including everything the program knew of how successful one approach or the other would be.
"Nevertheless, that was very risky," he murmured at last.
She shrugged. "Doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
He smiled at her. "No, I guess not. All right. Let's see what we can do here."
Yana was frowning deeply as she pondered the previous conversation with Hah Kima. If he was smart he would rejoin the alliance with the New Republic. If he continued to be an utter fool he would die and Sarreti would take his place. If only she could find a way to reassure the counselor! If he did not trust her, he would work in all the wrong ways and blunt her own plans. No. Tapping a finger against her lower lip thoughtfully, she tried to imagine Sarreti's point of view. He would stick to his promises and serve her, and since his will was pretty broken, he would not even care to search for hidden meanings behind her orders. Which was the greatest problem she had to overcome.
Stalking the expanse of her quarters, the Empress spun her thoughts further. She had been told that the Grand Admiral was drawing his troops together at Almashin, and Hah Kima had withdrawn the Imperial ships from his fleet, which meant that Thrawn would probably be badly outnumbered by the Yuuzhan Vong. He had had no problems with overcoming such odds in the past, she knew, but would his skill suffice in a battle against the combined might of the Yuuzhan Vong? She started chewing her lower lip nervously, and when a soft sound reached her ears she whirled around to face the door, that promptly slid open to admit Roganda. Black eyes blank, the younger woman slipped into the quarters and slunk into a corner to sit there, very still. Alyn Cha followed her inside, threw a contemptuous glance at Roganda in her corner, and addressed Yana haughtily.
"We will be joining the fleet soon to travel to Almashin. You are certain your plans will succeed?" she asked.
"I am certain, Priestess," Yana replied deferentially. "We will destroy their alliance and take them one at a time. But first, the Chiss."
"You have condemned Hah Kima to die, I hear. Why?"
"He is worthless, unreliable. I doubt very much that he can deal with the representatives of the New Republic."
"And you believe you counselor will suffice?"
"His skills are without question, and he will follow my orders."
Alyn Cha nodded. "I am certain he will." Smiling faintly, the priestess gestured at Roganda. "Ly Sul claims that there is a similarity between her and the priest. The blood contains organisms that Roganda says measure power. Yet Roganda is more powerful than he was."
"His power was knowledge," Yana explained quietly.
The priestess nodded. "Since she is of no other use to us, Ly Sul is considering attempting to shape her into a tool to oppose these Jedi," the priestess continued, a malevolent look in her eyes. "He asks for your assistance."
"If I can be of assistance, I will, of course, be happy to oblige," the Empress retorted, raising her chin high. "You are still testing my loyalty. I find that somewhat insulting."
"Once you prove yourself worthy our doubts will turn into trust, that I can promise you." Turning away, Alyn Cha left without another word, leaving Yana very pensive.
"They are suspecting you," Roganda said suddenly, and Yana gave a low yelp at the unexpected sound. Roganda had not talked to her in days. She strode over to join the woman on the deck and smiled.
"You are not angry with me any longer?"
The other looked away. "I heard them talk. Hah Kima is trying to blackmail you. He is trying to save himself. They see it as that, but they also suspect you of planning more than you let on."
"They would be stupid if they did not," the Empress breathed, thinking frantically. "Almashin is the key. We must defeat them there." She looked Roganda straight in the eye. "If we fail there, I do not know what I will do. But I will do everything I can to hurt them as much as possible."
Studying the latest report from Needa's secondary task force intently, the Grand Admiral was barely aware of the Noghri hovering next to his chair like a shadow. Over the past few days Chi'in had given him some valuable input on what he had come to know of the Yuuzhan Vong and their tactics while being their captive. And combined with his experiences both as a hunter and a Sith warrior that knowledge had been refined and become even more valuable.
"The trick is to keep our losses at least stable, or else minimize them," the Noghri said suddenly, and pointed at a passage of the report describing the maneuver Needa and General Hxenti had employed at Lounia on the enemy fleet's most capital ship. "In using the tractor beams he could keep their fighters at bay or else leave them vulnerable, should they decide to attack."
"Yes. Beating the enemy with his own strengths by turning them into weaknesses," the Grand Admiral added quietly. "But we must change the rules of the game soon." Leaning back in his chair he steepled his fingers across his chest and closed his eyes. "Our next move will come at Lounia. You will join Admiral Needa at Almashin and see to that mission we talked about."
"Of course, sir."
"Ever since Nirauan they have lost every space battle against our forces. They need a success, and they will try to provoke a ground battle. After all, they almost succeeded in wiping out Admiral Parck's troops at Nirauan. Only the fact that their Warmaster decided that conquest not worth the while saved our men there. They need a victory. If what Skywalker told you about Kell's execution is true, and taking into consideration what I know, we can assume that the Warmaster expected that sacrifice to yield some positive results. So far he has been disappointed."
"You are not planning on losing deliberately, are you?"
"No. Think about it. He will be frantic, since he has not been able to show success. His subordinates might believe that the gods have abandoned him. You see, his position is in danger. He needs to prove himself."
"And that will make him reckless," Chi'in finished for him.
Thrawn smiled. "Exactly. Your transport is waiting, Master Chi'in."
"Yes. Good luck with your own assignment, sir."
"Luck? Oh, I do not think we will have to rely on luck just yet," the Grand Admiral told the Sith pleasantly and rose from his chair.
Chi'in left with a smile on his nightmarish features, and Thrawn dismissed him for now, confident in the warrior's insight and abilities. So far Needa's secondary task force had been drawing most of the fire, and that for a good reason. If the Yuuzhan Vong were still unsure about the exact setup of his fleet – and since Hellermann's Chimaera had not made it to join Needa that was highly plausible – they needed to believe that they were wearing the enemy down gradually. And should they suspect that there were two different task forces the Warmaster might still pursue the one contingent that had seen more action and more damage. The other contingent may be well rested and well prepared, he would reason, but the other had more experience in fighting the Yuuzhan Vong too, and that experience and knowledge needed to be destroyed. The Grand Admiral smiled. Logical assumptions not always reflected the truth. And he knew very well that an attack on his task force could not be ruled out at all. Which was why he had to act first.
Gilead Palleon felt strangely uncomfortable as, approximately ten hours after Chi'in had departed, the remaining fleet was attacking an unsuspecting Yuuzhan Vong fleet at Lounia. Needa's secondary task force had departed the site of their last battle already to go on to Almashin, and Palleon guessed that the enemy fleet was here to investigate the happenings. The enemy's firepower was overwhelming, and when the Grand Admiral had ordered an all-out attack, after having lurked behind Lounia's third moon for hours to observe the enemy, the captain had been a bit stunned at the lack of sophistication in Thrawn's approach.
Now, assisted by Teer Shikay, he was managing the furious engagements his ships and fighters found themselves entangled in with the Yuuzhan Vong vessels. From time to time he would steal an uneasy glance at the Chiss seated in the command chair, calmly studying the set of screens installed into his chair and typing orders now and then. Sometimes he spoke quietly to someone on the comm, but Palleon was too busy to pay much attention to who exactly he was talking to. When a particularly hard attack raked across the Eisenhart's shields and some of the aft batteries reported damage, though, the Grand Admiral's smooth voice cut through the tense atmosphere on the Star Destroyer's bridge like a cool breeze.
"Full retreat, Captain. The navigators already have received their coordinates," he announced calmly, and smiled when he caught Palleon's expression. "Do not worry, Captain," he said, amused, "everything is under control."
Half an hour later the fleet was working its way into an asteroid belt bordering the planet, and Palleon cynically told himself that it probably couldn't get worse. But then the enemy, having pursued them relentlessly, struck at the ships the Grand Admiral had deployed in a tight, single file formation the captain had thought insane from the very beginning. He had not even ordered the fighters to scramble to offer minimum protection! But then, the course Thrawn had the navigators plot through the asteroid belt was even more crazy. It brought the ships periliously close to the giant asteroids making up the belt.
"This is madness," Palleon whispered under his breath. Teer Shikay, who had been carrying out his orders without once voicing any doubts, gave him a hard look. The older man returned it with a proud stare, then ambled over to join Thrawn at the forward viewport. Gaze fixed on the radar, the Chiss did not look up. "Sir," the captain began quietly, "if I may suggest, this formation leaves us too vulnerable to attack."
Still Thrawn did not look at him. "They react to movement and heat," he explained suddenly, out of the blue, "and they have a limited range of operations."
"Sir?"
The Chiss' glowing eyes turned on him. "Space worms. This particular species is native to the Unknown Regions, but still pretty rare. One of their colonies is here, at Lounia."
Palleon gaped. "What do they live on?"
"Migrating mynocks, actually."
The Captain gave a little groan. "My stars. Now I understand. That's why you chose this deployment! If the Yuuzhan Vong want to attack us they are moving within range of the space worms, drawing their attention."
"Very good, Captain." Rising from his seat Thrawn gave him a cool nod. "Ready our laser batteries to pick up any coral skippers that might escape them. Once we are finished here we will go on to Almashin."
Kneeling next to Yana on the deck of the Warmaster's worldship, Roganda could sense darkness all around. She could sense it in Yana in particular and yet it was different than what she had come to associate with the Dark Side. It lacked passion and vibrance, was nothing more than a blank, bleak mirror of indifference. And yet she knew that a passionate fire still burned in the Empress' heart. Ever since they had made their peace again Yana had increasingly confided in her; not her plans, but her feelings. It was obvious that she did not trust Roganda to keep quiet, and still she craved a friend's support. After the bitter shock of Irek's death Roganda had relied on Yana's friendship to ease her pain, and now she returned the older woman's gift gladly. Of course, the days of uncertainty, when she had believed that Yana had betrayed them all, had curbed her feelings for the Empress as a friend, but they had passed that hurdle together. Now they had to take on the next.
Even though Roganda would never say so aloud, she could sense that Yana was slipping away emotionally. She might talk about her hopes and fears, but it was as if she were telling another woman's story. Her plight, that Roganda could understand so well, was giving the former Emperor's Hand a new sense of strength and power. Here was someone who needed her help, who depended on her. Irek had thought her useless, just like her master had. And the Grand Admiral had deemed her an ambitious, pompous fool. Perhaps she had been all that, but she was also a survivor. This was her chance to redeem herself, the chance Roj Kell had denied to her when he had killed her son, her only hope of salvation, before she could reach him. Anger clenched her heart into a tight, hard knot. But Kell was dead, Yana had told her, he had paid for Irek's murder. Looking up cautiously to look at Yana she saw a mask of calculated cool countenance on the Enpress' features. She gave away nothing.
At the Empress' side Alyn Cha stood motionless, gaze fixed ahead at the coalescent viewport of the worldship, to look at an Alliance fleet that was fleeing before the might of the Yuuzhan Vong. Roganda's heart skipped a beat when the mighty warships of their captors unleashed their weapons on the Alliance ships as the two fleets drew into an asteroid field. Something about this felt very wrong. Suddenly a hand ran through her thick hair soothingly, and once more she sought Yana's gaze. Still not looking at her the Empress seemed nervous, but also determined. And then one of the Yuuzhan Vong operators rushed over to kneel before the Warmaster's looming figure, silhouetted against the viewport. There was a hushed exchange of information, then Marayl Carr waved a clawed hand at the three females behind him.
"A message was sent out," he explained, pointing at the fleet ahead. "We will hear it now." He turned his head slightly to smile at Yana's impassive face. "A trap, perhaps? A taunting? What do you suggest, Empress?"
"We should hear the message," Yana replied coldly. "There is no guessing necessary."
"They will soon have reached the end of the asteroid field and leave its protection," the Warmaster purred. "Where our second task force will receive them while we crush them from behind. They are foolish and reckless."
The Empress uttered a small laugh. "Reckless? You have never engaged the Grand Admiral before. I would advise you to be more cautious, Warmaster."
Roganda felt her breath catch. That was the Grand Admiral's contingent? Suddenly fearful she suppressed an urge to rise, and chewed her lower lip instead. But why had he let himself become trapped in the asteroid field?
"We shall see," Marayl Carr responded to Yana's challenge, interrupting Roganda's thoughts. "Here is the message."
It was an audio recording, and it had taken the Yuuzhan Vong quite some time to be able to receive and decypher audio waves, but they had managed, with Yana's help, as Roganda remembered ruefully. Had the Empress anticipated exactly this to happen?
"This is a message to Warmaster Marayl Carr," a smooth voice, barely distorted, began, and Roganda recognized it instantly and smiled. "We, the Chiss and the New Republic Forces, will not consider either surrender of our troops nor quarter offered to the Yuuzhan Vong troops. We will fight to the death. Your outposts will be destroyed, your ships annihilated. This is no threat, Warmaster, and no warning. This is a fact."
"A preposterous assumption, Grand Admiral," Marayl Carr growled coldly as the message ended. "Your forces are weakened and few. You will succumb to us and be destroyed." Turning to his aides his mangled features turned into a snarl. "Attack!"
Perfect. The timing of the message's release had been simply perfect, gauging the Yuuzhan Vong forces to charge after his seemingly vulnerable fleet into the trap at exactly the moment Thrawn had estimated it would take the space worms to awaken to the threat to their colony. Moving on the Alliance ships, the Yuuzhan Vong vessels spread out, ready to crush the enemy in a merciless fist. But in doing so they alerted the space worms, primitive creatures driven by instinct, and drew their immediate attention. While the Grand Admiral doubted that the capital ships of the Yuuzhan Vong would be bothered much by the attacking beasts, he calculated that the assault would at least stall the pursuit, and in the best case diminish the enemy forces.
"Commander, launch fighters now," he told Teer Shikay quietly, and the commander immediately relayed the order and, without waiting for the admiral's consent, ordered them to form a spearhead in front of the fleet. "Captain, the gunners are ready?" he continued, addressing his second.
Palleon gave him a tight nod, and admiration flashed across his eyes as he smiled. Behind the alliance fleet the asteroid belt erupted into frenzied battle. Evasive maneuvers performed by the Yuuzhan Vong capital ships resulted in immediate punishment as they encountered either asteroids or enraged space worms. And all the while the ships forming the alliance's rearguard kept on firing at the pursuers, forcing them to evade that fire.
"If I might say so, sir, a masterful stroke," Palleon said, fully sincere, as he joined the admiral again.
Acknowledging the praise with a nod, Thrawn gave order for the fighters to speed ahead and attack the enemy forces undoubtedly waiting for them at the end of the asteroid belt. "We are not clear yet," he cautioned the captain in a low voice.
"Sir, the fighters report enemy contact. They have engaged," Teer Shikay announced as he materialized next to Palleon. "They will need reinforcements. Do you want the capital ships to simply blast through or do you prefer a cautious approach?" he added, face impassive.
Suprised by the man's boldness, Thrawn looked up to meet his eyes. "I would have thought my orders concerning the fighter deployment had been clear enough," he said.
Shikay did not react visibly, but answered: "Yes, sir, I guess it was. But the enemy will anticipate your tactics."
"Will he?" Thrawn asked, brows arched in questioning. "And how do you propose he will counter my measures?"
"With overwhelming force, as always," the commander replied glumly. "We are risking a prolonged engagement, and defeat."
"If we force a stand, yes," Thrawn agreed, "but that is not the point. They will believe that this trap was the best we could come up with, especially since we have allowed them to trap us instead. Their arrogance will lead them to assume they can defeat us easily now, and they will set to accomplishing that goal immediately." He redirected his glowing gaze on the viewport up ahead. "You see, Commander, this battle is not about winning. A lesson for you, perhaps. Not every battle needs to be won to decide the war. And now, gentlemen," he concluded, as the Eisenhart burst between the last asteroids and into open space, where the TIEs were engaging a second Yuuzhan Vong task force, "we will proceed to Almashin."
"So, what do you make of it?" Raisa asked, hands folded atop the white sheet that covered her up to her waist, She wore a hospital gown that seemed as white as her face, and her eyes were tired. Squeezing her hand gently, Tomas smiled.
"What Lady Fawl told me," he began quietly, "is most valuable information. And from what I could gather from Captain Solo's report, our best bet would be to ally with the Empire."
Her forehead creased into a frown. "For show," she stated, half questioned. Tomas nodded slowly.
"Of course for show. I have already scheduled a conference with Moff Kima for this afternoon. Perhaps I can gain more information and stall him a bit."
"This is a very dangerous gamble, Tomas," she offered thoughtfully. "We are isolated out here, with the Empire and the Yuuzhan Vong forces threatening us from two sides. And if the New Republic does not act soon and draws ships to the borders..." she broke off, taking a labored breath. He stroked her hand tenderly, his smile deepening.
"That is the point. By opening negotiations with the Empire I can put pressure on the government on Coruscant. They will have to make their choices fast, then. And Andorwyn will make certain to describe our precarious situation in all details."
"And the Commander will add the gloomy news from the Unknown Regions," she added, her lips twitching. "And withhold the information about the alliance that will be joining Thrawn. A grand conspiracy," she huffed, "very worthy of the Dark Lord's last scheme."
"Yes," Tomas agreed, beaming, then leaned forward to press a kiss on her cheek. "Just like the old days. Of course, back then I joined the team pretty late."
"Luckily you learn quickly," she teased him, a fond look in her eyes. Suddenly her features slackened. Alarmed, he turned his head to call for a medic, but her hand on her forearm halted him. "It is nothing," she whispered. "I am just tired. I need to sleep."
Hesitant, he turned back to face her. "All right. Then I will leave. Are you certain you are all right"?
She nodded. "Certain. Good luck with the negotiations."
"Well," he shrugged, "if they go as well as my last negotiations with Zickorey and the rest I might find myself Emperor next." Raisa laughed softly at his joke, then nodded.
"You'll manage," she told him. Rising from his seat he gave her another smile, before he turned to leave.
She was recovering, and that in itself was a blessing. When she had been severely injured by Lady Fawl in the Kuati noblewoman's attempt to escape after a failed assassination attempt on Piett himself, he had been worried near to death. But now, with her health improving and the information the traitorous lady had provided him with, he felt very confident indeed. Leaving the medical ward of the presidential residence and governor's seat of Bilbringi he was quickly joined by Lemit Zickorey, who would surely become his vice president in the election two weeks from now. Even though the leaders of the worlds along the Perlmanian trade route had reached consensus on founding the Corporate Zone, Tomas had persuaded them to adopt a democratic principle of public consensus. Though he did not doubt that the inhabitants of Bilbringi, Kuat, Corulag, Chandrila and others would vote in favor of the Confederate Zone. He smiled. He had even won over Chandrila, Mon Mothma's own homeworld. But the smile faded instantly. Another reminder that the Rebel Alliance had thoroughly failed at providing a sense of security and stability after the war's end half a year ago.
"You seem worried," Lemit Zickorey, still acting governor of Bilbringi, commented.
"Well, I am worried," Tomas conceded grimly. "But once we have talked to Hah Kima we will have a better basis to develop a future strategy."
"Indeed true. Here," Zickorey gestured to the left. "I've had the general staff meeting room prepared for the conference."
"Thank you."
The two men entered together, finding a few members of Zickorey's executive staff waiting. They left without a word at a nod from the governor. Tomas seated himself and gazed at the holo transmission field anxiously. Two minutes left until the scheduled meeting. The attempt on his life had worried him. Lady Fawl had confessed that she had acted on Hah Kima's orders, which meant that the moff was not only a traitor to the Empire, but also conspiring with the Yuuzhan Vong. Obviously he was the guiding hand that would sow unrest among the New Republic's allies to drive them apart and weaken them by isolating the respective regions. Sabotage was to be expected, and he had warned Solo to be cautious and inform Coruscant of possible attempts on the lives of leading figures such as Mon Mothma or Princess Leia. Solo had been uncharacteristically close-mouthed, as if he knew more than he let on. And Commander Al'than'erudo, the Force-sensitive Chiss representative to Coruscant, had been equally secretive. Tomas frowned. Though he understood the need for secrecy he worried that they might be holding back too much.
"We're ready," Lemit Zickorey announced suddenly, and a few moments later a holo-image unfolded in the transmission field. To Tomas' surprise the man confronting him was not the one he had expected.
"A pleasure to find you well, Admiral," Franzis Sarreti greeted him cordially. "Although I had no doubts that you would be able to thwart that assassination attempt."
"You knew?" Tomas found himself asking, even though he had wanted to ask something very different.
"What the hell are you doing there?" Lemit Zickorey exclaimed in his place, echoing his confusion.
"Worried to see me?" Sarreti asked, brow arched mockingly. Only now did Tomas realize how ill the man looked, how emanciated.
"Not at all," he managed. "I assume you have regained control on Byss?"
Sarreti nodded. "Yes. And I must ask you to commit your forces to my command."
"An alliance?" Tomas inquired, suddenly feeling very smug. That was exactly what he had been planning to do himself! "Why would I agree to such a thing?"
"An alliance," the other confirmed. "You must understand that your situation is precarious. The New Republic will not support you, for fear of stretching their troops too far. You are on your own, Admiral, and on your own you will perish."
Only then did Tomas realize that Sarreti feared that the conversation might be recorded by hostile forces. It was clear that the counselor was planning something, and Tomas somehow doubted he would support the Yuuzhan Vong. But they had time to find out what exactly Sarreti was after. A little time, but it would need to suffice. Leaning back in his seat casually he spread his hands in an appeasing gesture. "I am open for negotiations, Counselor. Let the talks begin."
TBC