Author's Note: I have a lame attempt at Wraith humor, if it stinks, tell me and I'll redo the chapter. Sorry for the lack of updates. Real life seems determined to keep me from writing. Enjoy.





Chapter 21

Telisk Derner strode into the President's office proudly, making sure everyone saw the Admiral's insignia on his chest.

When, he got there, he was surprised to find Lord Garinoska conversing with a blue-skinned individual. As he saluted, Garinoska and the other person stood up. When Derner saw his face, he gasped.

"Yes, Admiral, as you have most likely guessed, this is Grand Admiral Thrawn. I cloned him as well."

"Am I to be replaced?" asked Derner, his face paling.

Garinoska shook his head. "Sort of. Admiral Thrawn will be taking command of the Planet Slayer and any other fleet elements he needs for his mission. You will be moved up to command the Deathly Silence."

"I see, my Lord. May I inquire what it is that the Grand Admiral will be doing so I can better assist him?"

Thrawn looked at Garinoska, who nodded. "I will be going after the Jedi, particularly Anakin Solo. The Planet Slayer will be my base of operations. I would appreciate it if you would transmit records of your fleet's efficiency ratings. I will choose the ships I need to fulfill my mission."

Derner sighed inwardly. Another spook-type. Sithspit. "Certainly Admiral. Is that all my Lord?"

"No. I have a new mission for you. I want you to get ready to mobilize the fleet. Details are on this datacard. It will erase after you read it, so commit it to memory."

"Yes, my Lord." Derner accepted the offered datacard, saluted, and marched out. Hopefully we're finally going on the offensive again. If another few weeks of defense and bureaucracy pass, I'm going to go insane.

Constant drilling seemed to have taken its toll on the Captain.

***

Anakin Skywalker sat in a briefing room with the strangest assortment of pilots he had ever seen. Well, pilot-commandos. The Wraiths were a strange group. After the fight against Warlord Zsinj, the Wraiths had been disbanded as a fighter unit and transferred to Intelligence, Anakin learned after talking with Elassar Targon, a Devaronian.

"You you're really Darth Vader?" he was saying as Colonel Face Loran walked up to the podium at the front of the room.

"Well Wraiths, I've got a mission for us that is harder than anything we've ever pulled off before."

"Hah!" laughed Kell Tainer. "Harder than Coruscant? Harder than Zsinj? Well, that one wasn't that hard-"

"Captain Skywalker, that's Kell. He's probably the most obnoxious of us all. And that says a lot. But anyway, back to the mission. We're charged with capturing the Deathly Silence, that big Eclipse-Star Destroyer that jumped the fleet at Bonadon. Now, Captain-"

"Alright, you win, Face. That's hard enough to require the talents of Elassar Targon, Master of the Universe!" Everyone laughed, including Targon.

"Let it go, will you Kell? That was years ago! I've matured since then. I'm now Elassar Targon, Total Master of All Things in the Universe, especially those that go 'bang!'" cried Elassar.

"No fair, O Great Colonel! That's my job!" yelled Kell. The briefing descended into utter pandemonium for about five minutes until Face yelled at everyone to shut up.

"Please Wraiths, Captain Skywalker must think we're barbarians!"

"That isn't to far from what I'm thinking."

The Wraiths laughed. "Alright," said Face, completely serious, "Starkiller here has a way to take control of the SSD, but he needs to be on board. Captain, I'm assigning you to work with myself, Tainer, and Piggy. Everyone else, make up your own groups and come up with some plans by 1200 hours tomorrow, you all know the drill. Talk to the rest of you then."

As Face spoke, the Wraiths shifted into groups to brainstorm ways to get onto the Silence.

Anakin did a double take when he saw Voort, 'Piggy' saBinring, a Gamorrean that had arrived late to the briefing, so Anakin hadn't really seen him.

"Captain Starkiller," he growled in Basic. His voice sounded slightly mechanical.

Anakin checked Piggy's insignia. "Lieutenant. It is a pleasure to meet you." He exteneded his hand, and the Gamorrean pilot took it.

"I know what you must be wondering. I was involved in an experiment by Binring BioMedical."

"They made stormtrooper rations, right?"

Piggy nodded. "They did. I had my bio-chemistry altered. My creator ended up taking pity on me and made arrangements for me to escape. I joined the Alliance and ended up here."

"Nasty sort of experiments. I oversaw one when Palapatine decided the research team needed some 'motivation.' But that's ancient history. I'm glad to be working with you."

"And I with you."

"Hey you two! Get over here so we can figure out how to take down an Eclipse," called Kell from where he and Face had been talking quietly.

It's time to take down Garinoska, and maybe, just maybe, I'll get to meet that son of a Sithspawn and find out why the idiot gave us lightsabers in the first place.