The line of stormtroopers on each side of the shuttle extended torward the transport turbolift, big enough to fit multiple AT-ST mechs, and well able to transport a thousand stormtroopers to the landing bay per trip, in case that planetary invasion was needed. Which practically meant that the turbolift could transport thirty thousand men in a minute - when the time that was required to load a thousand men into the turbolift was added, that extended to six minutes.

As the shuttle ramp lowered with streams of hissing steam, Cayel couldnt help but be nervous - the Tionians requested a meeting with the Grand Admiral with utmost emergency, and while Cayel was quick to point out that it might be an assassination attempt to take out the head of the reborn Empire, Thrawn insisted that his sources pointed out that this request was of different nature. His thoughts were forced to a halt as the Tion delegation descended down the ramp in flowing damp green clothes, followed by two men each dressed in various cloth designs, one of which Cayel barely recognized as the style used by the members of the old Imperial court, back on the good old days. The delegation came to a halt, and lowered to one knee infront of the Grand Admiral. Cayel looked to the short man beside him, who seemed intrigued by the entire display. Alien to this galaxy as he was, Admiral Naismith was certainy impressed as well as intrigued by the theatrical display of power this new Empire inherited from the old Empire.

"Raise." Thrawn said in a cold tone, loud enough to be heard across the hangar but quiet enough not to be considered yelling at the delegates, and the delegates rose to their feet.

"Now, if you would accompany myself and my staff to the conference chamber I have prepared?" Thrawn rose a hand in a gesture of invitation.

"As you wish admiral." the leading delegate of the Tion Cluster murmored, while his entourage still threw uncomfortable glances at the passive stormtroopers and fleet officers.

Together they made their way torward the turbolift, and the last image of the hangar was seeing the stormtrooper detachments be dismissed.


"Well gentlemen?" Thrawn said as the delegates seated themselves into the previously prepared chairs - unknown to them, they were seated in the chairs that were in the best position to target the occupants by the mini laser cannons emplaced in the ceiling - Cayel made shure of that. All he needed to do was press the switch on his datapad, and the laser cannons would eliminate the delegation. Brutal maybe, but he wasnt ready to take any chances at losing Thrawn to a would-be assassination attempt.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Tion goverment has entrusted me with offering you a proposal - access to all of our resourses, without any attempt of hampering you. As well as delivering to you the diplomats of the Cron Drift and the Meridian Sector, after the display of military power you displayed against TDF, and the rebuffal our senator's plea recieved from the Republic, the Tion goverment decided that joining the Empire, fully without any displeasing matters such as rebellion, would be in our best interest." the delegate layed out his speech.

"In exchange for what are you offering this... bribe to us?"

"We simply ask that you extend certain protection to the Tion goverment, and we shall be more then happy to compensate any difficulties. The Tion president was impressed with the Admiral's strategic elimination of the Defense Fleet so much that he issued a credit chit of a hundred milion credits, to supply any losses your forces have suffered." the diplomat said while pulling out a datapad and handing it to Cayel, who inserted it into his console, checked the amount of credits, and nodded to the admiral.

"I belive I see where you are aiming, good delegate. You are offering us the support of the Tion Cluster plus its allies, in exchange for something which is considered a commodity in the Empire, military protection. Yes, I belive the Empire can protect your system with little or no problems. The only problem is that I only have six Star Destroyers available at the moment, excluding my flagship. If your allies plan on requesting additional protection as well, it will cause certain problems with the amount of protection." Thrawn mused.

"We are in your hands Admiral. I can safely say my goverment will happily issue a credit chit, to compensate for the difficulties you might have." the Meridian Sector emissary said, as he pulled a datapad and slid it into his comconsole, and after barely thirty seconds passed it to Cayel who again checked it, and nodded to the Admiral.

"You seem pretty desperate for protection. In what shape are your existing defenses?" Admiral Naismith spoke for the first time, unnoticed by all except - Thrawn himself, who allowed only a light nod to spoil his emotionless face, as if meaning to say - Good question indeed.

"The Meridian Sector has three Golan II defense platforms a heavily damaged Star Destroyer and nearly four wings of X-Wing starfighters at its disposal, most of them in relatively undamaged condition." the diplomat of the Meridian sector supplied, and delivered a curt bow to his ally, the Cron Drift diplomat, sitting across the table.

"The Cron Drift has minimal defenses at its disposal, three Nebulon-B2 frigates, six Lancer-class frigates, plus two wings of X-Wing and E-Wing starfighters." The diplomat layed it out, as he passed his credit chit to Cayel, who already got the hang of it and double-checked it and nodded to Thrawn.

"Very well gentlemen, I shall forward the Star Destroyer 'Lord of Blight' to the Meridian Sector, Star Destroyers 'Warlord', 'Guardian', and 'Colossus' to Cron Drift, and I shall leave my personal flagship here in the Tion Cluster, along with the Star Destroyer 'Champion'. I shall take the newly produced Star Destroyer 'Inquisitor' as my new flagship, and will depart for our shipyards on Iridonia to bolster the defenses there. Any suggestions gentlemen?"

"No admiral." They said in unison.

"Well then, I bid you a farewell. Also, if there are any resourses your planets might need to import, or better yet, export, arrange it with the Merchants Guild to do your business."

"Wont they charge a hefty price for their services, admiral?" one of the diplomats questioned.

"Not as hefty as they would had you remained in the Republic. The Merchants Guild, like many other guilds, bows to the Empire now. A good amount of taxes they incash, ends up in the Imperial treasury, which in the end ends into funds being diverted to your worlds for development." Thrawn offered them a dark smile. The diplomat could barely nod from the suprise, and from what Thrawn could see, Admiral Naismith's eyes were laughing as well.