Pellaeon waited on the bridge for almost an hour, and had still not heard from Thrawn. He was becoming impatient. So he decided to go to Thrawns quarters and see what was happening.
When he reached his quarters he noticed that Rukh was not there. Pellaeon let himself in. Thrawn was sitting at his desk and 3 blue hologram images of Captain Brandei, Captain Ferris and Captain Hermis were floating before him. Thrawn was giving them orders and Pellaeon could barely make out the words '2 minutes then 5'. They didn't make sense so Pellaeon ignored them.
"Then we will see you there Admiral, Brandei out." The hologram image of Captain Brandei vanished, and the others soon followed.
"Yes Captain?" Thrawn said turning to face Pellaeon.
"I was wondering what we are doing? We have been here for almost an hour, are we going to follow Veers or not?" Pellaeon asked.
"Yes, I have already issued an order to the bridge, we're leaving in 2 minutes." Thrawn responded.
"Oh, I see. Well, I suppose I came here too soon then." Pellaeon said.
"Yes, I suppose you have." Thrawn said, smiling as he did so.
"Sir, I was wondering, I haven't seen your body guard Rukh around lately." Pellaeon asked.
"Ah yes, well I haven't either, I don't know where he is, he is probably hiding somewhere in the air duct system or one of the cargo bays, no worry." Thrawn answered.
"I don't understand, why? Aren't body guards supposed to stay near the one they protect?" Pellaeon asked.
"Well for the most part he does, but his species has an event every year, not all at the same time of course, but for the males, they have certain, let's just say reproductive needs, and this just happens to be Rukh's time." Thrawn said, suppressing a smile.
"So it's a mating ritual thing?" Pellaeon asked.
"Yes, I've scanned the possible locations that Veers could have retreated to, and the most viable one is the Remoss system, a small unsettled planet hidden behind an asteroid field." Thrawn said.
"I don't see how that is wise," Pellaeon said" I mean, a ship that big would have a hell of a time getting through an asteroid field, wouldn't you think?"
"Not really, I mean, a ship with shields like that you can fly right through it, and not sustain any damage." Thrawn said, getting up from his seat. " I've studied the artwork from Nal Hutta, I'm telling you, the way they fight is to run and have you follow, a greater defense is a greater offense they say."
"Well then shall we go to the bridge?" Pellaeon asked.
"Certainly Captain, certainly." Thrawn said, as he walked towards the door.
They were in hyperspace for about 23 hours before they exited in the Remoss system.
Outside Pellaeon could see the planet Remoss, hidden deep behind an asteroid field.
"How do you propose we get through those rocks?" Pellaeon asked.
"Well we blast right through them, it's been done before, the Battle of Hoth for example, the Star Destroyer's commanded by Vader, they chased the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid belt." Thrawn answered.
"Well yes, but if you recall, the Star Destroyer Adjucator lost it's command tower when an asteroid hit it, killing all the officers on board." Pellaeon said. " They did manage to repair it though, took several months. A waste of time if you ask me, the Rebels captured it at the Battle of Endor, they renamed it to the Liberator I believe."
"Why do the Rebels insist on renaming ships to stupid things like Liberty and Freedom, it really is annoying don't you think?" Thrawn said.
"Yes sir I do, so shall we go ahead and make our way through this asteroid field?" Pellaeon asked, Thrawn was scanning it on his tactical display.
"Yes, I believe I've found the best way through, I think it might be where Veers went through. Look, " Thrawn said, Pellaeon leaned over and looked at the display " See there are very fewer asteroids along this path, maybe they used a tractor beam to move them aside and then back, trying to cover the way in."
"Yes it does appear that way doesn't it." Pellaeon said. He looked up and outside the window saw a Star Destroyer exiting hyperspace in front of them, closer to the asteroid field than them.
"Is that one of ours?" Pellaeon asked one of the pit crew.
"No sir, the computer does not register it as one of ours." The Ensign responded.
"Well this is interesting." Thrawn said looking at the unknown ship. Look its heading right for the same path that we were going to take," Thrawn said " wait a sec, look!"
Pellaeon looked at Thrawns display and noticed the same thing, the asteroids were moving on their own, like they were ships or something. Pellaeon walked over to his display near the front view port and scanned an individual asteroid. It registered a defense platform attached to it.
"Well we certainly can't go that way, those defense platforms would tear us apart, I mean look there must be 40 of them." Pellaeon said.
"Yes, I suppose we'll have to find another way in." Thrawn said.
Just then another Star Destroyer came out of hyperspace, this time, Thrawn stopped Pellaeon from giving any orders to the pit crew.
"It's ours don't worry." Thrawn said.
Pellaeon scanned it, it was the Annihilator. He looked at the time display on his monitor; it was exactly 2 minutes after they reached this planet. That was what Thrawn had meant by "2 minutes then 5". 3 minutes from now the Judicator and Avenger will arrive as well.
"I can't get a clear reading through the asteroid field, we don't even know if Veers is back there." Pellaeon said.
"Oh he's back there, waiting for us. I've scanned all around the belt, I don't think there's another way in, look, there are scattered defense platforms all over the place, and probably even more that we can't see." Thrawn said, frowning at his display.
"Well maybe with both the Chimaera and the Annihilator firing together we can get through that passage." Pellaeon said, looking out at the enemy Star Destroyer that was making its way through the field.
"Yes, but greatly damaged. Wait, I've got it, if we send a few TIE interceptors out there, and have them leak some of their fuel in a path from one plat form to the next we can destroy one and create a chain reaction, that will take out a good amount." Thrawn said, while entering calculations into his computer.
"With all do respect sir, I don't think any pilot here can evade all those batteries, they wouldn't last 10 seconds out there." Pellaeon said.
"That's assuming we're not there distracting them." Thrawns aid, now standing up.
"I have a bad feeling about this" Pellaeon said to himself, as he followed Thrawn to the back of the Bridge.
"Lieutenant Jimmerson!" Thrawn said, the young man stood up quickly and saluted.
"Yes sir?" Jimmerson responded.
"I have a plan and need your help with it." Thrawns aid, turning to Pellaeon." Captain, go prepare the pilots, I want the 5 best men you have."
"Yes sir" Pellaeon said as he left the bridge he turned and saw Thrawn entering coordinates into the computer station in front of Jimmerson.
This is insane; he's going to destroy my ship, Pellaeon thought to himself, as he made his way down the flight deck.
15 minutes later Pellaeon returned to the bridge and went directly to Thrawn.
"Sir, I must protest, I do not agree with this course of action!" Pellaeon said.
"Objection noted." Thrawns aid, not even looking up at Pellaeon.
"Damn it, I don't want my ship destroyed!" Pellaeon said, whispering it to make sure the bridge crew didn't hear. Thrawn turned to face Pellaeon, his eyes glowing at him.
"I said, Objection noted, my plan will work, stop worrying." Thrawn said, talking through his teeth.
Pellaeon walked to his computer, and noticed the Judicator and the Avenger had not arrived.
"Where are the other ships?" Pellaeon asked.
"What other ships?" Thrawns said looking up at Pellaeon.
"Well in your chamber I heard you say '2 and then 5', I figured it meant 2 minutes the Annihilator arrives, then 5 minutes the Avenger and the judicator." Pellaeon said, quite confused.
"Well, I wasn't talking about minutes Captain." Thrawn said, turning to one of the pit crew he nodded and the ship began moving.
Pellaeon turned and looked out the window at the asteroids, which were becoming larger. When they finally entered firing range, the Chimaera and the Annihilator began attacking the asteroid defense platforms. Soon afterward the 2 Star Destroyers entered the Defense platforms firing range and green flashes illuminated the bridge. Pellaeon was uneasy as they entered deep into the field and were surrounded by the platforms. Thrawn turned again to the pit crew and nodded. Pellaeon noticed that the TIE interceptors had launched, they all flew in separate directions and began leaking their fuel, they streamed from one target to the next, when the unexpected happened. One of the TIE fighters misread his instructions and flew by the wrong asteroid. The plan was the ships attacked one group of asteroids and the TIEs set up the others, well this TIE made and error, and the Chimaera fired at the Asteroid and the fuel ignited. The explosion was spectacular as it snaked back to the other platforms the pilot flew by, destroying each one as it passed. Thrawn stood up.
"That fool!!!" Thrawn said, looking at the TIE who had made the error.
"Get those other fighters back in now!" Pellaeon said to the flight control station.
"Cancel that Order!" Thrawn said, " They were sent out there for a reason, and they will complete their mission.
Pellaeon watched as the other fighters kept on encircling the Platforms. The one who had messed up had a huge fireball chasing right behind him, and he didn't even notice, only seconds after he flew by an asteroid it was engulfed and destroyed. Every asteroid it flew by was taken out right away.
"This is working out better than we though, most impressive." Thrawn said, noticing the positive repercussions of the mistake.
"Shall we light up the other streams?" Pellaeon asked.
"Most definitely, they will be dead quicker and less damage will be sustained." Thrawn said now with a smile covering his face.
The Chimaera and the Annihilator began firing on the trails of fuel left by the TIEs and the fireworks began. 5 trails of fire were circling around the asteroid belt, destroying the defense platforms left and right, within minutes the whole lot of them was gone and the entrance was cleared.
"Order those TIEs back in immediately." Thrawn said as they now emerged on the other side of the belt.
"And scan the planet, I want to know where Veers ship is, and that other one that came in here." Pellaeon added.
"I'd say that worked out rather well, wouldn't you?" Thrawn said, obviously gloating to Pellaeon.
"Yes, but I suppose we have that TIE pilot to thank." Pellaeon responded.
Only seconds after the order, the deck officer provided the coordinates of Veer's Super Star Destroyer and the Guarding vessel. Pellaeon scanned them and noticed they were in a low orbit, maybe they had sent some craft down to the planet.
"What now sir?" Pellaeon asked.
"We engage them." Thrawn said back.
And with that, the Chimaera and the Annihilator started towards the planet, maximum sublight speed.
