Ten years, the second month, and the twenty-first day after the Battle of Yavin…
Or the forty-fifth year, the second month, and the twenty-first day after the Great ReSynchronization.
(Nine months and six days since the arrival).
Asajj Ventress felt her right eye twitch.
Then her left.
Then her right again.
"This is not even funny," flashed through her mind.
She cast a suspicious glance at Counter-Admiral Shohashi.
But the commander of Crimson Dawn remained in a state of mental calm unshakable even by a supernova explosion.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Ventress finally asked, breaking eye contact with the youngster standing before her.
"Not in the least," Shohashi calmly replied.
"This is…" the Dathomirian witch struggled to find suitable words. "Some kind of absurdity."
"On the contrary," Shohashi calmly stated, picking up a cup of caf from the coffee table and taking a sip with enjoyment. "You approached me for help and advice. I did everything to ensure you get what you want."
"In what way, pray tell?" Ventress began feeling herself boiling inside.
"As far as I know, you want something from Grand Admiral Thrawn," Shohashi flashed his awareness. "And you asked me how to do it. There is one answer—render Thrawn a reciprocal service."
"What does this kid have to do with it?" Ventress jabbed her finger toward the boy standing before her.
Dark-haired, slender, with sharp facial features.
Sulking, he glared at her from under his brows, and rage boiled within him—she sensed rivers of the Force flowing from him.
Yes, good potential, but nothing more.
A kind of diamond she would have to cut.
She!
"I do not need apprentices," she stated. "I will talk to Thrawn."
"All fleets are in comm silence mode," Shohashi said. "Chimaera included. We are on general battle alert, if you have not forgotten."
"I have not," Ventress hissed through her teeth, looking again at the kid standing before her. "Who is he anyway?"
"My name is Kyp Durron," the youth answered instead of Shohashi. "No need to talk about me as if I am on the other side of the galaxy. I am here and hear you, by the way."
"Quite the brave one," Ventress smirked, approaching closer and grabbing his chin, lifting it so he looked her in the eyes.
Right now, the boy was almost a head shorter than her, but he looked only about seventeen— in eight years, when his body reached its peak development and growth, he would be almost her height.
Her nails mercilessly scratched his facial skin, but the kid did not even flinch, showing no reaction to her disdainful expression and features twisted in a contemptuous grimace.
"So I need to train you to get the opportunity to be part of the strike group that will finish Palpatine," she said, examining the boy as critically as she had when choosing Savage Opress from the Nightbrothers. "Well then, kid, let us consider you my apprentice—if you survive the process, of course. Since I have no other option—we will dance to the tune our grand admiral sets for us."
Durron quickly and strongly grabbed her wrist and removed it from his face.
In an instant, the witch found herself looking into the face of a little beast.
From which a decent rancor could grow—if stimulated properly.
It was enough that when he grabbed her hand (Ventress did not react to observe developments), the witch felt the boy was quite strong for his build.
Likely stronger than he appeared.
"You do not inspire trust or respect in me either, lady," he said. "I am here to learn something greater, something combat-related, deadly, not the philosophizing the Jen Saarai defenders taught me. I owe the grand admiral—he saved my brother. And I will learn from you, since that is his will. And follow the course he wants from me. Clear?"
"Youthful maximalism and the beginnings of ambition," Ventress smirked. "So our dear grand admiral hooked you too?"
"He helped me," Durron stated. "Pulled me out of Kessel mines. Saved my brother. You want to kill Palpatine—I do too."
"And why is that?"
"Because of his Empire, my family died, I ended up on Kessel, and my brother—on Carida," Kyp explained. "If not for the Dominion—I would be rotting there for years."
"You will wash yourself in blood for just as long during training," Ventress admitted. "It will not be easy."
"I already know some things," the kid stated. "I was trained—on Kessel and in the Dominion. Teach me to fight, Lady Ventress. I want to be in that strike squad too."
"Is that so," the woman smirked.
For a moment, she thought about explaining to the boy who they would have to fight.
And that in the best case—by the end of the battle, most of those who go against Palpatine would die.
Then she thought differently.
The boy was good—the Force was strong in him.
He had talent.
Of course, Thrawn did not reveal when exactly he planned to attack Palpatine (if it happened at all), but they had some time to prepare the kid.
One could not make a good fighter and Force user out of him in a couple of months—it required years of practice and training.
The Jen Saarai Thrawn was training in his Dominion were unlikely to survive a clash with Palpatine's Dark Side elite, let alone Darth Sidious himself.
But a decent adept, like she herself had been during the Clone Wars, could be made from Durron.
Why not?
One could always throw such into attack from another flank or distract Palpatine with him to strike herself…
Selfish?
Yes.
Did she feel pangs of conscience about it?
Not a bit.
She was a Dark Side adept, no matter what other knowledge she instilled in herself from the Jedi, no matter their philosophy she studied.
The path of the Dark Side is betrayal.
"Remember, kid," she said. "No one will spare you. If you do not want to die in the first battles—absorb the lessons I teach you with the speed of Tatooine sand onto which moisture has spilled. Understood?"
"I know my goal and strive for it," Durron replied. "You will not have to repeat twice for me, teacher."
"Call me that again, and I will break your spine," Ventress promised. "Just because I pass some of my knowledge to you does not mean I am your teacher. You are not grown enough for me to see you as worthy of all my knowledge."
"I will grow," Durron confidently said. "Make sure you have enough knowledge to satisfy my thirst for power."
"Mr. Durron has backbone," Shohashi commented, finishing his caf. "I like it."
"I would love to wring both your necks," Ventress thought.
"Well, now let us proceed to the second part of our plan," the counter-admiral informed, gesturing to the seats on the sofas on either side of his place. "Have a seat. Mr. Durron, I want to see the information chip you delivered for me."
The kid, like the witch, took their assigned seats.
Then Kyp handed over the data storage device.
Shohashi connected it to the portable holoprojector standing in the middle of the coffee table.
Before all present appeared a map of the galaxy.
More precisely—its northern extremities, with the path starting in the Bosf sector and ending in the area designated as the Chiloon Rift.
On this path were barely noticeable dotted lines, thick blue lines connecting bright whitish points.
Zooming in on each revealed images of constellations visible from one angle or another.
"As if someone was looking from the cockpit at the surrounding space," Ventress commented.
"That is exactly it," Shohashi replied. "These are memories of a person who traveled this path several years ago. As you see," he pointed to the dotted lines, which were the majority on the designated path, "ninety-eight percent of the route is uncalculated and merely hypothetical, based on computer calculations. Your task," he looked at Durron and Ventress, "is to plot a course for Crimson Dawn."
"Based on another person's memories?" Ventress clarified, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"Is that a problem for such powerful sentients?" Shohashi clarified. "Or is the Force unable to pull off such a trick."
"I have never done anything like that before," Durron admitted.
"And the calculation is not on you, kid," Ventress stated, looking at Shohashi. "Thrawn decided to make Jedi explorers out of us, who in the Old Republic used the Force to plot courses for starships in deep space?"
"Grand Admiral Thrawn does not report his plans," Shohashi calmly replied. "This is part of our general combat task, General Ventress. And only you two can handle it, I believe."
"One must assume there are no other Jen Saarai nearby," Ventress smiled tensely.
"In the Bosf sector—certainly not," the Crimson Dawn squadron commander replied.
Ventress looked at her newfound apprentice, mentally applauding Thrawn.
She wanted the right from him to participate in killing Palpatine.
He slipped her a kid he wanted her to train.
And assigned them the task of plotting a hyperspace route along the galaxy's outskirts, where gravitational distortions, anomalies, black holes, radiation, various emissions, and simply impassable areas could disable any research ship's equipment.
"I hope this assignment will count as my advance for participating in killing Palpatine," she said.
"Otherwise it would not have been assigned to you, Lady Ventress," Durron assumed. "We are being tested for strength. We must handle this task."
"Who would doubt that," Ventress thought irritably.
"Good," she said. "Prepare a ship for me. We depart as soon as we are ready."
"Do not rush," Shohashi advised. "I will need you in the near future."
"For what purpose?" Durron inquired.
"The observation station on our base on Jandolhun registered the approach of an enemy fleet," Shohashi explained, looking at Ventress. "I hope you have no desire to miss a bloody battle, General? Perhaps your escaped master will be there."
Ventress smiled predatorily.
"You know how to show a lady attention, Counter-Admiral," she said in a honeyed tone. "Now you do not even hide ysalamiri in your quarters during our meetings."
"I prefer to consider you a loyal ally and subordinate, General," Shohashi dryly replied. "The 'uncontrollable ally' stage, I hope, we have passed."
Ventress thought she should make one thing clear to the counter-admiral: she knew perfectly well he was indulging Thrawn in exploiting her.
No need for him to turn up his nose and think he could box her into the same frames as his other grunts.
"You know Dathomirian witches poorly, Counter-Admiral," she said with the same smile she used when going into battle against Jedi. "We are uncontrollable weapons. And moreover, we are women with whom one must always be on guard."
"That variant has been calculated," Shohashi nodded, pointing to the MagnaGuards standing in the shadows. "Just give a reason to get rid of you—I will do it without hesitation."
Ventress looked him in the eyes with a good-natured smile.
Yes, he was no slouch either—kept his finger on the pulse.
That was good.
Working next to a slime who relaxed did not appeal to her; on the contrary, it tempted her to get rid of such a "commander."
Shohashi was good—kept his mark.
"Do not be careless, Counter-Admiral," she advised. "A witch cannot be tamed."
"Obey orders, General," Shohashi reminded. "And there will be no more problems."
"That depends how it goes," Ventress said, openly enjoying the banter.
"Can I go already?" Durron inquired. "It literally makes me sick from all these barracks flirting methods…"
Shohashi's face instantly turned to stone.
Ventress did not even bother looking at her apprentice.
She simply blasted him with Force lightning, throwing him off the sofa toward the apartment exit.
"Lesson one, kid," she said. "Keep your mouth shut until asked."
Durron, barely rising to his feet, was full of rage and trembling from overflowing anger.
Combined with muscle contractions from tiny electricity flashes running through him, it even looked comical.
"I will remember that, Lady Ventress," he promised.
In his eyes was a thirst for murder and revenge for the purest insult inflicted.
Asajj grinned and struck him with another lightning bolt.
It seemed the training process was starting to please her.
The kid overestimated his ability to absorb material.
Why did he open his mouth when she asked him nothing?
***
Even through thousands of light-years, despite interference and connection quality, Jade could rejoice that emotions appeared on the grand admiral's usually impassive face.
Yes, it was a facial expression that could be characterized and described by the phrase: "What, again?"
But it was still emotions.
On the grand admiral.
Well, it was nice to know she could stir even one considered the epitome of Imperial primness and imperturbability.
"I am listening," the grand admiral's voice could freeze Tatooine to its core with icy streams.
"On Etti IV, as on other Corporate Sector planets, the highest level of combat readiness has been declared," Mara reported, glancing over her shoulder at the space behind. "The 'boys in brown' are everywhere. Zann's residence is cordoned by three rings, and breaking through there is possible only by becoming invisible."
"So I understand you lack such talents?" Thrawn clarified.
"Joker," Mara assessed.
"Funny joke," she smiled so unnaturally that the grand admiral understood her attitude…
"That was a direct question," he clarified.
"Oh," Mara faltered. "No, I was not taught that. I am afraid I will not manage to penetrate the beast's lair."
"Is the guard that insurmountable?" Thrawn clarified.
"Yes, someone thoroughly drilled their brains," Mara nodded. "My forged documents did not work at the first cordon. The enemy changed access parameters. And everything we knew about them now—none of it works. I do not know how, but they managed to keep secret the existence of a backup password and challenge system. Which they are using now."
"That's how it is," Thrawn narrowed his eyes. "Local guard?"
"And here is the most interesting," Mara looked at the corpses of local security fighters at her feet. "The 'boys in brown' are predominantly humans. But now patrols are full of fighters in closed heavy and medium armor. Several visited my backup 'safe house.'"
"Interrogated?" Thrawn clarified.
"That is why I say—a small problem," Mara reminded. "These are Zann Consortium militants. Outright bandits tasked with guarding all spaceports during the departure of transport shuttles from Etti IV warehouses. All space surveillance means are under enemy control. Flights of any transports except cargo ships are prohibited. They shoot them down without even trying to land them on the surface. Something is happening in orbit—and they do not want locals to see it."
"What do the transports carry?" Thrawn asked.
And thereby threw her off a bit.
"Ammunition, provisions, military equipment," she strained her memory. "Separate loadings of militants—the 'boys in brown' are bursting with joy at the upcoming battle."
"Informative," Thrawn smirked. "What measures does the enemy take to ensure secrecy of their orbital actions?"
"For that—they conduct sweeping searches of everyone who arrived on the planet in recent days. Not to mention all starships in spaceports, all flyers and airspeeders at parking lots and citizens' homes—are de-energized with chips."
"That is, after the Picket Fleet commander returned to Etti IV from the Bosf sector," Thrawn understood.
"Exactly, sir," Mara agreed. "I am afraid they still figured out our buzz droid latched onto her ship. And put two and two together."
"Yes, enhanced security measures speak for themselves," Thrawn agreed. "One must think the operation to eliminate Tyber Zann has failed."
"Actually, I do not think so," Mara said. "I reported this information only so you know—the enemy is preparing troops. From what I saw approaching Etti IV—in orbit, about twenty Victory I-class star destroyers. According to shadow channels in the HoloNet—such situation across the entire Corporate Sector."
"They are mobilizing defense forces," Thrawn understood. "Attacking but preparing to take a hit."
"I think we can change a few addresses and identities, try penetrating the residence differently," Mara faltered.
"No need for that," Thrawn cut off. "We have learned that Palpatine's spies may be embedded in the Zann Consortium. We already eliminated at least one in the Bosf sector. But his teacher—the operation commander—escaped. Given enhanced security, your capture is a matter of time. I am sure Palpatine's agents know exactly what the Emperor's Hand looks like."
Mara shivered.
So the old psychopath was not as mad as thought.
"In that case, I should go to ground," Mara said.
"You should withdraw," Thrawn ordered. "Leave the planet and sector."
"My ship is under enemy guard," Mara reminded. "Retrieving it may make a lot of noise. And breaking through the destroyers on Flame will be…"
The young woman fell silent, meeting Grand Admiral Thrawn's gaze.
"Understood," her mouth went dry as the Dune Sea on Tatooine. "Flame stays on Etti IV's surface."
Her throat tightened.
She had to leave her ship?!
Why did it always happen like this?!
As soon as she got attached to something—there, goodbye to the beloved starship and lifestyle on it?!
"I am sorry, Mara, but the value of Flame is lower than your life," Thrawn continued. "You will get your ship back when the Zann Consortium is destroyed. For now, you should leave the planet. Use cargo shuttles—they will deliver you to the ships preparing to attack the Dominion."
"Um…" Jade frowned. "You think Zann will throw Victory Is into attack? Against our defense, even half a thousand would be too few. Probably," she added.
"There is no point in overloading the Victories," Thrawn enlightened her. "In orbit are second-line invasion ships—transports and support vessels that will follow the breakthrough forces already concentrated at our borders. The presence of Victories in orbit is cover for misdirection."
"Understood," Mara noisily inhaled through her nose.
Well, she tried her best.
Decapitating the criminal group during their illegal dealings—demoralize them.
And it would be easier to destroy.
Now, with news of enhanced security and curfew on sector planets, gifted on Zann's service, Palpatine's agents, the operation became an order more complicated.
But Mara did not consider it impossible.
However, Thrawn wanted her to infiltrate support ships.
Second-line starships…
Interesting, for what?
"What will my assignment be?" she asked.
"I want to know the location of their operational base," Thrawn explained. "Find it for me."
"I will do it perfectly, sir," Jade assured.
When the grand admiral's hologram dissolved, and Mara shattered the communicator into myriad fragments with the Force, she looked at the rented house on the capital's outskirts.
From here to the first cordon—about fifty kilometers.
Patrols, both foot and on speeder bikes, observer droids, combat droids, signal traps…
She could break through them.
Could reach the residence.
Could kill Zann and decapitate his group.
But could also get caught.
With new inputs, the danger level increased manifold.
Well, this was not failure.
This was an annoying oversight.
Which local Dominion agents would fix when the time came.
And now she had to change her task.
And leave Flame here.
And eventually the enemy would understand this ship belonged to a special service agent.
Would dig into her starship's systems.
Disassemble it into parts.
Possibly (and most obviously) leave several dozen unpleasant "surprises."
One could say her ship would be "dishonored."
And knowing how Thrawn loved leaving extra devices on trophy ships, using Flame would simply be dangerous.
Mara stepped over the corpse of one enemy fighter, whose neck, like the others, she broke without using a lightsaber—to avoid being at least partially identified by such a weapon.
Took with her a small backpack with things truly necessary for the mission—all other luggage brought to the rented house was mere fiction.
Then, with a heavy heart, outlined her retreat plan from the dwelling.
And even figured out how to board the necessary ship.
After all, transports were loading in the same spaceport where her Flame stood.
Her ship, her home, her property, which she could no longer trust as before.
And could not take with her—the ship was low-profile, but only on scanners.
Visual contact would be enough to destroy Flame.
The ship was lost to her anyway.
And whatever Thrawn said, there was no point in saving the starship.
And honestly, it was built not for her, but for Palpatine's hired assassin.
And there were many hidden functions one could not learn without looking deep under the decorative paneling.
For example—the "decoy" function and remote ship control.
Or several things to ensure the ship never fell to the enemy and was not studied by anyone.
All that would help escape the planet.
And the ship…
If she survived, many other ships awaited ahead.
Bill Thrawn, perhaps?
Mara shook her head negatively.
No, thank you, no bad ideas needed.
She had enough of her own.
The last thing needed was for the Chiss to offer her a Super Star Destroyer again, like last time.
So he stocked sectors full of starships, and now does not know whom to give this headache to.
No, Grand Admiral Thrawn, no handouts for us.
Let your own head ache.
Mara would pick another starship for herself.
Better than Flame.
Build it for herself.
And never abandon it.
***
His name was Jirrod Sykes-12, and he was the twelfth clone of the original combat wing commander of the Zann Consortium.
Like other clones of this man, he was unwaveringly loyal to the organization and currently enjoyed imagining moments of the upcoming operation, leading his fleet into battle.
Victories won by the Zann Consortium in the past were glorious, but what would happen today would eclipse most of them.
After the operation against the Dominion was completed, much would change in the galaxy.
Nothing would be the same.
There would be new enemies, open confrontation with whom would bring many new battles.
And with each new battle, the previous ones would become mere pale shadows compared to what the Zann Consortium intended to do to its opponents in the future.
As always, attacks would be swift, crushing, leaving no strength for resistance.
First the Dominion, then Imperial Space, then—the Pentastar Alignment, smaller Imperial Remnants…
Agents would emerge from the shadows and lay their destabilized regions at the organization's feet themselves.
While the Empire was bogged down in war in the east, their worlds were weakened.
That was a reason to unleash far stronger opponents on them, avenge the humiliation the Zann Consortium suffered in the past due to the Empire and Rebel Alliance.
Sykes-12 himself did not participate in battles before the Consortium's collapse several years earlier.
He was created, like his other cloning brothers, later, about a year ago, when the Empire's strengthening trend became clear.
Grand Admiral Thrawn's return two years ago from that galactic hole where he had been forced the Zann Consortium to act more energetically, build up its armed potential faster…
That led to another crisis that nearly cost the organization its existence again, but problems only temper.
Soon everything would return to normal, and the Zann Consortium would control the galaxy.
For the first time, all worlds would unite under the rule not of democrats, tyrants, kings, or Sith, but a powerful criminal organization.
The attack tactic was incredibly simple.
Sykes-12's squadron, like other strike groups, would use routes scouted for them leading straight to the heart of the Dominion metropolis.
Like surgeons, they would isolate one sector after another, then establish control over supply routes.
The second reinforcement wave would deliver infantry units to planets—both generally useless Corporate Sector Security Division subunits and assault detachments packed with second-model droidekas like those produced on Hypori.
As always before a Zann Consortium attack, crushing force would fall on unsuspecting and almost undefended deep Dominion worlds.
The plan was elegant in its simplicity.
Each sector would be struck.
Shipyards, production facilities, ship parking lots attacked and captured; ground bases and troop concentrations subjected to orbital bombardment.
Defense Force ships could only surrender while regular Dominion fleet starships enthusiastically attacked pirate groups in the remote Karthakk sector in the galaxy's east.
Of course, they would have to fight multiple opponents—including the Crimson Dawn squadron that destroyed Picket Fleet units in the Bosf sector.
Sykes-12 felt adrenaline literally boiling inside him for the upcoming battle.
Not only the Dominion could use scout droids.
And not only the Alliance could set traps.
Now the "Butcher of Atoa" was fully confident his battered squadron was in complete safety, lying low after the military insult inflicted on the Zann Consortium.
And all would be destroyed at once by large syndicate forces.
Sykes-12 had enough strength to disable the notorious Bellator-class dreadnought Crimson Dawn, already famous as a fleet destroyer.
Once it fell to the Zann Consortium, it would be very difficult for those opposing the organization.
Sykes-12 had long studied Erik Shohashi's actions, analyzing his opponent.
Ruthless and educated commander, terror of the Outer Rim, mercilessly exterminating everything in his path.
A dutiful type rarely found in the Outer Rim—since the galaxy's outskirts had long been merely a place of exile for those who displeased the Empire in some way.
Well, today he would have a wonderful chance to test his abilities against a powerful opponent.
"Admiral, ten minutes to Jandolhun planet," the navigator reported from the other side of the bridge.
Though Merciless—Tyber Zann's flagship Aggressor-class star destroyer—was destroyed in the last battle of the previous Consortium, Sykes-12 made every effort to make his flagship look exactly the same.
As did other clones of Admiral Sykes.
A tribute to the Zann Consortium's power they lost once but would undoubtedly restore.
Sykes-12's Aggressor-class star destroyer.
"Prepare to open the main comm channel," Sykes-12 commanded, impatiently awaiting the moment the fleet exited hyperspace and he could start issuing orders.
Orders that would wash away the shame of the defeat the Picket Fleet suffered in the Bosf sector.
"It will be done, Admiral."
A smile flashed across Sykes-12's thin and cracked lips.
He felt the familiar vibration of deceleration beginning, and the view in the viewport beyond the combat bridge transformed from hyperspace's whitish haze to real cosmic darkness.
They arrived at the distant edges of the Jandolhun system, where enemy-captured Picket Fleet units' starships were.
In this region, stellar gravity influence was minimal, but only a few light-minutes flight from the world itself.
Here, evidently, the enemy had placed its sector operational base, and besides combat space ships, there should be many transports with valuable property.
Since Zann Consortium combat ships were mostly built from old Imperial projects developed but rejected by the foolish Imperial war machine, unification of Imperial technologies was more than justified.
The Zann Consortium was building the largest military fleet, rivaling the Empire's at its glory zenith.
Yes, it would take decades, possibly years, but to control the entire galaxy and destroy all Imperials, rebels, republicans, neutrals, Hutts, and renegades required large forces.
The syndicate would build some itself.
Some—take from the Dominion.
Some more armed forces would be handed over by puppets along with their territories.
However, the situation in Jandolhun orbit seemed to Sykes-12 extraordinary.
Instead of seeing the namesake planet with trophy starships and Dominion ships undergoing repair, helpless and at his mercy, Sykes-12 found Crimson Dawn squadron before him.
The Dominion fleet arrayed around its starships, prepared for battle.
He thought: "This is impossible!"
Then shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Shields to full power!"—but the enemy had already opened fire.
***
The battle had not yet begun, and Counter-Admiral Shohashi was already glued to the viewport monitors on Crimson Dawn's bridge.
The Jandolhun early warning system, taken from the New Republic, and Grand Admiral Thrawn's last order warned that the enemy was heading to Dominion metropolis borders.
And operational unit commanders had long prepared defensive positions to meet the enemy.
The squadron that attacked the Crimson Dawn operational base included ten Aggressor-class star destroyers and thirty Vengeance-class frigates.
They were supported by four dozen Interceptor IV-class frigates serving as military transport starships with missile-energy armament.
Given Action IV cargo hauler holds from which the latter frigates were created, no wonder they were here.
They surely carried troops and equipment for initial planetary operations and enemy starship capture.
More than substantial force to subjugate a little-known remote sector and deal with Crimson Dawn forces.
Especially considering Aggressors were equipped with ion-plasma guns that would play their role in disabling squadron starships.
On the Dominion side, Erik deployed all available military ships in the sector: Crimson Dawn and nine Imperial Is: Imperious, Black Star, Judicator, Tyrant, Tyranny, Titan, Assassin, Thunder.
They were divided into groups of three destroyers each, commanded by IIs: Liquidator, Red Dragon, and Eviscerator.
And now these three battle groups held a semicircle around the enemy's flanks and rear, leaving Crimson Dawn frontally with the once-called Emperor's Will Victory-class star destroyer.
Currently known as Mercy, this ship—the only III in the entire squadron—prepared for battle under the flagship's belly, launching missiles at the enemy.
Spinning in place like a top, the Victory, like Crimson Dawn itself, spewed dozens of anti-ship missiles toward enemy ships that, having felt the full weight of the first missile-torpedo strike from all sides, faltered, breaking formation.
The enemy, rushing in all directions and releasing its meager fighters, also encountered two dozen Corellian CR90 corvettes.
Pairs of such ships guarded the lower hemispheres of the Imperials and enhanced their anti-fighter defense.
Generally, Crusader II-class corvettes should have been in their place, with CR90s supposed to be transferred to local Defense Forces for patrolling, but the former had not arrived from their assignment with military transport starships, and Shohashi requisitioned the latter.
Currently, he needed to withstand the enemy's first strike and destroy the group to prevent capture of the recently liberated sector.
Moreover, he needed to buy time for military transports to lay minefields on other, more distant from the Corporate Sector, routes and complete organizing observation posts along the entire Dominion border perimeter.
Enemy starships clearly intended to capture his trophies from the past battle, but here too a small "surprise" awaited them.
Yes, Erik left these starships in orbit of his operational base as bait, well understanding Zann Consortium strategists learned well from others' mistakes and successful tactics.
Using tracking devices on starships had been employed by the New Republic before the Battle of Sluis Van.
The same tactic was used and is used by the Dominion itself.
And before them—the Empire.
Thrawn confirmed tracking devices were on starships captured from the Consortium at Smarck.
Which were not on ships he boarded after the battle at Hypori.
Everything had an explanation, and it was conveyed to squadron commanders by the grand admiral.
Now that the trap had finally worked here, it would clearly work in other places too.
Much had to be done to finally make the Zann Consortium stick its head into the laser guillotine that would chop it off.
Erik let this fleet into the Bosf sector.
He knew perfectly well which path—the shortest known to smugglers—the criminals would attack his base where he had gathered trophy starships.
And now one auxiliary ship detachment was closing this breach behind the enemy, mining the hyperspace route they used to arrive here and beyond.
Battles in other parts of the Dominion did not particularly concern Erik.
He fought to ensure the Bosf sector, destined to become a foothold for actions against the Corporate Sector, held with maximum efficiency for the Dominion.
Not one enemy starship would leave here.
Two Interdictor-class star destroyers and three Immobilizer 418-class interdictor cruisers operating from behind the battle groups' "backs" would ensure that, completely blocking escape into hyperspace.
The course by which Zann Consortium militants would arrive in the sector for quickest destruction of the operational base was known to Erik in advance.
As was the battle site prepared.
Most likely, the "Zannites" did not notice they exited hyperspace several hundred thousand kilometers earlier than their navigators assumed—the hyperspace well trap worked.
And now enemy starships in all their mass crowded into the minefield prepared for them, seeded with buzz droids.
And five Venator-class star destroyers fired from their main-caliber ion cannons, burning away Aggressors' and Vengeances' cloaking fields no matter how they tried to use them.
Active maneuvering on the minefield, if it kept a ship from detonating on barriers, inevitably latched a buzz droid onto its hull, transmitting telemetry and starship position to squadron command—and the Venators hit without missing.
The Imperials and CR90s with massive laser-ion-turbolaser volleys disabled Interceptor IVs, while Mercy, Crimson Dawn, and the Dragons worked on still trying to cloak Aggressors and Vengeances.
The plan was good, but the enemy was prepared too.
"Sir, serious damage on Tyranny and Eviscerator," the watch chief reported.
Erik saw that himself.
When the enemy realized he was lured into a trap, he managed to strike before the Dominionites moved to slaughter.
Two destroyers received double ion-plasma shots from Aggressors and now, deprived of protection, partial power, and with damaged hulls, frankly did not represent combat-capable units.
There was no fault of the commanders in failing to protect the starships from such not the fastest weapon as Aggressors' main caliber.
The shooting starships had approached the victims close enough for such advantage.
Unfortunately, losses in war, even with the best plans, happen and quite often.
Both destroyers would require lengthy repair, so the best option now was to preserve them in principle.
"Use tractor beams to tow the starships to the rear of battle groups," Erik ordered. "Compensate gaps in the battle line with maneuvers of other destroyers. Inform launch operators and gunners we still have a huge number of targets, so…"
His words were interrupted by a bright flash that formed where the star destroyer Assassin had been.
"Report!" Erik barked, gripping his cane's knob so painfully that diamond facets dug into his palm skin drawing blood.
"Assassin blown by three Vengeance-class frigates," the watch chief reported. "Main reactor went critical, superstructure destroyed, engines disabled. Executive officer ordered reactor ejection to save the ship and try towing on maneuvering engines."
"Did we track those ships?" Shohashi asked.
"Negative, sir, evidently they avoided contact with our buzz droids."
Bad.
"Keep full account of detected enemy targets!" Erik ordered. "How many Aggressors remain intact?"
"Eight destroyed either by artillery fire or self-detonated after immobilization," the watch reported.
"They explode after Dragon ion cannon hits?" Erik could not believe his ears.
"Yes, sir," the watch confirmed. "Apparently, there is a backup self-destruct system."
Well…
That was unpleasant, but one must admit it repeated what happened in the Karthakk sector, if Captain Vivant's report was believed.
The enemy used all forces and capabilities to destroy their ships and prevent capture.
Which was quite logical—in the past, Aggressors could not mass-use cloaking systems.
Only, by rumors, Zann's flagship—Merciless—had cloaking among such starships.
But apparently, the enemy had modernized here too.
No wonder, considering how much stygium they mined from Maramere in the past.
On the viewport screen, marks of Zann Consortium ships beginning to decloak blinked.
They chose damaged starships in the two nearest battle groups as targets.
By Shohashi's order, the remaining starships opened barrage fire on the enemy, increasing the number of destroyed enemy starships.
But the statistics had too slow dynamics.
Now nine out of ten enemy star destroyers destroyed—and now he could see with his own eyes that two shots from a Dragon's main gun were no panacea for subsequent capture of an Aggressor-class star destroyer.
One last ship of that type remained—the obvious flagship, styled after the Empire-destroyed Merciless.
"Nearest Dragon to continuously fire ion cannon at the enemy flagship," Shohashi ordered, looking at the tactical screen reflecting the battle progress.
Of forty-eight Interceptor IVs, only half remained combat-capable at present.
The rest either had mine or ion-turbolaser damage and ceased movement, firing back where possible.
Apparently, their crews already understood they were not intended for destruction and tried to use this dubious advantage.
Since Dominion star destroyers and their ion cannons were busy shooting cloaked but heavily armored Vengeances, silencing the Interceptor IVs was impossible.
"Redirect our fighters and corvettes to suppress Interceptor fire points of the Consortium," Erik ordered. "Destroyers continue destroying Vengeance-class frigates."
The latter, like Aggressors, had not only cloaking fields but self-destruct systems they sought to use to maximum advantage.
Of thirty enemy ships, two-thirds already destroyed, and Erik saw perfectly that the remaining, in dense formation firing at interceptors, thereby clearing their path, moved on Crimson Dawn.
He delayed giving the order, seeing three trailing enemy starships disabled by ion volleys from four Dragons.
Yes, one miss occurred, but it did not affect the overall situation.
"Dragons switch to firing on already disabled Vengeances," he ordered. "Destroyers—fire to kill on active enemy ships."
The remaining Interceptor IVs did not particularly worry him—weak ships capable of opposing only corvettes, and even those outnumbered them by attack time.
With Vengeances, it was different.
In open battle against the Bellator-class dreadnought, they would not hold—already visible how their hulls were torn to shreds, remaining armor covered in soot and grime, air hissing from breaches.
The enemy, unable to report their plight to other Zann Consortium units due to long-range comm jamming, went for self-destruction hoping if not to explode, at least heavily damage Crimson Dawn and thereby disable it from further battles for a long time.
This intent of Zann Consortium commanders clashed with Shohashi's own plans, so he ordered their destruction.
If lucky and constant Dragon ion fire deprived the enemy of self-destruct capability on immobilized Aggressor and three Vengeances, he would have trophies whose study by Dominion engineers could provide insight into the degree of Zann Consortium starship modernization.
The rest…
"Destroy the enemy," Erik repeated the order.
Several direct turbolaser and mass-driver gun hits from Vengeances struck Crimson Dawn, but it had no effect on the dreadnought's overall combat capability.
The former did not penetrate the deflector shield, and the latter lacked power for noticeable armor damage.
Crimson Dawn gunners and launch operators mixed the enemy with dirt.
One enemy frigate exploded when a lucky anti-ship missile salvo from Mercy breached the hull and tore apart the hyperdrive reactor's active zone, but other frigates heading for Crimson Dawn avoided significant damage.
So far.
The Bellator-class dreadnought's turbolasers concentrated fire in the forward hemisphere.
Launch shafts released anti-ship torpedoes, and even laser cannons struck the enemy.
One after another, like overripe fruit, Vengeances detonated as soon as the dreadnought's combined power fell upon them.
Five explosions—and of half a dozen starships, only one remained alive.
It drifted by inertia, desperately signaling intent to surrender and requesting a prize crew aboard.
"I am the frigate commander and ready to surrender personally to Counter-Admiral Shohashi," the unknown Vengeance commander frantically said. "I will be a valuable prisoner and can reveal many Corporate Sector secrets and my direct employers! Please, send a team quickly, because militants are trying to capture the bridge!"
Erik calmly listened to the tearful tale of the unknown, then looked at the senior gunner.
His order was short and perfectly clear.
"Destroy."
He, like other commanders, was familiar with Captain Vivant's report regarding the trap Zann Consortium ship crews prepare at the end.
There are no surrendering fighters from this organization.
But they can be taken prisoner when they have not yet planned to take their captors to the grave with them.
A salvo of bow turbolasers and anti-ship missiles turned the starship into ruins that detonated at the end.
Erik turned attention to the tactical monitor.
Corvettes and star destroyers shifted focus to destroying or capturing remaining Interceptor IVs.
Dragons dutifully ionized immobilized ships, denying their crews even hypothetical electronics activation.
Four star destroyers were seriously damaged and needed at least medium repair.
Half the corvettes perished or were without control.
"Prepare assault shuttles," he ordered. "Equip them with assault droids for capturing active zones on ships. Then land stormtrooper assault. General Ventress will handle capturing the enemy formation flagship. Deactivate minefields in the system. Collect remaining intact or unactivated buzz droids and direct repair crews to damaged destroyers."
He suffered tangible losses, and Crimson Dawn would not operate at full strength for some time.
However, the task was accomplished.
Erik Shohashi took the Zann Consortium's first strike and emerged victorious from this confrontation.
Now it was up to other Dominion commanders.