Chapter 35 - Chapter 33 - The Unforeseen Factor

Another chapter for my dear readers. Don't forget to leave comments for me and enjoy the chapter!

Nine years, five months, and thirty-second day after the Battle of Yavin...

Or the forty-fourth year, five months and thirty-second day after the Great Resynchronization.

Mount Tantiss Commandant Colonel Selid met my transport at the shuttle's very ramp. And this time, Lambda landed neither in the central part of the city, nor at the very central entrance to the cave.

And in a natural hangar, located on the mountainside and camouflaged by doors that imitate the natural part of the rock.

- Grand Admiral, sir, - the colonel addressed me, holding the data deck in his hands.

- It looks like, - I nodded slightly toward the numerous shipping containers stacked in pyramids along the walls of the hangar, - you've finally made it through the labyrinth, Colonel?

- A significant part of it has been overcome, sir, - the commandant said, not hiding his triumph, as if he considered it his personal merit, as if he had personally explored every nook and cranny, time after time forced to examine every meter of space, for the sake of early detection of traps. Yes, it would have been much easier to punch a hole in the mountainside, or to demolish all the winding parts of the labyrinth... But there was just one small problem - all the other levels of Mount Tantiss rested on them.

- Did you use explosive charges to destroy the labyrinth? - I asked.

- No way, sir, - the colonel swallowed fearfully. - Considering the pressure on these numerous ceilings and the weight of the entire structure of Emperor Palpatine's treasury, it would be very reckless to redesign it. -

That's how it is. The cunning architect distributed the weight of the upper levels onto the labyrinth's ceilings, which allowed him to solve the problems with the delivery of building materials. He simply lined the walls cut into the rock with permacrete and other building materials to give them the external imperial identity of the interior.

- We've managed to unseal all of the Mountain's rooms, sir, - the colonel said, walking next to me, carefully holding out the data deck. Tiers, walking behind me in his naval uniform, tried to seize the device, but stopped short when he saw that I had expressed a desire for it myself. Rukh, walking next to me, didn't react to the adjutant's movement, but it looked like they clearly didn't like each other. They act too independently of each other. - The deck contains a modified diagram of the Mountain, somewhat different from the map we found in the central computer.

That's how it is? Interesting.

- Anything else? - I asked.

- We are preparing valuables, jewelry, and art objects for removal, as you ordered, - he said, explaining the contents of the transport containers in the hangar. Judging by the fact that antigravity carts with cargo containers continued to move along the wide corridors from the depths of the complex to the landing zone, the movement of valuables continued. Which is not bad. - The complex database check continues, but...

- But? - I asked again. The colonel's face, realizing that such omissions could not be perceived by the command as a light friendly intrigue, quickly spoke:

— Unfortunately, most of the information available to Palpatine's Informant here was stored in the central computer. My fleet's finest codebreakers and computer specialists were working to sift through it, to isolate those that had been altered or tampered with. In most cases, it was backbreaking, monotonous, and… utterly useless work — I suspect your assignment here was as well. We will review the results of this work and make a personnel decision. — Whatever purged the database, did an excellent job, wiping out data on most of the superweapon projects. All that remained were the file names and a few minor explanatory notes. Apparently, it was some kind of virus that was placed in the central computer, found and altered the information in the database. Then it self-destructed. No trace of its existence remained.

Well, here is the answer to what tried to get rid of Palpatine's personal information base. A computer virus. It is not hard to guess who brought it here, when it happened and on whose orders. Now it is clear why a copy of the «Caamas Document» was preserved - it was on a separate data chip, like a number of other pieces of information. Not connected to the internal network of the mountain, the file with the list of names of Bothans involved in the genocide of an entire race was untouched. However, this may not be true - I have not yet trusted such a source of information to any of the specialists for study, rightly fearing possible damage. Or, at the very least, the data may become the property of the «soldier's radio». And then every first cabin boy may ask himself: - Why does the Grand Admiral not use such a «killing» argument to destroy the enemy state at the moment? - No, unnecessary questions and gossip. I do not need such «happiness» now.

- Prepare the throne room and the Imperial chambers for me and the guests, Colonel, - I ordered, watching as Mara Jade, leading a group of scientists, moved towards me. - Escort Major Tiers and a group of specialists to the laboratories to collect genetic material and remove the personality matrix.

- It will be done, sir, - the colonel assured me. He had already taken a step to the side, inviting my stormtrooper-guardsman-adjutant to follow him, when, as if remembering something, he said:

- Sir, there is additional information on the cloning programs. It was discovered in one of the laboratories.

- Really? - I raised an eyebrow. And what interesting and new could duplicate technology offer? Something better or worse than Spaarti? If better, then why were these cylinders here and not something else? - In that case, I'll expect you to report to the throne room in half an hour.

- Yes, sir, - the colonel smiled. Judging by his smug expression, I really will have to resolve the personnel issue with the commandant of Mount Tantiss.

Moreover, radically.

***

- You know the rules, Captain Tyberos, - Moff Ferrus said wearily, looking at the young (or middle-aged, who could tell?) privateer. - All warships are to be turned over to us, and you receive no more than half the value of the starship. That is a condition of your patent. -

- I know, I'm literate, - the commander of the privateer gang grinned. - But mind you, the prize is mostly interesting to me. A modernized armored and well-armed raider, capable of carrying fighters. Mind you, this bird costs one hundred and fifty thousand credits. And each of the two Republican X-wings that I delivered to you along with the captured pilots also costs one hundred and fifty thousand credits. In total, considering the cargo of hyperdrives and spare parts for this type of SFU, excellent ones at that, modernized by the Verpines, the cost of the loot increases by another two hundred and fifty thousand credits. In total, one sortie brought in seven hundred thousand credits. Three hundred and fifty of them are my legal catch. All I ask is that you give me this ship and give me time at your shipyards, and a few rapid-fire guns, so that I can strengthen the armament and make something more significant out of it.

- Your calculations are simply wonderful, - Moff Ferrus grimaced. - Especially in the context that you base them on the full cost of the ships and cargo. If my memory serves me right, and it, unlike my ex-wife, is faithful to me and does not suffer from such a tendency, the terms of the patent - no more than half the cost for cargo - is the limit of your dreams.

- Oh, so the Imperials are good at math? - the former pirate burst out laughing. - I didn't know, I didn't know. It's strange then that you're so a...

- Are you sure now that there is much sense in contradicting your employer? - the Moff chuckled. - They say that if you don't break the hyperdrive of the ship you're flying on, you won't have any problems traveling around the galaxy.

- I've heard that proverb in a different version, - the pirate said. Yes, he might call himself a noble robber in the service of the state, but the fact remains that he was a pirate, is a pirate, and will remain a pirate. Thrawn has recruited him and a dozen other motley gangs now, sending them to plunder enemy supply lines. But when the Grand Admiral has more power, when he has enough of his own raiders, there will be no point in the existence of privateers. And then Thrawn's ships will start hunting them. They will certainly start - they can't allow these intelligent beings to feel at ease in the galaxy any longer. Otherwise, their own economy will suffer.

The pirates understood this as well. And it is no wonder that they tried to strengthen themselves with captured ships. However, the mere fact that Tyberos dragged to the outpost in the Pakuuni system not only this armored freighter, the X-wings, the remains of the crew and a cargo of five hyperdrives for the latter, not counting a pile of spare parts for both the T-65 Incoms and their predecessors, the Z-95 Headhunter, indicated that the privateer was interested in cooperation. Was this not the reason why Thrawn gave rather opaque instructions regarding such situations?

Like the other one, Captain Vayne, who is waiting his turn to claim millions for his part in the capture of Booster Terrik's former ship.

And in half a day, other cutthroats will arrive, dragging with them entire caravans of starships captured from the New Republic. Yeah... who would have thought that Thrawn would pull off exactly this trick - arm the captured freighters, turning them into raiders and ordering them to form their own pirate gangs from among the volunteers. Which do most of the work of hunting enemy caravans. And they do it selectively and always successfully - while the real pirates hunt for small change, those who pretend to be them, creating the impression of a huge number of criminals in the service of the Grand Admiral, deliver a huge amount of valuables and strategic reserves to Tangren. Since there were not as many real pirates willing to become privateers in the service of the Grand Admiral as we would like, then why not create them ourselves? Especially if you consider the fact that such pseudo-pirates are happy with what they do - their salary is nowhere near the same as that of real pirates, but for them such work is a chance to earn their loyalty to the Grand Admiral.

«Wolfpacks,» as Thrawn himself called them. And he didn't explain the meaning of the code name. He simply said that these auxiliary forces were capable of paralyzing the logistics structure of the New Republic. And with each new captured transport ship, the number of such pseudo-pirates only increased.

Well... It's the New Republic. And there's no other way now. The Grand Admiral said it was simple while his flagship was being repaired. And there were few options - either join him and accept his worldview, or be against him. Although... considering that he had laid hands on the «Katana Fleet» (Moff Ferrus almost got a nervous tic when he realized this fact, remembering how he had joked about something like this), only an idiot in his right mind would risk messing with him. Two hundred heavy cruisers, albeit outdated, but still cruisers, capable of standing up for themselves and properly drinking the blood of any enemy. If before Thrawn was just a «whipping boy» in the eyes of most rulers of the Imperial Remnants, now... he is a force that you either need to be friends with or not interfere with. Or - prepare the big guns, so as not to end up among his targets.

- Everything is going according to plan, - the Grand Admiral told him at last, after hearing the oath of allegiance taken by the Moff. Then he went to where... Actually, no one knew where he was. The Grand Admiral was not in the habit of letting anyone in on his plans, except for those directly involved. When Nick, who had gone with Thrawn into the unknown, returns, it will be possible to find out what they had been doing all this time.

And now it was time to carry out the Grand Admiral's will regarding the privateers. Those of them who did not try to deceive their employers should receive certain privileges. An incentive measure that would make their cooperation more complete and trusting. But the Moff was not going to give in so easily.

- You have a fine ship, Captain Tyberos, - the Moff said. - Well armed, well armored. With the help of the «Wild Ewok", you captured the Gozanti. Isn't that an indication that you have a far better starship than the one you're asking for?

- As I said, I will improve the Gozanti, - said the privateer. - And then I will have two full-fledged raiders. I have a loyal assistant who can lead one of my vessels, and I will fly the other. We can do twice as much damage.

- Let's say, - said Moff Ferrus. - There could and would be a military benefit to such a thing, if you could find a way to provide your ship with cover. Even after the upgrades, this starship is not capable of moving at high speed, and maneuvers...

- The Republicans did it all for us, - Tyberos chuckled. - The two external mounts for the X-wings will be perfect for escort fighters. And the cargo bay will accommodate another fighter.

- Did you think about it while you were flying here? - Ferrus chuckled.

- Yes, there was a time, - nodded Tyberos. - Agree, Moff. You are in the black. I do not demand my share of the spoils, you do not need to spend money on paying bonuses for me and my people.

- A tempting offer, - Felix chuckled. - And I might even agree to it if it weren't for a couple of things. First, we have enough money to pay you for the cargo. Second, I'll have to talk to the Grand Admiral about this. And be very persuasive. But for now, I don't see any benefit other than saving one hundred and seventy-five thousand credits — your half of half the cost of the entire cargo. And that kind of money isn't a big waste for me.

- Even if I give you both X-wings and spare parts for them absolutely free? - Tyberos raised an eyebrow. - That doesn't even cover half the cost of the cruiser - the one that is due to me and my people. The offer pays for the entire ship. In fact, consider that I worked for free, only out of respect for you.

- I like the latter, - the Moff assured him. - In these troubled times, such things are not in favor with most sentient beings. And yet... You can seize any other warship for yourself, or simply buy one. What is your benefit?

- To mock the New Republic, - the pirate said. - I'll use this ship with the ID on for the mission. I'll let them know it was me, the one who raided the Verpines, who stole their ship and captured the pilots, and such a valuable cargo, too. They'll hunt me down, and I'm sure the Grand Admiral will be able to use that fact to his advantage. Everyone is talking about the Ambush at Rugosa on the Outer Rim, and I've talked to several of my friends. The Hutts are wary, since Thrawn has effectively deprived them of several good clients and henchmen. The pirates are starting to whisper among themselves, wondering if the Empire is really as defenseless as they say. Thrawn even managed to pin down the Talon.

- You mean Talon Karrde? - Felix asked.

- About him, - nodded Tiberos. - The disappearance of Booster Terrik with the entire fleet he had assembled is a significant event. A very, very significant one. As is the disappearance of Leonia Tavira and her gangs. Your boss may not pay attention to this, but his actions are closely monitored. The criminal world is very sensitive to the changing vectors of power. They keep their nose to the wind when there is a threat. And if I act on my ship, a trophy, this will only show that the rumors spread about the Empire's treachery are nothing more than disinformation. No, of course, you are still some bast... gentlemen, butIcan do business with you. Not only among the smugglers who bring your moffs and admirals expensive gadgets and exotic items, but also among the pirates. You are expanding, after all, - he noted. - I saw several dozen new converted ships - that means those who want to make easy money are coming to you. - Well, let me show them by my example that you can not only earn credits, but also improve your own affairs. What is one Gozanti to you when you have countless Star Destroyers? Give me this ship, and I will not only give you the entire cargo, but also send you the information I have about the defense of the Roche asteroids - the Verpine homeland. Imagine how much you can loot there if you show up with your entire fleet? For the nearest base - quite a lot of time. Push through the asteroid defense and start looting... the haul will be huge.

- But it seems to me that the whole thing is quite different, - Ferrus smiled. - You have a personal score to settle with the Republicans, don't you?

- Like many of the pirates, - Tyberos noted.

- But not many try to play a double game, - said the governor of the Morshdain sector. - You, for example, are trying. You want to attract attention among the pirates by using the trophy, don't you? Do you think that having learned about our terms of cooperation and seeing the war trophy on you, they will decide that you have authority among us, and therefore they should stick to you?

- Well, the Grand Admiral didn't forbid bringing in those who wanted to make some money, - Tyberos grinned, leaning forward. The stormtroopers guarding the office instantly raised their blaster rifles, aiming them at the privateer. - I thought Imperial Moffs weren't that smart. -

- The most cunning and stupid ones were shot long ago, - Ferrus said with coldness in his voice. - Only the very cunning and very smart ones remain. Your idea is not new - nothing more than an attempt to create your own pirate fleet, operating «on the payroll» of the state. During the Clone Wars, such things flourished on both sides of the conflict.

- What's wrong with a pirate fleet loyal to the Grand Admiral? - Tyberos continued to smile.

- Because your desire to get the Gozanti is nothing more than a touchstone, - the Moff noted. - Now you want this armored transport, in a week you'll capture a light cruiser and decide to get it too, in a month it'll be a star destroyer, and so on. And what will happen as a result? You'll get an armed gang of pirates...

- Privateers, - corrected Tiberos.

- ... pirates, - the Moff insisted. - And it will all be tied to you. A centralized and well-armed mob of criminals who will gain strength right under our noses. And as soon as you decide that you are strong enough, you will turn against us.

- At a time when the Grand Admiral is already strong? - Tyberos chuckled. - I'm sure Thrawn has thought through this situation many times and knows how to react to it in order to remain in the black.

- Of course he does, - Felix chuckled, drumming his fingers on the table. - Well then. You want your own pirate fleet. If it's loyal to us, that's no problem. Perhaps we'll even offer to become auxiliary forces for our fleet someday. - The mere thought of these pirates joining the «Wolfpacks» made the Moff feel sad. Where is the galaxy heading if it has to cooperate with such scum? - Well, for now, let's clarify something. Since I'm responsible for coordinating and operating the privateers and I'll have to talk to the Grand Admiral, you'll have to convince me of your actions first. Let's start by sorting out what you got in your last operation. We'll take everything except the ship you specified. From this day on, you'll be on probation in our renewed contractual relations. You'll give me all the cargo and won't receive any prizes for your operations. - Whatever you find in the cabins of the crews of the attacked ships, their property is your loot. We are interested only in cargo. And, of course, in warships. Information, if you have it. In exchange for this, you will receive the Gozanti at your disposal. I will negotiate its modernization at our shipyard. You can assemble your pirate fleet now. You can plunder any targets of our enemies - except for the Empire and their allies. But at any moment, when we need you - be ready to drop everything and arrive where you are ordered. But as soon as we learn that you have begun to appropriate part of the cargo, or act against our orders - such a reward will be announced for your head that you will not survive for several days. And when we find the pirates who betrayed us - all of you will be executed. I ask you to especially emphasize the fact that I said «when», and not «if» . I think you understand that this is an opaque hint at the lack of trust in you.

- Is it just me, or is your proposal not much different from what I myself voiced? - Tiberos asked with a grin, making it clear that he understood everything perfectly well even without explanations.

- Oh, you haven't heard the whole proposal yet, - Ferrus said meaningfully. Once again, one could only marvel at the Grand Admiral's foresight. - If you want to continue to have your pirate freebooters in our service, then you will have to assure me and the Grand Admiral of your loyalty to our cause.

- I have no intention of joining the Imperial Navy, - Tyberos chuckled.

- No one is offering, - the Moff assured him. - The New Republic cooperates with some smugglers and rogue traders. From now on, we will handle the convoys ourselves. - You will simply be smashed when you stick your nose under the barrels of the escort frigates and turbolasers of the Mon Calamari star cruisers, which currently form the basis of the escort for the caravans that interest Thrawn. - And you and your gang, which you hope to organize, should open the hunting season on simple freighters. They carry small cargo and try to use unofficial or remote hyperspace routes. So take care of them. I am sure that in addition to official cargo, they have a lot of interesting things in the caches on their ships. You will have something to profit from.

- A fat jackpot, - Tyberos chuckled. And even though there was displeasure in his voice, Felix had no doubt that he would agree to the offer. He really wanted to have his own power and become a force himself. Everything is as Thrawn predicted. True, he did not name specific names when he warned that soon the privateers, having smelled the profit and the easy power that they receive thanks to the «leads» of the Empire, will want to represent something more. Especially those who have personal scores to settle with the New Republic. - But I doubt that even a couple of my ships will be of any significant use at the moment. It will take time to assemble a flotilla and...

- We hardly care, - the Moff said. - You want more than just a sidekick, Captain. You want to lead our privateers. The Grand Admiral allows you to do so. But here are our terms. Yes, you may set sail on your own, that is entirely your right. But I advise you to consider continuing to work for us.

- I didn't even try to fight back, - Captain Tiberos said smugly, rising from his chair. - You know, it's quite funny and comfortable to rip the guts out of the Republicans, and also to have the opportunity to gain your own power, being covered by the Empire. - Well, here you are clearly exaggerating, but you clearly do not need to know this, at least not now. - And since we have come to an agreement, I'm off to my ship, I need to shake it up well and go hunting for freighters.

- «Of course», - the Moff chuckled to himself, watching the rangy privateer leave his office. - «It's just like Thrawn predicted. First you hunt the New Republic, then their minions. And in the end you'll start slaughtering your former buddies left and right, wanting to curry favor with the Grand Admiral. How simple»...

***

- I had no idea this complex was so huge, - Mara Jade said, looking at the enormous hologram of the layout of the rooms inside Mount Tantiss. It was created by a holoprojector located near the center of the throne room. I, sitting in the chair where Palpatine had once sat, watched with interest and trepidation as Rukh examined the lines of passages, corridors, turbolifts, connecting the network of internal caves like the threads of a giant web. Rukh, habitually taking his position in the corner, seemed to merge with the shadow of the narrow space between the turbolift cabins.

The ysalamiri's cage stood nearby, allowing the girl to enjoy her freedom from the small animal, which mostly sat on her back to provide her with protection from the Force. However, if everything went as I imagined today, she would not have to see the ysalamiri again. The girl would finally be free from the influence of Palpatine's last order on her fate.

And while the colonel was in no hurry with the report, I decided to study the layout of the Mountain properly. Considering the presence of explanatory notes from the architect himself, indicating the calculations and materials used in the construction. Which significantly simplified the construction of the dubbing of the Mountain in a pre-selected place.

However, the structure of the Emperor's treasury also represented a large conglomerate of aesthetic and technical wonders.

So, the lowest part of the Mountain was the underground part.

Numerous «underground» levels were located deep beneath the surface, several hundred meters below the surface, and connected to the lower levels by a series of turbolifts and stairs. This is where the four massive, powerful thermonuclear reactors on Mount Tantiss were located. Their markings matched those of the star destroyers, but the specifications... Someone had clearly worked to adapt these four huge spheres to work underground and in planetary gravity. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of technical details and changes made to these power sources, explanations written in simple and accessible language «for those who do not understand the technology of creating and operating artificial stars» were completely absent. Only three of them were currently functioning, the last one needed repair and maintenance, which local technicians could not handle. Chief Engineer Reyes was already on his way there to inspect and deliver his verdict. Considering that the entire structure can be disassembled and extracted without harming the entire power system, the reactor will also be delivered to the Chimaera's hold for transfer to Tangren. Whether it will be useful in the Solar Burn project or not is still unclear. But at least we will have spare parts for the solar ionization reactor - and that is already quite a lot. The Steel Aurora is about to complete its minor repairs in orbit around Lainuri and will move to the main base.

What's curious is that each generator was capable of producing enough power to launch and operate an Imperial Star Destroyer, indicating that Mount Tantiss, when fully operational, requires a massive amount of power. However, at the moment, the Colonel and his men are making do with just three reactors, due to the fact that significant portions of the facility are without power.

The same notorious labyrinth was located even lower than the reactors and stretched for kilometers around the mountain. At first, its purpose was not clear, but over time, through trial and error, it was discovered that in its winding and gloomy corridors there were paths to an even lower floor, nicknamed by the locals nothing less than the «crypt». Here were stored ancient energy weapons, amulets with an obvious esoteric basis, crystals and jewelry, barely distinguishable from each other, alien trinkets and religious idols, mummified bodies and countless pieces of art, stored in special stasis containers to ensure their safety. Considering that this equipment requires a considerable amount of energy, after checking the data logs of the central computer, it became clear why the fourth reactor failed - it provided energy to the complex in a minimum consumption mode for many decades - almost since the proclamation of the New Order.

Above were the Lower Levels.

This is where the main entrance to Palpatine's treasury was located. In addition, the thickness of the mountain housed barracks for the quartered legion of stormtroopers and their corresponding posts, as well as vehicles, an arsenal, warehouses for equipment and weapons necessary to defend the mountain. On these levels were food production facilities - a hydroponic installation, food vending machines and storage of soldiers' rations that would not fade with time. Not to mention a truly enormous stasis storage for exotic food products, clearly not designed for ordinary soldiers or officers. For them, food products were preserved in carbonite plates, like the one in which Han Solo was frozen in the original trilogy. And to my surprise, it was here, after so much time, that I reliably learned that carbonite freezing is used for the long-term storage of food, and not living sentient beings.

The most interesting thing on this level was the War Room - a semi-circular tactical room, hung with monitors and holoprojectors. This is the communications and planning center. Apparently, from here it was possible to maintain contact with any military unit of the Empire, and thanks to the encryption equipment - to remain untraceable. And this beautiful place, clearly designed for use as a command center for the highest level of the Empire, would have been indispensable, if not for one «but». The equipment of the War Room received all its data directly from the central computer. The data in which is damaged or erased. At least those concerning the locations, numbers and composition of the Empire's fleets - were completely deleted. Only files with names were left. And there is no way to restore this data. Well, it is logical from Palpatine's point of view - gathering his armada back, he, assuming that one of his ardent supporters would definitely get here, did everything so that no one would ever know what size the Imperial armada really was. And I no longer trusted the data from official sources, such as military journals and headquarters data. Palpatine managed to hide the construction of this complex from the Senate and the military, as well as the arrangement of the base on Byss, which directly indicated his ability to manipulate information.

But the data on ground bases and the required number of personnel and equipment assigned to them interested me greatly. The array of information is enormous, but it seems I know what my adjutant should be busy with in the near future. In this variety of data, I need to find several interesting places and find out how to get to them.

The only pity is about the Maw Installation facility, Grand Moff Tarkin's personal research facility deep in the Maw black hole cluster, where not only several Imperial Star Destroyers, fully staffed and led by the only female admiral I know of in the Empire, Natasi Daala, languish and wait for their time, but also a wonderful team of brilliant scientists known for developing and creating superweapons that made the galaxy sweat. They are there in complete secrecy and isolation from the rest of the galaxy - it is not easy to get out, and communication signals do not penetrate the black hole barrier.

Well, in the events known to me, Natasi Daala's voyage across the galaxy from the Maw Cluster and the minor damage she caused to the New Republic began several years after the death of Palpatine's clone. For a number of reasons, this latest settling of scores between the Imperials and the Republicans was not very successful. Which does not mean that such a «storage» can be overlooked. No, unfortunately, this is not the case. Everything has its time. Now, climbing in there and trying to lay hands on all the goods that were at Daala's disposal is frankly pointless. Not only because the only known path through the black holes was known to Tarkin and Daala herself - and neither of them, for reasons known to me, will tell me this. And not even because a Force-sensitive sentient would be needed to discover the course between the black holes (as happened in the events known to me). I did have a Jedi, but crazy C'baoth is not at all someone with whom I would want to share this secret.

It is impossible to gain the loyalty of the military and personnel at the Mau Installation Facility in such a short time. It is better to wait and infiltrate there under different circumstances - when there is no need to fear the personnel and ship crews going over to the side of the Reborn Emperor.

Well, back to the overview of the Mountain's layout. The Command Wing was the center of military operations on Mount Tantiss, like the bridge of a Star Destroyer. All administrative duties were performed in this section. The office of the base commander, who also served as the garrison commander, was located above the main part of the command center and opened onto the main floor through a massive mirrored porthole. The curved, amphitheater-like chamber located next to the much larger cavern filled with cloning cylinders was the Mountain's central computer. Officially known as the Main Computer Core, it was a massive bank of computers and servers that collected and indexed all the information that passed through Mount Tantiss's communications and data retrieval systems.

The security department, the detention block, the quarters for medical personnel, technicians and enlisted military units also found their place on this level. Interesting. There was also a guardhouse for the military. And if so, who was the detention block intended for? Did Palpatine intend to bring his political opponents here? Quite strange logic. Or did he think that even if only his supporters were here, some of them would be «lucky» enough to end up in prison?

Another thing is strange. There were no traces of a garrison being stationed here. It seemed that before the arrival of first C'baoth and then our fighters, there had never been a garrison here. Or maybe it was not intended at all and the entire fortress, although it was equipped as a residence, shelter and warehouse at the same time, turned into only the latter... It sounds logical, considering that Palpatine had an entire planet in the Deep Core for collecting his secrets and storing them securely. One way or another, it is unrealistic to penetrate Byss without knowledge of the security system there. And Wayland is in known space. Any accident, a mistake in the hyperdrive - and unwanted - discoverers - may end up on the planet.

Apparently, Palpatine decided to use Wayland as a bargaining chip for whoever found the place and used it to fight the New Republic. Well, that lucky son of a bitch was me.

And here are the middle levels of the Mountain.

- The main lift connects the central 'layer' of the complex to the upper ones, reserved for the accommodation of Palpatine and his dignitaries, - Mara Jade noted, pointing to several small vertical shafts that pierced the rock vertically in dozens of places. - Too small for personal turbolifts or emergency ducts.

- Service lifts for the droids who serve in the service, - I explained, marking several shorter shafts. - And this row of turbolifts connects the mid-levels, specifically the cloning chamber, with the barracks of the garrison units.

- So, it's almost a direct indication that it's soldiers that are being cloned? - Mara Jade asked.

- I doubt that the cloning complex was ever used at full capacity, - I said. - And at the same time, an interesting fact. At the end of the Clone Wars, on Coruscant's moon, Centax-2, Arkanian scientists used Spaarti cloning technology to create so-called Spaarti clones. And at the same time, according to the data from the central computer, these twenty thousand cloning cylinders were delivered here by Kinman Doriana immediately after the Battle of Cartao at the height of the Clone Wars, - after checking the base commandant's report, he continued:

— The cylinders were not taken out of here. The question arises.

- What technology did the Arkanians use to create the Spaarti clones? - Even in the dim light of the dark room, Mara Jade's face tensed. - Grand Admiral, you're not telling me that Palpatine has another couple hundred thousand Spaarti cloning cylinders stashed away somewhere, are you?

- I didn't say that, - I had to remind the girl. - You said it. But the assumption is really interesting. Given the data on the cloning of Palpatine's body, we can assume that the cloning cylinders from Centax-2 were taken from the satellite and sent to Byss. Or they were destroyed during the Separatist attack on Coruscant at the end of the Clone Wars. You can make as many hypotheses as you like. We need to check whether the base on Centax-2 is currently functioning and whether there are secret levels there that have not yet been discovered.

- With the addition of additional Spaarti cloning cylinders, you will be able to increase your clone army production overnight, - Mara Jade noted.

- It's too early to think about that, - I said. - We only have sixteen thousand functioning cylinders at the moment. We'll start from that number. Dreaming at the moment is bad for us.

- «Or the term «spaarti» is not the self-name of the cloning technology produced on the planet Kartao, but the general name of a complex of systemic approaches to cloning, characterized by the speed of growing copies of the sentients», - I thought. But I kept the thoughts to myself. For now, this is nothing more than a guess that needs to be verified. If it is confirmed, then it is worthwhile to begin developing this information closely. In the meantime, it is necessary to resolve issues with the existing cloning technology.

The funniest thing is that on the Mount Tantiss map, the huge cavern that housed twenty thousand Spaarti cloning cylinders, twenty percent of which were still non-functional and were just ballast, also had a name. «The Cloning Chamber».

It was located on the top floor of the middle level, going deep down. A recent discovery for the base commandant was the discovery of almost thirty technology storage facilities, located under unimaginable security systems. And this is where the most interesting things began... New data on cloning technologies known in the galaxy. And not just theoretical calculations, but technologies as well. Actually, half of these storage facilities were occupied by the equipment of the «imprit» machines, implementing the technology of instantaneous downloading of information into the mind of a clone. Actually, this is why the «spaarti clones», according to the idea of ​​their creators, should not be worse than the Kaminoans. But in reality... well, for such reports I have Colonel Selid. While he is getting there, it is time to study the map of the complex completely.

There were several ventilation shafts and service hatches winding through the mountain, but most of them were found in the service areas on the middle levels of the installation. The technical areas of the mountain were incredibly vast spaces - this was where equipment, mechanisms, weapons and gear could be repaired. Also, to my great surprise, there were various laboratories and scientific stations located here. According to the documents, Colonel Selid and his subordinates assumed that these rooms were used to test and improve a number of alien and exotic technologies stored on the facility. And, apparently, this is where those twenty percent of the cloning cylinders were broken... TRYING TO REPLICATE THEM!!!

I felt a trickle of sweat run down my back. Is this really possible?! I was assured that it was impossible to build new Spaarti cylinders. And in the events I knew, the ones inside Mount Tantiss were the last ones produced on Cartao before Palpatine destroyed the factory that produced them. But... what if scientists and engineers really worked here who were able to recreate the technology? If so, then... Could the Spaarti cloning cylinders on Centax-2, operating at the end of the Clone Wars, be the result of the work of scientists in these labs? Or were they still fighting the madness of the clones here? Or something else besides recreating the technology? Unfortunately, the data was removed. No, not destroyed, not erased, but removed. Someone, having worked here for a certain amount of time, took the developments with them and left the planet - otherwise the scanners of the Chimaera and the stationary, not to mention the ground patrols, would have found at least a hint of metal. The shuttles in the hangars of the Mountain are in conservation packages - that is, they were left here for long-term storage. Judging by the records, their number coincides with what is available. Therefore, whoever flew here, flew away. And if you remember what C'baoth said ... Hmm ... could the madman have encountered only one group of arrivals, some of whom he killed, and others managed to escape?

Or did they arrive here multiple times? But again - where are the starships, landing ships?!

Questions, questions, no answers. And I really don't like questions without answers. On Earth, I'm used to all the information around me being laid out clearly and «on the shelves» to trace the cause-and-effect relationship. And I would like it to be the same here. It's what I'm used to. In addition, having complete information preceding certain events, you can always build cause-and-effect relationships and calculate the reaction.

The Mount Tantiss complex was crowned by the personal fiefdom of Emperor Palpatine. The throne room was always ready for the comfort of the Emperor who suddenly arrived, and only droids kept it clean. This is the room we were in right now. There were three ways to get here: the general turbolift, through which absolutely all visitors got in; the emergency staircase, or the Emperor's personal turbolift. Which, by the way, was not reflected in the plans at all. But physically - here it is, dear. But to access it, you need a scan of Palpatine's retina - a security measure so that no one sly could use this passage. However, the base technicians have already solved this problem, and one of my code cylinders is now playing this role.

It was this elevator that the Emperor could have used to get into the complex of his personal apartments. I can't say anything about them, since I've never been there. But I assume that there was definitely not just a - two by a meter - bunk and a couple of chairs welded to the floor. Considering that the living quarters occupied three floors at once, one could only guess how many intelligent beings could be accommodated there... Although, it is also possible that only Palpatine was supposed to live there.

Under the living area was Palpatine's private hangar, which, as with any other level of the complex, the Emperor could access through a second turbolift connected to the retinal scanner. Obviously, it was created primarily so that the ruler of the Galactic Empire would not hang out in the same cabin with various «servants». And if necessary, he could escape unnoticed and separately from everyone through his personal hangar.

Ah... No, here are the servants' and advisers' quarters - below the emperor's bedchambers. Hmm... There are also work offices here, as well as a work area for high-ranking confidants. The computers are absolutely clean, no hint that data was ever loaded into them. Therefore, no one has ever worked here. Which only confirms the hypothesis that no sentient beings have arrived here.

And here's what's interesting. The upper storages are part of the warehouses that only Emperor Palpatine had access to. Carved directly into the mountain's rock, they are enormous in size... and empty. Not because there was never anything there - on the contrary. It was here that Palpatine kept his collection of trophies from his victory over the Jedi - lightsabers, armor, tablets and some trinkets, the purpose of which is unclear to me... Judging by the fact that they were previously laid out in accordance with strict codification, and there are signs of a search, it suggests that something was taken from here. And in considerable quantities. Could these have been holocrons - Sith and Jedi devices for storing an extraordinary amount of data - we can only guess.

Mount Tantiss Plan.

A most curious structure. The more I studied its plans, the more I realized that to repeat a similar complex somewhere else, billions of credits would be required. Too bad... It's a great pity that something like this remains unattainable for me.

The main turbolift's indicator lights announced their arrival in the Throne Room. Mara Jade turned off the hologram and with a barely noticeable movement drew her blaster pistol from her hip holster.

In vain. It is nothing more than Colonel Selid. He has arrived with a report, as required.

- Report, - I ordered.

- Sir, in the storages under the Cloning Chamber we have found data and devices not only for downloading data for the Spaarti cloning program, - the commandant did not begin with a prelude. - By the way, there are exactly one hundred such installations and they are all in working order. With their help we remove the matrix of consciousness from donors and download it into cloning cylinders. At the same time, according to observations of the first batches of clones, I consider it my duty to point out that such - products - are inferior to ordinary intelligent ones and even more so - stormtroopers in combat training. To achieve the optimal result, training and training are necessary in order to consolidate professionalism.

- So, in fact, by creating clones and not training them, we are getting almost cadets who only have theoretical knowledge that needs to be confirmed in practice? - I clarified.

- Exactly so, Grand Admiral, - Colonel Selid confirmed.

Not the most pleasant information. Frankly speaking, although I knew that the spaarti clones were less effective, I believed that this was caused by the speed of their cloning and was completely neutralized, like the «clonic» madness, with the help of ysalamiri, which did not allow the Force to influence the formation of the minds and personalities of the clones. However, this is not scary. Considering that I firmly intend to direct the power of the cloning cylinders exclusively to the creation of ship crews, which I intend to subject to ruthless training - both on star destroyers and on other ships of my fleet, the conditionally expressed affliction can be overcome. Probably. Tests will show.

- Is that all the information?

- No, sir, - the commandant smiled. - We found another cloning cylinder in one of the storage facilities. A Kaminoan model.

Even so? So many questions, all arising at once.

- Continue, - I ordered.

- In the absence of data, we have made the assumption that there was some kind of testing ground here before, - the colonel said. - Someone was studying cloning technologies known in the galaxy. Spaarti and Kaminoan technology were used as a basis and experiments were clearly conducted with them, which is confirmed by the damage to the existing samples. Our technicians managed to repair the Kaminoan cylinder, however, without verification tests, we will not be able to be sure whether it is operational. But ... - the colonel hesitated. - As far as the doctors who are engaged in the cultivation of clones know, it will take ten years to obtain a sample.

Ten years... That's exactly how long it takes to grow a fully functional and complete clone using Kaminoan technology. Three thousand six hundred and fifty standard days. Ten times longer than it takes for a clone grown using Spaarti cylinder technology to reach basic maturation. Using ysalamiri, I was able to reduce this period to fifteen standard days. What if...?

- Bring the Kaminoan cloning cylinder and all necessary documentation aboard the Chimaera, - I ordered. I have a crazy idea, but... it needs to be tested in practice. And preferably in secret from the others.

And I was also haunted by this number - ten years. I didn't even have to strain my memory - the analytical mind of the Chiss found the necessary information in my baggage of knowledge about this universe almost instantly.

In the events I know, Thrawn died in 9 ABY, if we take the most well-known timeline, the New Republic one used in the Expanded Universe. And yet, the offspring of Darth Vader and the red-haired Hand of the Emperor met and got acquainted.

In the nineteenth year after the Battle of Yavin IV, Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker, by that time almost bosom friends, following a «trail of crumbs», arrived from the known part of the galaxy to the planet Nirauan - the capital of the Empire of the Hand created by Thrawn in the Unknown Regions. The very one to where I can't gey due to the lack of knowledge about how to get there.

But the key point in this pile of dates is different. More precisely, there are even two of them.

First.

Ten years passed between these events. Almost ten years.

Second.

On Nirauan, Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker learned from Admiral Voss Parck, whom Thrawn had left in command of the Empire of the Hand after himself, that the Grand Admiral had left a most interesting message for his subordinates in the Unknown Regions. I don't remember it verbatim, but the Chiss warned that if the Empire of the Hand ever heard that Thrawn had died, they should expect him to return in ten years. And both Jedi discovered in the dungeons of Thrawn's fortress on Nirauan... A cloning cylinder. With a copy of Thrawn inside.

Ten years. The maturation period of a clone using technology from the planet Kamino.

But I distinctly remember that the last Grand Admiral of the Empire had only Spaarti cloning cylinders at his disposal. And they do it in a year - that's their production cycle. I don't recall that you could set the timer on them to «longer» . The technology determines the maturation time, not the operator's setting of the time.

Ten years. A clone grown over ten years.

Could Thrawn have left his copy on Nirauan before leaving for the Empire? If so, how did he get the technology from Kamino? Was there any evidence that it was taken off-planet?!

If not, then it turns out that the Chiss, in the events known to me, commanding the fleet here, sent a Kaminoan-made cloning cylinder and his genetic material to Nirauan to grow his clone... And again - where did he get the cloning cylinder?! Flew to Kamino? Or...

We captured the thought.

One cylinder - one clone. And I'm talking about Nirauan.

One cylinder. Here on Wayland.

Coincidence? But why doesn't this fact figure in the events I know about? Is it my omission, did I not read it somewhere, didn't recognize it, didn't understand it, didn't remember it?

Or is it that part of the universe that remained - behind the scenes - due to its insignificance?

I didn't even want to consider the possibility that I was not in the familiar Star Wars universe, but in its «alternate» version. I would rather believe that some of the information was simply forgotten by me, or was not indicated in the sources and books that I am familiar with.

One way or another, it is worth conducting one interesting experiment. And if it succeeds, then a second one will follow.

- Judging by the meaningful expression on your face, Colonel, you have something to tell me, - I said, seeing the poorly restrained smile on the face of the commandant of Mount Tantiss.

- Yes, Grand Admiral, - he said. - There is another cloning technology.

- «Skywalker apparently had a Jedi who was a member of a race that cloned itself», - I thought. - «If my memory serves me right, the planet is located in the Deep Core... That's probably what Selid is talking about».

- Well, tell me about it, - I said. It was unlikely that the technology I was thinking of was more efficient than the Kaminoans. Or they would have been recruited to create the Grand Army of the Republic, rather than given the order to Kamino. Although, the latter had the benefit of having a production site of «Rotana Heavy Engineering» nearby...

- Sir, if you allow me, I will demonstrate - only now I noticed that behind the colonel there was... a stormtrooper. The most ordinary, unremarkable stormtrooper. With a blaster rifle at the ready, in a full set of armor. I glanced at Mara Jade, who tensed up like a cat ready to pounce. Actually, under my jacket there is a light bulletproof vest, and in general, if this is an assassination attempt, then it is extremely stupid. - Stormtrooper, report according to form!

Stormtrooper THX-0297.

- Grand Admiral, sir, - the fighter took a measured step forward. - Stormtrooper THX-0297 has arrived for a demonstration on the orders of Colonel Selid.

- Demonstration of what? - I asked.

- The effectiveness of the GeNod cloning program, Grand Admiral, - Colonel Selid smiled. - THX-0297 - remove helmet.

The soldier meekly took it off his head. Colonel Selid took a step back, standing in line with the soldier and smiled cheekily.

- He is perfect in every way, Grand Admiral, - said the Colonel. - He has all my knowledge, but his personality is completely different.

- Really? - I asked. I don't like what this Imperial is saying at all. It's like some kind of manic obsession...

- Exactly, - the colonel smiled smugly. - I found information that it was with the help of this equipment that the consciousness of the dark Jedi known as Joruus C'baoth was created. Considering that you ordered to use sample B-2332-54 to create a special clone for today's arrival, - the turbolift behind the colonel again opened its doors, letting another figure inside. But this time it was dressed in a dark robe, the hood of which hid its face. But I didn't even need to peer into this gloom. I knew what kind of face I would see there.

- Colonel, - I said as calmly as I could, - did you use Joruus C'Baoth's personality matrix on object B-2332-54?

- The simplest way to prove to you how effective the GeNod program is, - the colonel smiled. - Clones can be created in fifteen days using Spaarti technology, and their brains can be washed using the GeNod personality matrix program. They will be identical in appearance, but completely different...

The hiss of a lightsaber as it pierced the back and chest of Mount Tantiss's Commandant. The lightsaber, scarlet as arterial blood, sliced ​​Selid in half in one motion. The parts of the smug colonel fell to the polished floor.

The stormtrooper jumped forward, dodging the attack of the new clone, opening accurate fire from his blaster at him, hiding from the reflected scarlet rays behind the console... Mara Jade began to throw the cage with the ysalamiri off her back, taking the hilt of her lightsaber out of a secret pocket of her jacket as she went.

Well, and I... And I looked at Luke Skywalker, who had throwhis hood off his head.