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| - The small frigate reverted from hyperspace with a flicker of pseudomotion. Once it returned to realspace, the craft, emblazoned with the markings of the Zann Consortium, set a course towards the silent floating orb known as Carida, making its solitary way towards the Imperial planet. It was time for a long-awaited deal to go down, one where Tyber Zann would sell to the Empire, using Black Sun as an intermediary, an artifact that he in turn had stolen from Jabba the Hutt-and one that would mark the start of his grand scheme. Leaning forward to get a better view of the space they were flying into, Tyber Zann gazed out towards the planet. “Here we are, Urai,” he said. “Scenic Carida.” From the corner of the viewing room where the hulking figure of Urai Fen sat, the henchman made his reply. “Indeed,” the Talortai warrior agreed. “An unusual place for Xizor to meet us, given the Imperial stormtrooper academy on the planet.” “Which is exactly why I don’t believe that we’re meeting Xizor,” Zann countered. “There’s been an awful lot of furor on Coruscant recently, and I haven’t been able to get all the information I need yet, but I have my doubts. If the sale of this artifact wasn’t so important, I wouldn’t have come myself.” “Hence your preparations for this meeting,” Urai said. “Precisely,” Zann said with a thin smile. “Although given how much I trust Xizor, I would have done the same thing even if I thought we were actually meeting with him.” “Lord Zann,” the frigate’s pilot called through the intercom. “We’re at the rendezvous point.” “About time,” Zann said, crossing over to the communications display. “Let’s see what we have here.” Activating the console, he pulled up the sensor readings. For a moment, there was nothing. The angular frigate continued on its course towards Carida, its 150-odd meter length cruising through the deep void of space. “It’s quiet,” Zann noted as he began pacing the room. “Too quiet.” “Should we leave?” Urai asked. “No, not yet,” Zann answered, but it was clear he was disquieted. “We’ll give Xizor a few more minutes and then head out.” There was nothing for another three minutes. Then, the frigate’s sensor officer delivered the news they had been waiting to hear.” “We have multiple sensor contacts heading towards us.” Almost unsurprisingly, there were no Black Sun freighters approaching them. Instead, the distinct wedge-shaped forms of several sizable Imperial warships, including two Imperial-class Star Destroyers were rapidly approaching them. “What a surprise,” the crime lord remarked drily. “It was a trap after all.” “We’re receiving a transmission,” the pilot informed them through the intercom. “Put it through,” Zann ordered. A second later, the holographic image of an Imperial officer shimmered into view. However, unlike most Imperials, he was neither human, nor dressed in the typical khakis of the Imperial Navy. Instead, this was a nonhuman with deep blue skin and glowing red eyes, wearing the white uniform of a Grand Admiral. It was Thrawn. “Tyber Zann,” the hologram said. “I've come to collect your artifact for the Emperor. Comply with my demands, and I promise a swift and reasonably honorable death.” The alien’s voice was filled with iron and there was no doubt in Tyber Zann’s mind that Thrawn would attempt to carry out his threat. Star Destroyer Admonitor Standing beside and a little behind Thrawn, relegated to a secondary role, Delvardus could only fume as Thrawn contacted Zann and informed the criminal of his impending demise. He, Delvardus, had sorely wanted to tell Zann something similar himself. The annoyed admiral straightened an almost invisible wrinkle out of his uniform while he waited for Zann’s reply. As expected, Zann was defiant. “Of course I knew you were still lurking in my shadows,” the crime lord replied haughtily. “Don’t tell me you were the contact Xizor arranged.” Grand Admiral Thrawn smiled thinly at the hologram of Zann. The human was nothing if not confident. Thrawn was far more aware about the tendencies of Tyber Zann than either sentient acknowledged. In preparation for this battle, he had had Delvardus’s men supply him with holograms of architecture and artwork seized from Consortium holdings. Those pieces, combined with Thrawn’s own unique intuition, had allowed him to assemble an understanding of Zann’s likely moves, like being inside the man’s head. It was something that, almost sadly, only he had a talent for, but Thrawn knew that it was why he had proven so valuable to the Empire. That and his tactical brilliance. The Chiss Grand Admiral wasn’t arrogant about it. He was simply the best out of the Grand Admirals, whether they—or the sullen Delvardus—acknowledged that or not. Thrawn knew about the disdain he received from officers like his xenophobic second-in-command, but couldn’t understand it. Didn’t they see that he was working for their own good? To defeat the enemies of the Empire? However, Thrawn, ever the professional, had no more time to waste contemplating the many injustices and oddities of human xenophobia in the Imperial military, though his entire thought process since Zann’s reply had only expended perhaps half a second. A thought, a simple crisp mental command, was enough to clear his mind to focus on the upcoming battle. For there would certainly be one, if Thrawn’s intuition about Tyber Zann was correct. “In a manner of speaking,” Thrawn returned to the hologram. “Xizor is dead. The evidence you planted convinced Vader but I recognized your unique signature. You've overstepped your bounds for the last time, Zann.” There was a slight reaction from the normally unflappable Zann. Some might not have detected the subtle shock written across Zann’s face, but Thrawn had already zeroed in on it. The Grand Admiral smiled again, but inwardly this time. Zann had no doubt already heard something about Xizor’s demise—in underworld circlesmit was no secret that the two had hated each other—but Thrawn’s knowledge of the Zann Consortium’s role in the downfall of the Black Sun head certainly came as a surprise to the crime lord. How delicious. Still, the man was used to thinking on his feet and recovered quickly. “Really? You don't think I came unprepared, do you?” Zann replied with a tone almost of mock incredulity. Thrawn toggled off the communications switch so Zann couldn’t hear or see them and turned to Delvardus. “Admiral, order the Aitch-Vee cannon to target that frigate and fire on my command.” “Yes, sir,” Delvardus replied stiffly. “Sir, if I may?” “Go ahead, Admiral,” Thrawn replied. “I welcome suggestions, if they’re put forward properly.” Delvardus ignored the subtle sting and continued on. “Sir, it is quite unlikely that Tyber Zann does not have additional ships heading to intercept. I recommend that you wait to fire until he brings his other forces in.” “An excellent recommendation, Admiral,” Thrawn said with a small smile. “And noted. Thank you.” The Grand Admiral turned back to the communications display. His flagrant xenophobia aside, Delvardus wasn’t a bad officer. Too bad Thrawn had already thought over his idea several hours ago, but there was no point in letting Delvardus know that and exacerbate the man’s bad attitude. Thrawn returned to business, reactivating the communications relay. Just as he reached for the control, the sensor officer called out a report, his voice laden with urgency. “Grand Admiral! Sir, we have multiple contacts reverting from hyperspace! I’m detecting at least sixteen ships-frigates, gunships, cruisers, everything. It’s a full war fleet!” “Calm yourself, Lieutenant,” Thrawn said. “Zann’s reinforcements were not unexpected.” “Yes, sir,” the chastened junior officer replied. Thrawn toggled the communications relay again, but did not resume conversation with Zann. Not yet. Instead, his transmission was to a ground-based weapon that Thrawn had ordered installed on the surface of Carida and deployed in record time. “You may fire when ready, Commander,” Thrawn ordered. Then he switched back over to Zann. He had just enough time for one last jab to rile the human before he destroyed Zann’s ship. “Well done. For a petty criminal. Of course, I would've have expected you to anticipate the hypervelocity gun on the surface.” At the largest Imperial garrison on Carida, a massive anti-orbital cannon pointed its muzzle towards the sky. Its pre-firing sequence completed, the weapon let loose with a thunderous salvo of solid rounds accelerated to hypersonic speeds that transcended Carida’s high escape velocity. Their trajectories carried the slugs straight into Zann’s Interceptor IV frigate. Hypervelocity guns could inflict serious damage on a Star Destroyer, and the tiny frigate was nearly torn in half by the impact. “That does it for him!” Delvardus said with glee, unable to contain himself. “Not likely, Admiral,” Thrawn replied smoothly. “Not likely at all.” Merciless Urai and Tyber Zann watched the frigate explode into a glowing fireball with cool detachment. The Interceptor IV, while it had long been a valuable part of his fleet, was no longer one of their strongest vessels, thanks to the new shipbuilding initiatives of the Zann Consortium. Indeed, the aging frigates were now one of the smaller ships in his armada, which was why Zann had seen that ship as expendable enough to sacrifice. He had figured on a trap, and so had routed his transmission through the frigate in order to play out the pretense on being aboard the ship. In actuality, that was far from the truth. “All that display just to take a pawn. I really hope Grand Admiral Thrawn doesn’t think he’s killed me that easily,” Zann said to his Talortai henchman. “Perhaps you should dissuade him of that notion,” Urai replied. “I plan on it, Urai,” Zann agreed, then activated the ship’s intercom. “Drop us out of hyperspace and charge the plasma cannons. We should have long enough before their cannon is recharged to give our Imperial friend a little surprise.” Then, he switched the communications device back over to Thrawn and waited. As the Imperial and Consortium fleets began closing, it was obvious that while there were far more Consortium ships, they were smaller and less well-equipped. And unlike a typical Rebel squadron, there were no neat formations of X-wing or A-wing fighters. Instead, Zann’s fighter units included older types such as CloakShapes and Z-95s, with a smattering of more advanced Skipray Blastboats and StarViper-class attack platforms. However, in terms of sheer firepower and overall strength, no ship in Zann’s fleet could even match a Victory-class Star Destroyer in a one-on-one engagement, not to mention an Imperial Star Destroyer. That is, until the Merciless arrived. At 1.5 kilometers long, it was nearly the length of an Imperial Star Destroyer, but considerably narrower. Unlike Imperial designs, which favored a main battery of ten or twenty large turbolasers and ion cannons backed up by dozens of secondary weapons, the main firepower of the Merciless was concentrated in two massive plasma cannons. It was these weapons that Tyber Zann turned loose on his Imperial foe now. Just before firing, though, he decided to continue his verbal sparring with Thrawn. “Well, I would expect an Imperial officer to be arrogant enough not to be ready for my surprises,” Zann replied coldly, hoping that Thrawn would be surprised to hear his voice. The Merciless let loose a giant blast of plasma, which tore through space to slam into the shields of a Victory-class Star Destroyer, utterly disabling them. It was followed by another plasma bolt the size of a gunship, which smashed into the hapless Imperial ship. Imperial officers watching the scene would later report the utter shock and surprise they felt as they witnessed the Merciless tear a 900-meter warship in half with one shot. “Well. This may actually prove interesting. Why don't we begin?” Thrawn returned smoothly, and Zann noted with some pleasure that the alien hadn’t expected the Merciless to possess that type of firepower. “Agreed,” Zann replied. “For an admittedly brilliant strategist, one thing you've never been, Thrawn, is boring.” With that last jab in, Zann turned off the communications relay and directed his attention towards the battle. Thanks to the Merciless, the scales had decidedly tipped in his favor. Now, all he had to do was exploit his advantage. Zann knew that the Grand Admiral was far more skilled than he was in terms of tactical prowess, but he dearly wanted to exact revenge on the Empire for this betrayal. Plus, his plan needed some time to put into motion. He cracked his knuckles and moved over to the battle boards. Things were just starting to get exciting. Star Destroyer Death Hammer The bridge was a cacophony of people calling orders, reports, updates, and another battle communiqués. Delvardus, who had returned to his own ship via shuttle upon seeing the Merciless appear, was right in the thick of it, trying to stay as full abreast of the unfolding battle as he could. “Squadron of Skiprays closing in on the port flank! Prepare antifighter batteries!” “Sir, TIE Squadron Six is down to two ships. They report that those Crusader-class gunships are deadly to fighters!” “Turbolasers are firing on the Vengance-class in Sector 41! Sir, those ships have no shields, but we can’t penetrate their hull!” “Tell them to concentrate fire on the engines! I want that ship dead now, dammit!” “We’re losing Squadron Six! Squadron Six is gone!” These and other reports flooded over Delvardus faster than he could respond to all of them, as he tried to direct the Death Hammer in combat. Ordinarily, he would have delegated many of these responsibilities to the ship’s captain while he controlled the overall battle, but with Thrawn’s taking of command, Delvardus had tried to involve himself as thoroughly as possible in running the ship. He and his executive officer Captain Marquart were both doing the best they could. Adrenaline was pumping through his system and between the voices calling out reports and the beeps, chirps, and wails of various consoles, it was a wonder he could concentrate on anything. This was a Star Destroyer bridge in the midst of a pitched battle. Or at least, his Star Destroyer bridge. As he had left the Admonitor, Delvardus couldn’t help but notice that Thrawn’s crewmen were the epitome of professionalism and didn’t even raise their voices, even after the destruction of the Victory-class Star Destroyer. Whoever the kriff Thrawn was, he certainly had his crew singing to the same cool tune that he himself followed. Delvardus wouldn’t have been surprised if there was ice water running through the alien’s veins underneath that blue skin. Speaking of that kriffer . . . “Sir, Grand Admiral Thrawn wishes to speak with you.” “Yes, Lieutenant,” Delvardus said. “I’ll take the transmission at my command chair.” Leaving the crew pit area where all the real action was, Delvardus made his way to the command chair at one edge of the bridge. The view through the transparisteel panes from the chair was excellent but since he wasn’t running the larger battle, Delvardus had yet to use it in this battle. He activated the console and a quarter-sized hologram of Thrawn shimmered into view. “Yes, Grand Admiral?” Delvardus asked, forcing the proper amount of respect into his voice. “Cease your fire on the Vengeance-class frigate in Sector 41.” “Sir, with all due respect, we’ve nearly disabled it and . . .” “That’s an order, Admiral,” Thrawn cut him off, his voice filled with quiet command. “You are to concentrate fire on the two Interceptor frigates in Sector 6. And stay where I can reach you.” “Yes, sir,” Delvardus said sullenly, relaying the order to his gunnery crews. Then, he saw why Thrawn had ordered him to cease fire. The hypervelocity cannon had finished its cool-down period. Another salvo of slugs ripped through the Vengeance-class frigate in a pulsing streak of white-hot metal, tearing the ship apart. So the Grand Admiral did have a mind for tactics after all, Delvardus thought, somewhat mollified but still fuming. Outside, the battle raged on. The Death Hammer’s turbolasers inflicted grievous damage on the pair of audacious Interceptor frigates that were closing on its starboard bow. One frigate rolled as if to present its fresh starboard shields to Death Hammer, spitting turbolaser bolts and concussion missiles at Imperial ships as it did so, when a squadron of TIE bombers from Admonitor suddenly vectored in on it, putting a dozen torpedoes in the ship’s weak side. Another Imperial kill. However, that was not to say the battle was one-sided. Eager TIE squadrons, ready to tear into the Consortium’s motley fighter squadrons were surprised by the agility and durability of the StarVipers that were the elite fighter of the Zannists. The flower-petal shaped ships tore through TIE squadrons, quad lasers leaving the shattered remnants of solar panels, ball-shaped cockpits and twin ion engines floating through space. Those TIEs that survived ran straight into the lethal Crusader-class gunships, which packed enough laser cannons to shred the fragile Imperial ships. Fighter casualties climbed abruptly among the Imperial squadrons. A maelstrom of turbolaser fire, so thick that it came almost in sheets, slammed into another Vengance-class frigate from the combined fire of the Death’s Hammer and an accompanying Victory-class Star Destroyer. The two Star Destroyers pummeled the ship, tearing deep into its hull. In return, the frigate opened up with a combination of brilliant green turbolaser fire and heavy mass-driver cannons that spit streams of hyper-accelerated metal slugs across space to slam into ship and shield. Suddenly, the ship disappeared out of sight, and all targeting locks were lost. “What the kriff was that?” Delvardus swore as the damaged ship eluded his gunners. “Cloaking device, it appears,” Thrawn informed him. Delvardus jumped. He forgot that the communications channel to Thrawn was still routed through his command chair. “Aye, sir,” Delvardus growled in an attempt to mask his surprise. At that point, the Merciless unleashed another devastating volley from its recharged plasma cannons. Once again, a Victory-class Star Destroyer was its target and the results were much the same as before. Delvardus glared as the constantly-updating threat board marked the craft as lost with all hands. His scowl only deepened when he saw that one of the little Tartan-class patrol cruisers that proven so effective at fending off the Skipray Blastboats had been consumed in the explosion as well. Delvardus wondered why Zann had been foolish enough not to try and cripple Thrawn’s flagship. Surely the man had known which ship to target and that Thrawn was the biggest threat to him in the Carida system. However, a closer study of the battle board revealed the answer. The cunning Grand Admiral had carefully interposed an Interceptor IV frigate between the Admonitor and the Merciless, timing the maneuver to coincide with the firing of the plasma guns. Just how the kriff did Thrawn pull off stunts like that? No point in wondering now. Delvardus shook his head in silent disbelief and returned to the melee. Merciless Tyber Zann almost smiled as he watched the second Star Destroyer explode. The gunship had been a neat prize too, but that was bonus. As he had planned, Thrawn’s ship hadn’t caught but the edges of the shockwave, but its shields were failing. As were those of the Merciless, he reminded himself as a few stragglers from a TIE squadron strafed his ship, splattering messy streaks of green laser fire across his shields. Then, his intercom crackled with an urgent report. “Bossk has stolen the artifact! He's headed toward Thrawn's ship! All fire on the Hound's Tooth!” Zann nodded knowingly. It was no surprise that the hulking Trandoshan bounty hunter who’d helped him retrieve the artifact would eventually betray him for the Empire. Bossk had worked for them before, and they had very deep pockets. In fact, though, Zann had counted on the betrayal and destroying Bossk’s Hound’s Tooth would ruin his carefully devised scheme. “No! Let him go! Let him go,” he ordered. His crewmembers were obviously puzzled, but they obeyed the order. The tiny Hound’s Tooth crossed the dizzying fields of turbolaser, ion cannon, and plasma fire unmolested. No concussion missiles or proton torpedoes were fired at the bounty hunter’s ship from either side and it arrived safely in the hangar of the Admonitor. “Lord Zann, transmission for you,” he was informed. “Send it up here,” he replied, then turned to Urai. “It’s no doubt Thrawn. Calling to gloat.” “I would not have thought that his style,” Urai replied. “Well, we’ll see, won’t we?” Zann replied. Star Destroyer Admonitor Thrawn was still in his command chair, quietly observing the battle, giving occasional orders when the need arose, when word reached him. In seconds, he was looking over a transmission that had been marked highest priority. One of incredible urgency regarding a traitor in the highest ranks of the Imperial Navy—one of its admirals, and one whom Thrawn had long hunted. Zaarin, you fool, Thrawn thought as he clenched his fist. You ambitious, idiotic fool. “Sir, Bossk’s vessel is aboard. He has the artifact.” “Excellent,” Thrawn replied, returning his mind to the battle at hand. He examined the threat boards. They were still outgunned and outmatched, and he had other priorities. The size of Zann’s fleet had been something of a surprise, and while Thrawn might have soundly defeated them if his full concentration was here, the transmission he had just received meant that he was needed elsewhere. It was time for one last parting jab before he quit the field. “Send a message to Tyber Zann,” Thrawn said coolly. Despite his anxiety, he was careful to let none of his need for haste show. “I'm sure you are now aware I have what I came for,” Thrawn informed the criminal. “Goodbye Tyber. For the last time.” “The great Admiral Thrawn is running away from a fight?” Zann replied in a vain attempt to instigate him. Thrawn was not the least bit ruffled by the taunt. No true warrior would eliminate retreat as an option-no matter what some die-hards in the Imperial Navy said. Hopefully, with proper training but no doubt after some painful lessons had been learned, that sort of fanaticism would be carefully culled. But later. He had other things to worry about and Zann was an unneeded distraction. “Unlike you, Tyber, I never considered retreating an act of cowardice - it's an option, like any other. In my case, my skills are needed elsewhere and I've kept you busy long enough,” he told Zann. “Are you sure you're not just saving your own skin?” the crime lord continued to goad him. The Grand Admiral, still unperturbed, betrayed no emotion as he gave one final reply. In fact, his voice had the faint hint of a confident smirk in it. “If I were you I'd be more concerned about my own security, as you would soon discover. Farewell.” He took in the puzzled look on Zann’s face for one brief second before closing off the channel. It was a pity he wouldn’t be able to see Zann’s reaction when the crime lord discovered how Thrawn and Delvardus had sent the rest of Delvardus’s command to attack now-undefended Zannist holdings in other systems. The drama was almost enough for the theater. However, he had other more urgent matters to pursue. “Helm, prepare to make the jump to lightspeed,” Thrawn ordered calmly. “Set course for To-Phalion, maximum speed.” “Aye, sir,” the navigation officer replied. At his command, the Admonitor vectored on an outbound course as its massive engines built enough velocity to jump to hyperspace. For the first time, Thrawn got up from his command chair and walked over to the bridge viewport to stare out of it at the battle he was about to abandon. He was pensive as he looked across the vista of green and red energy bolts being exchanged between the various warships, displaying emotion for the first time. The turbolasers and ion cannons were still blazing away as the mighty Star Destroyer knifed through the battle. The deflectors overloaded, the Admonitor’s hull took a beating in the final minutes of the battle and small explosions dotted the ship as the ship was breached in a dozen places. A compartment was opened to space, and Thrawn winced as several hapless crewers were sucked out into vacuum. However, that was nothing compared to the devastation that the Star Destroyer inflicted in return. Shattered hulks of ships and debris were left in its wake as gunners tried to get in their last shots on Zann’s fleet. “Sir!” the communications officer informed him. “Admiral Delvardus wants to speak with you immediately!” Thrawn did not answer the man for a moment, but continued to stare out the viewport. After months, his primary mission, the campaign against the traitor Zaarin, was about to come to an end. It had started when Admiral Zaarin had betrayed the Empire and taken the Emperor captive over Imperial Center. Working with Lord Vader, Thrawn had rescued Palpatine and promptly been dispatched to hunt Zaarin to the ground, a task which he had relished. While there had been some setbacks, the traitorous admiral was on his last legs, though apparently, he still had some kick, based on the message he had received. The report had indicated that Zaarin was preparing to attack To-Phalion Base, a top-secret research laboratory where an experimental cloaking device project was housed. If careful steps were not taken, the base would fall before Thrawn had time to finish the elaborate trap he’d been laying for Zaarin for weeks. He weighed his choices again, but knew that he was needed more over To-Phalion Base. His mission to hunt down Zaarin had priority and he had already accomplished his objections in the Carida system. Thrawn closed his eyes and silently swore to finish off Zaarin once and for all. He would find and kill the traitor if the chase took him into the dark depths of the Unknown Regions. Thrawn knew he would have to damp down on his anger during the flight through hyperspace. He needed his mind clear, and preferably engrossed in some more artwork of Zaarin’s, so that he could understand the human’s mind, pick it apart with his tactical intuition. The Empire could not afford to come apart at the seams now, with so much at stake in the war against the Rebellion, the Zannists, and the traitor Zaarin that were trying to incite chaos into the order that was the Galactic Empire. He, Thrawn, would help bring back that order by eliminating the dangerous traitor, but to make that happen, he needed to be at To-Phalion to ensure the last stages of this delicate operation were handled properly. He’d change ships, switch to a smaller, faster warship to get there faster—time was more important than firepower. Just as he was preparing to arrange a rendezvous between the Admonitor and the frigate Maru Ki en route to To-Phalion, the Star Destroyer’s captain spoke up. “Sir,” Captain Silthsorn said quietly from where he’d walked up beside him. “Admiral Delvardus insists on speaking with you.” “Yes, Captain,” Thrawn said, returning to his normally emotionless expression and neutral tone. “Put him through to my command chair.” Thrawn walked back over and sat down. He knew Delvardus would not understand his reasoning and would see this as a betrayal. Thrawn regretted that, but he could not afford to stay, and he could not afford to let Delvardus in on his plans for security reasons. It was unfortunate indeed. “Sir,” Delvardus grated angrily. “With all due respect, what are you doing?” “I have the artifact,” Thrawn said. “That is what I came for. Zann’s forces are under attack across the galaxy thanks to our planning. I leave this battle to you to finish, and the rest of my fighter screen as well, since yours is rather depleted.” “You’re abandoning us, sir?” Delvardus asked incredulously. “There are other matters that require my attention, Admiral. Urgent matters,” Thrawn said flatly, almost wishing he could tell Delvardus how much he regretted doing this, wishing there was a way to save the lives that would be lost here by his departure. “This is inexcusable!” an enraged Delvardus roared, abandoning all sense of propriety. “What kind of admiral are you?” “One on a very important mission,” Thrawn said icily. “That will be quite enough, Admiral. My orders come from the very top. Carry on, and good luck with your command.” With that, Thrawn de-activated the terminal. “We’re ready for hyperspace,” the navigation officer reported. “Make the jump,” Thrawn ordered. The starfield elongated around the Star Destroyer as the Admonitor jumped to hyperspace, heading off on a mission of utmost importance to the Empire. However, that left behind the remnants of Delvardus’s fleet to contend with the Zannists. The battle was not yet over. Merciless “If I were you I'd be more concerned about my own security, as you would soon discover. Farewell,” Thrawn said before closing off communications. “What did he mean by that?” Urai asked. “I’m not sure,” Zann replied. “But it’s giving me a bad feeling.” “We are picking up alarm codes from our bases on multiple planets!” reported a bridge officer to the crime lord. Realization flooded through Zann’s mind. Not only had Thrawn lured him here into this trap of a battle, he’d also dispatched other portions of the Imperial fleet to strike at his various other holdings while they were undefended. This was bad news. Quite bad news. “I want that Imperial fleet destroyed! We have to find a way through!” Zann ordered. “Yes, milord,” the crew responded in unison. The Merciless shuddered as another wave of turbolaser volleys swept over it. The new warship was taking quite a beating in her first battle, Zann noted. “Are the shipyards still secure?” he asked the communications officer. “Yes, sir,” the officer, a Sullustan, replied after a minute. “No alarm codes from either Hypori or Mandalore.” “Good,” Zann said, musing. “Are the plasma cannons ready to fire again?” “Another thirty seconds,” replied the weapons master. “Fire as soon as they’re ready,” Zann said. “Target the Imperial Star Destroyer, then prepare to withdraw to Hypori. We’re done here.” Star Destroyer Death’s Hammer “Sir,” the sensor officer reported. “Admiral Thrawn has made the jump to lightspeed and the Zannists are falling back.” “No,” Delvardus replied angrily. “They’re not getting away from me this time! Concentrate all firepower on their flagship! Lock tractor beams!” “Admiral,” Captain Marquart protested. “The fleet’s fighting strength is down sixty-seven percent. If we focus only on the flagship, we’ll take more casualties.” “Do it, Captain!” Delvardus roared, turning angrily on his subordinate. “Tyber Zann must die! Right here! Right now! Or all the kriffing sacrifices that we’ve made thus far in this battle are for nothing! Do you understand me?!” “Aye, sir!” Captain Marquart replied ashenly, ignoring the spittle that Delvardus had sprayed on his face. “Good,” Delvardus said, a touch calmer. “Focus fire on their engines.” The crew dutifully did as ordered, even as return fire from the Zannists found its mark on the hull of the Death Hammer and the few attending ships. Imperial fire concentrated on the Merciless, pouring green turbolaser blasts and blue streams of crippling ion energy into the stern of the ship. Invisible tractor beams reached out and gripped the Zannist ship, arresting its motion and slowing its escape. As the rest of Tyber Zann’s fleet continued to withdraw, the Merciless was being held back. “Tractor beams are operating at maximum capacity,” Marquart reported. “The enemy ship is coming about.” “Coming about?” Delvardus wondered. “Why would they turn around if they’re trying to flee . . . ?” Then it hit him and his eyes widened in horror as he realized what Zann was about to do. “All power to deflectors!” he screamed. “Divert all power to forward deflectors!” Not five seconds had passed since he gave that command then the Merciless finished coming around, pointing its two lethal plasma cannons straight at the Death’s Hammer. The two weapons let loose their giant volleys of plasma fire before the Imperial ship could react. The first shot hit the hastily-reinforced deflector and smashed through. However its energy had been sorely depleted, and so the plasma shot only tore through one or two decks of the Star Destroyer’s underside. Then the second blast hit. The resulting explosion tore straight through the Star Destroyer’s belly and the mammoth vessel lurched as it strained to absorb the impact. The upper hull exploded in flame as the plasma shot ripped through the forward sections. Debris was forcibly ejected from the battered hull and the entire ship shuddered. Fires, fueled by oxygen from breached compartments, leaped into space and were just as quickly extinguished once the oxygen was depleted. A man on the bridge cried out as his console overloaded and exploded in his face, while the rest of the crew was hurled forcibly out of their chairs. Delvardus staggered to his feet, ignoring the crack he’d heard and painful sensations shooting up his left arm where he’d driven it into a console. His arm was probably broken, but he didn’t have time for that. “Damage control!” he called through the suddenly smoke-filled bridge. “Working on it, sir!” a crewer answered. “Forward compartments are hit bad. I’m not receiving anything from forward of the hangar. Shields are offline, forward weapons and tractors destroyed or disabled . . . we’re losing power, sir.” “Understood,” Delvardus said quietly as he watched Tyber Zann’s entire fleet jump to lightspeed. Rage built within him as he looked over the shattered remnants of his once-mighty task force. “You will pay for this, Tyber Zann!” he shouted impotently at the departing Consortium ships. But empty threats were all that he had. Tyber Zann had fled. While heavy losses had been inflicted on both sides, the battle was more or less a draw unless the raids on the other Zann Consortium holdings were considered. The Empire had gained the artifact yes, but at a heavy cost. Delvardus looked at the casualty reports disconsolately, hoping to blink the numbers away, but they stared back at him, reminding him of bitter facts. Two Victory-class Star Destroyers, two Tartan-class patrol cruisers, and over a hundred TIEs of various types had been destroyed, and severe damage inflicted on the remaining ships. In return, Zann had lost two Vengeance-class frigates, a smattering of the smaller frigates and corvettes, and maybe seventy fighters. A heavier blow on Consortium fleet strength to be sure, in the form of lost ships, but the Empire had definitely lost more men. A single Victory-class Star Destroyer carried five thousand crew, and two of them had been lost with all hands. Not much of a victory indeed, especially since Zann had escaped. Delvardus clenched his fast and swore that, if humanly possible, he would see the crime lord dead. As for Thrawn, Delvardus would find some way to deal with that arrogant alien. His treachery and desertion at Carida would forever be seared into his mind. This was not over.
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