"Sir, a Republic X-wing is hailing us," Captain Tschel reported.
Finally, Corran Horn had revealed himself.
"Well, answer him," I advised.
"Captain Tschel speaking," the Chimaera's commander ordered with a hand gesture to route the Corellian's comm channel to a separate holoterminal. "So I take it all this rabble at Kessel is your doing?"
"You take it correctly," the heir to the Halcyon family replied sharply and slightly arrogantly. "There are plenty of smugglers and pirates here whom your Dominion has stepped on the tail—strange they're even alive. And they really want payback for everything Grand Admiral Thrawn did against them. You just got unlucky, Captain, that your Supreme Commander died before we met."
Misjudging one's opponent is the gravest sin a military man can commit.
Well, let's see how events unfold.
The trap hasn't snapped shut yet.
I turned to my personal deck and, opening a text comm channel, sent a message to the addressee.
Tschel, seeing the text on the holoprojector's side monitor, smiled casually, looking the Corellian in the face.
"Evidently, Mr. Horn, you don't particularly want your relatives freed from our captivity, since you've sicced your buddies on my ship."
"Only about ten percent of them are 'buddies,'" Horn replied. "The rest are no more than criminal scum. Our opinions just coincided that it was time you were taught a lesson. Even Black Sun didn't pass up the chance to give you a proper thrashing."
Even so...
More and more interesting.
And which of the starships present here belong to the Zann Consortium's "sign"?
A new order went to the same address.
"Call off your supporters, Mr. Horn," Tschel said, gesturing to the comm section. "Otherwise, I'll order your wife and her father executed."
"I doubt they're on your ship at all," the Corellian shared his thought. "I was promised Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker, Iella Wessiri, General Madine, Mirax, and Booster. In exchange, I'd hand over data on the Jedi and compromising material on Corellian officials, collected and preserved by my grandfather, Rostek Horn. But the deal with Thrawn clearly exceeded its original bounds. Bodies of Antilles and Wessiri were found by Sluis Van several days ago and handed over to the New Republic as a gesture of goodwill, so you definitely don't have those prisoners. General Madine knows too much for you to just hand him over like that. Luke Skywalker, judging by no body found and no appearances elsewhere, either escaped or is dead. You have only two of the promised half-dozen prisoners. I doubt that's a fair price for what you want. So I'd rather let the galaxy's criminal dregs settle scores with everyone on your ship. And the Chimaera will go to my father-in-law as compensation for the lost Errant Venture."
Oh, how...
Proportional approach to survivors?
Interesting, interesting.
If that's not a bluff, then Horn's head isn't right at all.
Even more than I assumed.
Though, that can be understood from the fact that he sought help from Black Sun for countering this meeting.
From all the above arises the question—why did he even fly here if he doesn't believe in the prisoner swap for information?
Judging by how he constructs his phrases, the fate of Mirax and Booster doesn't particularly concern him.
He made a deal with criminals, and it doesn't even hint at moral qualms.
"Wonder if the guy realizes he's already half-Sith?"
Seems like those were Count Dooku's thoughts upon meeting Anakin Skywalker aboard the Invisible Hand during the Coruscant Siege in the Clone Wars.
That very show of "rescuing the Supreme Chancellor."
How interestingly events are unfolding.
Doubly intriguing that Tyber Zann authorized action against the Dominion.
Thus, he's also seeking any ways to weaken the most likely opponent.
Which is quite logical on his part.
Bravo, I'm even flattered.
And I'm also curious if Kessel went silent for the same reason Sullust, Hypori, Shola, Kamino, and Rothana stopped communicating, along with all planets that fell under Zann Consortium control after that memorable "rout"?
Hm... Maybe. But until we sort out this Kessel Fleet, it's hard to say if the local administration collaborates with Tyber Zann.
But it seems highly logical that after Endor, when galactic power "went hand to hand," some criminals influenced others. And the latter ultimately seized the most famous and valuable spice source.
Doubly curious is the fact that after this, there were no problems with spice supplies to the galactic market.
Which can mean only one thing—they didn't stop.
And this during the heyday of the Zann Consortium's power?
No, Tyber, who himself served time on Kessel, wouldn't let such an excellent target and revenue source slip from his grasping claws.
He may be a criminal, but not an idiot.
And if so, most likely, the money from spice went to the Zann Consortium's pockets from the moment of the coup.
Because it's illogical—if Tyber Zann somehow controlled the Imperial garrison before Palpatine's death, why let the local administration seize it?
Wasn't satisfied with his cut and decided to renegotiate terms?
Then what prevented him from simply blasting the Empire's garrison left here after troop redeployment to hades and establishing direct control over the planet?
Right—nothing.
And if so, the most obvious variant follows: Kessel's current owners, former prisoners led by Morut Dul, are precisely the forces Tyber Zann sent to control the planet and spice mining.
Quite possible that Dul oversees everything here in his post also because he may be involved in Zann's liberation from Kessel itself before the Battle of Yavin.
Let's note these thoughts.
Quite curious combinations emerging, I must say.
"Your relatives are aboard the Chimaera, Mr. Horn," Captain Tschel continued meanwhile. "And I'm not joking—if you don't cease the attack, I'll dispose of your wife and father-in-law."
"Unlike Grand Admiral Thrawn, you, Captain, are too feeble to bluff convincingly," the Corellian's hologram snorted. "So, let's make a new deal on my terms. You'll hand over a shuttle to my relatives, and they'll safely leave your Destroyer. In exchange, I'll give you the data Grand Admiral Thrawn so wanted. And only the Jedi information. As for the criminals, that galaxy's dregs—deal with them yourself."
Which only confirms my assumption—Horn has no control over those he brought to settle scores with the Chimaera.
Possibly, the criminals here are that part of the carriers transporting spice from Kessel to storage or wholesale points.
With drug trade, as with selling other goods—no one ever delivers directly from producer to small retailers.
There's always an intermediate link.
I don't think the Zann Consortium let other gangs to the trough besides those directly under him.
Most likely, due to limited forces, Zann hired criminals to guard spice convoys.
But they arrived here after our scout was killed—otherwise, he'd have reported in the first dispatches.
Tyber Zann wouldn't let Hutt near—otherwise, he couldn't drive them off later.
Hutts and spice are practically inseparable concepts.
Thus—whoever you kill here, all Zann Consortium fighters or his mercenaries.
The more destroyed now, the easier later when it comes to direct confrontation.
Just need to cull those among them who represent any significance and send "for a talk" to counterintelligence.
The more information on the Zann Consortium, the easier to destroy it.
Meanwhile, I sent Tschel direct instructions on what to say.
Because that's how it was originally planned, considering the ambush involving Horn and his "buddies" was anticipated.
True, I had hoped for Corellian ships to arrive.
I really wanted to learn what the Diktat's fleet consisted of without serious effort.
Tschel, scanning my message, said:
"No, we won't deal, Mr. Horn," he stated. "But I have no intention of holding your relatives either. You can take them right now."
Horn frowned, then smiled:
"You're a fool if you think I'll voluntarily land in your hangar during a battle."
A crooked smirk crept onto Tschel's face.
"I don't need you there, Mr. Horn," the Chimaera's commander said in a satisfied tone. "In your place, I'd think about how to catch your relatives, who are now heading unarmed straight into the battle's center."
Corran Horn's face turned into an emotionless mask.
"They'll die from any shot," he said.
"So make sure that doesn't happen," Tschel recommended, then disconnected.
"Launch the escape pod with Booster and Mirax Terrik," the young captain ordered. "Activate the fixation system."
Two seconds later, amid the ocean of green-crimson fire, a tiny craft appeared, resembling an overgrown pistol bullet.
Without operating engines or control systems.
Which, actually, wasn't in the plan.
I looked questioningly at Tschel.
Coughing into his fist, the young officer explained:
"Since all ships around heard Horn call them dregs, surely someone will want to settle scores with the Terrik family. I'm sure there's at least one ill-wisher among those present. And the Corellian himself badly bruised pirate feelings, which they won't forgive. Most likely, they'll try to wipe him and his family out as revenge for the insults. If Horn wants, he'll protect them, eliminating a few opponents for the Chimaera. If not—we'll have a fine recording of thugs dealing with legends of the smuggling business."
"Continue," I said.
Interesting plan, especially if just improvised.
But by the intonation, it wasn't all.
"We'll publish it on the HoloNet, and a hunt will start for Horn and those who try to shoot Booster Terrik or his daughter," the Chimaera's commander explained. "Or, if Terrik and his daughter get lucky and escape, Booster will surely want to do it himself and finish off those who wished him dead. In any variant, we'll either get extra pirates destroyed now or a bit later."
"Not bad, Captain Tschel," I praised. "Strategic thinking is worth its weight."
"Thank you, sir!" the young officer blushed.
"Sir!" the watch officer addressed him. "Message from Gray Leader. He's coming at enemy positions from the rear. Providing targeting for our strike gunboats."
"Hm," Tschel pondered.
I, meanwhile, looked curiously at the man, trying to figure out if what he just did with the Terrik family was a momentary inspiration or...
"Transmit the targeting to all strike gunboats and our escort corvette," Tschel ordered. "We'll give them a massed missile salvo."
No need to explain here—if the missiles reach the target, good.
If not—they'll still force the enemy to divert to other targets, making them maneuver.
Given they're moving in a fairly compact formation, collisions, friendly fire, or various other "niceties" aren't unlikely, easing things for our pilots with less fighting.
No, not coincidence.
Tschel is truly growing.
Excellent.
Well, let him implement his strategy.
Reinforcements will reveal themselves only when needed.
If needed.
As I already noted—radiation prevents the enemy from tracking starship arrivals and movements within the system.
And even communicating over long distances.
We have no such problem—we left a string of spy droids along our course in the Kessel system, serving as relays.
The Chimaera might suffer in this battle.
But, more obviously, it will win.
And when the pirates realize that, they'll try to flee the system.
The problem is that at the jump point farther from Kessel, Star Destroyers of the Interdictor type lurk: Sentinel and Eternal Wrath.
Along with escort ships—several Star Destroyers and corvettes.
And their task is simple—let no one out from here except the Chimaera.
At least—not alive and in one piece.
***
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