“I’ve pulled up everything within a ninety-degree double cone, sir,” Eli reported. “There are a lot of systems in there.”
“It will be a military base,” Thrawn said. “Owned and operated solely by the Empire. It will be relatively isolated, closed to outside traffic, and with a higher level of imported material than the listed crew complement would suggest.”
“Why don’t you just look for shipments of Wookiee food?” Faro suggested.
“I don’t think there’s anything special about Wookiee food, ma’am,” Eli said as he continued keying in the parameters. “Even if there were, the shipments would be disguised as machinery or other items. Not much use having a secret slave center if you’re announcing to the galaxy that you’re feeding a lot of extra mouths.”
“Precisely,” Thrawn said. He was still gazing at his datapad, Eli noted, but the rapid-fire scrolling had ended. He must have found what he was looking for. “There will also most likely be another Imperial base nearby, less secretive but larger and close enough to provide a rapid response if necessary.”
“Yes, sir.” Eli keyed in the final parameters. “And that gives us…Lansend Twenty-Six. It’s an old customs clearing station the Separatists took over during the war and converted into a staging area. The Empire took it back but hasn’t done much with it.”
“Until now,” Faro murmured. “Do you think we should warn them that one of their transports got whacked, sir?”
“We will do more than that,” Thrawn said. “Signal the helm, Commander Vanto, to take us to Lansend Twenty-Six at all possible speed.”
“Yes, sir,” Eli said. He keyed the intercom and delivered the orders.
“Why would the attackers head there, sir?” Faro asked. “Wouldn’t they be more likely to bypass the station and take the Wookiees to some refugee planet?”
“You assume they already have all the Wookiees that they want,” Thrawn said.
“You mean you think they’re going to raid the station for more prisoners?” Faro asked, frowning.
“Consider, Commander,” Thrawn said.
Eli hid a smile. He knew this tone.
“Bringing the Sempre out of hyperspace at the precise point where the attackers were waiting would have been nearly impossible without assistance,” Thrawn continued. “That assistance would have had to come from either Lansend or the Sempre itself. Either way, the implication is that the attackers had an ally and saboteur aboard the station.”
“And if he’s still there,” Faro said, nodding understanding, “why not sabotage the station’s defenses while he’s at it?”
Thrawn inclined his head to her. “Very good, Commander.”
“If they’ve got a saboteur aboard, shouldn’t we warn them?” Lomar put in. “Either them or—Commander Vanto, was the commodore right about there being another station nearby?”
“Yes,” Eli said. “Baklek Base, a twenty-minute flight away.”
“We must maintain comm silence,” Thrawn said. “We do not wish to alert the raiders that we are in pursuit.”
“With all due respect, sir, this still sounds like a bit of a stretch,” Faro said. “If someone sabotaged the Sempre, there’s a fair chance Lansend picked up the same distress call we did and has already figured out they have a problem. Hitting an unsuspecting transport is one thing; hitting a station that’s primed and ready is something else.”
“Agreed,” Thrawn said. “Nevertheless, I believe they will make the attempt.”
“Because they’re crazy idealistic meddlers and that makes them suicidal?”
“No,” Thrawn said. “Because they told us they were.”
Faro shot a startled look at Eli. “They what?”
“The drawing left behind amid the bodies,” Thrawn said. “We know now that the slaves were Wookiees. The mark we found was a clan symbol, underscored by a mark indicating warning or defiance.”
Eli winced as he saw where Thrawn was going. “And defiance results in vengeance?”
“With tribal cultures like that of the Wookiees, very often,” Thrawn confirmed. “Even if there are no more Wookiees aboard the station to rescue, they will seek vengeance upon those who participated in the slaving. Since there is still the possibility that the station is unaware of their actions, they must attack as soon as possible.”
“Only Lansend might be ready for them,” Eli pointed out.
“We shall hope,” Thrawn said. “Regardless, I fully expect us to arrive in time to catch the attackers in the act.”
—
“Still no signals from the station,” Vanto reported. His voice is brisk with the anticipation of battle, his tone hinting of the swirl of possibilities and patterns within his mind. “Breakout in fifteen seconds.”
“Weapons systems and crews standing ready,” Faro said. “TIE squadrons ready to launch.”
“Signal to Baklek Base standing by,” Lomar said. “Pre-recorded message loaded and ready.”
A flicker of starlines, and the Chimaera arrived.
To find the battle had begun.
“Base is under attack,” Vanto snapped. “Reading one frigate—twenty-two V-19 starfighters. Base’s starboard laser cannons slagged and silenced; portside weapons still firing.”
“Launch TIEs,” Thrawn ordered. “Their first priority is to disable the frigate without destroying it. Signal Baklek Base, adding Commander Vanto’s details to the alert. Signal Lansend and request status.”
In many cases an opponent’s attack strategy betrayed his origin. Here, the battle had already devolved into chaos, with each attacking starfighter effectively its own strategist and tactician.
But even in large-scale disorder could be found local patterns and connections. Thrawn studied the V-19s’ movements, watching for repetition and predictability.
“Chimaera, this is Colonel Zenoc.” The voice from the bridge speaker is tense but not panicked. “Welcome. Your timing is excellent.”
“Colonel, this is Commodore Thrawn,” Thrawn said. “You have a saboteur on your station.”
“Found her, disarmed her, and locked her up,” Zenoc said. “Unfortunately, not before she disabled the long-range comm and shut off the starboard-side defense systems. Baklek Base is supposed to be on call—can you whistle them up for us?”
“I have already done so,” Thrawn said. “I need the schematics of your base.”
“Right,” Zenoc said. “On their way. I’m including a real-time internal sensor feed.”
“Very good,” Thrawn said. “Commander Vanto?”
“Schematics and sensor feed coming up now,” Vanto said.
The schematics appeared, with moving dots indicating the positions of the attackers and defenders.
“We’ve been breached from the starboard docking hatch,” Zenoc continued. “So far we’re holding, but we’re being pushed back. It looks like they’re trying to take down our portside defenses so that they can send in another boarding party from that end and catch us in a pincer.”
“My starfighters are engaging those attackers,” Thrawn said. “Commander Vanto?”
“Portside V-19 force has split,” Vanto reported. “Half turning to engage TIEs, half continuing attack on station defenses. Starboard V-19s turning to defend frigate.”
“Too late,” Faro called. Her voice holds grim satisfaction. “We’ve taken out the frigate’s hyperdrive. Our visitors aren’t going anywhere.”
“Order the TIEs to shift focus to the V-19s,” Thrawn said. The movements of the station personnel had now revealed a pattern. “Colonel Zenoc, are any of your personnel in sections A-four, A-five, or B-five?”
“No, sir.”
“Are any slaves in that area?”
There was a short pause. “I’m not at liberty to discuss such matters, Commodore.”
“If you wish to save your station, Colonel, you will answer my question.”
Another pause. “There are some…nonmilitary personnel in section B-five,” Zenoc said.
“Thank you,” Thrawn said. “Pull all your personnel back to B-eight and hold there.”
“To B-eight?” Zenoc’s voice holds confusion.
“Yes,” Thrawn said. “Commander Faro: I have marked seven target points on the starboard part of the station. I require pinpoint accuracy from the turbolasers. Can you do it?”
“Absolutely, Commodore,” Faro confirmed. “Sending targets to gunners…gunners await your command.”