The first squadron could be seen slowly moving through space, gradually approaching the jump point of Christophsis, which would lead them toward Ryloth.
Yet midway through the route, Planetary Governor Ian received a transmission directly from the flagship of the First Squadron.
"Governor, I'm afraid I've been called to a paramount mission. Grand Admiral Antilles believes the rebels intend to strike an Imperial Treasury near Eriadu, so I will, regrettably, be required to depart for Eriadu. But I will send the Hound to scout the system."
The voice of Aaron rang through Ian's office, and a soft smile formed on the governor's face.
"Naturally, Ian. The Imperial Treasury is of far greater importance than that of a workers' camp," Ian replied, and with a confirming nod from Aaron, the transmission shut down.
Without a second's contemplation, Ian pressed a few buttons on his built-in controls, and the transmission that had previously held the figure of Aaron now shifted to that of Grand Admiral Antilles.
"Governor Ian, to what do I owe this pleasure?" the man asked as he turned around to face the semi-plump governor.
"I was recently made aware of the temporary transfer of Captain Aaron's unit to secure an Imperial Treasury—by your command. Is this affirmed?" Ian asked, and the Grand Admiral's eyes narrowed slightly.
I have not given Aaron any commands as of yet. He acts almost entirely independently with my authority code—a favor I owed Roran, Antilles thought.
But for all Roran's ambition, Antilles knew he was no fool. And furthermore, he knew Aaron was no fool. The man wouldn't use his name in deceit unless he truly needed to.
And so, with that, Antilles reluctantly confirmed the orders he had never given.
"Indeed, Aaron has served me valiantly. As such, I trust him to handle the Treasury in the Vallt System," Antilles confirmed with reluctance—but the assurance of a Grand Admiral killed any suspicions in Ian's mind.
Perhaps it truly was a coincidence. He thought
...
"Sir!" The pitched voice of Nyxi Vos rang through the bridge of the Black Tomb, and its commanding officer, Luthan, turned to face the female officer as she barged onto the deck.
"Captain Rysell seems to have received an emergency mission from Grand Admiral Antilles. He's not heading toward Ryloth," she said, breathing slightly heavier due to the physical strain.
Luthan raised a single eyebrow, yet he remained altogether stoic.
"Did he send his fleet, or any ships at all?" he replied, crossing his arms as his gaze fell on Nyxi.
"He sent a single Arquitens to the system—nicknamed The Hound."
If my memory does not deceive me, the Hound was his previous flagship… hmm. That does not make much sense. Surely he must expect us to ambush that cruiser, Luthan thought, but after a few seconds of silence, he spoke up.
"Perhaps an ambush?" Luthan asked, turning toward Jarik Vann, his second-in-command—a Zabrak who led his ground troops.
"It's possible. Usually, an officer keeps a certain... affection for his first flagship. I don't see Aaron sacrificing it without a good reason, no matter how cold one is," the Zabrak suggested, and Luthan nodded, having arrived at the same conclusion.
"What do you suggest?" Luthan asked Nyxi, turning to her for advice.
"I would advise caution. If we are caught unaware, our minor advantage in firepower won't matter much. I have a spy positioned in the Vallt System. I can have him inform me of their arrival," Nyxi advised, and Jarik scoffed beside her.
"We should use this to our advantage. He's either hiding in wait on Ryloth, or he's left for Vallt. We can hit another target almost unhindered," he suggested, clearly disapproving of Nyxi's caution.
"He's on high alert. If we strike another system, he will try to calculate an ambush. And if the reports of the Battle of Datar are accurate, he's terrifyingly precise with his predictions," she countered, as Luthan remained silent.
Even Jarik failed to argue with Nyxi's point—and it seemed to have convinced him.
"Very good. Let's retreat toward Station Zero," Luthan ordered before turning and departing, entering the turbolift and heading toward his office.
As the blast doors to his office opened, he came face-to-face with a figure cloaked in red, leaning on his desk.
"I assume you heard all of it?" Luthan asked, and the witch nodded slowly.
"He is awaiting you at Station Zero. I do not know how, but in my vision, I saw him ambush your forces in the nebula—taking you by surprise and annihilating you to the last man," she said, and Luthan's eyes widened.
"How did he find it?" he asked, shock and surprise clear in his voice. Yet the witch merely shrugged—her powers were not infinite.
"I do not know. I achieved a limited sight into the future. While I spotted his trap, I have delivered what I can. The rest remains up to you, Luthan," she said.
Luthan fell into deep thought—yet the more he considered it, the more excited he became.
It is possible. Rather, it has a higher success rate than failure. And if I truly achieve it, our fleet will become near unbeatable. We would finally be capable of besieging the planet, Luthan thought, his cold expression turning to one of sheer greed and ambition.
Without even acknowledging the witch, he turned around—almost sprinting back toward the turbolift, his hands twitching in excitement, finally believing that his years of work might soon pay off.
The turbolift arrived at the bridge, and he darted out. Entering the command center, where his two lieutenants stood with surprised expressions—he had been gone for less than two minutes.
"Jarik, how many soldiers are present throughout our fleet?" Luthan asked. Jarik's brows narrowed slightly at the unexpected question, but he answered nonetheless.
"4,900," he said, and Luthan nodded.
"Good. I want all 4,900 men transferred to the Black Tomb," Luthan said, and the eyes of both Jarik and Nyxi widened.
"Sir?" Jarik asked cautiously, surprised by the strategically questionable move.
Luthan ignored him, turning to Nyxi. "Find blueprints of a Victory-class Star Destroyer Mark II, and hand them to Jarik," he commanded, then turned back to Jarik.
"Prepare a boarding strategy—one that includes capturing the vessel with minimal damage," Luthan continued, and Jarik calmed slightly. His previously wide eyes narrowed to a more thoughtful state.
"Yes, sir," he said, turning around to begin planning.
Nyxi had already informed her subordinates of the request, and she turned to Luthan.
"How will you board the Relentless?" she asked, and Luthan turned toward her.
"Captain Aaron has set an ambush in Station Zero. He's waiting for us in the nebula—but he'll find himself at the mercy of our own ambush," Luthan answered, and her eyes narrowed in surprise and confusion.
"And how did you come upon this information?" she asked, and Luthan turned away with a scoff.
"Does it matter? The source has yet to be wrong," he replied, walking up to the navigator to set the course toward the nebula—coordinates known only to officers. Not even hyperspace calculators were permitted the data.
Nyxi always had two different navigators on hand, giving each only half the code and half the route. That was how they kept it secure.
And now, it had been leaked. Though Luthan seemed to have unknowingly uncovered what would have been her mistake—for now, at least.
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patreon.com/pondsfyre - +20 chapters, alongside 4 other stories of mine. Each 50+ chapters.
I am now back to regular release schedule, I took a trip to Denmark. But I am now back.