I intended to check one more lead. Rewinding the memories related to the Mandalorian of Chiss origin in my head, besides the understanding that from a physical standpoint — she was just my type — I recalled two facts. First — Laura herself spoke about whoever sent her to the wrong coordinates when she intended to destroy Jarko's base as a friend. A very valuable one, most likely. And then I struck the guard at the checkpoint in the Judicial Forces Headquarters with a technique. And it turned out that the local Admiral Graves, commanding the Corps' forces, is friends with Laura. And it seems like, a long time ago, they saved each other and became close comrades. What if Graves is the one who fed Laura the false intel?
A very real possibility. She trusts him; he's an Admiral with an excellent reputation in the Judicial Forces as an incorruptible and honest career officer who's apparently given almost thirty years of his life to the Republic. Plus, Laura went specifically to him after our conversation. So what do I do? Jarko will play it to the end — what are Jedi to her? She comes from the "Black Sun" and can, no, she will fight back. And she'll try to weaken us as much as possible before the battle itself. The mess I made at the information trading post has definitely reached her by now. And now she knows for sure that one of those coming for her is on Iego.
Maybe she'll even move her base, considering she has two fortresses. Though, according to the information BB dug up — on Munto Codru there's something like a mansion, or rather a "hunting lodge." Based on additional information, Jarko likes to buy sentients and hold full-scale safaris on them. What do you expect from an Anzat? In the end, she relaxes on Munto Codru. The facility on that planet isn't suitable for defense against us, but on Pakuuni — it's a full-fledged fortress that needs to be stormed. A castle built in an old, aristocratic style, but at the same time packed with modern defense systems. Even planetary defense cannons are present, and bombarding the shield from orbit is surely a stupid idea, considering she has more money than she knows what to do with. Which means she could afford quality protection. The castle is built on a cliff overlooking a lake. The climate on Pakuuni is dry, not much moisture. But there's something interesting, according to old images I dug up on the HoloNet: before this facility was built, there were caves on the surface, not far from the castle. They were supposedly filled in, but digging them out wouldn't be hard. Plus, they were outside the shield's range, and the passages presumably lead under the castle... Maybe I could infiltrate that way... The entrances are collapsed, but the caves themselves aren't — otherwise the ground around would have sunk by a couple of meters. Which hasn't happened in the latest images taken by the geodetic system of the station's computer orbiting the planet. Formally, Pakuuni belongs to the Republic, so even despite the pirate infestation, there's information that quite officially comes to the Republic's state bodies. And which I can extract.
Could she simply flee from her base and disappear into the galaxy? Yes... But... She's a Vigo of the "Black Sun"; this is her territory, and right here is a most valuable resource, one of the most valuable in the galaxy. So fleeing would be a humiliation, and a huge one at that. No, Jarko will first try to give us a beating. Or inflict the most significant damage she's capable of. And only then hit the panic button. Reputation means a lot in her world, and that will be her downfall. It simply won't fit in her head: first some insolent Jedi destroyed her botha farm, and then they destroyed her fortress, while she was flying through hyperspace saving her own ass... Isn't that humiliation? It is. The most offensive and direct kind. But if she fights back against the Jedi and the Judicial Forces — she'll show many in the organization, her subordinates, and so on, that she "can handle it." So I had no doubt she would defend herself.
I only doubted whether we'd have enough strength. Dreadnoughts will definitely be brought in. Preferably eight or ten of them. Plus we can take part of the fleet from Iego. We'll also need small craft and ground forces. Tivokki and I can't carry it all ourselves; Jarko could have thousands of supporters. So we need extras too... So to speak. But that's all a matter for the future. Right now we need to focus on finding the traitor. Let's assume Admiral Graves is working for the "Black Sun." The question "why?" is only important if we want to turn the Admiral back to our side. And we don't have time to re-recruit him.
Which means we just have to treat him as an enemy. Physically eliminating him or stripping him of command before the operation begins would alert Jarko further. If I overthink it, Jarko might decide: screw the reputation, life is more valuable, and flee far away. No, I shouldn't spook her, but I need to get proof that Graves is a traitor and can't be trusted with anything in this operation. How to do that? Meet the Admiral as a Jedi and feed him some interesting information. Give him the same kind of information about where the forces will be assembled... So I effortlessly sneaked into Graves's office and calmly waited for him. The Admiral was an imposing, tall man around fifty, with emerging gray hair. His head was completely bald, and his body was sturdy, indicating he kept in shape. Entering and noticing a stranger, he immediately aimed a blaster at me.
"Admiral Graves," I greeted him, showing indifference to the blaster aimed at me. "Good evening," outside the window of his impressive office, which held a desk and a round meeting table, the local star was setting below the horizon.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my office?" the man asked in a cold tone. "I just returned from a station inspection and I'm not in a very good mood, so if you don't want to die, but just go to prison — tell me what you're doing here?"
"Well, let's start with," I stood up from his chair, "I have the right to be here. My name — you don't need to know. Professional hazard, but I can reveal something to you. I'm a Jedi Knight."
"Aaaaah," the Admiral said knowingly, but still didn't lower the blaster, "like I'd believe you."
"Hmm?" I looked at the man curiously. "Yes, indeed, you have no reason to believe me." I moved my hand and yanked the blaster from the Admiral's grip, but he drew a second one. "Hey, that's not fair," I protested theatrically.
"There's no concept of fairness in battle," the man sighed, then holstered the blaster.
"You changed your mind?"
"Well, my friends told me that some Jedi would be waiting for his people on Iego, and you definitely look like one of them."
"Anyone gifted with the Force can use it, not just Jedi. And you believe me that easily? I tore your weapon out of your hand with a flick of my wrist."
"It's my intuition, boy," the man said. "But... what are you doing here?" he asked me. "Our forces haven't assembled yet. So you wouldn't just sneak in here for no reason, especially after the mess you made in the smuggler's quarter."
"So you know?" I asked.
"What do you mean? The whole city knows! Are you even aware that not every problem can be solved with explosions and murder?"
"Um, yes. But that's so boring," I said sadly. "Besides, I didn't start it — they did."
"No, you just picked the wrong tactic or gave yourself away somehow."
Maybe the suit? I don't change the general style of my suit. I like it. Besides, when I need to, I can conceal myself. Back on Drongar, I acted a bit too cocky — I should've made an audio call, without video.
"What's done is done, Admiral," I said, stepping away from his desk and walking toward the man. Not a single muscle on his stern face twitched. He kept his eyes on me, as if trying to look under my hood... Actually, they all try.
"I came because I have to report something urgent that can't wait."
"Hm?" The man tilted his head. "And what did you decide to tell me, Jedi? Bypassing all protocols and logic?"
"The problem is that, as you may have noticed, I can't just walk around the city anymore or even enter the Judicial Forces headquarters through the front door. I've left too much of a trail. But I came to inform you that our plan to destroy the Black Sun forces is entering a new phase. The Order has developed several lines of defense for our plan, including disinformation against possible agents of Jarko Itari within the local Judicial Forces branch."
"Well," the man sighed, "I won't deny it — her agents have probably infiltrated the fleet under my command. Though I trust my senior officers," he said, sitting down at his seat. "Want a drink?" He pulled a bottle of Corellian whiskey from the cabinet.
"A little later, over the ashes of Jarko Itari's castle," I replied, shaking my head. "The crux of the Order's disinformation defense is an order that was sent to you — to prepare your troops to merge your group with ours — the central one — as a result of my and Magister Tivokka's initiative. You were sent an order... slightly altered."
"Explain," Graves demanded coldly, pouring himself a glass of alcohol.
"Well," I noted his changed expression, "the attack will be carried out by two groups." I used my datapad to pull up a map of the operation, which I'd painstakingly put together over about three hours. "First — yours, attacking head-on from Iego. Your forces: seven combat-ready Dreadnoughts, plus five squadrons of Z-95-class fighters — twelve ships each — thirteen Law-class vessels classified as reconnaissance cruisers." A fleet intended purely for patrolling this system and the surrounding ones. The fighters are practically always on patrol. The Dreadnoughts are concentrated near known hyperspace exit points and are ready to inspect any guests at a moment's notice. "Second — the Jedi group, from Coruscant. Ten Dreadnoughts will arrive, five fighter squadrons, two bomber squadrons — represented by the A-24 bomber — and support ships in the form of more Laws."
"Yes, the composition is correct," the man agreed with a nod.
"But the Jedi group, including me, won't attack from Iego with you — we'll attack from T'ungl," I said, pointing at the planet.
A-24 Bomber
Law-class Vessel
What the MC told Admiral Graves.
"And naturally, our rendezvous will be there," I continued. "Your task will be to draw Jarko's attention in the first minutes of battle. Ours — to strike her flank while she's engaged with you."
"In other words — you're using us as bait," the admiral said, clasping his hands in front of him.
"It's a tactical trick, not bait," I corrected him. "You graduated from the Anaxis Citadel, after all. Classic decoy."
"Jarko has ten Dreadnoughts, about seventeen Gozantis, and another couple of squadrons of fighters and bombers — not to mention the fact that her people are practically running the station hovering over Pakuuni."
Gozanti
"I know," I said. "That's exactly why we need a clever move to crack that defense." Still, she's living well. Ten goddamn Dreadnoughts. Sure, they're probably not fresh off the slips, but still! Our forces will be roughly equal. Though... I do have an interesting idea.
"And your rendezvous will be at T'ungl?" the Admiral asked.
"Yes," I confirmed, "I'd like to replenish my ship's ammunition and then head straight to that planet's orbit."
"Should I provide an escort?"
"I won't need one, Admiral," I waved him off. "Tivokka and the Judicial Forces fleet will arrive there soon."
"You're very confident in your strength," the man noted.
"Because the absence of doubt is what makes a sentient stronger," I chuckled. "No matter who they are. But regarding the ammunition and fuel..."
"I'll see to it," the Admiral replied. "Move your ship to the hangar — I'll send the coordinates."
"Thank you."
* * *
After replenishing supplies, I decided to simulate the arrival of forces at T'ungl. If Graves is a traitor and reports everything to Jarko, then an ambush will be waiting for me at that planet. My goal is to thin out the ranks of Jarko's forces she can send there and then calmly slip away to Iego. What to do with the Admiral in that case? I could arrest him immediately and reassign the forces from Iego to my command. I also wasn't ruling out that the traitor could be any of his closest aides. But in any case — if the information comes from the local Judicial Forces headquarters, once we figure that out, we can manipulate the information and our enemies however we want. And for that, we need confirmation or refutation. Capturing and "interrogating" him the way I did with the bandits isn't appropriate for ordinary sentients who are officially on our side, without solid evidence. If I start acting like that... it won't lead to anything good. It could even go as far as falling to the Dark Side. And I don't want that.
The sphere of the planet T'ungl appeared as I exited hyperspace. Immediately, I activated my sensors and began scanning the surrounding area. The scanner I had was one of the best that could be installed on my ship. Roughly speaking — military-grade. So detecting the enemy wouldn't be hard. Admiral Graves is a smart man, smart enough... After I left, he checked his office for bugs — and not for nothing. I'd actually left listening devices there. Afterwards, he tried to contact our group that was currently in hyperspace, heading to Iego. But he couldn't — communication technology in hyperspace doesn't exist yet. Failing to reach them, he sent an inquiry from his own email regarding the order to his forces and how he should proceed. But I'd managed to install redirect software on his computer. The message came to me, and I confirmed my own words.
If he's not a traitor — I'll explain myself to him later. But... my premonitions about betrayal didn't fail me. Ships reacted to my scan. Three Z-95s — standard multirole fighters, you could say — headed toward me. Just as I expected. I'll need to double-check, of course, whether the Admiral shared my "delusion" with other officers. But that a mole was entrenched in the upper echelons of the Judicial Forces — I was now a hundred percent certain. My "order" would have been passed down to mid- and low-ranking officers later, which means — Graves and his closest aides. Why was I sure this trio was from the Black Sun? Because the scan detected about four Dreadnoughts near the planet itself, and they were the same type as the ones at Drongar. Not just the same Dreadnought model — the exact same ships. Three fighters were flying to meet me. Well then... My FCS is one of the best money can buy and install on my ship, again.
So... I switched the vessel to combat mode. We don't have giant armies here, so every fighter counts. And why not thin out Jarko's forces before the main battle? Focusing, I pressed the trigger. The turbolasers opened fire. Credit where it's due — they even managed to fire back. But my shields won't be breached by fighters anytime soon, while my ship's cannons destroyed two fighters in the first seconds and damaged a third. The third exploded somewhere behind my ship as I passed it. There are too many fighters here... And then several turbolaser bolts flew past my ship. That wasn't from the fighters. The Dreadnoughts had opened fire... I was already in range of their guns. A trio of Gozantis also started attacking me. Damn it. Getting hit by the heavy and medium turbolasers mounted on cruisers and Dreadnoughts isn't a pleasant experience for my ship.
They fired again as I activated the stygium coating. I dodged the shots, diving my ship downward. Now they should be panicking. While using the cloaking mode, I can't use my sensors, relying only on my Force sense and the visual information I see as a pilot. These aren't all of Jarko's forces — apparently she was counting on a "first volley" to stun the enemy upon exiting hyperspace. Well... I got the information. In cloaking mode, I could turn around and back off as far as possible, then jump away from the planet. But why not use my tactical advantage?
"Get the missiles ready, BB," I grinned. "Let's put on a nice show for them."
"We're going to attack them? With the targeting system deactivated?" the droid beeped.
"For us to lock onto a target, BB, it takes about three seconds. The Dreadnoughts and Gozantis have older FCS. At least these ones do. Best case for each of those ships — five and seven seconds respectively. The Z-95 won't do much better. Plus — we won't attack from the front, but from the rear." Using my sensors, I could navigate my ship between their formation. They were lined up to maximize frontal fire, so when exiting hyperspace — when ships are nearly blind, shields not raised — their rapid attack could've negated the numerical advantage, and they could've jumped away without staying near the planet until the end. Relying on my technique, I threaded my ship between the enemies and got behind them. Selecting the engine nozzles of one of the Dreadnoughts as my target, I readied my missiles. Without the FCS, I can't fire them properly — the computer needs to feed targeting data into the projectiles themselves.
Good, at least I can prepare to fire. I deactivated the cloak. Now they must be shocked that a ship vanished and then reappeared behind them. Fighters were already turning, as were the Dreadnoughts' guns. But they're too slow — the missiles locked on. Salvo... Two missiles streaked toward their targets. I slightly adjusted the hull and guns and blasted the engines of a Gozanti to the right. Then I opened fire on another Dreadnought. That's enough — cloak. An instant later, an explosion erupted. Hitting the central Dreadnought — specifically its engines — the missiles detonated. Even if I can't destroy this behemoth, damaging it won't hurt. Adding to my optimism was the fact that all her Dreadnoughts had clearly been bought and resold, rebuilt multiple times. These are far too formidable ships for the Galaxy right now. If they were even half as good as when they left the slips at Rendili, we'd have problems. But a criminal syndicate certainly can't always keep such ships in good condition. A Z-95 you can patch up with shit, sticks, and whatever else as much as you want. But those tricks won't work on a Dreadnought or a Gozanti. Still, even like this, they could cause problems. The engines exploded on a second Dreadnought, and apparently its reactor was less protected from such damage — or maybe it was luck — but the ship, after a couple of seconds, suffered a reactor explosion and was destroyed. The simultaneous death of at least five thousand sentients isn't the most pleasant thing. The fighters began literally buzzing around the spot where my ship had vanished, like bees. All the other ships boosted their shields to full power. The central Dreadnought, the one I'd wounded first, was much slower than the rest. And one of the three Gozantis, whose engines had been hit by turbolasers, went dead in space. But I had one more surprise for the fighters — a seismic charge. An instant later, the seismic wave radiated outward. The other ships' shields could handle it, but the fighters' shields — if the criminals hadn't tweaked them for something else — couldn't. Some of the fighters were destroyed, sliced clean through by the shockwave.
I repositioned again, deciding to focus fire on the wounded Dreadnought, which apparently had an engine fire. Still, it was alive and even holding its shield. So... where's the Dreadnought's shield projector? It's mounted externally... I recalled the courses on ship specifications. There... I sped toward the ship, dropping cloak as I moved. They spotted me and started aiming weapons, but before they could fire, I blew off the deflector with a missile and then cloaked again — though they did manage to get a shot off, shredding my shields to seventy-five percent.
One more hit like that and the shields are gone, and then I'll just be destroyed. So I can't afford to expose myself anymore. Flying over the shieldless Dreadnought, I approached its stern, near the engines, and was about to attack it again — but I stopped... Danger sense... They'd figured out I was trying to destroy this particular Dreadnought and had aimed at the position from which I'd attack its engines — the vulnerable spot. If I reveal myself now, they'll open fire even without the FCS, without proper aiming. No need to aim — the density of their salvos will do the job.
"Damn it, I hate to let it go," I muttered, "but being cosmic dust isn't exactly a state I want to be in."
If I try to knock out someone else's shields, they'll figure out I want to destroy that ship. Knock out everyone's shields? Too much risk. I'll be satisfied that Jarko will be short fighters — even if I didn't destroy all her squadrons — and one whole Dreadnought. Another one, apparently, will need repairs, same as the Gozanti. Time to head back and figure out what to do about the traitor in the Judicial Forces...
* * *
I arrived at Iego incognito this time — even from Graves and the Judicial Forces. Tivokka and Plo Koon will arrive soon anyway. And Graves — or the traitor — might have already figured out where the fleet would arrive, but Jarko won't attack Iego. She's probably realized she was played, or rather, her informant was. I was on the roof of the cantina where I'd first met Lora, meditating quietly. Then I felt a familiar presence... An instant later, Lora was pinned against the wall of the structure on the roof.
"Let go!" the Mandalorian growled.
"And why would I?" I asked her. "What were you planning to do with the blaster you had aimed at me?"
"I was going to shoot something off of you," the Chiss grumbled. "Jubilar?! What was the lie for?"
"Lie?" I asked.
"Exactly! Three days have passed, and no one has arrived, even though you promised the Jedi would show up and we'd attack Itari's base as part of their group!"
"Oh, that's what you mean," I chuckled, standing up. "That was a rational trick to find out if someone from your crew was leaking information to Jarko Itari. With ships like that under your command, it's obvious a mole could be among your people, given their numbers."
"That's it?" she asked in surprise. "Because of your cynicism and distrust?"
"And why should I trust you, if you please?" I set the Mandalorian down, releasing her. "This is the second time I've seen you in my life. Sure, I didn't sense any lies in your words. But if a sentient genuinely believes what they're saying, even a lie can be mistaken for the truth."
"None of the Luna Company ever lie!"
"Debatable," I snorted. "Well, alright. I confirmed, while you were wasting time at Jubilar, that the traitor isn't you or your crew — the ones you trust so much, apparently."
"And did you find out who the traitor is?"
"Admiral Graves," I said. "I offered him a similar... trap, then went there myself and gathered proof. After I returned to Iego, I managed to intercept his conversation with Jarko."
"I knew it! Ever since you told me about Drongar!"
"That's why you went to him. I followed you — and don't act surprised. If you think about it, surveillance and stealth are my specialty — too bad you can't win wars with them," I said sadly. To be honest — I didn't really fit the classic image of a Shadow. I turned out to be a much better Warrior. Though I still didn't particularly like acting openly. "But you didn't catch the Admiral, and then you decided to wait for reinforcements at Jubilar. I, however, did catch the Admiral and fed him the disinformation that the forces would be at T'ungl. I went there myself, supposedly to wait — like you — but instead I ran into Jarko's fleet. Still, I had doubts — maybe the traitor was someone in Graves' inner circle — but after I intercepted the communication between Graves and Jarko, that settled it. So yes... the circle is closed."
"Why?" Lora asked unexpectedly.
"Why did he betray? That's the right question. You always have to ask about motives, especially for acts this significant. And we'll find out, after the operation at Pakuuni." Intercepting the call had also allowed me to determine that Jarko was holed up in her fortress on Pakuuni. "Taking him out now isn't advantageous. Graves has decided to frame one of his closest subordinates — Commodore Ralph, who's responsible for troop supplies. It's long been clear in the local Judicial Forces that Ralph trades supposedly decommissioned military equipment on the side. He also informed the Jedi Council and the central Judicial Forces branch. That's probably for the best..."
"What is?" Lora asked. "During the operation, a senior officer will be working for the enemy!"
"Yes, but we know he's working for her — she knows that, so she'll be more relaxed, since someone like Graves is working for her. At the same time, the enemy doesn't know that we know. That could work in our favor. If we kill Graves now, Jarko might get scared enough to cut and run. So, Lora, I'd order you to keep quiet."
"I'm not your subordinate..."
"But you want to participate in the operation, part of which I'm overseeing. I agree to approve your participation, but I want to make this clear. This isn't an equal partnership. You either follow orders — from me, as the representative of the Republic and the Jedi Order — or you don't participate at all. I'll just neutralize you, you'll lie low until the end of the battle at Pakuuni, cool off, and then I'll let you go. So what'll it be, Lora?"
"Fine," she sighed. "So what's next, genius of strategy and tactics?"
"What's next, Lora, is a massive strike. The fleet will assemble at Iego, where we'll concentrate all our forces and deliver one powerful blow against Jarko's fleet currently orbiting Pakuuni."