Chương 46: From each according to his ability... (VI)
The coordinator finished reading the memo, setting the tablet aside when he noticed the long-range communication holoprojector flashing red.
After fastening the collar of his uniform shirt and jacket, he activated the device. The hologram that appeared, about a quarter the size of a real person, was instantly recognizable.
"Bravo-2," the Ubiqtorate supervisor addressed him without preamble. "What's going on in your sector?"
You'd think they already knew. Or has the Ubiqtorate stopped keeping tabs on their own agents?
"Grand Admiral Thrawn wasn't pleased to see me," Sergius responded. "I believe he finds it beneath him to deal with a mere Ubiqtorate operative instead of someone from the higher ranks." He showed his displeasure by sending a mobilization order to the commanders of the Tangren Defense Fleet.
"Seems this exotic character is overstepping his bounds," the Curator sneered. "He's in no position to demand anything from the Ubiqtorate."
"No," Sergius thought. "That's exactly the point. He's the Supreme Commander now, and he's just won a stunning victory."
"Sir," the coordinator continued with a cold professionalism. "The Grand Admiral annihilated the enemy fleet and bases in the Dufilvian sector. This has had a significant impact on the morale of the military stationed on Tangren. It's the first victory since the demise of Warlord Zsinj. As far as I know, substantial spoils were seized, including Rebel ships. There's a seventy percent chance the Grand Admiral will reach out to Imperial Intelligence for further intimidation tactics."
"I've read your analysis, Coordinator," the Curator interrupted. "Give the Grand Admiral any assistance necessary to bolster Imperial Intelligence's standing within Imperial space."
"Understood, sir," Bravo-2 agreed. "This would indeed be the most advantageous scenario. We can then present to the Imperial Ruling Council that both the Ubiqtorate and Imperial Intelligence are fully committed to eradicating the Rebellion. This would allow us to finally address the Imperial Security Bureau and optimize the system in our favor..."
"The ISB is nearly finished," the Curator remarked. "They're no longer a serious rival. There's no need to base long-term strategies on considering them as adversaries. Soon, they'll prove their incompetence, and the Imperial Ruling Council will place them under our jurisdiction. The Grand Admiral, however, is a real threat."
"As you say, sir," Sergius didn't argue. What was the point if the Ubiqtorate had already made up its mind? "Are there any further instructions?"
"Yes," the Curator decisively said. "We're recalling the Tangren Defense Fleet to Yaga Minor, to headquarters. Let's see if Thrawn can command ships under Grand Moff Ardus Kaine now."
Bravo-2 stayed silent, processing everything he had heard.
After the Rebel attack on Tangren, the Ubiqtorate realized that by remaining under the Imperial Ruling Council, which was rapidly losing power, they were also losing their position. Therefore, all Ubiqtorate facilities and intelligence resources were relocated to the Pentastar Alignment. The reason for this new location wasn't communicated to the lower ranks—orders came from above and were not open to discussion, in any form.
That's why, when Grand Admiral Thrawn requested a meeting, the Ubiqtorate brushed it off, sending Bravo-2 instead. He, too, was being written off. Tangren was losing its strategic importance to the Ubiqtorate. It seemed the intelligence command had decided to align with the stronger Imperial Remnant—the Pentastar Alignment. If the transfer of information and personnel hinted at this, the withdrawal of the fleet protecting both the planet and its orbital shipyards was confirmation. When the Ubiqtorate withdrew just one Imperial-class Star Destroyer from Tangren, replacing it with the Victory-class, Bravo-2 knew then, two weeks ago, that a full withdrawal was imminent. But so soon...
"Sir," Sergius said cautiously, "without a fleet, the base and shipyards will be vulnerable to enemy attacks, especially since the enemy still considers them part of the Ubiqtorate network..."
"All the better," the Curator shocked him. "We need to cut our losses and sever unnecessary connections. You will stay on the planet with a few groups of agents in case they're needed. Major Molo Himron will command them." Bravo-2 began to piece together the situation but wanted to hear it all. "Thrawn wanted Imperial agents for himself? Let him believe he's got them. Of the fifteen garrisons on Tangren, only one will remain—formed from the least effective units. To maintain appearances, the shipyards will still be guarded by the Crusader. The smaller ships will be withdrawn. According to our intel, Thrawn's fleet was damaged in the Dufilvian battles. They'll likely stay at the shipyards for a while, providing security. After that, he can deal with the planet and the shipyards on his own. The Ubiqtorate won't be dictated to by anyone!"
"Yes, sir," Sergius replied. "So, I take it Tangren is now fully under Imperial Space control?"
"Exactly," the Curator confirmed. "Your task is to monitor Thrawn and the officers who want to serve under him. The Ubiqtorate must know their names immediately."
"It will be done," Bravo-2 answered calmly.
"Were there any other requests from the Grand Admiral to the Imperial Intelligence archives?" the Curator suddenly inquired.
"No, sir," Sergius responded without hesitation.
As the transmission ended, he slowly unbuttoned his uniform jacket, then his shirt collar.
So that's how it is.
The Ubiqtorate is abandoning Tangren. The Star Destroyer that the Crusader replaced must have taken away the top-ranking Imperial Intelligence officers and the most valuable information. It seems they've long since reached an agreement with Grand Moff Kaine to join forces, abandoning Imperial Space in favor of the Pentastar Alignment, as the strongest faction.
This means all the archives have likely been moved to Yaga Minor. Only general databases, which have many copies across all Imperial Shards, were probably left on Tangren—the same ones that keep drawing Thrawn's interest.
As the coordinator overseeing everything in the Morshdain sector, Bravo-2 was skilled at tracking all incoming requests for information, compiling reports for the Ubiqtorate. How serious a mistake had he made by not reporting the Grand Admiral's increasingly frequent inquiries about the Clone Wars? It didn't matter anymore. He was effectively written off.
Not that they'd say it outright, of course. But no one needed to.
The Ubiqtorate had discarded the unessential, leaving them only for the appearance of a presence. With multichannel communication, they could operate from anywhere in the galaxy, and no one would suspect that the command had relocated to Yaga Minor.
Simple and efficient. Moreover, there's a big question—are the Ubiqtorate and Imperial Intelligence now really in the Pentastar Alignment? Or was that just a cover story given to Bravo-2?
Sergius would bet his monthly salary it was the latter.
It wasn't for nothing that the Curator told him his new task was to record the names of Imperial officers who sought to serve under Thrawn.
Most likely, he himself had already been marked as one of the Grand Admiral's supporters. Along with Major Molo Himron and his operatives. And the Crusader...
Sergius even smiled as he recalled it. How could he have forgotten? He was the one who informed the Ubiqtorate that Captain I-Gor was frustrated with the inaction of the Tangren Defense Fleet, while the Imperial Remnants could easily strike enemy worlds and subjugate them.
The Moff overseeing the Morshdain sector is also a Thrawn supporter. After learning that the Grand Admiral was coming to Tangren, the Moff had shown uncharacteristic zeal in preparing the shipyards to receive the Grand Admiral's fleet.
This means he, too, was "written off." Sergius was certain the last remaining garrison on the planet had also expressed support for the Grand Admiral at some point.
As for the shipyard workers... who in the Ubiqtorate even considers them human?
In sum, the situation was becoming clear.
Imperial Intelligence had rid itself of the unreliable, placing them effectively at the disposal of the Grand Admiral, who was too dangerous to keep under control. The initiative from the Imperial Ruling Council to appoint the last Grand Admiral as leader of the Imperial Remnants (assuming he could turn the tide in the war against the Rebels) had inadvertently put pressure on the Ubiqtorate, which had its own plans for the galaxy. This meant they decided to deny Thrawn access to optimal resources, aiming to slow his victories and, therefore, his growing influence within the Empire.
Why? To prevent a direct confrontation between Thrawn and Grand Moff Kaine, most likely. The Ubiqtorate intended to make Kaine the new Emperor, viewing him as the most capable leader. That's why they didn't want to support Thrawn, not even a little—Kaine wouldn't appreciate it.
So, in the near future, against Thrawn and his allies... No, the Ubiqtorate wouldn't start a war within Imperial Space. Never. They knew that would only hand more territory to the Rebels.
Then how would they get rid of Thrawn?
An assassin? Possibly. But not yet—they still needed the Grand Admiral to win battles. As many as possible. Only then would he truly become a threat to Kaine, when he started annexing more and more territory. Until then, they needed him as a source of trouble for the Rebels...
Sergius leaned back from his desk, massaging his temples.
Life was simpler when he was just a commander of a special unit within Imperial Intelligence. Carrying out orders, thinking only within his scope... But no, he always thought bigger. That's how he ended up as a coordinator on Tangren. And now, they'd discarded him.
He could swear that from now on, whatever reports he sent to the Ubiqtorate, no one would read them. No, for caution's sake, he'd keep working. To keep up appearances. But as for the detailed data...
The command was sorely mistaken if they thought they could just dispose of their people like that. It was a shame about Himron and his team—those were promising individuals, real experts in their fields. Specialists for any situation. And now they'd been written off just because Himron spoke favorably of Thrawn as a reasonable leader who still upheld the Empire's ideals. One phrase: "He'll lead the Empire to victory!" cost Molo his career. And his team backed him, sharing his views.
Sergius knew this better than anyone.
He was the one who reported the decline in loyalty of the major and his men to command. And they discarded him like trash.
Bitter? No. He knew this could happen. But he didn't expect it to.
Perhaps he should try to go over the Curator's head and contact someone higher up? Almost impossible—he didn't know anyone beyond his Curator.
So, it seemed there was only one option left...
As the Curator had said, "Thrawn wanted Imperial agents for himself? Let him think he got them." Only now, this applied not just to Major Himron's group, but to Sergius himself.
He wondered, does Thrawn only need spies, or would a saboteur suffice?
** Ubiqtorate Coordinator, Bravo-2 Operative, Sergius **
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