Aaron stood alone in a darkened room, surrounded by a massive 3D holo-map. The projection centered on the former Separatist Pocket space.
Red lines crisscrossed the system, while white ISD-like silhouettes marked key locations.
Hands clasped behind his back, Aaron's eyes narrowed in focus. Suddenly, the familiar sound of blast doors sliding open echoed softly, and Captain Catcher entered, helmet tucked under one arm and a datapad in hand.
The Captain moved silently to Aaron's side and handed him the datapad without a word.
"The Rebel fleet was spotted in the Halmad system," Catcher said quietly, standing still as Aaron scanned the new intel.
They left half a rotation before the Imperials arrived. Grand Admiral Antilles is closing in, Aaron thought, quickly adding the new destination to the holomap. His mind raced, unraveling Admiral Hiram's patterns.
"Captain, get me an audience with Grand Admiral Antilles within the hour. It's urgent." Aaron turned swiftly; Catcher nodded and left, heading for the bridge.
Finally, after two months of near inactivity, we're moving, Catcher thought with a spark of excitement.
Alone again, Aaron pulled up his datapad, running through multiple possible strategies.
The Rebel fleet consists of seven MC80 cruisers, a dozen MC40 and MC30 frigates, 120 X-Wings, 57 corvettes, and 16 Nebulon-B frigates, he reviewed.
Thank the Force for that Arquitens, Aaron mused. Four days prior, an Arquitens had jumped straight into the fleet. Though destroyed, its commander had transmitted detailed scans before the ship was lost, providing the Imperials with a crucial fleet assessment.
Aaron entered a meeting room aboard the Hound equipped for Holonet conferences. Awaiting him was Grand Admiral Antilles' projection.
Less than 23 minutes had passed since Catcher's departure—Antilles' willingness to meet a lieutenant commander was unexpected.
Aaron snapped a salute. After exchanged courtesies, Antilles relaxed with an "At ease."
"You said this was of 'extreme importance'?" Antilles asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I've spent the last month studying Admiral Hiram—his movements, preparations, fleet size, and routines. I believe I've cracked his pattern." Aaron approached the holo-projector, inserting his code cylinder. The holomap updated accordingly.
"The Rebel fleet was stopped in Halmad half a galactic rotation ago. They should be en route to Er'Kit now. I studied their routines, and at this point, they should be heading toward an industrial world—usually one with anti-Republic sentiment." The map zoomed in on Agamar, a nexus of several hyperlanes.
"Logically, Mygeeto fits best. It's heavily industrialized, and recent battles have fostered anti-Republic feelings—transferred to the Empire with the Dawn of a New Order. They could use it to put some distance between themselves and the Imperials."
Antilles nodded slowly.
"We suspect the same. But the route has too many exits. We can't cover them all without risking a breakthrough."
Aaron's eyes glinted. "I disagree. From studying all three fleets, it's clear they're searching for something. They've gone out of their way to stay in less populated oversectors. While some argue it's to avoid detection, I believe they're seeking a suitable base."
"That sector has been thoroughly surveyed. There's no hidden planet. They could move toward Celanon and back to Separatist space. Admiral Hiram seems restless—he's made more mistakes these last two weeks, which explains why our fleet caught up."
"You believe they'll head to Ord Mantell?" Antilles asked.
"Yes, and I—" Aaron started but was cut off.
"We're using Hiram's recent movements as an opportunity, but we can't reach Ord Mantell in time. The jump is just a few parsecs too far for a deep-space jump."
Antilles seemed dismissive, but Aaron pressed on.
"No, Hiram likely wants to evade us entirely. He'll jump into the Deep Core—but only after shaking us with an unpredictable move. I cracked his code." Aaron focused the map on Datar.
"We can't make it to Ord Mantell, but we can reach Datar."
Antilles' eyes narrowed. "How?"
"I'm almost 90% certain Hiram will escape to the Deep Core via the lanes through Dorin and Reecee, then make a deep-space jump to N'Zoth, and continue from there. Datar is an ex-rebel base, destroyed—ideal for clearing the way of old infrastructure. Rebels are unpredictable, but this fits."
Antilles remained silent, but Aaron knew he understood.
If Hiram followed this route, those trying to trap him at Ord Mantell would be close enough to pursue him through the Deep Core, looping back to where they started. They would head for Datar, a place most Imperials would dismiss as too risky for rebels.
"He is cautious, but when he steps outside his boundaries to be creative, he becomes predictable. This will be his downfall. Fleet Admiral Roran Darr should reach Datar before the rebels and hold them long enough for your fleet to catch up. The rebels will need to refuel at Ord Mantell," Aaron concluded.
Antilles raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"I'll ignore your political ambitions for now. We both know the second flotilla is closer. But keep me out of power plays from here on. On another note—if you're right, you'll be rewarded accordingly. If you're wrong, we risk losing Hiram entirely."
His gaze locked on Aaron's, but Aaron did not flinch.
"I am confident in my code-breaking. Hiram will fall into the trap, and his fleet will be destroyed."
Antilles nodded, the holo-projection flickering out and the black room brightening once more—leaving Aaron alone.
Do or die, he thought.
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