the Duskhan
League-they clearly
represent a
first-order civilization, economically and technologically. What are they doing? They’re here negotiating with us. “
The general remained undeterred. “To take your metaphor, Princess, one swing can both start and end a fight if it comes without warning. “
“Are we suddenly more vulnerable to surprise attack than we were a week ago? “
“No, Princess-“
“Then are you telling me that we’ve always been vulnerable to a surprise attack? “
“I’m telling you that there’s more to being ready to defend yourself than posting sentries at the border, ” said A’baht, a touch of impatience in his tone. “You must plan, and you must train, for the battle you don’t want to fight, against the enemy you don’t want to face, on the ground you don’t want to defend. Then, and only then, do you have a credible deterrent. “
She turned quickly to face Ackbar. “And haven’t you done that, Admiral? Haven’t you seen to it that our forces are thoroughly trained and thoughtfully deployed? If not, I’m afraid I may have to fire you. “
“Yes, we have done those things, Princess-“
“Then will you explain to eneral A’baht-“
“-but there is more to consider, ” Ackbar said forcefully. “If this Black Fleet exists, and if it is operational, it represents a secret weapon. And it is the nature of secret weapons to upset all the careful planning of one’s adversaries. Indeed, Princess, that is their purpose. “
Leia looked down and studied the list displayed on her datapad, then shook her head. “Do these ships really represent a threat on that scale? “
“Yes, ” A’baht said firmly. “The Empire’s standard Sector Group strength was only twenty-four Star Destroyers. They were able to exercise control over an entire system with a single Imperial-class ship. They were able to overwhelm anything up to a Class Four planetary defense with one-third of a Sector Group. “
Closing her datapad, Leia studied A’baht next.
“But those were the Empire’s best, and fully equipped with the Empire’s best. When a capital warship is in the yards, does the crew ordinarily stay aboard? “
“No, of course not. “
“What about the troops, the fighters? Are they kept aboard? “
“I suspect the Princess knows better, ” said A’baht.
“When a ship is laid up for any significant time, its complement would normally be reassigned. “
“So-let’s say that all of these ships fell into other hands when the Empire withdrew. They’d be empty shells. They won’t have six TIE squadrons aboard. They won’t have a division of stormtroopers. They won’t have assault gunboats. They won’t have an army of ATATs. “
A’baht was unmoved. “The Princess is grasping at straws, ” he said.
“The greatest threat in this situation is that those ships never left Imperial hands, or that region of space. “
“They couldn’t have been on continuous deployment for ten years, ” Leia protested.
“No, ” said Ackbar. “But there are more than two hundred inhabited worlds in Hatawa and Farlax, many of which we still know little about. Some may still be friends with our enemies. And there is still the matter of the five unknown shipyards used by the Black Sword Command. No matter who owns them, I would like to know what has come off the ways in those ten years. “
Pressed from both sides, by one she knew and trusted and by another she did not know but respected, Leia relented. “I really don’t need this right now, ” she said, sighing. ‘What exactly are you recommending? “
“Princess, the Fifth Fleet is about to sail on its show-the-flag excursion, ” said A’baht. “I would suggest to you that searching for the Black Fleet would be a better use of those ships. “
“You want to take the entire Fifth into Hatawa and Farlax? “
“I would not want to find the Black Fleet with anything less at my command Princess. “
You realize, of course, that the Koornacht Cluster is in Farlax. “
Ackbar nodded. “Yes—of course. “
“Then you realize that you’ll have to exempt Koornacht from any search. Nil Spaar has been adamant about territorial integrity, ” she said. “Their claim extends to the entire cluster. He hasn’t even agreed to grant emergency landing or pass-through rights yet. Any intrusion by Republic warships, no matter what the mission, is completely unacceptable to him and to me. “
Once again Ackbar and A’baht exchanged glances.