2 BBY - "Batonn, YT-2400 light freighter"
"Looks like Admiral Durril's got all his ships firing now. Scrim Island's energy shield seems to be holding." Vanto remarked, as he and Thrawn flew around the battlefield, watching Durril's fleet attempt to break past the ships of the insurgents. "Still no response from the insurgents on Batonn." Vanto continued. "That will soon change." Thrawn replied. "By ordering fire from all of his ships, Durril has now demonstrated their full capabilities." Just then, Vanto began to notice a gap beginning to appear in Batonn's shield. "Now it's opening..." He announced. "It appears the island commander is attacking after all the ships close-marked their positions." As Vanto said this, a bright, blue beam of energy shot out from Batonn's surface towards the underbelly of Durril's flagship, striking it just near the hanger bay and effectively rendering it powerless.
"Ion fire! Direct hits on the Judicator!" Vanto exclaimed, jerking the controls of the ship around so as to not enter the battle. "Now Durril's just flailing. He doesn't seem to notice the northern shoreline opening up..." Vanto began, right when a crimson beam of energy struck the Judicator from the side, destroying a fraction of the hull in the process. "Damn... A turbolaser?" Vanto whispered softly. "Donassius never said the island had functional turbolasers." "He may not have known." Thrawn interjected. "An attack focused on the Judicator's portside flank. Very clearly poised to be opposite of the direction of the insurgent freighter." Vanto locked eyes with Thrawn for a moment, confused. "Freighter? Where?" He asked. "There. Flying eastward from the island." Thrawn replied, pointing to another area of the battlefield, where a mercenary freighter was seen off in the distance. "As you can see, it is running low on minimal power, which will render them largely invisible to ships already under attack." He continued.
"And to ships that aren't under attack but are concentrating all their attention on the ships that are." Vanto added. "It's angling away from the planet." Thrawn said. "Hail it. A tight comm signal, to keep the conversation private." He then ordered. "We're the Slipknot, and you're a weapons smuggler named Horatio Figg." Yet again, Vanto locked eyes with Thrawn, all the while flying towards the other freighter. "So that's why you put us in a captured smuggling ship..." He said. "Am I buying or selling?" Vanto asked. "Whichever will gain us an invitation to visit his base." Thrawn replied. Vanto nodded, before pressing a button on the intercom of the ship. "Unidentified freighter, this is the freighter Slipknot." Vanto began. "Looks like you're scorching out of here. Need any assistance?" "Don't even think about it, Slipknot." A voice replied through the intercom. "Not thinking it. Just trying to start a friendly conversation." Vanto replied. "If I'm right about your current cargo, there might be something there I could take off your hands..."
Thrawn's eyes darted between Vanto and the cockpit, as the Slipknot drew closer towards the insurgent freighter. "Or maybe you'd like to add a little frosting to your new cake." Vanto said. "You deal?" The voice asked. "A little of everything." Vanto replied. "Since you hit a military base, I'm guessing you're mostly interested in weapons." He continued. "You in the market, or aren't you?" The voice over the intercom sighed heavily. "We might be. The boss says he's willing to talk." The voice replied. "I'll send you the coordinates. Jump whenever you're ready." Vanto proceeded to deactivate the intercom, returning his focus towards boarding the freighter. "What about the Judicator?" Vanto asked Thrawn as he accelerated the ship's speed. "There is no aid we can render. I've already transmitted an emergency distress signal on Admiral Durril's behalf." Thrawn replied. "Our efforts are best directed elsewhere, for the moment."
2 BBY - "The insurgents's freighter"
"This is your old Lieutenant's plaque, isn't it?" Vanto asked, as he looked down at his new disguise; an old, white Imperial Officer's uniform, scarred by dust and blaster fire. "The one you modified with the remote... But why the blaster burn?" "You took that tunic from an Officer you killed. You wear it because it intimidates people." Thrawn replied, handing Vanto two different blaster pistols. "And yes, I modified the remote for our current need. Push the top left tile when that comes." Vanto nodded, taking the two pistols from Thrawn's grasp. "That time being?" He asked. "You'll know." Thrawn replied. "Hide the holdout blaster. It will look suspicious if you don't have one. The other is a sample of what you're selling." He continued. Vanto turned to exit the ship, before he looked at Thrawn again. "Where will you be?" Vanto asked. "Engineering our escape." Thrawn replied. "In the meantime, learn as much about them as you can."
Without saying another word, Vanto swiftly exited the cockpit and lowered the ramp of the ship. Almost before the ramp touched the ground, Vanto heard several blasters cocking, and looked around, seeing at least three different pirates aiming their weapons in his direction. "Well, well, well... 'Horatio Figg', was it?" One of the pirates asked mockingly. "An Imperial. What a surprise." Vanto raised both of his arms in surrender, walking down the ramp and allowing the other two pirates to search him. "And you're exactly the kind of idiot I wear this for." Vanto remarked. "Did you even notice that it doesn't fit? Or even the blaster burn?" The pirate gave Vanto a smug grin in response. "You deal in antiques too?" He asked. "Part stock, part insurance." Vanto replied. "You'd be surprised how many customers try to walk off without paying."
"Personally, I'd have blown you to dust and be done with it back on Batonn." Another pirate said. "But the boss wanted to see you.. So I guess you'll get to live a little longer." He sneered, leading Vanto down the hall towards a nearby door. "Oh, don't worry. He won't regre-" Vanto began. Before he could finish his sentence, however, the door hissed open. As soon as he saw the man sitting behind the desk opposite him, Vanto's eyes widened with shock. "Cygni?" He asked, almost exclaiming the question with surprise. "So you remember me from our Tibanna Gas encounter." Nevil Cygni said, smiling warmly as he did so. "It's good to see you again, Commander Vanto. And please.. Call me Nightswan." He added, shutting the door behind Vanto with the push of a button. "I'm glad Admiral Thrawn had sent you to seek me out. I always thought you had been dealt a bad set of cards, which means you will be sparred what the rebels on Batonn are doing to him at this very moment."
Does he think Thrawn is directing that botched attack against the Batonn insurgents? Vanto asked himself. "Star Destroyers are pretty tough ships. The island also only has one turbolaser." Vanto said. "He may yet survive." "Perhaps. But it really doesn't matter." Cygni replied. "Losing his command ship is a blunder even he can't withstand, and whatever highly placed friends he has will have no choice but to turn their backs on him." He added on. "Though Batonn may not even be enough." Vanto said. "Considering how Thrawn was admitted into the navy in the first place." Cygni scoffed in response. "A nonhuman from the Unknown Regions? Please.. It would have to take someone very highly..." He began, with his smile soon fading. Cygni stroked the stubble around his chin gently, deep in thought for a moment. "No.." He whispered finally. "Wait.... Hell and brimstone. That was him!?" Cygni exclaimed. "I heard the story a couple of years ago; an unknown nonhuman with blue skin and red eyes who teamed up with a Jedi General during The Clone Wars." He continued. "Anakin Skywalker." Vanto said.
"Yes, General Skywalker. So you have heard the story..." Cygni said. At that moment, the intercom on his desk began to beep, and Cygni pressed the button. "Yes?" "No one else aboard the Slipknot, but listen: the engine compartment's showing a radiation leak." A pirate said through the intercom. "It looks bad. Should we tractor the whole thing out of the bay before the reactor goes critical?" The pirate asked. "No need to go that far. It's just a ploy." Cygni replied. "There will be another Imperial or two hiding among the baffles. Armed, of course, so be careful." He continued, shutting off the intercom and turning his attention back to Vanto. "I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted. You're probably wishing you tried something else." Vanto chuckled in response. "I didn't know I'd be playing to an audience who had already put on the same show." He replied. "Now let's talk about you." Cygni said. "With Thrawn about to leave the stage, your career will finally be out of his shadow... It has always been in his shadow, hasn't it?"
"I'm not worried about it." Vanto replied. "I'm a Commander with a fairly decent list of victories on my ledger. And I'd like to think I've picked up a few friends along the way." He continued. Yet again, Cygni scoffed at Vanto's words. "A Wild Space nobody who has been spending his entire career as a house pet to a nonhuman?" Cygni asked mockingly. "Do you really think you have any friends back on Corus-" He began, when suddenly, and violently, the freighter shook with terror. A second later, the alarms began to blare loudly, threatening to kill the eardrums of all who heard them. Taking his blaster out of it's holster, Cygni pointed the weapon towards Vanto's chest, before he pressed the button on the intercom again. "Captain? Captain, what's going on?" Cygni asked frantically. Vanto then pressed the remote built into his Lieutenant plaque, causing yet another explosion to go off within the hanger bay.
"Why you little.." Cygni growled, before Vanto drove his knuckles through Cygni's mouth, knocking one of his teeth out. Taking his blaster, Vanto quickly exited the room, gunning down the three pirates who had escorted him there. Running down to the hanger bay, Vanto quickly hid behind a group of shipping containers, seeing that the freighter he and Thrawn had previously used was now on fire, as was the rest of the area. "This way!" Thrawn shouted from afar. Seeing Thrawn standing on the ramp of yet another freighter, Vanto ran towards the craft, following Thrawn into the cockpit. "Welcome aboard, Commander." Thrawn said, sitting down in the pilot's chair and beginning to fire up the ship's engines. "We should be clear before they realize we're not part of their group." He added on.
"So that's why we're taking this one instead of ours?" Vanto asked. "An unexpected bonus." Thrawn replied. "My primary goal was data that might have been left uncleared on this ship's computer. Navigational records in particular that might point us to bases and supply lines." He continued, closing up the ramp and fully igniting the ship's engines, before looking at Vanto. "You were taken to their leader, I assume?" Thrawn asked. "Was it Nightswan?" "You knew it would be him, didn't you?" Vanto asked in reply, sitting down in the co-pilot's chair. "I didn't know for certain. But I suspected as much." Thrawn replied. "Knowing who I was up against could've been extremely useful." Vanto said, watching Thrawn fly the ship out of the hanger bay. "On the contrary, you produced a convincing performance because you were genuinely surprised." Thrawn remarked, plugging a set of Hyperspace coordinates into the navicomputer. "Now, time to return to Batonn and see how Admiral Durril's task force has fared." Thrawn said, making the jump to Hyperspace.
2 BBY - "The Chimaera"
"...And after that, we were able to make running repairs on the engines and get out of range." Admiral Durril's hologram said. "I apologize for my failure, Fleet Admiral Donassius. But my next assault will succeed." Durril declared. "Perhaps." Donassius's hologram replied. "Admiral Kinshara. Your report?" He then asked, switching his attention to the hologram of Kinshara. "The insurgents at Denash have been dealt with, Fleet Admiral." Denash replied. "However, prisoner interrogation suggests that a large portion of their forces were already transferred to Batonn." He continued. "Excellent. All the barks in a single hound. That much easier to roll up the lot of them." Donassius said, his gaze soon shifting to Thrawn. "Admiral Thrawn?" "Sammun is likewise pacified." Thrawn said. "Two enemy ships were destroyed, and four ships were captured. A considerable array of small-arms ordinance was also captured."
"Without your actual presence, I'm told." Donassius said. "The action was carried out under my direction." Thrawn replied. "I see... Admiral Durril, when will the one hundred and third be able to travel?" Donassius asked, turning his attention back to Durril. "We can re-engage in thirty hours, sir." Durril replied. "I didn't ask when you could fight, Admiral. I asked when you could travel." Donassius said sternly. "Uh... Five hours, perhaps." Durril replied. "But with all due respect, sir..." "In five hours, you are to bring your task force to the Marleyvane Shipyards for repair." Donassius ordered, locking eyes with Thrawn again. "Admiral Thrawn, you said you needed to gather intelligence on the Batonn insurgents. How much time will you need?" Thrawn opened his mouth to speak, but Durril cut in for him. "Sir, I must protest! This operation was given to me!" Durril exclaimed. "I am perfectly capable of seeing it through!" He continued. "Actually, Fleet Admiral, the gathering is complete." Thrawn declared. "I can eliminate them whenever you wish."
