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“Was that area of the Tingel Arm once populated?” Sovv asked.

The Ithorian deferred to the virtual presence of Been L’toth of the Astrographic Survey Institute. Another Dornean, Been was the son of Kiles L’toth, who had assumed command of the Fifth Fleet after his friend Etahn A’baht had been relieved of duty.

“We reject the possibility that a species as powerful as the Yuuzhan Vong could have originated there,” L’toth’s hologram began. “Given the extent of their resources and the size of their war fleet, they would be in control of hundreds of worlds, if not systems, and would certainly have come to our attention by now. At the very least, we would have heard about them from the Trianii or some other species that inhabits that area of the Tingel.

“Granted, however, the Tingel Arm has yet to be thoroughly mapped. The original explorations were terminated by the outbreak of the Clone Wars. That was one of the reasons Emperor Palpatine granted the Corporate Sector Authority free reign in their corner of the Tingel. Our thinking now is that the Yuuzhan Vong are indeed from outside our galaxy.” L’toth paused. “Not merely from a nearby star cluster, as was the case with the Ssi-ruuk, but from another galaxy entirely.”

A’baht huffed. “Any species capable of crossing intergalactic space would have to be considerably more advanced than any of us—on the order of a hundred generations more advanced. And yet the Yuuzhan Vong ships have been utilizing the same hyperspace entry points and egresses used by our own vessels.”

“But suppose they have been in transit for hundreds of generations,” Legorburu said. “Imagine if you will, a fleet of vessels plying the void, comparable to the Ithorian herd ships, only many times their size.”

A’baht waved a hand. “I’m interested in facts, not poetry.”

Legorburu gained control of himself. “At present we’re trying to determine if Emperor Palpatine had any knowledge of the Yuuzhan Vong, as he did the Ssi-ruuk. Thanks to the generosity of Moff Ephin Sarreti, we’ve been given access to Imperial records relevant to the Outbound Flight Project.”

Funded by the senate at the behest of Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth, the Outbound Flight Project had constituted a failed attempt to peer past the edge of the galaxy.

Transmitted from Bastion, in the distant Imperial Remnant, Sarreti’s life-size hologram was almost colorless, and disrupted by diagonal lines of interference. A technician boosted the audio gain.

“… Imperial records do not contain any mention of the Yuuzhan Vong—although it is now understood that Emperor Palpatine returned Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn to the Unknown Regions on learning that the Chiss had been fortifying their systems against the threat of invasion by an unknown aggressor.”

Sovv and his fellow commanders took a moment to confer. “Are you suggesting that the Yuuzhan Vong might be that aggressor?” Sovv asked at last.

“If we could establish direct contact with the Chiss, we might know for certain,” Sarreti said. “But Jag Fel has no interest in serving as a liaison, and all attempts at communications with Nirauan have gone unanswered.”

“Have you tried dispatching a ship?” A’baht asked.

Sarreti smiled. “Have you, General?” When A’baht grimaced, the moff added, “We have no desire to intrude on Chiss space and risk having to wage wars on two fronts.”

“Understood, Moff Sarreti,” Sovv said, nodding glumly. He looked at Legorburu. “Continue with your briefing, Colonel.”

Legorburu brought a close-up of the Tingel Arm to the light table. “The Yuuzhan Vong are using the central Tingel as a rendezvous point and staging area. Reconnaissance forces sent to adjoining sectors—both here, in the Trianii colonies, and here, at Dathomir—have detected a buildup of significantly larger ships.”

“I want numbers,” A’baht said.

Legorburu nodded to the Tammarian Ayddar Nylykerka, chief analyst for asset tracking during the Yevethan crisis and now director of Fleet Intelligence. “Based on available data, we are now estimating Yuuzhan Vong