The hutts are around because they are involved in everything legal or otherwise. And because they have the power and might to fight off anyone.
As for the black fleet the issue is its location. Like it is in the core and deep core it is far out of the way with no real direct route to it. We also don't know about it since even the Empire at the time didn't know about it. But if we can get it then we also get the testbed ship with an experimental antimatter containment system.
Yeah, I know. It's just that it's an entire species whose psychological baseline is what humans would consider narcissistic sociopathy, with a hefty dash of sadism for flavor. I know why no one has succeeded in killing them off, but I'm a bit baffled that the attempt hasn't been made more often over the millennia.
As for the black fleet the issue is its location. Like it is in the core and deep core it is far out of the way with no real direct route to it.
Do we know for sure that there's no viable route? As far as I know, no one in this time period is paying any real attention to the North-Western Core (hence why no one investigated the fact that 44 warships of the Victory-class or larger, including the Intimidator and two other ships in at least the Battlecruiser size range simply disappeared without a trace). I doubt it would be difficult to run a recovery fleet unnoticed through wild space to grab the stuff when all the other factions are paying so little attention that such a powerful battlegroup's disappearance goes almost completely uninvestigated. Even if the route is problematic, the Empire of the Hand's whole mission was to carve out an Imperial enclave in the Unknown Regions, so I'd bet we have plenty of scout ships/probes meant for charting safe hyperroutes.
We also don't know about it since even the Empire at the time didn't know about it.
We do know about it's disappearance, as does Isard (she has assumed that the fleet was destroyed). It was in one of the omakes that Demon Hunter made canon, where we got an intel brief about Black Sword Command going silent, and recommending that we send probes to investigate.
But if we can get it then we also get the testbed ship with an experimental antimatter containment system.
You must admit that you overestimated Zaarin here. Roughly speaking, the two of you do have parity in the strength of the two armadas. But while it may seem arrogant, you're far better than Zaarin when it comes to command. You know it, he knows it, and you can see his growing concern as his fleet maneuvers into a defense posture around To-phalian Base. A shame it was lost, but you have ideas on what to do next.
You already have your battle plan drawn up, despite his force of Tie Phantoms, you simply have enough starfighters and light vessels to counter them. By skirmishing and engaging in repeated starfighter duels within your ship's point defense envelopes, you can destroy his screen followed by his forces piecemeal.
Of course, there's far more you can do as well, victory isn't in question, but you find that actually capturing Zaarin might give you more of an advantage in terms of diplomacy than anything else. You can imagine he'd be rather useful to your intelligence services as Cen Kam claims that with the sheer amount of access you have, even his outdated command codes would be very useful. Not to mention his technical knowledge of the Tie Phantom.
[] Show no mercy, finish this quickly and without any risk. Massively favors your fleet.
[] Perhaps Zaarin could be useful, send a team to capture him, and ensure he survives until then. Majorly favors your fleet.
[] Perhaps you can expand your fleet with several additions, capture every ship you can in addition to Zaarin. Moderately favors your fleet.
There is also one thing you could do to improve the chances of taking Zaarin alive. While Eshu is quite the bodyguard, she was also an assassin, and you have no doubt she would be an exemplary leader of any such team to capture Zaarin. Of course, there is a small chance of her being in danger, but based on her past showings, the chance of her death is very slim.
[] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
[] Keep her by your side
[] Show no mercy, finish this quickly and without any risk. Massively favors your fleet.
[] Perhaps Zaarin could be useful, send a team to capture him, and ensure he survives until then. Majorly favors your fleet.
[] Perhaps you can expand your fleet with several additions, capture every ship you can in addition to Zaarin. Moderately favors your fleet.
One round of combat is what Thrawn expects, although based on what's against him, he thinks that he can clear half the fleet rather easily before they get a chance to realize what's going on.
Capturing seems fairly easy, and is as much a show of force as killing them all. It's typically harder to take an enemy alive than it is to kill them after all. And it won't make the new republic look at us with the "oh it's another ruthless empire warlord that will kill literally anyone they come across" and would help with out neutrality. And we can always have him executed at a later date if we need to.
Capturing seems fairly easy, and is as much a show of force as killing them all. It's typically harder to take an enemy alive than it is to kill them after all. And it won't make the new republic look at us with the "oh it's another ruthless empire warlord that will kill literally anyone they come across" and would help with out neutrality. And we can always have him executed at a later date if we need to.
Capturing seems fairly easy, and is as much a show of force as killing them all. It's typically harder to take an enemy alive than it is to kill them after all. And it won't make the new republic look at us with the "oh it's another ruthless empire warlord that will kill literally anyone they come across" and would help with out neutrality. And we can always have him executed at a later date if we need to.
Yeah, if only to give him a show trail or something, we need to show we're not Palpatine to the NR and other anti Empire policies and to our fellow warlords trying to take on a role as his successor that we can be dealt with in good faith.
[] Perhaps you can expand your fleet with several additions, capture every ship you can in addition to Zaarin. Moderately favors your fleet.
[] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
This strikes me as ideal. We need a lot of ships, and with our research into cloning tech, manning them should be easy enough.
I agree but I'd actually say put Eshu and our strike teams on the job of taking Zaarin prisoner since if he's captured that's practically a guaranteed surrender of enemy forces while not reducing our combat effectiveness through an intentional ship capture strategy. If it works, I very much look forward to using both his command codes and ours next turn.
That can also have the opposite effect. Because for any possible enemy, if we're stronger then we have more resources thus more powerful factions will target us. If we DO somehow win against a single or two more powerful factions, then that will cuase more powerful factions or increase the number of factions after us.
Yeah, I know. It's just that it's an entire species whose psychological baseline is what humans would consider narcissistic sociopathy, with a hefty dash of sadism for flavor. I know why no one has succeeded in killing them off, but I'm a bit baffled that the attempt hasn't been made more often over the millennia.
Because they have tried a large number of times. In fact the crazy crusader era of the Republic was all about wiping them out. And there have been other attempts over the rest of the time. Also the baseline is not that because the hutts like everyone else have such a wide variety of people in their species. The cartel heads which are only a very small amount of them to begin with aren't in charge of all the hutts.
Do we know for sure that there's no viable route? As far as I know, no one in this time period is paying any real attention to the North-Western Core (hence why no one investigated the fact that 44 warships of the Victory-class or larger, including the Intimidator and two other ships in at least the Battlecruiser size range simply disappeared without a trace). I doubt it would be difficult to run a recovery fleet unnoticed through wild space to grab the stuff when all the other factions are paying so little attention that such a powerful battlegroup's disappearance goes almost completely uninvestigated. Even if the route is problematic, the Empire of the Hand's whole mission was to carve out an Imperial enclave in the Unknown Regions, so I'd bet we have plenty of scout ships/probes meant for charting safe hyperroutes.
Yes because there is no hyperlanes going to the area from us. Also the area it is next to the unknown region and the normal areas also don't have hyperlanes. Trying to travel through those areas is both extremely slow and in the unknown regions extremely dangerous.
Also yes we should capture the ships and steal the Grand Admiral because he will be useful in upgrading our fighters. Instead of replacing the TIE with Avengers and Defenders, we should replace them with cheaper and more effective TIE Interceptors with shields and warhead launchers. And the Avengers, Defenders, Phantoms, blastboats/missile boat/starwings as the more experienced pilots crafts.
[X] Perhaps you can expand your fleet with several additions, capture every ship you can in addition to Zaarin. Moderately favors your fleet.
[X] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
[X] Perhaps you can expand your fleet with several additions, capture every ship you can in addition to Zaarin. Moderately favors your fleet.
[X] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
Thrawn is in not threat here that she would be able to do anything about. Keeping her does noting but waste an asset. And the Grand Admiral is a genius and the best starfighter designer around. This is the man that turned the coffin TIE series into something that does more than just swarm. The Avenger, Interceptor, Defender, Phantom, Hunter, and all the other more powerful TIE designs are all from him. Getting him will remove a lot of time and effort to our rebuilding and restructuring of the Navy especially the starfighter corps. We also need as many ships as we can get and any chance to steal them easily should be taken.
[X] Perhaps Zaarin could be useful, send a team to capture him, and ensure he survives until then. Majorly favors your fleet.
[X] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
Advent summed up everything I have to say for why I'm choosing these.
Thrawn is in not threat here that she would be able to do anything about. Keeping her does noting but waste an asset. And the Grand Admiral is a genius and the best starfighter designer around. This is the man that turned the coffin TIE series into something that does more than just swarm. The Avenger, Interceptor, Defender, Phantom, Hunter, and all the other more powerful TIE designs are all from him. Getting him will remove a lot of time and effort to our rebuilding and restructuring of the Navy especially the starfighter corps. We also need as many ships as we can get and any chance to steal them easily should be taken.
I'm willing to admit that we won't need our bodyguard here but I still don't think we should capture Zaarin after all why would he want to work for someone who destroyed his dreams of being a warlord or captured him the forced him to work on designs? Far more likely that he'll do everything in his power to sabotage such things for us and just make our life harder, I don't think he's worth the effort if that's all he does.
[X] Perhaps Zaarin could be useful, send a team to capture him, and ensure he survives until then. Majorly favors your fleet.
[X] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
[X] Perhaps you can expand your fleet with several additions, capture every ship you can in addition to Zaarin. Moderately favors your fleet.
[X] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
[X] Perhaps you can expand your fleet with several additions, capture every ship you can in addition to Zaarin. Moderately favors your fleet
[X] Send Eshu to Capture Zaarin
Even if Zaarin refuses to work with us after we capture him, he has a bunch of ships that our fleet is definitely going to need, so I say we try to gain as many of his ships as we can. Who knows, maybe our capture of Zaarin will help get his subordinates to surrender?
I'm willing to admit that we won't need our bodyguard here but I still don't think we should capture Zaarin after all why would he want to work for someone who destroyed his dreams of being a warlord or captured him the forced him to work on designs? Far more likely that he'll do everything in his power to sabotage such things for us and just make our life harder, I don't think he's worth the effort if that's all he does.
How exactly is Zaarin going to successfully sabotage anything when our intelligence network can easily discover when he does something fishy and put a stop to it? We have the best intelligence network in the whole galaxy, so I think we'd be fine so long as we have one or two of our agents keep an eye on him.
