The anger on Cress's face was evident as he walked towards what he considered would be the biggest embarrassment of his life. He had lost, that was undeniable, and in a most dishonorable way. The young man was now walking briskly through the hallways of the Chimera, Thrawn's flagship Imperial Class star destroyer.

When he finally arrived at the command post, he was greatly surprised to see that his superior was completely alone. No other officers were at his side, and only the operators who controlled the dozens of computers remained at their posts with those characteristic pointed black helmets. The stormtroopers who accompanied Cress on his journey stayed behind, and retreated once the floodgates closed. This would be a conversation solely between Thrawn and Cress, and that made the young officer quite nervous.

Thrawn: - Commander Cress... You finally arrive. -

Cress: - I apologize for the delay, Grand Admiral Thrawn. -

Thrawn: - Moff Thrawn... commander. - He said with an imposing voice.

Cress: - I... I apologize. Moff Thrawn. I had not been informed of his promotion. - A certain nervousness was already beginning to be noticed in his voice.

Thrawn: - Tell me, commander... Do you know why you are here? - Cress didn't say anything. - He knows? - His voice became dark and challenging.

Cress: - Yes... Yes... sir. -

Thrawn: - You were taken by surprise. You lost two Arquitens cruises. You let the rebel prisoners flee. And you lost forty percent of the forces, including all the fighters under your command... Tell me... How is that possible, commander? -

Cress was sweating. Nervousness and fear of consequences clearly visible on his face. The Empire was cruel and merciless even to members of its ranks. Such a defeat would be considered treason, and with any luck, he would only lose his rank and not his head. Furthermore, this... Thrawn, about whom so little was known, was a complete mystery, like a shadow that is always lurking and does not show itself until it is strictly necessary. Even many high-ranking imperials were unaware of its existence. Who was this Thrawn guy? And what confusing plans would he have in that head that is so difficult to understand?

But it was not a time for doubts. Regardless of his thoughts, Cress had to give an answer. He was his superior after all. So he took a deep breath, and spoke.

Cress: - The insurgents came out of nowhere, Moff Thrawn. We do not know how they managed to overcome the different barriers, but apparently they took the Corellian route to reach Ryloth without anyone noticing them. -

Thrawn: The Corellian route is being guarded in each sector. How is it possible that there was such a big gap? -

Cress: - We still do not know the motive, and signs of sabotage are being searched in the area. Unfortunately we haven't discovered anything yet. -

Thrawn: - Very good. Continue. -

Cress: - Most of our troops were on the ground, and since we were not expecting an attack, our cruisers did not have their shields activated. -

Thrawn: - Is he so slow that he couldn't order the shields to activate? -

Cress: - No, sir. The enemy ship left the jump about six thousand kilometers from our position. -

Thrawn: - Six thousand kilometers? That's impossible. No one would be able to make such a precise calculation. There's no way... -

Cress: - Only a machine would be able to do something like that. - Cress's interruption was not well received, but it seemed that the young man had something on his mind. -

Thrawn: - I hear you... commander. -

Cress: - This is just my assumption, but I'm sure that our enemy was none other than the super tactical droid that I found in the assault on Felucia. -

Thrawn: - May I know why you think that? -

Cress: - Their patterns are the same. A world in oppression. It appears out of nowhere and then disappears without a trace. This time only on a larger scale. We didn't have the firepower of a Munificent frigate. That... That left us at a disadvantage from the first moment. -

Thrawn looked at the young man for a few seconds, perhaps trying to find some doubt in his own words, but found nothing. Something that left him quite satisfied. The Chiss stood up, and without warning, offered the young man a datapad with some type of information, only to return to his commanding officer's seat and wait for Cress to calmly review the data.

Unfortunately Cress didn't fully understand what they were seeing. They were a series of numbers and codes, like some kind of evaluation. A list of hundreds of individuals whose names were not written, all with a huge red sign that said: "failure." Only three in total had "Successful" written above a green sign.

Cress: - Moff, I don't know what... all this is. -

Thrawn: - That... young commander, are the results of the simulations of your battle carried out by the officials of the empire. -

Crees' eyes widened at the news. His unfounded fear was transformed into an iota of confidence and self-esteem, making his lungs breathe with relief from all the weight.

Cress: - Only three victories... How...? Who is it...? - His surprise was visible.

Thrawn: - An unprecedented situation, without a doubt. To think that only Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader were the only ones capable of overcoming such a ridiculous... "test" makes me doubt the consistency of the forces of this Empire. -

Cress: - I suppose you were the third one who passed the drill and defeated the enemy forces. -

Thrawn: - Defeat...? - A very insightful question without a doubt, one that hid a certain malice behind a barely perceptible smile. - No, my young friend. The goal of the simulation was to keep Ryloth under Imperial control, not to exterminate the aggressors. -

Had Cress heard correctly? Was no officer of the Galactic Empire capable of doing what he achieved? How is that possible? His esteem for the strength of his much-loved empire received a strong shake and threatened to collapse.

Thrawn: - That's right, Commander Cress. - The words of the joke took him out of his thoughts. - You have done something... worthy of admiration... despite your young age and little experience. -

Cress was about to puff out her chest with pride, but Thrawn wouldn't allow it, at least not in her presence.

Thrwan: - However... a defeat is a defeat, and must be penalized as such... From this moment on he is no longer in command of his cruiser Arquitens. -

Cress: - But... But... - Her voice trembled at the news.

Thrawn: - But, this is a whim of mine more than anything else. Commander Cress! - His voice became strong and authoritative, making the young man stand at attention immediately.

Cress: - Yes, sir. - Words that came out of his mouth almost by instinct.

Thrawn: - From now on you will be recognized as Admiral Cress, and you will be assigned a new command ship. That's all. An officer is waiting for you on the landing deck. That's all. You can leave now. -

The young man had no idea how to react, and they spent several seconds standing still in front of his superior without even letting out a breath. I was shocked.

Thrawn: - Any questions, admiral? -

Cress: - N... No, Moff Thrawn. -

Thrawn: - Good. Now leave. -

Cress turned around without losing his military pose, and was about to leave the Chimera's command bridge, when Thrawn's voice interrupted him once again.

Thrawn: - I expect a lot from you... Admiral. Don't fail again. -

His words were a mix between praise and threat, something that shook the nerves and relaxed them at the same time. The Chiss's gaze was piercing as a rapier, and its red eyes seemed to be those of the wielder of the dark side itself. Still... there seemed to be some love and kindness in them. A very strange being without a doubt.

Cress's words would not be able to answer such praise-threat, but her determination. The newly appointed Admiral made the sole of his shoe roar loudly as he turned around, and his right hand greeted his superior in an energetic and biting manner. It was all I had to express. Then he turned around and left, leaving a pleased smile on Thrawn's face. That young man promised a lot.

Cress walked through the halls of the Chimera, still stunned by the news and the sudden promotion. The fact that Thrawn had broken some protocols worried him, but the Chiss was someone so mysterious, he wouldn't be surprised if he had much more influence in the Empire than Cress believed.

The young Admiral arrived at the hangar, where there was indeed an officer waiting for his arrival and a T-4a shuttle waiting for him. Cress entered the interior of the ship, but preferred to ignore the security measures and stand behind the pilots to get a good look at their new flagship as it approached.

In Moff Thrawn's fleet there were many ships at his disposal. They will surely assign you another Arquitens cruiser, one more modern or with improved weapons. Or maybe a larger ship, but his eyes widened as he saw where the shuttle was headed.

The ship in question was none other than an Imperial Class Star Destroyer. A massive combat beast over a mile long, armed to the teeth and with a carrying capacity of 36,000 metric tons and a troop transport never before seen in the galaxy.

Cress couldn't believe her eyes until the shuttle landed inside the battleship. Only then did he come out of the state of shock he was in, as he felt the ship's moorings attach to the landing hangar. The T-4a's landing ramp slowly opened, as white decompression smoke escaped from the ship's ducts and obstructed its view.

Cress walked along the platform and descended slowly, with her hands behind her back hiding her nervousness, something she liked to imitate from the Grand Moff Tarkin whom she admired so much. But not even that could prevent him from being shocked when he could appreciate what his eyes revealed.

Officer: - ATTENTION! OFFICER ON DECK! -

BAM. The thousands of soles at the same time shook the interior of the battleship. The entire division was awaiting the arrival of the admiral and commanding officer. To his right, a massive squadron of stormtroopers rose like a white tide of lethal force, symbolically accompanied by four AT-ST walkers.

To its left, an oil slick of equal size, occupied by the thousands of crew members and officers in charge of the battleship's operations. All firm in a perfect rectangular formation with millimeter precision.

Cress already knew the protocol. He had been a part of the formations all his life, but he did not expect to be the result of such a ceremony so early in his life. Their steps hesitated for a second, but soon they risked walking forward, passing in front of every soldier, technician, officer, medic or any crew member on board.

Officer: - GREETINGS! -

Everyone raised their hands at his passing in a military salute. And behind them, if you were perceptive enough, you could hear the Imperial March in the background.

https://youtu.be/-bzWSJG93P8

Cress walked accompanied by two officers to the elevators, which would take him directly to the command post. Once inside, he slowly approached the officer in charge's chair and looked at it in detail. It looked very comfortable and tempted one to sit down. His officers could already see him speculating about his prowess in battle and see him becoming a pompous officer. But not Cress.

The young Admiral left his corresponding chair behind and walked along the platform that stood above the different computers that operated the entire ship. His two officers looked surprised, and had to hurry to catch up with him. Cress stopped right in the middle, where the command post hatches allowed him a 180° view forward. The view of a commanding officer.

Cress: - Prepare engines and adjust everything. We will leave immediately. -

Officer 1: - My lord, we will be ready to leave in thirty minutes. -

Cress: - Good. Contact your superiors and ask where our presence is required. -

Officer 1: - Right away, admiral. -

Officer 2: - Admiral. Maybe I should name the ship. Now that it is your flagship it should have a name that represents you. -

Cress: - I find that suggestion somewhat... unnecessary. But I understand your reasons after all. -

Cress closed her eyes and thought about it for a few seconds. Something that represented it? I didn't see a logical answer to that. Still, he understood its meaning, and above all, its meaning to himself.

He would be the most important officer in the Empire. It was his main goal and his reason for existing. What guided his steps. Their flagship had to be a representation of that, and there was a name that would be ideal for it. A name that inspired terror just ten years ago, and even the most experienced officers of the empire feared upon hearing it.

Cress: - "Malevolence" -