2405, I realized Old Ma died too early in the previous chapters
About half an hour earlier, while the two sides were locked in fierce battle, Arden Lyn and Second Sister arrived on the bridge of the Chimaera. Second Sister had not worn her helmet, instead carrying it in one hand and revealing her true face.
At that moment, Thrawn stood before the holographic tactical star map, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood straight as a compass. He issued orders to each warship with measured rhythm. His commands were clear and concise, without a single unnecessary word. Every so often, he would extend his right hand and rapidly enter several commands into the console.
All orders were carried out in an orderly fashion. His adjutant, Vos Parker, continuously sorted and filtered all kinds of battlefield intelligence for him, while relaying his combat orders.
Unlike the Kingdom of Dawn, which generally used T-series tactical robots, the Galactic Empire's command system relied primarily on manpower. They had a pyramid-like chain of command, passing combat orders down level by level. Though combat computers provided assistance, the main responsibility still lay with staff teams.
In truth, the Imperial Navy used this system partly because it was a tradition inherited from the Galactic Republic, and partly because such a command structure created more officer positions. More positions meant more room to maneuver... balancing interests, placing well-connected people, and all those problems were immediately solved.
Of course, with a truly professional staff team, this method was actually far more flexible than relying solely on robots. But most of the time, the Imperial Navy did not have such conditions.
Under Lieutenant General Thrawn's command, the Imperial fleet's defensive line stood firm as a rock. Though the battle was extremely grueling, they still held back