And one more thing became clear: for all the effort and planning behind this move, it might have been a deliberate distraction—designed to buy just enough time that, even if their real objective came to light, no one would be ready to stop it. This was the conclusion reached by think tanks and power blocs across the galaxy. They couldn't be certain, but most believed there was a better than 50 percent chance they were right.
Even with only a 50 percent probability, there was still uncertainty. Doubts lingered. Analysts couldn't say for sure whether their assessment was correct. In the past, something like this wouldn't have happened—but the confusion caused by the strategy had shaken their confidence. They couldn't be certain about anything anymore… unless the probability rose above 90 percent.
