Booster smiled coldly. "I thinkno, I knowshe's not going to get her wish. Her
fall will not be fast, and it won't be bloodless, but it's coming. Count it as
fact."
Tapper raised his hands. "Sorry, I meant no offense."
"And none was taken." Mirax patted her father on the arm and felt the tension
begin to flow out of him. "My father just wanted to make sure that you knew
betting against Wedge was a mistake."
Karrde pressed his hands flat against his desktop. "A lesson we have all
learned, I am certain. Now let us attend to the details that make sure we all
profit from it."
23
Corran Horn felt tired enough from the recent raid and run home that he knew he
should just turn in, but the idea of hitting the small suite of rooms he shared
with Mirax didn't appeal. On his approach back to the Yag'Dhul station he'd
gotten a message she'd recorded saying she was taking her father out on another
trip to finalize arrangements for supply shipments. She expected to be gone for
three days.
Which means I'm alone when I could use a good hug and some sympathy. Corran knew
what was happening to him, and he wanted to fight against it, but even by trying
some of the breathing exercises Luke Skywalker had recommended to him, he had a
hard time putting a dent in his downward emotional spiral. It's like flying into
a fireball. You have to hang on and hope you come out in one piece on the other
side.
The fourth anniversary of his father's death had snuck up on Corran and ambushed
him. A lot of hydrogen had been melted into helium in a lot of stars since his
father's death, but the memory of holding his father's dead body in his arms had
the immediacy of an event that had occurred moments before. Corran could still
feel his father's weight pressing
against him. The man's stillness, the stink of blood and blaster-burned flesh,
the screams of those in the cantina, including his own, all pounded in on him.
The previous year, things had not seemed to be so bad to him, but he'd just
started with Rogue Squadron at that time, so he had a legion of distractions to
dull the pain. He also realized that his liaison with Mirax and meeting her
father made it tougher on him. Though he loved her and wouldn't give her up for
anything, Corran couldn't help feeling that his father would have felt betrayed
by his love for Mirax. While he knew his father would have accepted her
eventually, the fact that he didn't have his father's approval gnawed away at
him.
Getting to see Booster and Mirax together compounded the problem. Corran was
happy for Mirax that her father was around because the love they shared was
obvious enough that a blind Givin frozen in carbonite could have seen it. She
was lucky to have her father, and he was equally lucky to have her. As much as
Corran wanted Mirax to be happy, what she shared with her father reminded him of
what he had lost. / thought the void inside me had been filled, but it bad just
scabbed over and is now plenty open.
On top of that, the next step in the evolution of the Bacta War was pushing him
to the limit. Wedge had teams, from full squadrons down to single two-ship
flights out harassing the Bacta Cartel. The whole strategy was to hit and run,
which worked exceedingly well. Because the Thyferrans scheduled their bacta
shipments it was possible for the Rogues to show up, force the Star Destroyers
to scramble their fighters, pop off some proton torpedoes to take out a few
TIEs, then scatter. He knew the strategy had to be frustrating for Iceheart's
people, since they were taking losses here and there without killing any of the
Rogues; but it wasn't much better for Corran or the rest of Wedge's people.
Engaging in a straight-up fight with even a Victory-class Star Destroyer like
the Corrupter would be suicide for a squadron of X-wings. It was true that the
large Star Destroyers were not particularly good at defending themselves
against snubfightershence the development of the Lancer-
class frigatesbut even accidentally shooting down one or two X-wings would hurt
the Rogues significantly. Conversely, aside from repeated proton torpedo
salvos, there was no way snubfighters could cripple or destroy a Star
Destroyer. If the whole squadron fired a salvo of torpedoes at the same time,
they could certainly bring the Star Destroyer's shields down, but any captain
worth his rank cylinders would roll the ship to present undamaged shields and
keep shooting. If all his shields were stripped away he could still go to
lightspeed before another torpedo could hit.
Corran had no wish to commit suicide in an attack on a Star Destroyer, but
cutting and running made him feel . . . criminal. He knew that was stupid, but
he figured the judgment was based in the fact that Wedge hadn't given anyone a
clear timetable concerning when they would move into the war's final phasethe
phase where Iceheart left Thyferra and the Bacta Cartel would be broken. If I
knew how long we were going to run, I could see it as a tactical advantage.
Right now it seems as if we're doing something so we won't be doing nothing.
Realizing he had no desire to be alone, he headed for the tapcaf known as
Flarestar. He hoped other members of the squadron would be there, though the
chances of that were sum. Ooryl seemed to spend most of his time with the
ruet-savii. Nawara Ven and Rhysati as well as Gavin and Asyr Sei'lar spent most
of their time being couples. Tycho and Wedge were either on missions or planning
yet other missions. Bror Jace and Corran had never been close, while Inyri
Forge and the Sullustan Captain Aril Nunb had discovered they shared a passion
for obscure games of chance like contract sabacc and double-draw fendoc. As
stunning as they were as pilots, their ability to separate other gamblers from
their credits was so remarkable that two of the ships in the Rogues' growing
collection of freighters had joined the fleet to pay off bad debts.
Corran smiled to himself as he entered the Flarestar's darkened interior.
Inyri's sister Lujayne would fust tell me I was holding myself back from getting
to know the others, but I'm not sure it's that simple. I'm just without my close
friendsMirax, Iella, Ooryland not really of a mood to make new friends.
"Corran! Corran Horn, come on over here."
Corran's smile grew at the sound of the man's voice. "Pash? What are you doing
here?" He cut between and around tables and gave the taller, slender man a
friendly, back-slapping hug. "Normally you aces fly your A-wings through this
system so fast I didn't think you even saw us here."
Pash pulled a chair over for Corran, then pointed at one of the quartet of
pilots already seated at the table. "Linna caught an unstart in one of her J-77
engines just as we swung through the fringes of Yag'Dhul's atmosphere. We called
in an emergency and put into the station here. Zraii said he can fix it uplooks
like a micrometeorite chewed up the alluvial compressor."
Corran nodded. "That blows the pressure in the reaction chamber, and the engine
pops out of synch with its twin. X-wing's damper system prevents that from
happeni
ng."
Linna, a blond woman with a mouth just a bit too wide, snorted. "Sure, if you
want to be piloting something that shou ld be in a museum. Speed is what will
keep a pilot safe and the A-wing has plenty of speed to burn."
Corran looked at Pash. "You let your pilots talk like that?"
The red-haired man shrugged. "Children. What can I do?"
"You can explain to them that going faster doesn't mean they're flying better."
Linna and the other three A-wing pilots regarded Corran as if he and Pash had
just taken public loyalty oaths to the Emperor. "If you can't handle the speed,
you're not much of a pilot."
Corran shook his head. "Pash, you were just hoping I would walk in here, weren't
you?"
Pash laughed lightly. "Actually I was waiting for Wedge or Tycho, but I figured
you'd be up to the challenge. I know you know of times when speed wouldn't have
helped at all."
Corran nodded. "Or hurt."
"Sure, as if such a time could exist." Linna grabbed a half-full pitcher of
Lomin-ale, filled her mug, and topped it with foam. "Speed can't hurt."
"Oh, the innocence of youth." Corran took the mug from in front of her and blew
off the foam. "Let me tell you about this time we were on a mission and we got
jumped by a Lancer-class frigate. If I'd been in an A-wing, well, Rogue Squadron
would have a lot more dead on its rosters and Isard would still own Coruscant .
. ."
Though he knew the news he had would make Ysanne Isard happyin and of itself a
feat worthy of monumentsFliry Vorru kept any sign of it from his face as he
entered her office. He intended to surprise her so he could gauge her
disposition. The weather becoming hotter and the inclusion of daily rainstorms
that hit in the early afternoon had combined with the pressure from Ashern
strikes to make Isard more than disagreeable.
Antilles and his antics had further exacerbated the problem. Their hit-and-run
tactics were costing the cartel in both credits and prestige. Each raid cost the
cartel one or two TIE fighters, which really amounted to insignificant losses,
if someone had access to a TIE fighter production facility. Sienar Fleet Systems
had numerous starfighter factories scattered throughout the galaxy, but they
neglected to put one here, on Thyferra. As a result, the cartel had to trade for
replacements with the likes of Supreme Warlord Harssk and High Admiral Teradoc.
They gratefully accepted bacta in return for the fighters, but the scorn that
came with each delivery could drive Isard into furious tantrums.
When Isard turned to look at him and smiled, Fliry Vorru felt something cold and
serpentine slither through his abdomen. "Ah, Minister Vorru, do come in. I was
hoping we would have a chance to speak, and here you arrive before I need send
for you."
Glad he had saved himself from being summoned, Vorru nodded graciously and
returned a smile of his own. "I have information I think you will find useful
and even pleasing."
Isard's scarlet diaphanous outfit rustled as she took a seat in a high-backed
chair. "Good news is most welcome, Minister Vorru. Would you be seated?
Refreshment?"
There is something going on here I do not understand. Have the Ashern poisoned
her somehow? "Perhaps I will give you my report and you'll have a chance to
reconsider your offer, Madam Director."
Isard's eyes widened. "You can't think me so capricious that I could rescind my
offer because you've overestimated what you want to tell me, can you?" She waved
away any reply before he'd even made an attempt to open his mouth. "My news is
good enough to make me offer you something to drink. Give me your news, then you
shall have mine and you can see if you want to drink with me."
/ knew one of us would be surprised here, but I didn't expect it would be me. He
nodded slowly. "As you will, Madam Director. Our main problem in dealing with
Antilles and his people is that they are striking at us and running quickly
because there is nothing to hold them back. They have no attachments to the
systems they are hitting. We arrive, they launch proton torpedoes or concussion
missiles, then they scatter like shrapnel from a proton mine."
Isard nodded, her smile not having shrunk a millimeter. "This has been the
course of things to this point. I trust you have found a way to change this."
"Two aspects of it, yes." Vorru lifted his chin. "My network of spies has begun
to produce information. I have yet to find out what the location of Antilles's
base is. He and his people are being very cautious, but I have no doubt we will
discover it in time. Until then I have uncovered two very important pieces of
information Where they are getting their munitions and, more to the point,
where the next shipment will be placed in the hands of the Antilles group."
"Really?"
The hint of falsetto in her voice didn't escape Vorru, but he did not consider
it important at the moment. "It is true, Madam Director. A woman working for
Talon Karrde had previously been employed by Jabba the Hutt. Subsequent to his
death she spent a couple of years in abject poverty on
Tatooine. Karrde took her in and has helped her get back on her feet, but her
taste for fine things has never been satisfied nor has her ambition. Karrde
appointed her to liaise with the Antilles peopleBooster Terrik, in factan old
friend from Kessel."
"Fascinating. Karrde's name is not unknown to me, though I would not have
thought his organization of sufficient size to meet Antilles's needs."
prefers to maintain a low profile to escape trouble with authorities. Booster
Terrik placed a huge order for munitions and equipment, which Karrde is meeting
in installments. Karrde's people are shipping the supplies to a rendezvous
point, then Terrik is taking them back to Antilles's headquarters."
Isard sat forward. "Does Carniss know where that is?"
"No, but I have been given the location of the rendezvous point. They will be
making the transfer in the Alderaan system."
"They probably draw some sort of ephemeral strength from visiting the site of
Alderaan's sacrifice."
"Undoubtedly so, Madam Director. What is important is that Antilles will have
his fighters and his freighters there. If we divert our warships to Alderaan we
can ambush the Antilles group and destroy them."
Isard's eyes narrowed, but her smile did not die and this contradiction confused
Vorru. "No, Minister Vorru, I'm not going to send all my ships in case this
information is false. I don't doubt you or your source, but Antilles might catch
wind of our ambush and refuse to show up. He could even hit a bacta convoy and
subject us to yet more ridicule. No, I won't have that."
She held up her right index finger. "I do know what I will do. I will send
Convarion and the Corrupter. He's ambushed them once and can do it again."
Vorru shook his head. "But if you only send the Cor-rupter, Antilles and his
people will scatter as usual. We will accomplish nothing."
"No, Vorru, we will accomplish everything." Isard
laughed aloud, he
r voice full of triumph. "While you have woven a net of spies
to catch Antilles, I have been searching for the means to kill him. I have found
it, and in twelve hours it will be here and ready to join Convarion as he goes
for the kill."
Vorru frowned. "I don't understand."
"It is rather simple, Minister Vorru." Isard's smile became cold. "At great
expense I have leased from High Admiral Teradoc a ship, the Aggregator."
Vorru's jaw dropped. "An Interdictor Cruiser."
"Exactly." She clapped her hands together. "When it arrives at Alderaan and
powers up its gravity well projectors, Antilles and his ships will be trapped.
There will be another sacrifice at Alderaananother victory there for the Empire
to celebrate. What do you say to that?"
"I say, Madam Director, I will accept that drink you offered"Vorru smiled"and
raise a toast to victory."
24
Wedge's X-wing reverted to realspace above the plane of the elliptic in the
Alderaan system. Spread out in a flat disk, the rubble that had once been
Alderaan looked like the crumbs left behind after the cutting of a ryshcate. He
slowly shook his head. Dying only once isn't nearly enough punishment for the
Emperor to atone for this evil.
Mynock beeped with each ship entering the system. The Rogues in their X-wings
had come in first and oriented themselves toward the Graveyard. The most likely
threat to them would come from there, from pirates or others hidden amid the
debris. Some of the chunks are large enough to screen even a Star Destroyer. If
there was one there, the plan was clean and simple The X-wings would target it
with a full salvo of proton torpedoes, giving the other ships a chance to run.
The dozen freighters Booster had rounded up came in next with the Pulsar Skate
in the lead. Moments after reversion they made course corrections to get
themselves pointed toward their exit vectors. The Chir'daki came in last and
split their squadron up so each freighter had a fighter escort. If trouble
erupted, the Twi'lek and Gand squadron could reas-
semble and screen the escaping freighters from any TIEs or other snubfighters,
then head out themselves.
Wedge glanced at his screen and saw the names of the various ships in his fleet
scroll up. Green letters indicated they were all set to fulfill their part in