Kativie grimaced as she clung to the controls of her X-wing, cannons blazing away seemingly of their own volition. In the Force, she could sense only herself and Kelta Rose; her eyes and the snubfighter\u2019s sensors were her warning of the dozens of Yuuzhan Vong coralskippers swarming all around them.<\/p>\n
Her astromech whistled wildly at her, but she ignored it. Her lasers flashed and the Force suggested she launch a proton torpedo; she did, her mind no longer an obstacle between what the Force told her and her own reflexes. The torpedo rode across space on a brilliant blue propellant trail, and a void sprang up to intercept it. As almost all warheads were now programmed to do, it detonated when it detected the void, spilling its energy across open space and producing far more than what the void could consume.<\/p>\n
Her lasers flashed through the explosion, and a moment later she saw the result\u2014two coralskippers, unable to see or sense her attack, had been shattered by the unseen laserfire.<\/p>\n
Normally, Kativie found a sense of peace, even enjoyment in combat. It was a form of pure release, whether it was with a lightsaber in hand or behind the controls of a starship. Now, though, she felt only sick dread.\u00a0Kelta, I can\u2019t let you die out here. You\u2019re my blood sister. Can\u2019t let you die.<\/em><\/p>\n A snap-roll and a blaze of fire sent another coralskipper cometing away on a flat trajectory\u2014either its dovin basal or its pilot was dead, and either way it was out of the fight. Even now, though, Kativie could see the coralskippers lining up to engage Kelta in her crippled E-wing, rather than the fully-capable, if aging, X-wing.<\/p>\n No, no, no!<\/em>\u00a0she screamed silently.\u00a0NO!<\/em><\/p>\n From Kelta, she felt a reassuring wave of peace. Kativie shoved it away from herself.\u00a0I won\u2019t allow her to comfort me in the moment she dies.<\/em><\/p>\n The Zabrak Jedi snarled through gritted teeth, hauling back hard on the stick to get a shot on one of the skips lining up on Kelta\u2019s E-wing. Before she could squeeze the trigger, though, she saw.<\/p>\n Turbolasers filled space around her with bloodred fire. Yelping in surprise, she rolled the X-wing out, away from the coralskippers. A glance at her monitor told her just what her astromech had been trying to tell her moments earlier, when she\u2019d elected to ignore it.<\/p>\n Wookiee battlecruisers had arrived.<\/p>\n Starfighters, a design Kativie had never seen, swooped through space, closing on the Yuuzhan Vong coralskippers. Turbolasers thundered from the Wookiee\u2019s capital ships, filling space with fire and forcing the skips to either break off their vectors on the two Jedi starfighters or be overwhelmed and destroyed. Even as she glanced at her scopes, she saw a number of Vong pilots refuse to break, and be reduced to their component atoms by overwhelming firepower.<\/p>\n She slumped in the seat of the X-wing, and only then realized her hands were shaking. \u201cArthree,\u201d she said quietly, \u201copen a comm channel with General Sanshir.\u201d<\/p>\n A green light lit up on her communication board. \u201cGeneral Sanshir to unidentified Jedi X-wing,\u201d her brother\u2019s voice called firmly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s me, big brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Kativie could hear pure relief in his tone. \u201cYou\u2019re okay? How badly did you get shot up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot bad,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know I\u2019d be arriving in the middle of a battle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich I need to get back to,\u201d the distant Halyn said. Kativie realized with a start that her sensors still showed a conflict raging around Iridonia, though she couldn\u2019t see it with the naked eye at the distance. Of course, space near her was still hot, with the Wookiee battlecruisers exchanging fire with the Yuuzhan Vong grand cruiser, though they were already pulling back.<\/p>\n \u201cHalyn,\u201d she said, \u201cyou\u2019re not going to believe who the other Jedi is here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt can wait,\u201d Halyn said quickly. \u201cJust take him to my office at the capital. I\u2019ll meet you there as soon as the battle\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2026\u201d Kativie protested, but the light on her board went out.\u00a0Fierfek. Wonder how he\u2019s going to react when he finds out it\u2019s Kelta?<\/em><\/p>\n She brought her X-wing around slowly as she searched for Kelta on her scopes. Finally locating the E-wing, she scooted in beside it and noticed to her surprise and chagrin that a half-dozen Wookiee Agr starfighters fell into a protective formation around them.<\/p>\n \u201cKelta?\u201d Kativie asked over the open channel. \u201cI talked to Halyn, and he asked me to take you to the capital. He\u2019ll meet us there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright,\u201d Kelta said, sounding even wearier than Kativie felt from the brief battle. After a pause, she asked, \u201cIs Anishor here, too?\u201d<\/p>\n Kativie paused for a moment, considering. \u201cThat would be my guess. I don\u2019t know how else Halyn would\u2019ve gotten us Wookiee battlecruisers and starfighters to defend Iridonia.\u201d<\/p>\n The two New Republic starfighters accelerated towards Iridonia, circling around the battle between the warring fleets. The Wookiee starfighters broke off once the Jedi were well clear of any potential for interception by coralskippers, returning to the battle cruisers. Even as Kativie watched, the Wookiee crafted turned away from the engagement with the Vong grand cruiser and leaped to hyperspace.\u00a0They weren\u2019t going to fight a battle they couldn\u2019t win<\/em>, she observed.<\/p>\n Iridonia grew in her canopy, and she could see the specks of light that were explosions now\u2014proton torpedoes detonating, small craft from both the Iridonian defenders and the Yuuzhan Vong exploding, laserfire exchanged with plasma balls.\u00a0It\u2019s almost beautiful from a distance<\/em>, she thought.\u00a0It would be beautiful if every one of those wasn\u2019t a life lost, a death, and a step closer to the Yuuzhan Vong invading Iridonia.<\/em><\/p>\n The very thought gripped her throat and squeezed so hard she struggled to breathe.\u00a0After all the millennia, can we keep them off our world? Or will Iridonia be nothing compared to the loss of Coruscant and the bloodbath the galaxy\u2019s already seen?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Triak Kraal was losing the battle, and he hated it.<\/p>\n The Zabrak defenders had exhibited brilliant tactics. Triak\u2019s opposite, the General Sanshir, had broken his fleet into small task forces which were refusing to stand and fight. Instead, they would isolate a single Yuuzhan Vong craft and overwhelm it with fire, then flee before other warships could pin them in place. The defenders\u2019 starfighters were wielded in numbers Triak had never even heard of during the war with the infidels\u2014whenever he thought their reserves were depleted, more would arrive or launch and tip the battle back in their favor.<\/p>\n The coralskippers were even now overwhelmed. With the yammosk too distant from the fight to coordinate properly, the numbers and tactics of the infidels were slowly eating his force away.<\/p>\n His fist smacked hard against the command throne in frustration.\u00a0And the infidel\u2019s trap is still potent.<\/em>\u00a0The craft had bristled with unliving fighters\u2014droid<\/em>\u00a0fighters, the shapers had informed him\u2014which had sprung the first ambush. It seemed to have unique defenses against the grutchin; in spite of its lack of shields and operational weapons, it had blunted that attack as well. The remaining fighters, both piloted and unpiloted, had turned away the few coralskippers he had sent to harass them.<\/p>\n And now, his\u00a0Kor Chokk<\/em>\u00a0was too distant from the battlefield to arrive in time to make a difference. He shook his head as he studied the blaze bugs.<\/p>\n \u201cYour recommendation, tactician?\u201d<\/p>\n Ret Kraal was quick in answering. \u201cThe infidels have blunted our attack,\u201d he said without preamble. \u201cShould we continue to fight, we can overwhelm the defenders\u2026but we will be too few to occupy the planet.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cThe fleet should be pulled back, and we need to regroup.\u201d He hesitated before adding, \u201cAnd we must re-evaluate the information this Nylah has given us.\u201d<\/p>\n Triak smiled now, his shredded lips stretching over his teeth. \u201cThis battle has made her more valuable to us, not less\u2026if she\u2019s trustworthy.\u201d<\/p>\n The tactician offered a frown in return. \u201cI do not understand, Commander.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cImmerse yourself in the infidel\u2019s thoughts for a moment,\u201d Triak said casually. \u201cTheir kind is not loyal. Treachery is common among them. You need look no further than the efforts of Nom Anor in stirring up trouble, or the treachery of the infidel Senator Viqi Shesh, or the Peace Brigade. Our opponent, the General Halyn Sanshir, is not foolish\u2014a fool could not have blunted our attack.\u201d<\/p>\n Ret nodded now in understanding. \u201cThe information he provided Nylah could have been a ruse to test the loyalty of his own officers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPrecisely. But now she has proven herself loyal, in his eyes\u2014we defended our flank against the attack by their allies.\u201d Triak smiled. \u201cNow, she must prove her loyalty to us. If she does, we will have a turncoat in the ranks of our enemy that we can use to slaughter them from within.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to the villip tender. \u201cBring the fleet back. Our feint is done.\u201d\u00a0No one but the gods need know that this was not a feint. The warriors may hate it, but they understand its value\u2014and by calling it a feint, they will believe they accomplished their goal. They will not accept defeat by these Zabraks.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd what,\u201d Ret asked quietly, \u201cshall we do once we\u2019ve regrouped?\u201d<\/p>\n Triak shrugged languidly. \u201cYou are the tactician. Tell me what their greatest strength is, so that we may undermine it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ret turned back to study the blaze bugs, watching the Yuuzhan Vong fleet disengage from the infidels and slowly pull back. \u201cTheir defense,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cis anchored by their two largest ships. The Zabrak general has broken his fleet into packs to hunt down and destroy our weakest ships. Yet the two largest vessels, and the one smaller,\u201d he explained, pointing to the two largest warships in orbit, \u201cdo not leave their orbit. With their overlapping fire, they can destroy any vessel the size of a matalok or smaller before it can threaten them.\u201d<\/p>\n Triak leaned forward in interest.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could overwhelm them,\u201d Ret continued, \u201cbut that would allow their hunting packs to decimate our smallest vessels.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut they must be destroyed for the defenses to be broken,\u201d Triak mused. \u201cTell me, without those ships, could their defensive fleet hold?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoubtful,\u201d Ret replied. \u201cEven the removal of one of those two vessels would open a hole in their line that they could not fill easily.\u201d<\/p>\n The Yuuzhan Vong commander watched as his vessels traded final parting shots with the Zabrak defenders. Coralskippers and starfighters disengaged, racing to their respective lines, and the two fleets parted again, leaving the Zabrak defenses intact, if not badly battered by this second engagement.<\/p>\n \u201cBring me the master shaper,\u201d he said at least. \u201cI have need of his skills.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Halyn watched as the Yuuzhan Vong withdrew, and allowed himself a small smile.\u00a0If the Vong weren\u2019t fanatical to the point of stupidity, they\u2019d probably go looking for a softer target.<\/em>\u00a0His smile faded.\u00a0Of course, we knew that going into this. The Vong will keep pushing until they either have conquered our space, or they\u2019re dead.<\/em><\/p>\n <My ships have withdrawn successfully,> Anishor rumbled. <They inflicted minor damage on the Yuuzhan Vong grand cruiser, and the Jedi have escaped.><\/p>\n The Zabrak general nodded as he watched the tactical hologram. \u201cOnce the fleet\u2019s secured, I\u2019ll need to head down to the capital to meet with them.\u201d<\/p>\n <And what after?> Anishor asked. <The Council will be asking you shortly, I\u2019m sure. They appointed you Ul\u2019akhoi; they\u2019ll want to know what plans you have in place to cover the contingencies.><\/p>\n \u201cThe less people know exactly what I have planned, the better,\u201d Halyn replied distractedly. \u201cThe Zabrak Defense Force is flexible enough to respond to whatever I need them to do.\u201d<\/p>\n <What about non-combatants? If we have to evacuate Iridonia, the Defense Force doesn\u2019t have enough ships alone to\u2026><\/p>\n \u201cThere won\u2019t be an evacuation,\u201d Halyn interrupted, turning his attention on the big Wookiee.<\/p>\n <If the Yuuzhan Vong break the defense fleet?> Anishor asked cautiously.<\/p>\n \u201cThere won\u2019t be an evacuation.\u201d The statement was bedrock firm.<\/p>\n <If they attempt to use worldshaping materials?><\/p>\n \u201cThere won\u2019t be an evacuation.\u201d<\/p>\n <If they land troops and take the capital?> Anishor persisted.<\/p>\n \u201cListen to me, Anishor,\u201d Halyn said, his voice colder than it ever was when addressing his friends. \u201cThere. Will. Be. No. Evacuation.\u201d He paused between each word, ensuring the meaning was crystal-clear, even for a warrior who did not speak Basic.<\/p>\n <What if\u2026><\/p>\n \u201cThere won\u2019t be an evacuation,\u201d Halyn hissed. \u201cSo stop thinking about it.\u201d He turned back towards the tactical hologram. \u201cBesides,\u201d he added, his voice returning to even tones, \u201cthe battle\u2019s going better than I expected right now.\u201d He shrugged. \u201cOf course, that\u2019s because I didn\u2019t expect to have the\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>\u00a0here to bolster our defenses. She\u2019s the only ship we have here that outguns the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>, and until the Vong are willing to commit everything to knocking us out of the sky, we can hold them off.\u201d<\/p>\n <And when the Yuuzhan Vong decide to destroy the defenses by climbing over their own dead?><\/p>\n Halyn\u2019s expression was grim. \u201cWe\u2019ll deal with that when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n Kryi Rinnet appeared as if by magic in front of the general. \u201cSir, the leader of the New Republic squadrons that showed up is demanding to speak to you immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPatch him through,\u201d Halyn ordered. \u201cWait. In my quarters in just a minute, please.\u201d He headed aft towards the bridge turbolift without further ado. \u201cC\u2019mon, Anishor.\u201d<\/p>\n As the turbolift descended deeper into the ship, Halyn smiled again. \u201cAt least we can be fairly certain no one on the war council is a traitor. The Yuuzhan Vong suspected a trap from your forces the entire time, even though all our high-ups believed they\u2019d been recalled to Kashyyyk.\u201d He left out the possibility of a traitor among the Wookiee armed forces; honor was rated above all, and no Wookiee would dare sell out to intergalactic invaders who\u2019d shown no honor time and again.<\/p>\n Anishor was pensive. <Are you certain, Coatrack? If I were the Vong commander, I\u2019d suspect any traitor\u2019s information until it was proven right.><\/p>\n Halyn snorted as the turbolift\u2019s doors hissed open. \u201cAnd if I were the Vong commander, I\u2019d take every opportunity I had to crush the Zabrak Defense Force. Instead he held a lot of his forces in reserve and his forward units took a beating for it. No, I\u2019m certain of my war council.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn\u2019s quarters were darkened when they stepped through, but the computer automatically brought the lights up. A moment later, the comm built into the desk chirped. Halyn stepped to it and tapped the button, setting it to speaker. \u201cThis is General Sanshir, go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHal, it\u2019s Li Coden,\u201d the veteran pilot said, his voice filled with static but still recognizable. \u201cI called to tell you that you have a traitor in your ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n Triak Kraal snarled at the villip. \u201cYou lied,\u201d he spat. \u201cThe infidel forces were lying in wait, not pulled back to defend as you told us.\u201d<\/p>\n Nylah\u2019s face twisted unreadably. \u201cThat was what General Sanshir told us,\u201d she began.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough lies!\u201d Triak interrupted. \u201cEither provide me with useful information, or I shall have your head removed from your neck.\u201d<\/p>\n The Zabrak traitor snorted disdainfully. \u201cDifficult to do through a villip, Commander,\u201d she sneered. \u201cBesides, I do have useful information.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo Jedi Knights have arrived on Iridonia. I can\u2019t imagine they won\u2019t be meeting with the General soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Triak wished for a moment he could interpret the Zabrak\u2019s facial movements. Her dark tattoos and the limitations of the villip made interpretation impossible. \u201cWhat do they want? Are the\u00a0jeedai<\/em>\u00a0coming here in force?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know their purpose yet,\u201d Nylah stated. \u201cBut I\u2019m endeavoring to find out. No doubt Sanshir will call a meeting of his war council once he knows.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cContact me only when you know the purpose of these\u00a0jeedai<\/em>.\u201d Triak inverted the villip, breaking the connection. Only then did he look at his tactician.<\/p>\n Ret was still staring at the now inactive villip. \u201cif the jeedai are coming here, it could change the balance of power in favor of the infidels,\u201d he said slowly. \u201cWith their allies from Kashyyyk and a contingent of\u00a0jeedai<\/em>, conquering the world could be beyond our grasp. Domain Kraal was devastated at Borleias, and our casualties here are mounting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour recommendation?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe must destroy the defenders here before more forces can arrive.\u201d Ret\u2019s voice was certain. \u201cWe must move quickly to remove the infidel fleet and land our forces. Once we control the planet, even the\u00a0jeedai<\/em>\u00a0will not be able to remove us.\u201d<\/p>\n Triak frowned. \u201cIf we move too hastily, we shall lose many warriors; too many, and we will be unable to take the world.\u201d He was silent for long moments, which Ret chose not to fill with any further discussion, as was fitting. \u201cWhen the master shaper has finished, we will attack, and we will sweep these metal toys from the skies.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Halyn shook his head as he and Anishor strode across the flight deck of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>. Away from the Zabrak fighter suadrons, two snubfighters bearing New Republic colors and insignia rested wearily on the deck. One of the fighters was a first-generation XJ X-wing, which had since been supplanted by the new XJ3 model. The other was far older, an old Koensayr BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighter.<\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t seen one of those,\u201d Halyn commented, \u201csince the Thrawn crisis. Hell, we don\u2019t even have any here on Iridonia.\u201d<\/p>\n <You know who has to be flying it, then.><\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d As the two approached the fighters, both cockpits slid open. The X-wing pilot slid himself out of his cockpit, holding onto the edge of it with both hands to lower himself as far as he could, dropping freely only for the last meter of the fall. Even in New Republic orange and with a concealing flight helmet, the figure was clearly male.<\/p>\n The Y-wing pilot, however, vaulted from the cockpit, using a roll to absorb the shock of falling that far, lekku flashing. A heartbeat later she was before Halyn and Anishor, and the Zabrak general found himself staring down the very intimidating barrel of a scatter pistol from a distance of three centimeters.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Abi,\u201d Halyn deadpanned. \u201cYou still haven\u2019t gotten over it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBiggest bounty I ever gave up,\u201d the Twi\u2019lek complained, and abruptly the pistol disappeared from Halyn\u2019s face.<\/p>\n The X-wing pilot joined them, pulling off his helmet to reveal a face creeping into middle age but still handsome in its way. \u201cGenerals,\u201d he greeted.<\/p>\n Instead of saluting, Halyn offered a handshake. \u201cLi Coden. I haven\u2019t seen you in years. Where have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n Li shook his hand, but his expression was grim. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re here to talk to you about.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn reflected wryly that his quarters were seeing far more use now than they ever had before. The tactical holograms he had continually relayed there made it nearly as useful as the bridge for plotting tactics and strategies during the battle thus far, and he wasn\u2019t expecting that to change. Of course, right now their discussion wasn\u2019t about the battle raging in the system; it was about treachery in the ranks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been working for New Republic Intelligence since right after the disaster at Fondor,\u201d Li said. \u201cThe Peace Brigade\u2019s profile was getting higher all the time, and they were doing some real damage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEnter a couple of old Rebels who were disillusioned with the current state of the government,\u201d Abi added, \u201cand it wasn\u2019t that hard to infiltrate the Brigade.\u201d<\/p>\n <What have you been doing inside the Peace Brigade, then?> Anishor asked.<\/p>\n \u201cGathering intelligence, mostly,\u201d Li said. \u201cNRI figured we were more useful as long-term assets than we would be if we blew our cover to stop any of the Brigade\u2019s individual plots.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn frowned. \u201cIf you\u2019re neck-deep in an infiltration, what are you doing aboard the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>? Isn\u2019t that sort of blowing your cover?\u201d<\/p>\n The Twi\u2019lek, Abi Ocopaqui, shrugged easily. \u201cThe Peace Brigade isn\u2019t exactly a military organization. They\u2019re loose enough we can occasionally slip away like this for rendezvous with New Republic agents to relay information and the like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcept I\u2019m not a New Republic agent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI noticed,\u201d Abi said dryly.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d the general repeated patiently, \u201cwhy are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n Li cleared his throat. \u201cWhen the Vong started their push on Iridonia, the Peace Brigade started looking for any members who could be useful for taking apart the defenses here. Someone inside your circle contacted the Brigade and volunteered to relay highly critical information for the war effort to the Vong. Abi and I here were assigned to, uh,escort<\/em>\u00a0the traitor to a meeting with the Vong leadership. After all, we\u2019re trusted, long-time members of the Peace Brigade,\u201d he finished with a straight face.<\/p>\n Halyn glanced at Abi. \u201cHow many Peace Brigade members have you killed to still be trusted?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFour,\u201d the blue-skinned Twi\u2019lek deadpanned.<\/p>\n <Who is this traitor?> Anishor rumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cWe weren\u2019t able to grab a holo,\u201d Li admitted. \u201cAnd we only met her at the edge of the system and brought her into the meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did she look like, then?\u201d Halyn asked impatiently.<\/p>\n \u201cLight-skinned, dark tattoos,\u201d Abi spoke up. \u201cThey were almost delicate. She had her head covered in a headwrap, though, like you used to wear back when we were all fighting the Empire. Couldn\u2019t tell you her hair color or horn pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood looking, too,\u201d Li added. \u201cShe was wearing lenses over her eyes, though\u2014don\u2019t know what her natural eye color was, but they looked purple with the lenses. She called herself \u2018Nylah,\u2019 too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCute,\u201d Halyn growled. \u201cReally cute.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cSo what you\u2019re telling me right now is that we have a traitor in our midst, but we don\u2019t have any real information on her other than dark tattoos and she\u2019s a female Zabrak.\u201d<\/p>\n <If she was wearing a headwrap,> Anishor pointed out, <she might have been a human masquerading as a Zabrak. Unless we have a full bio scan of her, it wouldn\u2019t be possible for Li or Abi to tell the difference.><\/p>\n \u201cYou could do better?\u201d Abi asked with a raised eyebrow.<\/p>\n Anishor smiled toothily and tapped his nose. <Humans and Zabraks smell differently.><\/p>\n \u201cWe do know,\u201d Halyn said, dragging the conversation back on task, \u201cthat we potentially have a traitor in our midst. If this Nylah really is one of my inner circle, that limits it down quite a ways.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cIn fact, there\u2019s only two female Zabraks on my war council that it could be\u2014Nisia Eisweep or Kryi Rinnet.\u201d<\/p>\n <Or Allanna Saret,> Anishor added.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not Allanna,\u201d Halyn stated reflexively.<\/p>\n The big Wookiee studied the Zabrak leader intently. <You seem rather certain of that.><\/p>\n Halyn shook his head, avoiding his old friend\u2019s too-perceptive gaze. \u201cThree potentials, then,\u201d he said. \u201cAssuming it\u2019s someone who really is in my inner circle, and it isn\u2019t someone doing something cute or clever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, which one do I shoot first?\u201d was Abi\u2019s question.<\/p>\n \u201cNone of them.\u201d Halyn\u2019s expression hardened. \u201cKryi Rinnet is my starfighter operations coordinator, and I can\u2019t just yank her out and replace her with one of you\u2014there\u2019s enough grumbling as it is about the number of non-Zabraks who are participating as officers and commanders in the defense. Nisia Eisweep is only acting as an advisor right now, but I\u2019m going to need her within the week, I\u2019d guess, for some, um,\u00a0unusual<\/em>\u00a0operations. Allanna Saret is commanding the second-largest warship in the Zabrak Defense Force.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we get some evidence, and\u00a0then<\/em>\u00a0I shoot just one,\u201d Abi suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you never did tell me,\u201d Halyn said, changing subjects, \u201cwhy exactly you broke cover to give me this information. Couldn\u2019t you have relayed it through New Republic intelligence?\u201d<\/p>\n Li and Abi exchanged glances, and it was Li who spoke up to explain. \u201cWith the fall of Coruscant, our chain of command has sort of evaporated,\u201d the veteran said uneasily. \u201cHal, there\u2019s no one left out there for us to report to. Near as I can tell, our controller died during the battle there, and all our backup contacts haven\u2019t responded. New Republic Intel\u2019s headquarters on Coruscant is now likely buried under tons of yorik coral, and frankly, this was too important to sit on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo now what?\u201d Halyn asked. \u201cYou\u2019ve got me the information, and now you\u2019re heading back to the Brigade?\u201d<\/p>\n Li shook his head. \u201cWe, uh, sort of had to shoot a few people to get access to ships. And we weren\u2019t able to keep it quiet.\u201d He cast a significant glance at Abi.<\/p>\n \u201cNot my fault the second one started screaming,\u201d was all the Twi\u2019lek would say.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019d you pick up the squadron, if you were in deep cover?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA couple of them are Peace Brigaders who grew a brainstem,\u201d Li said. \u201cMost of them were strays we picked up when we tried to make it to Coruscant and found the disaster there. We pulled them together, swung out to a smuggling hole Abi knew about to refuel and regroup, and decided on a course of action. They\u2019ve actually been hanging out on the extreme fringe of the system while Abi and I were in deep cover meeting this Nylah, just waiting for our signal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re with us for the duration?\u201d<\/p>\n Both the old veterans nodded. \u201cUntil we get orders from someone in our chain of command, we\u2019re all yours.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn nodded. \u201cI can use you. Do you have a name for your squadron?\u201d When both shook their heads, the Zabrak smiled. \u201cYou\u2019re now Grey Squadron, and I\u2019ll be tapping you as a backup for special operations. My other unit in that role is Skifter Squadron, under Lenn Kaman. I know I had you flying together, but I\u2019ll introduce you in person.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat will you have us doing?\u201d Abi asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever\u2019s necessary, just like the old Grey.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Li and Abi nodded in understanding. Halyn\u2019s original Grey had been a unit during the Galactic Civil War and had never officially existed. Unofficially, the members of the Grey were a diverse group who had tested new starfighter tactics and modifications, raided Imperial outposts that Alliance High Command had deemed off-limits for one reason or another, and generally acted as much like pirates as they did like Alliance officers. The Grey had definitely made a difference in the war however, overthrowing several Imperial governors and stabilizing several Alliance-friendly planetary governments under the thumb of the Empire.<\/p>\n \u201cSo what\u2019s the plan for the defense?\u201d Li asked, switching to the most important military matters at hand.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to defend Iridonia.\u201d Halyn\u2019s tone was flat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a military genius,\u201d Abi commented dryly, \u201cbut even I had figured that out. I think the question was more along the lines of\u00a0how<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn gestured at the tactical displays. \u201cWe\u2019ll continue to rely on our basic strategy. The\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0and the\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>\u00a0will continue to anchor our defensive line. Until the Vong commit their grand cruiser, they can\u2019t dislodge us from orbit\u2026unless they\u2019re willing to sacrifice most of their light cruisers. And doing that will mean we\u2019ll wind up with a substantial edge in firepower, which means their ability to maintain a secure orbit around Iridonia will be tenuous at best.\u201d<\/p>\n <And when they commit the grand cruiser?> Anishor asked. <Even the cruisers I brought from Kashyyyk can\u2019t go to guns with it and win.><\/p>\n \u201cThen we kill it, too.\u201d Halyn\u2019s expression held a trace of a smirk, and the gleam in his eye was pure pirate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Rutian Twi\u2019lek named Sandarie had suffered hardship in her lifetime. From her youth as a slave, to an agent for the Rebellion\u2014watching the deaths of many of her friends\u2014to the relative peacetime of the New Republic, and now the two years of warfare against the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong, she had watched many friends pass out of her life. Beings she had known had been killed or enslaved. She had seen more violence than any sentient should be allowed. She had, on occasion, taken lives as well, though she had never really found peace with it, like her surviving friends had.<\/p>\n Which, of course, was why she was furious with her husband.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ryian, I\u2019m not going to leave,\u201d she said, her tone sharp.<\/p>\n The Corellian captain of the\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>\u00a0let out a long-suffering sigh. \u201cSandi, you know how badly the war has gone up to this point. You\u2019ve seen how many people have been killed. I don\u2019t want you to be one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to run away and hide,\u201d the Twi\u2019lek insisted. \u201cSome of my oldest friends are here\u2014I\u2019ve known Halyn and Anishor longer than I\u2019ve known you. They\u2019re in the thick of it, and so are you. I\u2019m\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryian Coron threw up his hands. \u201cWhat are you going to do here, then? Are you going to take command of a ship, or fly a starfighter? Do you want someone to get killed looking after you, when you\u2019re not fighting yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n It was the wrong thing to say. The Twi\u2019lek\u2019s voice dropped in tone and pitch, becoming very cold and deliberate. \u201cI\u2019ll get off the\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>, then, since you don\u2019t want me here. But I\u2019m not leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSandi\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t\u00a0Sandi<\/em>\u00a0me,\u201d she said, her voice still low and deliberate. \u201cI\u2019ll take my freighter and head down to Rak\u2019Edalin, so I\u2019m conveniently out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSandi\u2026\u201d Ryian tried again, but it was to no avail. The doors to his quarters hissed shut as the Twi\u2019lek, still beautiful twenty years after they\u2019d married, stomped away. For a brief moment, Ryian considered calling the hangar bay to deny her freighter clearance to launch.\u00a0No, that wouldn\u2019t end well<\/em>, he decided.\u00a0She won\u2019t leave the system. At least in Rak\u2019Edalin, she\u2019ll be out of the way. There\u2019s no way the General will let the Yuuzhan Vong anywhere near the capital of Zabrak space.<\/em><\/p>\n Far below in one of the military hangars skirting Rak\u2019Edalin, two starfighters with New Republic insignia rested on their skids. Zabrak repair crews swarmed over both fighters, repairing heavy damage to both, refueling the craft, and topping off the tibanna gas essential to the weapon systems. The E-wing had taken the worst of the damage, though the X-wing had definitely been battered by combat against Yuuzhan Vong coralskippers.<\/p>\n All of that went unnoticed by the pilots of both craft.<\/p>\n Kelta Rose and Kativie Lusp clung tightly to each other. \u201cIt\u2019s been far too long,\u201d Kelta said at last, and their hug loosened.<\/p>\n The Zabrak woman, substantially shorter than Kelta, nodded and smiled. \u201cWith the war on, well, there hasn\u2019t been a lot of time for socializing.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelta shook her head, her long red braids falling over her shoulders freely, having been loosened from the confinement of her flight helmet. \u201cNo\u2026and with the way the war has gone, I didn\u2019t know if I\u2019d ever get to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n Kativie smiled. \u201cI didn\u2019t doubt that,\u201d she said. \u201cHow is Adreia?\u201d<\/p>\n The older Jedi couldn\u2019t hide her reaction as the blood drained from her face. \u201cI haven\u2019t heard from her since Coruscant fell,\u201d Kelta managed at last.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Kativie said in equally hushed tones. \u201cI didn\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s okay.\u201d Kelta forced her fears down.\u00a0I don\u2019t have time to worry about Adreia. She\u2019s a Jedi Knight in her own right; she can take care of herself. I made sure of that.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cHow long have the Yuuzhan Vong been here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n Kativie\u2019s face was grim. \u201cThey arrived here on the heels of our fleet. Halyn had led a Zabrak task force to help defend Coruscant, and he barely had time to return here and get positioned before the Vong arrived. So far, he\u2019s been holding them off, but I don\u2019t know how long he can manage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he was responsible for the Zabrak military forces disappearing from the New Republic all over the galaxy?\u201d<\/p>\n Kativie nodded. \u201cI\u2019m surprised the Council let him get away with it\u2014the authority to do that is reserved for them. Of course, they also made him the Ul\u2019akhoi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUl\u2019akhoi? What does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n The youngest of the three Sanshir siblings paused for a moment to consider her words. \u201cThe closest concept in Basic would be \u2018Emperor\u2019 or \u2018dictator.\u2019 Right now, his word is law in Zabrak space.\u201d<\/p>\n The sheer ridiculousness of it made Kelta raise an eyebrow. \u201cYou\u2019re joking, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Kativie shook her head, her long hair whipping back and forth, concealing some of her delicate pink tattoos. \u201cIt\u2019s something the Council can do in an emergency situation. As long as the Vong are a threat to Zabrak space, Halyn has pretty much unfettered authority.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that\u2026dangerous?\u201d Kelta asked cautiously.<\/p>\n Kativie snorted. \u201cUm, do you remember how much Halyn likes command?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople change. It\u2019s been twenty years,\u201d Kelta said quietly.<\/p>\n The Zabrak Jedi studied her old friend for a long moment. \u201cYou still love him, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Kelta answered reflexively, not allowing herself to think about it. \u201cIt\u2019s been twenty years, Kat. I\u2019m over it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmmhmmm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here to meet with Halyn,\u201d Kelta said, switching topics. \u201cMaster Skywalker sent me to find out what\u2019s going on; the Zabrak squadrons are really badly needed elsewhere right now. How soon do you think I can meet with him?\u201d<\/p>\n Kativie shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be down the gravity well as soon as he can. It\u2019ll probably take some time for him to get the fleet situated and prepared for the next Vong push on the planet. He did tell me he\u2019d talk to the \u2018Jedi representative\u2019 as soon as he could manage it, though.\u201d She smiled faintly. \u201cHe still has a lot of respect for the Jedi, Kelta. Master Skywalker\u2019s Great River project was something both he and Argus agreed on whole-heartedly.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelta sighed. \u201cI\u2019m sure having a Jedi Knight for a little sister made no impact on that opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone whatsoever,\u201d Kativie deadpanned. \u201cC\u2019mon, we\u2019ll let the maintenance crews get our fighters patched up. Halyn will probably want to meet us at his office in Rak\u2019Edalin. We can catch a speeder into town and wait for him there.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kativie grimaced as she clung to the controls of her X-wing, cannons blazing away seemingly of their own volition. In the Force, she could sense only herself and Kelta Rose; her eyes and the snubfighter\u2019s sensors were her warning of … Continue reading