{"id":85,"date":"2012-03-21T12:00:32","date_gmt":"2012-03-21T18:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/?p=85"},"modified":"2012-03-18T20:03:00","modified_gmt":"2012-03-19T02:03:00","slug":"the-new-jedi-order-siege-shattered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/?p=85","title":{"rendered":"The New Jedi Order: Siege – Shattered"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0rocked with fire as another squadron of coralskippers raked plasma across her bow. A trio of X-wings rocketed past the bridge in hot pursuit, the lead fighter spraying stutterfire at the skips while the other two members of the shield trio fired full-power blasts, decimating the Yuuzhan Vong fighters.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneral,\u201d a voice spoke directly in Halyn\u2019s ear. \u201cI\u2019ve got something\u2026strange.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn turned his full attention to the voice. \u201cGo ahead, Saret.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allanna Saret\u2019s voice was calm from her station aboard the\u00a0Cyclone<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019ve got three small Vong transports that have cut around the battle and have inserted themselves into an orbit between the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0and Iridonia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn frowned, more at the splash of plasma across the bridge\u2019s transparisteel viewport than at Allanna\u2019s statement. \u201cWe\u2019re a bit busy here and I can\u2019t spare any of our screen. Can you detach a squadron from your escort to intercept before they make planet fall?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just it. They\u2019re not trying to make planet fall. They\u2019re staying directly between the Cathleen and Iridonia.\u201d Allanna\u2019s voice had a shade of strain in it. \u201cI\u2019ve already dispatched my Black Squad to investigate, but the Vong are throwing a lot of skips at them to keep them away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for the information. Pull your squad back, Saret.\u201d Halyn closed his eyes. \u201cKeep your eyes peeled for anything else out of place. Sanshir out.\u201d Without waiting for acknowledgement, Halyn glanced down at the control board on his command chair and switched channels. \u201cSanshir to Grey Leader. You there?\u201d<\/p>\n

The familiar voice of Li Coden filled his ear. \u201cGrey Leader here, go ahead Sanshir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLi, we\u2019ve got a couple of Vong transports sitting between us and the planet, and the Vong really don\u2019t want us near them. I need you to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty hot right now, boss. Do you want us to pull off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAffirmative, find out what\u2019s going on. This is top priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the tactical hologram filling a large portion of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u2019s bridge, he spotted the small triangle shaded grey break off and head back towards the Cathleen at approximately the full speed of an E-wing starfighter.\u00a0C\u2019mon, Li. If anyone can break through that screen, it\u2019s you.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Greys never had a chance to try.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0shuddered heavily, in spite of the massive inertial compensators protecting the crew. Several officers who were standing were sent flying to the deck or splayed across consoles at the mighty Star Cruiser\u2019s buffeting. \u201cReport!\u201d Halyn shouted.<\/p>\n

The young Zabrak girl operating the sensors station looked up with fear in her eyes. \u201cSir, there\u2019s a massive gravity well nearby, and it\u2019s drawing us in!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, Ensign.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a long moment of silence as the officer rechecked her sensors. \u201cSir, it looks like the Vong are generating voids between us and Iridonia. We\u2019re being pulled towards the planet!\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0Those transports.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cFind me those dovin basals, Ensign. The Vong must\u2019ve dropped them from those transports that circled the combat zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, I have them now. Feeding them to the weapons crews.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you. Helm, bring us to port\u2026\u201d he glanced at the tactical display, \u201ceighty degrees. All starboard weapons, continue concentrating on the Yuuzhan Vong warship formation. Port weapons lock onto the dovin basals and fire when ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mighty Star Cruiser rotated in space, turbolasers blazing in both directions. The sensor officer shook her head. \u201cNo change, sir. We\u2019re still being drawn in. We have less than a minute until we\u2019re too deep into Iridonia\u2019s gravity well to get back out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGrey Leader,\u201d Halyn said into his comm headset. \u201cYou still there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to orbit when those voids started popping,\u201d Li\u2019s voice came tensely. \u201cWhat do you need us to do, boss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee if you can get in there and light up those dovin basals. I\u2019d guess they\u2019ve got multiple stuck in some coral pods\u2014they\u2019ve got enough power to take our shots and still pull us down. If you can get around the other side, maybe we can take them down with a crossfire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVectoring now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The indicator for Grey Squadron, which Halyn had lost in the scramble, now was accelerating at an oblique angle towards the dovin basals\u2019 location. Just as quickly, the coralskippers that had previously been escorting the transport turned and threw themselves at the Iridonian starfighters. \u201cPort turbolasers!\u201d Halyn bellowed above the din of the bridge, \u201clay down suppressing fire on those skips! If the Greys don\u2019t get through, we\u2019re all dead!\u201d<\/p>\n

The weapons officer shouted acknowledgement, and a moment later the turbolasers opened up with a withering barrage against the Vong starfighters. Still the coralskippers came, even as their numbers dwindled, determined to delay Coden\u2019s starfighters.<\/p>\n

A quarter of the skips still remained as they reached engagement range, forcing the turbolasers to break off or risk a friendly fire accident. \u201cLi,\u201d Halyn said tensely, \u201cyouhave<\/em>\u00a0to get through, or we\u2019re dead up here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger,\u201d was the only reply. On the tactical display, the skirmish was too tightly-packed to get a clear reading, but abruptly a trio of E-wings broke away from the fight at a full sprint, vectoring towards the dovin basals again. The coralskippers were caught flat-footed by the escapees, unable to disengage from the rest of the veteran pilots as they fought for local supremacy, and for their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurbolasers, target the dovin basals and fire,\u201d Halyn snarled. \u201cSensors, what\u2019s our status?\u201d
\n\u201cThe dovin basals are falling into the atmosphere now, sir,\u201d came the ensign\u2019s fear-stricken voice. \u201cWe\u2019re almost at the point of no return.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shield trio reached the dovin basals and opened fire from an oblique angle. \u201cKeep up the fire,\u201d Halyn said through gritted teeth. \u201cGreys, pelt those things with torpedoes, lasers, your astromechs if that\u2019s what it takes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Anticlimatically, one of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u2019s heavy turbolasers punched through the void defenses around the Vong\u2019s trap, and the Star Cruiser was free of its grip. \u201cGet us out of here!\u201d Halyn shouted as the warship rocked again, free of its restraint.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re too late,\u201d came the quiet reply from the helmsman. \u201cWe\u2019re too deep into the well, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn swore. \u201cGrey Squadron, get out of here, now!\u201d He switched channels. \u201cSaret, are you there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Allanna\u2019s voice answered a moment later. \u201cI\u2019m here,\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have command of the fleet,\u201d Halyn said. \u201cThe\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0is out of action. Take all the forces you can muster and move them out to the edge of the system. If things on Iridonia go badly, take our surviving forces and link up with either Garm Bel Iblis or Wedge Antilles. Do you hear me,\u00a0Admiral<\/em>\u00a0Saret?\u201d<\/p>\n

The bridge was deadly silent now. \u201cI copy, sir,\u201d came the half-strangled reply.<\/p>\n

Fire began to lick at the bridge viewports as the Star Cruiser reached the edge of Iridonia\u2019s atmosphere. \u201cGive me a channel to the fleet,\u201d Halyn ordered his comm officer.\u00a0 A moment later the officer nodded, and Halyn spoke again into his headset. \u201cAll Zabrak forces, this is General Sanshir.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve fought well against the Yuuzhan Vong. Every one of you is a damned hero for your role in this. Against the might of another empire-in-wanting, you\u2019ve fought these intergalactic bastards to a standstill. Every crewman, every gunner, every pilot, every officer in our fleet, I say to you: thank you. Iridonia owes you a debt that it can never repay.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now it\u2019s time for you to step aside. Other Zabraks are about to step up and take up your part in this task, in the defense of our world and our very race. You have not lost, nor have you failed\u2014you have delayed the Yuuzhan Vong, hurt them badly, and made a victory on Iridonia possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you. Each and every one of you, thank you. General Sanshir out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fleet-wide channel was silent in response. Halyn expected no less; a good number of the Zabrak ships were still fighting for their survival as Allanna Saret relayed orders to begin pulling back to the edge of the system. Fighter squadrons began to disengage, ships traded parting shots, as the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>, the heart of the Zabrak defenses, fell into Iridonia\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>\u00a0remained firm for the moment, but as more and more Yuuzhan Vong vessels began to converge on it, Ryian Coron would be forced to pull back as well or risk the destruction of his own warship.<\/p>\n

Though Halyn wasn\u2019t and never would be Force-sensitive, he could feel Anishor\u2019s gaze on him.\u00a0Time to get back to work<\/em>, he told himself. \u201cTime until impact?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSix minutes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cParticle shields to maximum,\u201d Halyn ordered. \u201cShut down all nonessentials. I want all weapons systems off-line, with every joule you can find in the ship\u2019s particle shields and inertial compensator. What\u2019s the status of the escape pods?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir,\u201d the ship\u2019s captain said quietly, \u201cthe escape pods won\u2019t launch under these conditions. The turbulence will take them to pieces if they jettison now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn slammed a hand down on his command chair. \u201cDo we have any ships left in the hangars? They can handle the turbulence better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly a few starfighters that aren\u2019t operable,\u201d his starfighter coordinator, Kryi Rinnet, replied. \u201cThe shuttles are all gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn closed his eyes, mentally ticking off the seconds until an entire crew of good people\u2014thousands of Zabrak\u2014would die in a ball of fire. \u201cWhere are we coming down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vong vectored us towards the capital,\u201d the helmsman said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the thrust to get us far enough away to avoid the city, sir\u2026not in atmosphere. These Star Cruisers just weren\u2019t built for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bridge viewport was nothing but fire now; it was impossible to see. The inevitable pull of gravity would bring them crashing down, and there was no way to fight it. It wasn\u2019t like Star Cruisers were fit with repulsorlifts like a starfighter or shuttle. Even with all of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u2019s special equipment, there was nothing aboard her to prevent the crash.<\/p>\n

Wait\u2026the refits. That\u2019s\u2026it might work.<\/em>\u00a0Halyn opened his eyes again and started shouting orders. His bridge crew stared at him blank-faced and open-mouthed as his impromptu plan came out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026sir, that\u2019ll burn out half the systems on the ship, if it doesn\u2019t break the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0in two just in the attempt!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going to be left of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0if we hit the planet in freefall?\u201d Halyn replied mildly.<\/p>\n

There was a long pause. \u201cI hadn\u2019t thought of that, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow do it!\u201d Halyn snarled. \u201cShut down everything but the particle shields and the inertial compensators. Even life support! Evacuate from the areas of the ship near the outer hull, because it\u2019s going to get hot out there!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEvacuate everyone,\u201d Kativie was saying into her comm. \u201cThere\u2019s no time for indecision on this! Get everyone out now! That Star Cruiser is going to hit the city. Evacuate everyone before it does, or we\u2019re going to have millions of dead!\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelta Rose listened as Kativie finally won the argument with her comlink. Klaxxons began to blare all across the city, and comlinks all over the capital building starting chirping as evacuation orders blanketed communications channels city-wide. She was still pondering this twist of events when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to look and found Kativie gripping her upper arm. \u201cThat\u2019s for us, too,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t there something we can do?\u201d Kelta asked hoarsely. \u201cWe\u2019re Jedi Knights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kativie laughter was tinged with desperation. \u201cI know, \u2018Size matters not.\u2019 But I don\u2019t think Master Skywalker himself could just stop a falling Star Cruiser.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes that mean we shouldn\u2019t try?\u201d Kelta asked. At some level she was aware now of the fear\u00a0 bleeding into the Force. It was suffocating, choking; the stench of it nearly made her retch. She also knew she was no longer quite stable, as the emotions the Force carried to her was affecting her judgement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means we should spend our time doing something more useful,\u201d Kativie said bluntly. \u201cLike\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She stopped. \u201cActually, you may be right.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two Jedi hurried to the top of the capital building. The falling\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0was visible now, though the datapad Kativie carried, which was linked to the capital\u2019s computers and showed a hologram of the vessel, was far more detailed. The image, Kelta idly speculated, was probably relayed from a starfighter or shuttle following the doomed Cruiser down.<\/p>\n

All around them, airspeeders took to the sky like flocks of startled birds. Landspeeders cruised the thoroughfares, all aiming to exit the city as quickly as possible. Only minutes remain.<\/p>\n

Kativie frowned at the datapad. \u201cThe cruiser\u2026she\u2019s rotated, holding her belly down. And Halyn still has the shields up, judging by the fire. Doesn\u2019t he know that\u2019ll cause more damage when the ship hits, then if the shields were down? And shouldn’t he be nose-down to minimize the impact area?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelta stretched out through the Force, focusing her perceptions high above them. Fear washed over her in waves, but she could sense a presence, brilliant in the Force, focused as tightly as possible.\u00a0Halyn. After all this time, he feels even more\u2026more\u2026alive then when we were fighting the Empire.<\/em>\u00a0With the extraordinary clarity her particular gifts granted her, she nudged at his intentions, trying to divine his plan.<\/p>\n

Laughter at the insanity of it erupted from her unbidden and uncontrolled. Kativie turned to stare at the red-maned Jedi, but Kelta\u2019s tears of laughter made the Zabrak blurry. \u201cHe\u2019s\u2026he\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Kativie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to\u00a0land<\/em>\u00a0it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<Halyn, this is more harebrained then that stunt you pulled on Naboo,> Anishor said with a shake of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a better idea, I\u2019m still open to suggestion,\u201d Halyn said dryly.<\/p>\n

<If there was a better idea, you\u2019d be using it already.><\/p>\n

\u201cDamn straight. Give me a comm to the ship,\u201d Halyn called. When the comm officer nodded, Halyn clicked the mic open on his headset. \u201cAll hands, this is General Sanshir. We\u2019re about to crash into the capital. If this works, you really can say Any one you walk away from is a good landing. If it doesn\u2019t, you\u2019ve been an excellent crew. Brace yourselves for impact!\u201d<\/p>\n

He clicked the comlink off and looked around his bridge crew. \u201cReady?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shouts of assent answered him, and Halyn allowed himself a small smile.\u00a0Even if we survive this, no one who wasn\u2019t here will believe it. And I\u2019ll have to personally talk to the shipyard crews on Mon Calamari to thank them for the excellence of their work.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty seconds to impact,\u201d one of the bridge officers called.<\/p>\n

\u201cExecute.\u201d Halyn sat down and strapped himself into the command chair.\u00a0They don\u2019t need me to do their work. They know what\u2019s at stake, and what they need to do.<\/em><\/p>\n

There were stories about the epic abilities of Jedi Knights under extreme duress. Half the galaxy had heard of the powerful Jedi Anakin Skywalker, during the twilight of the Clone Wars, successfully landing a Separatist cruiser on the surface of Coruscant without the benefit of engines or repulsorlifts. Fewer had heard the exploits of Luke Skywalker, romanticized in a holodrama, successfully taking the shattered remains of a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser into atmosphere at Mindor and successfully landing most of it.<\/p>\n

Halyn was no Jedi. A Skywalker relied on the Force; Halyn relied on his crew and the insanity of the plan they\u2019d concocted and were now executing. He hoped it would work, anyways; it was all based around an after-action report he\u2019d read from a battle during General Han Solo\u2019s pursuit of the Warlord Zsinj.<\/p>\n

Maybe it will work. The fundamentals are sound.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ten seconds until impact, the lights on the ship\u2019s bridge dimmed as the massive gravity well generators\u2014the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u2019s special refits, concealed by the typical curves and bumps of a Mon Calamari craft\u2014began to draw power.<\/p>\n

Halyn had heard of the technique once, and he\u2019d been told the idea was sound. Gravity well generators produced a mass shadow to prevent ships from jumping to hyperspace. The well generally had a focal point of the originating ship, causing space-borne objects to slowly move in the direction of the craft. The New Republic fleet at Ithor had used an Interdictor for that purpose to trap a Yuuzhan Vong fleet at Ithor.<\/p>\n

Theoretically, though, it was possible to reverse the direction of the artificially-generated gravity, so it would\u00a0push<\/em>\u00a0instead of\u00a0pull<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Star Cruiser had been buffeted through its entire fall, but now the vibrations and rocking took on a new life of its own as the gravity well generators began to attempt to push against Iridonia.\u00a0It\u2019s the galaxy\u2019s biggest, least efficient repulsorlift<\/em>, Halyn thought.<\/p>\n

And then the warship hit the planet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Allanna Saret had never felt as helpless as she did watching smoke and dust rise from Rak\u2019Edalin. It would be long hours before the atmosphere would be clear enough, she knew, for even the powerful sensors mounted on the\u00a0Cyclone<\/em>\u00a0could pierce the murk to reveal the fate of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

And in the meantime, she had the orders the General had given her to execute.<\/p>\n

Corvettes and frigates traded their last blows with their opponents as the Zabrak fleet gave ground. Yuuzhan Vong warships wasted no time penetrating through the gaps. The Yuuzhan Vong commander, Allanna figured, was going to take no chances.\u00a0After all the damage we inflicted on his fleet, he wouldn\u2019t risk giving us the opportunity to recompose our defenses.<\/em><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>\u00a0rode drag on the retreating Zabrak fleet, keeping battle-damaged vessels in front of it and using its heavy firepower to discourage pursuit. Under other circumstances, the Yuuzhan Vong would be quick to pounce on wounded prey, doing their best to utterly destroy any enemy. With the old Sullustan-built battleship at the rear, though, the more numerous but smaller Yuuzhan Vong craft were choosing to concentrate their efforts on securing their foothold<\/p>\n

The Wookiee battle cruisers had already recovered their fighters and, at Allanna\u2019s urging, had jumped to hyperspace.\u00a0They can\u2019t do any more good here<\/em>, Allanna thought to herself.\u00a0Neither can we.<\/em><\/p>\n

That<\/em>\u00a0jabbed at the broken remains of her hearts.\u00a0We\u2019ve been beaten<\/em>, she railed silently.\u00a0And unless we can convince the New Republic to release one of their major fleets, there\u2019s nothing we can do to turn the Yuuzhan Vong back now.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCap\u2026Admiral,\u201d one of her bridge officers called. \u201cIncoming transmission from\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>\u00a0actual.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allanna donned her headset and nodded to the officer. \u201cPatch him through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryian Coron\u2019s voice crackled in her ear. She frowned at the static\u2014it was far worse than usual.\u00a0The\u00a0<\/em>Dauntless\u00a0must\u2019ve taken some damage in the last battle. The Vong must\u2019ve chewed up her comm array.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cWhat are your plans from here, Saret?\u201d<\/p>\n

Allanna hesitated. \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d she hedged. As she studied the tactical display, she realized far too late that the fleet\u2019s starfighter coordinator, Kryi Rinnet, had been aboard the Cathleen. Without Rinnet\u2019s guidance, a large number of the fleet\u2019s starfighter squadrons were now vectoring down to land on Iridonia, rather than return to their capital ships.\u00a0A third of our squadrons have gone dirtside<\/em>, she realized in dismay.\u00a0I\u2019m going to need to appoint a new starfighter coordinator for the fleet as soon as we\u2019ve regrouped.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I suggest a course of action, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Saret nodded. \u201cGo ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way we can crack the Yuuzhan Vong fleet with what we have left here at Iridonia, even if you hadn\u2019t sent the Wookiees home.\u201d Coron\u2019s voice held no trace of criticism for the decision, just a simple statement of fact. \u201cWe\u2019re going to need a lot more firepower if we\u2019re going to break through, which means a New Republic fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt occurred to me, too,\u201d Allanna agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fleet is still scattered after the debacle at Coruscant. You\u2019re now the closest thing Zabrak space has to an ambassador or representative. I think we should try to reach one of the New Republic fleets and ask to borrow some warships.\u201d<\/p>\n

That raised Allanna\u2019s eyebrow, even though there was no way for Ryian to see it. \u201cI didn\u2019t think the New Republic was in the habit of borrowing out task forces.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not, but are options are pretty limited.\u201d Ryian\u2019s voice was grim. \u201cLast I heard, Wedge Antilles was holding the fort down at Borleias with a good chunk of the Third Fleet. I doubt he\u2019ll have anything to spare. Our best shot would be approaching Garm Bel Iblis; his fleet took the heaviest losses, but I don\u2019t think he\u2019s under assault right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t think approaching Kre\u2019fey or Sovv would be the best approach?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryian snorted. \u201cWould you ask a Bothan for help?\u201d<\/p>\n

Allanna studied the tactical displays for long moments. The Yuuzhan Vong were clustered around Iridonia now, like mynocks drawn to a live power cable. Sensor traces indicated the launch of Yuuzhan Vong transports, no doubt headed down into atmosphere to begin the occupation attempts.<\/p>\n

Towards Rak\u2019Edalin, if Halyn\u2019s earlier predictions were right. Allanna\u2019s eyes closed as familiar pain and dread washed over her in waves.\u00a0First Argus and my oldest\u2026now likely my brother-in-law\u2026and very soon the rest of my children are in the line of fire.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is Bel Iblis headquartered?\u201d Allanna asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sending you coordinates now,\u201d the other said. \u201cIt\u2019s the last best information I have on his fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as we\u2019ve recovered the starfighters,\u201d Allanna said, \u201cwe\u2019ll make the jump to lightspeed.\u201d The Zabrak rubbed at her face, her dark crimson tattoo pattern that Argus had loved, had described as delicate yet strong. She felt so very alone in a galaxy that had grown darker and harsher with each passing day.<\/p>\n

And as she watched the starfighters return to the capital ships, as she organized the fleet for travel, as she ordered the jump to lightspeed, she felt guilt gnaw at her hearts.\u00a0I\u2019m so sorry.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Cathleen\u00a0rocked with fire as another squadron of coralskippers raked plasma across her bow. A trio of X-wings rocketed past the bridge in hot pursuit, the lead fighter spraying stutterfire at the skips while the other two members of the shield … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-njo-siege"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p52rlt-1n","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":359,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85\/revisions\/359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}