and try to pick up enough oxygen to survive for as long as
they can. Pash, ! want you to take Two flight out of here and
make for Tatooine. It's about eight hours out, give or take.
Gavin can guide you in to Mos Eisley. Refuel there and hire a
freighter that can carry a dozen TIEs. Get it here and haul the
pilots clear. I'm sure your father would like to debrief them,
so you should probably bring them to Coruscant with you."
"As ordered. We fly cover for the freighter in case our
friends have any ideas about trying to commandeer it?"
"Right, though I don't think you'll find much opposi-
tion."
"How so?"
"Scan the debris. There's a lot of TIE parts out there
and--"
Nawara looked at the readout his R5 scrolled up his
screen. "X-wing debris. But we didn't lose anyone."
"No, we didn't." Some of the anger drained from
Wedge's voice. "Of course, that's not what Zsinj's people
say. They say they already killed off Rogue Squadron, right
here, defending the convoy the way it was supposed to. Then
we arrived and showed them we were tougher to kill the
second time around."
Nawara blinked. "But that makes no more sense than
attacking the convoy in the first place."
"No it doesn't, but there's no time to try to figure it out
now. You get to Tatooine. We'll check for survivors here,
then head back to Coruscant and report. See you there in a
day or so." Wedge sighed. "If by then you come up with any
brilliant thoughts on what's happened here, I know I, for
one, will be more than willing to listen to them."
3O
Kirtan Loor would have been trembling with outrage, but
the lethargy of despair had a higher priority. He knew his
days were numbered, and he wouldn't have bet on double
digits even if given the longest of odds. He freely assumed the
only reason he still lived was because Ysanne Isard enjoyed
the thought of him cowering in fear, dreading each new day.
Yet even facing certain death at her hands, Loor did
greatly admire how lsard had gotten him and Warlord Zsinj
and the New Republic in one simple set of maneuvers. Rogue
Squadron would also have been caught in the trap had their
operation not fallen behind schedule--and if ! had not been
playing my game.
Within 24 hours of the ambush at Alderaan, Zsinj had
sent a message to Coruscant via what was left of the Imperial
HoloNet system, indicating he and his people had attacked
the bacta convoy because, according to his sources, the bacta
was tainted and would have exacerbated the Krytos virus
problem. He further claimed that Rogue Squadron had been
present, had indicated they knew the bacta was tainted, and
had fully intended that it should be distributed on Coruscant
to "get rid of the xeno-trash" the Empire had left behind. He
said he had no choice but to destroy the convoy and Rogue
Squadron, then beseeched people to overthrow the New Re-
public's government and flock to his banner.
The only problem with his message, which was broad-
cast worldwide, is that it followed by roughly six hours a
report about the attack on the convoy. This attack report
had been delivered by the government and included ho-
lographic images created by and with commentary from
members of Rogue Squadron. Zsinj's claim that he had de-
stroyed the unit were proved false, and helped make the rest
of his comments appear likewise untrustworthy.
Loor shook his head. Ysanne Isard had clearly leaked to
Zsinj the information about the convoy. His report that he
was sending a Rogue Squadron of his own to eliminate the
convoy clearly would have arrived too late for her to get it to
Zsinj. Loor had only given her 16 hours' notice of what he
was doing, yet the timing of Zsinj's message to Coruscant
suggested strongly that it took him at least a day to make it
to Alderaan from wherever the Iron Fist had been.
All of this meant the message that had been routed to
Loor and warned of the squadron's mission had also, some-
how, made its way to lsard. She had acted based on that
original message, then got Loor's follow-up message later.
The appearance of his Rogue Squadron meant that Zsinj
didn't wait around for the genuine unit to put in an appear-
ance--he just struck and destroyed them all. Rogue Squad-
ron had embarrassed him in the past, and this was his chance
to get back at them, which he truly believed he had. The
tainted bacta story clearly was an afterthought to mollify
those people who might be upset by his destruction of so
much bacta.
The loss of the bacta had struck quite a blow to the
hopes of people on Coruscant. Coupled with that was a re-
port from a governmental accounting office that indicated
there was less ryll av ailable than previously thought. Several
Provisional Council members suggested it had been stolen,
but statisticians showed how the shortage was actually an
artifact of good distribution. The previous supply, which had
been supposed to last for two months, was down to seven
weeks because more was getting out to more people.
It struck Loor as amusing that the goverment was still
fightitg the Emperor's ghost; it was the Empire's doing that
had pronpted everyone to look for the truth behind goveri1-
ment statements. The fact that the Republic might be tellig
its citizens everything there was to tell did not stop people
from thinking there ilight be stmething nlore to the story.
Teaching trust is a long process; learing it is a even longer
one.
And Ysalne Isard has, in short order, learzed she calz no
lollger trust me.
Had he done nothing and simply relayed the message to
her when he got it, her plot would have discredited Zsinj,
resulted in the loss of the bacta, and caused the destruction
of Rogue Squadron. While stle had no proof that he intended
to steal the bacta and use it for his o'i1 gain, he knew she
didn't need proof to condemn hinl. She knew he was smart
enough to see how powerful that bacta could have made
him. If he had succeeded he would have amassed end)ugh
power to begin to play on her level. Now he was just a failure.
And failures; as far as she is cozcerned, are worthless.
She would discard him as solon as the optimal use for him
arose. Wlich meals I must find somethiltg to do with myself
befcre she does.
Loor allowed himself to laugh and banish some of the
fear. He had plans to make, big plans. Plans for the future
and plals to get me to the future.
Gavin I)arklighter cleared his throat and rapped geitly on
the dot)rjamp of Conllnander Antilles's office. "Excuse me,
sir."
Wedge looked up from his desk, a bit haggard and
bleary-eyed. "What can I do for you, Gavin?"
"I'd like to speak to y()u if I might. In private, sir."
Wedge straightened up in his chair, the
n nodded and
waved Gavin to the seat in front of the sk. A couple of
keystrokes killed the holographic lists of numbers hanging in
the air above Wedge's holopad. They looked like quarter-
master reports to Gavin, but he couldn't be certain, since he
was reading them from the back side (f the hologram.
"What is it, Gavin?"
How to begin? Gavin seated himselL then looked down
at his hands. "Ah, sir, we, the squadron that is, have been
discussing the situation at Alderaan. It was really preuy bad.
I mean, those of us in Two flight got to see it a second time
when we went to get the TIE pilots, and the destruction
seemed even worse than we'd thought."
Wedge nodded and rubbed his eyes. "I know. I helped
edit and narrate the government's report on the ambush.
Warlord Zsinj's Iro Fist did a first-class job of ripping the
convoy up from one end to the other."
Gavin frowned. "When ! talked to the others, they said
you've been preuy quiet about all that--about Mirax dying
and all. I mean, I didn't know her nearly as well as you did,
of course. I got to know her on the run into Coruscant when
we came in secret, and I liked her. Not romantically, you
know---not that there was anything wrong with her, but even
I could see she was interested in Corran. Anyway, I remem-
ber you coming to talk to me about Lujayne Forge when the
Imps killed her, and how much it helped and I thought--"
"You thought it w(uld help me to let my grief show?"
"Well, your best friends aren't here for you. Captain
Celchu is in jail, Princess Leia has dropped out of sight, and
you and Mirax were close, so . . ."
Wedge smiled and sighed, then leaned back in his chair.
"I appreciate this, Gavin, more than you know. I guess, with
Mirax, I'm still in shock. There was no trace of her or the
Pulsar Skate, so part of me wants to believe she had an astro-
gation error and jumped someplace else, that she wasn't
there at all."
"I think we'd all like to believe that, sir."
"It's ridiculus, of course, but that's part of the reason
I'm not ready to let her go, you know." Wedge frowned. "It
seems as if everyone I know, all the friends I make, are get-
ting ground up by the Empire or some malignant little off-
shoot of it. Fighting against the Death Stars--well, sonleone
dying there somehow had meaning. The convoy, though,
they were just bringing bacta to a sick world. Even though
their deaths have catalyzed the Provisional Council into
making a decision concerning Warlord Zsinj, their lives were
wasted, and I guess I'm tired of that sort of waste."
Gavin looked up. "We're going after Zsinj?"
Wedge tapped his datapad. "I was going over informa-
tion concerning our supplies for deployment against him. I
don't know many details, and couldn't tell you any of them if
I did, but this convoy hit has made Zsinj a big target. Admi-
ral Ackbar wants this data rather quickly, so I really should
get back to it."
"If you say so, sir."
Wedge leaned forward on his elbows. "Look, Gavin, I
appreciate your coming here and talking to me about Mirax.
I don't think I'm ready to go into this all the way right now,
but I'm coping. It hurts, but I'm coping."
Gavin nodded. "Yes, sir." Walling it away just delays
things. "If you ever decide you want someone to talk to--"
"You'll be the first person I call." Wedge smiled and
sketched Gavin a brief salute. "Go get yourself some rest--
and that goes for the rest of the squadron. If we're going to
be going after Zsinj, I want us ready to move as fast as
possible."
Borsk Fey'lya stood behind his desk and smoothed the
creamy fur around his face. "Please, Asyr Sei'lar, do come in.
I am honored that Rogue Squadron's newest ace has time to
visit with me."
The black-and-white-furred Bothan bowed her head re-
spectfully, then stood at attention as the door closed behind
her. "I am honored a member of the Provisional Council
noticed me."
"Noticed you? My dear, you are quite impossible to
refrain from noticing. Aside from your performance in the
squadron, you were positively stunning at the Dan'kre party
the other evening. Please, be seated. No need for formality
here, is there?" Fey'iya remained standing until she had
taken her seat. She moved with an ease and strength he re-
called possessing in his youth. Though he was not that long
past his physical peak, he could already see how much he
had lost from when he was her age.
Borsk Fey'lya also realized that had he been her age
again, he would have been lovestalking her. He found her
quite attractive, freely acknowledging that the white blazes
in her fur gave her a dangerous look. The fire in her violet
eyes likewise threatened to seduce him, but with maturity--
unlike humans--he had moved away from personal vanity.
Whereas a man might take a mistress her age to prove his
continued virility, for Fey'lya that choice would prove he had
not yet sufficiently focused himself on what was truly impor-
tant in life.
The pursuit of power.
"I wish to communicate to you, Asyr, the congratula-
tions and adulation of the people of Bothawui. You are well
on your way to taking your place in the constellations of
Bothan heroes like the Martyrs and even your predecessor in
Rogue Squadron, Peshk Vri'syk. You liberated Coruscant
and now fly with the New Republic's most famous fighter
squadron. Your parents are very proud of you, and other
Bothan parents everywhere have virtually no reservations
when it comes to their children choosing you as a role
model."
"Thank you, Councilor." Asyr's violet eyes blinked. "I
would think parents could find far better role models for
their children than me."
"Perhaps, but I should not be concerned about your liai-
son with the human, Galen." Fey'lya purposely misidentified
her lover and was rewarded by a flash of anger rippling the
filr of her neck and head. "Xenophilia is not unknown
among us, and your dalliance adds a hint of romance to your
image. Your Galen seems very capable of handling himself in
a wide variety of situations--case in point being the way he
defused the Kre'fey problem. Moreover, you are quite dis-
creet--admirably discreet, actually."
"His name is Gavin, Gavin Darklighter. His cousin was
one of those who died destroying the first Death Star."
"And our Martyrs died to enable the Alliance to destroy
the second Death Star. It is fitting that heirs to two heroic
traditions should find comfort together." Fey'lya raised a
hand to calm her. "Please, forgive me if this mention of your
personal affairs angered you. I did not mean to cause you
any discomfort. I fully understand the sort of bonds that can
be forged between people who endure adversity together.
Others ar
e not so accepting of things they see as different."
"Thank you, Councilor." Asyr frowned heavily. "Some
other members of the Bothan community here are positively
imperial in their xenophobic attitudes."
"That is not good at all. If you will permit me, perhaps I
can help you with this problem. I have ample opportunity to
speak with various groups--Bothan and other--here and
back on Bothawui. It does no one any good for you to be
persecuted for things that really are beyond your control. I
was young once. I know how hot one's blood can be. I will
use my influence to get attitudes to change." "That would be most kind."
"I'm glad to be of service." Fey'lya smiled. "In fact, I
had hoped to be of service to you when I invited you here,
but this was not the subject I wanted to address." Asyr met his gaze unflinchingly. "Yes, sir?"
"You were part of the mission to Alderaan, as I recall,
yes?"
"Yes. I flew wing for Commander Antilles. I got the kills
I did because he hung back and covered me."
"I see." Fey'lya pressed his hands together, fingertip to
fingertip. "The timing of your arrival in the Alderaan system
has become a point of interest for those conspiratorially-
minded individuals within the government and without. You
were late and the convoy was destroyed."
The younger Bothan's eyes narrowed. "If we had been
on time, we would have been destroyed, just like the con-
voy."
"Quite so, quite so, and it is a good thing you were
delayed. Still, you realize that tests on the samples of bacta
ice that were brought back to Coruscant do show the bacta
to be tainted and spoiled--in accord with Warlord Zsinj's
allegations."
"Forgive me, sir, but those samples were blown up,
flash-boiled, and peppered with debris. That they show up
contaminated and useless is really no surprise."
"Under normal circumstances I would agree with you."
"What do you find unusual about these circumstances?"
Fey'lya gave her an indulgent smile. "Clearly the con-
voy's timetable was leaked to Warlord Zsinj. Since the Xuc-
phra faction on Thyferra has seen fit to send bacta to the
New Republic, it is safe to assume it was the rival Zaltin