Star Wars - Thrawn Trilogy - The Last Command 03

by Timothy Zahn

  Across the room, she could sense the restlessness and growing hunger that meant the twins would be waking up soon. Reaching past the lightsaber half hidden beneath her pillow, she pulled her robe over to her. Whatever this important puzzle piece was she'd stumbled on, it would wait until morning.

  Chapter 20

  The last surviving Rebel ship flickered with pseudomotion and vanished into hyperspace . . . and after a thirty-hour battle, the heart of Kanchen sector was finally theirs. "Secure the fleet from full battle status, Captain," Thrawn ordered, his voice grimly satisfied as he stood at the side viewport. "Deploy for planetary bombardment, and have Captain Harbid transmit our terms of surrender to the Xa Fel government."

  "Yes, sir," Pellaeon said, keying in the order.

  Thrawn half turned to face him. "And send a further message to all ships," he added. "Well done."

  Pellaeon smiled. Yes; the Grand Admiral did indeed know how to lead his men. "Yes, sir," he said, and transmitted the message. On his board, a light went on: a preflagged message had just come through decrypt. He pulled it up, skimmed through it—

  "A report from Tangrene?" Thrawn asked, still gazing out at the helpless world lying below them.

  "Yes, sir," Pellaeon nodded. "The Rebels have sent two more freighters into the system. Long-range scans suggest that they off-loaded something in the outer system on the way in, but Intelligence has so far been unable to locate or identify the drops."

  "Instruct them not to try," Thrawn said. "We don't want our prey frightened off."

  Pellaeon nodded, marveling once again at the Grand Admiral's ability to read his opponents. Up until twenty hours ago he would have sworn the Rebels wouldn't be audacious enough to commit this many forces to a battle just to get hold of a CGT array. Apparently, they were. "We're also getting reports of Rebel ships drifting quietly into the Tangrene area," he added, skimming down the report again. "Warships, starfighters, support craft—the whole range."

  "Good," Thrawn said. But there was something preoccupied and troubled about the way he clasped his hands behind his back.

  A message appeared on Pellaeon's board: the Xa Fel government had accepted Harbid's terms. "Word from the Death's Head, Admiral," he said. "Xa Fel has surrendered."

  "Not unexpectedly," Thrawn said. "Inform Captain Harbid that he will handle the landings and troop deployments. You, Captain, will reconfigure the fleet into defensive formation until planetary defenses have been secured."

  "Yes, sir." Pellaeon frowned at the Grand Admiral's back. "Is anything wrong, Admiral?"

  "I don't know," Thrawn said slowly. "I'll be in my private command room, Captain. Join me there in one hour."

  He turned and favored Pellaeon with a tight smile. "Perhaps by then I'll have an answer to that question."

  Gillespee finished reading and handed the data pad across the table to Mazzic. "You never cease to amaze me, Karrde," he said, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the tapcafe's background noise. "Where in space do you dig this stuff up from, anyway?"

  "Around," Karrde said, waving his hand vaguely. "Just around."

  "That doesn't tell me mynock spit," Gillespee complained.

  "I don't think it was meant to," Mazzic said dryly, handing the data pad back to Karrde. "I agree; it's very interesting. The question is whether we can believe it."

  "The information itself is reliable," Karrde said. "My interpretation of it, of course, is certainly open to question."

  Mazzic shook his head. "I don't know. It seems like a pretty desperate move to me."

  "I wouldn't say desperate," Karrde disagreed. "Call it instead a return to the bold tactics the Rebel Alliance used to be known for. Personally, I think a move like this is long overdue—they've allowed themselves to be put on the defensive far longer than they should have."

  "That doesn't change the fact that if this doesn't work they're going to lose a lot of ships," Mazzic pointed out. "Up to two entire sector fleets, if you can believe these numbers."

  "True," Karrde agreed. "But if it does work, they get a major victory against Thrawn and an equally major lift in morale. Not to mention a CGT array."

  "Yeah, that's another thing," Gillespee put in. "What do they need a CGT for, anyway?"

  "It supposedly has something to do with the reason Coruscant has been closed to civilian traffic for the past few days," Karrde said. "That's all I know."

  Mazzic leaned back in his seat and fixed Karrde with a speculative look. "Forget what they need it for. What are you proposing we do about it?"

  Karrde shrugged. "It looks to me like the New Republic is fairly desperate to get their hands on a CGT. If they're willing to fight for one, I assume they'd be even more willing to pay for one."

  "Seems reasonable," Mazzic agreed. "So what do you want us to do, sneak into Tangrene before they get there?"

  "Not really," Karrde shook his head. "I thought that while everyone was busy fighting at Tangrene, we'd pick up the CGT at Bilbringi."

  Mazzic's smile vanished. "You're joking."

  "Not a bad idea, really," Gillespee put in, slowly swirling the remains of the drink in his cup. "We slip in before the attack starts, then grab the CGT and run."

  "Through half the Imperial fleet?" Mazzic countered. "Come on—I've seen the kind of firepower they keep there."

  "I doubt they'll have more than a skeleton defense there." Karrde raised an eyebrow. "Unless you seriously think Thrawn won't anticipate and prepare for the New Republic's move on Tangrene."

  "Point," Mazzic conceded. "They can't afford to let the New Republic have a victory there, can they?"

  "Particularly not at Tangrene," Karrde nodded. "That's where General Bel Iblis successfully hit them once before."

  Mazzic grunted and pulled the data pad over in front of him again. Karrde let him reread the information and analysis, giving the tapcafe a leisurely scan as he waited. Near the main entrance, Aves and Gillespee's lieutenant Faughn were sitting together at one of the tables, doing a good job of looking inconspicuous. Across the way at the rear entrance, Mazzic's bodyguard Shada was playing the flirtatious hostess role for Dankin and Torve, the whole routine being convincingly leered at by Rappapor and Oshay, two more of Gillespee's people. Three more tables of backup forces were scattered elsewhere throughout the tapcafe, primed and ready. This time, none of them were taking any chances with Imperial interference.

  "It won't be easy," Mazzic warned at last. "Thrawn was furious about that raid we pulled. They've probably redone their whole security setup by now."

  "All the better," Karrde said. "They won't have found the holes in it yet. Are you in or out?"

  Mazzic looked down at the data pad. "I might be in," he growled. "But only if you can get a confirmation on the time of this Tangrene thing. I don't want Thrawn anywhere within a hundred light-years of Bilbringi when we hit the place."

  "That shouldn't be a problem," Karrde said. "We know the systems where the New Republic is assembling their forces. I'll send some of my people to poke around and see what they can turn up."

  "What if they can't get anything?"

  Karrde smiled. "I need to have Ghent write us onto their payroll anyway," he pointed out. "As long as he's in the system, he might as well check on their battle plans, too."

  For a moment Mazzic just stared at him. Then, suddenly, the frown vanished and he actually chuckled. "You know, Karrde, I've never seen anyone play both ends against the middle the way you do. Okay. I'm in."

  "Glad to have you," Karrde nodded. "Gillespee?"

  "I've already seen Thrawn's clones in action," Gillespee reminded him grimly. "You bet I'm in. Besides, if we win maybe I can get that land back the Empire stole from me on Ukio."

  "I'll put in a good word for you with the New Republic," Karrde promised. "All right, then. I'm taking the Wild Karrde to Coruscant, but I'll be leaving Aves behind to coordinate my part of the attack group. He'll give you the operations plan when you check in."

  "Sounds good," Mazz
ic said as they all got to their feet. "You know, Karrde, I just hope I'm around to see the day the New Republic catches up with you. Whether they give you a medal or just shoot you—either way, it'll be a terrific show."

  Karrde smiled at him. "I rather hope to be there that day myself," he said. "Good flights, gentlemen; I'll see you at Bilbringi."

  The brilliant green turbolaser blast flashed downward from the fuzzy-looking Star Destroyer in the distance beyond. It splashed slightly against the unseen energy shield, then reappeared a short distance away, continuing onward—

  "Stop," Admiral Drayson said.

  The record froze, the hazy splash of turbolaser fire looking angular and rather artificial as it sat there in stop-frame mode on the main display. "I apologize for the quality here," Drayson said, stepping over to tap it with his light-pointer. "Macrobinocular records can be enhanced only so much before the algorithms start breaking down. But even so, I think you can all see what's happening. The Star Destroyer's blast is not, in fact, penetrating Ukio's planetary shield. What appears to be that same blast is actually a second shot, fired from a cloaked vessel inside the shield."

  Leia peered at the hazy picture. It didn't seem nearly that obvious to her. "Are you sure?" she asked.

  "Quite sure," Drayson said, touching his light-pointer to the empty space between the splash and the continuing green fire. "We have spectral and energy-line data on the beams themselves; but this gap by itself is really all the proof we need. That's the bulk of the second ship—most likely a Carrack-class light cruiser, from the size."

  He lowered the light-pointer and looked around the table. "In other words, the Empire's new superweapon is nothing more than an extremely clever fraud."

  Leia thought about that meeting in Admiral Ackbar's rooms, back when he was under suspicion of treason. "Ackbar once warned Han and me that a Grand Admiral would find ways to use a cloaking shield against us."

  "I don't think you'd find anyone arguing that point," Drayson nodded. "At any rate, this should put an end to this particular gambit. We'll put out an alert to all planetary forces that if the Empire tries it again, all they need to do is direct a saturation fire at the spot where the turbolaser blasts appear to penetrate the shield."

  "Fraud or not, it was still one highly impressive show," Bel Iblis commented. "The position and timing were exquisitely handled. What do you think, Leia—that insane Jedi Luke locked horns with on Jomark?"

  "I don't think there's any doubt," Leia said, a shiver running through her. "We've already seen this kind of coordination between forces in Thrawn's earlier campaigns. And we know from Mara that C'baoth and Thrawn are working together."

  Mentioning Mara's name was a mistake. There was a general, uncomfortable shifting in seats around the table as the emotional sense in the room chilled noticeably. They'd all heard Leia's reasoning for her unilateral decision to release Mara, and none of them had liked it.

  Bel Iblis broke the awkward silence first. "Where did this macrobinocular record come from, Admiral?"

  "From that smuggler, Talon Karrde," Drayson said. He threw a significant look at Leia. "Another outsider who came here offering valuable information that didn't pan out."

  Leia bristled. "That's not fair," she insisted. "The fact we lost the Katana fleet wasn't Karrde's fault." She looked at Councilor Fey'lya, sitting silently at the table, doing his private Bothan penance. If Fey'lya hadn't been making that insane bid for power . . .

  She looked back at Drayson. "It was nobody's fault," she added quietly, releasing at last the final lingering dregs of resentment at Fey'lya and allowing them to drain away. The recognition of his failure was already paralyzing the Bothan. She couldn't allow long-dead anger to do the same to her.

  Bel Iblis cleared his throat. "I think what Leia's trying to say is that without Karrde's help we might have lost more than just the Katana fleet. Whatever you think of smugglers in general or Karrde in particular, we owe him."

  "Interesting that you should say that, General," Drayson said dryly. "Karrde seems to feel the same way. In exchange for this record and certain other minor items of intelligence, he's drawn rather liberally from a special New Republic credit line." He looked at Leia again. "A line apparently set up by Councilor Organa Solo's brother."

  Commander Sesfan, Ackbar's representative to the Council, rolled his huge Mon Calamari eyes toward Leia. "Jedi Skywalker authorized payments to a smuggler?" he said, his gravelly voice sounding astonished.

  "He did," Drayson confirmed. "Completely without authorization, of course. We'll close it off immediately."

  "You'll do no such thing," Mon Mothma's quiet voice came from the head of the table. "Whether Karrde is officially on our side or not, he's clearly willing to help us. That makes him worthy of our support."

  "But he is a smuggler," Sesfan objected.

  "So was Han," Leia reminded him. "So was Lando Calrissian, once. Both of them became generals."

  "After they joined us," Sesfan countered. "Karrde has made no such commitment."

  "It doesn't matter," Mon Mothma said. Her voice was still quiet, but there was steel beneath it. "We need all the allies we can get. Official or otherwise."

  "Unless he's setting us up," Drayson pointed out darkly. "Gaining our trust with things like this macrobinocular record so that he can feed us disinformation later. And in the meantime profiting rather handsomely from it."

  "We'll simply have to make certain we spot any such duplicity," Mon Mothma told him. "But I don't believe that will happen. Luke Skywalker is a Jedi . . . and he, clearly, has some trust in this man Karrde. Regardless, for now, our focus should be on those parts of our destiny which are in our hands. Admiral Drayson, have you the latest report on the Bilbringi operation?"

  "Yes," Drayson nodded, pulling out a data card. He inserted it into the display slot, and as he did so, Leia heard the faint beep of a comlink from beside her. Winter pulled the device from her belt and acknowledged softly into it. Leia couldn't make out the reply, but she felt the sudden flicker in Winter's sense. "Trouble?" she murmured.

  "If I may have everyone's attention?" Drayson said, just a little too loudly.

  Leia returned back to him, feeling her face warm, as Winter pushed her chair back and slipped over to the door. Drayson threw a glare at her back, apparently decided it wasn't worth invoking the usual sealed-room rule. The door slid open at Winter's touch and an unseen person pressed a data card into her hand. The door slid shut again— "Well?" Drayson demanded. "I trust this is something that couldn't wait?"

  "I'm certain it could have," Winter said coolly, giving Drayson her full antibluster gaze as she returned to her seat and sat down. "For you, Your Highness," she said, handing Leia the data card. "The coordinates of the planet Wayland."

  A ripple of surprise went around the room as Leia took the card. "That was fast," Drayson said, his voice tinged with suspicion. "I was under the impression this place was going to be a lot harder to find."

  Leia shrugged, trying to suppress her own twinge of uneasiness. That had been her impression, too. "Apparently it wasn't."

  "Show it to us," Mon Mothma said.

  Leia slid the data card into the slot and keyed for a visual. A sector map appeared on the main display, with familiar names floating beside several of the stars. In the center, surrounded by a group of unlabeled stars, one of the systems flashed red. At the bottom of the map was a short list of planetary data and a few lines of text. "So that's the Emperor's rat's nest," Bel Iblis murmured, leaning forward as he studied it, "I always wondered where he hid all those interesting little tidbits that seemed to mysteriously vanish from official storehouses and depots."