Conquest: Edge of Victory I

by Greg Keyes

  “What? Have you got some kind of fever?”

  “You can finish the repairs on your ship, can’t you?”

  Vehn continued to stare at him as if he was crazy. “No. The sublight drive—”

  “Is nearly repaired. I’ll show you.”

  “Impossible.”

  “Nope. You still need some parts, but Qorl knows where you can get them. And you have Fiver. I’ve programmed him with everything you’ll need.”

  “And why should I do this again? I keep missing that part.”

  “Because it’s your only chance, too. You think the Yuuzhan Vong are going to hail you as an ally when they find you? I doubt it very much. You say you were only in the Peace Brigade for the money, you say you don’t really share their cause—let’s say I’m going to take you on your word about that. Get these kids to safety, and I can guarantee you a profit.”

  “How do you know I won’t just fly straight to the Vong and turn Valin and Sannah over to them?”

  “A couple of reasons. The first is that Qorl will blast a very large hole in you if you try it. I don’t completely trust the man. He was an Empire stalwart twenty years after the death of the Emperor. By the same token, he would never turn humans over to the Yuuzhan Vong—or let you do it. He might take off for the Imperial Remnant the instant he gets the chance, but the way I see it, that’s parsecs better than staying here.

  “The second is that I think you’ll do whatever gives you the best chance of getting out of this with a whole skin—and you’re smart enough not to gamble on the milk of Yuuzhan Vong kindness. The third—” He leaned close. “Third, if you bring any harm to Valin or Sannah, you’d better pray I’m dead. Because if I’m not, no matter what, I will find you. That I swear.”

  “Ease up, Jedi. I’ll do it. Anything has to be better than hanging out in the jungle waiting to die of a lizard bite. But I don’t want you to threaten me again. I’m really sick of that.”

  “I’ve said what I meant to say. I won’t say it again.” Anakin raised his voice. “Qorl. Could you come here, please?”

  The old pilot shuffled over and treated Vehn to a thorough once over. He knelt on creaky joints and shook his finger in Vehn’s face. “I know you,” he muttered.

  “You’re crazy,” Vehn said. “I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

  “Oh, no. Even if you saw somebody like old Qorl, you wouldn’t recognize him. You don’t have the database. On the other hand, old Qorl has seen a hundred like you. You won’t give Qorl any trouble. You’ll do what he says.”

  “Right,” Vehn said. “Just … stay away from me, yeah? Or take a bath, at least. You smell like a Wookiee’s armpit.”

  Qorl laughed brusquely, put his hands on his thighs, and rose painfully to his full height. He looked squarely at Anakin. “You sure about this, then?” he asked.

  “I’ve got to do it,” Anakin said. “The Force is pulling me to do it.”

  “The Force. Huh. Will the Force get you halfway around the moon in less then a year? Because that’s how long it will take you to walk it, if you don’t get gobbled by piranha-beetles or die of creek fever. You might as well wait until we have the ship fixed.”

  “I don’t have to walk,” Anakin said. “The repulsorlift system in the E-wing was salvageable. I cobbled together something that will pass for a speeder.”

  “Already?”

  “Days ago. But until you came along, I couldn’t really talk myself into going. I couldn’t take Valin and Sannah, and I couldn’t leave them behind.” But now I have two signs, he finished to himself, Qorl, and my dream. It felt right to go. It felt terribly wrong not to. It felt—Chewbacca’s face flashed in his mind, as he had last seen it, and Tahiri, alone, surrounded.

  Tahiri, grown, wearing Yuuzhan Vong armor and wielding dark-side Force.

  It was a risk he had to take.

  “I’m going to explain this to Valin and Sannah now,” Anakin said. “I’ll leave in the morning.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Commander Tsaak Vootuh aimed his opalescent eyes at the trembling human, restraining the part of himself that wanted to put the pathetic creature out of its misery.

  Which was most of him.

  “You are Imsatad?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Straighten yourself,” Vootuh snarled. “The mewling of a Yuuzhan Vong infant in a crèche has more fierceness than your whine.” As he spoke, he cherished the thin hiss of breath through the deep chevrons that cut through his cheeks. He clasped his hands behind his back so that the cloak gripping into the flesh of his shoulders fell open to reveal the full glory of the tattoos and burn puckers that adorned his torso. He silently praised Yun-Yuuzhan for not condemning him to be one of these smooth, honorless infidels.

  “Yes, sir,” Imsatad replied, his voice slightly firmer.

  “You explained to my subordinates that you are an ally of ours? One of the—” He frowned, trying to remember the name of the group in Basic. “Peez Brigade?”

  The tizowyrm in his ear translated the first word as “willing and appropriate submission from the submissive to the conqueror.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I wonder how you will confirm that,” Tsaak Vootuh said. “Our information was that this moon was home to many young Jeedai. And yet I find none at all. This is peculiar, and I suspect you are to blame.”

  “No!” Imsatad said. “We came here in good faith, to keep the terms of the peace your warmaster Tsavong Lah proposed.”

  “And failed miserably to do so. Where are the Jeedai?”

  Imsatad hesitated. “We have one. The others are with Karrde.”

  “The commander of the flotilla that fled our approach?”

  “That’s him. He tricked us into—”

  “I have no interest in the details of your failure. Two of this Karrde’s ships made the jump to hyperspace. I assume those ships contained the prize you let slip through your fingers.”

  “With all respect, Commander, if it weren’t for me and my crew, you wouldn’t have even one Jedi. Karrde would have taken them all before you arrived.”

  “Perhaps, perhaps not. But tell me—why does he remain in this system?”

  Imsatad frowned. “Does he?”

  “Yes. He has withdrawn to the edge of the system, but remains there. I do not complain, for it will give me and my warriors combat when I feared we must sit idle. But I wish to know his reason. I do not imagine that he would stay for the sake of a single immature Jeedai.” He leaned close, dropping his voice to a whisper. “What have you failed to tell me?”

  The human cleared its throat. “There—I think there are perhaps a few more Jedi here on the moon. I think one of them might be Anakin Solo.”

  “Solo?”

  “Brother to Jacen Solo, whom Tsavong Lah so desires.”

  “Interesting, if true.”

  “I would like to offer my ships and crew to help find him and any others who might still remain on Yavin Four.”

  Tsaak Vootuh fixed a venomous stare on the creature. “You have helped us quite enough. As for your ships, they are abominations and will be destroyed.”

  “But what—how will we return home?”

  Tsaak Vootuh allowed himself a grim smile. “How indeed, Imsatad?” he said. “How indeed?”

  “Now, wait a minute—” Imsatad began, but Tsaak Vootuh cut him off with a look.

  “I wish to see the captured Jeedai,” he told the human. “You will take me, now.”

  “I’ll do no such thing until you—”

  Tsaak Vootuh nodded in a certain way, and Imsatad was suddenly staring in astonishment at the head of an amphistaff poking out of his belly. He looked questioningly at Tsaak Vootuh, coughed blood from his mouth, and died. Vo Lian, Tsaak Vootuh’s lieutenant, withdrew the amphistaff he had struck through the man’s back.

  Tsaak Vootuh gestured at the human who had been standing behind Imsatad. “You. Take me to see the Jeedai.”

  “O-of c
ourse,” the creature stammered. “Whatever you wish.”

  Tsaak Vootuh nodded and stood. Before leaving the room, he turned to Vo Lian. “Supervise the landing and make secure the space around this moon. I want the damutek on the ground within the next cycle. I will give the shapers no cause for complaint.”

  Vo Lian snapped his fists against his opposite shoulders. “Belek tiu,” he said. “It will be done, Commander.”

  PART TWO

  THE SHAMED AND THE SHAPERS

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Borsk Fey’lya, Chief of State of the New Republic, offered an apologetic expression that looked as false to Luke as it was well-practiced. His words followed suit.

  “I’m sorry,” he demurred, violet eyes unblinking. “I can be of no help in this matter, Master Skywalker.”

  Luke fought down the urge to shout and sought the calm he so often implored of his students. “I beg you to reconsider, Chief Fey’lya. Lives are at stake.” Grief over Ikrit’s death was still raw.

  The Bothan nodded. “I am painfully aware of that, Master Skywalker. However, whereas you are concerned with the lives of four—count them, four—Jedi, I must consider a great many more. I must consider the lives we will lose in an attempt to retake the Yavin system, a system with no tactical or strategic advantage. I must consider, further, that this action would quite effectively end the truce with the Yuuzhan Vong and cost even more lives in renewed warfare.”

  “They’ve already broken the truce,” Luke replied, still trying to keep his voice even. “They promised not to take any more of our worlds if Jedi are turned over to them, something that the whole galaxy seems eager to do. And yet they’ve now taken Yavin Four.”

  “Of course, neither I nor the senate sanction the purported purge of Jedi.”

  “Purported?” Luke allowed the word to absorb all of the incredulity he felt at Fey’lya’s implication.

  “And as for Yavin Four,” the chief continued evenly, “it is not one of ‘our worlds,’ not if by the use of the plural pronoun you mean the New Republic. Yavin Four is your pet project, Master Skywalker. You Jedi have made it clear that you are not bound by the laws and decisions of the senate. You fight unsanctioned battles and provoke needless dissent. And now, suddenly, after spurning our wishes, you desire our aid? Really, can’t you see the hypocrisy in that?”

  “Chief, putting aside for the moment that you are confounding the action of a handful of Jedi with our order as a whole, these are children we’re talking about. They’ve done nothing, and they don’t deserve to suffer for the mistakes of others.”

  “But you would ask me to jeopardize millions, perhaps billions for those same mistakes? Your mistakes? Listen to yourself.”

  “That’s the most—” Jaina Solo exploded. Luke was surprised she had kept silent for so long.

  “Quiet, Jaina,” he said.

  “But he’s twisting—”

  “Child, you have all of your mother’s fire and none of her common sense,” Fey’lya said. “Listen to your Master.”

  “There’s no need to insult my niece,” Luke said. “Her brother is one of those missing.”

  “Would this be Anakin Solo, who forged a fake departure authority in order to leave Coruscant surreptitiously?”

  “Anakin is a little … overeager.”

  “He did not proceed under your authority?”

  “No, Chief Fey’lya, he did not, but he thought the students at the praxeum were in imminent danger. As it turns out, he was correct.”

  “Another example, however, of what I’m talking about. Young Solo ran off against orders, breaking several laws in doing so, with no say-so from anyone. This, so far as I can tell, is the essence of what the Jedi have become.”

  “I’m coming to you now, Chief Fey’lya.”

  “Yes. Now that the matter is too large for you to handle on your own. And I note that you did not come here first. At the very least, you went to General Antilles—and, I suspect, to others. And they all sent you here.”

  “I was inquiring into what was possible,” Luke said. “Not making requests.”

  “How diplomatic. And where is your sister in all of this? She and her husband also seem to have disappeared.”

  “That’s not relevant to this,” Luke said.

  “Oh, isn’t it? Are they engaged in yet more unsanctioned covert activity? Are they a part of the little government you’re trying to run on the side, as if the elected officials of the New Republic are incompetent to do their jobs?”

  “We’re following our Jedi mandate, Chief Fey’lya. We protect. We serve. I’m sorry if these goals are incompatible with yours.”

  “The arrogance,” Fey’lya said. “The sheer arrogance. And you wonder why you are disliked.”

  Luke felt matters rushing to a heated conclusion and knew part of it was his own fault. Perhaps the rage he felt pulsing from Jaina was partially responsible, but he was dangerously near losing his own head in the matter. He placed his palms together. “Chief Fey’lya, if you won’t consider military action, at least consider a diplomatic solution.”

  The Bothan reclined in his chair. “The matter has already been brought to our attention. Negotiations have been and are occurring.”

  “Brought by whom?”

  “The Yuuzhan Vong, of course. The Yavin situation has already generated a good deal of tension.”

  “What? You knew?”

  “The Yuuzhan Vong assure us that their occupation of the system is temporary. They went there in search of raw materials, not captives. They knew nothing about your Jedi praxeum.”

  Luke bore down on the chief of state with his gaze. “I ask again,” he said softly. “You knew the Yuuzhan Vong were going to Yavin, and didn’t see fit to warn me?”

  “Don’t be absurd,” Fey’lya snorted. “Do you think I could keep that from your Jedi spies? No. The Yuuzhan Vong entered the Yavin system peacefully. There was already some sort of scuffle between smugglers going on when they got there, and some of those smugglers remain and continue to harass the Yuuzhan Vong water-mining activities on Stroiketcy. It took considerable diplomatic effort to convince them that these outlaws have nothing to do with the New Republic.” He cocked his head. “You know nothing of these pirates, do you, Master Skywalker? This wouldn’t be yet another example of unsanctioned Jedi activity, would it?”

  Luke narrowed his eyes. “You sold my students out. I won’t forget that. Ever.”

  “I see. Instead of answering my question, you threaten me.” Fey’lya waved the back of his hand. “You’ve taken up enough of my time, Skywalker. Let me just leave you with a warning. I’m formally cautioning you that the Yavin system is off-limits to you and your followers. If the forces there are in any way connected with you, you will recall them. Under no circumstances are you to go there yourself or send Jedi in your stead. If you make any move in that direction, you will be placed under arrest. You are already, I rather needlessly point out, under close observation. Is that clear?”

  “Oh, it’s clear all right,” Luke replied. “Suddenly, a lot of things are very clear indeed.” He felt Fey’lya’s mind snap down and vacuum seal. The interview was over. He turned to go—and stopped when he noticed that Jaina wasn’t moving, was standing stock-still, tears of anger streaming down her face.

  “Chief Fey’lya,” she said in a quiet voice. “You are a poor excuse for a sentient being. I hope one day you really smell the stink in your heart and choke on the fumes.”

  Fey’lya returned her gaze. “You’re very young,” he said. “When you’ve accomplished a fraction of what I have for the people of this galaxy, come back and we’ll talk again.”

  “It makes a certain amount of sense from his perspective,” Jacen said later, when Luke and Jaina had returned to the Jedi Master’s quarters. Luke had just finished relating the substance of his talk with the chief of state to Shada D’ukal, Tionne, Mara, and Jacen.

  “I do not believe you said that,” Jaina snapped. “This is Anakin we
’re talking about. It’s the praxeum!”

  “You don’t have to remind me who my brother is,” Jacen said. “But that’s the point, don’t you see? We can hardly be impartial in this case.”

  “Vape impartiality!” Jaina replied. “Fey’lya’s not impartial.”

  “No, he’s not. But his concerns are different.”

  “Yeah. He’s more concerned about the Vong than he is about his own citizens.”

  “That’s not true,” Luke said gently. “To be honest, I never thought he would send ships to the Yavin system. I had to ask, though, and we did learn some things.”

  “Right. Like Fey’lya sent the Vong there in the first place.”

  “I doubt that very much,” Luke said. “I think things happened pretty much as he said. When the Yuuzhan Vong showed up they found Karrde fighting the Peace Brigade, and when they took occupation, Karrde turned on them. They then contacted the New Republic. And Fey’lya’s right—I should have seen this coming, long ago. The Yavin system has been at risk for months now. Only the concentrated effort of the Jedi there even allowed us to think it was safe.”

  “That’s perfect, Luke,” Mara said. “Blame yourself.”

  Luke lifted his eyebrows, surprised at the brittle anger in her tone. “I’m not trying to allocate blame, Mara.”

  “Then spare us your apologies for Fey’lya and the senate. What are we going to do?”

  “What Anakin did,” Jaina said. “Talon Karrde is out there right now, fighting a holding action for help that will never come. He’ll stay there until they pick all of his ships off, one by one. Won’t he, Shada?”

  “Yes.”

  Luke fixed her with his gaze. “I understand your concern, Jaina, but what good will one more X-wing do Karrde or Anakin?”

  “More good than sitting here. And we can contact Mom and Dad, have them bring the Millennium Falcon.”

  “First of all, Han and Leia are still out of contact. More important, you heard what Fey’lya said.”

  “Oh, please let them try arresting us,” Mara grunted.