are you?"
Wedge laughed. "No, we'll have them sent to Coruscant. Make no mistake about it,
people, this won't be easy. A lot of us won't be coming back. There will be a
terrible price to pay to liberate Thyferra, but an even greater one if we don't
liberate it. We'll be taking a lot of risks, but we have no choice
because this will be our best chance to destroy Isard. If we fail now, it could
very well be that no one else will ever dare to oppose her."
Asyr let a little growl rumble from her throat. "So failure is not an option,
eh, Wedge?"
"Not for us, Asyr, not by a long shot."
Fliry Vorru looked at the data scrolling up through the air above his holopad.
Beyond the glowing green numbers he watched Erisi Dlarit study the information.
"Rather ingenious of them, wasn't it, my dear, to choose the Yag'Dhul station
as their base. You might have guessed."
Erisi nodded once, curtly. "I did guess and did some checking of my own. The
station was ordered and reported destroyed. Pash Cracken signed the report
indicating the station had been destroyed, so perhaps.I should have been
suspicious."
Vorru waved her remark away. "Don't berate yourself, Erisi."
"No, Madam Director will do that for me, won't she?"
Vorru smiled. "Ah, you know her so well. She does seem to visit injustice upon
you with fair frequency. I think that is a situation that should change."
Erisi arched an eyebrow over an ice blue eye. "What did you have in mind?"
"See if your reasoning parallels my own. It strikes me that after the Lusankya
is sent off to destroy the Yag'Dhul station, someone in the New Republic is
going to have to take notice of how much firepower she possesses. While Zsinj
has been more of a direct threatand is why the New Republic fleet is out there
hunting him down and, with any luck at all, destroying himYsanne Isard has
succeeded in raising her profile rather considerably. The New Republic will be
forced to deal with her sooner or later, and I'm inclined to think they will opt
for sooner."
The Thyferran pilot nodded slowly. "I follow you so far."
"It strikes me that my position here is no longer going to
be profitable. I have managed, in my position, to set aside a certain amount of
credits that would be sufficient, say, to purchase a planet. I would require a
loyal staff and even a wing of pilots to keep my rivals at bay."
"I see. And would you be requiring my services as a pilot or my company?"
Vorru bowed his head in a salute. "Your services as a pilot would be most
valuable to me. Your company, on the other hand, would be invaluable to me. I
leave the choice of role to you, to be modified as you wish."
"Very well, I shall start as the commander of your pilots." Erisi clasped her
hands at the small of her back. "How do you see this defection being
accomplished?"
"After the Lusankya and the Virulence return from destroying the Yag'Dhul
station, we will head out on the Virulence on an inspection tour of facilities.
There will be an accident, we will disappear. It can be arranged."
"Then arrange it." Erisi looked around and toward the viewports displaying the
planet's lush greenery. "Iceheart will find a way to destroy this world I love.
I have no desire to be here when that happens."
"Nor do I, Erisi dear, nor do I."
34
Corran reached across the table at Flarestar and took Mirax's hand in his.
"Thanks."
She gave his hand a squeeze. "Buying dinner was no big deal."
"That's not what I'm thanking you for." Corran glanced down at the table, then
back up at her. "Seeing you sitting there I remember the first time I saw you,
back on Talasea."
Mirax smiled. "Yeah, the lighting is dim enough in here to resemble that world."
He chuckled. "I was remembering how beautiful you looked then and how beautiful
you are now."
"And I remember you cut a rather dashing figure in your flightsuit, then I had
to go and spoil it by bringing our fathers' rivalry into things."
"But we got over that fast. Then I was remembering our last conversation on
Coruscant before we headed out to conquer a world." His smile shrank somewhat.
"And then I ruined what we were heading for by getting captured by Isard."
"Yet another crime for which she should pay."
"Agreed." Corran sat back as a serving droid started
clearing platters from their table. "A huge chunk of what gnawed at me while I
was on the Lusankya, was knowing you thought I was dead. I didn't want to
presume that my disappearance would have hurt you that much, but I knew how I'd
have felt were our situations reversed."
Mirax nodded solemnly. "And now, in less than a day, we'll be tossed again into
a fight where we both might die . . ."
Corran shot her a wry grin. "You wouldn't be trying to turn this into a 'sleep
with me tonight because tomorrow we may die' thing, would you?"
"Me?" Mirax demurely pressed a hand against her breastbone. "Perish the thought.
I'd never think of taking advantage of you like thatdespite having bought you a
lavish meal."
"Oh, no?"
"No."
"Why not?" Corran sniffed. "Am I not good enough for you?"
"You are that, but, as I recall, you're also already sleeping in my bed."
"Good point. It does sort of make this kind of seduction rather moot."
"True, but the flirtation is fun."
"I agree there, too." Corran smiled and tightened his grip on her hand ever so
slightly, doing his best to make sure he didn't feed the pressure building in
his chest into his hand. "And I can't think of anyone I would rather flirt with
and be seduced by than you. In fact, I think we should make it permanent."
Mirax's brown eyes grew wide. "Lieutenant Corran Horn, are you asking me to
marry you?"
"Look, I know this might seem abrupt. I mean, I know we've been living together
since my return from the grave, but with all our missions and trips and
everything, I'd guess we've not had more than three weeks in the last four
months where we've actually been able to spend time alone with each other.
Despite how hectic and chaotic things have been, what I do know is that I want
more time to spend with you. I know that
I'm never going to find someone for whom I feel more than I feel for you."
"That's true, because if you did, I'd see to it that you stopped feeling
altogether." Mirax squeezed his fingers. "Are you sure about this? Don't you
want to talk to Iella about it?"
"She'd tell me I've been an idiot for not asking you to marry me sooner. She and
Diric were as close as any two people I've ever seen; and despite the pain she's
been through, I don't think she'd have surrendered one moment of their happiness
together to make her feel better. For as long as I've known her she's had a
habit of predicting how many weeks my relationships would last, and she was
always on target. With us, no prediction."
"Always did think she was smart." Mirax held her right hand up. "One last thing,
Corran You realize that I'm not walking away from my lifestyle or my father.
The Mirax Terrik you get is the Mirax Terrik you know.
"
"I think your father and I have an understanding, but even if we didn't, you'd
be worth it. Realize I'm not going to change either."
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
Corran arched an eyebrow. "So?" He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
"Will you marry me?"
Mirax lifted his hand from the table and kissed it. "Yes, I will, Corran Horn."
The tension in him exploded in a nervous laugh that freed a single tear to roll
down his cheek. He slipped his hand from hers, then pulled off the gold chain
and Jedi medallion he wore. "This station isn't a good place for finding jewelry
and I didn't want to ask Zraii to machine up a Quadanium ring, so all I have to
offer you is this." He held the medallion out by the chain, but Mirax refused to
take it.
"Corran, I know how much that medallion means to you. It's your good luck piece.
I won't take it, especially just before the coming assault."
"Mirax, you've just agreed to marry me. Any luck left in this thing has clearly
been drained. You're the most important person in the galaxy to me, so if this
will keep you safe, or
even if it will remind you of me, it's better off with you than hanging around
my neck."
She accepted it from him and stared down at the medallion resting in her palm.
She ran a thumb over Nejaa Halcyon's profile and slowly smiled. "Do you think
our children will look like him?"
"Better him than your father." They both laughed. "At least for the boys, that
is. If our daughters look like their mother, I'll be as pleased as possible and
as protective of them as your father is of you."
Mirax looped the chain over her head and let it slip beneath her clothes. "I'm
going to find you something that's just as special as this is. Maybe I'll talk
to Zraii about fabricating something for you, something you'll never forget."
"Like what?"
"A ring, maybe, made from the Lusankya's hull. It held you captive the way you
hold my heart captive."
"You're good, Mirax, very good."
"I'm the best, Corran, and you always push me to excel."
He smiled. "So, when do we break the news to your father?"
Mirax paled slightly. "The when comes after the how I think. Give me some time
to figure that out. We can tell Wedge, though, and some of the others, but that
can wait until tomorrow. We have other things to do tonight."
"Such as?"
"You, Corran Horn, have asked me to marry you, I have ac cepted and I intend us
to do everything right in our marriage." She stood up from the table and
dragged him up after her. "Toward that end, there are certain things I think we
should practice until we perform them perfectly."
Fliry Vorru found it easy to read the emotions running through the two ship
captains. The briefing Ysanne Isard was giving them clearly frightened Captain
Lakwii Varrscha. Though the woman stood taller and was more muscled than Ysanne
Isard, she lacked the vitality that gave Isard her commanding presence. That
the woman had risen so high in Im-
perial service marked her as competent, but Vorru felt her rise had much to do
with the fact that she had hitched her career to that of Joak Drysso and his
rising star had dragged her along to the limits of her abilities.
Joak Drysso, in contrast to Varrscha, was small and blocky, with prematurely
gray hair that was matched by the color of his goatee. Despite his diminutive
stature, he had an air of menace about him. Were it not for the perspective
supplied by his surroundings, Vorru could have imagined him being a
stormtrooper standing a hundred meters distant lethal and not given to
surrender.
Isard had chosen to wear her red Admiral's uniform for the briefing, despite the
heat and humidity. "There it is, then. You will be attacking an Empress-class
space station. The armaments and shielding are minimal, though the chance that
some upgrades are in place cannot be overlooked. The Yag'Dhul system is
twenty-four hours from here. I expect the station to be destroyed and you to
return here within sixty hours from now. Are there any questions?"
Drysso nodded sharply. "I have to wonder, Madam Director, at why you are
sending both the Lusankya and the Virulence on this mission. The Lusankya, as
well you know, has more than enough firepower to obliterate the station. In
addition I have twelve squadrons of TIE fighters at my disposal, which is more
than enough to overwhelm Antilles's paltry forces. Even Minister Vorru's most
generous estimates of the Rogue strength gives us a two to one advantage in
fighters, and as good as the Rogues might be, they cannot hope to prevail
against us."
Vorru cleared his throat. "You have forgotten the Alderaanian War Cruiser?"
"Its firepower is negligible. A Super Star Destroyer can absorb all the damage
it can do and still destroy it at leisure. I will designate two squadrons of
TIEs to keep it off me. There is no need for the Virulence to come with me on
this mission. Moreover, its departure from Thyferra puts this world at risk."
Isard blinked. "At risk? From whom?"
"Antilles and his people. Recall, his X-wings are hyper-
space capable. If they bolt when we arrive, they will be able to come here and
have twelve hours to fly missions against positions here before we could
possibly return."
Vorru frowned. "Toward what end? Antilles can't take this planet without
troops."
"But he has them, Minister Vorru, in the Ashern rebels."
Isard waved their exchange away. "No matterany gains they made in your absence
would vanish when your return."
"Leaving the Virulence here would prevent even minimal gains." Drysso stroked
his goatee. "While I have the utmost respect for and confidence in Captain
Varrscha, her ship is not required on this mission."
"Nor is it required to safeguard Thyferra." Isard smiled slowly. "I have the
Thyferran Home Defense Corps to ward off the Rogues, if they do what you say
they will. What few of them the THDC allows to survive will be useless to the
Ashern rebels. We can easily hold out for twelve or twenty-four hourswhatever
it takes for your return. And the Virulence will be going with you to guarantee
your return. Ait Convarion made the mistake you are making in underestimating
Antilles. Convarion paid for his arrogance with his life."
Drysso accepted Isard's warning without a flicker of reaction. "I assure you,
Madam Director, the Lusankya will return from Yag'Dhul victorious."
"I trust this will be the case, Captain Drysso, otherwise you'll have no reason
to return here at all." Isard nodded solemnly. "You will find the consequences
of failure most disagreeable."
Isard shifted her attention to Captain Varrscha and Vorru waited for the
Virulence's commander to collapse. "Captain Varrscha, you understand the mission
as it has been given to you?"
"Yes, ma'am. The Virulence is to offer all aid and assistance to the Lusankya
to complete its mission. I will execute Captain Drysso's orders instantly."
"Ah, I see." Isard's eyes narrowed. "You have served as Captain Drysso's
subordinate officer for years now, yes?"
"Following his orders is admirable, but what would you do if you thought he was
making a mistake?"
"I don't understand the question, ma'am."
Anger curled its way through Isard's voice. "Are you capable of taking the
initiative, Captain? If the Lusankya were suddenly faced with a threat, could
you act to head that threat off without an order from Captain Drysso?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Very good, Captain." Isard strolled over to where the other woman stood, her
voice dropping to the level of a growled whisper. "Understand this The Lusankya
is more valuable than you or your ship. Its preservation is vital for our
continued success here at Thyferra. You will do whatever you must to see to it
that the ship returns here. Captain Drysso may consider your presence to be that
of an observer, but I consider you a shield between the Lusankya and disaster."
Isard spun away from her and addressed all three of the individuals in the room.
"If Antilles knows we are coming, he will have something prepared to oppose us.
Even if he has not anticipated us, I do not think he will be helpless. He will
be desperate, and desperation can inspire people to great feats of heroism. In
desperation there is danger for our forces, so you must be careful. If your
victory costs us too much, we could be in jeopardy."
Drysso's face became a resolute mask. "Victory will be mine, Madam Director."
"Those are famous last words, Captain Drysso." Isard snorted derisively. "Do
your best to see you do not join the teeming mass of failures for whom those
were the last words."
Iella Wessiri snapped the trigger assembly for her blaster carbine back into
place and tightened the bolt to secure it. She picked up a power pack to slam it
home, but stopped when Elscol Loro crouched and squeezed through the opening to
the Vratix den they shared. "News?"
The smaller woman nodded. "All leaves have been canceled for crew from the
Lusankya and the Virulence. Within six hours or so they should be under way."
"No convoy is forming up?"
"Nope, this is clearly a strike mission."
Iella frowned. "You mean the strike mission."
"Isard does appear to be dancing to the tune Wedge has called." Elscol shrugged.
"I just hope Wedge can pay the synthesizer jockey when the bill comes due."
"He took Coruscant. Freeing this rock isn't going to be that much tougher."
Star Wars - X-Wing - The Bacta War Page 32
