Star Wars - The New Jedi Order - Force Heretic I - Remnant - Book 17

by Sean Williams

  "This is Mara Jade Skywalker, captain of the Galactic Alliance transport Jade Shadow, hailing Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera. Are you receiving me, Chimaera?"

  The subspace receiver crackled before a reply came in "You're a long way from home, Captain Skywalker."

  "Just thought we'd drop in to see how you guys were doing," she said sardonically. "And from the looks of things, I'm guessing not so good."

  "Your timing could be better." The comm operator sounded weary. "I don't suppose you've brought a fleet with you."

  "I'm afraid not, Chimaera, but you could do worse than concentrating your fire on that cruiser lurking at the back. It's holding a yammosk. Take it out, and you might find your luck changing."

  "A yammosk?... How could you possibly know that?"

  "Ask questions later, w hen you know I'm right."

  "Understood, Captain Skywalker. Passing on the information now."

  "Before you do that, I need to speak to Grand Admiral Pellaeon."

  "Patching you through to the bridge now, Captain Skywalker."

  The line went dead and, barely seconds later, a squadron of TIE fighters left the launching bays of Chimaera, angling away from the gas giant below to target the yammosk-bearing cruiser. Although the Yuuzhan Vong had eased off their attack for the moment, it was obvious that prior to Jade Shadow's arrival the fighting had been intense. Both Star Destroyers were scarred from weapons fire; black gashes had been torn through Chimaera's underside, exposing a large number of decks to naked space. Saba could feel its crew fighting to stay alive, along with the fading traces of those who had failed. She couldn't tell exactly how many were injured or dying, only that there were many.

  "If you've come to say I told you so, Skywalker, then I'm not interested," the Grand Admiral announced curtly. "This isn't the time for"

  "I'm not known for gloating, Gilad," Luke said, leaning past Mara to speak into the comm. "No more than you are for giving up."

  "Both Skywalkers? To what do we owe this honor?" "Call it destiny, or good luck. Either way, your forces are taking a pounding. Can you tell us what went wrong? Considering the size of your home fleet, I would have thought you'd be able to hold your own."

  "They took us by surprise," the Grand Admiral said irritably. "We were holding our own to begin with. Then the Vong pulled back. We thought we had them on the run, but they were just getting out of the way." Mara nodded in understanding. "Grutchins?" "Thousands of them," the admiral said. "Once they'd punched a hole in our defenses, the Yuuzhan Vong came back into the fray. We've been on the back foot ever since.

  Saba hissed at the mention of the hideous, insectoid creatures. Swarms of grutchins had laid waste to too many defenses during the war with the Yuuzhan Vong for her to doubt that the same had happened here.

  "Admiral," Master Skywalker said, "the offer to join forces is still open."

  "Your sister was up here a while back, trying to sell us on that idea. I thought the Moffs made it quite clear then that your help wasn't required."

  "And where are the Moffs now, Gilad?"

  Saba noticed Pellaeon's hesitation. He may have been a commander with pride, but he was also smart enough to acknowledge when he needed help, no matter how much it hurt to do so.

  "Okay, Skywalker," the Grand Admiral said after a moment. "We'll discuss this later, if there is a later. I understand you've given us some telemetry that might shift the balance here. If that works, we'll regroup with the rest of the fleet at Yaga Minor. Civilian refugees are heading for Muunilinst, but we suspect the Vong will follow our forces, to keep us off balance. If you beat us there, look for Captain Arien Yage of the frigate Widow-maker. She used to serve with me on the Chimaera; if she survived Bastion, she'll listen to you."

  "Understood." Mara and Luke exchanged glances. "Good luck."

  The Grand Admiral closed the line. For a moment, no one on Jade Shadow spoke. It was Jacen who finally stated the obvious.

  "It had to happen," he said. "We knew it was inevitable, even if they didn't want to admit it."

  "That doesn't make it any easier to watch." Luke's voice was slightly reproving. His eyes were haunted by the deaths everyone was feeling.

  "I wish there was something we could do," Tekli muttered.

  "Unless it's likely to create a fleet out of thin air, you're better off not wishing," Mara said, glancing back at her briefly. "They had their chance to join with us, and they didn't take it. I'll bet the Yuuzhan Vong left them alone, knowing the Imperials would never join innot until provoked, anyway. When their spies said they'd had just enough time to get over Ithor, to relax the defenses, the Vong hit them with everything they could spare. It's what I would have done in their shoes. Flatten the Empire with whatever resources they can get, this far out, and get rid of a niggling irritant. Then put those resources back into the real battle, elsewhere. Do it quickly enough and those forces won't be missed."

  "If the Empire survives, it may prove to be more than just an irritant," Luke said. He backed away to give his wife clear access to the controls. "What's the name of that other Star Destroyer? Do you recognize it?"

  "It's pretty banged up, but I think it's the Superior."

  "The Yuuzhan Vong aren't going to let them wander around here forever."

  "Your guess at how much longer they can last is as good as mine, Luke. Pellaeon can probably handle this lot, if they take out the yammosk, but anything tougher will turn him into metal rain for that moon over there."

  "And us with him, if we stick around." Master Sky-walker was clearly unhappy about the decision he was being forced to make. On the one hand, Saba guessed, he wanted to stay and add the Jade Shadow to the Imperial forces withdrawing from Bastion. On the other, he had the mission itself to think of the hunt for Zonama Sekot. Being destroyed wouldn't solve anything.

  Her claws itched at the thought of running from battle, at leaving another planet to the nonexistent mercy of the Yuuzhan Vong. But harsh though it sounded, it seemed that leaving Bastion in favor of the mission did make the most sense.

  "We'll meet them at Yaga Minor," Master Luke said, sighing heavily.

  "The old stomping ground."

  "Can you get us safely out of the giant's gravity well?"

  Mara responded unhesitatingly. "Of course. I can outfly the scarheads with my eyes closed."

  "Then do it," her husband said.

  "Better strap in. This isn't going to be the gentle scenic stroll we were promised."

  Saba left them to handle Jade Shadow and strapped herself into a seat in the passenger bay. Danni Quee, who had sat pale-faced and silent through the entire encounter, remained in position to Saba's right, next to Jacen Solo and Tekli. This was a familiar configuration. They had spent much of their voyage in readiness for mishap, despite Mara's words. Every time they had come out of hyperspaceand even during longer jumps, for the Yuuzhan Vong interdictor ships were an ever-present concernthey had been safely strapped in, just in case.

  Now that "in case" had happened, Saba found the familiarity soothing. The hunt had begun. All that remained was to see if the prey perished, or if the hunter went hungry. The matter of who out of the Yuuzhan Vong and the Empire was the hunter, and who was the prey, she hadn't decided yet. But even from what little she had experienced of Grand Admiral Pellaeon, she already knew that he was not the sort to be readily preyed upon. He would have surprised many would-be hunters by turning on them at the last moment and showing unsuspected teeth. Perhaps this time would be another.

  The niggling thought that even the sharpest teeth could be blunted with time followed her as Jade Shadow raced through hyperspace to the rendezvous point.

  Jacen took the navigator's seat in Jade Shadow's cockpit when they emerged from hyperspace a discreet distance from Yaga Minor. The planet was known for shipyards that serviced the Imperial Remnant, and via the screens he looked on, impressed, at the vast orbital frameworks that dwarfed Yaga Minor's single, small moon. Everything from microwelders to self-conta
ined ore smelters was being used to create ships for the ever-growing fleet. Two half-completed Star Destroyers hung in the spindly embrace of one of the shipyards; the others were in the process of building various freighters, frigates, tugs, and TIE fighters. An engine-testing range near one of the yards flashed every color of the rainbowand beyond as vessels ran through their paces before being released into service.

  When Jade Shadow arrived, the remains of the fleet stationed around the Imperial capital and its neighbor, Muunilinst, were slowly coming into orbit around Yaga Minordisheartened by the retreat but determined to fight back. The first of the survivors docked their ships alongside the Golan III Defense Platforms orbiting the planet, while those needing repairs headed for the yards. It wasn't long, though, before the available berths were full. Yaga Minor wasn't designed to accommodate the entire fleet at once, not even one reduced by the surprise attack on Bastion.

  Jade Shadow's long-range sensors detected three Star Destroyers arriving from Bastion, neither of them Chi-maera or Superior. Jacen waited anxiously for any sign of Gilad Pellaeon. If the Grand Admiral didn't survive the battle of Bastion, Jacen didn't fancy their chances of bringing around the Imperials. Pellaeon had so often been the voice of reason in the proud isolationist state. If anyone was going to convince the Moffs to join the Galactic Alliance, it was going to have to be him.

  "How long do we wait for him to appear?" Danni asked Jacen quietly from behind, not wanting to startle him. She still looked nervous. Their escape from Bastion had been much narrower than Mara had let on, he knew, and Danni was Force-sensitive enough to have guessed it. Indeed, their trip thus far, from Mon Calamari across Yuuzhan Vong-occupied territory, had been enough to put anyone on edge. Once he would have felt safe upon reaching the Imperial Remnant, but the attack on Bastion had dispelled that comfort.

  "To be honest," he said, "I don't know. What I do know, though, is that Gilad Pellaeon is a survivor. If he can get out of there, he will."

  Proximity alarms bleeped and Jacen turned his attention to his aunt's voice as she explained who they were to a squadron of TIE fighters that had noticed Jade Shadow lurking in the planet's outer orbits. But there was none of the usual Imperial hostility in the squadron leader's voice, as he was expecting. If anything, the pilot seemed relieved that Jade Shadow wasn't an advanc e vessel from the Yuuzhan-Vong, scoping out Yaga Minor for the next wave.

  My enemy's enemy is my friend, Jacen reminded himself. If Gilad Pellaeon didn't make it, then at least they would have that going in their favor.

  His relief was short-lived, however, when another call came over the subspace band.

  "Unauthorized vehicle identifying itself as Jade Shadow," said the deep, guttural voice through the comm unit. In his voice Jacen detected nothing but offi-ciousness. "Please respond."

  "This is Jade Shadow" Mara replied. "What is it now?"

  "You are required to state your intentions and prepare to be boarded."

  "What? We're on a peaceful mission."

  "That remains to be seen," the voice continued. "Do as you're told immediately or your engines will be disabled."

  "I'd like to see you try," Mara snarled. "Who am I talking to? Which idiot sent you?"

  "I am Commander Keten and I represent Moff Flennic of Yaga Minor. You are violating Imperial space and will be fired upon if you do not obey its regulations."

  Now this was more what Jacen had come to expect of the Imperials. He moved back through to the cockpit to find Luke and Mara conferring over how to respond to the commander's demands. Through the massive transparisteel canopy, Jacen saw an armed Imperial transport moving to match orbits, accompanied by a dozen TIE fighters.

  "What do you want to do?" Luke was saying.

  Mara looked uncertain. "I don't know. I need time to think."

  "Time we don't have, my love," Luke said.

  "I don't see what the problem is," Jacen put in. "Why not just let them board? It's not as though we have anything to hide."

  Luke nodded. "He's right, Mara. And it will be a gesture of goodwill, besides."

  Jacen felt warmed by his uncle's support. Mara, however, was not as convinced. She shook her head, rejecting the idea.

  "I know Flennic's type," she said. "He'll have a chip on his shoulder bigger than a Super Star Destroyer. Let him get ahold of us and we'll end up in some shipyard sweatshop for the rest of our lives."

  "Which might not be that long if the Yuuzhan Vong keep coming this way," Luke returned wryly.

  "Please respond immediately," the commander said shortly. "Or we will be forced to take action."

  A smile touched Mara's lips as an idea sprang to mind. "With the Jedi we have on board, all we have to do is get Keten here and we can make the problem go away."

  Into the comm unit, she said "We see your point, Commander. Our passenger space is limited, but we'd be pleased to welcome you aboard. When you see for your own eyes that"

  Keten cut her off with a chuckle. "You don't honestly think that I'd be the one coming aboard, do you? I'd sooner stick my head in a drive tube than take my chances with your Jedi mind tricks. No, the boarding party will consist solely of Mark Five security droids."

  Mara cursed under her breath. "Well, there goes that idea."

  "You can hardly blame him for being suspicious," Jacen said. "You were intending to use those Jedi mind tricks, after all."

  His uncle sighed. "Well, we can't very well turn him down now," he said. "Not after agreeing to be boarded."

  The communicator bleeped. Another transport was edging closer.

  "This is Captain Yage of Widowmaker," a woman's voice said over the comm. "Commander Keten, you may stand down. I shall be boarding this vessel myself, seeing as you will not."

  "But Captain" Keten started.

  Yage cut him off sharply. "May I remind you, Commander, that right here and now I outrank you," she said. "I am ordering you to stand down, and I expect you to comply without debate."

  There was a long pause before Keten finally came back with, "I shall submit to your authority, Captain, but I would like it to go on record that I do so under protest."

  "Duly noted, Commander," Yage said. "Yage out."

  The armed transport and its contingent of fighters accelerated to a lower orbit, leaving Jade Shadow to face the new arrival.

  "Requesting permission to dock, Jade Shadow," Captain Yage said over the comm.

  "The same Captain Yage Pellaeon told us to look out for," Luke reminded Mara.

  "That's not the highest recommendation," Mara said, "but it will have to do." Speaking into the communicator, she said "Feel free to match velocities and extend your umbilical, Captain. Welcome aboard."

  Jacen went back through the ship to ready the air lock. Jade Shadow was relatively cramped, given the extra equipment she had been fitted with along with the supplies required for their extended mission. There were five staterooms, a passenger bay, a galley, and a common area leading off a central, looping corridor. The bridge and common room were the diamonds in the corridor's ring. The main air lock hatch with its dummy door was located on the port side.

  As he passed through the passenger bay, he was met by Danni coming the other way.

  "Is everything okay?" she asked quickly as he passed.

  "Better than it could have been," he said. "I'm just going to greet the locals now."

  He hesitated at the entrance to the main corridor, looking back at the scientist. So far throughout the trip, Danni hadn't really had a chance to contribute in any way. He couldn't blame her for looking and sounding so anxious.

  "I don't suppose you'd like to join me, would you?" he asked.

  Her worried expression dissolved into a grateful smile as she followed him out of the passenger bay, obviously pleased to be finally doing something. When they reached the air lock, Jacen double-checked that his lightsaber was at his side, just in case this Captain Yage was not as reliable as Pellaeon had suggested she would be. From the corner of his eye he ca
ught Danni watching him. He faced her fully when he saw the apprehension on her face.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  She shook her head. "Why do I keep allowing myself to get talked into these things, Jacen?"

  He frowned, confused. "I didn't think I talked you into anything," he said. "I just thought you might like to come along and greet"

  "No, not here!" she said. "Hereon this mission."

  Jacen nodded, understanding the core of her reservations. "The locals can't be that bad, can they?" He tried to ease her concerns with a smile.

  She shrugged. "I've never actually met Imperials before. But I do remember the stories my parents used to tell me." She paused, her eyes flitting nervously from the air lock to Jacen. "They can't all be monsters, can they?"

  "No. They're human, Danni, just like us." He leaned against the bulkhead next to her, enjoying the momentary quiet the two of them had been granted. "You know, I wonder sometimes what it'll be like when the war is over. What do you suppose we'll do when we're not being asked to do stuff like this?"

  "We'll go back to doing whatever it was we did before all of this started, I guess," she said.

  He laughed a little at this. "It's been so long now that those days before the Yuuzhan Vong arrived are starting to blur. It gets harder and harder each day to recall just what it was like back then."

  "Maybe that's a good thing," she said. "A break with the past. If we can get the Empire to join up, that'll make the Galactic Alliance something truly new. Who knows? We might just find galactic unity yet."

  "That's all well and good," he said, "but I wonder about the small things, too. What I'll do, not just what happens to the galaxy."