Star Wars - X-Wing - The Bacta War

by Michael A. Stackpole

  could have been employed in that capacity. Right now, your ship is going

  nowhere."

  Booster frowned. "Okay, I'll come down to five hundred million credits."

  The sum seemed to stagger Cracken for a moment, then Karrde spoke. "Booster, be

  reasonable. Try twenty percent of that."

  Booster stared at him. "You're being very generous with my money, Karrde."

  "Twenty percent of something, Booster, is better than one hundred percent of

  nothing."

  "True, but if they can't deliver, why not dunk big?"

  Corran raised a hand. "It just struck me that we might be arguing about the

  wrong thing here. Booster, how serious are you about making the Virulence into a

  hyperspace-capable smuggler's den?"

  Booster scratched at the beard stubble on his throat. "Very. I spent my life

  hauling cargo from one point to another. It would be nice to own a place where

  the cargo came to me and I just brokered deals for it. The Virulence would do

  nicely in that regard."

  Corran smiled. "So would the Freedom."

  "No!" Booster and Cracken dismissed the idea at the same time. They exchanged

  surprised glances, then shook their heads.

  "I don't want the Freedom. Refitting it will take a life-time. I'd have to get

  it to Sluis Van, and General Cracken here

  would guarantee my work was never scheduled. Stick to flying, Horn, because

  that idea was really dumb."

  Mirax slapped her father on the arm. "Don't speak to my fiance like that."

  "What?!" Booster's jaw dropped. "No, that's impossible."

  Corran raised an eyebrow. "Mirax, I'm not sure this was the best time to mention

  that."

  Booster pointed at Cracken and then Corran. "He wants to take away my ship, and

  he wants to take away my daughter." He turned to Karrde. "I suppose you want

  something of mine, too."

  "Perhaps, Booster." Karrde smiled in a very genial manner. "I think I want you

  to reconsider what Lieutenant Horn suggested. It strikes me that General Cracken

  is primarily concerned with your being in command of a ship with enough

  firepower to slag an inhabited world."

  "Succinctly put, Karrde."

  "Thank you, General." Karrde looked at Booster. "Now you're concerned that your

  ship would fall prey to all sorts of pirates if they take its weaponry away.

  Even stripped of weapons a hulk like the Freedom would be quite a prize."

  Booster nodded slowly. "You're talking sense, Karrde. This scares me."

  "Booster and I agree on something." Corran narrowed his eyes at Karrde. "Where's

  this going?"

  "You know the law, Lieutenant. A ship the size of the Virulence, in private

  ownership, would be allowed to lawfully carry how much in the way of weaponry?"

  Corran sat back. "Nothing that size in private ownership, but it would be

  something on the order of two tractor beams, ten ion cannons, and ten heavy

  turbolaser batteries."

  "My calculations exactly, which leaves eight tractor beams, ten ion cannons,

  forty heavy turbolaser batteries, and fifty heavy turbolasers to be pulled off

  the Virulence. General Cracken, those weapons would pretty much replace what the

  Freedom lost here, wouldn't they?"

  Cracken frowned. "For having been here less than a

  week, Talon Karrde, you know more than I'm comfortable

  having you know."

  Booster shook his head. "Those guns aren't leaving my ship."

  Cracken snarled, "The Virulence is not your ship."

  Karrde held a hand up. "Ah, but it can be. According to the Admiralty

  regulations governing salvage disputes, Booster has named a fair price for his

  share of the salvage rights to the Virulence. Since you can't meet his price, he

  can assume control of the vessel by depositing ten percent of that price, in

  this case ten million credits, with a duly recognized judicial authoritysuch as

  the government of Thyferra

  Booster frowned. "I don't have ten million credits, Karrde."

  "No, Booster, you don't, but you do have a lot of surplus military-grade

  hardware that you're going to have to get rid of. I'll buy it for ten million."

  Cracken tapped a finger against the table. "I'm no more comfortable with you

  having that hardware, Karrde, than I was with Terrik having it."

  "I expected that, General. I'll sell you the weapons for twenty-five million

  credits."

  Cracken's jaw shot open. "You'll what?"

  Booster smiled. "I want fifteen million, Karrde. I have operating expenses."

  "I'll make it eighteen if you also sell me four squadrons of TIE fighters."

  Karrde sat back in his seat. "And the price to you, General, is now thirty-five

  million, but you'll find I issue credit more easily than my friend. Once the

  court here on Thyferra has reviewed the Virulence case, Booster will pay you

  whatever additional amount they decide he owes you."

  Corran laughed aloud. "The Virulence's, appearance here tipped the balance in

  the Thyferran war of liberation, so I suspect Booster isn't going to owe much."

  "I suspect the judges here might be swayed by that fact, but the New Republic

  will be able to argue its case." Karrde pressed his hands together. "Booster,

  you get your ship and, General, you get weapons out of his hands and into

  yours."

  Cracken remained silent for a moment, then nodded

  slowly. "You bargain very well, Karrde. Perhaps there is other business we can

  do."

  "No, General, I don't think so. 1 did this for the obscene profit you'll pay me,

  which, since you don't have liquid capital available, will be rendered in

  trading concessions for bacta and other things. I don't mind dealing with you,

  but I'm not of a mind to take sides in this civil war. Isard and Zsinj are two

  examples of countless Imperial holdouts. I'd like to avoid becoming a victim of

  future wars."

  "You'd rather be caught between us than with us?"

  "I'd rather not be caught at all." Karrde's smile carried up into his pale blue

  eyes. "Have we a deal?"

  "The Provisional Council will have a piece of my hide for this, but, yes."

  Cracken stood and nodded to Booster. "The Virulence is yours. Please change the

  name."

  Booster stood at his end of the table. "I already know what I'll call her the

  Errant Venture."

  Corran smiled weakly at General Cracken. "Sorry I couldn't have been of more

  help."

  "It wasn't the solution I wanted, but it was a solution." Cracken tossed them a

  casual salute. "Until later."

  Mirax glanced at her chronometer, then stretched languidly. "Two hours until

  Wedge's party." She smiled at Corran. "Any ideas about how to kill that time?"

  Booster settled his right hand over her left. "Yes, my dear. We're going to

  discuss this engagement of yours. My daughter isn't going to marry anyone from

  CorSecthey're all of low morals and intellect. Not going to happen. Period."

  Corran looked over at Karrde. "You want to help me out here?"

  "Do you think you could afford my help, Lieutenant?"

  "No, probably not."

  Karrde nodded solemnly. "Definitely not. Fortunately for you, however, now

  Booster has to pay for my help. We need to head over to the Errant Venture and

  pull specs on your weapons."
r />   Booster frowned. "Now?"

  "Unless you want Cracken to do it first and leave you

  with the weapons most likely to break down, we better do it now."

  Booster's eyes narrowed. "This discussion is just delayed, not abandoned."

  "Yes, Father." Mirax kissed him on the cheek. "See you in two hours at the

  party."

  The two smugglers exited the ready-room, leaving Corran and Mirax alone. He

  shook his head. "How far away from here can we get in two hours?"

  "Not far enough, I'm afraid."

  "I'm not looking forward to this discussion of our engagement."

  "My father may growl like a rancor, but his claws aren't that sharp."

  "Oh, that makes me feel lots better. He'll be insufferable for the period of our

  engagement, you know."

  "Agreed." She took his hands into hers. "However, I think I know a way to

  deflect him."

  "How?"

  "You'll see." Mirax stood and pulled him up out of his chair. "Come with me,

  love, and all shall be made clear to you."

  42

  Wedge waited until everyone had been seated in the Lusankya's staff officers'

  mess before he stepped behind the podium Emtrey had found and set up on a table

  at the far end of the room. He smiled as he faced the motley gathering. Closest

  sat his pilots; beyond them the Twi'lek Chir'daki pilots who had survived,

  including Tal'dira; Captain Sair Yonka of the Freedom; General Cracken and his

  son, Pash; Booster Terrik and Talon Karrde; Iella Wessiri, Elscol Loro, Sixtus,

  and a handful of Ashern he didn't know; and several Vratix officials from

  Thyferra. The only things we need now for a full-fledged victory celebration are

  a bonfire and a legion of Ewoks.

  Wedge held his hands up to quiet everyone and aside from the whirring of serving

  droids passing between the tables, silence reigned. "I want to keep my remarks

  as brief as possible because, one, I respect you all too much to want to bore

  you and, two, I know you're all quick enough wits that the heckling will be

  worse than the fight to take this hulk away from Iceheart.

  "I have a couple of pieces of business to transact first, though, with your

  indulgence." Wedge smiled and nodded

  over at Asyr Sei'lar. "As you call can tell, Asyr is doing well after spending

  some time in a bacta tank. The injuries she sustained when her X-wing was hit

  were fairly minor, but the

  Onebee droids have already certified her as flight capable."

  A polite round of applause greeted that news. "Unfortunately our other casualty

  did not get away so cleanly. Perhaps you want to explain, Nawara."

  The Twi'lek nodded. "While I was out of my X-wing I had the misfortune of having

  a micrometeorite hit me in the right leg. It severed the limb just above the

  knee and did so much tissue damage all the bacta on Thyferra couldn't fix it. My

  suit shut down around the wound, which is why I survived. Actually, the real

  reason I survived was because of Ooryl vaping all the squints that wanted to

  finish me off, but the leg was a loss."

  Corran turned in his seat. "They can fit you for a mechanical, right?"

  "Yes, which is what the Onebees will be doing." Nawara rapped his knuckles

  against the hollow-sounding lower part of his right leg. "Unfortunately I don't

  scan as being able to utilize a prosthetic as well as I need to if I want to

  continue flying. I'll have ninety-five percent use of the mechanical, but that's

  not enough to keep up with the rest of younot that I ever could before."

  Wedge smiled. "You were a bit rough on our equipment, Nawara. That not

  withstanding, Nawara will remain with the unit as our new Executive Officer.

  Tal'dira has been invited to join us and has accepted, so we'll have a Twi'lek

  flying with us still." Wedge led the applause, which started lekku twitching

  among the Twi'lek pilots.

  "Bror Jace has been appointed by his government to head up the formation of the

  Thyferran Aerospace Defense Force, so we'll lose his services, at least

  temporarily. The government has also asked us to stay on here for the next

  couple of months to help train the new unit. This is an assignment I've chosen

  to accept so we can make sure no one gets too adventurous and tries to repeat

  what Isard did here."

  He looked over toward General Cracken. "After that, well, General Cracken has

  communicated to me the contents

  of a resolution voted by the Provisional Council to congratulate us on what

  we've accomplished here. He also said that, due to a bureaucratic mixup, our

  resignations were never formally logged to our files. If we want them, our

  commissions are available to us and General Cracken has assured me that he's

  looking for and elite unit to be able to follow up on inves-tigative leads

  concerning the lost Lusankya prisoners. Once our work is done here, I intend to

  rejoin the New Republic and I'd like to bring Rogue Squadron back with me."

  Wedge smiled, "I've already spoken with Tycho and Corran, and they've agreed to

  rejoin. Aril, are you going to keep the Valiant or come back with us?"

  The Sullustan smiled. "I'm coming back to the Alliance, Wedge. I'll still

  command the Valiant, but I think we can work out a deal with General Cracken to

  pull missions together."

  "Good. Asyr?"

  The Bothan looked over at Gavin, got a nod from him, then smiled. "We're both

  in."

  "Rhysati?"

  "I'm in."

  "Nawara?"

  "Can't be an Executive Officer if I don't stay with the unit, can I? I'm in."

  "Ooryl?"

  "Rogue Squadron made me janwuine. I would never say no to the honor of remaining

  with it."

  "Tal'dira?"

  The Twi'lek warrior nodded solemnly. "I could not let Rogue Squadron be without

  a Twi'lek pilot. I am pleased to accept the offer to join the unit."

  Wedge smiled at Inyri Forge. "I know serving with Rogue Squadron was your

  sister's dream, but you've earned your own place with us. We'd be proud to have

  you if you want to stay with us."

  A grin slowly spread across the blue-eyed woman's face. "My sister always wanted

  the best for everyone else. Joining the squadron meant she got to fight the evil

  plaguing others,

  making things better for them, Her example is pretty compelling. I'm in."

  With her acceptance, cheers erupted, hands were shaken and backs slapped. Wedge

  swallowed against the lump rising in his throat. "Two more things, then my

  remarks. First we've been invited to Gand for Ooryl's janwuine-jika. This is an

  unbelievably huge honor for one of us who has earned many honors. Second, and

  equally worthy of celebration, is something I did barely a half an hour ago. As

  you will recall, the Lusankya was surrendered to me, making me its de facto

  captain. In my capacity as such, with Tycho and Iella present as witnesses, I

  had the pleasure of marrying Mirax and Corran."

  "What!" Booster's shout accompanied an immediate reddening of his face.

  Wedge held his hands up. "Take it easy, Booster. They plan another, more formal

  ceremony we all can attend back on Coruscant, but they figured that if you were

  going to be upset with them for getting engaged, they might as well save

  themselves that aggr
avation and just have you mad at them for being married."

  "I'm not upset about that, Wedge. I was upset when I thought she was marrying

  someone from CorSec." Mirax's father smiled. "Now he's part of Rogue Squadron

  again, so I have no complaints."

  "Right." Wedge shook his head. "No complaints you want to voice at this time."

  Booster hesitated for a moment, then nodded to an accompaniment of good-natured

  laughter.

  Corran frowned at his father-in-law. "Then the red in your face and the anger in

  your voice wasn't because of us?"

  "You CorSec people always think it's about you." Booster shook his head, then

  jerked a thumb at Karrde. "He bet me a million credits that you'd go and do

  exactly what you did, and he even conned me into giving him odds."

  Wedge laughed. "Corran, Mirax, I think that's going to be a major bone of

  contention for the future."

  "One he's going to worry like a hungry nek." Corran

  Mirax's left hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Not too steep a price to pay,

  though."

  "Ha," Mirax snickered, "serves him right for betting against us."

  Even Booster joined the resulting laughter. To Wedge the

  sound was a tonic. In all the time I've been with Rogue Squadron, there has been

  too little laughter and too many tears. Again his throat thickened, but he

  smiled and swallowed to loosen it.

  "Again, I want these remarks to be brief. It was about a year and a half ago

  that I first met most of you. You were bright-eyed and enthusiastic, ready to

  launch into one grand adventure after another. I had seen that before with other

  pilots in Rogue Squadron. I remember the days before Yavin when we were all

  young, armored with the invincibility of youth and fired by the belief that the

  Emperor's evil Empire could not win. It didn't, but the cost was more horrible

  than any of us could have imagined. You've all seen the roll of those who died

  with Rogue Squadron. Had we known at the start of things how few of us would

  survive, I think many of us would not have answered the call to fight."

  Wedge caught his lower lip between his teeth for a second, then continued. "You

  all came to Rogue Squadron knowing how few of us had survived. Your decision to

  join us was an informed decision. Yes, the Emperor was dead, Darth Vader was

  gone, but the Empire's ability to grind up our warriors was not significantly

  diminished. On both sides of the battle the weak and incompetent had been