by Timothy Zahn
Luke bit down hard on his lip. He'd had a perfect plan; only now here came the Chiss threatening to ruin it.
And maybe to blow the Dreadnaught out from under them in the process. "I'll transmit Formbi's message," Mara shouted as another volley stuttered across the hull. "If they believe it—"
"No!" Luke cut her off, looking around him. It had to be on this side of the bridge somewhere. "No communications, to anyone. Get back to the helm and get us an evasive course toward the station."
"What? Luke—"
"Don't argue," Luke snapped, crossing back to the turbolaser control console and looking at the consoles near it. "If we say anything to the Chiss, the Vagaari will know we can transmit."
"And that's a problem?"
"Yes, that's a problem." Beneath him, the deck started to sway slightly as Mara keyed in the evasive maneuvers he'd called for. "We need to look like a ship that can't communicate, where Estosh is still in command—ah," he interrupted himself. There it was, nestled between the ion cannon and forward deflector shield consoles: the anti-meteor laser cannon. "Keep us evasive," he ordered, keying the activation switches. The board shifted to green with gratifying speed. "Okay. What was Drask's emergency prefix code again?"
"Two-space-one-space-two," Mara told him. "And you've lost me completely."
"Just cross your fingers." The Chiss fighters were swinging around for another pass. Mentally crossing his own, Luke aimed the laser cannon just astern of the group and fired: pulse-pulse; pulse; pulse-pulse.
For a long moment nothing happened. The fighters completed their turn and regrouped, heading back for another strafing run. Luke fired the pattern a second time, again aiming just wide of the group. They kept coming; he fired a third time—
And then they were on him, flashing over the Dreadnaught's surface, pouring volleys of laserfire into the hull.
Only this time there were no thuds as sections of hull metal vaporized explosively away. No impacts; no shaking of the ship; no nothing.
"I'll be a roasted nerf," Mara breathed. "They've cranked their lasers down to minimal power. They figured out the message."
"And at the same time were smart enough not to give the game away to the Vagaari," Luke said, abandoning the laser console and heading off across the bridge in a search pattern again. "I could learn to like working with these people."
"They're coming around for another pass," Mara reported. "You want to keep it evasive?"
"Right," Luke confirmed. The console he was looking for... there. "Where are the Chiss fighters?" he called as he keyed for activation.
"Off our portside stern."
"Good," Luke said. "Bring our flank around to portside, as if we're running interference for the Vagaari."
"Got it."
The view ahead turned as the huge ship began rotating sluggishly to the left, and Luke shifted his attention to the attacking Vagaari. If they reacted the way every other squadron he'd ever served with would react under these circumstances...
He caught his breath. In twos and threes, the Vagaari were beginning to break off their attack on the station. "Keep going," he ordered, hearing the excitement in his voice. "Keep us between the Chiss and the Vagaari."
"The Chiss are firing again," Mara reported. "Again, just for show."
"Perfect," Luke said, his full attention on the Vagaari. They were definitely abandoning the station now, pulling away in an orderly fashion and forming up again as they headed away at full attack speed.
Moving straight for the Dreadnaught.
Mara had spotted the new maneuver, too. "Uh... Luke?" she said hesitantly.
"Trust me," he said. Reaching down to his console, he keyed a switch.
And deep beneath them, he heard the faint sound of metal grinding against metal as the forward starboard hangar deck doors slid reluctantly open.
Across the room, he heard Mara's huff. "You're not serious," she said. "You really think they'll just—? No."
"Of course they will," Luke said. "Remember, their own carrier is wrecked. What else are they going to do?"
He looked up as she stepped to his side. "You have got to be the most brazen con artist I've ever met," she said, shaking her head.
"Better even than Han?" Luke asked innocently. "Why, thank you."
"It wasn't necessarily meant as a compliment," Mara said. "That was a pretty serious risk you took."
"Not really," Luke said. "Remember, I know how starfighter pilots think. The rule is, any friendly port in a battle." He smiled lopsidedly. "And as far as they know, we're as friendly as they get."
Together they stood and watched until the last of the Vagaari fighters had come aboard. "There we go," Luke said, keying the massive docking bay door closed again. "Now we can send that message of Formbi's off to the station. I'm sure they'll want to be aboard to help us give the Vagaari pilots the bad news."
* * *
Station Commander Prard'enc'iflar was a tall Chiss with a generous helping of white in his blue-black hair and a highly intimidating look in his glowing red eyes. He was also, if Mara was reading the name and facial structures correctly, a relative of General Drask.
"We are grateful for your assistance in this matter," he said rather stiffly, his eyes mostly following his own people as they moved around the Dreadnaught's bridge inspecting the equipment. "It is evident now that Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano's counsel was well thought."
"Though I daresay you didn't think so at the time?" Mara suggested.
The glowing red eyes flicked briefly to her. "Past thoughts are irrelevant to the realities of the present," he said, looking away again. "You have aided us in the protection of our people and of our military secrets. That is high service from those who are not Chiss." He looked suddenly back at them again. "The secrets are safe, are they not?"
"Almost certainly," Luke assured him. "We had a chance to look at the communications log while you were coming aboard. Estosh made only that one transmission, and that was a short-range signal to his carrier here at Brask Oto."
"And he couldn't have sent anything earlier," Mara added. "Not from inside the Redoubt's natural interference."
"I see," Prard'enc'iflar murmured. "We will hope you are reading the data correctly."
Mara caught Luke's eye, sensing his wry amusement. For all his official gratitude, it was clear the commander privately wasn't all that impressed by humans and their abilities. Much the way Drask himself had been, in fact, early on in the mission.
It was time to give that attitude a little nudge.
"So what happens now?" she asked. "I mean, as far as the Vagaari are concerned?"
"They have committed multiple acts of war against the Chiss Ascendancy," he said flatly. "Even as we speak a strike force is being assembled, and scout ships are being sent to search for the enemy's location."
"That'll take time," Mara pointed out. "There's a lot of territory out there for the Vagaari to hide in. By the time you find them, there's a good chance they'll realize Estosh's team is overdue and fade back into the background hum."
"Have you an alternative to suggest?" Prard'enc'iflar demanded. "Or do the mind tricks Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano speaks of allow you to pull the location of the Vagaari base from dead minds?"
"Actually, we can't even do it with live minds," Mara said. "But we don't have to."
She pointed to the helm console. "The location is right in there."
"So that's what he was doing at the helm," Luke said, and Mara could sense his sudden understanding. "I thought he was just bringing the ship out of hyperspace."
"No, he was going for something more long range," Mara said, studying the confusion in Prard'enc'iflar's face. "You see, Commander, Estosh knew it was over as soon as we reached the bridge. He had a last-ditch weapon that he thought would kill all of us, so he figured that at least we wouldn't win. But even if he died in the process, he still wanted to get this ship to his people."
"So we let him key in an automatic course heading to
take the ship to wherever their rendezvous point was," Luke said.
"Which is probably also where most of their heavy warships are waiting." Mara gestured again to the helm console. "Would you like me to pull the coordinates for you?"
For a long moment Prard'enc'iflar just stood there gazing at her. Then, with the twitch of a lip, he gave her a small bow. "Thank you," he said softly. "I would like that very much."
CHAPTER 27
"So there was nothing left at all?" Jinzler asked, just to be sure.
Luke shook his head, his expression pained. "No," he said. "We searched the debris pretty thoroughly afterward. We couldn't even find a piece of the amethyst to bring back to you. I'm sorry. I know how much it meant to you."
"It's all right," Jinzler told him. And for a wonder, it really was. That lightsaber had been the last thing that had belonged to his sister. His last link to her life.
And yet, the loss wasn't hurting nearly as much as he would have expected it to. Perhaps because he no longer needed objects to remember her by. Perhaps because all those painful memories were finally beginning to heal themselves.
And to heal him.
"Actually, it's rather fitting," he added. "Lorana came aboard Outbound Flight dedicating herself to protect and nurture the people here. It's only fitting that her lightsaber be sacrificed for them, just as she herself was."
Luke and Mara exchanged glances, and he could see the caution in their expressions. As far as they were concerned, there was still no way of knowing how Lorana had died, or what she had been doing at the time of her death.
But Jinzler didn't care. He knew she'd died defending Outbound Flight. That was all that mattered.
From somewhere down the corridor came a multiple thump of dropped boxes, and a strangled curse. "Moving day is such fun, isn't it?" Mara commented, peering down the corridor in the direction of the noise.
"Especially when half the tenants are convinced they're being evicted," Jinzler agreed ruefully.
"Uliar and the Managing Council still don't want to leave?" Luke asked.
"The Chiss are practically having to drag them out by their heels," Jinzler said. "I know; it's crazy."
"Not that crazy," Mara said, her eyes thoughtful. "Even if there's nothing here for them anymore, it's still been their home for fifty years."
"It's all about familiarity," Luke agreed soberly. "No matter how unpleasant or dreary a place might have become, it's always hard to give up something you've become so used to."
Jinzler nodded, remembering back to his childhood. "Coruscant."
"Tatooine," Luke said.
"The Empire," Mara added quietly.
Luke threw her an odd look, but turned back to Jinzler without commenting. "Speaking of empires, I understand you're going to the Empire of the Hand with them?"
"I'm going with Rosemari and Evlyn," he corrected. "Since they insist on staying with the rest of the Colonists, I guess that's where I'm going, too."
"I wish you'd talk to them," Luke said. "Nothing against the Empire of the Hand, but they don't have any way to give her proper Jedi training."
Jinzler lifted his hands, palms upward. "The Colonists don't want to go to the New Republic," he reminded Luke. "It's got the word Republic in its name, and it's got Jedi. End of argument."
"I understand," Luke said. "I just don't like letting Evlyn go off without a proper instructor, that's all. Keep working on them, will you?"
"For whatever good it'll do." Jinzler smiled lopsidedly. "Actually, I suspect that Commander Fel's going to be working the opposite direction, hoping that Evlyn's presence will induce you to come over to his side and set up an academy there."
"Did he say that?" Luke asked, frowning.
"Not in so many words," Jinzler said. "But he did ask me to tell you that Admiral Parck's offer of a job is still open."
"Right," Luke said, throwing another sideways look at Mara. "Be sure to thank him the next time you see him."
"That may be a while," Jinzler warned. "I understand he and the Five-Oh-First have already left with General Drask."
"Probably gone to join up with the Vagaari attack force," Luke said.
"Probably," Jinzler agreed. "Both Drask and Fel strike me as the sort of people who like to see things through to their conclusion."
"Rather like you?" Mara suggested.
"Hardly," Jinzler admitted, glancing around the ancient metal corridor. "I may have come here to see the end of Outbound Flight, but I didn't do a very good job of being there for the middle. Or the beginning, for that matter."
"I was referring to your decision to stick with Rosemari and Evlyn," Mara said.
Jinzler blinked. "Oh. Well... maybe. I guess we'll see how I do."
"Anyway, keep in touch," Luke said, taking Mara's arm. "The Chaf Envoy's taking Formbi out of here in about an hour, and we need to say a few quick good-byes before we take off."
"I'll try," Jinzler said dubiously. "I don't know how well any messages would get through, though."
"They'll do fine," Luke assured him. "I know Parck has some contact with Bastion these days, and after this I think the Nine Ruling Families may be willing to discuss diplomatic relations with Coruscant. We should get anything you send."
"Provided some hotshot in a relay station doesn't intercept it along the way," Mara added.
Jinzler felt his face redden. "There's that, of course," he conceded. "Another good reason for me to sit out in the Empire of the Hand for a while."
"Don't worry, we'll square things with Karrde," Luke assured him. "You just take care of Rosemari and Evlyn."
"I will." Jinzler held out his hand. "Good-bye. And thank you. For everything."
* * *
The trip back through the Redoubt was, thankfully, uneventful. By the time the Chaf Envoy emerged at the Brask Oto station, the news was waiting that the Chiss strike force had successfully located and attacked the Vagaari warships gathered together for their anticipated rendezvous with Estosh's team. General Drask reported that the enemy had been taken by surprise and destroyed.
Of course, Luke reminded himself privately, that was probably what Thrawn had reported fifty years ago, too. Whether the Vagaari would still be a threat somewhere down the line would remain to be seen.
He and Mara took their leave of their hosts, accepting one final thanks from the still bedridden Formbi, and headed for home.
The Jade Sabre was cruising through hyperspace, and they were lying together in bed in their stateroom, when Luke finally asked the question he knew his wife had been expecting for days. "So," he said, deciding on the casual approach. "Have you made your decision yet?"
"Decision?" Mara asked, apparently deciding to play it coy.
"You know what decision," Luke growled, not really in the mood for coy. "About whether you're going to take Parck up on his offer to join the Empire of the Hand."
"That would certainly be something, wouldn't it?" Mara commented thoughtfully. "All those people on Coruscant who never really liked or trusted me would have a Harvest Day special with that one."
"I'm being serious," Luke said.
"Hey, relax," she soothed. "I'm joking. You know I'm staying with you."
"I know that." He braced himself. "What I meant was... if you really need to be there, I'm willing to go with you."
"I know," she said quietly, reaching over and taking his hand. "And you don't know how much it means to me that you are."
She hesitated. "I won't deny that the idea has some attraction," she admitted. "Ever since this whole thing started, I've been fighting some strange survivor's guilt over the fact that I lived through the Empire's destruction when so many other people didn't. I kept wondering if I was just lucky, or whether there was some other reason behind that."
"Of course there was," Luke said.
He felt the subtle muscle movements as she smiled. "I meant some reason besides completing your life and making you happier than you ever thought possible."
"Ah,"
he said dryly. "And what did you conclude?"
"I don't know," she conceded. "All I know is that I was given about as clear a choice as anyone could hope to have. On one side was the chance to again serve an empire, this time an empire that had all the strengths I'd always admired but none of the evil. A chance to give back some of my time and ability to the heirs of the people who'd spent so much time and energy teaching me those skills in the first place."
"And on the other side, you have the New Republic," Luke murmured. "Squabbling, political brushfires, Bothan back-blading, and an occasional diehard who still doesn't trust you."
"That was the choice, all right," Mara said. "But no matter how nice and ordered and comfortable the Empire of the Hand might look, I've decided that my place right now is with the New Republic."
"You're sure?" Luke asked, one last time.
"I'm positive," she said. "Besides, how could I drag you away from your sister and everything you fought so hard for?"
"It would have been tricky," he admitted. "But I could have adapted. I guess I'm just surprised that after all this time you would still even have to make such a decision."
"I wondered about that myself," Mara agreed. "But I could feel the Force in this, right from the very beginning. Maybe it was that lingering survivor's guilt that had to be dealt with. Or maybe the New Republic is in for some rough times and I needed to be clear in my own mind exactly where I stood before it happened. Good enough reasons for the Force to send us out here."
"Not to mention the fact that we were needed to keep Formbi and everyone else alive?"
"There's that, too," Mara agreed. "I always like it when I get to accomplish three things at the same time. It makes life so much more efficient."
"Yes," Luke murmured. "And I'd be the first to say that the New Republic is certainly where you're needed the most. So is that finally settled?"
"It's settled," she confirmed. "We're in for the duration, dear." She squeezed his hand. "I'm just sorry your own quest didn't turn out so well."
He shrugged. "No, but it's not really over yet. I still think there must be useful records of the old Jedi somewhere aboard Outbound Flight. We're just going to have to wait until we get hold of the entire thing and can go through it console by console."