Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance (45 page)

"One
of our signals officers believes the hexes identify us by our
transponders, " said another alien on the captain's staff. "We
could feather our drives, confuse them. "

"Better
yet, " said the Padawan, "we could avoid drives entirely. "

"What
do you mean?"

"Shuttle
to low orbit, free-fall straight down from there, then chute onto the
targets. "

Ax
was impressed. She liked that plan, despite herself. "It could
work. We'll show up on radar, of course, but they won't know what we
are. Toss out a bit of junk with us, and they might even mistake us
for debris. "

The
captain was nodding. "Excellent. The only thing left to decide
is who has overall authority. "

There
was another awkward silence.

Ax
had known this moment was coming. "Darth Chratis or Colonel
Kalisch. We have the bulk cruiser. "

"But
we have more ships, " said Captain Pipalidi.

"Master
Shan should make the call, " said the Padawan, with perfect
predictability. "Her foresight is legendary. "

"Does
she know how this is going to end?" Ax asked him.

"I
do not, " the Grand Master said. "But I do know that we'll
never agree on this point. I suggest we give someone else the
authority to oversee this engagement. Not the details, but the key
strategic moments. Someone we have already trusted to act as a
go-between in difficult circumstances. "

All
eyes turned to Envoy Vii.

"I,
ah, would be honored, of course, " he said, "but..."

"Darth
Chratis will accept this proposal, " said Ax, enjoying the way
the traitor squirmed.

"So
will I, " said the captain.

"On
one condition, " Ax added. "We must be sure that Envoy Vii
is acting independently, not under any kind of distress or influence.
As we cannot guarantee that he will do so here, in a Republic vessel,
we require that he be stationed elsewhere, and remain in constant
contact with all parties. "

"Not
with you, " said the captain. "Or Dao Stryver. "

"Nebula's
ship, " said Shigar.

The
Grand Master nodded. "The Auriga Fire. "

Envoy
Vii's larynx bobbed once, twice, then he visibly got himself
together.

"I
will accept this responsibility, " he said, "on the
assumption that my instructions will be followed to the letter.
There's no point having me in this role if you won't listen to me.
All of you. "

He
was looking at the captain, who nodded. Clearly a civilian authority
was better than either a Sith or a Jedi. "I will play my part, "
she said.

"Darth
Chratis will, too, " Ax said. "I'm sure Envoy Vii will do
the right thing by all of us. "

He
glanced at her, and she saw the terror in his eyes. He understood
very well indeed what she had meant.

*
* *

While
the Sith apprentice relayed the orders to her Master, Ula took a
moment to review the plan in his mind. Primary and secondary
objectives were now defined. There would be three teams. The first
would clear Sebaddon's orbit so that landing parties could get
through. The second, led by Grand Master Shan, would attempt to
destroy the droids' coordinating intelligence-their version of him,
he now realized. No doubt the hexes would be seeking to take him out
in return. The third team would be lead by Major Cha, with Larin and
Hetchkee backing him up. They would drop into the master factory and
prevent the droids from creating a new CI.

Ula's
job was to oversee it all and somehow to stay alive.

The
Jedi Padawan came in close.

"I
don't know what you told them, " Shigar whispered, "but
you've got the Imperials jumping exactly in time. "

Ula
looked up from the holographic globe. "It was nothing special, "
he said, hiding many layers of truth behind a simple lie. "They're
not monsters. They can be made to see reason. "

Shigar's
doubt on that point was impervious. "However you did it, keep it
up and you'll be Supreme Chancellor one day. "

Not
if I'm caught. Ula was well aware of how agents were punished by both
sides. But part of him was flattered by the Padawan's confidence in
him. He remembered how Shigar had saved him from the collapsing wall
on Hutta, and how Larin had volunteered to accompany him to what must
have seemed like certain doom, when meeting with Darth Chratis. These
acts had been offered freely, without promise of reward. He didn't
understand where they came from, unless they genuinely thought him
worth saving.

Him,
he wondered, or his false face?

Either
way, he felt somewhat buoyed by their regard.

"The
Mandalorian agrees, " said the Rellarin major, looking up from a
separate holoprojector. "Intel and surveillance, engaging only
as instructed. "

"Darth
Chratis concurs on all points but one, " added the Sith
apprentice on returning to the huddle. "He will fight with
Master Shan during the assault on the CI. And I will fight, too. "

The
Grand Master nodded slowly. "Very well. My Padawan will be part
of the strike force, so that is only fair. "

"Excellent,
" said Ula, playing the part of mediator with something like
aplomb, he hoped. "We are agreed. All that remains is to begin.
"

"No
time like the present, I say, " Captain Pipalidi rumbled.

"My
sentiments exactly, " said Ula. "I will retire to the
Auriga Fire and set up my command post there. On notification that
all is in place elsewhere, I will give the order. Nothing is to
commence until then. Understood?"

They
understood well enough, and he was under no illusions, either. It was
all an act, a hasty bandaging of cracks that would inevitably tear
the alliance asunder. But while they were prepared to play, so was
he.

Captain
Pipalidi clicked her fingers and an escort fell in behind him. They
marched him through the ship to where the Auriga Fire remained safely
docked, then left him there.

The
smuggler looked up when he entered the cockpit.

"How'd
it go?"

"Could
have been worse, " Ula said, falling into the copilot's seat.
"They put me in charge. "

"Well,
good for you. That's the seat to be in if you want to skim a little
profit. "

"I'm
not interested in doing that. "

"So
what are you interested in?"

That
was the question, Ula supposed. Was it to give the Sith what they
wanted and thereby perpetuate their deadly regime? Was it to provide
resources for the Minister of Logistics, in order to further his
dream of a more balanced Imperial society? Or was it something else?

He'd
always thought of Coruscant as cursed. Only now did he realize just
how easy he'd had it there. Out here, the issues were the same, but
the blasters aimed at his temple were much, much closer.

CHAPTER
32

Larin
looked out a transparisteel portal and wondered if she was dreaming.

The
Commenor was stationed in close orbit around Sebaddon's lumpy moon,
in lockstep with the other Republic ships. The Imperial vessels had
occupied a different orbit, but they were steadily falling into line.
Once the fleets merged, the first attack run would begin. She would
be heading down to the surface with the other soldiers to fight the
enemy where it lived. Until then, there was nothing to do but stare
at the view.

As
Larin watched, an almost surreal conjunction occurred before her
eyes. The moon, Sebaddon, and the dramatic spiral of the galaxy
formed a straight line, with the jets of the black hole aligned at
right angles, creating a stellar X. It reminded her of the Cross of
Glory, the highest military award given by the Republic. She didn't
believe in omens-or any kind of future-telling at all, really,
despite talk of Master Satele's abilities in that regard-but she
decided to take it as a good sign. Everything was lined up.
Everything was perfect.

When
the conjunction broke apart, she turned away from the viewport and
tested her new armor. The suit was clean, fully charged, and equipped
with everything she had ever wanted. All the pockets were full, all
the seals checked. Her joints moved smoothly, without impediment, and
provided assist when requested without jarring or losing control. Her
helmet was a little snug, but the quartermaster had assured her they
all were, these days. The newer designs were better equipped to
prevent head trauma in even the most extreme situations. She would
take a little claustrophobia in return for knowing her skull was
safe.

In
the mirror, she was unrecognizable, and that wasn't just because of
the lieutenant insignia on her shoulders.

"You
have fingers, " said a voice from the entrance to the ready
room.

She
turned, saw Shigar standing there, freshly kitted out in the Jedi
version of uniform and armor: browns and blacks, mainly, with loose
folds of cloth hiding compact armor plating.

"That
is Larin, isn't it?" he added with a sudden frown.

"Yes,
" she said, snapping out of her daze. She tugged the helmet off
with her left hand-which, as Shigar pointed out, now had individual
digits. The new prosthetic wasn't permanent; it was just a step up
from the crude paddle Ula had found on the Auriga Fire. But it could
hold the stock of a rifle while her right hand pulled the trigger. It
could type digits into a keypad. It could point.

"It'll
do, " she said, feigning nonchalance.

He
came deeper into the room, so they were standing an arm's length
apart. "We're breaking orbit in ten minutes. I wanted to say
good luck. "

Her
stomach roiled. She had plans to go over, equipment to check, troops
to address-and the jump itself, waiting at the end of all that. She
hadn't dived from orbit since basic training. Only crazy people did
it by choice. So many things could go wrong.

She
was acutely aware that this could be the last time they ever saw each
other.

"Who
needs luck?" she said. "You've got the Force on your side,
and I have lots of blasters. "

He
smiled. "Does nothing faze you?"

"Not
officially. lust plasma spiders. Oh, and the smell of Reythan
crackers, for some reason. "

His
smile broadened. "Good for you. Frankly, I'm terrified. "

Her
stomach rolled as though it were in free fall.

"Actually,
" she said, "this kind of thing makes me a little nervous.
"

She
leaned closer to him, moving quickly, so she wouldn't change her
mind, and kissed him on the lips.

He
pulled away with a shocked look on his face.

"Larin,
oh-oh, I'm sorry-I don't..."

"No,
" she said, face burning.

I
don't think of you that way, he'd clearly been about to say. They
were words she didn't want to hear.

"Don't
apologize. I'm sorry. "

"It
was my mistake. I thought..."

She
stopped. They were talking on top of each other, and his face was as
red as hers. She was suddenly afraid to move, to do or say anything
lest it be utterly misconstrued. Where had the natural banter between
them gone? What had happened to the connection she'd been sure was
there?

If
she was sure of one thing now, it was that prolonging the awkwardness
guaranteed nothing but more of the same.

"I
guess this is good-bye, " she said, "for now. Good luck to
you, too, Shigar. "

"Thank
you, " he said, and although she couldn't look at him, she knew
he was looking hard at her. "Thank you, Larin of Clan Moxla. "

Then
he was gone, leaving nothing but his smell behind.

She
pressed her face into her hands. "Flack. Flack flack flack!"

"What's
wrong?" asked an entirely new voice from the doorway.

It
was Hetchkee. She blinked up at him and tried to focus on something
other than what an idiot she felt like.