“We haven’t lost anyone so far.”
The news was even better than Tenel Ka had hoped—especiallyconsidering the difficult circumstances of the mission, and the enemy’s cleverness in attacking under cover of the Ossan fog.
“When you say anyone,” she asked, “do you mean transports or people?”
“Both,” Tionne clarified. With her silver hair and white eyes, she remained a woman of ethereal beauty—despite the subtle imperfections of the prosthetic arm and leg she wore in place of the limbs she had lost during the same incident that had wounded her husband. “Sharmok seven-eighteen took some heavy damage and has lost communications. But Volgh Squadron is escorting her in, and the leader is relaying visual now. It looks like seven-eighteen will make it, too.”
Tenel Ka smiled. “That is very good news.”
“It is.” Tionne’s face grew more somber. “Though I’m afraid your Miy’til pilots have taken some casualties, and two squadrons remain engaged.”
Tenel Ka felt her stomach knot, but nodded. “We expected that,” she said. “But this is more than a rescue mission, Master Solusar. It’s a chance for the Hapan Royal Navy to assess the enemy’s capabilities.”
“I’ll bet that wasn’t an easy sell with Lady Maluri and Ducha Luvalle in the room,” Han commented. “So thanks—and I mean for everything.”
“The Consortium appreciates your gratitude, Captain Solo,” Trista Zel said, looking up from her data display. “But I assure you, the Queen Mother has no need to
sell
anything.”
Han raised his hands as though to apologize, then scowled and suddenly turned back to Tionne. “Did you say seven-eighteen?”
She nodded. “That’s correct.”
“And we didn’t lose any other transports?” he asked. “You’re sure?”
“We’re sure, Han,” Kam said. “We’re Jedi Masters. We
can
count to twelve.”
“Yeah—but it shouldn’t have been this easy.” Han circled around to the back of the crescent-shaped console, then leaned over Trista’s shoulder to study the data display. “It was a mess down there, and seven-eighteen got jumped in front of us. She got jumped
hard
.”
Trista craned her neck to look up at him. “Captain Solo, are you suggesting—”
“I’m not suggesting anything. Seven-eighteen launched ahead of the
Falcon
. Now she’s the straggler.” Han stabbed a finger at the display. “And it looks like she’s making for the flagship. You figure it out.”
Trista spoke into her throat-mike, then her face paled as she listened to the reply. A second later she began to snap orders.
“Have Volgh Leader signal seven-eighteen to veer off
now
,” she said. “And no excuses. Warn the pilot that if she’s still on this vector in sixty seconds, she
will
be vaped.”
“Vaped?” Allana looked up at Tenel Ka. “But she’s carrying academy students!”
“She’s
supposed
to be.” Tenel Ka extended her Force awareness in the transport’s direction, but there were fifteen Battle Dragons and close to a dozen clusters of Jedi students in the area, and it was impossible to tell whether the presences she sensed were aboard Sharmok 718. “But her behavior is suspicious. Something is very wrong.”
Tenel Ka stepped around behind the console, and her heart fell when she saw the display. One of the screens showed a close-up image of a Sharmok transport gliding through a starry drift of space. With a line of scorch holes angling up her stern quarter, a pair of jagged rings where the cannon turrets used to be, and a hull crumple behind her main hatch, the vessel had clearly seen some savage close-quarters combat.
A dot of white light appeared against the flight deck viewport and began to blink on and off in the staccato rhythm of the Hapan military’s flash code.
“Any sign they were boarded?” Tenel Ka asked.
“None reported,” Trista replied.
“There wouldn’t be,” Han said. “Sharmok air locks use a standard two-stage touch pad,
The news was even better than Tenel Ka had hoped—especiallyconsidering the difficult circumstances of the mission, and the enemy’s cleverness in attacking under cover of the Ossan fog.
“When you say anyone,” she asked, “do you mean transports or people?”
“Both,” Tionne clarified. With her silver hair and white eyes, she remained a woman of ethereal beauty—despite the subtle imperfections of the prosthetic arm and leg she wore in place of the limbs she had lost during the same incident that had wounded her husband. “Sharmok seven-eighteen took some heavy damage and has lost communications. But Volgh Squadron is escorting her in, and the leader is relaying visual now. It looks like seven-eighteen will make it, too.”
Tenel Ka smiled. “That is very good news.”
“It is.” Tionne’s face grew more somber. “Though I’m afraid your Miy’til pilots have taken some casualties, and two squadrons remain engaged.”
Tenel Ka felt her stomach knot, but nodded. “We expected that,” she said. “But this is more than a rescue mission, Master Solusar. It’s a chance for the Hapan Royal Navy to assess the enemy’s capabilities.”
“I’ll bet that wasn’t an easy sell with Lady Maluri and Ducha Luvalle in the room,” Han commented. “So thanks—and I mean for everything.”
“The Consortium appreciates your gratitude, Captain Solo,” Trista Zel said, looking up from her data display. “But I assure you, the Queen Mother has no need to
sell
anything.”
Han raised his hands as though to apologize, then scowled and suddenly turned back to Tionne. “Did you say seven-eighteen?”
She nodded. “That’s correct.”
“And we didn’t lose any other transports?” he asked. “You’re sure?”
“We’re sure, Han,” Kam said. “We’re Jedi Masters. We
can
count to twelve.”
“Yeah—but it shouldn’t have been this easy.” Han circled around to the back of the crescent-shaped console, then leaned over Trista’s shoulder to study the data display. “It was a mess down there, and seven-eighteen got jumped in front of us. She got jumped
hard
.”
Trista craned her neck to look up at him. “Captain Solo, are you suggesting—”
“I’m not suggesting anything. Seven-eighteen launched ahead of the
Falcon
. Now she’s the straggler.” Han stabbed a finger at the display. “And it looks like she’s making for the flagship. You figure it out.”
Trista spoke into her throat-mike, then her face paled as she listened to the reply. A second later she began to snap orders.
“Have Volgh Leader signal seven-eighteen to veer off
now
,” she said. “And no excuses. Warn the pilot that if she’s still on this vector in sixty seconds, she
will
be vaped.”
“Vaped?” Allana looked up at Tenel Ka. “But she’s carrying academy students!”
“She’s
supposed
to be.” Tenel Ka extended her Force awareness in the transport’s direction, but there were fifteen Battle Dragons and close to a dozen clusters of Jedi students in the area, and it was impossible to tell whether the presences she sensed were aboard Sharmok 718. “But her behavior is suspicious. Something is very wrong.”
Tenel Ka stepped around behind the console, and her heart fell when she saw the display. One of the screens showed a close-up image of a Sharmok transport gliding through a starry drift of space. With a line of scorch holes angling up her stern quarter, a pair of jagged rings where the cannon turrets used to be, and a hull crumple behind her main hatch, the vessel had clearly seen some savage close-quarters combat.
A dot of white light appeared against the flight deck viewport and began to blink on and off in the staccato rhythm of the Hapan military’s flash code.
“Any sign they were boarded?” Tenel Ka asked.
“None reported,” Trista replied.
“There wouldn’t be,” Han said. “Sharmok air locks use a standard two-stage touch pad,
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