to indicate which of the target groups he thought should be added to Thyne’s ransom. Wedge nodded, then turned back. “We’re sending you the data on a group of five Bothans, including Esrca Plo’kre.”
“Plo’kre.” Doole’s mouth snapped shut, then he bowed his head. “Done. And Thyne brings with him another.”
“Who?”
“His cutter.”
Wedge looked back at the Forges, but they gave no sign of even having heard Doole, much less understanding him. “Corran?”
I know I’ve heard the term before . He thought back, then nodded. “It’s a spicer term, used a lot of years ago when Thyne was still on Corellia. A cutter is someone who prepares spice for use or sale. It came to mean someone close enough to a person that they could be trusted with cutting their spice. He probably means aide.”
Kassar’s head came up. “He means lover.”
Corran shrugged. “That, too.”
Wedge nodded. “Do you know who it is?”
Kassar hung his head and Myda answered. “We do. Her name is Inyri.”
Corran checked his datapad. “I’ve got nothing on anyone by that name.”
“You wouldn’t. She’s done nothing wrong.”
Something is not right here . Corran frowned. “You don’t get sent to Kessel for nothing. How well do you know this Inyri?”
“I thought I knew her very well.” Myda swiped at a tear rolling down her cheek. “She’s our daughter.”
11
“Is it a deal, Antilles?”
“Send them out.” Wedge hit another button that froze the transmission. On the other end Doole would only see a holographic representation of Rogue Squadron’s crest. He turned toward the Forges. “Say the word and we’ll make sure they are separated. We’ll find her a place to stay, away from Thyne.”
“Do it!” Myda reached out and clutched one of Wedge’s hands in her own. “Please, don’t leave her with him.”
Kassar’s hands settled on his wife’s shoulders and drew her back. “Myda, we can’t do that. She has made her decision.”
“But it is a bad one.”
Inyri’s father slowly shook his head. “And so this means we can deny her freedom? Making bad decisions is not a crime, not even under the Empire.”
“But I’ve seen plenty of people end up headed for Kessel because of making bad decisions.” Corran saw the pain in Myda’s eyes, and saw no small amount of it reflected in her husband’s expression. “I know Thyne—he isas bad as they come. Your daughter’s choice will land her in trouble.”
Kassar straightened up. “Only if she acts on it.”
“But she’s leaving with him.”
Kassar shrugged helplessly. “She has found something to value in him. Perhaps she can save him from himself.”
Corran winced. “Thyne’s pretty much a black hole as far as saving is concerned.”
“My whole life has been spent here training people how to live away from Kessel. That is all I can do, though. I cannot make their choices for them. I cannot live their lives for them.” Kassar looked down and wiped tears from Myda’s face. “We gave our daughter—all of our children—all the love and support we could. We trust them. Just as we trusted Lujayne to go off and join the Rebellion, we must trust Inyri.”
Corran shook his head. “I’m not liking this at all, Commander.”
“It doesn’t thrill me, either, Corran, but it’s not our fight and not one we can win, not right now anyway.” Wedge looked down at his fists, then opened them slowly. “Perhaps she will serve as a brake on him.”
“And when the brake burns out?”
“I expect you to have something arranged to cover that contingency.”
“As ordered, sir.” Corran started going through the list of criminals on his datapad. The original list had been drawn from Imperial files and annotated with rankings that determined the value of each individual to the Rebellion. Out of thousands of convicts, only seventeen had been identified as useful by New Republic officials. Those seventeen—now reduced to sixteen since Doole
“Plo’kre.” Doole’s mouth snapped shut, then he bowed his head. “Done. And Thyne brings with him another.”
“Who?”
“His cutter.”
Wedge looked back at the Forges, but they gave no sign of even having heard Doole, much less understanding him. “Corran?”
I know I’ve heard the term before . He thought back, then nodded. “It’s a spicer term, used a lot of years ago when Thyne was still on Corellia. A cutter is someone who prepares spice for use or sale. It came to mean someone close enough to a person that they could be trusted with cutting their spice. He probably means aide.”
Kassar’s head came up. “He means lover.”
Corran shrugged. “That, too.”
Wedge nodded. “Do you know who it is?”
Kassar hung his head and Myda answered. “We do. Her name is Inyri.”
Corran checked his datapad. “I’ve got nothing on anyone by that name.”
“You wouldn’t. She’s done nothing wrong.”
Something is not right here . Corran frowned. “You don’t get sent to Kessel for nothing. How well do you know this Inyri?”
“I thought I knew her very well.” Myda swiped at a tear rolling down her cheek. “She’s our daughter.”
11
“Is it a deal, Antilles?”
“Send them out.” Wedge hit another button that froze the transmission. On the other end Doole would only see a holographic representation of Rogue Squadron’s crest. He turned toward the Forges. “Say the word and we’ll make sure they are separated. We’ll find her a place to stay, away from Thyne.”
“Do it!” Myda reached out and clutched one of Wedge’s hands in her own. “Please, don’t leave her with him.”
Kassar’s hands settled on his wife’s shoulders and drew her back. “Myda, we can’t do that. She has made her decision.”
“But it is a bad one.”
Inyri’s father slowly shook his head. “And so this means we can deny her freedom? Making bad decisions is not a crime, not even under the Empire.”
“But I’ve seen plenty of people end up headed for Kessel because of making bad decisions.” Corran saw the pain in Myda’s eyes, and saw no small amount of it reflected in her husband’s expression. “I know Thyne—he isas bad as they come. Your daughter’s choice will land her in trouble.”
Kassar straightened up. “Only if she acts on it.”
“But she’s leaving with him.”
Kassar shrugged helplessly. “She has found something to value in him. Perhaps she can save him from himself.”
Corran winced. “Thyne’s pretty much a black hole as far as saving is concerned.”
“My whole life has been spent here training people how to live away from Kessel. That is all I can do, though. I cannot make their choices for them. I cannot live their lives for them.” Kassar looked down and wiped tears from Myda’s face. “We gave our daughter—all of our children—all the love and support we could. We trust them. Just as we trusted Lujayne to go off and join the Rebellion, we must trust Inyri.”
Corran shook his head. “I’m not liking this at all, Commander.”
“It doesn’t thrill me, either, Corran, but it’s not our fight and not one we can win, not right now anyway.” Wedge looked down at his fists, then opened them slowly. “Perhaps she will serve as a brake on him.”
“And when the brake burns out?”
“I expect you to have something arranged to cover that contingency.”
“As ordered, sir.” Corran started going through the list of criminals on his datapad. The original list had been drawn from Imperial files and annotated with rankings that determined the value of each individual to the Rebellion. Out of thousands of convicts, only seventeen had been identified as useful by New Republic officials. Those seventeen—now reduced to sixteen since Doole
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