Enemy Lines II_ Rebel Stand - Aaron Allston [123]
Czulkang Lah merely looked at Kasdakh Bhul. The warrior moved to the navigators, spoke briefly with them, and returned.
In pained tones, he said, “There is confusion. Five dovin basal mines have just chased five Millennium Falcons into our immediate space. Their attempts to seize the infidel ships are interfering with the worldship’s dovin basals.”
“Five Millennium Falcons.”
“Yes.”
“And even one is enough to cause us grief.”
A few kilometers away, another New Republic ship winked into existence—Errant Venture. It immediately opened up with all guns, directing damage against the worldship’s surface, against the nearest Yuuzhan Vong capital ships.
“I’ve breathed,” Luke said.
“Let’s get ’em.”
With four coralskippers closing on his tail, Wedge hurtled away from Ammuud Swooper’s course. The freighter was less than a minute from being able to enter hyperspace. A minute … surely Wedge could hold the skips here that long. Even at the cost of his life.
Czulkang Lah watched as his fleet became uncoordinated. Suddenly coralskippers swarmed like awkward trainees. Villips everted as the commanders of his capital ships stopped receiving gravitic orders. The spike at the nose of Lusankya was now visible through the viewing lens above; more of the ship had eroded, revealing even more spike. The gravitic interdiction of one of the triangle ships in orbit above the worldship was keeping his dovin basals from maneuvering Domain Hul out of Lusankya’s path.
He ignored his commanders. “Activate my son’s villip,” he told Kasdakh Bhul.
A moment later, the villip installed in the most prominent niche everted and took on the features of Tsavong Lah. “What news, my father?” the warmaster asked. “Has Borleias fallen?”
“Borleias has fallen,” said Czulkang Lah, his voice weary.
“And have you slain all the infidels? Or do some of their forces remain to flee?”
“Some forces remain.”
“But still, a great victory.”
“No, son. Limited facts can point at victory when in fact there is only defeat to taste.”
The villip frowned. “Defeat? You have achieved the conditions of victory. You have once more brought glory to Domain Lah.”
“In a minute I will be dead. Too many clever minds, however heretical they may be, have undone me.”
“But—”
“Be quiet, my son, and know that my last words were reserved for you. Fare well, and may the gods smile upon you, as they once did upon me.” Czulkang Lah reached up to stroke the villip. It inverted, carrying Tsavong Lah’s expression of bafflement with it.
Kasdakh Bhul stepped before him. “We are on the verge of victory, old one. Pull one last strategy out of your mind. Give us that last success.”
Czulkang Lah stared into the face of a warrior too stupid even to know regret. The old warmaster held his silence. He’d promised that his words to Tsavong Lah would be his last. He would not diminish their value by breaking that promise.
One of his officers, his voice quaking in fear or anger—or both—asked, “Shall I give the order to abandon Domain Hul?”
Czulkang Lah nodded.
Suddenly space was swarming with New Republic reinforcements. Gavin let off his thruster and watched, bemused, as four TIE Interceptors off Mon Mothma strafed the coralskipper duo he and Nevil had been dueling, shredding them by virtue of fresh pilots and fresh lasers.
“Rogue Squadron, regroup on me,” Gavin said. “Let’s let the latecomers escort Lusankya in. Blackmoons, how are you doing?”
“Rogue Leader, this is Blackmoon Ten. We’re, ah, not doing too well. Four actives remain, not counting Blackmoon One and Two, who are detached.”
“Recommend you sit back and watch for a minute, then.”
“Can’t do it, Rogue Leader. One of our own appears to be in a furball back at Borleias. We’re going back after him.”
“We’ll come with you.”
Wedge finished his loop and headed back toward his four pursuers. They were firing long before he was aligned, but two of them, the survivors