Star Wars_ Legacy of the Force 07_ Fury - Aaron Allston [104]
“I’ll think about what you’re saying.”
“Good.” Phennir actually fidgeted, and his tone became conspiratorial. “Listen. I’ll admit that I don’t understand you Corellians. You place the value of freedom so far above that of duty that you’re incomprehensible to me. I’ve flown with and against the best, most disciplined pilots Corellia has offered—Soontir Fel, Wedge Antilles—and I don’t even understand them. Perhaps that’s my failing, but the Confederation will fall apart if Koyan remains in charge. Get me someone who can understand me.”
Teppler nodded. “Understood.”
Phennir gave him a half bow. Then his hologram disappeared.
Moving fast, Teppler pulled out the card he’d meticulously wired into the holocomm. He pressed a button on it, sending an electrical charge through the frail device—burning out its memory and circuits, destroying most of the evidence of his actions here.
Phennir was right. But Teppler, though he had briefly been Five Worlds Prime Minister, didn’t know if he’d be better than Koyan in that role in this time of war. Nor did he know if any military officer could cope with the nearly carnivorous needs for attention and status that characterized the Corellian planetary Chiefs of State he’d have to deal with.
He slapped shut the panel on the holocomm and got to work around the chamber, using a chemical-soaked felt cloth to wipe down every surface he had touched. Fingerprints and genetic evidence were simultaneously destroyed with each stroke.
Wait—the Alliance now had a Chief of State office shared by two collaborators, one originally civilian, one originally military. The same structure might work for Corellia.
Admiral Delpin was intelligent, reasonable, and, unlike Koyan, honorable. She could bring the support of Corellian Defense while Teppler wrangled the civilian chiefs.
It could work. If they could be rid of Sadras Koyan, and soon.
Teppler paused at the doorway into the chamber and surveyed his handiwork. There was nothing to see suggesting he had ever been here—nothing but the wires leading from his holocam subversion device to the recording device above the door. He grabbed the device and gave it a yank, pulling its data wire free of the holocam. He put the rig in his pocket with the burned-out card.
Yes, Admiral Delpin. Perhaps, despite her bearing and reputation, she was willing to become as big a traitor as Teppler himself.
chapter thirty-one
CORUSCANT SYSTEM, ABOARD THE ANAKIN SOLO
At peace with himself, Caedus stared through the bridge viewports at the stars, at the trails of running lights indicating the presence of ships arriving at or departing Coruscant.
Allana was no longer afraid of him, and had accepted him—instantly, with boundless affection—as her father. The Hapans were still behaving well enough, now staging raids on critical Confederation sites and resources. Caedus himself felt healthy again, fully healed for the first time since his fight with Luke. And right up to the day of Caedus’s operation to capture Centerpoint, Corellia’s defenses had been growing weaker, more lax. Caedus was certain this was no ploy on the part of the Corellians—GA Intelligence believed that Confederation supply lines were being taxed past their limits, and Corellia was not being adequately reprovisioned.
In a day, he would own Centerpoint. In a week, the major allies of the Confederation would have surrendered. This war was almost done.
“Sir?” Lieutenant Tebut approached from the stern end of the bridge. Today, Caedus recalled, her duty station was ship security.
She presented him with the duty datapad for her station. “All ship sections report secure. Anomalies and unresolved incidents are at a record low.”
“Excellent work.” Caedus took the datapad from her and tapped its screen, activating the hot spot acknowledging receipt of the report. He turned away, looking at the starfield again as he handed the device back to her. In his inattentiveness,