Star Wars_ Legacy of the Force 07_ Fury - Aaron Allston [126]
Centerpoint Station was a glowing ball, a perfect sphere of light perhaps five hundred kilometers in diameter. As Han watched, the sphere contracted almost instantly.
Leaving nothing behind in the volume it had occupied.
Everything that had been there was gone—Corellian ships, Alliance ships, Commenori ships…and Centerpoint Station itself.
The Anakin Solo, safely beyond the boundary of that momentary sphere, seemed unharmed, as did every ship and starfighter in its vicinity.
Han gulped. “Was that…was that…”
Kyle, in the rear seat beside C-3PO, offered a pained grunt. “That was a massive loss of life. A cessation in the Force. Whatever was there no longer exists.”
“Jaina? Kyp?”
Jag checked his sensor board. “Jaina’s on our flank. And the Broadside was even farther away than we were. Their transceiver reports them intact.”
Han sagged in relief. Maybe it was better that he didn’t fly right now.
ABOARD THE ANAKIN SOLO
Caedus walked onto the bridge.
His cloak should have been swirling around him. It wasn’t. Why? Oh, yes. He’d given it away. It had betrayed him.
The bridge had changed. There was extensive damage. There were bodies everywhere, and medics working on them, carrying them out.
He nodded. He remembered that, too. There had been a fight.
The officers began shooting questions at him the moment he appeared. “Orders, sir.” “Sir, the Confederation forces outnumber us. They’re stronger than our forces.” “Sir, Admiral Niathal is standing by on holocomm. She wants to talk to you at once.”
Allana.
He marched forward to his viewports but couldn’t see through them. While he stood there wondering at their sudden opacity, he began answering questions. “Recall our squadrons. Set course for home. We’re leaving. Tell Admiral Niathal there’s been a problem.”
Minutes passed. A sound he had been hearing—distant booms that made the bridge shake—gradually became less frequent, finally dying out altogether.
Yet still he could not see the stars, and Allana did not return.
But a question formed in his mind, a question of his own. He turned to face what remained of his bridge crew. “How did they come aboard my ship? Luke Skywalker and those with him?”
The officers looked among themselves, then Lieutenant Tebut, at the security station, stood. The right sleeve of her tunic was scorched and she had a cut across her neck, not deep enough to be dangerous. “Sir, we were approached by General Celchu’s shuttle, which was being fired upon by several X-wings. We allowed the shuttle to land. As it turned out, this was a ruse. The Jedi were aboard the shuttle, and General Celchu was in one of the X-wings, trying to destroy the shuttle. General Celchu is in the medical ward, recovering from a stun bolt.”
Caedus regarded her. “Who allowed the shuttle to land?”
“I did, sir. It broadcast all correct identification and passwords.”
“It was full of assassins, saboteurs, and criminals, and yet you allowed it to land.”
She fidgeted under his gaze. “Yes, sir. I was following security protocols.”
“Do the protocols say for you to allow assassins, saboteurs, and criminals aboard?”
“No, sir.”
“Then you were not following security protocols. You did not follow security protocols, and because of it many people have died, and I could not coordinate our attack on Centerpoint Station, and this mission is a failure. Correct?”
Her next words were quiet and halting, as though she were giving directions in a language she did not speak very well. “Sir, anyone in my position would have done exactly the same. This is what the protocols are for. To define responses and procedures. I believe my actions were correct, under the known circumstances—”
Caedus gestured, raising a hand, and under his exertion of power Tebut floated up in the air, putting her slightly above his level. Her eyes grew wide. “Sir…”
Caedus closed his hand into a fist. Now no more words came from her, just pained gasps. She grasped with increasing