• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 653 0

had come so unexpectedly that nearly everyone inbound had been caught up in it. Some had arrived in time to hear the HoloNet announcement of Chancellor Palpatine's abduction and witness the reversion to realspace of the Republic Cruisers that made up the Open Circle Fleet. Together with the Home Fleet crusiers, the huge Venator-class ships had succeeded in keeping the battle confined to the upper reaches of Coruscant's envelope. A few deft pilots had managed to spin their ships out of the fray and jump back into hyperspace. But tens of thousands of other vessels—ships of all sizes and makes and purposes—were still holding at the forward line, waiting for the battle to end one way or another, so that they could either continue on to Coruscant or flee for the Outer Rim.

“Even if they did,” Jadak went on, “how could we afford to keep her running?”

“Same as we've been doing. But for the private sector.”

“Gainful employment?”

“I'll settle for employment. I'm not as particular as you.”

Jadak frowned. “I've known too many smugglers. That life's not what it's cracked up to be.”

Reeze barked a laugh. “Neither's this one.”

Jadak had brought the YT to a point where they had a panoramic view of the fighting. More slugfest than coordinated battle, the clash pitted the big ships against one another, crimson hyphens of annihilation pulsing among them while flights of ARC-170, droid tri-fighters, and vulture fighters buzzed about in seeming pandemonium. The melee's backdrop was perpetually lighted Coruscant itself, the planet's scintillating urban rings ravaged in places where defensive shields had been breached or ships had gone to ground. The Republic with everything on the line, and Count Dooku's Confederacy of Independent Systems with nothing more to lose than a cyborg general and an army of droids.

Reeze whistled in surprise. “Front seat on the fall of civilization as we know it.”

“Not likely. But all the more reason to deliver our cargo.”

“So you say.” Reeze gazed out the YT's circular viewport. “I see a problem in our getting downside in one piece. A bunch of problems, actually, and the words laser cannon figure into all of them.”

Jadak swiveled his chair. “We can't be late, Reeze. They said it's important.”

Reeze returned a glum nod. “Late being the operative word. As in the late Reeze Duurmun.”

“I'll tell everyone you died a hero.”

“What—you'll survive?” Reeze stared at his friend, then laughed. “Yeah. You probably will.”

Jadak swung forward. “See what you can pick up on the battle net.”

Reeze tugged the headset over his ears and keyed a coded entry into the communications suite. He listened to the comm chatter for a moment, then craned his neck to study something off to starboard and brought a new view of the battle to one of the instrument panel display screens. He tapped his forefinger against the screen to indicate the icon profile of a large battle cruiser, with a stalked observation deck aft and a flyout bridge.

Jadak read the alphanumeric data beneath the icon. “What am I looking at?”

“The Invisible Hand.”

“General Grievous's flagship.”

“That's where they were holding Palpatine.”

“Were?”

“The Jedi rescued him. Kenobi and Skywalker. But the three of them are still on board.”

Jadak took the YT through a quick spin to improve the view. In the middle distance, a Republic Cruiser was hammering away at the Invisible Hand's waist, where its elongated prow met a bulbous aft section. Maybe in retaliation for what the Republic ship had endured from the Invisible Hand's flak arrays. Jadak glanced at the monitor.

“Looks like the captain of the Guarlara didn't get word that the Chancellor's onboard.”

“Could be because of signal jamming. Or maybe he just doesn't care.”

Jadak scowled. “Palpatine's death would create as many problems as it would solve.”

For several moments, the two men watched in silence as the Guarlara subjected the Separatist flagship to repeated laser cannon broadsides, blowing gaping holes in the hull and igniting fiery explosions that swept through the Invisible Hand stem to stern. Jadak