Star Wars_ Rebel Force 06_ Uprising - Alex Wheeler [13]
R2-D2 extended his manipulator arm and began drawing an outline in the red sand, beeping with excitement.
" You have a plan?" C-3PO cut in. "Well, why didn't you just say that in the first place?"
The astromech droid beeped.
"Since when do you care about being polite?" the protocol droid exclaimed. He threw his arms in the air. "All right, let's hear it."
R2-D2 laid out his plan. C-3PO calculated a one in 2,341,900 chance of success.
They immediately got to work.
* * *
Ferus perched awkwardly on the narrow stool, waiting for General Dodonna to finish the mission briefing. Rows and rows of pilots sat stiffly at attention. They were all eager to hear about their new mission. Under any other circumstances, Ferus would be thrilled to join their ranks. It meant Dodonna finally trusted him and Div. Or at least, trusted them enough to let them join the Rebels for this mission. The general was sending nearly half the fleet. Normally, a mission briefing would be delivered shortly before the ships set out.
But this time, General Dodonna was giving his fighters two weeks to prepare and train.
Even if the intel was right, and there would only be two Star Destroyers guarding the secret Imperial meeting, Dodonna was taking no chances.
"We will launch the ambush from these five strike points," General Dodonna announced, diagramming the attack on a large screen. He went on to explain the complicated maneuvers and split-second timing the mission demanded. The fleet was going to need practice. "And if this effort succeeds, it may be the end of our long and difficult fight," he exclaimed. "A new day is dawning!" The room erupted into cheers.
As the crowd of Rebels dispersed, Ferus made his way to the front of the room.
"General, might I have a word with you?" he asked. Though they had met before only briefly, the general had a reputation for being generous with his time. He was willing to hear anyone out—especially anyone who was a friend of Princess Leia's.
"Walk with me," the general suggested. He was older than Ferus, but there was something youthful about him. A certain energy and optimism that Ferus had lost long ago. However old he was, he was still young enough to hope.
They descended a turbolift together and exited the building. "I've grown quite fond of this moon," General Dodonna mused, as they strolled through the forest of dense Massassi trees. "It's a shame we'll have to evacuate soon." Then he smiled. "Of course, if this mission works, perhaps we won't have to."
"That's actually what I wanted to speak with you about, General," Ferus said. Then he hesitated. He had spent two decades on Alderaan, cozying up to powerful men of the court. But that had been when he was pretending to be someone else—someone with no character and nothing to say. Ferus had learned to hide in plain sight, acting as a mirror for whatever pompous stuffed shirt he was trying to impress. All so he could protect the princess—and it had worked. But it hadn't taught him anything about how to argue his point gracefully. In fact, it had been far too long since he'd had to speak up for himself with a stranger, to be honest about what he believed. So he did it fast, like ripping off a patch of synthflesh. "I'm worried about this mission. Something's not right."
The general stopped walking. "What do you mean?"
"It's just a gut instinct," Ferus said. "But I fear it's a trap."
"We received this intel from an extremely trusted source who would rather die than betray the Alliance," Dodonna said. "Do you have evidence we should distrust his word?"
"No…"
"And is there some reason I should let the fate of the Rebel Alliance rest on your instinct? "
For a split second, Ferus considered telling the general the truth. But he feared that it wouldn't do much to help his case. Even a Jedi instinct was still an instinct. It wasn't proof.
"Maybe if you let me take a look at the Imperial transmission," Ferus suggested. "I was quite the