Star Wars_ The Black Fleet Crisis 03_ Tyrant's Test - Michael P. Kube-McDowell [43]
“Very well,” said Behn-Kihl-Nahm. “As the petitioner, Senator Beruss’s vote is counted in support. Senator Rattagagech?”
“I support the petition.”
“Senator Fey’lya?”
“I share Senator Beruss’s concerns and offer him my support.”
“Senator Praget?”
“Affirmative.”
Praget’s vote sealed the outcome, but Leia stood tall and impassive until the last member of the Council had weighed in. The final tally was five to two against her.
“The petition will be reported to the Senate at its next general session,” said Behn-Kihl-Nahm, barely holding a rush of angry words in check. “This meeting is adjourned.”
When he rang the crystal, he did so with enough force that it cracked—a crack substantial enough to mute its voice but not severe enough to shatter it.
Behn-Kihl-Nahm did not believe in omens, but he handled the crystal carefully as he removed it from the dais and made certain that no one else saw.
INTERLUDE II:
Ambush
“Captain! The intruder’s soliton wave has vanished!”
Captain Voba Dokrett struck Gorath’s navigator a mighty blow across the back. “Emergency stop! Take us back to realspace! Smartly now—it’s your first daughter’s life if the enemy isn’t under our guns when we exit.”
Dokrett spun away from the navigator’s station and hunted down the gunnery master with his eyes. “Instruct the blaster batteries to target the intruder fore and aft for weapons, then hole her amidships.”
“Sir, shouldn’t we disable the intruder first?”
“Bloodprice’s ion batteries were ineffective. Dogot went by the book and died. Give the order.”
“Yes, sir,” said the gunnery master. “All fire stations, attend. Numbers one and three forward, acquire tracking and target bow section. Numbers four and six forward, target aft section. Numbers two and five, rig for hull cutting and stand by.”
The gunnery master was barely finished barking the orders when the crossover alarm began to sound and Gorath began to shudder and hum.
“A prize share to every officer if we take the intruder intact!” Dokrett cried. “For the glory of Prakith and in service to our beloved governor, Foga Brill, I commit this vessel to the fight before us!”
All around Gorath’s bridge, display screens came alive as the cruiser plunged back into the sea of electromagnetic energies that was the sublight universe.
“Captain, there is no sign of Tobay,” called the sensor master. “If they did not observe the target’s soliton change, they will have jumped on ours and overshot the entry.”
“How sad for her crew, to lose their prize shares at the ninth hour,” Dokrett said. “Range to target!”
“Eight thousand meters.”
Grinning broadly, Dokrett clapped his hands on the navigator’s shoulders. “Ha! It seems you are a good father after all,” he exclaimed.
“Should we wait for Tobay, Captain?”
“No!” he barked. “Fire!”
The gunnery master leaned toward his station. “Numbers one and three forward, fire! Numbers four and six forward, fire!”
Almost at once and nearly as one, four of the cruiser’s eight primary batteries sent fierce pulses of energy lancing toward the great vessel ahead.
There was no fire, nor any explosions, but Dokrett’s telescopic scanner showed plumes of debris scattering from black-edged slashes across both ends of the intruder’s hull. “Enough!” Dokrett cried. “To the heart of her, now!”
Moments after the gunnery master relayed the orders, the four active batteries fell silent, and the two batteries standing by opened fire. The ferocious hail of blaster bolts from their muzzles battered a single spot amidships on the giant vessel until another black-edged hole opened there. Then the focus of the blaster bolts spread into a circle, chewing at the edges of the opening until it was twenty meters across.
“Cease fire!” Dokrett shouted. “That should be enough to keep them busy. Gunnery