Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 02_ Dark Apprentice - Kevin J. Anderson [68]
Seven Calamarian tactical experts sat at command stations, watching the battle overhead. In the center of the room a holographic wireframe diagram of the planet and its moon hovered amid sparkling pinpoints of fighters flying in defensive formation.
Leia stared in awe at the two Imperial Star Destroyers that orbited the planet side by side, firing turbolaser blasts into the oceans. Overhead, TIE squadrons continued to harass Foamwander City. External viewers showed smoldering holes where proton bombs had punctured the city’s armored plating. Foamwander’s defensive lasers fired upward, burning ship after ship out of the sky—but more attackers kept coming down.
Reeling with shock, the city commander turned from his post and noticed them for the first time. “Admiral Ackbar! Please, sir, help us with our defense. I cede my position.”
“Give me a tactical update,” Ackbar said, stepping to the holographic projection.
“Cilghal,” Leia said, raising her voice over the hubbub, “get me to the comm system. I can use my priority codes to send for New Republic military assistance. On a low frequency the codes can punch through any interference from those Star Destroyers.”
“Can their battleships get here in time?” Cilghal asked.
“Depends on how long we can maintain our defenses here,” Leia said.
Though Leia could read no specific emotion on Cilghal’s face, she sensed some measure of pride. “The Mon Calamari broke the first Imperial occupation using only common tools and scientific implements. This time we have real weapons. We can hold them off as long as necessary.” Cilghal motioned to a nearby control panel. “You may use that communication station to send your message.”
Leia hurried to the comm station and punched in the override codes to send a tight-beam encoded signal directly to Coruscant. “This is Minister Leia Organa Solo,” she said. “The planet Calamari is currently under attack by two Imperial Star Destroyers. We request immediate assistance. Repeat, immediate assistance! If you don’t get here soon, don’t bother to come.”
The city commander thrust a webbed hand into the holographic display of the battle. “We positioned the entire squadron of B-wing fighters to defend the shipyards, because we thought that would be the most likely target. But when the Star Destroyers came out of hyperspace, they went into orbit and began an assault on the floating cities. Right now both Star Destroyers are concentrating their firepower on Reef Home City. They’ve left two squadrons of TIE fighters and TIE bombers to cover Foamwander City. Another three squadrons are currently pummeling Coral Depths.”
“Commander,” one of the Calamarian tacticians spoke up, touching an implanted microphone at his ear hole. “We’ve lost all contact with Reef Home. Their last transmissions showed the outer hull breached in at least fifteen separate places, water rushing in. The final image showed a large-scale explosion. Static signature analysis implies that the entire city has been destroyed.”
A quiet moan of dismay rippled through Central Command. The city commander said tentatively, “I was about to withdraw defenses from the shipyards to attack the Star Destroyers.”
Ackbar looked at the swarms of B-wings still harrying the Imperial fighters. “Good decision, Commander,” he said, but stared intently at the map, at the moon, at the two Star Destroyers on the far side of the planet. “Wait a moment,” he said. “Something looks very familiar to me.”
He paused, nodding slowly as if his great head were too heavy for his shoulders. “Yes, Commander—withdraw the B-wing fighters, all of them. Send them to fight the Star Destroyers. Leave the shipyards entirely undefended.”
“Is that wise, Admiral?” Leia asked.
“No,” he said, “it is a trap.”
On the bridge of the Star Destroyer Gorgon, Admiral Daala watched the battle unfold below her, exactly as planned.
In her heart she felt a warm glow of pride for the tactical genius of Grand