• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Behind him in the signal villip’s visual field, outside the frigate’s observation bay, light streaked and flashed in the black of space. Every so often a snub-nosed fighter would pass close to the bay, discharging blinding globes of encapsulated energy. Most were immediately gobbled up by singularities, but some detonated against the ship with trembling force, crazing the villip feed with undulating lines of interference or suspending it altogether.

“With due respect, Commander Malik Carr,” Tla said, “I find it irksome to have to abandon allies—even though they wrongly took it on themselves to redeem Executor Nom Anor’s infiltrators. More, I dislike having our forces leap about to avoid engaging the enemy directly.”

Harrar placed himself in full view of the issuing villip. “Are you concerned that some may judge your actions cowardly?” he asked Nom Anor.

“Knowing that my actions are for a greater cause, no, I am not concerned.”

Tla glowered. “Your opinions matter not, Executor.”

Commander Malik Carr watched Tla for a moment, then turned to face the transmitting villip. “Would you surrender your command to assuage Commander Tla’s concerns, Executor?”

Nom Anor ridiculed the idea. “Even I know better than to exchange a lesser indignity for a greater one.”

From somewhere outside the confines of the visual field, the subaltern in command of the frigate bridge spoke. “Executor, an enemy ship has targeted the dovin basal we housed in a keeper. Thus far the dovin basal has been unsuccessful at repelling the attack. It reacts as if dazed.”

“Show us that ship,” Nom Anor ordered.

The receiving villip on Harrar’s vessel relayed an image of a gray-white saucer-shaped vessel with protruding mandibles and armaments of extraordinary firepower.

Nom Anor’s villip looked to the tactician. “You’ve studied the villip images of our previous battles with New Republic forces. Do you recognize this ship?”

Raff’s enhanced brain went to work on it. Finally, he nodded. “The ship was present at Helska,” he announced to those in the command center as well as to those aboard the frigate. “It was remembered by the villip beacons left in place by Prefect Da’gara.”

“At Helska,” Malik Carr said in surprise. “Jedi?” he asked Nom Anor. “Could they have grasped your intent?”

Nom Anor shook his head firmly. “Unlikely. And if in fact they are Jedi pilots, they’re too focused on confusing the dovin basal and prevailing in this insignificant contest to realize what they’re doing.

“Subaltern,” he continued, “do nothing to protect the remote dovin basal. Should that ship succeed in destroying it, you will instruct our coralskipper pilots to behave as if thrown into sudden disarray.”

Tactician Raff spoke up. “I would point out that the destruction of the dovin basal will allow the smaller ships that boarded the starliner to launch—”

“The dovin basal has been destroyed,” the subaltern updated.

The villip field showed those aboard Harrar’s ship the saucer-shaped ship up on its side, streaking away from the annihilated remote.

“Three shuttles have left the starliner,” the subaltern reported to Nom Anor. “Two are disappearing behind the passenger vessel, bearing toward the planet. One is vectoring for our current position.”

“It would appear that the Peace Brigade has reclaimed Elan,” Commander Malik Carr said flatly, breaking the silence that fell over the command center. “I suspect they’re attempting to bring her home.”

“Their gunship is still held fast to the liner,” Nom Anor countered. “They could be hoping for sanctuary, and nothing more.”

Commander Tla was unsuccessful at concealing his self-satisfaction.

“Exercise discretion,” Harrar said at last, “but hold the shuttle at bay.”

“And if Priestess Elan is indeed aboard?” Malik Carr asked.

Harrar glanced at Nom Anor’s villip, who answered for the priest. “Elan will know what to do.”

Droma was still wailing when Han finally hauled himself hand over hand up the Ryn’s tail and swung panting to the deck, a safe distance from the edge of the deactivated drop shaft.

Droma