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“Commander, we are under attack!”

Chine-kal blanched. “Attack? There was no sign of New Republic warships when we entered this system.”

“The aggressors are starfighters, Commander. They were lying in wait behind the second of Kalarba’s moons.”

“Then why aren’t our escort ships repelling them?”

“With eight coralskippers already destroyed, some of the starfighters are succeeding in reaching the ship.”

“Where is the vessel Supreme Commander Choka dispatched?”

“It has not yet arrived.”

Another powerful explosion rocked the ship. Hurrying to Chine-kal’s side, the subaltern barely managed to keep him from stumbling to the deck.

“The pilots are targeting our dovin basal drivers, Commander.”

“Our drivers?”

“Their intent is to cripple us.”

Chine-kal swung to Skidder, who was deep in contemplation. “They’ve come for you. But how could they know we were here? Unless, of course, they are Jedi.” He stared at Skidder, then shook his head. “No, not even you have the ability to call across space to your confederates.” He glanced at his subaltern. “But this sneak attack is no accident.”

“Commander,” the junior officer said cautiously, “Supreme Commander Choka’s villip communication originated on Nal Hutta.”

Chine-kal took a moment to consider it, then scowled in revelation. “The Hutts divulged our location.” He squared his shoulders and adjusted the fall of his cloak. “Ready the ship for lightspeed. We’ll rendezvous with the fleet in the target system.”

The subaltern’s hands flew to his shoulders, but he remained where he was. “Commander, is it advisable to show ourselves in advance of the fleet?”

Chine-kal glowered at him. “Would you risk allowing the yammosk to sustain damage here, at the hands of a group of would-be rescuers?”

The subaltern offered a second, chastened salute. “No, Commander.”

“Then do as I say. And one more thing: See to it that Randa and his bodyguards are confined to their chambers. We’ll deal with him once we have the protection of the fleet.”

Close to Hosk, Kyp Durron urged his X-wing on, even though he knew that he would not be able to overtake the accelerating Yuuzhan Vong clustership.

“It’s going to jump,” Ganner told him over the net.

“My droid’s telling me the same thing,” Kyp responded. He opened the net to the rest of the Dozen. “Listen up, everyone. Set your navicomputers to record vanishing bearings and calculate possible course projections. Deak, see if you can’t tag that ship with a hyperspace beacon before it gets away.”

“I’m on it, Kyp.”

Not a moment later the enemy vessel vanished. Kyp fixed his eyes on the cockpit display screen while the craft’s astromech unit went to work on plotting the vessel’s possible destinations. Shortly, a list of star systems resolved on-screen, the most probable one highlighted in blue and flashing.

“I’ve got a high-confidence objective,” Ganner reported.

“Likewise,” Deak and a couple of the others added.

“Let’s hear it,” Kyp told them.

“Fondor,” five voices said in unison.

In Hutt space, Nas Choka, Malik Carr, and Nom Anor stood on the bridge of the supreme commander’s helix battleship watching a villip-choir feed of the fleet mobilization.

A subaltern interrupted their captivation.

“Supreme Commander,” he began, saluting, “a message from the commander of the craft sent to collect the captured Jedi. Coralskipper pilots encountered at Kalarba report that the Crèche fell under attack by a battle group of New Republic starfighters. Endangered, Commander Chine-kal’s vessel fled the fray.”

Nas Choka stared at him uncomprehendingly. “Fled to where?”

“To the target, Supreme Commander. To Fondor.”

Nas Choka whirled in alarm to Malik Carr. “How soon before our advance elements reach Fondor?”

“Soon,” the commander said, letting it go at that.

“The yammosk won’t be adequately protected until we arrive,” Nas Choka remarked, mostly to himself. “What is the status of the New Republic fleet?”

“Massed at the worlds Commenor, Kuat, and Bothawui.”