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“My apprentice is trying to rescue Ambassador Organa Solo, who has been taken prisoner down there,” she explained, raising the comlink left-handed. “Mara here,” she said. “I’m with Admiral Wuht.”

The instant she confirmed Jaina’s voice, she flicked the comlink, turning up the gain.

“Admiral, this is Jaina Solo. Gateway dome still has a GOCU link in the tunnels, and Mom’s people hooked it to an external rectenna array. Mom’s being held in the admin building, by a Yuuzhan Vong they’re calling warmaster. He has told her they’re going to destroy the Duros’ cities. All of them. She said it was urgent to warn you.”

Mara glared at Bad-eye, whose good eye had widened considerably.

“He said that verbatim, Jaina?” Mara asked. “Or was that just an inference? This is extremely important.” Mara held the comlink at arm’s length, making sure everyone in the room could hear Jaina’s reply.

“She took the time to quote him. He told her, ‘We will purify this world of the abominable machines in their orbits,’ ” Jaina confirmed. “And from here, they mean to take the Core. If Admiral Wuht can’t hear me, tell him one more thing. We found evidence that CorDuro Shipping has been working with the Peace Brigade for a long time, probably in exchange for a warning to get one city prepped to leave orbit. Sir, if you want to protect the Duros people, evacuate them to that habitat. Start building its momentum now, because you won’t get much time. There aren’t many of us who can help you insystem, but we’ll help the DDF fly cover for its getaway—” Static interrupted the transmission for several seconds.

“Go again, Jaina. We missed that last part.”

“Mom says to hit Gateway dome as soon as her people are out. This guy is high in their ranks. You’ve got to take him, kill him.”

“Can you get back to Leia?” Mara asked.

“Excuse me, Admiral. I’ve got to get personal.” Jaina’s voice sounded strained. “She ran me off, Mara. I went back for her, but—”

“She had to get us that message.” Mara stared at Bad-eye. His left shoulder was drawing back, just slightly.

“Jacen’s …”

Bad-eye’s blaster cleared the table. Mara used her lightsaber to deflect the bolt. She tried to aim it back at him, but missed by several centimeters.

He toppled anyway.

She backstepped, nearly bumping her escorts, and spotted a holdout blaster in Admiral Wuht’s right palm. Now he held it trained on Slump-shoulder.

“You, sir,” Wuht said, “are under arrest. Guards, deal with him. I need to speak with Jedi Jade Skywalker.”

To Mara’s deep satisfaction, two Duros from her escort squad carried Bad-eye out of the dining room. The other two escorted Slump-shoulder.

Mara fingered her comlink. “Jaina?”

No response. Jaina must have left the GOCU station.

Admiral Wuht clasped his knobby hands. “You were right,” he told Mara. “We have been betrayed. Somehow, we must cancel the stand-down without alerting the traitors.”

“And hurry your people to that other city.”

He nodded. “Urrdorf. My forces are shorthanded. How many Jedi have fighter ships insystem?”

Luke on the Shadow, shortly to be in an X-wing. Anakin, out on patrol. And herself. “Only three,” she admitted. “But Captain Solo has the Millennium Falcon planetside, and that’s quite a ship.”

Admiral Wuht’s eyes didn’t brighten much. “Then at least we might delay them,” he murmured, “and evacuate a few more of your people and mine.”

Anakin watched his sensors with half his attention, listening to the Force with the other half. He knew where his mother was, and Jaina, and his aunt and uncle. The Yuuzhan Vong battle group seemed to have lost interest in stray ships patrolling inside the roiling fringe of Duro’s atmosphere. His job was to watch for a second wave of attackers. He’d set his astromech, Fiver, to scan space.

He’d picked up the early model R7 droid, most advanced of all the astromechs, on a hunch. R7 droids were notorious for working poorly with any fighter but an E-wing, and it had taken Anakin five attempts and