Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 21_ The Unifying Force - James Luceno [124]
“Elements of the Second and Third Fleets have repositioned to Mon Eron,” the human officer said. “Grand Admiral Pellaeon reports that Right to Rule is under way to complement defenses there. Also, two Hapan battle groups have arrived from Iceberg Three to reinforce Mon Calamari home defense forces. We should have visual contact with them at any moment, sir.”
Kre’fey glanced out the observation bay. Ralroost, along with the Star Destroyer Rebel Dream and the cruiser Yald, had relocated to Mon Calamari’s moon, in preparation for meeting the advancing armada head-on. With the Yuuzhan Vong moving toward Sep Elopor, the confrontation was hours or perhaps days away, depending on Nas Choka’s strategy. But now the inhabited world of Mon Eron, fifth in the system, was in jeopardy. The system’s fourth and third planets were on the far side of the sun.
With the unexpected departure of almost half the enemy armada, some semblance of parity had been established. But with equivalence had come renewed ferocity, and, given the mounting casualties, the Alliance was faring worse than it had at the start of the battle. Scanners displayed the heavily damaged frigates and pickets emptying their arsenals at the Yuuzhan Vong, and starfighters with wings blown off adding what they could to the fight. For every starfighter lost, three or four coralskippers disappeared from the theater. But the Yuuzhan Vong seemed to have a near-limitless supply of the small craft, and as fast as a tentacle was decimated, it was refreshed by flights of skips avalanched from the dusky innards of enemy carriers and brought into quick formation by however many yammosks flew at the core.
“Do we have news on the secondary flotilla?” Kre’fey asked.
“Not yet, sir. To the best of our knowledge, the flotilla is still traveling Coreward along the Perlemian.”
Sien Sovv, Commodore Brand, and other commanders were still adjusting to the fact that the separated cluster had departed by the same route the Yuuzhan Vong had taken to reach Mon Calamari. It was obvious now that the Yuuzhan Vong had no intention of using Toong’l or Caluula as fallback or staging positions.
Both planets had been diversions.
Kre’fey berated himself for not having realized that the Alliance had been deceived when the armada hadn’t jumped directly to the Mon Calamari system. Warmaster Nas Choka simply wanted to clear the transit points of mines, so that on withdrawal the secondary flotilla could attack the transceiving ships with impunity.
But where was the flotilla bound now?
Surely Nas Choka couldn’t have learned about Coruscant. Was it possible that he had learned of the Alpha Red experiment on Caluula?
No, Kre’fey told himself.
If the warmaster had had an inkling about Corsucant, why wouldn’t he have left the secondary flotilla there, instead of bringing it halfway across the galaxy only to send it back home? More worrisome was the possibility that the warmaster had learned about Contruum. At the first indication of the flotilla’s intent to jump, courier ships had been dispatched to the Mid Rim world, and alerts had been sent via transceiving ships strung between Mon Calamari and Kashyyyk, and Kashyyyk and the Hapes Cluster.
“Admiral, incoming communiqué from Kashyyyk relay,” the human officer said, pressing his headphones tighter to his ears. “Sir, General Cracken and Commanders Farlander and Davip say that, with the whereabouts of the secondary flotilla unknown, the situation at Contruum has become unstable. Two Eriaduan task forces have already abandoned the fleet. The feeling among many of the other commanders is that everyone would be better living to fight another day, rather than risk jumping to Coruscant only to be trapped between the planetary defenses and the returning flotilla. With all due respect, Contruum command requests permission to move their fleet to Mon Calamari Extreme, and attack the armada from there.”
“Negative,” Kre’fey said,