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We’re back to conventional tactics.

Beyond the fighters the capital ships had begun to slug it out. The Ralroost’s two companion ships, a pair of Victory-class Star Destroyers, appeared above and beyond the Yuuzhan Vong cruiser. They launched barrages of concussion missiles and laced the enemy formation with turbolaser fire. The corvette-size Yuuzhan Vong ships intercepted many of the missiles and shots before they could reach the cruiser, providing an outer sphere of defense. Their shots back at the New Republic forces were picked up by shields, but those shields could not hold forever.

Jaina felt a shiver run down her spine. Were this a sim it would be obvious that we’re overmatched. It would be time to cut and run. She sighed. It’s not a sim. We can’t run. We can’t win, so we just have to hope we hurt them enough that they don’t really win either.

Deep in the bowels of his ship, Deign Lian smiled. The advent of the New Republic reinforcements had surprised him, but a quick study of the situation showed that their intervention would only extend the time it took to kill them. While his coralskippers had taken more damage than he expected they would, and the new ships had deployed more mechanical fighters, his fighter force still outnumbered the enemy. Likewise, his capital ships outnumbered them and were more powerful.

He directed all his attacks at one of the smaller New Republic ships. The cannons on the Yuuzhan Vong ships vomited plasma bolts at it, hammering the shields. The enemy ship’s sphere of protection began shrinking. Another volley or two and the shields would collapse, then the shots would melt their way through the enemy vessel, ridding it of its blasphemous parody of life.

And when that is done, I take the rest of them. The Yuuzhan Vong leader smiled slowly. Forces will praise me for winning. My position will be such that when my master falters, there will be but one choice for his replacement.

Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, seated in the chair from which Grand Admiral Thrawn had commanded the Chimaera, watched the holographic display of the battle raging at the heart of the Garqi system. He smoothed his mustache with the thumb and forefinger of his left hand, then stabbed his right index finger down on the command chair’s comm button.

“Is force Spike deployed, guns?”

His combat command officer replied affirmatively. “Confirmed now, Admiral.”

“Good. Helm, five seconds to jump. Positions from Gamma file. Tell Spike Lead he is cleared to jump to point blood-niner.”

“As ordered, Admiral.”

Pellaeon released the comm button and sat back, pressing his hands together. For decades he had dreamed of finding a New Republic task force in such a compromising position. He would plan out an ambush as he had done here, then order it executed. He smiled as he imagined their surprise.

“Oh, they will still be surprised, I imagine.” He nodded slowly. “As will our targets.”

Corran whipped the Best Chance through a roll, then brought the nose up in a half loop, before inverting and rolling out to port and diving. His sensors still showed two skips on his ship’s tail. His maneuvers were keeping them from getting good shots in on him, but the Yuuzhan Vong were slowly herding him away from the Ralroost.

“Jacen, any more sedative in that injector?”

“Ganner took the last of it. Why?”

“Well, I always kinda figured I’d like to die in my sleep.” Corran laughed aloud. “Just so you know, kid, you’ve impressed me on this mission. Might not mean much when we’re free-floating atoms, but—”

“Sithspawn!”

“Didn’t think that comment warranted profanity.”

“No, Corran, multiple new contacts coming in. I have two Star Destroyers, one Imp-class and another Vic. And a bunch of something else. ID transponders list them as Imperial Remnant forces.”

Corran smiled. “Let them know we’re friendly, Jacen. Then hang on. We might just get out of this after all.”

Sparky screeched as dozens of tactical fighter contacts sprayed themselves over Jaina’s aft sensor screens.