Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Rebel Dreams_ Enemy Lines I - Aaron Allston [109]
He pulled his helmet off and gave her a return smile. It was a half smile, the left side of his mouth, brief but encouraging, for her alone. Then he pulled his helmet on again and was the anonymous pilot once more.
The expression caused something to flutter in her stomach. Have to remember, she told herself, he may have been raised among the Chiss, but he’s still full-blooded Corellian.
* * *
A few meters away, Kyp Durron also saw the exchange of looks. He pulled his gaze away and concentrated on his diagnostics readout instead.
Since Hapes, Jaina had kept Kyp at arm’s length. She’d kept everybody at arm’s length. Now it was obvious that Jag Fel had gotten past her guard.
So what’s it going to be? he asked himself. Show him up? Let her interest in him run its course, then be on hand when she needs a friend to console her? He wished he disliked Jag. That would make things easier.
Another voice, another thought, intruded. Maybe you ought to figure out what she is to you before you make any decisions.
He grimaced. That required more honesty than he wanted to experience.
Because he knew he wasn’t in love with Jaina Solo. He just liked being around her.
She was intelligent, talented, brave, beautiful. Strong in the Force. Important to the New Republic. He could make her happy.
Why did he want to? He suspected it was because she hadn’t been happy, and her pain, which he’d felt through the Force every time they’d connected, called to him, even when she’d fooled herself into thinking she could make it go away by keeping the whole universe at bay.
But he’d been interested in her before the loss of Anakin and Jacen. So why?
Maybe it was because of Han. He owed Han so much, from the time years ago when they’d met, from the help Han had offered in bringing Kyp back from the dark place he’d been in when he’d destroyed whole worlds. He might not be alive if not for Han. Make Jaina happy, make Han happy. It was a simple formula.
Besides, he had repaid that debt, or some of it. He’d helped Jaina come back from the steps she’d recently taken toward the dark side, and would continue to help as long as she needed him.
“Twin Suns Two …” That was Jaina’s voice, artificially sweet, and it jolted Kyp out of his reverie.
“Yes?”
“Status, please? All the other little Twin Suns are ready to go.”
“Oh. Uh, I’m—” He did a quick scan of his readouts. He’d finished his checklist automatically, as if on autopilot, and hadn’t even registered the fact. “Ready to go. Sorry, Great One.”
“Liftoff in ten, nine, eight …”
Kyp smiled ruefully to himself. So much for acting like a Jedi Master.
SIXTEEN
Borleias Occupation, Day 49
“All special ops squadrons have launched,” Iella called out above the clamor of the command chamber.
“We have contact,” Tycho said. “Yuuzhan Vong capital ships nearing Borleias, far side of the planet.”
Iella said, “Commander Davip is requesting permission to pull Lusankya out of geosync to engage the enemy before they reach our location.”
Wedge smiled at her. “Of course he is. Tell him no. Transmit to him the details of Operation Emperor’s Hammer.”
“Done.”
Yuuzhan Vong Worldship, Pyria Orbit
“They are not sending forces into orbit,” Czulkang Lah told the villip. “Instead, their orbital capital ships are sending some squadrons of small fighters down into the atmosphere.”
The villip with his son’s face said, “Meaning that they are aware of the approach of your ground forces.”
“Correct. We somehow failed to disable all their sensor devices on the ground and they have not been fooled.”
“I will not offer advice. You are Czulkang Lah. You will crush them despite their state of readiness.”
Czulkang Lah remained silent. An honest reply, his estimate that the infidels had surprises in store for the Yuuzhan Vong forces, that they might not win today, would only cause embarrassment for the warmaster.
After moments of awkward silence, Tsavong Lah added,