Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Rebel Dreams_ Enemy Lines I - Aaron Allston [118]
Mara, somehow stylishly savage in her vonduun crab armor with its helmet off, surveyed the landscape. Her lips twitched in a momentary grimace. “Welcome home,” she said.
Luke shook his head. “This isn’t home. I wonder if it will ever be home again.”
Yuuzhan Vong Worldship, Pyria Orbit
Czulkang Lah blinked. How had that particular use of the infidels’ triangle ships eluded him?
Nom Anor, he decided. Nom Anor had been the Yuuzhan Vong spy in this galaxy for decades. Like an idiot, during all those years, he had failed to discover that humans gave birth to twins so often that it was a matter of little interest to them, and this failure had cost them dearly—it had allowed the notion of Jacen and Jaina Solo as sacred twins to become a weapon in the hands of the infidels.
Now, it seemed obvious that Nom Anor had failed to inform the Yuuzhan Vong military command of a littleused but critical tactic employed by the enemy’s senior capital ships. Unforgivable. Unforgivable.
“Recall the ships and coralskippers harassing their orbital forces,” he told his aide. “This engagement is done.”
“It cannot be done,” the officer whispered. “We have been embarrassed. We have failed.”
“If you can’t live with it, find a way to kill yourself,” Czulkang Lah answered. “And I will find an aide who has intelligence as well as courage.” He turned away. He would have to give his son unpleasant news.
Borleias
As night fell, Jaina finished her power-down checklist. She exited her X-wing, gave it an affectionate pat, waved at Cappie, and turned toward the docking bay exit.
But waiting for her, as he usually did now, was Jag. He wore the slight smile Jaina suspected that only she could see. “What’s up?” she said.
“Calrissian got back from Coruscant alive. So, being Calrissian, he’s throwing a party for family and friends. And friends of friends, and anyone who looks interesting. He says he has pre-invasion brandy. Care to go?”
Jaina felt herself start to shake her head, the refusal that had become second nature to her since she’d come to Borleias, but she caught herself in time. She linked her arm through his and smiled up at him. “Love to.”
About the Author
AARON ALLSTON is the New York Times bestselling author of novels in the Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi, Legacy of the Force, New Jedi Order, and X-Wing series, as well as the Doc Sidhe novels, which mix 1930s-style hero-pulp action with Celtic myth. He is also a longtime game designer and in 2006 was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design (AAGAD) Hall of Fame. He lives in Central Texas. Visit his website at AaronAllston.com.
Books by Aaron Allston
Galatea in 2-D
Bard’s Tale Series (with Holly Lisle)
Thunder of the Captains
Wrath of the Princes
Car Warriors Series
Double Jeopardy
Doc Sidhe Series
Doc Sidhe
Sidhe-Devil
Star Wars: X-Wing series
Wraith Squadron
Iron Fist
Solo Command
Starfighters of Adumar
Star Wars: New Jedi Order series
Rebel Dream
Rebel Stand
Star Wars: Legacy of the Force series
Betrayal
Exile
Fury
Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi series
Outcast
Backlash
Conviction
Terminator 3 Series
Terminator Dream
Terminator Hunt
STAR WARS—The Expanded Universe
You saw the movies. You watched the cartoon series, or maybe played some of the video games. But did you know …
In The Empire Strikes Back, Princess Leia Organa said to Han Solo, “I love you.” Han said, “I know.” But did you know that they actually got married? And had three Jedi children: the twins, Jacen and Jaina, and a younger son, Anakin?
Luke Skywalker was trained as a Jedi by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. But did you know that, years later, he went on to revive the Jedi Order and its commitment to defending the galaxy from evil and injustice?
Obi-Wan said to Luke, “For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of