Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Rebel Dreams_ Enemy Lines I - Aaron Allston [20]
Luke and Mara exchanged glances. She took a sip of her caf and then winced, as if the bitterness of the drink were the reason.
Wedge responded to Pwoe’s statement with only a nod.
Pwoe waited, as if expecting more, and then, after an uncomfortable silence, continued, “We wish to congratulate you on your success here at Borleias, General.”
“Thank you … but we haven’t had any success yet. We seized this facility through use of overwhelming force, which says nothing about either side in the conflict.”
“Yes, of course. Still, I need to hear details of what you have accomplished here.”
With little evident emotion and no extraneous words, Wedge briefed the Advisory Council members on the situation on Borleias. Luke saw the councilors nodding and whispering to one another as he spoke.
When Wedge was through, Pwoe said, “You’ve done very well in seizing the initiative, in anticipating the needs of the New Republic and acting on them. Not that I wouldn’t expect that of you. But now we need to bring your operation back into the New Republic command structure so that it can be coordinated with the rest of our response to this disaster. Sien Sovv remains Supreme Commander of our armed forces, and you’ll continue taking orders from him. Here is the first set.”
Niuk Niuv sent a data card skidding across the table-top. Wedge caught it, then slotted it into his datapad.
“Since these are your own trusted advisers, I will share your orders with them,” Pwoe said.
Wedge looked at him. His face was impassive, but the look was still a warning, a rebuke. To announce a leader’s orders in this manner to his subordinate officers was to question that leader’s competence, to deny that leader the right to limit the information reaching those subordinates.
Pwoe ignored the look and continued. “What we need from you, General Antilles, is for Borleias to stand as a fortress against the Yuuzhan Vong, even beyond the point that the stream of refugees from Coruscant ends. The Yuuzhan Vong won’t be able to tolerate the thought of a New Republic-controlled military base so close to Coruscant, on such a prominent hyperspace crossroads, and so they’ll come against you here. This will give us crucial time to regroup and then to come and relieve you. Once we’ve done so, we can use Borleias to stage the recapture of Coruscant. You must hold here at all costs. Can we count on you?”
Instead of answering, Wedge asked, “What forces and matériel will I have for this assignment?”
Pwoe blinked. “Most of Fleet Group Three is currently away from here, is that correct?”
“Yes. At deep-space rendezvous, on operations, coordinating with the other fleet groups, and so forth. I’ll have to bring portions of them back here for the sort of operation you describe.”
“Not at all. You underestimate yourself, General. We’ll leave you with a large proportion of the matériel you currently have in the Pyria system. That should suffice until you’re relieved. Of course, you can commandeer additional forces arriving from Coruscant, and any volunteer units that choose to join you.”
Wedge nodded. “Councilor Pwoe, I’m afraid I have to turn down your assignment.”
All whispered conversation stopped in the conference room. Luke felt a slight sense of unreality. Through the years, he’d seen Wedge reinterpret orders and bend them in his efforts to do what was best for the Alliance and New Republic, but never refuse orders.
Pwoe straightened, becoming taller and somehow seeming to swell in his chair. His voice became deeper, projecting better to those in the far corners of the chamber. “Perhaps I made a mistake in couching what I was saying in the form