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“Take two.”

Pwoe turned to huddle with the other Advisory Council members. Wedge turned to Tycho. The murmurs rose in volume.

Luke leaned back toward Mara and Lando. “Sometimes,” Luke said, “I wish I had my sister’s political insight, or yours. What’s Wedge doing?”

“Pwoe is lying,” Mara said. “He wants Wedge to shore up Borleias so that the Yuuzhan Vong will come here to crush it. But he won’t be sending forces to reinforce Borleias. No one will. It will fall, and everyone here will die.”

Luke frowned. “Then what’s the point to holding it?”

“It gives the Advisory Council members time to go home and make preparations there. Preparations for war, or preparations so they can make the best deal possible with the Yuuzhan Vong. It gives the surviving members of the Senate the same time. And if they did their job right and convinced Wedge to fight ferociously, the Yuuzhan Vong might even be impressed with this little battle, might offer better terms in their negotiations.”

Luke gave Wedge a look. “So all he just negotiated for was enough military strength to let us hold out longer.”

“That’s right.”

“But everyone who stays here is still dead. Pointlessly dead. Just dead a little later.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m sorry I asked.”

Mara managed a slight smile. “If he’s negotiating, he has a skifter up his sleeve. You know that.”

The huddled members of the Advisory Council leaned away from one another and Pwoe turned again toward Wedge. Conversation in the chamber immediately died down. “General, I deplore your methods and your arrogance. I don’t imagine you can expect much in the way of a military career once this assignment is done.”

Wedge nodded. His expression was kind, solicitous—or nearly so. Luke suspected it was actually mockery of those emotions. “But you accept.”

“Yes. We accept. It is my pleasure to relieve you of command of Fleet Group Three, even if I must leave you your current rank and command of this garrison.”

“Once your orders confirming the terms I specified have been broadcast over the HoloNet to our armed forces, you can consider me to have accepted, too.” Wedge glanced at Tycho’s datapad. “But I recommend that it be soon. Rogue Squadron has reported sighting what may be a Yuuzhan Vong scout ship. This planet will be a war zone very soon.” He straightened and looked around. “This meeting is over. In five minutes we’ll have a quick operational planning meeting.” He gestured at Luke, Mara, Lando, Booster, and others, indicating that they were expected at that meeting.

The members of the Advisory Council, suddenly kicked free of the activities at hand, rose, looking a little uncertainly at Wedge, who paid them no further attention. The guard Wedge had called upon earlier opened the door again and Pwoe led them through. Luke could feel both irritation and smugness from the Quarren.

Luke shook his head. Smugness. Pwoe was smug because he knew Wedge would soon be dead. Luke felt anger rise within him. He shook his head and dispelled the anger—not forcing it from him, simply releasing it, feeling it dissipate.

Mara smiled. “I felt that.”

“It’s hard to be the serene Jedi Master all the time.”

“I don’t want you to be serene all the time, farmboy.”

* * *

Gavin Darklighter moved up toward Wedge. He heard the general whispering to Tycho, “What results?”

Tycho whispered back, “All Fleet Group Three ships within four hours’ travel of Borleias are now in hyperspace on their way here.”

“Good work.”

Gavin leaned over his commander and lowered his own voice. “General, none of the Rogues on patrol reported anything to me about sighting a Yuuzhan Vong scout.”

“Of course they did. Five or six hours ago. In orbit around Borleias.”

Gavin frowned, remembering. “Wait a minute. That was just the burned-out hulk of a coralskipper. One that we vaped when we arrived.”

“Correct. And a coralskipper can be used as a scout ship.”

“Sure.”

“And Rogue Squadron did report sighting it.”

“Sure.” Gavin felt his confused expression give way to a rueful smile. He looked across the room, where the last members