Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Rebel Dreams_ Enemy Lines I - Aaron Allston [73]
“There are three of these,” Charat Kraal said. “And a fourth with three protrusions that extend at even, identical angles and a fourth protrusion that extends at a right angle from all of them; I have seen it but not been able to record it. My scouts, who eavesdrop on the infidels whenever they can get close enough to do so, call them ‘pipefighters’ and say they are part of an operation called ‘Starlancer.’ All three fly very badly. They go up into space and situate themselves at very precise points in relation to one another, far apart from one another, so that the three craft like this are points of a triangle and the fourth craft is at the center of their array. Then they communicate for several minutes. I do not know why.”
“Speculate.”
Charat Kraal hesitated. “I am only a pilot, not a shaper, and not one of their infidel scientists. But I had one of my advisers, who understands their mathematics better than I, analyze what they are doing. She says that if the center craft’s right-angle protrusion is precisely a right angle from the triangle represented by the other three craft’s positions, then it traces a course back to the Coruscant system. Perhaps it is a spy device, a communications device, or a weapon aimed at their old capital.”
“Interesting.” Czulkang Lah evaluated the pilot for a moment.
“Great One, if I may … if it is your intent now to order my death for my presumption, I ask that you order me to kill myself, rather than having me executed. That way I will have achieved a great ambition: to serve, even for a moment, Czulkang Lah.”
The old Yuuzhan Vong allowed impatience to show in his expression. “Be quiet. Charat Kraal, I am advancing you to the rank of wing commander. Your forces will be replenished to full fighting-wing status. You will perform special missions for me, often in association with the other fighting wings. One of your tasks will be the capture of Jaina Solo; I will issue you other orders, as well. You will report to me. Do you understand?”
“I do, Great One.” Charat Kraal’s face twitched as he struggled to retain an impassive expression.
“Go.”
Borleias Occupation, Day 39
The pilots of Twin Suns Squadron piled out of their X-wings, E-wings, and one clawcraft. They drifted off through the special ops docking bay, toward the main building, joking and recounting, pleased to have gone through a mission with no casualties. They’d escorted the cobbled-together Operation Starlancer pipefighters up into space, had escorted them to their precisely plotted positions while their pilots ran a few tests, and had come home without loss. Coralskippers had maneuvered out to take a look at what they were doing, but had not attacked … suggesting that they were studying the activities of the Starlancer ships but were not yet ready to move against them. The betting was that, no matter how slow moving and cautious the new Yuuzhan Vong commander was, he’d take action against the Starlancer ships soon.
Jaina lingered behind in the docking bay, putting some distance between herself and her pilots. A supposed goddess can’t be too chummy with her servants, she told herself. And a voice from deep in her thoughts, one she listened to when no other Jedi was around to detect it, whispered, And a doomed woman shouldn’t get too close to people who might miss her when she’s gone.
She leaned against her X-wing, ignoring the sounds of the mechanics around her.
There was something within her, an alien thing she couldn’t seem to rid herself of. It was a cold hatred of the enemy. Perhaps it had been with her since the start of the Yuuzhan Vong