Star Wars_ X-Wing 01_ Rogue Squadron - Michael A. Stackpole [61]
Devlia leaned forward. “They were waiting for the Black Asp. They came out of hyperspace right on top of her.”
Kirtan stroked his chin. “I don’t see that one thing establishes the other. I see no evidence of an ambush.”
Iillor’s head came up. “That’s what I’ve been telling the Admiral.”
“You’re both blind.”
“I think, sir, with all due respect, you are making unwarranted assumptions.” Kirtan began to pace around the edge of the table, passing behind the Admiral and back again. “Interdictor cruisers are designed to pull ships out of hyperspace. Of course, only where the route is known in advance can they be positioned in such a way that doing that is possible. In this case, since the Black Asp was in the Chorax system specifically to prevent a ship from entering hyperspace, you have chosen to discard one of its primary functions.”
“Preposterous!”
Which is precisely the kind of mistake I would have made previously. Kirtan allowed himself a slight smile. “Check your thinking. If you chose to ambush an Interdictor cruiser, would you do so with a single squadron of X-wings?”
Devlia’s face reddened. “Perhaps I would not, but I have training most Rebel officers do not.”
“Granted, sir, yet the Rebels are not without wise leadership.” Kirtan left allusions to Yavin and Endor unvoiced, but he saw by Devlia’s expression the man had caught them anyway. “I might ask why the Rebels would waste their time attacking an Interdictor cruiser at all? No disrespect intended to you, Captain Iillor, or your ship, but the action of Interdictors is hardly crippling to the Rebellion. Our main battle fleets are garrisoning key worlds, like Corellia and Kuat, so even predation on Interdictors is unlikely to draw them out.”
Iillor did not smile, but her nod was not as stiff as before. “My assumption was that we had suffered the misfortune of pulling a convoy out of hyperspace, but the Admiral found such coincidence unlikely.”
Kirtan smiled. “The Admiral, despite this misjudgment, is formidable enough that I should think the Rebels utter fools to operate in his command sector.”
Devlia had opened his mouth to protest the first half of Kirtan’s statement. The second half, which Kirtan had added as a sop to the man’s vanity, killed the Admiral’s comment and clicked his jaw shut.
The Intelligence agent again focused on Captain Iillor. “How did you identify them as Rogue Squadron?”
“Communication intercepts used ‘Rogue’ call signs. Visual data is not very good, but there is a unique unit crest painted on the S-foils. Preliminary searches correlate it with a crest said to be that of Rogue Squadron. Also the Pulsar Skate is a ship with Corellian connections, just like Wedge Antilles. And the pilots were hot—they took off seven of my Interceptors, with the last two falling to an X-wing that was dead.”
Devlia leaned back. “Interesting, but circumstantial, as I am sure Agent Loor will agree.”
“Circumstantial, yes, but persuasive.” Everything she had said about the squadron that attacked the Black Asp did seem to point to Rogue Squadron. Kirtan doubted any other unit in the Rebellion would sport Rogue call signs, and the crest data would have to be checked. Still and all it was not conclusive. It is, however, a start.
“Captain, did your shuttle stay in-system and monitor the squadron for outbound vector and speed?”
Iillor scowled. “No, and Lieutenant Potin has been reprimanded for fleeing when not threatened. I do have entry vector and velocity data, and it is triangulated with the data from the shuttle.”
“That’s something, then.”
“I will make certain you have it in time for your return to Imperial Center, Agent Loor.