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And they agreed with Ackbar to keep things limited to news summaries. It’s not much, but it’s something. He shook his head. Now if I blow it, at least folks won’t know it until later.

Across from him, Commander Halla Ettyk rose from her place at the prosecution table. Athletically trim and tall, Ettyk cut a very commanding figure with just a hint of lean menace to her. She wore her black hair gathered back into a thick braid—somewhat reminiscent of Princess Leia’s current hairstyle—providing Nawara an unobstructed view of her strong-jawed profile. Fire filled her brown eyes as she glanced at him, then turned her attention toward the tribunal.

“If it please the court, we will call our first witness.”

Ackbar nodded. “Please, Commander.”

“The Prosecution calls Lieutenant Pash Cracken to the stand.”

Nawara hit a couple of keys on his datapad, calling up the deposition Pash had given him earlier. He let his eyes track over the Rylothean script, but did so only to cover his surprise at Ettyk’s choice of lead witness. He had fully expected her to start with Iella Wessiri or General Cracken to establish a connection between Tycho and Imperial Intelligence. Instead, by calling Pash first, she appeared to want to firmly set up Tycho’s having the motive, means, and opportunity for killing Corran, then work backward into the larger treason picture.

I should have seen that coming. Since the great public hue and cry about the case had pushed the treason angle, that was the vector he’d expected Ettyk to take in presenting her case. He’d thought she’d establish the treason, then show that Corran’s murder was necessitated to cover the treason. By coming at it the other way around and establishing the murder, she got treason by implication, and all the evidence she presented after that just went to bolster a fact she had previously proved.

“This pitches our defense into the Bright Lands,” muttered Nawara.

Tycho leaned over toward him as Pash stepped into the witness box and was sworn in. “What do you mean?”

“There is ample circumstantial evidence to show you killed Corran. Emtrey could convince a jury of droid-haters that you certainly could have killed Corran. I could baffle a jury by pointing out how many others could have done the job, but the Tribunal is going to be tough.” Nawara narrowed his pink eyes. “I had hoped we’d have to fight over treason first, since it’s a weaker charge, but we’ll have to deal with this first.”

Tycho gave Nawara a confident smile. “You’ll get me out of this.”

“I will.”

Ettyk moved out from behind the prosecution table with the supple ease of a taopari stalking prey. “Lieutenant Cracken, your service record has already been appended to the transcripts of this trial, so I will not ask for a recitation of your numerous citations and awards won in service to the Alliance. I would, however, like you to think back to the events that led up to the night when Coruscant fell to our forces. Can you do that?”

“Yes.” Pash nodded and a lock of red hair curled down over his forehead.

“Good.” Ettyk gave him a polite smile. “Where were you at that time?”

“Here, on Coruscant.”

“And you were present on Coruscant as part of an assignment given to Rogue Squadron?”

“Yes.”

“Did that assignment include orders that posted Captain Celchu to Coruscant?”

Pash shook his head. “I only know my orders for the assignment, Commander. My orders contained nothing that referred to Captain Celchu.”

“So, at the time you left your base to travel to Coruscant, you expected Captain Celchu to be where?”

“Objection!” Nawara stood. “The question is irrelevant and the prosecution has provided no foundation to show the witness could answer it.”

Admiral Ackbar nodded slowly. “Sustained on the relevance grounds. Lieutenant Cracken’s expectations are immaterial, Commander Ettyk.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

“And you, Counselor Ven, need not stack objections. We’ll take them as they come in, shall we?”

Nawara nodded. “I appreciate the court’s admonition and I shall remember it.” He returned to his seat and forced himself to breathe