Star Wars_ X-Wing 03_ The Krytos Trap - Michael A. Stackpole [67]
This is all about survival—mine and Tycho’s survival.
The prosecutor looked up from her datapad. “Commander Antilles, how did you come to be on Coruscant before our forces had taken possession of it?”
“My squadron and I were inserted into Coruscant in a pathfinder capacity. We were here to evaluate the world from a number of points of view to determine if, how, and when the Alliance might want to attempt to take it.”
“I see. What was the security classification on this operation?”
“The highest. If it had been known that we were coming or that we were here, we would have been dead.”
Halla nodded sagely. “In preparation for sending your squadron out, what role did Captain Celchu play?”
Wedge shook his head. “He played no part.”
“Why not?”
“Objection.” Nawara stood at the defense table. “Calls for a conclusion.”
“It goes to the witness’s state of mind, Admiral.”
Admiral Ackbar shook his head. “Counselor Ven, please do not object to questions calling for answers that Captain Celchu’s commanding officer should know. Overruled. You may answer the question, Commander.”
Wedge nodded. “Captain Celchu was seen as a security risk by General Cracken, so he was not involved in the preparation for the mission.”
“Then how did Captain Celchu end up oh Coruscant?”
This is not going to sound good. Wedge sighed. “I do not like covert missions. The things you don’t know always seem to be the things that get you into trouble. If any of our people got picked up on the mission, it would be logical for the Imps to conclude there were more of us present, and hunt us down. I wanted someone on Coruscant whom I could trust to get me out of difficult situations.”
“So you chose someone that Alliance Intelligence did not trust.”
“I chose Tycho for a number of very good reasons, Commander Ettyk. He had been to Coruscant before and knew his way around.”
“But he was captured on Coruscant, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And imprisoned in a place the Empire uses to create covert operatives, correct?”
“So I have been told.”
Halla smiled slightly and gave him a slight nod. Wedge felt it was the sort of salute one pilot might toss another for a good shot—the sort of salute that came with the promise of destruction on the next pass. A wave of heat washed over him and he wanted to loosen the collar of his dark green jacket. Can’t. Don’t want to let her know she’s beginning to get to me.
“Commander Antilles, why did you feel you needed your own person operating independently on Coruscant?”
“If things went bad and some or all of General Cracken’s operation here on Coruscant was uncovered, we would be in dire straits.”
“Did you have a reason to suppose there was a chance the operation would be compromised?”
“I’m not certain I understand the question.”
“What reasons did you have to fear your operation might be compromised to Imperial Intelligence?”
“There is always a risk of such betrayal with any covert operation. Certainly the fact that we were going to be on Coruscant had to suggest that was a possibility.”
“And you knew, as you just told us, that Captain Celchu had been captured on Coruscant, so that was certainly in your mind, yes?”
Wedge frowned. Where is she going with this? “Yes.”
“And there were other incidents involving Rogue Squadron where betrayal had been previously mentioned, correct?”
“I am not certain I understand what you mean by that.”
“Please characterize for the court the first mission to Borleias.”
“It was an unmitigated disaster. I lost people, the Alliance lost people, and we didn’t take the planet.”
Halla glanced down at her datapad. “And there was an investigation conducted upon your return to determine if your mission had been betrayed to the enemy, was there not?”
“Yes, but Tycho was never implicated,