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By Root 1329 0

a cloak. I would have given up everything for her—my family, my honor, my command, my name.” He shook his head ruefully. “It could never have been, of course. I was an insect under her eyes. I think everyone but the Emperor was. But I could dream.” He took a deep breath, straining the seams of his uniform, and let his eyes drift as his memory ranged back through time. “Just the smell of her. As clean as if she were as meticulous and uncompromising in hygiene as she was in every other area of her life. And a touch of perfume, something with spice but lacking any sweetness whatsoever—”

The admiral nodded, his expression fascinated. “Leather-wood. A scent few women can carry off.”

“That was it.” Face managed a sad smile. “And now both my loves are dead. One more reason to wipe the stain of the Rebellion from the galaxy. My reason, anyway.”

“I understand.” Trigit’s tone was solemn, soothing. “Yes, of course your TIE fighters may escort Implacable. I’ll leave you to your preparations, Captain.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Trigit’s hologram vanished. A moment later the comm system popped. The noise that came across it was not a voice, but the applause and cheering of many crewmen.

The smile that sprang to Face’s lips was not Darillian’s but his own. “Thank you, thank you. Performances every hour, on the hour. Imperial madmen a speciality.”

The communications officer announced, “Cargo carrier Red Feathers is passing through Ession’s outer security belt.”

Captain Atril Tabanne nodded. “That’s our contact. Patch it through to all stations and all fighters. And put it up on the monitor. I want to see what she is.”

A moment later the auxiliary bridge’s main monitor glowed with the image of a decrepit, ancient container ship approaching one of Ession’s warehousing space stations.

Atril hissed. “I know that ship.”

“That’s not Red Feathers,” Janson said. His tone was one of amazement. “That’s Blood Nest.”

Indeed, the container ship approaching Ession was the pathetic Super Transport Mark VI that had served the pirates of M2398-3 as a base.

“I can’t believe they got it flying,” Wedge said.

“You’d better get to your fighters,” Atril said. “But first, I’ve had a bad thought.”

“You shouldn’t do that,” Janson said.

“My current orders are to get clear as soon as the Wraiths are away. The sensor jamming from that relay dish should make it hard for Implacable to target me.”

Wedge nodded. “Correct.”

“What if they’re smart enough to blast the dish a few seconds into the engagement? We’ll be an easy target.”

“I hadn’t considered that.” Now Wedge did. “Well, there’s a maneuver you can perform that will also foul up both their sensors and visual targeting systems.” He described it to her.

Atril glanced at her chief pilot, who shook his head. “Sir,” she said, “I’m not confident we can do something that sophisticated. We haven’t had enough time with this class of ship.”

“Atril, you’re the most experienced pilot of Corellian craft aboard.”

“Excuse me, sir, but I’m not. There is one who’s a lot more experienced.”

Falynn, dressed in her TIE fighter piloting gear, waited beside the escape pod access hatch to her starfighter.

She heard booted feet coming at a run, expected to see Commander Antilles race past her to his own starfighter access —was surprised when the black-clad pilot turned out to be Atril Tabanne.

“Captain? What happened to the commander?”

Atril skidded to a halt beside her hatch and pulled her helmet on. “We traded. I’m Gray One now.”

“Another last-minute foul-up?”

“No, I think we averted one.” Atril disappeared into her hatch. Falynn followed suit.

Kell flipped switches, announced, “Five here. Four engines lit and showing green. Weapon systems at full power. All systems nominal.”

He heard similar reports from the pilots around him, nestled in the metal brackets in Night Caller’s bow hold. Grinder, Runt, Phanan, Donos, and Tyria reported go conditions. Face would join them for initial launch if feasible, or launch subsequently if not. Wedge, Falynn, Janson, and Piggy were supposed to be readying themselves in the four