Star Wars_ X-Wing 06_ Iron Fist - Aaron Allston [79]
Castin nodded. “I couldn’t.”
“Explain.”
“The account had been shut down. When I accessed it, I got nothing but a pointer to two files. One was a brief, anonymous letter saying that the client, that’s me, didn’t have authorization for such a high-level data stream. The other was a big file, full holo, from Warlord Zsinj.”
There were startled noises from the other pilots, but Wedge waved them down. “You’ve viewed the file?”
Castin nodded. “I didn’t know it was Zsinj until I did view it. It’s a letter from him to the Hawk-bats.”
“Put it on.”
Castin leaned forward to tap a command into the controls of the room’s small holoviewer.
Above the table appeared Warlord Zsinj in all his white finery, about a meter high. Castin adjusted the image’s orientation so that it faced directly at Wedge.
“I presume,” said the warlord, “that I’m addressing the so-called General Kargin of the Hawk-bats.” His expression became merry. “As you can see, the rules around Halmad have changed. The planet belongs to my alliance now, and you will not be permitted to stay here and continue causing trouble.
“Now, what you must understand is that a lesser man would be most angry with you. I’m not. To be honest, I’m impressed. The two pincers of your movement annihilated two entire squadrons of my fighters against minimal losses of your own. That’s quite admirable. Oh, certainly, you’ve lost, but my victory was far more costly than it should have been, testimony to your own skill and ferocity.
“So, you now have a choice to make.
“You can stay here and continue to try to prey on Halmad. In between all my other activities, I will eventually hunt you down and kill all of you. My guess is that this will be very costly to me, but it’s what I’ve promised to do. The problem with this choice is that everybody loses, though you lose more.
“You can leave and set up operations in an area of space not yet controlled by Zsinj. This isn’t a costly choice, but nobody gains anything. And I’ll have lost two squadrons with nothing—well, other than alliance with this planet—to show for it.
“Your third option, however, includes potential gain for both of us.
“I’d like to meet you. Attached to this holo is a data stream that includes a hyperspace navigational course. Send a ship with a representative who can speak for you along that course. You will meet a navigational beacon that will direct you further. We will meet, and I will make it worth your while to come to terms with me.
“I will not give you my word that you will not be harmed. Not that I don’t have a word to give; I simply don’t think you would believe it. But this you can trust: Zsinj is a businessman, and it just makes good business sense for us to join forces. Take it under consideration.
“Zsinj out.”
The corpulent warlord’s image faded away.
Wedge leaned back, unaware until then that he’d leaned forward during the warlord’s recitation. “Wraiths,” he said, “it may have cost us dearly … but the Hawk-bat operation has just begun to pay off. We’re going to need a contact team.”
He glanced among the Wraiths present. “I can’t be on the team, nor can Wes. We’re just a little too well known to Imperial forces. Not even a good disguise would necessarily prevent us from being recognized.” He didn’t add that this was especially true with their most proficient artist of disguise, Face, being missing or dead.
“Castin, before the liberation, you were considered a criminal on Coruscant, an insurgent, so information on you is probably in Zsinj’s files.”
The code-slicer nodded. “I tried to wipe out my records wherever I could find them, but they just propagated too fast for me.”
“Kell is a possibility, but you’re pretty distinctive.”
The big man smiled. “I like to think so.”
“Myn, not a chance for you. You’re a casualty of being well known as a decorated member of the Corellian armed forces