Star Wars_ X-Wing 07_ Solo Command - Aaron Allston [12]
“Who are you talking to?” That was Lara. Face and Dia were already a few steps ahead, arm in arm, with Targon trailing behind them.
“I’ll tell you sometime.”
“Edallia?” The voice, wavery and uncertain, came from behind them. “Edallia Monotheer, it’s so good to see you!”
Donos glanced back. Approaching them was an old man, his hair a wispy white, his body so sparse of flesh that he seemed skeletal, but there was nothing menacing about the smile he was turning on Lara.
Behind him a dozen meters but coming at a trot was a middle-aged woman, overweight and matronly, her expression anxious. “Father,” she called, and she sounded out of breath. “Not again.”
The old man reached Lara, seized her hand, pumped it vigorously. “Edallia, it’s been so long. Did you ever marry that boy? Did you graduate? What have you been doing?”
Lara tried unsuccessfully to extricate her thoroughly shaken hand. “Sir, I don’t—I’m not—”
“I’m so sorry.” That was the daughter. Reaching her father, she took his hand, forcing him to give up his grip on Lara’s. “He’s … confused. He doesn’t always remember where he is. Or when.”
“It’s all right,” Lara said, but she looked a little shaken.
The old man said, “Child, I must introduce Edallia Monotheer. One of my best pupils.”
His daughter asked, “When?”
He looked confused. “What?”
“When was she one of your best pupils?”
The old man looked back at Lara, his eyes wavery, uncertain. “Why, it’s been thirty, thirty-five years.”
“Look at her, father. She’s not thirty years old.”
The old man leaned in close to Lara’s face and peered. “Edallia?”
Lara shook her head, and though she maintained a cheerful smile, Donos decided that it was forced. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m Lara.”
“Oh.” The old man drew back and looked around. “Where is she, then?”
“Maybe farther up the exhibition, Father. You go look. I’ll be along.”
With a courteous, if distracted, nod to the Wraiths, the old man began to walk back the way he’d come.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman said. “He was once with Old Republic Intelligence, so he likes to come here day after day. He was shot on a mission shortly after the Emperor came to power.” She indicated a place just in front of her temple. “He hasn’t been the same since.”
“It’s not a problem,” Lara said. “He was very nice.”
“Thank you for understanding.” The woman turned and trotted along in her father’s wake.
Lara turned and bumped into Face and Dia, who had returned during the conversation. “Oops.”
Face looked at her intently. “Gerwa Patunkin?”
“No.”
“Totovia Lampray?”
“No.” She smiled. “Stop it.”
“Dipligonai Phreet?”
“Shut up.” She pushed past him, laughing, and headed for the exit. “Let’s get that drink. I need it.”
“Moploogy Starco?”
“Face, I’m going to shoot you.”
2
Starfighters swarmed from the sides of the Mon Calamari cruiser Mon Remonda like insects from a deep-space nest. They formed up in four groups—two X-wing, one A-wing, one B-wing—and descended toward Levian Two, the world Mon Remonda now orbited. From this altitude, it seemed stony and orange and impossibly inhospitable, but the comm chatter the pilots were picking up suggested otherwise.
“Entering Delta Sector. More of the same. I’ll map-flag locations of survivors.” “Ravine Six here. Repulsorlift is out. I’m going to have to attempt a high-speed landing.” “Ravine Six, switch to ten-oh-three. You’ve got your own controller standing by.” “Beta Sector Base, this is Beta Ten. I read unknowns descending, four groups.” “Beta Ten, this is Base. There are some TIEs in the unknowns but they’re mostly friendlies.”
Wedge sighed and activated his comm unit. “Beta Sector Base, this is Rogue Leader. You’ve got Rogue, Wraith, Polearm, and Nova Squadrons in descent to your position. Looks like we’re a little late to the party.”
“ ’Fraid so, Rogue Leader. You’ve missed a Raptor raid. They blasted out of here half an hour ago. We’ve got settlements and facilities hit all over this hemisphere.