Star Wars_ X-Wing 07_ Solo Command - Aaron Allston [64]
“I feel almost the same way she does. I’m not sure when the last time was I felt this low. I just can’t believe Tal’dira turning against us the way he did.” A memory jogged at him. “Can you tell me something? Does the phrase ‘one-leg-hopping maniac’ have any special meaning in Twi’lek culture?”
Ven smiled. “You’re asking me?” He gestured down to the lower portion of his right leg, the one that had been amputated in Ven’s last mission as a Rogue Squadron pilot.
“I’m sorry. I forgot about that. But, yes, I’m asking. It’s serious. It’s what Tal’dira called me just before he died.”
“Oh.” Ven’s eyes lost focus as he stared back into his memory. “I can’t think of one.”
“Odd. What would cause him—” Wedge’s eyes opened wider. “Cause. Effect. What’s the cause and what’s the effect?”
“I’m not following you—”
“It didn’t matter whether Admiral Ackbar died. Or Mon Mothma. Their assassins were successful.”
“What? No, they weren’t.”
“Yes, they were. Koyi Komad was their first victim.”
Ven’s expression suggested that he was within seconds of calling in the medics to deal with his commander.
“Get the Wraiths together,” Wedge said. “We’re going to conduct one of their insane speculation and planning sessions. Pilots’ lounge. And invite any Rogues who want to attend. As usual, with Zsinj, we have to dig one level farther down.” Wedge was in the corridor before Ven had a chance to rise to his feet.
All the Wraiths were there, except Runt and Janson, whose injuries kept them in bacta-tank treatment for the time being, and so were Tycho, Hobbie, and Corran Horn of the Rogues. Donos decided that Tyria and Horn looked unusually glum, and couldn’t blame them. At least Tyria had someone to offer her support; Kell stayed next to her. The others were keeping a little distance between themselves and Horn; whether it was out of respect for his feelings or because of their own unease at being in the presence of someone who had just killed one of his squadmates, Donos couldn’t tell.
Wedge walked in, his bootheels clattering. “So we know about a sudden rise in terrorist activity by Twi’leks,” he said without preamble. “We’ve determined to our own satisfaction that Zsinj is behind them.”
Ven said, “Though we lack evidence to prove it conclusively.”
“Not important for our discussion. Why is Zsinj doing this?”
“To hurt the New Republic,” Kell said. “Losing Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma would be a serious blow.”
Wedge took a seat and nodded. “Sure, it would. And they’d be replaced by people who probably aren’t quite as good as they are at their tasks. If everyone on the Inner Council were murdered, we’d have an Inner Council that was just a little less adept at doing what it does. Not exactly a master stroke on Zsinj’s part.” He leaned forward, still oddly intent. “This morning at six hundred hours I was obliged to relieve every Twi’lek aboard Mon Remonda of active duty. And that, I think, is what Zsinj wanted.”
“To be rid of our Twi’leks?” Kell asked.
Wedge shook his head, but it was Horn who spoke up. “Suddenly the Twi’leks are second-class citizens. Rumor has it that Gotals will be next because of the attempt on Mon Mothma’s life and the follow-up shootings.”
Lara said, “Twi’leks and Gotals don’t make up much of a percentage of the New Republic armed forces. They’re not even signatories to the New Republic; there are just a fair number of them in service. I mean, their loss is important, sure … but it’s not going to cripple the fleet.”
“It’ll cripple the entire New Republic,” Wedge said. “Right now, it’s one species making up a fraction of one percent of the New Republic population. But we suddenly have a precedent that divides them from the New Republic. In their eyes, it casts humans as villains. To human eyes, the Twi’leks and Gotals are already starting to look like villains. What if, tomorrow, it’s a species that has been with the Alliance since the start of the Rebellion? An important contributor to the New Republic cause?”
Donos saw the Wraiths and Rogues looking