Star Wars_ X-Wing 08_ Isard's Revenge - Michael A. Stackpole [119]
The voice modulator erased the slightly mocking tone in Wedge’s words, though he had serious doubts that the two Hegemony officers or their wives would have caught them. Krennel’s staff seemed to be largely filled with courtiers whose ability to please the Prince-Admiral outshone their ability to fight or properly administer a unit. He had no doubt that they followed orders to the letter, which made them perfect for Krennel’s purposes, but dulled the sort of initiative that would have made them a threat to the Rogue operation.
Lorrir’s wife, Kandise, patted Wedge’s left hand. “Now don’t you be worried about that sort of thing anymore, Colonel Roat. The Hegemony is a bastion of Imperial culture, so you are safe here.”
“You are too kind, Madam Lorrir.” Wedge gave her a quick smile, then focused on her husband. “You were telling of your time with the One Eighty-first. You were with them at Brentaal?”
“I was.” Lorrir sniffed mightily, then sipped some of the dark red wine the waiter had poured for him. “We would have held the world against the Rebels save for one man’s betrayal.”
“Admiral Lon Isoto.”
Wedge’s comment blanketed the table in silence. Lorrir set his wine glass down carefully and clasped his hands together. Kandise laid her left hand on his right forearm, but he shook it off irritably. Lorrir’s dark eyes narrowed and the man clearly struggled to keep from exploding.
“Colonel Roat, I shall assume that because you have long been involved in researches and developments that have kept you outside the mainstream of the Empire that you have said what you said. Your ignorance of the true facts will shield you at this time from my wrath, but understand that I will not allow you to slander the name of one of the finest military minds the Empire ever had.”
Wedge went cold. Rogue Squadron had been part of the Rebel operation that took Brentaal IV from the Empire. Admiral Lon Isoto had been given command of the world and failed utterly to do anything that would protect it. He allowed the Rebels to take the moon and, from there, stage and land on Brentaal. The only serious opposition had come from Fel’s 181st.
“I apologize, Colonel, for angering you. I assumed … but that assumption was wrong. Who was it that betrayed us on Brentaal?”
“Baron Fel.”
“What?!” Wedge made no attempt to cover his surprise. “I find that hard to believe. Not to question your integrity, but I understood that Fel had fought hard at Brentaal.”
“Oh, he did, fought hard enough to lure us into a trap.” Lorrir’s voice dripped with contempt. “You probably are unaware that after we lost Brentaal Four, Fel went over to the Rebellion. He joined Rogue Squadron. Clearly Brentaal Four was the price he paid for clemency in their eyes.”
Wedge nodded. “Ah, I see.” After Fel’s defection, the Empire had begun a disinformation campaign that clearly vilified Fel and elevated Isoto to the level of a hero. By doing that they shielded others from facing the dilemma Fel had, and prevented them from making the same choice he did. He saw the Empire was evil and rejected it, but these others, they remain willfully blind.
He sipped some of his emerald wine and relished the hints of berry flavor in the vintage. “I also understood Rogue Squadron was there at Brentaal Four.”
“Yes, the squadron that cannot die.” Lorrir laughed and his companions joined him. “Rogue Squadron is the biggest fraud perpetrated by the Rebels on their sick adherents. That squadron is constantly being rebuilt because they die so easily. We killed eight or nine at Brentaal, and would have gotten the rest of them had they not run off. We shredded the Y-wings they should have been protecting, destroying an entire wing of them. That engagement alone, around Oradin, would have made me an ace—had I not already been one, of course.”
“Fascinating.” Wedge frowned for a moment. “I did think, however, that some Rogue Squadron members had been around for a while.”
“Indeed, and you