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“But they’re dead. Didn’t you destroy them at Distna?”

“The Rebels claim they never found bodies. Part of the ploy to bring them back again.” Lorrir lowered his voice. “Clones.”

“Oh my.” Wedge shivered. “I never would have thought they would do something like that.”

“No, nor does anyone else. That’s the pity of it, really, so many people being misled by such a dishonest group.” Lorrir shook his head, then raised his glass. “A toast: to a time when such lies will die the death they deserve, and the truth will shine forth.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Wedge touched his glass to the others. “And may that day come sooner than we might dare to hope.”

32

Colonel Vessery entered the dimly lit briefing room with his helmet under his left arm. He started to sketch a salute, but neither Major Telik nor Ysanne Isard looked up at him. Instead they intently studied the small holograph of a man’s head and shoulders.

The holographic figure spoke in hushed tones. “Ackbar’s fleet left here ten standard minutes ago on an outbound course that will bring him to Ciutric. Ship list appended.”

Telik stood back and smiled. “The message was sent two hours ago, which means Ackbar has eight hours to hit his target. We only need six to get to ours.”

Isard nodded solemnly, then turned toward Vessery. “Colonel, I know you developed some affection for the Rogues while you trained them.”

The cold tone of her voice sent a chill through Vessery, but he met her gaze openly. “I did. They are fine pilots. I have little doubt they will acquit their portions of the operation admirably. My feelings and respect for them aside, Madam Director, my pilots and I stand ready to execute our orders as well.”

“I had no doubt of that, Colonel.” Isard pursed her lips for a second. “I have allowed a message to reach Krennel that indicated another attempt to reinforce Liinade Three is being made in two days. That will keep Krennel at Ciutric in preparation for another ambush. He may even call in additional troops and ships, which would translate into a surprise for Ackbar. It will be a glorious battle over Ciutric, I believe.”

Telik shrugged. “We would not have time to watch much of it anyway.”

“No, indeed you wouldn’t, so it’s just as well you won’t be there.” She laughed, but Vessery heard no mirth in it at all. “In rushing out to destroy Krennel, Ackbar has stripped the defenses from the greatest prize of all. Come with me, men, and in six hours we will be in a position of power that will make the New Republic tremble itself to pieces.”

Prince-Admiral Krennel smiled predatorily as he listened to Isard’s report. “Another convoy? How rich. How can they afford to be sending so many freighters on these very dangerous missions?”

Isard stalked the shadows at the fringes of his office. “I am not certain they can continue to do so, Prince-Admiral.”

Krennel looked up from his desk. “Explain.”

She stopped pacing and faced him. “The primary problem with a free society of the sort the New Republic represents itself to be is that a great deal of information is available on any and all subjects, save those they wish to keep secret. The fact remains, however, that a great deal of the publicly available information does touch on the secret. For example, in the past, when freighters have been diverted from their normal commercial duties to haul supplies, commodity prices on worlds that are experiencing a delay in shipping tend to rise and fall depending upon their import and export status. Factories that produce the sorts of materials a convoy like that will carry have to hire new workers, or offer overtime pay, all of which is data that is noted in stock advisories. These and dozens of other indicators like them can be correlated to a military operation. The plain fact is that I’ve not seen such indicators rise in the pattern set by the previous convoys.”

“No movement at all?”

“I didn’t say that.” Isard frowned. “There are movements, but they hint more at another planetary