Star Wars_ X-Wing 08_ Isard's Revenge - Michael A. Stackpole [44]
Whistler blatted harshly at him as he pulled on his helmet.
“Yes, Whistler, I heard the call, but I was finishing up a message to Mirax in case we don’t make it back. Of course, I figure she’ll miss you more than me.”
The droid warbled in a very self-satisfactory manner.
“Good to know we’re in agreement.” Corran strapped himself into his seat and hit the switch that lowered the canopy and locked it into position. He punched the ignition sequence into the command console. The engines caught on the first try, sending a gentle thrum through the fighter.
“Whistler, set my inertial compensator at point-nine-five gravities and load fleet, squadron, and Three Flight comm channels into switches one through three respectively.” As the droid did that, Corran ran power from the engines into the weapons system. One by one the X-wing’s lasers all came online and began charging. The proton torpedo launcher’s computer reported the device was set to go, and the magazine was loaded with six torpedoes. The diagnostics screens showed that the X-wing sported an auxiliary belly tank with enough fuel to allow them to fight both in space and down in atmosphere for an extended period of time.
I hope this belly tank works better than the one I had on Borleias.
Wedge’s voice crackled through Corran’s headset. “Good to have you with us, Captain Horn.”
“Sorry about that, General Antilles. I was recording a message for my wife and there was a bit of a line to use the equipment.” Corran looked over at the mission chronometer on the command console. “We’ve still got two minutes to reversion. Besides, with General Salm’s B-wings out there, we won’t be needed at all.”
“Then they’ll release us to hit ground targets.” Wedge’s voice carried with it a hint of amusement. “The B-wings are tough and will take a lot of damage, but they’re still slower and less maneuverable than the eyeballs and squints we’ll be facing. Salm may only leave crumbs behind, but they’re our crumbs.”
“I copy, Rogue Leader.” Corran switched his comm unit over to Three Flight’s channel. “Okay, Rogues, we’re under two minutes to reversion. All systems should be green. I don’t know exactly what there will be out there for us to light up, but whatever it is, I want us shining really bright.”
Commander Vict Darron strode onto the Direption’s bridge and was pleased with the fact that his crew kept hard at work. When I was Krennel’s executive officer, if the crew didn’t immediately fawn all over him when he appeared, he’d start working up insubordination charges for the lot of them. Darron knew any distraction for a crew on a warship was an invitation to disaster, and disasters are never good on a warship.
Krennel had given him command of the Imperial Star Destroyer, Mark II, after its previous commander, a Captain Rensen, had been executed for failing to raze a village that had been home to someone who tried to assassinate Krennel. Darron immediately set about locating those crewmen who Krennel had cited for being insubordinate and asked for them to be assigned to his ship. He promised Krennel they would no longer be a problem, and Krennel gladly gave them up.
But Krennel also demanded he raze the same village his predecessor had refused to destroy.
Being well aware that Krennel’s mechanical hand could crush his throat as easily as it had Rensen’s, Darron had immediately agreed to carry out the mission. From the second he left Krennel’s presence he sought for a way to preserve his life without engaging in the wholesale slaughter of villagers. His search took him back over old territory, for every Imperial officer in any position of authority