Star Wars_ X-Wing 08_ Isard's Revenge - Michael A. Stackpole [77]
The data did not. “Okay, let me see if I have all of this stuff straight. The financial records from Wooter’s office indicate that payments were made through financial institutions located in the Corvis Minor system.”
Iella swept a lock of golden brown hair behind an ear. “That’s what it comes down to. The files your father has on this ship—both old Imp intel files and new stuff that he buys—make it look like the payments were part of an intel op, which would make sense. The money was being paid to house prisoners from the Lusankya, so it must have come from some resources Isard had hidden away.”
“Okay, I’m with you there.” Mirax pointed at a second set of data. “Now here you’ve matched dust samples laminated on the identification cards of the men in the alley with traces of mineral content from the bones of the prisoners dug up on Commenor.”
“Not exactly. The forensics tech worked up a profile of soil composition needed to accomplish the decay and leave the correct trace elements on the bones. It matches the dust on the ID cards. Those two samples also match a planetoid in the Corvis Minor system: Distna, a moon orbiting the fifth planet in that system.”
“Which is where you think the Lusankya prisoners are being housed.”
Iella shook her head. “That’s where I think someone—Isard—wants us to believe they’re being housed. I think they’re bait to get Rogue Squadron there and into a trap.”
Mirax stood, a chill running through her. “We have to tell them.”
“I tried. I tried the direct route and sending information through New Republic Intelligence. No reply.” Iella hit a key on her datapad, killing the holographic datafeed. “I also spoke with your father, and that’s why we entered hyperspace.”
Mirax’s comlink squawked. “Mirax, this is your father. Please join me on the bridge.”
“On my way. Iella is coming, too.”
“Good.”
The two of them raced to the turbolift and ascended to the bridge. The lift opened and they stalked out to join Booster where he stood before the large viewport. Below the catwalk a variety of ship’s officers carried out their duties. Beyond Booster the Errant Venture’s bow sailed through a white tunnel of light.
Booster’s expression appeared as grave as Mirax could ever remember seeing it. “Getting into Corvis Minor around the fifth planet will be difficult for a ship our size. Had we not been coming from Commenor, the trip would have taken another twelve hours. As it is, we will arrive at twenty-two hundred hours local time in a pole-to-pole orbit over the gas giant. My helmsman, Hassla’tak, says Distna will be in our forward arc for fifteen minutes if we do nothing.”
Iella glanced at one of the duty stations down below. “Are all your guns operational?”
“Enough are. I have a squadron of uglies and two assault gunboats to keep us safe, and we do have an exit vector within five minutes of our arrival. I’m not worried.”
I am. Mirax reached out with both hands, grabbing her father’s shoulder and Iella’s hand. “The fact that we got here so easily from Commenor, does that suggest even more strongly we’re looking at a trap?”
Booster snorted. “Sure, but the sort of trap that would catch a squadron isn’t the kind that will get the Errant Venture.”
“Ten seconds to reversion.” The Twi’lek, Hassla’tak, twitched his lekku in time with his countdown. “Three, two, one …”
The white tunnel shattered into white needles that quickly resolved themselves into stars. Above the ship appeared the big gray-orange ball that was Corvis Minor V. Lightning played through the clouds in long jagged strings. Directly ahead lay Distna, a dark, rocky ball that looked completely devoid of life.
“Sithspawn!” Mirax stumbled forward to the transparisteel viewport and pressed her hands against it. “We’re too late.”
Some pieces spinning fast, others floating placidly, debris