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“I thought you might.” Isard opened her hands. “You and your people will begin training in Defenders immediately. We will work up a plan of attack that will involve a New Republic fleet. When the attack is set, you will communicate with the New Republic to let them know when to strike. We can’t communicate with them too early because my clone still has some intelligence resources in the New Republic. If there is a leak, the mission will be doomed.”

Wedge nodded, then looked up. “If we refuse to help you?”

Isard arched an eyebrow at him. “Refuse?”

Vessery cleared his throat. “If you refuse, General, then my men will go into Ciutric in your place. Krennel will fall, but not quite so bloodlessly. He has to.” The Imperial pilot rested a hand on Wedge’s shoulder. “Despite our differences, you and I are united in the knowledge that Krennel is a scourge on the Hegemony’s people. He must be dealt with, and with your help, his disposition will bring other warlords in line.”

Wedge felt a shiver run down his spine. I know I can’t trust you, Isard, but I also know that if I don’t go along with your plan, you can kill me and my people, and no one will know you’re out here until too late. I don’t know what your plan is, but I know you have one, and that, for now, is enough.

He nodded slowly. “I hate to think you and I are of like mind in anything, Isard, but the desire to see Krennel taken down seems to qualify. Rogue Squadron is at your disposal. Let’s get started.”

24

Corran Horn rested a hand on Gavin Darklighter’s shoulder, noticing how the dark green of his own flight suit contrasted with the bright orange of Gavin’s. He felt the younger man stiffen, so he gave Gavin’s shoulder a squeeze and slowly lowered himself to a spot on the concussion missile storage crate. “I hope you don’t mind my sitting here, Gavin.”

The younger pilot looked at him with red-rimmed brown eyes. “I’d really rather be alone.”

“I know you would, Gavin, which is why I’m sitting here.” Corran’s left hand slipped from Gavin’s right shoulder and patted the man’s knee. “I remember, back when we were first on Coruscant, you came to me to ask me about Asyr and if things could work between you. You wanted some perspective then, and you need some perspective now.”

“No, Corran, what I need now is grieving.”

“I know.” The bleak pain in Gavin’s voice stabbed deep into Corran’s heart and threatened to reopen the wound left there by his own father’s death. No, now’s not the time for self-pity. “Look, Gavin, there’s all kinds of trite things I could tell you. I could tell you that I’ve been where you are, when my father died. I could tell you the same things that folks told me at that time, that I had to buck up, I had to be tough, because that’s what my father would have wanted of me. And you and I both know, that’s what Asyr would have wanted of you.”

Gavin sniffed and glanced over at him. “You’re right. That’s pretty trite and doesn’t help at all.”

Corran nodded and glanced around the hangar area into which the surviving Rogues had been conducted. The site itself appeared to be vintage Imperial—the Rogues had been in enough captured facilities to know the architectural style. The main difference here was that Imperials were in full force, and three squadrons of TIE Defenders filled the launching racks above the scattered X-wings. The R2 and R5 units milled about together, while the pilots had broken up into small groups, each one dealing with the loss of his comrades and wondering what news General Antilles would bring on his return.

“I know that, Gavin, which is why I’m going to share something with you that I’ve not shared with another living being—except Iella. Even Mirax doesn’t know this.” He took a deep breath and hesitated until Gavin nodded slightly. “You’ve heard how my father died, but not my mother. In CorSec, given what my father and I were doing for a living, we figured that we were more likely to die than she ever was, but she went first. It was a stupid landspeeder accident. A truck was blocking the other lane, some lum-dumb whipped around