Star Wars_ X-Wing 08_ Isard's Revenge - Michael A. Stackpole [95]
Booster watched as the shuttle descended from the Errant Venture’s belly and unfolded its wings. “That was a nasty piece of business.”
“That’s one way of describing it.” Iella Wessiri’s heels clicked against the decking as she walked over to him. “Borsk Fey’lya is not the sort of enemy I’d want to make.”
“I’ve made worse.”
“Have you?” She shook her head. “Fey’lya’s the kind who will go after you, after your friends, after your friends’ friends. He knows you know Karrde, so any of Karrde’s associates will be on his enemies list. Through Corran anyone connected with CorSec will be an enemy.”
Booster smiled. “And the downside to that is?”
“You don’t mean that.”
“For the most part you’re right.” Booster frowned. “How is she?”
“Last bacta treatment now. Mirax is with her. Should be there for another two hours.”
Booster sighed. “No improvement in her memory?”
“Of the events at Distna, no. Everything else, including her last meeting with Fey’lya, that’s all fine.” Iella shrugged. “She’s not going to be very helpful in letting us know what happened at Distna, but when we figure it out and go after the folks responsible, she’ll be ready to go with us.”
“And willing to do her own wet work.” Booster watched Fey’lya’s shuttle become a dim speck. “It’s a start, and I bet there will be plenty of wet work by the time we’re done.”
25
Corran Horn saw the Imperial flight instructor vectoring in on him as he entered the simulation chamber, but he didn’t slow or alter his course. He snapped the comlink into place inside the TIE pilot’s helmet and headed toward where the rest of the Rogues stood, dressed in black flight suits. Only Tycho looked natural in it—mainly because he’d always worn black and still had his Rebel battle tabs sewn on the flight suit.
That big, bright Coruscant one really has to gall the Imps.
The flight instructor planted himself in front of Corran. “You’ll do well to be on time, Captain Horn.”
Corran shrugged, sweeping a lanky lock of brown hair out of his eyes. “I knew what time it was.”
“And you weren’t here because?”
He lifted the helmet and showed the comlink to the instructor. “I was checking out my equipment.”
The instructor’s eyes narrowed to brown slits. “There is nothing wrong with the comlinks in those helmets. They’re all preset to the training frequency. You had no cause to adjust it.”
Corran leaned forward, leaving his nose barely three centimeters from the instructor’s nose. “Ysanne Isard is running your operation, which means I have every reason I need to check out every little detail of what’s going on here. Got it?” He’d discovered, among other things, that the comlinks had restricted power so they couldn’t get much outside the Imperial compound. He was fairly certain that the folks in the surrounding city really didn’t have any idea what was going on there, and that they were discouraged from paying too much attention.
The instructor lifted his head and sniffed the air officiously. “Your suspicions are unwarranted, given the objective of your mission and ours. We’re prepping you to be an Imperial squadron that will get in past Krennel’s defenses. We’re giving you the most advanced starfighter in the galaxy to do so. The secret of your death is being maintained so Krennel will relax his guard. Do anything to upset that delicate balance and you could destroy the last best chance at ending Krennel’s reign of terror over the Hegemony.”
“I’ll remember that.” Corran winked at the man, then stepped around him. “Let’s see what these things have.”
The instructor’s voice rose, but Corran didn’t turn around to look at him. “Your attitude, Captain Horn, is not really conducive to learning.”
Corran shrugged, then turned and dropped into a crouch beside Gavin. “Go on.”
The Imp sighed. “This first exercise will be a simple one. You’ll find the Sienar Fleet Systems TIE Defender is the fastest, best-equipped starfighter in the galaxy. Unlike other TIE designs, it incorporates shields, which provide the pilot with an improved survival profile. It has