Anyway... post time!
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Chapter Nineteen
Jaina checked her displays as she came out of hyperspace, the rest of the Twin Suns forming up behind her. They had just taken a short hyperspace hop to the moon, the first of the squadrons to arrive. "Tighten it up, Three," she commed.
"Yes, sir, Goddess, sir," Kyp replied, laughter in his voice.
Jaina shook her head. "Funny, Kyp," she said dryly.
The eleven X-Wings and one clawcraft entered the moon's atmosphere and landed at the moon base. Hopping out of her ship, Jaina tucked her helmet under her arm and strode forward to greet Tycho, followed by the rest of her squadron. "Have you picked up anything new?" she asked as the older pilot led them into the base.
"Yes," he replied. "About two standard hours ago, we received word that a small fleet is massing near Obroa-Skai. Considering that it's only a parsec or two from there to Basulen, we're reasonably sure that we'll be seeing some Vong soon."
Jaina nodded. "The rest of the squads are on their way, and the people on the ground are covering our tracks," she informed Tycho. "We want the Vong to think that this is the only base in-system."
Tycho nodded. "I knew Wedge had a contingency plan if the Vong showed up before we wanted them to," he said. They turned down a corridor. "Here are your pilots' quarters. Have them settle in as quickly as they can, then take up patrol duty once the other squads arrive. You and Colonel Fel have been requested to attend a meeting on the Rebel Dream."
Jaina clenched her teeth at the obvious exclusion of Kyp from the planning session. She didn't say anything, though, because she knew that Wedge, Tycho, and Gavin, the Holy Triumvirate, had a deep-seated hatred of Kyp. And not without cause, she thought. First Qwi Xux and Carida, then Sernpidal. But he's different now. she sighed. I guess some people don't change their minds.
She took Kyp aside as Tycho waited for her and Jag. "You know what to do," she said quietly. "You're in charge of the squad until I get back. You're stuck with patrol duty. I know it's simple, but the Vong fleet could arrive at any moment. Keep your eyes open. I'll debrief you once we get back."
Kyp nodded. "I understand, Great One," he said, for once not sarcastic.
"And Kyp, don't you dare die on me now." She enfolded Kyp in a quick, hard hug. "Be careful up there."
Jaina turned to Jag. "Colonel, we've got to go," she said. Turning, she and Jag followed Tycho back to the docking bay.
"Your parents and the Skywalkers are already there," Tycho informed Jaina. "They flew up yesterday with Wedge, once we got the holos and figured out what was going on." He gestured towards a shuttle. "Care to join me?"
Jaina started to walk towards the shuttle, then stopped. The back of her neck prickled. "I think we'll just take our ships," she said. Closing her eyes, she tried to grasp the elusive feeling that something was about to go very, very wrong.
"Jaina?" Jag said softly. "Is everything okay?"
Shaking off the feeling, Jaina opened her eyes and smiled at Jag. "Of course," she said. "I'm just more comfortable in an X-Wing, that's all."
Jag smiled and shook his head. "Don't I know it," he murmured. Turning, he strode over to his clawcraft and climbed in, donning his helmet on the way.
Jaina entered her own starship and began running the pre-flight checks. Closing her eyes once more, she tried to trace her bad feeling. What is it? she wondered. She felt a slight disturbance in the Force. What could possibly be wrong? Wedge has spies everywhere, he knows what's going on. She sighed. Then why do I feel like this?
************************
Once they reached the Star Destroyer, they were met by Wedge. "Colonel, Lieutenant, this way." He led them to a large conference room. Gavin, Luke, Mara, Han, Leia, and Face, among others, were also present.
Jaina and Jag sat down next to each other and turned towards the holoproj at the front of the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Jaina saw her father glaring vibroblades at Jag. She smiled as Leia leaned over and whispered in his ear, visibly relaxing him. She shook her head. The man may be the head of the family, but the woman's the neck. and the neck is the one that turns the head.
Just then, Wedge stepped up and cleared his throat. "People," he began, "as many of you know, we've received word that a Vong fleet is massing at Obroa- Skai and will shortly be heading in our direction." He turned on the holoproj. "This is a feed from one of the holocams on the hull of this ship. Now, here's what's going to happen." He pointed to an area on the holo. "This is where the fleet is most likely to come out of hyperspace, or whatever the Vong equivalent is," he said. "It's the most direct route from Obroa-Skai. This means that any ships caught there will be toast. Instead, our capital ships will form up here and the fighters will go in and engage the skips. We're still waiting on the Blackmoons, Vanguards, Spikes, and a couple other squads from the surface, but-"
Han cut him off. "Not any more," he said, pointing to some blips on the projection. "Aren't those them?"
"No," Wedge replied. "That's the wrong vector for ships coming from the planet. That's-" He squinted at the holo. His face turned pale. "Kriff, it's the Vong!"
"How did that happen?" Han barked. "They were supposed to be here!" He jabbed a finger at the place Wedge had indicated.
"Supposed to be," Wedge said. "But they're not. If the readouts are any good, it looks like they've entered the system coming from Bimisaari. Sith!" He pounded his fist on the table as bright flashes signaled the beginning of the battle. "How was I stupid enough to fall for that old trick? We used it ourselves in the Rebellion!"
The blood drained from Jaina's face. "Only the Twins are out there now," she whispered. Her senses flared. "Oh, Force, please, no."
She and Jag rose and raced from the room, followed closely by Face and the rest of the pilots. They sprinted to the hangar bay and quickly powered up their ships as alarms began wailing all over the ship. "Come on, come on," Jaina muttered, as the pre-flight check seemed to take forever. The comm in her helmet crackled. "Jaina, I'm sure they'll be all right," came Jag's voice.
Jaina shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Some of them are already dead."
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Ooh... cliffie! I seem to be developing an evil streak lately... Tell me what you thought!
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Chapter Nineteen
Jaina checked her displays as she came out of hyperspace, the rest of the Twin Suns forming up behind her. They had just taken a short hyperspace hop to the moon, the first of the squadrons to arrive. "Tighten it up, Three," she commed.
"Yes, sir, Goddess, sir," Kyp replied, laughter in his voice.
Jaina shook her head. "Funny, Kyp," she said dryly.
The eleven X-Wings and one clawcraft entered the moon's atmosphere and landed at the moon base. Hopping out of her ship, Jaina tucked her helmet under her arm and strode forward to greet Tycho, followed by the rest of her squadron. "Have you picked up anything new?" she asked as the older pilot led them into the base.
"Yes," he replied. "About two standard hours ago, we received word that a small fleet is massing near Obroa-Skai. Considering that it's only a parsec or two from there to Basulen, we're reasonably sure that we'll be seeing some Vong soon."
Jaina nodded. "The rest of the squads are on their way, and the people on the ground are covering our tracks," she informed Tycho. "We want the Vong to think that this is the only base in-system."
Tycho nodded. "I knew Wedge had a contingency plan if the Vong showed up before we wanted them to," he said. They turned down a corridor. "Here are your pilots' quarters. Have them settle in as quickly as they can, then take up patrol duty once the other squads arrive. You and Colonel Fel have been requested to attend a meeting on the Rebel Dream."
Jaina clenched her teeth at the obvious exclusion of Kyp from the planning session. She didn't say anything, though, because she knew that Wedge, Tycho, and Gavin, the Holy Triumvirate, had a deep-seated hatred of Kyp. And not without cause, she thought. First Qwi Xux and Carida, then Sernpidal. But he's different now. she sighed. I guess some people don't change their minds.
She took Kyp aside as Tycho waited for her and Jag. "You know what to do," she said quietly. "You're in charge of the squad until I get back. You're stuck with patrol duty. I know it's simple, but the Vong fleet could arrive at any moment. Keep your eyes open. I'll debrief you once we get back."
Kyp nodded. "I understand, Great One," he said, for once not sarcastic.
"And Kyp, don't you dare die on me now." She enfolded Kyp in a quick, hard hug. "Be careful up there."
Jaina turned to Jag. "Colonel, we've got to go," she said. Turning, she and Jag followed Tycho back to the docking bay.
"Your parents and the Skywalkers are already there," Tycho informed Jaina. "They flew up yesterday with Wedge, once we got the holos and figured out what was going on." He gestured towards a shuttle. "Care to join me?"
Jaina started to walk towards the shuttle, then stopped. The back of her neck prickled. "I think we'll just take our ships," she said. Closing her eyes, she tried to grasp the elusive feeling that something was about to go very, very wrong.
"Jaina?" Jag said softly. "Is everything okay?"
Shaking off the feeling, Jaina opened her eyes and smiled at Jag. "Of course," she said. "I'm just more comfortable in an X-Wing, that's all."
Jag smiled and shook his head. "Don't I know it," he murmured. Turning, he strode over to his clawcraft and climbed in, donning his helmet on the way.
Jaina entered her own starship and began running the pre-flight checks. Closing her eyes once more, she tried to trace her bad feeling. What is it? she wondered. She felt a slight disturbance in the Force. What could possibly be wrong? Wedge has spies everywhere, he knows what's going on. She sighed. Then why do I feel like this?
************************
Once they reached the Star Destroyer, they were met by Wedge. "Colonel, Lieutenant, this way." He led them to a large conference room. Gavin, Luke, Mara, Han, Leia, and Face, among others, were also present.
Jaina and Jag sat down next to each other and turned towards the holoproj at the front of the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Jaina saw her father glaring vibroblades at Jag. She smiled as Leia leaned over and whispered in his ear, visibly relaxing him. She shook her head. The man may be the head of the family, but the woman's the neck. and the neck is the one that turns the head.
Just then, Wedge stepped up and cleared his throat. "People," he began, "as many of you know, we've received word that a Vong fleet is massing at Obroa- Skai and will shortly be heading in our direction." He turned on the holoproj. "This is a feed from one of the holocams on the hull of this ship. Now, here's what's going to happen." He pointed to an area on the holo. "This is where the fleet is most likely to come out of hyperspace, or whatever the Vong equivalent is," he said. "It's the most direct route from Obroa-Skai. This means that any ships caught there will be toast. Instead, our capital ships will form up here and the fighters will go in and engage the skips. We're still waiting on the Blackmoons, Vanguards, Spikes, and a couple other squads from the surface, but-"
Han cut him off. "Not any more," he said, pointing to some blips on the projection. "Aren't those them?"
"No," Wedge replied. "That's the wrong vector for ships coming from the planet. That's-" He squinted at the holo. His face turned pale. "Kriff, it's the Vong!"
"How did that happen?" Han barked. "They were supposed to be here!" He jabbed a finger at the place Wedge had indicated.
"Supposed to be," Wedge said. "But they're not. If the readouts are any good, it looks like they've entered the system coming from Bimisaari. Sith!" He pounded his fist on the table as bright flashes signaled the beginning of the battle. "How was I stupid enough to fall for that old trick? We used it ourselves in the Rebellion!"
The blood drained from Jaina's face. "Only the Twins are out there now," she whispered. Her senses flared. "Oh, Force, please, no."
She and Jag rose and raced from the room, followed closely by Face and the rest of the pilots. They sprinted to the hangar bay and quickly powered up their ships as alarms began wailing all over the ship. "Come on, come on," Jaina muttered, as the pre-flight check seemed to take forever. The comm in her helmet crackled. "Jaina, I'm sure they'll be all right," came Jag's voice.
Jaina shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Some of them are already dead."
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Ooh... cliffie! I seem to be developing an evil streak lately... Tell me what you thought!