Chapter 10
The large shadow looming over Wedge Antilles startled him enough that he had his heavy blaster pistol trained on the intruder before realizing it was only Kenji Ba'dasahk, a curious tilt to his large head. He sighed and returned the weapon to his holster.
"You seem tense, Commander," Kenji stated irrelevantly, cocking his head the other direction. "Is there something the matter?"
Not at all, Wedge thought sarcastically, only that we have no real conceivable plan to win a galaxy-spanning war and we're not even sure how far we can trust our closest allies. Other than that, everything's fine. Out loud, he said, "Well, not really anything more than can be expected."
"Ah yes," Kenji said. "Captain Karrde told me of your plan to coordinate an uprising against these Imperials. Have you any ideas as to how you are to accomplish this?"
"Not at the moment," Wedge said, turning back to the data terminal he'd been occupied with before Kenji had walked in. "I don't know how we're to get the signal out across the galaxy at one time. That requires a hypercomm, which is far too risky to try and crack security codes for; the Empire doesn't have enough of them left usable to make light use of them."
"I see," said Kenji. "Any word of your companions from Din'cash?"
Wedge blinked at the abrupt shift of focus. "Not yet," he said slowly. "I hope nothing's happened; politics is a risky business."
The subtle shift of the alien's stance suggested that he'd taken note of the veiled insult to his people, but fortunately, he seemed disinclined to argue over Wedge's short temper.
"My people are not easy bargainers," he said. "Your friends will not get an alliance out of them with platitudes about peace and prosperity for the Republic. Our people have fought to get to where we are, and we're not about to give it all up in a war that seems could be quite extended and disastrous."
"Hey!" Wedge shot back, unable to stop the proud outburst. "We've been fighting since day one! We've put more blood and sweat into this stupid war than anyone else! Maybe it's time someone else took the casualties and the heat!"
The two glared at each other for several seconds, and Kenji's massive fist strayed so close to his weapon that Wedge was afraid the big In'ca Din'ca might shoot him in fury. However, the alien turned away first.
"I am sorry," he said softly. "I did not mean to impinge your forces or their honor. We are. unused to dealing with equals on this sort of terms."
"How so?" Wedge asked, glad to turn the conversation to a lighter topic.
"All of the species who live under our banner were at one time conquered species, practically slaves under our fist," Kenji said. "We have since liberated and equipped them to fend for themselves; however, most still live within the confines of our space."
"I see," said Wedge, a sour feeling spreading through the pit of his stomach. So, they had enslaved races in the past, had they? Would they defeat Admiral Thrawn, only to give birth to another monster?
The door's chime rang sweetly through the databank chamber, and Wedge called out, "Come!" somewhat distractedly. His tired brain was still sawing at the problem of the Noghri in the back of his consciousness.
The situation was not so much as to if they could get a rebellion to occur, but how. As Wedge had explained to Kenji, hypercomms were extremely rare and hard to steal or hijack, and no other method would coordinate the uprising as well. Couriers with preset data would be all very well, but for that, they would need to get into protected Imperial areas, and if Thrawn got a whiff of anything, the whole setup would come crashing down around their heads.
"Ah, Kenji," Karrde said, surprised, as he stepped into the room. "What are you doing here?"
"I was merely seeing if I could assist him with his problem," the In'ca Din'ca replied smoothly.
"Ah," Karrde said again, taken somewhat aback. "Have you-?" he glanced at Wedge as he struggled to form words.
"Arrived at a solution? Not yet," Kenji said sadly. "I fear this is a very difficult road you have chosen."
"Well, it's certainly the only one I can see that will accomplish our goals as nicely," Karrde said, still wearing a puzzled expression. Wedge frowned at his unusual behavior. "What have you discussed?"
"Nothing much, as yet," Wedge said, shaking it off and turning back to his board. "I thought that maybe one of the midlevel Imperial outposts along the border, with enough importance to warrant a hypercomm station, but enough obscurity to be unguarded, might be a possibility."
Karrde shook his head. "It would be too remote," he decided. "By the time the signal reached all the undercover operatives, the warning would have gone out to the major operating centers. We might gain ships and systems that way, but the remaining ships of the fleet would still be enough to overcome the combined forces."
"Then do we just let the uprising die before it starts?" Wedge asked incredulously. "I'm trying as hard as I can, but Admiral Thrawn's got us locked well and good."
"Not necessarily," Kenji interrupted suddenly. "You have Bothawui."
"Bothawui?" Wedge scoffed, with even greater sarcasm. "Bothawui is jammed from nearly all transmissions; no hypercomm signal without an asteroid-sized relay would get out of that system."
"You mistake my meaning," Kenji said, superiority oozing into his tone. "Bothawui is the focus of attention. If Thrawn concentrates on that area too much, you would have a window of time in which to act."
"Act how?" Wedge said.
"The Chimera," Kenji said.
Wedge gaped. "Now I'm really lost," he said.
"Thrawn is bound to have a hypercomm on board his flagship so as to communicate with his burgeoning Empire, no?" Kenji said. "What if you stage an assault on Coruscant and invade his flagship at the same time? You strike a blow at the heart of the Empire and maybe succeed in an uprising that will turn the tide."
Karrde whistled softly. "It's a bold plan, I give it that," he said. "But how?"
"You have a fleet at Bothawui, correct?" Kenji led.
"No, not exactly," Wedge said. "The New Republic has that fleet. We're simply the outlaw resistance."
Kenji looked puzzled. "They would not offer assistance if the opportunity came?"
"I'm sure they would," Karrde said quickly. "However, doing that means communicating with them somehow, while they're in a blockaded system."
"You fear to run the Imperial blockade, then?" Kenji asked.
"Yes," Wedge said. "Like I said, if Thrawn realizes anything suspicious is happening he'll start digging. And when that man digs, others hide in bottomless pits."
"War is risk, gentlemen," Kenji said. "You yourselves have spoken passionately about the need to thrust Thrawn from power, and wish to use these Noghri to do it. Well, I have shown you a way to do this. It is you who must decide whether the risk is acceptable."
He stood to leave, and then looked down at the two humans again. "I will assure you that should you choose this course, I will use all of my power and skill to enable the In'ca Din'ca to lend you assistance."
And with that, he strode haughtily from the room.
Wedge stared, openmouthed, at the door for several seconds. He couldn't quite seem to connect his jaw muscles together again. That was the most impassioned thing he'd ever heard the bulky alien say; which, in turn, suggested he really was serious about bringing this Thrawn regime to an end.
"Well," Karrde remarked after a long silence. "That was most informative."
"He's right, you know," Wedge said after another pause. "Though I don't really like to admit it."
"Yes," Karrde said thoughtfully. "How do you think we should schedule this operation?"
"That's a little premature," Wedge said. "First, we have to do two things: obtain the New Republic's cooperation and secrecy, and make sure that Luke, Bel Iblis, and Corran are alert and able to keep the In'ca Din'ca on the level. I don't want to have my back unguarded marching into Coruscant."
"Indeed," Karrde said. "Why did you tell him about the Noghri?"
Wedge did a double-take. "What?"
"There was no real need yet to inform him of the plan's for the Noghri," Karrde rebuked him. "We need every Ace we can get up our sleeves."
"But I didn't-" Wedge began, and then broke off suddenly, staring hard at the door.
"Tell him?" Karrde finished for him, somewhat startled by the sudden turn of events. "You mean that. well, that's not good."
"He's got a link into our computers or communications, or maybe both," Wedge said in a deep snarl that evoked images of primeval predators on the hunt. "The bastard."
Karrde directed a hard stare against the door that Kenji had left through. "I think it best that we keep a very close eye on our friends the In'ca Din'ca from now on..." he said.
"Absolutely," Wedge agreed. "However, his plan is still sound, but I want to work out every detail before I have to implement it. I walked into Coruscant and shut it down before, and I have no desire to encounter the mess I did that time ever again."
"Admiral?" the navigator sitting in the starboard crew pit alerted Grand Admiral Thrawn, sitting calmly in the center of his captain's chair, reading the latest Intelligence briefings on the rebels. They were, admittedly, far too sparse for the Grand Admiral's liking, and Pellaeon found it almost equally frustrating. Military victories were built on knowledge, and there was precious little of that lately.
Casually, Thrawn handed off the datapad to Pellaeon, and turned towards the crew pit with his calm red eyes glimmering in his lean face. "Yes, Lieutenant?" he said in that honeyed voice.
"We're coming up on the reversion point in ten minutes, sir," the young man said smartly, a quivering salute marking his dedication to doing his utmost aboard the Chimera. Not many were accepted into its elite ranks, and the fighting was hard even amongst the crew.
"Very good, Lieutenant. Carry on, and alert all TIE pilots to stand ready," Thrawn said, and turned back to Pellaeon, almost as if sensing his Captain's hesitation. "You have a comment, Captain?"
"Just the regular one, sir," Pellaeon admitted, feeling somewhat like a child called out for not completing his chores.
"Ah yes," Thrawn said. "You still doubt the timing of this attack?"
"To be blunt, sir." Pellaeon said, "Yes, I do. Give it another three months and we'll have six new Star Destroyers from the Muuniliist system. That frees up enough forces to oppose any significant rebel gathering without weakening the defenses of any other systems."
"A sound decision, from a purely tactical point of view," Thrawn said. "But this is the more logical course of action, especially taking recent events into account."
"You mean the mysterious aliens, sir?"
Thrawn's eyes glittered hotly. "Precisely, Captain. Intelligence is still attempting to fully decipher the captured ship's computers, and we must move before they have time to bring full weight to bear in the fight. To be sure, if the rebels recognize our movements, we could lose more ships than are being risked here; however, when Bothawui falls, the rebels are a pittance that can be rooted out at will."
"Your pardon, Admiral, but a fully equipped armada of several strange battleships is hardly a pittance," Pellaeon said, rather stiffly.
"In war, there is always risk," Thrawn said. "Of course, any losses we take during this campaign will be counterweighted by our strategies. Remember, Ackbar is in command, and I know Ackbar. We will have no difficulties in defeating him."
"My objection stands, sir," Pellaeon repeated.
"At any other time, Captain, I would concur," Thrawn said. "But the final days of the war are heating up in interesting patterns, patterns I cannot decipher as yet. We must forge ahead.
"To your station, Captain. Bothawui's fall is mere hours away."
The large shadow looming over Wedge Antilles startled him enough that he had his heavy blaster pistol trained on the intruder before realizing it was only Kenji Ba'dasahk, a curious tilt to his large head. He sighed and returned the weapon to his holster.
"You seem tense, Commander," Kenji stated irrelevantly, cocking his head the other direction. "Is there something the matter?"
Not at all, Wedge thought sarcastically, only that we have no real conceivable plan to win a galaxy-spanning war and we're not even sure how far we can trust our closest allies. Other than that, everything's fine. Out loud, he said, "Well, not really anything more than can be expected."
"Ah yes," Kenji said. "Captain Karrde told me of your plan to coordinate an uprising against these Imperials. Have you any ideas as to how you are to accomplish this?"
"Not at the moment," Wedge said, turning back to the data terminal he'd been occupied with before Kenji had walked in. "I don't know how we're to get the signal out across the galaxy at one time. That requires a hypercomm, which is far too risky to try and crack security codes for; the Empire doesn't have enough of them left usable to make light use of them."
"I see," said Kenji. "Any word of your companions from Din'cash?"
Wedge blinked at the abrupt shift of focus. "Not yet," he said slowly. "I hope nothing's happened; politics is a risky business."
The subtle shift of the alien's stance suggested that he'd taken note of the veiled insult to his people, but fortunately, he seemed disinclined to argue over Wedge's short temper.
"My people are not easy bargainers," he said. "Your friends will not get an alliance out of them with platitudes about peace and prosperity for the Republic. Our people have fought to get to where we are, and we're not about to give it all up in a war that seems could be quite extended and disastrous."
"Hey!" Wedge shot back, unable to stop the proud outburst. "We've been fighting since day one! We've put more blood and sweat into this stupid war than anyone else! Maybe it's time someone else took the casualties and the heat!"
The two glared at each other for several seconds, and Kenji's massive fist strayed so close to his weapon that Wedge was afraid the big In'ca Din'ca might shoot him in fury. However, the alien turned away first.
"I am sorry," he said softly. "I did not mean to impinge your forces or their honor. We are. unused to dealing with equals on this sort of terms."
"How so?" Wedge asked, glad to turn the conversation to a lighter topic.
"All of the species who live under our banner were at one time conquered species, practically slaves under our fist," Kenji said. "We have since liberated and equipped them to fend for themselves; however, most still live within the confines of our space."
"I see," said Wedge, a sour feeling spreading through the pit of his stomach. So, they had enslaved races in the past, had they? Would they defeat Admiral Thrawn, only to give birth to another monster?
The door's chime rang sweetly through the databank chamber, and Wedge called out, "Come!" somewhat distractedly. His tired brain was still sawing at the problem of the Noghri in the back of his consciousness.
The situation was not so much as to if they could get a rebellion to occur, but how. As Wedge had explained to Kenji, hypercomms were extremely rare and hard to steal or hijack, and no other method would coordinate the uprising as well. Couriers with preset data would be all very well, but for that, they would need to get into protected Imperial areas, and if Thrawn got a whiff of anything, the whole setup would come crashing down around their heads.
"Ah, Kenji," Karrde said, surprised, as he stepped into the room. "What are you doing here?"
"I was merely seeing if I could assist him with his problem," the In'ca Din'ca replied smoothly.
"Ah," Karrde said again, taken somewhat aback. "Have you-?" he glanced at Wedge as he struggled to form words.
"Arrived at a solution? Not yet," Kenji said sadly. "I fear this is a very difficult road you have chosen."
"Well, it's certainly the only one I can see that will accomplish our goals as nicely," Karrde said, still wearing a puzzled expression. Wedge frowned at his unusual behavior. "What have you discussed?"
"Nothing much, as yet," Wedge said, shaking it off and turning back to his board. "I thought that maybe one of the midlevel Imperial outposts along the border, with enough importance to warrant a hypercomm station, but enough obscurity to be unguarded, might be a possibility."
Karrde shook his head. "It would be too remote," he decided. "By the time the signal reached all the undercover operatives, the warning would have gone out to the major operating centers. We might gain ships and systems that way, but the remaining ships of the fleet would still be enough to overcome the combined forces."
"Then do we just let the uprising die before it starts?" Wedge asked incredulously. "I'm trying as hard as I can, but Admiral Thrawn's got us locked well and good."
"Not necessarily," Kenji interrupted suddenly. "You have Bothawui."
"Bothawui?" Wedge scoffed, with even greater sarcasm. "Bothawui is jammed from nearly all transmissions; no hypercomm signal without an asteroid-sized relay would get out of that system."
"You mistake my meaning," Kenji said, superiority oozing into his tone. "Bothawui is the focus of attention. If Thrawn concentrates on that area too much, you would have a window of time in which to act."
"Act how?" Wedge said.
"The Chimera," Kenji said.
Wedge gaped. "Now I'm really lost," he said.
"Thrawn is bound to have a hypercomm on board his flagship so as to communicate with his burgeoning Empire, no?" Kenji said. "What if you stage an assault on Coruscant and invade his flagship at the same time? You strike a blow at the heart of the Empire and maybe succeed in an uprising that will turn the tide."
Karrde whistled softly. "It's a bold plan, I give it that," he said. "But how?"
"You have a fleet at Bothawui, correct?" Kenji led.
"No, not exactly," Wedge said. "The New Republic has that fleet. We're simply the outlaw resistance."
Kenji looked puzzled. "They would not offer assistance if the opportunity came?"
"I'm sure they would," Karrde said quickly. "However, doing that means communicating with them somehow, while they're in a blockaded system."
"You fear to run the Imperial blockade, then?" Kenji asked.
"Yes," Wedge said. "Like I said, if Thrawn realizes anything suspicious is happening he'll start digging. And when that man digs, others hide in bottomless pits."
"War is risk, gentlemen," Kenji said. "You yourselves have spoken passionately about the need to thrust Thrawn from power, and wish to use these Noghri to do it. Well, I have shown you a way to do this. It is you who must decide whether the risk is acceptable."
He stood to leave, and then looked down at the two humans again. "I will assure you that should you choose this course, I will use all of my power and skill to enable the In'ca Din'ca to lend you assistance."
And with that, he strode haughtily from the room.
Wedge stared, openmouthed, at the door for several seconds. He couldn't quite seem to connect his jaw muscles together again. That was the most impassioned thing he'd ever heard the bulky alien say; which, in turn, suggested he really was serious about bringing this Thrawn regime to an end.
"Well," Karrde remarked after a long silence. "That was most informative."
"He's right, you know," Wedge said after another pause. "Though I don't really like to admit it."
"Yes," Karrde said thoughtfully. "How do you think we should schedule this operation?"
"That's a little premature," Wedge said. "First, we have to do two things: obtain the New Republic's cooperation and secrecy, and make sure that Luke, Bel Iblis, and Corran are alert and able to keep the In'ca Din'ca on the level. I don't want to have my back unguarded marching into Coruscant."
"Indeed," Karrde said. "Why did you tell him about the Noghri?"
Wedge did a double-take. "What?"
"There was no real need yet to inform him of the plan's for the Noghri," Karrde rebuked him. "We need every Ace we can get up our sleeves."
"But I didn't-" Wedge began, and then broke off suddenly, staring hard at the door.
"Tell him?" Karrde finished for him, somewhat startled by the sudden turn of events. "You mean that. well, that's not good."
"He's got a link into our computers or communications, or maybe both," Wedge said in a deep snarl that evoked images of primeval predators on the hunt. "The bastard."
Karrde directed a hard stare against the door that Kenji had left through. "I think it best that we keep a very close eye on our friends the In'ca Din'ca from now on..." he said.
"Absolutely," Wedge agreed. "However, his plan is still sound, but I want to work out every detail before I have to implement it. I walked into Coruscant and shut it down before, and I have no desire to encounter the mess I did that time ever again."
"Admiral?" the navigator sitting in the starboard crew pit alerted Grand Admiral Thrawn, sitting calmly in the center of his captain's chair, reading the latest Intelligence briefings on the rebels. They were, admittedly, far too sparse for the Grand Admiral's liking, and Pellaeon found it almost equally frustrating. Military victories were built on knowledge, and there was precious little of that lately.
Casually, Thrawn handed off the datapad to Pellaeon, and turned towards the crew pit with his calm red eyes glimmering in his lean face. "Yes, Lieutenant?" he said in that honeyed voice.
"We're coming up on the reversion point in ten minutes, sir," the young man said smartly, a quivering salute marking his dedication to doing his utmost aboard the Chimera. Not many were accepted into its elite ranks, and the fighting was hard even amongst the crew.
"Very good, Lieutenant. Carry on, and alert all TIE pilots to stand ready," Thrawn said, and turned back to Pellaeon, almost as if sensing his Captain's hesitation. "You have a comment, Captain?"
"Just the regular one, sir," Pellaeon admitted, feeling somewhat like a child called out for not completing his chores.
"Ah yes," Thrawn said. "You still doubt the timing of this attack?"
"To be blunt, sir." Pellaeon said, "Yes, I do. Give it another three months and we'll have six new Star Destroyers from the Muuniliist system. That frees up enough forces to oppose any significant rebel gathering without weakening the defenses of any other systems."
"A sound decision, from a purely tactical point of view," Thrawn said. "But this is the more logical course of action, especially taking recent events into account."
"You mean the mysterious aliens, sir?"
Thrawn's eyes glittered hotly. "Precisely, Captain. Intelligence is still attempting to fully decipher the captured ship's computers, and we must move before they have time to bring full weight to bear in the fight. To be sure, if the rebels recognize our movements, we could lose more ships than are being risked here; however, when Bothawui falls, the rebels are a pittance that can be rooted out at will."
"Your pardon, Admiral, but a fully equipped armada of several strange battleships is hardly a pittance," Pellaeon said, rather stiffly.
"In war, there is always risk," Thrawn said. "Of course, any losses we take during this campaign will be counterweighted by our strategies. Remember, Ackbar is in command, and I know Ackbar. We will have no difficulties in defeating him."
"My objection stands, sir," Pellaeon repeated.
"At any other time, Captain, I would concur," Thrawn said. "But the final days of the war are heating up in interesting patterns, patterns I cannot decipher as yet. We must forge ahead.
"To your station, Captain. Bothawui's fall is mere hours away."