Thanks Juu Juu Bee for pointing out the Mrlsst issue! I agree with you, and
Thrawn won't do that kind of thing again!
-Sci-Fi Nerd
Chapter 12
"Corran!" Wedge smiled as the smaller man strode in through the iris- shaped docking portal linking the In'ca Din'ca flagship and the Wild Karrde. His flight suit was rumpled and arrayed with sweat crescents at armpits and knees, but his eyes were bright and his step strong. "You've missed some interesting developments, my friend."
Corran shook his head wryly, and a hint of his exhaustion showed through his façade. "I don't know, Wedge," he said slowly, "I've had plenty of excitement and intrigue for the next few years."
"More truth to that than I suspect I want to know," Wedge said ruefully, throwing a comradely arm around Corran's shoulders. "So, what are our allies like when they're at home?"
Corran considered for several seconds. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "They're very hard to read- Luke agrees with me on that point- and I'm not sure whether they're motivated by peace or some other sinister purpose. The main thing is that they're putting action to words."
"Yeah, Karrde and I were both pretty impressed by the announcement," Wedge said, steering Corran down a side corridor that led to the Wild Karrde's conference room. At this time of day, they were fairly alone in the corridors of the smuggling craft turned warship, and privacy was readily available in the halls. "How'd you manage 350 battleships?"
Corran barked a short laugh. "If we'd pressed for another few days, we probably could've managed 400," he said.
"Four-?" Wedge gasped.
"Their fleet rivals that of Thrawn at his height of battles with the New Republic," Corran said. "Their society is rigidly militaristic and ordered by this point. They've survived this long by being good soldiers and organizers, and nothing's about to make them stop."
"Good allies," Wedge noted.
"Or bad enemies," Corran said darkly.
Wedge gave him a sideways glance. "You have a problem with them or something?" he asked.
Corran winced slightly, and his manner faltered. "Well, it's not that I specifically have a problem with them per se..." he began. "It's just that, well, ever since we started the flight back, Luke and I have both been having bad feelings about the future."
"Feelings?" Wedge asked. "Like... feelings, urges, or something more concrete?" Jedi were noted for a chancy ability to see the outcomes of events in motion and maybe even to change them.
"Me, I just get premonitions of danger," Corran admitted. "Luke gets flashes of dreams, but they're vague. According to him, he sees Coruscant nearly rebuilt, but then it starts to burn. Then he gets a shadow descending over a candle until he only sees the flame."
Wedge felt a chill run up his spine. "That's way outside anyone's realm of experience we've got here."
Corran gave him a funny look. "Not exactly," he said.
"What do you mean?" Wedge looked closer at this new, thoughtful Corran. Circumstances were changing his friend, slowly but surely. At this rate, he'd be a Jedi within a year.
"Well, turns out the In'ca Din'ca have their own Jedi council of a sort," Corran hesitated before saying it. Although, if he couldn't trust Wedge, who could he trust?
Wedge sucked in a deep breath. "And they've been getting the same visions?" he asked.
"Well, Luke's gone to talk to them about it," Corran said even more slowly. "They brought six of their highest level Jedi with the armada, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to have more Jedi on the fleet."
"That's a big help," Wedge said. "After all, any premonition we can get can surely help us in some way, right?"
"I hope you're right," Corran said, "but to hear Luke tell it, the last time he tried to change the future he'd seen, he nearly doomed the Rebellion."
"They have seen some of the future," the first one said.
"It will not influence them sufficiently to disrupt events," the second intoned dismissively.
A third and last one added its weight to the discussion. "How goes the advance preparations?"
"Three of ten have been swayed and more are expected within the next week," Number One stated, sounding satisfied. "At home, the already loyal ones are ready."
"How many yet remain outside control?" Two interrupted.
"Unfortunately, eight of the principal commanders are yet independent, as is half the council," One replied. "For the rest of the council, progress is slow but steady, but the remaining commanders are likely too resistant."
"Once events are sufficiently in motion, they will be killed," Three burst out with great enthusiasm.
"Of course, One said sharply. "But if anything is to go awry, especially with the sensitive ones here, the plan may become endangered."
"Unfortunately, further modifications are impossible without increasing the likelihood of failure even more," Two said regretfully.
"Failure will not be tolerated!" Blurted Two, excited once again.
"Patience," counseled One. "You are not as wise as you wish to appear, nor as powerful as you seem to think. You will defer to my judgment in this matter, or else I will find TWO new accomplices with greater intelligence."
"Of course," Two said hurriedly. "I would never think of disobedience."
"Ha!" Burst out One. "You are also not as subtle or as loyal as you seem, yet you have intelligence of a sort."
"I also am loyal," Three said, somewhat sullenly.
"I trust in both your skills," One said. "What of the resistance?"
"They are growing in numbers and organizational skill," Two said. "If we allow much time after the initial steps are completed, they may become a challenging opponent."
"Their diversity does breed unique skills," Three added.
"We shall have to see to it that they fall swiftly, then," One said heavily. "It may interfere with the larger-scale pacification, but I cannot afford to have a dagger hidden in the shadows waiting to seek my heart."
"Should we consider a more radical change, then?" Three proposed slowly. "Would Thrawn be a suitable tool?"
"Too dangerous, Two said."His genius could undo even us if given the chance."
"I agree," said One. "We stick with the original plan. Remember this: we are poised on the edge of a knife, and it can cut as easily as balance. However, if we maneuver carefully, we can accomplish what even the Emperor or Joruus C'baoth never could."
-Sci-Fi Nerd
Chapter 12
"Corran!" Wedge smiled as the smaller man strode in through the iris- shaped docking portal linking the In'ca Din'ca flagship and the Wild Karrde. His flight suit was rumpled and arrayed with sweat crescents at armpits and knees, but his eyes were bright and his step strong. "You've missed some interesting developments, my friend."
Corran shook his head wryly, and a hint of his exhaustion showed through his façade. "I don't know, Wedge," he said slowly, "I've had plenty of excitement and intrigue for the next few years."
"More truth to that than I suspect I want to know," Wedge said ruefully, throwing a comradely arm around Corran's shoulders. "So, what are our allies like when they're at home?"
Corran considered for several seconds. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "They're very hard to read- Luke agrees with me on that point- and I'm not sure whether they're motivated by peace or some other sinister purpose. The main thing is that they're putting action to words."
"Yeah, Karrde and I were both pretty impressed by the announcement," Wedge said, steering Corran down a side corridor that led to the Wild Karrde's conference room. At this time of day, they were fairly alone in the corridors of the smuggling craft turned warship, and privacy was readily available in the halls. "How'd you manage 350 battleships?"
Corran barked a short laugh. "If we'd pressed for another few days, we probably could've managed 400," he said.
"Four-?" Wedge gasped.
"Their fleet rivals that of Thrawn at his height of battles with the New Republic," Corran said. "Their society is rigidly militaristic and ordered by this point. They've survived this long by being good soldiers and organizers, and nothing's about to make them stop."
"Good allies," Wedge noted.
"Or bad enemies," Corran said darkly.
Wedge gave him a sideways glance. "You have a problem with them or something?" he asked.
Corran winced slightly, and his manner faltered. "Well, it's not that I specifically have a problem with them per se..." he began. "It's just that, well, ever since we started the flight back, Luke and I have both been having bad feelings about the future."
"Feelings?" Wedge asked. "Like... feelings, urges, or something more concrete?" Jedi were noted for a chancy ability to see the outcomes of events in motion and maybe even to change them.
"Me, I just get premonitions of danger," Corran admitted. "Luke gets flashes of dreams, but they're vague. According to him, he sees Coruscant nearly rebuilt, but then it starts to burn. Then he gets a shadow descending over a candle until he only sees the flame."
Wedge felt a chill run up his spine. "That's way outside anyone's realm of experience we've got here."
Corran gave him a funny look. "Not exactly," he said.
"What do you mean?" Wedge looked closer at this new, thoughtful Corran. Circumstances were changing his friend, slowly but surely. At this rate, he'd be a Jedi within a year.
"Well, turns out the In'ca Din'ca have their own Jedi council of a sort," Corran hesitated before saying it. Although, if he couldn't trust Wedge, who could he trust?
Wedge sucked in a deep breath. "And they've been getting the same visions?" he asked.
"Well, Luke's gone to talk to them about it," Corran said even more slowly. "They brought six of their highest level Jedi with the armada, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to have more Jedi on the fleet."
"That's a big help," Wedge said. "After all, any premonition we can get can surely help us in some way, right?"
"I hope you're right," Corran said, "but to hear Luke tell it, the last time he tried to change the future he'd seen, he nearly doomed the Rebellion."
"They have seen some of the future," the first one said.
"It will not influence them sufficiently to disrupt events," the second intoned dismissively.
A third and last one added its weight to the discussion. "How goes the advance preparations?"
"Three of ten have been swayed and more are expected within the next week," Number One stated, sounding satisfied. "At home, the already loyal ones are ready."
"How many yet remain outside control?" Two interrupted.
"Unfortunately, eight of the principal commanders are yet independent, as is half the council," One replied. "For the rest of the council, progress is slow but steady, but the remaining commanders are likely too resistant."
"Once events are sufficiently in motion, they will be killed," Three burst out with great enthusiasm.
"Of course, One said sharply. "But if anything is to go awry, especially with the sensitive ones here, the plan may become endangered."
"Unfortunately, further modifications are impossible without increasing the likelihood of failure even more," Two said regretfully.
"Failure will not be tolerated!" Blurted Two, excited once again.
"Patience," counseled One. "You are not as wise as you wish to appear, nor as powerful as you seem to think. You will defer to my judgment in this matter, or else I will find TWO new accomplices with greater intelligence."
"Of course," Two said hurriedly. "I would never think of disobedience."
"Ha!" Burst out One. "You are also not as subtle or as loyal as you seem, yet you have intelligence of a sort."
"I also am loyal," Three said, somewhat sullenly.
"I trust in both your skills," One said. "What of the resistance?"
"They are growing in numbers and organizational skill," Two said. "If we allow much time after the initial steps are completed, they may become a challenging opponent."
"Their diversity does breed unique skills," Three added.
"We shall have to see to it that they fall swiftly, then," One said heavily. "It may interfere with the larger-scale pacification, but I cannot afford to have a dagger hidden in the shadows waiting to seek my heart."
"Should we consider a more radical change, then?" Three proposed slowly. "Would Thrawn be a suitable tool?"
"Too dangerous, Two said."His genius could undo even us if given the chance."
"I agree," said One. "We stick with the original plan. Remember this: we are poised on the edge of a knife, and it can cut as easily as balance. However, if we maneuver carefully, we can accomplish what even the Emperor or Joruus C'baoth never could."