Part 20 (1/2)
”Tracking! Range! ” Herone called out.
”Eleven klicks and closing fast. ”
”Get a tractor beam on that s.h.i.+p, and I mean now. ”
”Ready, now, Threepio, ” said Lando, his face tight with anxiety.
”Don't wait for me. Use every band you have. I'll pipe the standard channels out from here. ”
”Very well, Master Lando. I'm extremely glad the colonel agreed to let us test our own theory. ”
”He didn't give me a Word of argument, ” Lando said. ”Ready-here we go. ”
There was no more than a heartbeat's hesitation between the end of the vagabond's transmission and Threepio's taking up the song. Throttling the s.h.i.+p back sharply, Lando held his breath and waited, watching the seconds slip by on the bridge chronometer.
”This is exciting, ” Lobot said. ”Thank you for inviting me. ”
”Dying's exciting, too, I hear, ” Lando said, shaking his head. ”You pick the strangest times-What's the status of the interdiction field? ”
”It's up. ”
Lando peered at his instruments. ”Where's that tractor beam? They can't be this slow. What's happening? ”
Glancing sideways at a display, Lobot said, ”There's a secondary s.h.i.+eld up. The tractor beam has been deflected. ”
”What? ” Lando demanded. ”The vagabond is protecting us? ”
”Yes, ” said Lobot. ”That appears to be the case. We have been recognized. We have left the colonel's armada and joined the Qella. ”
Chapter 10.
In the wee hours of the morning of the Fifth Fleet's departure from Coruscant, a dark-blue bubble-topped Fleet speeder reached the entry gate at Admiral Ackbar's residence on Victory Lake. It slowed only briefly, then was waved through, following the drive up to the house.
There was already a vehicle parked there, a sleek-winged Poranji orbital jumper-the smallest ground-to-orbit s.p.a.cecraft licensed for use on Coruscant, and a favorite of kids with dreams of the stars. But the adult who emerged from the speeder was not beyond the appeal of such glittery attractions. Despite the hour and the weight on his shoulders, General Etahn A'baht paused to look over the Poranji jumper before turning toward the door.
Light flooded the lawn briefly as Admiral Ackbar admitted the commander of the Fifth Fleet. The light also revealed A'baht's tired eyes and unhappy expression.
”Ah, Etahn, come in, ” said Ackbar, stepping aside to clear the way. ”Thank you for coming. I know you're needed elsewhere, and I will not keep you long. ”
”I don't know why whatever business we have at this point couldn't have been conducted by holo comm, ” A'baht grumbled. ”I should have been at Eastpott two hours ago as it is. ”
”I am certain that the Fifth will not sail without you, General, ” said Ackbar, guiding A'baht through the house. ”And I think you will not begrudge the time. ”
”I wouldn't begrudge it if I had it. I could be on my way to theIntrepid right now. I should be. ”
”There is someone I want you to meet before you go, ” Ackbar said, leading the way into a round-walled Inner room.
”It's a curious hour for a social call, ” said A'baht, following.
”It would be, ” agreed Ackbar as a third man rose from a wide, soft-cus.h.i.+oned chair and approached them. ”Etahn, I want you to meet Hiram Drayson. ”
”Admiral Drayson, of Chandrila? ” asked A'baht, caught uncertainly between a salute and taking the hand offered him in greeting.
”Once upon a time, ” said Drayson, smiling.
”I know of you, sir. I did not know you were still on Coruscant. ”
”Let us dispense with 'sirs' and saluting, ” said Ackbar. ”This meeting is quite unofficial, so it might as well be informal. ”
”All right, ” said A'baht. ”What's this about? ”
”Etahn, Hiram is the director of Alpha Blue. Have you heard that name before? ”
”No. ”
”Good. You should not have, until now, ” said Ackbar. ”Hiram and Alpha Blue work within Fleet Intelligence, and beyond its reach. They have a charter which recognizes the ambiguities of war and politics, and inherit the jobs which require working outside the rules of polite society. ”
”Diplomatically put, ” said Drayson, smiling pleasantly.
”Hiram has some information for you, ” Ackbar continued. ”I would listen to him carefully. I myself have found it valuable to do so in the past-and to have his counsel, as well. ” He nodded at Drayson.
”And now I will say good night. ”
”Wait-where are you going? ” asked A'baht.
”This conversation is not meant for my ears, ” said Ackbar. ”I am going to the water column, to sleep. It is quite late, you know. ”
A'baht watched him leave the room, then turned to Drayson. ”I have the curious feeling that being favored with an introduction to you is less an honor than a portent. ”
Drayson smiled. ”It signifies that Ackbar trusts you implicitly, and that's no mean compliment. But I won't deny it-introductions to me seem to have a way of costing folks the blessings of a peaceful sleep. ”
”Just so. Well-what did you want to talk to me about? ”
”Your travel plans, ” said Drayson. ”Come, let's sit. ”
”I've been trying for months to establish some a.s.sets in the Koornacht Cl.u.s.ter, ” said Drayson. ”It hasn't been easy, even for me. ” He smiled self-deprecatingly.
”Traders will go to the fringes of the Cl.u.s.ter, but the deep Cl.u.s.ter worlds belonging to the League are another story. Apparently the Yevetha have a straightforward method of dealing with trespa.s.sers--they execute them on sight. And frankly, I find that to be reason for concern in its own right. ”
”They like their privacy. ”
”Perhaps a little too much, ” said Drayson. ”Which is consistent with the behavior of the viceroy here. The Yevetha stay in their s.h.i.+p, and the viceroy limits his outside contacts to a few hours every other day with Leia. I don't know if there are ten of them in there, or a thousand-”
”You don't trust them, either. ”
”No, I don't, ” said Drayson. ”I'm certain that Nil Spaar has been lying to Leia. The viceroy is a player. I haven't quite figured out the game, and I can't tell how far beyond normal diplomatic posturing the lies go. But one thing I know for certain is that they've been learning about us faster than we've been learning about them. That's another reason for concern. ”