Part 1 (2/2)

”They're as dead for you as they are for me!”

”We'll see about that!” Devore reached for the armrest, only to be blocked by Korsin's beefy wrist. The commander's teeth clenched. Don't do this. Not now. Don't do this. Not now.

A baby screamed. Korsin looked quizzically at Devore for a moment before turning to see Seelah in the doorway, clutching a small crimson-wrapped bundle. The child wailed.

Darker-skinned than either of them, Seelah was an operative on Devore's mining team. Korsin knew her simply as Devore's female-that was the nicest way to put it. He didn't know which role came first. Now the willowy figure looked haggard as she slumped against the doorway. Her child, bound tightly in the manner of their people, had worked a tiny arm free and was clawing at her scattered auburn hair. She seemed not to notice.

Surprise-was it annoyance?-crossed Devore's face. ”I sent you to the lifepods!”

Korsin flinched. The lifepods were a nonstarter-literally. They'd known that back in s.p.a.ce when the first one snagged on its stubborn docking claw and exploded right in the s.h.i.+p's hull. He didn't know what had happened to the rest, but the s.h.i.+p had taken such damage to its spine that he figured the whole array was a probable loss.

”The cargo hold,” she said, gasping as Devore reached her and grasped her arms. ”Near our quarters.” Devore's eyes darted past her, down the hallway.

”Devore, you can't go go to the lifepods-” to the lifepods-”

”Shut up, Yaru!”

”Stop it,” she said. ”There's land.” When Devore stared at her blankly, she exhaled and looked urgently toward the commander. ”Land!” ”Land!”

Korsin made the connection. ”The cargo hold!” The crystals were in a hold safely forward from the damage-in a place with viewports angled to see below. There was something under all that blue, after all. Something that gave them a chance.

”The port thruster will light,” she implored.

”No, it won't,” Korsin said. Not from any command on the bridge, anyway. ”We're going to have to do this by hand-so to speak.” He stepped past the ailing Marcom to the starboard viewport, which looked back upon the main bulge of the s.h.i.+p trailing aft. There were four large torpedo tube covers on either side of the s.h.i.+p, spherical lids that swiveled above or below the horizontal plane depending on where they were situated. They never opened those covers in atmospheres, for fear of the drag they would cause. That design flaw might save them. ”Gloyd, will they work?”

”They'll cycle-once. But without power, we're gonna have to set off the firing pins to open them.”

Devore gawked. ”We're not going out there!” They were still at terminal velocity. But Korsin was moving, too, bustling past his brother to the port viewport. ”Everyone, to either side!”

Seelah and another crewman stepped to the right pane. Devore, glaring, reluctantly joined her. Alone on the left, Yaru Korsin placed his hand on the coldly sweating portal. Outside, meters away, he found one of the ma.s.sive circular covers-and the small box mounted to its side, no larger than a comlink. It was smaller than he remembered from inspection. Where's the mechanism? There. Where's the mechanism? There. He reached out through the Force. He reached out through the Force. Careful ... Careful ...

”Top torpedo door, both sides. Now! Now!”

With a determined mental act, Korsin triggered the firing pin. A large bolt released explosively, shooting ahead-and the mammoth tube cover moved in response, rotating on its single hinge. The s.h.i.+p, already quaking, groaned loudly as the door reached its final position, perched atop the plane of the Omen Omen like a makes.h.i.+ft aileron. Korsin looked expectantly behind him, where Seelah's expression a.s.sured him of a similar success on her side. For a moment, he wondered if it had worked ... like a makes.h.i.+ft aileron. Korsin looked expectantly behind him, where Seelah's expression a.s.sured him of a similar success on her side. For a moment, he wondered if it had worked ...

Thoom! With a wrenching jolt that leveled the bridge crew, With a wrenching jolt that leveled the bridge crew, Omen Omen tipped downward. It didn't slow the s.h.i.+p as much as Korsin had expected, but that wasn't the point. At least they could see where they were going now, what was below. tipped downward. It didn't slow the s.h.i.+p as much as Korsin had expected, but that wasn't the point. At least they could see where they were going now, what was below. If these blasted clouds would clear ... If these blasted clouds would clear ...

At once, he saw it. Land, indeed-but more water. Much more. Jagged, rugged peaks rose from a greenish surf, almost a skeleton of rock lit by the alien planet's setting sun, barely visible on the horizon. They were rocketing quickly into night. There wouldn't be much time to make a decision ...

... but Korsin already knew there was no choice to be made. While more of the crew might survive a water landing, they wouldn't last long when their superiors learned their precious cargo was at the bottom of an alien ocean. Better they pick the crystals out from among our burned corpses. Better they pick the crystals out from among our burned corpses. Frowning, he ordered the starboard-side crew to activate their lower torpedo doors. Frowning, he ordered the starboard-side crew to activate their lower torpedo doors.

Again, a violent lurch, and Omen Omen banked left, angling toward an angry line of mountains. Rearward, a lifepod shot away from the s.h.i.+p-and slammed straight into the ridge. The searing plume was gone from the bridge's field of view in less than a second. Gloyd's torpedo crew would be envious, Korsin thought, shaking his head and blowing out a big breath. Still people alive back there. banked left, angling toward an angry line of mountains. Rearward, a lifepod shot away from the s.h.i.+p-and slammed straight into the ridge. The searing plume was gone from the bridge's field of view in less than a second. Gloyd's torpedo crew would be envious, Korsin thought, shaking his head and blowing out a big breath. Still people alive back there. They're still trying. They're still trying.

Omen cleared a snow-covered peak by less than a hundred meters. Dark water opened up below. Another course correction-and cleared a snow-covered peak by less than a hundred meters. Dark water opened up below. Another course correction-and Omen Omen was quickly running out of torpedo tubes. Another lifepod launched, arcing down and away. Only when the small craft neared the surf did its pilot-if it had one-get the engine going. The rockets shot the pod straight down into the ocean at full speed. was quickly running out of torpedo tubes. Another lifepod launched, arcing down and away. Only when the small craft neared the surf did its pilot-if it had one-get the engine going. The rockets shot the pod straight down into the ocean at full speed.

Squinting through sweat, Korsin looked back at his crew. ”Depth charge! Fine time for a mixed warfare drill!” Even Gloyd didn't laugh at that one. But it wasn't propriety, the commander saw as he turned. It was what was ahead. More sharp mountains rising from the waters-including a mountain meant for them. Korsin reeled back to his chair. ”Stations!”

Seelah wandered in a panic, nearly losing the wailing Jariad as she staggered. She had no station, no defensive position. She began to cross to Devore, frozen at his terminal. There was no time. A hand reached for her. Yaru yanked her close, pus.h.i.+ng her down behind the command chair into a protective crouch.

The act cost him.

Omen slammed into a granite ridge at an angle, losing the fight-and still more of itself. The impact threw Commander Korsin forward against the bulkhead, nearly impaling him on the remaining shards of the smashed viewport. Gloyd and Marcom strained to move toward him, but slammed into a granite ridge at an angle, losing the fight-and still more of itself. The impact threw Commander Korsin forward against the bulkhead, nearly impaling him on the remaining shards of the smashed viewport. Gloyd and Marcom strained to move toward him, but Omen Omen was still on the move, clipping another rocky rise and spiraling downward. Something exploded, strewing flaming wreckage in the s.h.i.+p's grinding wake. was still on the move, clipping another rocky rise and spiraling downward. Something exploded, strewing flaming wreckage in the s.h.i.+p's grinding wake.

Agonizingly, Omen Omen spun forward again, the torpedo doors that had been their makes.h.i.+ft airbrakes snapping like driftwood as it slid. Down a gravelly incline it skidded, showering stones in all directions. Korsin, his forehead bleeding, looked up and out to see- spun forward again, the torpedo doors that had been their makes.h.i.+ft airbrakes snapping like driftwood as it slid. Down a gravelly incline it skidded, showering stones in all directions. Korsin, his forehead bleeding, looked up and out to see- -nothing. Omen Omen continued to slide toward an abyss. It had run out of mountain. continued to slide toward an abyss. It had run out of mountain.

Stop. Stop! Stop!

”Stop!”

Silence. Korsin coughed and opened his eyes.

They were still alive.

”No,” Seelah said, kneeling and clinging to Jariad. ”We're already dead.”

Thanks to you, she did not say-but Korsin felt the words streaming at him through the Force. He didn't need the help. Her eyes said plenty.

Chapter Two.

Omen's permanent crew came from the same human stock as Korsin: the debris of a n.o.ble house, launched skyward centuries before in the whirlwind that formed the Tapani Empire. The Sith had found them, and found them useful. They were skilled in commerce and industry, all the things the Sith Lords needed most but never had time for with their world-building and world-destroying. His ancestors ran s.h.i.+ps and factories, and ran them well. And before long, mingling their blood with that of the Dark Jedi, the Force was in his people, too.

They were the future. They couldn't acknowledge it, but it was obvious. Many of the Sith Lords were still of the crimson-hued species that had long formed the nucleus of their following. But the numbers were turning-and if Naga Sadow wanted to rule the galaxy, they had to.

Naga Sadow. Tentacle-faced, Dark Lord and heir to ancient powers. It was Naga Sadow who had dispatched Tentacle-faced, Dark Lord and heir to ancient powers. It was Naga Sadow who had dispatched Omen Omen and and Harbinger Harbinger in search of Lignan crystals; Naga Sadow who needed the crystals on Kirrek, to defeat the Republic and its Jedi. in search of Lignan crystals; Naga Sadow who needed the crystals on Kirrek, to defeat the Republic and its Jedi.

Or was it the Jedi and their Republic? It didn't matter. Naga Sadow would kill Commander Korsin and his crew for losing their s.h.i.+p. Seelah was right about that much.

Yet Sadow need not lose the war, depending on what Korsin did now. He still had something. The crystals.

But the crystals were high above at the moment.

It had been a night of horrors, getting 355 people down from the lofty plateau. Sixteen injured had died along the way, and another five had tumbled into the darkness from the narrow ledge that formed the only apparent way up or down. No one doubted that evacuation had been the right call, though. They couldn't stay up there, not with the fires still burning and the s.h.i.+p precariously perched. The last to leave the s.h.i.+p, Korsin had nearly soiled himself when one of the proton torpedoes had disengaged from the naked tube, tumbling over the precipice and into oblivion.

By sunrise, they'd found a clearing, halfway down the mountain, dotted with wild gra.s.ses. Life was everywhere in the galaxy, even here. It was the first good sign. Above, Omen Omen continued to burn. No need to wonder where above them the s.h.i.+p was, Korsin thought. Not while they could follow the smoke. continued to burn. No need to wonder where above them the s.h.i.+p was, Korsin thought. Not while they could follow the smoke.

Now, walking back into the afternoon crowd-less an encampment than a gathering-Korsin knew he never need wonder where his people were, either. Not while his nose worked. ”Now I know why we kept the Ma.s.sa.s.si on their own level,” he said to no one.

”Charming,” came a response from over his shoulder. ”I should say they are not very happy with you you, either.” Ravilan was a Red Sith, pureblooded as they came. He was quartermaster and keeper of the Ma.s.sa.s.si, the nasty lumbering bipeds that the Sith prized as instruments of terror on the battlefield. At the moment the Ma.s.sa.s.si didn't seem so formidable. Korsin followed Ravilan into the fiendish circle, made even less pleasant by the stench of vomit. Florid monsters two and three meters tall sprawled on the ground, heaving and coughing.

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