Part 29 (1/2)

It was another room, requiring another makes.h.i.+ft door. He moved quickly, with confident strokes. Behind him, the hexes were wriggling through widening rents in the door and wall. In a second they would be upon him.

A hallway, this time. He swept Master Satele ahead of him and hurriedly took his bearings. He had come this way on the journey in. At the far end of the corridor, he could see the distant spiral of the galaxy.

A fat-bodied hex crawled into view, blocking his path.

”Get ready, ” he called over his comlink. ”I'll be coming out fast. ”

”Good, ” said Larin. ”It's getting a little tight out here, too. ”

s.h.i.+gar didn't waste energy replying. Master Satele's s.h.i.+eld was undoubtedly strong enough to deflect anything the hex could throw at them, so he kept her ahead of him. His job was simply to move both of them-fast.

The Force rushed through him. Ever since his earliest discovery of his powers, he had loved the thrill of speed. It had helped him win races before his removal from Kiffu. It had helped him survive challenges at the academy. Remembering that wild feeling of acceleration, he dug deep into himself and kicked off against the wall behind him.

The corridor blurred. Master Satele preceded him like a cannonball, blowing the hex backward, out of the wreckage and into s.p.a.ce. For an instant, all was turning sky and scrabbling legs-then an invisible force wrenched the hex away, and he was swept upward into the waiting air lock of the Auriga Fire.

”Got them, Hetchkee?” came Larin's voice over the comlink.

”Safe and sound. ”

Several quick blasts from the tri-laser put the hex out of commission and sent four others that had emerged after s.h.i.+gar scurrying for cover. He gripped the sides of the air lock as the s.h.i.+p accelerated away, spinning agilely through the limbs of an approaching agglomeration, with Larin's covering fire clearing a brightly lit path.

Then the door was shut and warm air rushed in. s.h.i.+gar hadn't noticed how cold his fingers had become. He rubbed them quickly together, then righted Master Satele on the floor.

”We're out of danger now, Master. ”

The Force s.h.i.+eld s.h.i.+mmered and dissolved.

Grand Master Satele Shan unfolded to a sitting position and opened her eyes. ”Thank you, s.h.i.+gar. ” She stood and smoothed down her robes. ”I owe you my life. ”

s.h.i.+gar bowed his head and returned her lightsaber. ”I did only what I must, Master. ”

Her right hand gripped his shoulder. ”That's all we ever do, s.h.i.+gar, in times of war. ”

The inner door opened.

”You'd better get up here, ” said Jet over the s.h.i.+p's internal comm. ”Fast. ”

s.h.i.+gar led his Master through the cramped corridors of the s.h.i.+p to the elevated c.o.c.kpit. Ula and Jet were at the controls, with Clunker standing to one side, as motionless as a statue. Hetchkee was elsewhere-filling the empty tri-laser spot, s.h.i.+gar a.s.sumed, now that the need for the tractor had pa.s.sed. Ula glanced at them as they entered, then stood up and bowed.

”Grand Master” he said with a nervous expression on his face, ”I am relieved to see you again. ”

”Have we met?”

”I am Envoy Vii-on the staff of the Supreme Commander...”

”Forget the introductions, ” said Jet. ”We can have a tea party later. There's another s.h.i.+p on the scope. ”

”Imperial?” asked Master Satele, leaning over Ula's chair.

”I don't think so. ” Jet brought up a wide view of the s.p.a.ce around Sebaddon. ”Just when I thought we were getting a handle on this mess... ”

The viewscreen showed the remaining Republic fleet at a much higher orbit than it had been before, well out of range of the hexes. Infected s.h.i.+ps were lancing out in wildly different directions, thanks to crippled drives or gravitational pull from either Sebaddon or the black hole. The Imperial fleet, reduced to seven s.h.i.+ps-including its bulk cruiser-was also ascending to higher ground. A quick glance at the projected orbits showed that they were likely to cross paths in a few hours-but that was something to worry about later.

”What's all this?” asked s.h.i.+gar, brus.h.i.+ng his hand through a layer of fuzz surrounding the planet's equator.

”That's where the last three missiles broke up, ” said Ula, ”and two more launched since. They weren't aimed at anything. 1 think Xandret is laying down a defensive halo of hexes to protect the planet. ”

”As well she might, ” said Master Satele. ”Show me the latest arrival. ”

Jet's finger stabbed at a bright dot hovering near the planet's tiny satellite. ”It appeared a minute ago. ”

”From the same coordinates as everyone else?”

”No. It launched from a crater on the moon. I think it's been hidden there the whole time. ”

She nodded. ”I'd like to broadcast a message. ”

Jet gave her the comm.

”It's about time you showed yourself, ” she said. ”I'd very much like to talk to you, Dao Stryver. ”

”And I you, Grand Master” came the immediate reply. ”It pleases me that you survived this unflattering rout. ”

”Can one take pleasure from the survival of one's enemy?” she asked the Mandalorian.

”One can indeed, ” he said. ”I will explain in due course. ”

”I very much hope so. ”

”Meet me at the moon in half an hour. Send one s.h.i.+p. No escort. You have my word that you and your party will not be harmed. ”

Stryver clicked off.

”I don't trust him, ” s.h.i.+gar said.

”We have no choice, ” she said. ”Plot the course, Captain Nebula. Take us by the Commenor. I need to speak to Captain Pipalidi now, in case we don't get another chance. ”

” 'We'?” asked Jet.

”This mission has already lost seven vessels of war. I will not risk another. ”

”Doesn't anyone care what I'm prepared to risk?”

”Look at this, ” said Ula, drawing everyone's attention back to the viewscreen. ”The Imperials are launching a shuttle. ”

”We can't let it reach the jump coordinates, ” said s.h.i.+gar. ”If they're sending for reinforcements...”