Rebel Dream: Enemy Lines I (7 page)

Mara leaned over, nearly touching foreheads with him. “I felt that,” she whispered. “That was my thought, too.”

Lando leaned into the huddle. “You don’t need the Force for that,” he whispered. “I could read it in Luke’s expression.”

“Shh,” Luke whispered. “Or I’ll make a loud noise.”

Lando leaned away again, his motion hurried.

Pwoe continued to stare at Wedge, impatience evident in his body language. “We should begin.”

“We’ll start in a minute,” Wedge said. “Members of my general staff are still in transit.” His face was fixed in a slight smile. Luke could tell that it was nothing but veneer, a mask covering agitation, irritability.

Pwoe fixed him with an admonishing look. “I understood that you’d be ready for us. Time is pressing.”

There were footsteps in the hall. Booster Terrik, glowering, entered and moved to sit near the table, close to Tycho. There were more footsteps, running footsteps, and Danni Quee skidded through the doors, juggling datapads and portable screens; her hair was an unruly blond mess tied in an off-center ponytail. She slid into a
seat near the door, directly behind Corran Horn, and looked at Wedge. “Sorry,” she said.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Wedge said, and looked up at one of the council’s guards. “Doors.”

The guard looked at Pwoe, received his nod, and closed the doors.

“Now we can start,” Wedge said.

Pwoe nodded. “Yes, of course. First, I want to reassure you all that the government of the New Republic is in fine working order. Drawing on the emergency authority that has fallen to us with Borsk Fey’lya’s death, and with the temporary disarray the Senate finds itself in, the Advisory Council has assumed the reins of power. We are now formulating plans to reorganize our armed forces and retake Coruscant. We are in communication with planetary governments from all over the New Republic, which are acknowledging our leadership and awaiting orders.”

Luke and Mara exchanged glances. She took a sip of her caf and then winced, as if the bitterness of the drink were the reason.

Wedge responded to Pwoe’s statement with only a nod.

Pwoe waited, as if expecting more, and then, after an uncomfortable silence, continued, “We wish to congratulate you on your success here at Borleias, General.”

“Thank you … but we haven’t had any success yet. We seized this facility through use of overwhelming force, which says nothing about either side in the conflict.”

“Yes, of course. Still, I need to hear details of what you have accomplished here.”

With little evident emotion and no extraneous words, Wedge briefed the Advisory Council members on the situation on Borleias. Luke saw the councilors nodding and whispering to one another as he spoke.

When Wedge was through, Pwoe said, “You’ve done
very well in seizing the initiative, in anticipating the needs of the New Republic and acting on them. Not that I wouldn’t expect that of you. But now we need to bring your operation back into the New Republic command structure so that it can be coordinated with the rest of our response to this disaster. Sien Sovv remains Supreme Commander of our armed forces, and you’ll continue taking orders from him. Here is the first set.”

Niuk Niuv sent a data card skidding across the table-top. Wedge caught it, then slotted it into his datapad.

“Since these are your own trusted advisers, I will share your orders with them,” Pwoe said.

Wedge looked at him. His face was impassive, but the look was still a warning, a rebuke. To announce a leader’s orders in this manner to his subordinate officers was to question that leader’s competence, to deny that leader the right to limit the information reaching those subordinates.

Pwoe ignored the look and continued. “What we need from you, General Antilles, is for Borleias to stand as a fortress against the Yuuzhan Vong, even beyond the point that the stream of refugees from Coruscant ends. The Yuuzhan Vong won’t be able to tolerate the thought of a New Republic-controlled military base so close to Coruscant, on such a prominent hyperspace crossroads, and so they’ll come against you here. This will give us crucial time to regroup and then to come and relieve you. Once we’ve done so, we can use Borleias to stage the recapture of Coruscant. You must hold here at all costs. Can we count on you?”

Instead of answering, Wedge asked, “What forces and matériel will I have for this assignment?”

Pwoe blinked. “Most of Fleet Group Three is currently away from here, is that correct?”

“Yes. At deep-space rendezvous, on operations, coordinating with the other fleet groups, and so forth. I’ll have to bring portions of them back here for the sort of operation you describe.”

“Not at all. You underestimate yourself, General. We’ll leave you with a large proportion of the matériel you currently have in the Pyria system. That should suffice until you’re relieved. Of course, you can commandeer additional forces arriving from Coruscant, and any volunteer units that choose to join you.”

Wedge nodded. “Councilor Pwoe, I’m afraid I have to turn down your assignment.”

All whispered conversation stopped in the conference room. Luke felt a slight sense of unreality. Through the years, he’d seen Wedge reinterpret orders and bend them in his efforts to do what was best for the Alliance and New Republic, but never
refuse
orders.

Pwoe straightened, becoming taller and somehow seeming to swell in his chair. His voice became deeper, projecting better to those in the far corners of the chamber. “Perhaps I made a mistake in couching what I was saying in the form of a request, General Antilles. You must understand, that actually constituted an order.”

Wedge nodded. “Nevertheless, I’m refusing it.”

“As an officer of the New Republic, you cannot do that.”

“I’ll resign my commission.”

“In this period of crisis, that could be construed as an act of treason,” Pwoe said. Luke could actually feel outrage pouring from the Quarren, but it didn’t feel quite right—Pwoe was outraged because he was being refused, not because he actually believed his charge of treason.

For the first time since the meeting began, Wedge smiled; it looked to Luke as though he were clamping down on a laugh. But the smile wasn’t a cheerful one.
Luke imagined, with a flash of insight from the Force, Wedge drawing his blaster, a fast, smooth move, and shooting Pwoe right in the face. Luke twitched, his hand automatically seeking his lightsaber hilt, before he realized that this vision was not what Wedge intended to do—just what he
wanted
to do. Luke found himself startled by the violence Wedge was obviously keeping under restraint.

But Wedge merely said, “Treason. Now
there’s
a curious charge in this circumstance. But we don’t need to get into that. Or into the legitimacy of your claim to be the Chief of State. Instead, I’ll make you a deal, Councilor Pwoe. I’m going to mention a set of military forces and privileges. Give them to me for this assignment, and I’ll accept command. Otherwise, I’ll transmit you my resignation of commission before you can walk a hundred paces.”

Outrage crept into Pwoe’s voice. “You can’t dictate terms to your superiors.”

“Actually, given these circumstances, I can.”

Pwoe turned to Tycho, who sat beside Wedge. “Colonel Celchu. I’m promoting you to the rank of general. Your assignment will be the one I just described to this traitor …” His voice trailed off as Tycho shook his head.

Pwoe took a deep, long breath. His eyes flicked back and forth as he evaluated other officers in the chamber. He relaxed, settling against the back of his chair. “All right, then, in the spirit of cooperation, I’m prepared to hear what it is you want to ask for.”

Wedge began counting off on his fingers. “First, all matériel currently in Pyria system, including extraneous forces we picked up in our retreat from Coruscant, and any currently in transit here remain under my command for this operation.”

Luke could see, though the councilors could not, Wedge
give Tycho a light kick under the table. Tycho opened his datapad and began typing, glancing at Wedge occasionally as though transcribing the general’s words, but Luke was certain that Tycho was performing a very different task.

“Second, I want the
Lusankya
.”

Pwoe almost rose out of his chair. “The most powerful ship remaining in our navy? I don’t think so.”

“I
do
think so. And since, once the Yuuzhan Vong decide to besiege the Pyria system, getting supplies will be somewhat problematic, I need a three-month supply of food, medical gear, fuel, and ordnance for the entire force. I’ll give you three days from the time you depart this system for that to arrive. If it doesn’t, we leave. And one other thing.”

Pwoe’s voice turned frosty. “There’s always one other thing.”

“I want the right to communicate directly with any officer in the armed forces, to invite him or her to join us here, and the right to accept his or her transfer—without having to go through the commanding officer.”

“Antilles, you are obviously deranged. You should have been put out to pasture years ago.”

“I was, Pwoe. I should have been
left
there. And if the Advisory Council had conducted its part of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong in any competent fashion, I
could
have been left there.” Wedge held his hands out, palms up, a gesture saying,
There we are
. “Well?”

“Refused, of course.”

“As you wish. When this meeting is done, I’ll order the forces here to abandon Borleias. By the time you can get another occupation force here, the Yuuzhan Vong will hold this world. And, no, I’m not bluffing.”

Pwoe locked stares with Wedge, and whispers began
again in the conference chamber. Finally Pwoe said, “A moment.”

“Take two.”

Pwoe turned to huddle with the other Advisory Council members. Wedge turned to Tycho. The murmurs rose in volume.

Luke leaned back toward Mara and Lando. “Sometimes,” Luke said, “I wish I had my sister’s political insight, or yours. What’s Wedge doing?”

“Pwoe is lying,” Mara said. “He wants Wedge to shore up Borleias so that the Yuuzhan Vong will come here to crush it. But he won’t be sending forces to reinforce Borleias. No one will. It will fall, and everyone here will die.”

Luke frowned. “Then what’s the point to holding it?”

“It gives the Advisory Council members time to go home and make preparations there. Preparations for war, or preparations so they can make the best deal possible with the Yuuzhan Vong. It gives the surviving members of the Senate the same time. And if they did their job right and convinced Wedge to fight ferociously, the Yuuzhan Vong might even be impressed with this little battle, might offer better terms in their negotiations.”

Luke gave Wedge a look. “So all he just negotiated for was enough military strength to let us hold out longer.”

“That’s right.”

“But everyone who stays here is still dead. Pointlessly dead. Just dead a little later.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m sorry I asked.”

Mara managed a slight smile. “If he’s negotiating, he has a skifter up his sleeve. You know that.”

The huddled members of the Advisory Council leaned away from one another and Pwoe turned again toward Wedge. Conversation in the chamber immediately died
down. “General, I deplore your methods and your arrogance. I don’t imagine you can expect much in the way of a military career once this assignment is done.”

Wedge nodded. His expression was kind, solicitous—or nearly so. Luke suspected it was actually mockery of those emotions. “But you accept.”

“Yes. We accept. It is my pleasure to relieve you of command of Fleet Group Three, even if I must leave you your current rank and command of this garrison.”

“Once your orders confirming the terms I specified have been broadcast over the HoloNet to our armed forces, you can consider me to have accepted, too.” Wedge glanced at Tycho’s datapad. “But I recommend that it be soon. Rogue Squadron has reported sighting what may be a Yuuzhan Vong scout ship. This planet will be a war zone very soon.” He straightened and looked around. “This meeting is over. In five minutes we’ll have a quick operational planning meeting.” He gestured at Luke, Mara, Lando, Booster, and others, indicating that they were expected at that meeting.

The members of the Advisory Council, suddenly kicked free of the activities at hand, rose, looking a little uncertainly at Wedge, who paid them no further attention. The guard Wedge had called upon earlier opened the door again and Pwoe led them through. Luke could feel both irritation and smugness from the Quarren.

Luke shook his head. Smugness. Pwoe was smug because he knew Wedge would soon be dead. Luke felt anger rise within him. He shook his head and dispelled the anger—not forcing it from him, simply releasing it, feeling it dissipate.

Mara smiled. “I felt that.”

“It’s hard to be the serene Jedi Master all the time.”

“I don’t want you to be serene
all
the time, farmboy.”

* * *

Gavin Darklighter moved up toward Wedge. He heard the general whispering to Tycho, “What results?”

Tycho whispered back, “All Fleet Group Three ships within four hours’ travel of Borleias are now in hyperspace on their way here.”

“Good work.”

Gavin leaned over his commander and lowered his own voice. “General, none of the Rogues on patrol reported anything to
me
about sighting a Yuuzhan Vong scout.”

“Of course they did. Five or six hours ago. In orbit around Borleias.”

Gavin frowned, remembering. “Wait a minute. That was just the burned-out hulk of a coralskipper. One that we vaped when we arrived.”

“Correct. And a coralskipper can be used as a scout ship.”

“Sure.”

“And Rogue Squadron
did
report sighting it.”

“Sure.” Gavin felt his confused expression give way to a rueful smile. He looked across the room, where the last members of the Advisory Council were leaving, haste and nervousness evident in their body language. “Sir, how you can be so deceptive without actually lying is beyond me.”

Minutes after the Advisory Council’s shuttle left orbit, Wedge had the conference doors locked and guards posted outside. He looked across the faces of those he’d asked to remain behind—Tycho, Luke, Mara, Lando, Booster, Danni, Gavin, Corran. “Is anyone not clear on what just happened?” he asked.