Read Online Rebel Dream: Enemy Lines I by Aaron Allston - Free Book Online

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 beganagain 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 dieddown. “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