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Authors: Michael A. Stackpole
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tail.
The eyeball rolled right, then climbed sharply. Corran started to climb, then the TIE came over to complete a loop. Corran snapped the X-wing over on its right S-foil, presented his port side to the TIE. The starfighter’s first shots passed wide on either side of the snubfighter, but the eyeball started to roll to correct his aim.
Corran hit hard left rudder, then rolled ninety degrees to starboard to face the eyeball head on and give him the worst targeting profile possible. With a flick of his thumb he brought the torpedo targeting program up and immediately got a tone from Whistler. Ignoring the hail of green laser bolts hammering his forward shield, Corran squeezed the trigger.
The proton torpedo tore the TIE’s starboard wing off, sending the starfighter into a flat spin. Whistler reported the ship’s thrust had cut in half. Corran would have put that down to damage done to the starboard engine, but the spin began to slow. The pilot had clearly shut down the port engine so he could counter the spin. Restarting the port engine would give the pilot maneuvering power, but an explosion on the port side of the fighter showed the restart had not worked as intended. Blue lightning played over the fighter, then it burst into a fireball that streaked in toward the system’s sun.
“Whistler, targets.”
The droid displayed an image of Contruum’s Pride on the scope, but it wasn’t going anywhere. Corran hit a few buttons on his console, shifting around to see if there were any more fighters available, but he found none. Whistler’s negative bleat chastened him for doubting the droid.
“Just checking.”
Whistle rebleated his comment.
“Yes, perhaps I should know better.” Corran keyed his comm unit. “Nine is clear, Twelve.”
“I copy, Nine. Come to a heading of 173 and orbit Vengeance at three klicks. Four has convinced Pride that it wants to help stabilize Vengeance so it doesn’t do an atmosphere dive. Mrisst Disaster Control is scrambling for recovery operations.”
“As ordered, Twelve.” Corran smiled. “And, Captain?”
“Yes, Nine?”
“Impressive flying out there. Welcome to Rogue Squadron. You’re definitely one of us.”
“Thanks, Nine. It’s nice to be home.”
7
At the sound of her voice a jolt ran through Kirtan Loor. He whirled away from his workstation and dropped to one knee before the towering holographic projection of Ysanne Isard. “Madam Director, I am at your service.”
“That was my impression.”
The chilly tone in her voice warned him that her mood was not one in which she would tolerate mistakes. He couldn’t think of any he had made, but he killed the stirrings of anger that being unjustly accused started in him. You have been accused of nothing. Her mood may not have anything to do with you or your service . “What would you have of me, Madam Director?”
Some of the venom in her varicolored stare survived transmission from her office kilometers up and away from his work space in the bowels of the Imperial Palace. “I would have of you the best effort you can produce.”
“Always, my lady.”
“Your report on the incompetence of the Black Asp’ s flight coordinator in the Bror Jace matter was quite thorough. I wanted Jace alive so I could utilize him at Lusankya. Your report makes it quite clear that Major Wortin knew this, but took no steps to guard against akill. And you were correct in pointing out that his insistence that the ship blew up by accident was nothing more than a sham.”
“Thank you.”
“I did not need your editorializing in the conclusion you drew. It is true that in the past Major Wortin would have been executed, but we cannot afford to squander our personnel with such abandon anymore. I have approved your suggestion that he be transferred to the Inexorable . Under Thrawn he will learn lessons he should already know, or he will die.”
“Yes, Madam Director.”
“I have received another request from General Derricote
The eyeball rolled right, then climbed sharply. Corran started to climb, then the TIE came over to complete a loop. Corran snapped the X-wing over on its right S-foil, presented his port side to the TIE. The starfighter’s first shots passed wide on either side of the snubfighter, but the eyeball started to roll to correct his aim.
Corran hit hard left rudder, then rolled ninety degrees to starboard to face the eyeball head on and give him the worst targeting profile possible. With a flick of his thumb he brought the torpedo targeting program up and immediately got a tone from Whistler. Ignoring the hail of green laser bolts hammering his forward shield, Corran squeezed the trigger.
The proton torpedo tore the TIE’s starboard wing off, sending the starfighter into a flat spin. Whistler reported the ship’s thrust had cut in half. Corran would have put that down to damage done to the starboard engine, but the spin began to slow. The pilot had clearly shut down the port engine so he could counter the spin. Restarting the port engine would give the pilot maneuvering power, but an explosion on the port side of the fighter showed the restart had not worked as intended. Blue lightning played over the fighter, then it burst into a fireball that streaked in toward the system’s sun.
“Whistler, targets.”
The droid displayed an image of Contruum’s Pride on the scope, but it wasn’t going anywhere. Corran hit a few buttons on his console, shifting around to see if there were any more fighters available, but he found none. Whistler’s negative bleat chastened him for doubting the droid.
“Just checking.”
Whistle rebleated his comment.
“Yes, perhaps I should know better.” Corran keyed his comm unit. “Nine is clear, Twelve.”
“I copy, Nine. Come to a heading of 173 and orbit Vengeance at three klicks. Four has convinced Pride that it wants to help stabilize Vengeance so it doesn’t do an atmosphere dive. Mrisst Disaster Control is scrambling for recovery operations.”
“As ordered, Twelve.” Corran smiled. “And, Captain?”
“Yes, Nine?”
“Impressive flying out there. Welcome to Rogue Squadron. You’re definitely one of us.”
“Thanks, Nine. It’s nice to be home.”
7
At the sound of her voice a jolt ran through Kirtan Loor. He whirled away from his workstation and dropped to one knee before the towering holographic projection of Ysanne Isard. “Madam Director, I am at your service.”
“That was my impression.”
The chilly tone in her voice warned him that her mood was not one in which she would tolerate mistakes. He couldn’t think of any he had made, but he killed the stirrings of anger that being unjustly accused started in him. You have been accused of nothing. Her mood may not have anything to do with you or your service . “What would you have of me, Madam Director?”
Some of the venom in her varicolored stare survived transmission from her office kilometers up and away from his work space in the bowels of the Imperial Palace. “I would have of you the best effort you can produce.”
“Always, my lady.”
“Your report on the incompetence of the Black Asp’ s flight coordinator in the Bror Jace matter was quite thorough. I wanted Jace alive so I could utilize him at Lusankya. Your report makes it quite clear that Major Wortin knew this, but took no steps to guard against akill. And you were correct in pointing out that his insistence that the ship blew up by accident was nothing more than a sham.”
“Thank you.”
“I did not need your editorializing in the conclusion you drew. It is true that in the past Major Wortin would have been executed, but we cannot afford to squander our personnel with such abandon anymore. I have approved your suggestion that he be transferred to the Inexorable . Under Thrawn he will learn lessons he should already know, or he will die.”
“Yes, Madam Director.”
“I have received another request from General Derricote
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