Timothy Zahn - Outbound Flight

“To what?” Uliar countered. “A reactor that’s working perfectly and a hyperdrive that isn’t working at all?”

“Yes, but—”

“But nothing,” Uliar cut him off. “Come on—this may be our last chance to get Outbound Flight back to what it was supposed to be.”

There was a short pause. “All right, I’m game,” Pressor said at last. “But if this Mitth-whatever’s already on his way, we don’t have much time. Not if we’re going to collect everyone and get all the way over to D-One.”

“You just collect them,” Uliar said. “I’ll make sure he stays put until you get there.”

“How?”

“No idea,” Uliar said. “Just collect everyone, all right?

And don’t forget to bring the children. There’s nothing like children when you’re playing for sympathy.”

“Got it.”

Uliar keyed off the comet, and for a moment sat gazing unseeingly at his displays as he tried to think. D-1 was indeed a long way away, and if he knew C’baoth the conversation was likely to be short and unpleasant. If he tried to walk or even run, he was likely to miss Mitth-whatever completely.

But there should be one of D-4’s swoops parked just a little way aft.

Ninety seconds later, he was racing down the corridor, the wind of his passage whipping through his hair and stinging his eyes. Fortunately, with Outbound Flight at full alert, everyone was either at their battle stations or huddled in their quarters out of the way; the corridors were empty. Reaching the forward pylon, he punched for the turbolift, but instead of leaving the swoop at the way station like he was supposed to, he maneuvered it into the car. Let C’baoth complain about it—let him even lock Uliar in the brig for a few days if he wanted to.

Whatever it took, he would see this Mith-whatever before he left Outbound Flight.

Car’das had been waiting for nearly three hours before the Miskara again summoned him to the throne room.

“All is prepared,” the Vagaari informed him. “We fly at once to draw our vengeance from Mitth’raw’nuruodo and the Chiss.”

“Yes, Your Eminence,” Car’das said, bowing his head and trying not to look at the half dozen fresh Geroon bodies scattered around the throne room. Apparently, the Miskara had been playing some more with his new toys. “I would once again ask you to remember that my companions and ship are also there, and would beg your soldiers to be careful.”

“I will remember,” the Miskara promised. “And I will do even more. I have decided you will be permitted the best view possible of the forthcoming battle.”

Car’das felt something cold run through him. “You mean I’ll be on the bridge, Your Eminence?”

“Not at all,” the Miskara said calmly. “You will be in the forward most of my flagship’s external bubbles.”

Car’das looked sideways to see a pair of armored Vagaari striding toward him. “I don’t understand,” he protested.

“I’ve offered you the chance at both vengeance and profit.”

“Or the chance to fly into a trap,” the Miskara said, his voice suddenly icy. “Do you think me a fool, human? Do you think me so proud and rash that I would simply fly a task force to a supposedly small and undermanned Chiss base in my thirst for revenge?” He snorted a multitoned whistle. “No, human, I will not send a small task force to be destroyed. My entire fleet will descend on this base… and then we shall see what sort of teeth this Chiss trap truly has.”

“The Chiss aren’t waiting there with any trap,” Car’das insisted. “I swear it.”

“Then you should have nothing to fear,” the Miskara said. “If we destroy the enemy as quickly as you claim we will,you will be released and your companions freed. If not…” He shrugged. “You will be the first to die.”

He cocked his head slightly “Have you anything else you wish to say before you are taken away?”

A confession, perhaps, or an admission of guilt? “No, Your Eminence,” Car’das said. “I only hope your soldiers are as capable against the Chiss as they’ve proven themselves to be against other opponents.”

“The Geroons could tell you of our capabilities,” the Miskara said darkly. “But you will see them for yourself soon enough.” He gestured. “Take him away.”

Five minutes later, Car’das was pushed through a narrow doorway in the hull into a zero-g plastic bubble perhaps twice the size of a coffin. Set against the hull on one side of his head was what seemed to be a small air supply and filtering system, while on the other was a mesh bag containing a couple of water bottles and ration bars from the Chiss shuttle, along with a diamond-shaped device of unknown purpose.

And as the thick hull metal was sealed against his back he knew the chance cube had been thrown. From now on, everything that happened would be under the control of others.

He could only hope that the Miskara had been telling the truth about the size of the force he was sending.

The fact that Mitth’raw’nuruodo was a near human this far from Republic space had been Lorana’s first surprise.

More surprising than that were the culture and refinement of his demeanor and speech as he spoke to her and C’baoth from the other side of the conference room table.

His reason for intercepting Outbound Flight was the biggest surprise of all. And the most chilling.

C’baoth, predictably, wasn’t impressed by any of it.

“Ridiculous,” he said scornfully when Mitth’raw’nuruodo had finished. “A mysterious species of conquerors moving across the galaxy toward us? Please. That’s the sort of story bad parents frighten their children with.”

“You know everything there is to know about the universe, then?” Mitth’raw’nuruodo asked politely. “I was under the impression that this region of space was unknown to you.”

“Yes, it is,” C’baoth said. “But rumors and stories aren’t limited by geographical and political boundaries. If a species so dangerous truly existed, we would surely have heard something about them by now.”

“What about Vergere?” Lorana murmured from beside him. “Something like this might explain her disappearance.”

“Or it might not,” C’baoth countered. “It doesn’t take a species of conquerors to silence a single Jedi.” His eyes glittered.

“To silence a group of Jedi, of course, is a different matter entirely. And as to this Darth Sidious you cite, I put even less faith in his words than I do in idle rumors. Darth is the title of a Sith Lord, and the Sith have long since vanished from the galaxy.

That makes him a liar right from the start.”

“Perhaps,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said. “But I didn’t come here for an open debate. The fact remains that I cannot and will not permit you to continue on through this region of space. You must turn back to the Republic and pledge to never return.”

“Or?” C’baoth challenged.

Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s glowing red eyes were steady on him. “Or I will be forced to destroy you.”

Lorana braced herself for the inevitable explosion. But C’baoth merely smiled thinly. “So says the avian chick to the billinus dragon. Do you truly believe your twelve ships could survive ten minutes against the firepower I hold here in my hand?”

Mitth’raw’nuruodo lifted his eyebrows politely. “Your personal hand?” he asked.

“My Jedi are even now standing by in the ComOps Center above us, as well as at the weapons stations of each individual Dreadnaught,” C’baoth said. “I’ll soon be joining them… and if you’ve never before faced Jedi reflexes and insight, you’ll find it a sobering experience.”

Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s expression didn’t change.