[Black Fleet Crisis(70)

“Then six will have to be enough, ” A’baht said.

“Kiles, I need an updated survey of the Koornacht Cluster and its immediate neighborhood. The old survey just won’t do. I can’t tell you why-“

“I didn’t ask. “

“I can’t even make this an official request. “

“I figured out that this was unofficial on my own, ” said L’toth. “You know, Etahn, things don’t really change out there all that fast. “

“The things I’m worried about change all too fast, ” A’baht said.

“It’s not navigation that concerns you. “

“No. It’s all the little flags-the who, the what, and the where. “

“Will my people be at risk out there? “

“I don’t know, Kiles, ” A’baht said. “I just know that if it turns out that they are, it’ll be the most important work they’ve ever done. “

“All right, ” Kiles said. “I can live with that. “

“I’d take my own people there if I could. You know that. “

“I do. I know you that well. You hate to ask for help from anyone. I was starting to think I was going to carry this debt to my death. “

“I need your help now, Kiles. “

“You’ll have it. I’ll start diverting the ships right away. “

“Thank you, old friend. “

“Good luck, Etahn, ” L’toth said. “Watch your back out there-watch it better than I did. “

The Fifth Fleet had marshaled at an orbital parking site called Zone 90 East. It lay just outside Coruscant’s planetary shield, but within sight of the vast military space station which served it, and through which the Fleet’s crews and supplies flowed.

As the time for departure neared, there was little sign of sentiment or ceremony, either on the station or the ships of the Fleet. All the tearful and earnest goodbyes had been said at the Eastport, Westport, and Newport gates, most of them days ago. Almost every one on the crew rosters and everything on the manifests were already aboard.

Only the stragglers of the last watch to be recalled from liberty were aboard the tail-sitting shuttles that rose from the surface to the station. Only the most urgent supplies joined the stragglers aboard the tenders and tugs that moved back and forth between the station and the Fleet like scuttling insects.

“You should have just gone on up without me, ” said Skids, peering worriedly ahead through the viewport for the carrier Imperious.

Tuketu’s long limbs were sprawled casually across three of the tug’s tiny passenger couches. “The heck with that, ” he said, his tone light. “I never go anywhere without my triggerman. “

“We’re both going to get black-marked for sure. We’ll be lucky if we both don’t get taken off the flight roster. “

“Well-we’ve been pretty lucky together, right? “

Skids shook his head, only half listening. “I had it all timed out to the minute-exactly when I had to leave Noria’s to get back to Newport. How was I supposed to know that a Duraka gang was going to hit the resort exchange? “

“No way you could, Skids. So stop sweating it. “

“The police kept everything bigger than a bird on the ground for almost eleven hours, till they caught them. And then I get pulled down over Surtsey for speeding, trying to make up time-over Surtsey, mind you. If they’ve got enough aircops to patrol Surtsey, you think they’d be able to catch a couple of four-foot-tall jewel thieves a little faster-“

“There she is, ” Tuketu said, pointing toward the upper right corner of the viewport.

“What? Where? Oh-all right. Be there in no time now, ” Skids said, settling down in an empty seat. “You think they’ll move Hodo up to squadron commander? I’d rather it was Hodo than Miranda, myself. I don’t know how you feel-“

“Skids-“

“What? “

“You’re babbling. “

“Am I? Okay. You’re right, I am. I’ll stop, ” Skids said, his expression sheepish. “I just feel so bad about all this, is all. I can’t believe it happened. ” He glanced at his watch. “Almost twelve hours late-the captain’s going to stuff us in a drone and use us for target practice. Next time, don’t wait for me. Just leave me there and go on up by yourself! “

Standing inside the hatch of the four-seat shuttle he had flown up to theGlorious , General Han Solo tugged unhappily at the stiff fabric of his uniform, vainly trying to make it more comfortable. He had gained weight on two months of regular family meals, which only made matters worse. He heard Leia’s voice telling him, You look dashingly handsome, dear. It’s your head that is uncomfortable in uniform, not your body.