“Might be interesting to have someone go back through the recent history records,” Lando said. “See if we can spot their hand in events.”
“Yes,” Wedge agreed. “They must have abandoned it in a hurry to have left this much stuff behind …”
He trailed off, frowning at the space monitor display. “Tycho, get out to your X-wing and give the base a call. Looks like we’ve got a Corellian Corvette coming in. Broadcasting an Imperial ID-“
Abruptly he stiffened. “Belay that,” he snapped, dropping the curtain and charging past the Old Recluse. “Get to your fighters&mdashdouble-time.”
The others fell into step behind him, the group disappearing around the bend in the tunnel. “What is it?” the Old Recluse demanded anxiously. “You-human-what is it?”
A single look at the display was all Lando needed. “It’s an Imperial Star Destroyer,” he said. “It dropped in right behind the Corvette.
“Heading this way.”
***
“Lando?” Wedge’s voice came from the Lady Luck’s console. “You reading me?”
“Loud and clear,” Lando said, making one last adjustment to the speaker control.
“Stay close,” Wedge warned. “This freq-mixing trick won’t work against their jamming if we get too far apart.”
“Got it,” Lando said, eyeing the confused readouts from his comm board. His comm system was pretty much state-of-the-art, with a few exotic add-ons besides, but it wasn’t really set up to deal with New Republic military frequencies and encrypts. But so far the jury-rig he’d thrown together on the fly seemed to be holding. “What’s happening?”
“I got through to the base while you were getting set up,” Wedge said. “The rest of Rogue Squadron’s on the way, along with every starfighter the base can scramble.”
A couple of wings of X-wings and A-wings, against an Imperial Star Destroyer. Terrific. “What about them Peregrine and the Assault Frigate that Admiral Vriss came in with?”
“The Peregrine’s on its way, but it’s having to come from around the far side of the planet,” Wedge said, an edge of contempt creeping into the cool professionalism in his voice. The Assault Frigate, unfortunately, is going to be out of it. Apparently, they let the systems drop a little too far past standby.”
“Sloppy,” Lando grunted. “Who’s in command?”
“A committee of Bagmims,” Wedge told him. “The crew is mostly Bagmims, humans, and Povanarians.”
“Bagmims are pretty good fighters when they get riled.”
“They should have stayed more riled, then,” Wedge said. “Right now, they’re just a waste of air.”
“Too late to worry about it now,” Lando said, carefully refraining from reminding Wedge about his own earlier comments on how much more relaxed things had become. “What’s the plan?”
“We try to slow them down,” Wedge said. “The Peregrine’s on its way, and the general’s got two Star Cruisers coming from Haverling. Until they get here, we’re on our own.”
The three X-wings and the yacht rose above the curve of Morishim’s horizon; and there they were: the awe-inspiring bulk of the Imperial Star Destroyer with the Corvette leading it toward the planet.
And then Lando frowned. “Wedge?”
“I see it,” Wedge murmured. “Rogue Seven, give me a fast analysis.”
“No mistake, Rogue Leader,” Tycho’s voice came promptly. “Those aren’t accidental misfires-the Star Destroyer’s definitely targeting the Corvette. The Corvette’s running flank speed, with full aft deflector shields. She’s being chased, all right.”
“They’re jamming her transmissions, too,” Janson added. “Course projection shows she’s making straight for the edge of the base’s energy shield. Looks like we’ve got a theft-and-defection on our hands.”
“Could be,” Wedge said cautiously. “It could also be a trick to get us to let an unexamined ship in under the energy shield.”
“So what do we do?” Janson asked.
“Let’s try running a little interference,” Wedge said. “Rogue Two, Rogue Five: cut in around the Corvette’s starboard side and see if you can draw some of the Star Destroyer’s attention. I’ll take the other side. Watch out for tractor beams-they may try to pull the Corvette in.”
“Copy, Rogue Leader.”
The two X-wings swerved smoothly away from Wedge and Lando. “What about me?” Lando asked.
“Better stay back here,” Wedge told him, putting on a burst of speed of his own. “That yacht isn’t designed for this sort of maneuvering. Anyway, we may need you to act as relay between us and our reinforcements.”