“Well, then, “Niathal said, “we already have a tested plan for making that work, don’t we, Gil? An economic occupation is always better than a military one.”
Caedus kept a careful eye on the unseen, unspoken negotiation going on right now between Niathal and Pellaeon. He could see the deal shaping, and that it wouldn’t include him. Unlike mundane beings, Sith were never shocked by that. They expected and welcomed it.
“Let’s fine-tune our strategy, then, “Caedus said. “We isolate Fondor as planned, begin securing the orbitals, and then see if they’re more open to suggestions after we’ve softened them up for a few hours.”
“Agreed, “said Niathal. “Remember that there’s a surrender deadline in place.”
“I agree, “said Pellaeon.
Caedus felt he needed to keep a closer eye on the two of them, but that was what prospective apprentices were for. He had a battle to win. “Would you object to Lieutenant Veila remaining in the Bloodfin as my liaison for the dura-tion of the engagement, Admiral Pellaeon? Of course, you’re welcome to send a liaison to the Anakin Solo, as well.”
Pellaeon’s mistrust was clear to Force senses, but he smiled convincingly enough for the mundanes.
“You could use a comlink, “he said, “but she’s much more charming.”
No, you don’t think that at all, do you, Pellaeon?
Caedus quite enjoyed the intellectual challenge of these confrontations, polite and banal to the casual listener, but composed of layer upon layer of double meaning and dou-ble intent. He felt Tahiri bristle a little. That was good. She worked better when she was annoyed. She escorted him down to the hangar, leaving him with a Force impression of a mask held firmly in place.
“How do I liaise?” she asked pointedly, lips barely mov-ing.
“Observe.”
“And what added value can I bring that a remote holocam can’t?”
“If Pellaeon interferes with my plan in any way, then you stop him.” Caedus’s whisper was just a breath. “The Moffs are far more willing, but he whips them back into line. Do you understand what I’m asking you to do?”
Tahiri still wore that deceptive I’m-earnest-and-really-quite-dim expression, but the glittering black shards of her calculating mind were right there in the Force. She was a testament to the transformational power of incentive. “I think so.”
“Some deaths… some sacrifices are necessary, however callous they may appear.” Caedus just made sure she’d got the full meaning without his having to spell it out. “But only if they prove necessary, remember.”
“I understand. It’s ugly, but… I understand.”
Last piece of bait, place it carefully… “In the end, we’re fighting for a galaxy where the Anakins of this world don’t have to give their lives. That’s why we have to think the unthinkable.”
Tahiri’s edge wavered, but she recovered almost as soon as Caedus felt it. “I think living in the past is a dangerous habit, actually. I’m doing this because I think an orderly galaxy is our best defense against falling to an enemy like the Vong again.”
Caedus left her standing in the passageway, hands clasped behind her back, next to the badge of the bloodfin devouring those who forgot how dangerous an animal it was. He mulled over her parting shot all the way back to the Anakin Solo, and realized that she was warning him that she knew how he was manipulating her fixation with his brother. So did she really believe in Sith government being the best defense against traumatic war in the future, or was she even more ambitious than he had ever realized? It didn’t matter. She had that Sith sharpness now, and it was an instrument he was destined to use.
Two of the bridge chronos-one set to local time, one to Galactic Standard Time-crept forward to 2359 GST. One comm channel on each flagship’s bridge was kept open for Fondor’s President, but the deadline came and went, and all Caedus could hear was faint static. Ocean, Bloodfin, and the Anakin Solo were linked on audio, still waiting. Nevil walked slowly around the bridge, glancing over shoulders at tracking screens and sensor displays.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting a response, “Niathal said, al-most as if she was talking to herself. “All ships… we are now at battle stations. I expect this will now be known as the Second Battle of Fondor. I shall be operating from this command information center until further orders.”
Caedus was occasionally aware of the most subliminal of sensations deep inside his skull that hinted at intense activity in hyperspace. Over the last day or so, it had been intermittent. He interpreted it as a fleet moving from place to place, dropping out of hyperspace to pause briefly before jumping again to avoid detection. The Fondorian fleet was taking a walk around the block, he thought, occasionally pausing to take a look to see who was still loitering in the neighborhood, and if they had their back turned.