[Legacy Of The Force] - 08(108)

“Bloodfin, this is Ocean, “she said. There was no response on the personal encrypted link; she tried the bridge channel. “Gil, are you still there?”

“Clever trick, “Pellaeon said. His tone was wary: he had company this time. “I have Lieutenant Veila here, and she’s been explaining some of basics of the Force to me.”

“Jacen’s destroying Oridin. I’m comming Vadde and offering terms.”

“Are you asking me for my opinion, or telling me?”

“I’m joint Chief of State, and I don’t think my colleague is in a position to negotiate, seeing as he’s busy fighting his ship.” She could stop this now. She could stop this and end the day with some ships left, and Fondor wouldn’t look like the Yuuzhan Vong had just left again. She turned to the flag lieutenant she was usually assigned in Ocean, Vio. “Flag, get me the Fondorian President.”

Surrenders were normally forced from a stronger position than hers. This time, the GA had lost an arm but the enemy had lost both legs, so she was still ahead. She strode back to the bridge as fast as she could without breaking into a run, scattering crew members. They couldn’t have known what was going on; it was hard enough for officers in the CIC to piece together the picture, so anyone tied up in single tasks elsewhere knew next to nothing, other than from disjointed scraps that filtered through at remarkable if careless speed by word of mouth from deck to deck.

Shas Vadde took a little longer to respond than she’d expected. It was the first time it had crossed her mind that she was Jucky to raise him at all, because there was every chance he’d be based in Oridin. But he was alive; the holoscreen image showed him in a harshly lit room that could have been an emergency planning center with people milling around behind him, many in administrators’ uniforms.

“Admiral, “he said, “we’re on backup generators here, so make the most of this comlink. The power grid’s out in six cities in the Oridin region. Oridin itself-well, I’m sure you can see the results of your handiwork.”

“We can stop this now.” Niathal bristled at the thought of being tarred with Jacen’s brush, but it was all rather academic to someone in Vadde’s position. “Surrender now, we both recall our fleets, and I personally guarantee you that Fondor will get permanent special economic status, and we’ll aid you in disaster recovery as soon as you say the word.”

Vadde considered her in silence for what seemed like a long time. The bridge crew were occupied with the incoming data and intelligence coming in direct from the fleet and via the CIC, but a couple of officers paused to watch the impromptu negotiations. Wars turned on small personal events like this.

“What about Solo?” Vadde asked. “Is he going to go along with this?”

“I’m not asking his permission.” Forget the united front. “He’s too tied up with your fleet at the moment to talk, so I’m acting unilaterally.”

It took Vadde another minute to answer, during which he was interrupted by an aide who showed him a datapad. Whatever was contained in it, it wasn’t good news.

“We surrender, “Vadde said at last. “Call off your ships. I’ll call off mine.” He turned and said something to someone behind him, and looked years older when he turned back to face her again. “Give it a few minutes to reach all ships. Cease-fires can be ragged, as I’m sure you know.”

Niathal waited, and as soon as reports started coming in of Fondorian vessels breaking off attacks, she opened the comm to every bridge in the fleet-and that included Jacen’s elements around Fondor.

Tough. He wants to play front-line commander, then he doesn’t get included in the diplomacy.

“All Galactic Alliance and Imperial Remnant vessels, cease fire immediately, “she said. “Cease fire. Fondor has surrendered.”

There was always a time lag while cautious commanders double-checked the signal, and gunners and pilots caught up in the life-or-death adrenal blur of combat were told again to stand down. It was hard to come to an immediate halt. The Imperial ships seemed to be waiting for confirmation from their own officers, but Pellaeon’s voice came on the link ordering the cease-fire, and their fleet fell silent.

At this distance, without seeing the damage and casualty reports coming back from battered ships, Niathal could pretend that the sector had returned to a peaceful calm, and that everything could go back to normal.

The only ships still moving on the screens were the

Anakin Solo and its accompanying frigates. Niathal was anxious for Fondor not to get jumpy. She let Vadde hear the voice traffic. “Anakin Solo, this is Ocean. Respond please.”