Laughter followed.
“Okay, good,” Mako said, “right around here”—he used the pointer to indicate a point in space close to Nar Shaddaa, on a straight line between the moon and the planet—”we’re going to have our own big ships waiting. And we have a little surprise for our Imperial friends.” He turned and gestured into the wings of the stage. “Xaverri, please step out here.”
Xaverri came out onto the stage, dressed in a pilot’s coverall. Her black hair was braided tightly to her head, and she wore little makeup.
Han had suggested she wear her stage magician’s costume for this part of the presentation, but she had demurred. “No, Han. If they’re going to trust me and what I can do, I want to seem like one of them.”
“Pilots and crews … I want to introduce you to Xaverri. She’s the person who’s going to win this battle for us. Some of you already know her. For those of you who don’t know her, let me tell you that she’s the best in the galaxy at what she does. What she does is make illusions.
Xaverri?”
With a graceful wave of her hand, Xaverri suddenly made the lights in the auditorium flicker, then, without warning, the air was filled with Kayven whistlers. The trick was part of her act, but even Han, who was expecting it, had trouble not ducking when one of the vicious flying creatures swooped directly at his head.
The audience of smugglers yelled and ducked, then when Xaverri made the whistlers disappear with a second wave of her hand, they broke into spontaneous applause.
Mako led the crowd in clapping and stomping his feet in appreciation.
Xaverri stood there, smiling serenely, but not taking a bow.
“She’s good, guys,” Mako said. “And just for us, Xaverri is going to create her masterpiece. When we’ve got the big Imp ships here, where we want them”—he pointed to the spot again—”Xaverri is going to create the illusion that a really big fleet is coming at the Imps from the direction of Nal Hutta. Then, when the Imp ships turn to fire their forward guns at this phantom fleet, that’s when we’ll hit ‘em in the flank and from the rear with everything we’ve got!”
Cheering broke out from the crowd.
Han stepped forward when the noise died down. “Just to let you know, Captain Renthal and her big ships will be waiting with Mako and the Main Strike Element. Captain Renthal”—he turned and extended a hand to her where she sat in the front row, a big, squarish woman with pale skin and close-cropped red-and-gold-striped hair—”please stand up.”
The smugglers clapped for her, too, which was surprising, because some of them had undoubtedly run afoul of Renthal’s Fist or other ships in her pirate fleet.
“Captain Renthal, your big ships will have to clear the path for your Y-wings, and our fighters and strike ships. Any of the smaller Imp cruisers between our force and the flanks of those Capital-class ships will be your target. Your heavy turbolasers and proton torpedoes must knock them out.
We can’t make a run on heavy cruisers if we’re having to dodge fire from too many directions at once,” Mako said, for the benefit of the audience.
He and Han had already gone over every part of the battle plan with Renthal many times.
Drea Renthal nodded. “I’ll do my part,” she said, in a clear, strong alto.
“I was hired to keep the Imps from getting near Nal Hutta. After seeing your battle plan, I agree that this is the best way to accomplish that.”
She turned to face the smugglers. “So you can count on me and my fleet to fight with you all the way!”
More cheers. Renthal pumped her fist in the air, and the crowd went wild.
“Okay,” Han continued when the noise had died down a bit, “the fighters without missiles or torpedoes will serve as escorts. You guys have got to keep those TIEs off us while we make our run.” The Corellian waved at the remainder of the smugglers. “The rest of us will go in and target one or two of the heavy cruisers. When the time comes, Mako will give you your orders. We’ll have to get in as close as we can to their rear and then let them have it with a concentrated volley right into the engines. Don’t hold back, let them have every bit of firepower you’ve got!”
Cheers broke out again from the crowd. Obviously, the realization that they’d have help from Xaverri’s illusion, and a well-armed pirate fleet, had lifted the smugglers’ spirits.
“Okay, fellow sentients,” Mako said, “one more thing. If what we’re tryin’ for here works, you clear out fast! Those cruisers make a pretty big explosion. You don’t want to get caught in it, right?”