Alliances (Star Wars: Thrawn, #2)(72)
“No, it does not,” Thrawn said.
For a long moment, they gazed at each other in silence. “We will continue,” Vader said. “For now. What is your plan?”
Thrawn inclined his head. This time, the intent was unambiguous: a gesture of respect and gratitude. “The crew of the Grysk freighter took great pains to destroy all evidence of their home and base,” he said. “We shall need another source of that information.”
“And you know such a source?”
Thrawn smiled. “I believe so,” he said. “Do you recall your suggestion that the Grysks were surprised by the Chimaera because they had never seen a warship of this size before?”
“Yes,” Vader said, frowning. “Are you suggesting I was wrong?”
“We shall soon find out,” Thrawn said. “Come. Let us examine our new prize, and then gather the others.”
* * *
—
Seated in the freighter’s copilot seat, Kimmund gazed out at the hyperspace sky. Somewhere along in here, if Grand Admiral Thrawn was right, they would find their target.
Mentally, he shook his head. This was crazy.
Beside him, Tephan muttered something under her breath. “What was that?” Kimmund asked.
“I said this crimped freighter handles like a dropped rock,” the pilot growled. “I thought it was supposed to be this wonderful six-tricked surprise package.”
“I assumed all the cool add-ons were out of sight,” Kimmund said. “Extra armor and shielding and all.” He pointed to a section of Tephan’s board. “Not to mention a pair of fire-linked blaster cannons.”
“Which we can’t use.”
“Well, not yet anyway,” Kimmund conceded. “Doesn’t mean—”
And even though he was expecting it, the sudden switch from sky to starlines to stars caught him by surprise.
Evidently, it did Tephan, too. “Whoof!” she puffed. “I guess Thrawn was right.”
“I guess he was,” Kimmund said, keying for a sensor sweep as he punched the intercom. “We’re here,” he announced. “Incoming…two ships. Elliptical shape, about the size of Corona-class frigates—”
The freighter shuddered as a pair of laser blasts burned into a section of hull. “And heavily armed,” Kimmund added drily. “Damage?”
“Shot directly over the hyperdrive,” Tephan reported. “Damage…outer hull, nothing else. Well, damn—I guess this thing is tricked out.”
“So it seems,” Kimmund said. “Looks like one’s standing off, and the other one’s coming in for boarding.” He slapped Tephan on her shoulder as he popped his restraints. “I’m heading back to suit up,” he said, levering himself out of the cramped seat. “Don’t forget to look scared in case they peek in through the window.”
“Right—sitting here looking like a vagabond,” Tephan groused.
“Don’t be snobbish,” Kimmund reproved her, looking at her grubby merchanter’s jumpsuit. “Most people in the galaxy always have to dress like that. Stay sharp.”
Thirty seconds later, he was in the ready room. Two minutes after that, he was suited up in full stormtrooper armor. One minute after that, he was standing with his fellow First Legionnaires at the freighter’s cargo hatch.
Ten seconds after taking his place, he heard the metallic screeching as the attacking frigate grappled onto the freighter’s side, followed by another pair of thuds as the boarding tunnel locked an air seal around both hatches. Kimmund waited…
With a sudden multiple crisscross shower of sparks around the edges and across the face of the hatch the attackers began burning through. “Get ready,” Kimmund murmured into his comm. “Remember, we’re just clearing the hatch.” The sizzling reached a crescendo, and with a scream of stressed metal the hatch disintegrated. A dozen armored Grysks charged in through the opening, dropping to one knee just inside as they began exchanging fire with the waiting stormtroopers. A set of spotlights at the rear of the hold blazed to life, lighting up the attackers and shining squarely in their eyes.
And through that glare, probably visible only as an indistinct shadow, strode Lord Vader.
It was doubtful that the Grysks, fully engaged with the stormtroopers, even saw him coming. But as the attackers began falling from the Defenders’ concentrated fire Vader reached the firing line, the red blade of his lightsaber cutting through the enemy like a scythe through ripened grain as he walked through their midst. A couple of Grysks near the edge of the battle spotted him and swung their weapons around; the Dark Lord countered by waving a hand at one, sending him smashing against the edge of the hatchway, then blocking the shots of the other with his lightsaber and spinning him through the air to land on the deck at Kimmund’s feet.
The Grysk had just enough time to reflexively bring up his weapon, his eyes wide with disbelief and confusion, when Kimmund’s stun blast ended his part of the fight.
“Secure him,” Kimmund snapped to Viq, looking up again. With the initial wave dealt with, Vader was striding into the enemy ship, lightsaber blazing, heading for the bridge. “Troopers: flanking!” Kimmund ordered, gesturing them forward as he set off at a quick run after the Dark Lord.
“Commander, the second frigate is moving in, weapons hot,” Tephan reported. “Orders?”