Outbound Flight: Star Wars Legends (Star Wars - Legends) by Timothy Zahn

Author:Timothy Zahn [Zahn, Timothy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2011-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

16

Car’das started awake to find a pair of glowing red eyes hovering above him in the darkness. “Who is it?” he asked anxiously.

“Thrawn,” the commander’s voice came back. “Get dressed.”

“What’s happened?” Car’das asked as he pushed off the blanket and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

“One of my scouts has reported a group of unidentified vessels in the area,” Thrawn said. “Quickly, now—we leave in thirty minutes.”

Forty-five minutes later, the Springhawk cleared the asteroid tunnel and made the jump to lightspeed.

And not just the Springhawk. Before they made the jump Car’das counted no fewer than eleven other ships forming up around and behind them, including two more Springhawk-size cruisers. “Is this more Vagaari?” he asked as the starlines melted into the hyperspace sky.

“It doesn’t appear to be,” Thrawn said. “The ship designs are entirely different. I wanted you aboard to see if you can identify them.”

“You might have done better to bring Qennto instead,” Car’das warned. “He’s a lot more knowledgeable about those things than I am.”

“I thought it best to leave both him and Ferasi behind,” Thrawn said. “I’ve sensed certain…problems there.”

Car’das winced. “You’re right,” he had to admit. “So where exactly are these invaders?”

“Why do you call them invaders?”

“Well, I—” Car’das floundered. “I just assumed they were in Chiss space, after that talk you had with your brother.” He frowned. “They are in Chiss space, aren’t they?”

“The charter of the Expansionary Defense Fleet is to observe and explore the region around the Chiss Ascendancy,” Thrawn said. “That’s all we intend to do today.”

Which was pretty much exactly what he’d said about the Vagaari attack. Terrific. “How long until we get there?”

“Approximately four hours,” Thrawn said. “In the meantime, I’ve had a combat suit prepared for you, one with more armoring and self-sealant capabilities than your suit from the Bargain Hunter. Go below and put it on. The armorer will assist you.”

It took Car’das and the armorer most of the first three hours to get the suit fitted correctly, with the fourth hour spent in checking him out on its features. Once that was finished, though, he found the suit quite comfortable to wear, though noticeably heavier than the simple vac suits he was used to.

He returned to the bridge to find that in his absence Thrawn and the rest of the bridge crew had also donned their combat suits. “Welcome back,” the commander greeted him, running an eye over his suit. “We’re nearly there.”

Car’das nodded and moved to his usual place beside the other’s command chair. Listening to the clipped comments of the bridge crew, he let his eyes roam the displays and status boards and waited. The time count went to zero, and they were once again back among the stars.

“Where are they?” he asked, peering through the viewports at the stars and a very distant sun.

“There,” Thrawn said, pointing a few degrees off the starboard bow. “Sensors: magnify.” The main display rippled and steadied…

Car’das caught his breath, his chest suddenly squeezing tightly against his heart.

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