Vision of the future

It wasn't until Wedge and Rogue Squadron had been permanently assigned to Bel Iblis that he'd learned the truth. Intelligence sections, Bel Iblis had explained to him, were crowded and public places, and having a decrypted signal piped to bridge or command room gave abundant opportunity for anyone with a modicum of skill and a surplus of curiosity to tap into the conversation. A comm blister, in contrast, was about as isolated a place as one could find aboard a warship; and having the encrypt/decrypt computer close at hand meant that the message began and ended right there. Whenever any really private transmissions were due, that was where Bel Iblis was to be found. He and Wedge were there now. At Admiral Ackbar's personal request.

'I understand your concerns, General Bel Iblis,' Ackbar said, his face filling the comm display, his huge eyes swiveling around to take in Wedge as well. 'And I do not disagree with your assessment. But I must nevertheless turn down your request.'

'I strongly urge you to reconsider, Admiral,' Bel Iblis said stiffly. 'I appreciate the political situation on Coruscant, but that can't be allowed to blind us to the purely military considerations here.' The Mon Cal's lip tendrils seemed to stiffen. 'Unfortunately, there are no longer any pure military considerations involving the Caamas issue,' he rumbled. 'Political and ethical questions have pervaded everything.'

'Unusual combination,' Wedge murmured under his breath.

One of Ackbar's eyes swiveled briefly toward him before turning back to Bel Iblis. 'The final line of the situation is that any serious New Republic presence over Bothawui at this point would be construed as support of the Bothans against their critics.'

'It would be nothing of the sort,' Bel Iblis objected. 'It would be a voice of calm and reason in the middle of a very dangerous flash point. There are sixty-eight warships here already, all of them engaged in a twelve-way glaring contest with each other, all of them ready to jump if any of the others so much as sneeze. There has got to be someone here who can mediate any problems before they collapse into all-out war.'

Ackbar sighed, a darkly rasping sound. 'I agree with you wholeheartedly, General. But the High Council and Senate are in ultimate authority here, and they have come to a different conclusion.' Bel Iblis threw a baleful glance at Wedge. 'I trust you'll continue trying to change their minds.'

'Yes indeed,' Ackbar said. 'But whether I am successful or not, you will not be the one chosen for the dubious honor of mediator. President Gavrisom has already selected another task for you.'

'More important than keeping the peace over Bothawui?'

'Far more important,' Ackbar assured him. 'If Bothawui is the flash point, then it is the Caamas Document which is the spark.'

Wedge felt a sudden premonition hit him. Could Gavrisom actually be considering—?

He was. 'President Gavrisom has therefore concluded that the New Republic's best chance of defusing the controversy is to obtain an intact copy of the document,' Ackbar continued. 'To that end, you are to proceed immediately to Ord Trasi, where you will begin assembling a force for an information raid on the Imperial Ubiqtorate base at Yaga Minor.'

Wedge stole a furtive glance at Bel Iblis. The general's expression hadn't changed, but there was just enough of a tightness in his jaw to show he was thinking along the same lines Wedge was. 'With all due respect, Admiral,' Bel Iblis said, 'President Gavrisom must be joking. Yaga Minor is possibly the most heavily defended system in Imperial or New Republic space. And that's just considering a straight-line attack, where it doesn't matter which enemy positions come under fire. Having to keep the enemy data system intact adds five extra layers of difficulty to the whole operation.'

'The President is well aware of the challenges involved,' Ackbar said, his voice even more gravelly than usual. 'I'll be honest: I don't like this any more than you do. But it has to be tried. If war breaks out over this issue, we don't have enough ships or troops to either force or maintain a peace. The entire New Republic could conceivably collapse into total civil war.' Bel Iblis looked at Wedge again, turned back to the display. 'Yes, sir,' he said. 'Unfortunately, I'm forced to agree with your assessment.'

'I may also say,' Ackbar added, 'that if there's any way this can be done, you are the one who can do it.'

Bel Iblis smiled wryly. 'Thank you for your confidence, Admiral. I'll do my best.'

'Good,' Ackbar said. 'You and your task force are to leave Bothawui immediately for Ord Trasi. I'll be quietly sending you the rest of your ships over the next two weeks, at which time I expect you to have a battle plan formulated and ready to go.'

'Understood,' Bel Iblis said. 'What about special equipment or units?'

'Anything the New Republic can supply is yours,' Ackbar assured him. 'Tell me what you need, and I'll have it sent to you.'

Bel Iblis nodded. 'We will of course need total secrecy on this,' he warned. 'If even a hint leaks to the Empire, what little chance we have will be gone.'

'The secrecy will be complete,' Ackbar promised. 'I've already set a cover story in motion which should convince