Vision of the future

Bel Iblis seemed to be studying his face. 'I want you to go down to the surface and make sure that doesn't happen.'

Wedge had had a sneaking suspicion that was the direction this conversation was going. It came as something of a shock just the same. 'All by myself?' he asked. 'Or do you think I might need the rest of Rogue Squadron, too?'

Bel Iblis smiled. 'Relax, Wedge, it's not as bad as it sounds,' he said. 'I'm not expecting you to stand in front of the Drev'starn generator dome, a blaster in each hand, and hold off the Third Imperial Heavy Armor. So far Vengeance has shown more trickery and subterfuge than brute force; and trickery and subterfuge are things a couple of clever X-wing pilots ought to have a good chance of spotting.'

So the proposed scout party was up to two now, Wedge noted, thereby doubling their chances of rooting out this theoretical splinter in a sand hill. 'Did you have anyone in particular in mind as the second clever X-wing pilot?'

'Of course,' Bel Iblis said. 'Commander Horn.'

'I see,' Wedge said between suddenly stiff lips. A search for a hidden saboteur... and Bel Iblis had immediately come up with Corran Horn. Could he somehow have deduced Corran's carefully hidden Jedi skills? 'Why him?'

Bel Iblis's eyebrows lifted slightly. 'Because his father-in-law is a smuggler,' he said. 'He's bound to have a network of contacts Horn will be able to access.'

'Ah,' Wedge said, relaxing a bit. 'I hadn't thought about that.'

'That's why I'm a senior general,' Bel Iblis said dryly. 'You'd better get below and give Horn the good news. You heard Ackbar—I only have a couple of weeks to pull all this together, and I'll want you back with the squadron when we hit Yaga Minor.'

'We'll do what we can,' Wedge promised. 'You want us to take one of the Peregrine's unmarked shuttles?'

Bel Iblis nodded. 'X-wings would be a little conspicuous. Leave your uniforms, too, but take your military IDs in case you have to pull rank on some bureaucrat. I'll let you know when I want you at Ord Trasi.'

'Understood,' Wedge said.

'Good,' Bel Iblis said. 'I'm going to stay up here for a few minutes—I can transmit to the other commanders from here as well as I can from the bridge or my office. Ackbar said immediately, though, so as soon as the other ships are ready, we go. You'll need to be off the Peregrine before that.'

'We will, sir,' Wedge said, moving toward the door. 'Good luck with your battle plan, General.' Bel Iblis smiled faintly. 'Good luck with yours.'

* * *

They were just hitting Bothawui's atmosphere when Corran, who'd been leaning against the side viewport looking back toward the shuttle's stern, turned around and settled himself back into his seat.

'They're gone,' he announced.

Wedge glanced at his displays. The ships of the Peregrine task force were indeed no longer registering. 'That they are,' he agreed. 'We're on our own now.' Corran shook his head. 'This is crazy, Wedge. And you say he specifically told you to take me?'

'Yes, but it didn't have anything to do with your hidden talents,' Wedge assured him. 'He thinks you'll be able to access Booster's smuggling network.'

Corran snorted. 'That might work, if Booster was speaking to me these days.' Wedge glanced sideways at him. 'What, he's not still mad about that trick we pulled with the Hoopster's Prank off Sif'kric, is he? I thought we decided they weren't carrying any contraband and let them go.'

'No, they weren't; and yes, he is,' Corran said. 'Clean or not, the Sif'kries decided they didn't want smugglers carrying cargoes for them and banned the Hoopster's Prank forthwith from future pommwomm shipments.'

Wedge winced. 'Ouch.'

'Doesn't mean they won't get in anyway,' Corran continued with a shrug. 'It just means they'll have to come up with different ships or new ID camouflage or something. But it's a nuisance, and Booster hates nuisances. Especially official nuisances.'