Vision of the future

totally helpless, pinned in place by approximately fifty of our heavy-lift tractor beams.'

Booster swallowed a curse that wanted desperately to come out. What was it with this ship and tractor beams, anyway?

He started as Bel Iblis tapped him on the arm. The general was glaring at him, gesturing him impatiently toward the comm station. Booster glared back, took a deep breath. 'Admiral Thrawn, sir, what are you doing?' he called, trying to mix respect and bewildered fear into his tone. The latter part took no acting whatsoever. 'Sir, we have injured officers and crewers aboard—'

'That's enough,' Thrawn cut him off coldly. The attempt at casualness had apparently been too much for the red- eyed mongrel—it was back to being overbearing again. 'I respect your courage in making this attempt, but the game is over. Must I order the turbolaser batteries to commence taking the ship apart?'

Bel Iblis exhaled softly. 'No need for that, Admiral,' he called. 'This is General Bel Iblis.'

'Ah—General,' Thrawn said. Once again he'd changed tone, Booster noted, this time switching from cold threat to the almost cordial unspoken camaraderie between fellow professionals. The man was nothing if not versatile. 'I congratulate you, sir, on your attempt, futile though it may have been.'

'Thank you, Admiral,' Bel Iblis said. 'However, I suggest the success or failure of the operation has yet to be determined.'

'Do you, now,' Thrawn said. 'Well, then, let us make it official. I hearby call on you to suspend your diversion and surrender your ship.'

Bel Iblis glanced at Booster. 'And if I refuse?'

'As I suggested earlier, General, you're lying helpless before me,' Thrawn said, his voice heavy with menace. 'At my order, your ship will be systematically destroyed.' For a long moment the bridge was silent. Booster watched Bel Iblis; Bel Iblis, in turn, was gazing out at the Star Destroyer standing in their path. 'I need to discuss this with my officers,' he said at last.

'Of course,' Thrawn said easily. 'Take your time. Only I suggest you don't take too much time. Your diversionary force is fighting valiantly, if ineffectually, but my patience toward them will not last forever. Interdictor Cruisers are already moving into position to trap them there, and the various fighter commanders are pleading to be allowed to launch their TIEs and Preybirds.'

'Understood,' Bel Iblis said. 'I'll deliver my answer as quickly as possible.' He gestured to the comm officer to cut the transmission. 'What are you going to do now?' Booster demanded. The thought of the Errant Venture ending up again in Imperial hands...

'As I promised, I'm going to deliver my answer,' Bel Iblis said coolly. 'Tanneris, Bodwae, where are those tractor beams originating? From the base or the defense perimeter?'

'I'm getting thirty-eight from emplacements in the perimeter,' Bel Iblis's sensor officer reported.

'Fjifteen more comjing from the base jitself,' Bodwae added. 'JI have thejir locatjions marked.'

'Thank you,' Bel Iblis said. 'Simons, do we have any freedom of movement at all?'

'Not really, sir,' the helmsman said. 'We're pinned pretty solidly in place.'

'What about rotational? Can we swivel around a vertical axis?'

'Ah... yes, sir, actually I think we can,' the other said, frowning at his displays. 'Probably no more than a quarter turn, though.'

'Not nearly enough to turn us around and get the blazes out of here,' Booster muttered.

'Getting out isn't the goal,' Bel Iblis reminded him. 'Simons, bring us around ninety degrees to portside, or as near to that as you can manage. Portside turbolasers and proton torpedo tubes, prepare to fire at the defense perimeter at my command, targeting the tractor beam emplacements holding us here. Starboard weapons, same thing, only targeting the emplacements on the base.' There was a chorus of acknowledgments. Booster gazed out at the base and the Star Destroyer standing ready in front of it; and as he watched, they started moving to the right. Slowly and ponderously, but moving.

He took a step closer to Bel Iblis. 'You realize, of course, that you're not going to fool anybody with this,' he warned. 'Least of all someone like Thrawn. He's going to see us targeting the tractor beams and start slicing the ship up beneath us.'

Bel Iblis shook his head. 'I don't think so. Not yet, anyway. All the evidence indicates that he's trying to rebuild the Empire, and a mass of wreckage won't help him do that. What he really wants from us is a few high-ranking New Republic prisoners he can parade in front of potential converts to his cause.'

'Not to mention picking up an extra Star Destroyer to use against anyone who isn't so easily converted?'