Vision of the future

Nalgol felt a movement beside him. 'You sent for me, Captain?' Oissan said.

'That priority/threat list I asked for,' Nalgol said shortly. 'Where is it?'

'The preliminary list has been filed,' Oissan said, sounding a bit flustered. 'We were expecting to have more time to complete it.'

'Well, you didn't, did you?' Nalgol bit out, thoroughly disgusted. First the strike team, now Oissan. 'Get back to work. We still have an hour or two before the battle out there winds down to where we'll be entering it.'

'Yes, sir,' Oissan said stiffly. 'Will you be wanting my staff to interrogate the prisoners?'

'What prisoners?'

'Why—' Oissan floundered. 'The crews of those freighters out there.' Nalgol shook his head. 'There will be no prisoners.'

'But you said—'

'I said to bring them closer, that's all,' Nalgol cut him off tartly. 'I don't want any debris floating outside the cloaking shield where someone might notice it.'

He looked back out the viewport. The YT-1300 was twisting madly in the grip of the tractor beam, still trying to escape, the larger Action II curiously quiet. 'Another minute or two,' he added,

'and they'll be taken care of. Permanently.'

* * *

'There!' Lando snapped, pointing out the Industrious Thoughts's viewport. 'Didn't I tell you?

The Ishori have recognized the danger and are heading out to take a look.'

'They are merely running in an attempt to save their skins,' Senator Miatamia countered calmly.

'Or else feel that the heightened maneuverability available in deep space will serve their defense better.'

'Fine,' Lando said. 'Either way, you can't just let them go.'

'The Diamala seek no vengeance against anyone,' the Senator said. 'We have thwarted their unprovoked attack against Bothawui. That is sufficient for now.'

'But what about the threat I warned you about?' Lando demanded. 'We bet on it, remember?'

'If such a threat exists, and if the Ishori are indeed searching for it, they will surely discover it on their own,' Miatamia said equably. 'There is no reason for any Diamalan ships to expose themselves to danger.'

Lando glared out the viewport at the departing ship. However she'd done it, Leia had gotten the Predominance to move against the comet and whatever surprise the Imperials had hidden out there. But with Thrawn pulling the strings, the surprise was likely to be a memorable one. Almost certainly too big for a single Ishori war cruiser to handle by itself... 'I see,' he said, striving to keep his voice casual, the tone of a disinterested party who has nothing to gain one way or the other. 'I'm sure the Ishori are just as happy to get away from you, too.'

'What does it matter how the Ishori see things?' Miatamia said.

'Oh, no reason,' Lando said with a shrug. 'I was just thinking that if they decided they wanted to make a real fight of it, they'd need to call in reinforcements. And of course, once they're out of range of your jamming, they'll be able to do that.'

Miatamia's ears curled over. 'Surely they would not do such a thing.'

'Why not?' Lando said. 'Remember, they think the whole Bothan species should pay for their part in the destruction of Caamas. If I were them, I'd figure that the space over Bothawui would be the perfect spot to hash out their differences with the Diamala.'

He nodded back in the direction of the planet beneath them. 'Especially with part of the planetary shield collapsed the way it is. Any battle debris that falls through that hole is just a bonus as far as they're concerned.'

Miatamia was already at the intercom, speaking urgently into it. Lando stared out the viewport, holding his breath...