Tyria leaned back and closed her eyes. "Now, all Myn has to do is actually get up in four hours and we can say we did it."

Kell said, "Now maybe Runt will get some sleep."

"Oh?" Tyria asked. "He's been sleeping badly?"

"On the shifts he pulled to sit with Myn, he talked to him endlessly.

Tried every way he knew to get Myn to 'switch to a less damaged mind.'

Something his people do with fair ease, even the ones who are mentally ill. He's been lashing himself for his failure to help Myn do the same thing."

Face said, "Four hours? What am I doing awake? I'll see you two tomorrow.

" He strode from the room.

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Then Kell said, "That was a pretty good idea. About Shiner being the last Talon in the weird way Myn was thinking."

"Thanks."

"Another insight? Like the other day and the ambush those pirates set up for me?"

"Something like that."

"I bet it's the Force. I bet you can only use it when you're not thinking about it."

"Oh, that's great. That's just what I need. How would you like to be the best pilot in the galaxy, but only when you're outside a c.o.c.kpit?" He snorted.

"Was it true what he said?" Her voice was unusually gentle. "About Janson and your father?"

"Yes." Kell reached out for the deep wellspring of hatred he'd carried for Janson all these years, but it was still gone. Mostly gone. "Every day, I wish it hadn't happened. But Janson had reason." He shook his head, trying to dispel the mood of gloom those memories always invoked.

"Was it true what you said? About giving up that whole att.i.tude of 'I might die tomorrow, probably shouldn't make any plans'?"

She took a while to answer. "Yes, I meant it."

"Urn."

"Urn? That doesn't mean anything."

"You remember a while back, when I told you I loved you, and you told me it was just a puddle on the floor, and then you put my face into that puddle?"

She looked at him as if to gauge his mood. Seeing that he wasn't mad, she managed a sympathetic smile. "Of course I remember."

"Well, I have something to tell you. After I realized you were right, I decided that it was enough to be your friend."

"Good."

"Then I fell in love with you again."

Her expression became one of dismay and exasperation, "Oh, Kell-"

"No, bear with me, just for a minute."

"It's just the same words again."

"Same words... different Kell. This time I know what I'm talking about."

"Of course you do. So. Set Honesty to On?"

"Honesty to On."

"How much time did you spend thinking about me today?"

"Every chance I got. Every chance I had when Commander Antilles and Janson weren't working me."

"Ah, but in how many of those little fantasies of yours was I wearing any clothes?"

He snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Lots of them. Most of them." The words, the truth, came easily to him. "I saw us together in quiet times. When the war with the last bits of the Empire was over and we could argue and be confused about what to do next. Deciding things together. I saw myself presenting you to my family... and saw them making a place in their lives and hearts for you. " He saw distress in her expression but pressed on anyway. "I saw a hundred ways for our lives together to be, and the only thing that made me sad was that we couldn't explore all of them."

He sighed. "But now, like the galaxy's worst general, I've told you my objective-I'm going to win your heart. I just don't know how I'm going to do it, you being forewarned and all-"

She lunged at him. Her tackle took him off the end of the sofa. Suddenly she was atop him on the floor, her arms around his neck, embracing him but glaring furiously.

He rubbed the back of his head where it had hit the deck.

"Ow."

"Shut up." She kissed him.

That went on a while and felt better than a three-day bender on Churban brandy-even better, for the rising heat and excitement he felt were something no brandy could ever simulate. In spite of his confusion, he remembered to wrap her up in his arms so she couldn't escape when she regained her senses.

Finally she broke the kiss and returned to glaring at him.

"Well, that wasn't bad," he said. "But I thought you didn't feel the way I did."

"Of course you did. But then, you're a giant adolescent with no sense. A big shaved Wookiee with no grasp of human emotions."

"Granted. But how long have you wanted me?"

Her expression went from angry to plaintive in an instant. "Since I met you."

"What? Then why didn't you-"

"Because you were in love with that other Tyria, the one who doesn't exist. We established that weeks ago." She managed a little smile. "But I think you're finally over her."

"I am."

"You have to prove it."

"How?"

"Oh, we'll find a way."

Wedge stepped into the officers' mess, took a quick look around, and froze.

Donos was among the other Wraiths. Chatting. Laughing, despite the new gauntness to his features.

Face, on the other hand, didn't look at all well. There were circles under his eyes. He had obviously lost sleep. But he seemed cheerful enough.

Kell and Tyria looked just as bad, sleep-deprived and weary. Yet they seemed even more than cheerful.

Wedge's sudden appearance caught the Wraiths' attention. Their conversation cut off and they turned to look at him.

Wedge straightened and nodded sardonically at Face. In a mild tone, he said, "Captain Darillian to the bridge."

Face scrambled up and out the door. He wouldn't be going to the bridge, of course; Darillian's seat of command was the comm center.

Wedge jerked his head for Janson to join him. His second-in-command was at his side in an instant. They headed toward Night Caller's true bridge.

"What's with Myn?" Wedge asked.

"I don't know. They're not telling me. But he seems to be functional."

"Good. One crisis averted. What's with all the tired faces?"

"I, well, don't know. Maybe a late-night sabacc game they don't invite senior officers to?"

"Fine. Anything else you don't know?"

"Yes. Something happened with Kell yesterday."

"What?"

"I don't know."

Wedge stopped short and gave Janson a reproving look.

"No, really, I don't know. We talked. About his father. I got the impression that he'd been thinking of me as some sort of avenging monster who vaped people for screwups. I also got the impression that he really hadn't been plotting my death every time he came within a few meters of me... in fact, that he might have been scared stiff."

"That can actually look the same."

"Anyway, this morning, things had changed. For the first time, he didn't become a tower of knotted muscles when I sat down to breakfast."

"Good." They swept into the bridge. "Lieutenant Tabanne, put the compiled transmission up on the main monitor."

"Yes, sir."

Face sat at the comm officer's chair, activated the voice and visual translators, and put them through the fastest possible diagnostic check.

Both came up in the green. The computers controlling the comm center's cameras thought they were tracking his body motions correctly.

He sat back, thought for a moment about an aging prima donna of a leading man he'd worked with once, and was instantly in character for Captain Darillian. He turned toward the comm center's main holoprojector, hit the b.u.t.ton to activate transmission, and prepared to speak to Admiral Trigit.

The three-dimensional image of Warlord Zsinj materialized before him.

Face took an extra-deep breath and broadened his smile to cover his surprise. "My lord. I am honored."

Zsinj's smile was one of condescension and amus.e.m.e.nt. "But not honored enough to do your job correctly."

Face let his eyebrows rise. How had Darillian responded to scorn in his memoirs? With outrage. But the man would never direct an angry response to Warlord Zsinj. No, hurt was the order of the day. "My lord... I have failed you in some way? You have called to tell me I no longer deserve your patronage. It's the life of a pirate for Darillian..."

"Oh, stop being such a baby. It leeches all the fun out of scolding you."

Zsinj heaved an annoyed sigh. "I received the relay of your report on the visit to Blood Nest."

Pretending not to be fully recovered from the wound to his pride, Face shrugged. "A pity they chose to reject your offer. But since my avoidance of their ambush was so brilliantly successful, I feel I have left them with something to think about. Perhaps they will be more cordial when I return."

Zsinj shook his head. "I don't believe so. Blood Nest is gone."

Face leaned forward and a.s.sumed an incredulous expression. "They fled?"

"No, and that's the problem. Sometime after you departed, Blood Nest was destroyed. In fact, every site you've visited in the last several weeks has subsequently been visited... by Alliance pilots or agents."

"No." Face knew he looked shaken and hoped Grinder's program was up to having Darillian show the same expression. "At the next stop in my mission, I'll pretend to jump out, then lie in wait for them. I'll destroy them."

"Yes. But not yet. I have a more important mission for you." Zsinj smiled. "You're going to help that fool Trigit finish off the survivors of Folor Base."

Once everyone was reseated at breakfast, Piggy asked, "Can the Alliance muster enough firepower to Morobe in time to take out Implacable?"

Wedge nodded. "That firepower is in place. We know which system Trigit's going to strike, even though Zsinj, with his customary caution, hasn't told us yet. If Zsinj were going in himself, we'd have to draw so many frigates, cruisers, and Star Destroyers away from other duty that Zsinj would be alerted... but, fortunately or unfortunately, Iron Fist isn't joining in this mission.

"We do have a real problem, though. He told our Captain Darillian to make rendezvous with the supply ship Hawkbat to replenish expended fuel and supplies. And to pick up a load of surveillance satellites we can deploy at our next scheduled stop so they can acquire data on our 'pursuers.' He also says he wants the Hawkbat's master to come over for an inspection tour of the ship and a talk with Darillian."

"Oh, wonderful," Kell said.

"Also, if Night Caller is partic.i.p.ating in the battle at Talasea, Zsinj is probably going to expect us to field our full complement of TIE fighters. Which is supposed to be four, not two."

"The TIE fighters are no problem," Falynn said.

"They're all over the galaxy. Set the Wraiths down on any planet and we can steal two and fly them back."

"Speaking of which," Janson said, "we have two more TIE pilots if we need them. Both Captain Hrakness and Lieutenant Tabanne are Imp Academy graduates. He's done simulators and soloed, and she actually flew a few missions." Wedge tried to keep any emotion from his face. "Kills?"

"No. Only since defecting and joining the New Republic Navy."

"Good." One of the problems with the New Republic was that many of its pilots had literally and violently been at odds in the past. It sometimes caused trouble when a pilot now under New Republic command had shot down other New Republic pilots. But some people Wedge absolutely trusted had been Imperials: Tycho Celchu, current leader of Rogue Squadron; Hobbie Klivan, who had defected with Biggs Darklighter and the rest of the crew of the Rand Ecliptic; even Han Solo had been an Academy graduate and briefly an officer.

"The rendezvous is no problem," Phanan said. At Wedge's curious look, he said, "We simply need to get to the rendezvous site and say, 'Oh, no, we're all down with the Tastiged Flu. Sure, come over. Hope you don't mind when we have sneezing fits all over you and infect you.' "