"So let's open the survey with our military.

"We are growing stronger," he began. "When the war started, contracts were awarded in order to increase in our force strength. More capital ships, more fighters, more transports, larger ground forces. The shipyards at Kuat, Talaan, Corellia, and here at Mon Calamari have been disrupted by the war but not fatally injured, and now they are delivering new capital ships, while many contractors dispersed throughout friendly s.p.a.ce are delivering large numbers of smaller craft."

It took a while, Luke knew, First you built droids. And then the droids built a factory-not for warships, but for more droids. Then the first set of droids, plus the new droids built by the factory, built another factory, and that built ships, while the first factory continued to build new droids to build new factories to build new droids to build new factories to build ships. You could keep going forever building new factories, new droids, and new ships, provided supplies weren't interrupted and someone was willing to pay for it all. Once the cascade started, it just kept growing, and the only way to stop it was to destroy all the factories, ships, and droids, because if just one droid survived, that droid could start the cascade all over again, by building another droid.

What this meant was that new ships were coming into service, and they'd keep coming, in geometrically increasing numbers as the largely droid workforce brought new factories on-line.

"We also have many new recruits," Ackbar went on. "Despite the efforts of the Peace Brigade and others favoring surrender to the Yuuzhan Vong, many idealistic citizens have volunteered for the military. Many of these have been drawn from refugee populations who prefer the hazards of battle to the tedium of refugee camps-and the refugees, who have seen their homeworlds destroyed or occupied, provide a highly motivated brand of recruit, who wish to win back their homes and take vengeance on the enemy. The bottleneck in making use of their volunteers hasn't so much been their numbers, but the necessity of building training camps in safe areas and staffing diem with qualified instructors. But this has now been done."

Luke knew that building training camps and training recruits ran along the same lines as building ships and droids, except that military instructors couldn't be built as easily as droids, or turned out hi a factory. Still, in addition to the instructors the military possessed at the beginning of the war, there were a great many veterans of the Rebellion who had returned to the colors, and were busy training the next generation in every tactic they knew.

"The drawback to so many new ships and personnel is that they are untried," Ackbar continued. "Successful actions against the Yuuzhan Vong have been few, so there is no standard fleet doctrine based on consistent success in battle. Now that New Republic research groups have succeeded in -at least temporarily canceling the advantages given the Yuuzhan Vong by their-" He glanced at the datapad. "-their 'yammosks,' " his pink-whiskered lips working delicately at the alien word, "we may take greater risks with our new forces, but still we will be putting raw recruits up against seasoned enemy veterans, and in the normal course of events may expect to take heavy casualties.

"Our problems have been compounded by failures in intelligence,"

Ackbar continued. The two intelligence directors, Luke saw, received this judgment without surprise. "We were invaded by an unknown enemy of unknown force, of a species unknown to us, and impelled by unknown motives. We could not infiltrate them, we could not scout their homeworlds, we could not even speak their language. Even the famous and highly regarded Bothan secret services were able to accomplish nothing.

Small wonder that we could not predict their actions. That lack has, to a degree, been remedied, with better knowledge of the enemy and with agents now in place on enemy worlds.

"So much for our capabilities." Ackbar paused, and one large hand loosened his collar. "I should like to continue with an a.n.a.lysis of the enemy."

He paused, perhaps waiting for a question, then went on. "The Yuuzhan Vong invasion of our galaxy has a religious justification," he said. "Perhaps the leadership cynically uses religion to camouflage other, less n.o.ble reasons for the a.s.sault, but there is no doubt that most Yuuzhan Vong sincerely believe that their G.o.ds have given our worlds to them. Because they have no doubts on this score, they form a highly motivated, dedicated, tenacious, and ideologically unified corps of invaders. While the experience of Jacen and Anakin Solo suggests that the Yuuzhan Vong have divisions among themselves, and disagreements among their leadership, they nevertheless present a united front to all outsiders. Our attempts to divide or corrupt diem have been fruitless. As far as I know-and my knowledge on this score is necessarily incomplete-we have been unable to turn a single Yuuzhan Vong into an informer or spy.

While it is possible that Yuuzhan Vong religious faith and ideology may weaken as a result of contact with us, with occasional defeats, and with a galaxy more complex than their ideas can sustain, we can't count on being able to divide one group of Yuuzhan Vong from another as a means to our victory."

While Ackbar spoke, Winter quietly rose from her place, walked to the tinkling fountain set in the wall, and soaked a handkerchief in seawater. She returned to Ackbar and efficiently swept moisture onto Ackbar's graying skin.

Dif Scaur gave a ferocious sneeze. Ackbar paused for a moment, then continued. "The enemy's greatest successes have been in the realm of intelligence. The galaxy was thoroughly scouted before the first attack.

Spies and informers were placed or recruited throughout all target areas.

Our government was penetrated at its highest levels. Agents such as Nom Anor had stirred civil conflict that distracted us from the real threat of invasion. Enemy agents, puppets, and collaborators were able to keep us thoroughly off balance throughout the critical early months of the a.s.sault. Even now we have no certain knowledge that our most closely guarded secrets are not in the possession of the enemy. The knowledge that the Yuuzhan Vong may be fully aware of our movements has paralyzed our leadership, and tended to make them overly cautious."

Luke glanced at Sien Sow. His heavy-jowled face was expressionless, but Luke sensed no resentment of this a.n.a.lysis in the Sull.u.s.tan.

"Material losses are irrelevant to the Yuuzhan Vong," Ackbar continued. "Apparently their ships are grown and harvested like interstellar fruit. They can have as many warships as they can find Vong, and Vong collaborators, to crew them.

"And as for crews," Ackbar said, "I have on my datapad some estimates of initial Yuuzhan Vong strength, and their casualties thus far in the war. These are approximations, since we really don't know the strength of any extragalactic reserves, nor do we have anything but estimates of Yuuzhan Vong casualties, and these may be exaggerated." He cleared his throat. "They often are. You may view these figures, if you like, on your own datapads-I am prepared to send them to you."

Luke took out his datapad and set it to receive. Figures shimmered across its screens. Estimated total population, percentage of population estimated to consist of the warrior caste, an estimate of the number of casualties inflicted by New Republic forces-almost all members of the warrior caste-casualties reflected as percentage of total warrior caste.

Luke looked at Ackbar in astonishment. "We've killed almost a third of their warriors?" he asked.

"So these figures imply," Ackbar said.

"They're very approximate," Cal Omas pointed out.

"They're the best we have," Ackbar said. "I don't think they're far wrong."

"Our figures at New Republic Intelligence imply much the same tiling," Dif Scaur said. Luke was always surprised that someone as pale and thin as Scaur had such a strong voice.

"The Vong lost an entire battle group at Obroa-skai," Nylykerka put in. "They failed at Hapes. And Yuuzhan Vong casualties at Fondor and Coruscant were heavy, even though both were victories for the Vong."

"They cannot afford many more such victories," Scaur said.

"If these figures are correct," Cal said. "I don't want to throw our fleets at the enemy on the basis of guesswork."

"There are ways of testing whether the figures are correct," Ackbar said. "If the Yuuzhan Vong stage another large offensive against a major target in the next two months, we'll know that they have warriors to spare. If instead they consolidate their gains, we'll know that their losses have taught them caution."

Ayddar Nylykerka and Sien Sow looked at each other uneasily. The thought of a ma.s.sive attack on Corellia, Mon Calamari, or other important targets was never far from their thoughts.

"The Yuuzhan Vong warriors arc brave," Ackbar went on. "They are aggressive, they obey orders without hesitation, fight to the death, retreat reluctantly or never, and never surrender." He drew a long breath, and sighed it out. "Considering their other advantages, it is lucky for us that they possess these weaknesses."

Luke stared at Ackbar. Of course. Why hadn't he realized this before?

"Weaknesses!" Scaur's astonished cry filled the air. "You call these weaknesses?"

"Of course," Ackbar said simply. "We can count on the enemy to have these traits. That means they are predictable. And while each of these traits may be admirable in itself, together they add up to ma.s.sive and systematic weaknesses!"

He held up one giant hand. "Consider," he said. "Bravery and aggression result in foolhardy courage, and in any case are useful only with adequate direction. Unthinking obedience means a lack of flexibility. To fight to the death, and never to surrender, is to deny oneself useful alternatives. Together, we can use these Yuuzhan Vong traits to draw the enemy into a trap from which he will never escape."

Ackbar extended a single finger as far as the hand's webbing would permit. "Foolhardy courage will bring the Yuuzhan Vong into the trap." He held out a second ringer. "Unthinking obedience means that Vong subordinates won't dare to question their superiors even if they have doubts." A third finger. "Unthinking obedience also means that warriors can't exercise initiative and will continue to follow their superiors'

plans even after a fluid combat situation has made them irrelevant. They won't change their plans without their superiors' permission, even if their superiors are out of touch or have an unrealistic idea of the situation."

Ackbar held up a fourth finger. "Because the Yuuzhan Vong consider death inevitable and never seek to prolong their lives, they will continue to fight on even in a hopeless cause. Their superiors' courage and belief in their cause will make them reluctant to order a retreat until it's too late. These facts together, my friends, form a weapon with which we will destroy the Vong!" He closed his hand into a fist and smashed it on the table. Cal Omas jumped.

"A trap," Luke said, "implies bait."

Ackbar gasped agreement as Winter moistened his forehead. "And the bait must be real. It must be something for which the Yuuzhan Vong will commit all their available strength."

"And what is that?" Cal asked.

"Us, I suppose," Dif Scaur said, looking about the table. "The government." His eyes, in their hollow sockets, turned to Ackbar. "What sort of timing are you considering? When should this trap be set?"

"At the moment we have a great advantage," Ackbar said. "We can defeat their-their 'yammosks'; we can confuse their communications and cause them to fire at one another. We don't know if these advantages will last for long, so we should seek a decisive battle very soon."

"But most of our forces are inexperienced,'" Sien Sow said quickly.

"You have said this yourself. Dare we fight a decisive battle with so many raw troops?"

"No," Ackbar said. "We daren't. Our forces must be seasoned in battle before we attempt a major engagement."

"How do we season them without a major engagement?" Dif Scaur asked.

"Through many small engagements," Ackbar said. "The Yuuzhan Vong now have the same disadvantage that we had at the beginning-they have too many worlds to defend. Too many trade lanes. Too many resources. We should let the fleet loose on these targets-on all of them." He held up a hand. "But we should never attack where we know the Yuuzhan Vong to be strong. Never engage where we do not possess an advantage. Our military must be seasoned, but seasoned only in victory. Through one success after another, they will learn to trust their commanders, and will grow in confidence to the point where they expect only victory." His huge pop eyes turned toward Admiral Sow. "You must give your commanders a great deal of initiative in choosing their targets. You must give them permission to take risks, and occasionally to fail. Raid, skirmish, pounce on isolated detachments. Disrupt lines of communication, isolate enemy worlds from one another, establish hidden bases from which you can mount raids. But you must never engage the enemy where he is strong. Only where he is weak."

"The Rebellion all over again," Cal Omas said. "That's how we fought the Empire for the first years."

"That's correct."

"But when we fought the Empire," Cal continued, "we didn't have so many places to defend. Our government was small and able to move to places like Yavin or Hoth. We didn't have millions of refugees to feed and resettle, or hundreds of Senators demanding special protection for their worlds."

"We must defend only those places that are vital to the war,"

Ackbar said. "They must be defended, as we defended Coruscant and Borleias, to the point where even a victory would cost the enemy too much."

"And what places are those?" Cal asked.

"Places where the new fleet elements are coming into being. Mon Calamari. Kuat. Corellia." Ackbar sighed again. "That's all."

"That's all?" Cal said.

"Anything else"-Ackbar waved a hand-"give away when the enemy attacks. It will stretch Yuuzhan Vong resources and make diem weaker everywhere else."

"And the refugees?" Luke asked. "Those huge convoys that we've tried to protect? Those millions of people we've had to resettle?"

Ackbar turned to Luke. His eyes were cold. "We must not defend these huge targets. Tying our forces to them only makes us weak."

Luke felt a chill settle into his spine. "I've sworn to defend the weak," he said.

"Who is weak?" Ackbar asked. " We are weak. The government. The military. While we are weak, the enemy thrives and the refugees are doomed no matter what we do. Once we are strong, the enemy will have more important things to do than to attack convoys."

Luke turned away. "I understand," he said, but all his instincts warred against Ackbar's bitter logic.

Dif Scaur put his thin, k.n.o.bby-jointed hands on the table. His skin was so pale that the hands seemed to fade into the white marble.

"I ask again for your timetable," he said. "You propose to put our untried forces into a kind of live-fire exercise against a real enemy in order to season them. How long before you think the fleet will be ready for a major action, or for this decisive battle your plan calls for?"

Ackbar's response was swift. "Three months," he said. "Three months of continuous low-level engagement with the enemy should give us a battle-tested force able to hold their own against the Yuuzhan Vong."

"Three months ..." A cold smile played about Scaur's cadaverous face. "The timing is expedient."

The timing for what Luke wondered. There was something highly significant about that three months, but Luke and Ackbar were two, at least, who weren't meant to know what it was.

Ackbar slumped into his chair. Presenting the plan had exhausted him, and now that he was finished he permitted himself to show that exhaustion. Winter stroked more brine onto his head. "I only regret that my health doesn't permit me to serve the New Republic in a more active way," Ackbar said.

"Your contribution has always been fundamental," Cal said. "I can only wish myself and these others as useful a retirement as yours has been." He turned to Sien Sow. "Admiral, do you have any comments on Admiral Ackbar's plan?"

"Other than to admire it, no," Sow said. "I'm ready to put the plan into action immediately, or I can resign in favor of Admiral Ackbar and he can carry out his proposals without any interference from me."

Ackbar waved a weary hand. "No, my friend. I'm not in condition to command the Defense Force, and everyone here knows it."

Cal gave Ackbar a thoughtful look. "Can you take a consultative role?" he asked. "We can invent a t.i.tle for you-'Fleet Director of Strategy' or some such."

The glabrous head nodded. "I'm willing to perform this task to the best of my powers."

"His powers are very limited at present," Winter said. These were the first words she'd spoken since the meeting had begun, and they were in tones of quiet admonishment, like a governess bringing her charge under control. She looked at Cal Omas. "It won't be possible for the admiral to be kept on a schedule, running to meetings and inspecting fleet units."

Ackbar waved a hand in protest, but Winter was firm. "No. None of that. And no parades of visitors asking for advice or campaigning for promotion, either." She looked at Admiral Sow. "Some reliable staff officers would be useful, to do the paperwork and take care of communications. But we can't have meetings like this all the time."

"We won't." Cal's voice was firm. "If I need to speak to the admiral again, I'll call for an appointment, and I'll visit him myself."

He looked at Sow. "You'll make the other arrangements?"

The Sull.u.s.tan nodded. "I will."

Cal turned to Luke. "Is there any way the Jedi can aid this plan?"

Luke hesitated. "I'd like to suggest that we place the matter on the agenda of the first Jedi Council meeting."

"Very well." Cal looked at the two intelligence directors, Scaur in his civilian suit and Nylykerka in his military uniform. "Any other comments?"

"I work for Admiral Sow," Nylykerka said. "At his direction, we can a.s.sist in formulating a.s.sessments of enemy strength and suggest possible targets."

Dif Scaur nodded his long head at Cal. "We can do much the same, of course, at the direction of the Chief of State."

Luke detected the very slightest degree of condescension in Scaur's tone, as if he were humoring the others in the room with a show of cooperation, and again he wondered what it was that Scaur knew that he didn't. It was almost as though Scaur thought that Ackbar's plan was irrelevant somehow, but he was willing to pretend it mattered. He had been very careful to question Ackbar concerning exactly when his plan for trapping and destroying the Yuuzhan Vong would become operational, and had been satisfied when he'd learned it would take three months.

What was going to happen within three months that would change Ackbar's plans? Did Scaur have some other plan that would win the war?

Or-a chill wafted up Luke's neck'-did Scaur know that the enemy would render Ackbar's plan ineffective, perhaps by staging a unstoppable offensive within the three-month period?

Luke would have to watch Dif Scaur very carefully, he thought.

Perhaps, very quietly, Mara should watch him, too.

Two hours after the end of the meeting, the signal ackbar is BACK was broadcast to all New Republic military units.

In some of the larger ships, the cheering went on for an hour.

Chapter 20.

I would like to welcome everyone," Luke said, "to this first meeting of the-" He hesitated, then looked to Cal Omas. "What is it, anyway? We're not the Jedi Council, with half of us not being Jedi."

Cal hesitated, too. "Let's just call it the High Council, for now,"

he said.

It wasn't the most auspicious of beginnings. The hotel room that had been given to the council was oddly shaped and, like many of the rooms requisitioned by the hastily formed government, smelled of fresh paint. The oval table, shiny mother-of-pearl from a huge seash.e.l.l, was too large for the room, and there was crowding at either end of the table.

At the table's thick waist, Luke faced Cal Omas. It would have seemed too suggestive of division to have all the Jedi at one side of the table facing the non-Jedi, almost as if he were asking the council to split into two parties right from the beginning, so he'd alternated Jedi with others along the table's circ.u.mference.