"Jacen, to tap deeply into the Unifying Force, we will have to surrender our desire to control events. We will have to unbridle ourselves of words and of thinking, because thoughts, too, are born of the physical world. We must refrain from a.n.a.lyzing the Force, and simply allow the Force to guide us. Our relationship with the Force must be impeccable, without the need to be supported by words or reason. We must carry out the commands of the Force as if they were beyond appeal. And we must do what must be done, no matter who attempts to stand in our way."

THIRTY-THREE.

We are committed, Wedge told himself as explosions bloomed like time-lapse fire flowers over night-side Corulag. Its surface etched with intersecting trails of light, the Core world filled the bridge viewports of Mon Mothma. Between the planet and the refitted Star Destroyer floated Yuuzhan Vong mataloks and yorik-akaga-blushed cruisers and pearlescent pickets-arrayed to provide cover for a swift-moving yammosk carrier cl.u.s.tership. Harried by squadrons of X - and E-wings disgorged from the warships Mon Adapyne and Elegos A'Kla, the enemy vessels were saturating local s.p.a.ce with blazing projectiles and gouts of superheated ejecta, but they were already beginning to pay the price for having been caught unawares.

A state of controlled frenzy prevailed on Mon Mothma's bridge, with couriers and officers coming and going, and Wedge attempting to sustain half a dozen separate conversations. Displays flickered and computer consoles chirped as updates were transmitted from gunnery, communications, and tactical centers elsewhere in the ship. As accustomed to the noise as Wedge had become, he couldn't help but reflect on the reasons that had prompted his retirement-especially now, in the wake of Ackbar's death.

His uniform and command cap felt borrowed from someone two sizes smaller. The surprise attack had required his battle group to jump directly from Contruum to the Bormea sector, inserting as close to Corulag as was achievable, given the planet's several moons and formidable defenses. Once the site of an Imperial Navy base, the largest moon had been transformed into a kind of rest facility for enemy patrol vessels a.s.signed to the Perlemian Trade Route. Scimitar a.s.sault bombers were laying waste to the facility now, while Shocker and Blackmoon Squadron starfighters nipped at the yammosk carrier like packs of rapacious howlrunners.

"Generals Farlander and Celchu have the enemy boxed in," Mon Mothma's commander reported. "Harbinger has dropped from hypers.p.a.ce and is pressing forward at battle speed to rendezvous with Elegos A'Kla at rally point manka-flechette-dewback."

With Mon Mothma too far removed to allow for visual contact with any of the capital ships, Wedge studied the tactical console's checkerboard of display screens. Determined to shield the yammosk vessel, the Yuuzhan Vong cruisers were indeed bracketed by Mon Adapyne and Elegos A'Kla, both of which were lancing the enemy configuration with continuous bursts of turbolaser fire.

And now, closing fast, was Harbinger-the Mon Cal cruiser commanded by Garm Bel Iblis. Caught in the crossfire, coralskippers were being pulverized almost as fast as they could be deployed. With its quick-response cannons and gravity-well generators, Mon Mothma was seeing to any skips that escaped the cordon. Corulag itself was taking punishment.

Evidence of orbital bombardment and surface fighting, infrared hot spots were flaring in and around many of the major cities. Decrypted transmissions revealed that the fighting was intense, and atrocities were widespread. Unlike other worlds along that important stretch of the Perlemian-Chandrila, Brentaal, and Ralltiir-Corulag had capitulated to the Yuuzhan Vong to escape devastation.

No one had expected otherwise of a planetary government that had supported the Emperor during the Galactic Civil War, and had since been forced to languish in Coruscant's shadow. Regardless, most of Corulag's ten billion citizens opposed the puppet government set up by the Yuuzhan Vong, and simmering discontent had finally erupted into open rebellion.

The wealthiest and most influential families fled for Kuat and Commenor, but there was no evading the Yuuzhan Vong.

Kuat had fallen soon after Senator Pwoe's brief visit, and Commenor had been hit hard and repeatedly. Galvanized by the rescue of Corulag's unofficial hero, Judder Page, resistance groups on - and offworld had reached out to the Alliance for help in liberating the planet, at whatever costs to life and limb. Sovv and Kre'fey couldn't have been more receptive to insystem support for an invasion.

If Corulag could be reclaimed, the Alliance would hold a key hypers.p.a.ce position in the Core. Even two standard months earlier, an a.s.sault would have proved catastrophic. Yuuzhan Vong forces had been deployed well into the Slice, from Coruscant through Alsakan almost all the way to Corulag and from Ixtlar and Wukkar on the Corellian Run a quarter of the way around the Core toward Kuat and Commenor. But with dozens of battle groups withdrawn to join the armada, Corulag had been left vulnerable at last.

Wedge's gaze was still glued to the displays when Captain Deevis drew his attention to a tight formation of fighter craft emerging from Corulag's crescent of transitor.

"TIEs," Wedge said in genuine surprise. "Ours or theirs?"

"I'm not sure, sir."

"Then find out!"

"Transmission from Curamelle," Lieutenant Cel interrupted while Deevis was hurrying off. "Governor Forridel, sir."

Wedge recognized the name of Corulag's capital city, but not the name of the governor. Nodding curtly to the comm officer, he swung to the holoprojector, where a quarter-scale human figure stood in the noisy field.

"We've been waiting almost two years for this," Forridel said jubilantly. Sporting an eye patch and a floppy cap, he could have stepped from a suspense holodrama. "Corulag will forever be indebted to the Alliance."

"The battle's not won yet," Wedge said. "And just who are you, anyway? "

Forridel saluted-awkwardly.

"The resistance has appointed me provisional governor."

"Where's the former governor?" Forridel smiled. "I'm glad you asked, because I've been eager to show you."

Images from what were obviously Curamelle media feeds began to resolve in the holofield. One showed the former governor hanging by the neck in a city square while a lynch mob of humans and humanoids pelted him with stones. Other scenes showed bound and bloodied Yuuzhan Vong and other members of the occupation government being dragged or shoved through the streets by crowds of vigilantes.

Wedge was thankful that he hadn't been asked to oversee ground-based operations, as he had done at Borleias. Soon enough, similar scenes of vengeance would be repeated on countless worlds. The rage was understandable, and reminiscent of the retributions that had been doled out to Imperial forces in the wake of the Emperor's death. And Wedge held little sympathy for the captured Yuuzhan Vong warriors.

All his life he had fought for what he believed in, and for the protection of those he loved-Iella, his daughters, his sister, and friends-and the Yuuzhan Vong had nearly torn his world and family apart.

A point could be made that the Yuuzhan Vong fought for similar reasons, but the invaders had yet to demonstrate even an instance of charity or tolerance. Worship and blind obedience subst.i.tuted for love and honor.

And yet, for all his soldier's resolve, Wedge recognized that he could still be rattled by a canny glance from Luke Skywalker. Listening to him and Mara address the command staff on Ralroost, Wedge had been struck once more by the fact that the Alliance and the Jedi were waging very different wars against the Yuuzhan Vong. Where Alliance command measured victory in terms of control, the Jedi were focused on a means of ending the war that would also conclude a cycle of violence.

Luke feared that the extermination of the Yuuzhan Vong would deal a death blow to the newly hatched Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.

With a single step toward the dark side, the fate of future generations would be sealed. As was true with the Yuuzhan Vong, the Jedi were prepared to martyr themselves to an ideal. Both were fighting to sustain a worldview. At the center of one stood the G.o.ds; at the center of the other, the Force.

Wedge wondered what might become of those Yuuzhan Vong who weren't burned or beaten to death in the streets of Curamelle or some other once-occupied capital city. What was the next step after disarmament?

Imprisonment? Exile? Could an entire species be put on trial for its beliefs? And even if found guilty of war crimes, would the Yuuzhan Vong permit themselves to be isolated under guard in some remote star system, or would their defeat-the fact that they had failed their G.o.ds-drive them to self-destruction?

Should self-extinction be accepted as an alternative because death figured so strongly in their society, or would the death of the extragalactic species upset the balance of the Force in some fashion?

That such questions were best left to the Jedi was the reason Wedge, Keyan Farlander, certainly Tenel Ka, and many other Alliance commanders had implicit faith in Luke's leadership. At Borleias, when Wedge himself had formed the secret resistance group known as the Insiders, he had essentially made a pact with the Force, and felt duty-bound to uphold it.

"You've ended a reign of evil, General Antilles," Forridel was saying from the holofield. "You should be proud."

Wedge cut the provisional governor off before he could continue.

"Our scanners have picked up a squadron of TIE fighters launched from Curamelle."

"Peace Brigaders," Forridel explained. "The fighters were restored from parts warehoused at the old Imperial Academy. Hunt them down, General! Don't leave a single ship unscathed!"

"That's all the information I need at the moment, Governor." Wedge waved for Lieutenant Cel to end the holotransmission with Curamelle, then said: "Alert General Celchu that those TIEs are not friendlies. Tell him that Harbinger has his back if he needs help dealing with them."

The fighting above night-side Corulag was heating up. Coralskippers and snubfighters were engaged in a mad dance of mutual destruction, while the capital ships they flew from were attempting to pummel one another senseless with plasma missiles and energy bolts. Two globules of the cl.u.s.ter vessel had imploded, but judging by the performance of the swarming skips, the war coordinator was uninjured. On the moon, bombers were continuing to hammer the repair installation, but they were now taking fire from ground-based KDY turbolasers-probably refurbished by the same turncoat technicians who had resurrected the TIEs.

"Sir, Admiral Kre'fey," Cel said from her duty station.

Wedge strode back to the holoprojector in time to see Kre'fey's image take shape amid random bursts of diagonal static.

"General Antilles," the Bothan began, "on your say-so I'm prepared to move Ralroost and elements of the First Fleet to Corulag."

Wedge shook his head.

"We need more time here, Admiral. A couple of standard hours, at least."

"You have one hour, General," Kre'fey said evenly. "We've received word from Coruscant that our actions at Corulag have not gone unnoticed.

Nas Choka's armada is active. It's not clear just yet whether the warmaster is repositioning his vessels to defend Coruscant, or if he intends to move the armada Rimward in advance of going to hypers.p.a.ce. If it's the latter, I doubt he'll squander his forces by reinforcing Corulag. He may, however, elect to jump the armada to Contruum, and I want to be gone from here by then."

"Where do you want us?" Wedge asked.

"Take Man Adapyne and Elegos A'Kla and rally with the Second Fleet at Muscave. I realize I'm placing your battle group in harm's way by sending you directly into the Coruscant system, but our objective is to accomplish the reverse of what we did at Mon Calamari, by drawing the enemy into engagements at outer-system worlds. Concurrently, I'll be dispatching elements of the Third Fleet to Coruscant from the Shawken Spur of the Hydian, and elements of the Fourth by way of the Martial Cross. Regardless of whether the armada jumps for Contruum or advances to engage your forces at Muscave, the a.s.sault on Coruscant can commence."

"Did I hear right that Vanguard Squadron has been attached to the Fourth Fleet?" Wedge asked.

"That's correct."

"That means that the Chiss will be directly involved in the a.s.sault on Coruscant."

"Vanguard and Twin Suns have been folded into a single squadron, commanded by Group Commander Fel."

Wedge was perplexed.

"Jag is leading Twin Suns? Where's Jaina?"

"Jedi Skywalker asked that we exempt her from the roster." Kre'fey muttered. "I recognize that Coruscant is a long way from Chiss s.p.a.ce, and I know that you're concerned for the welfare of your nephew, Wedge. But Jag himself requested the mission."

Wedge nodded.

"I'll just have to find a way to explain to my sister why I didn't talk some sense into her son."

Kre'fey gestured noncommittally.

"Colonel Fel's group, along with Rogue and Wraith Squadrons, will fly escort for the troop transports and gunships we hope to slip through Coruscant's dovin basal gravitic wells. Once planetside, Captain Page's commando company will rendezvous with resistance forces and proceed to the landing field at what was Westport."

Mon Mothma's tactical officer sent a star chart of the Coruscant system to the holoprojector. Wedge saw that Coruscant and the outer worlds of Muscave and Stentat were all on the same side of the sun, within sixty degrees of one another. Calculating the time required for the hypers.p.a.ce jump to Muscave, Wedge's battle group would be arriving just as Shimrra's Citadel and the sacred precinct were heading into daybreak.

"Admiral, is Zonama Sekot still orbiting between Muscave and Stentat?"

"To the best of our knowledge," Kre'fey said. "But that planet is the Jedi's problem, not ours."

Even before the transmission from Ralroost faded, Wedge spun on his heel to Lieutenant Cel.

"Inform Generals Celchu and Farlander that we will be repositioning in one standard hour. Then find me a secure frequency to Errant Venture, and patch it through to my comlink."

Replacing his command cap with a headset, Wedge paced away from the bridge duty stations while the link to Booster Terrik's Star Destroyer was being established.

"Insider One, your transmission is secure," a voice said through Wedge's earphones.

"Lando here, Wedge."

Wedge adjusted the fit of the headset.

"Lando, in just under a standard hour I'll be repositioning my group to Muscave."

"Good news. That means Zonama Sekot will be inside your lines."

"Not as good as it sounds. Alliance command has written the planet off as the Jedi's concern."

"You think it'll go to hypers.p.a.ce?"

"I don't know, Lando. But some of us should be there in case anyone needs to be evacuated."

"You can count on us, Insider One. I'll also pa.s.s the word to Tenel Ka."

"May the Force be with you, Lando."

"It had better be."

Mired at Contruum for longer than they had antic.i.p.ated, Luke and Mara had missed the seed-partners ceremony, but everyone who had partic.i.p.ated was still talking about it long after Jade Shadow returned to Zonama Sekot. Kyp, Corran, and Saba spoke in wonderment of having been led across a symbolic bridge and through a lamina-surfaced tunnel into concealed courtyards, filled with Ferroan celebrants wearing brightly colored costumes. Having adhered to a special diet, the Jedi candidates had worn sashed robes and necklaces strung with blood-red, gourdlike fruits. Following a series of litanies chanted by Magister Jabitha and the Ferroans, each of the candidates had had to offer a gift, and introduce him - or herself to Sekot, in a way that reminded Kyp of the ceremony that had taken place at Ithor, four years earlier. Finally, the seed-partners-emerged from their sh.e.l.ls as pale oblate bulbs, with eyespots and tiny grasper-equipped legs-had been separated from their bond partners and conveyed to the cybernetic organisms that would summon lightning and give shape to the living ships produced from the seeds.

Bred by Zonama Sekot's original magisters, the cyborgs were known as the Jentari. After listening to a dozen separate accounts of the ceremony from as many Jedi, Luke almost felt as if he had attended it personally, and he was eager to see the living ships. Sekot had had extensive conversations with Danni, and now Cilghal, about dovin basals; and Lowbacca and others were trying to figure a way to use comlinks for ship-to-ship communication. With so much information to catch up on, Luke had decided to wait for the proper moment to report on the briefings at Contruum. He chose to do that in the Skywalkers' cliff dwelling, even though few Jedi were present.

a.s.sembled were Jacen, Jaina, Kyp, Corran, Saba, Tahiri, Danni, Han, Leia, Magister Jabitha, Harrar, C-3PO, and R2-D2. Jacen was the first one to comment on Luke's lengthy summary.

"Did you explain to Admiral Kre'fey what the World Brain will do if Coruscant's attacked?"

"Half of the command staff has dismissed the report you furnished,"

Luke said, "and the other half just doesn't want to believe it."

Han growled in exasperation.

"Forget about the World Brain. Can Kre'fey even get past the planetary dovin basals?"

Mara glanced at Luke.

"You know, they never really answered that question. Sovv said that they weren't worried about the dovin basals."

"I think I know why," Luke said. "Zonama Sekot not only tugged one of Coruscant's moons out of orbit, but also tore apart the planetary ring that the Yuuzhan Vong manufactured from the moon they managed to shatter.

The dovin basals are probably so busy dealing with infalling debris that they can now be overwhelmed by lasers, concussion missiles, and whatever else Kre'fey plans to hurl at them."

"That still won't stop the World Brain from carrying out its tasks," Jacen said.

"That's correct," Harrar said, then looked questioningly at Jacen.

"I wasn't able to communicate with the dhuryam while we were in the Unknown Regions, and I haven't been able to sense it in the same way since we got back."

"Then perhaps Shimrra has managed to establish a rapport with the brain."

Harrar turned to Luke.

"You must understand: Shimrra is not an ordinary Yuuzhan Vong. His body and his mind have been enhanced. His powers surpa.s.s those of other Supreme Overlords."

Leia forced a sad exhalation.