Refugee: Force Heretic II by Sean Williams Read Free Book Online Page B

collaborating with the Chiss for years, ever since Thrawn’s day. But there’s no treaty—we don’t
owe
themanything. Just the idea of having to report our every movement to them makes my hair stand on end.”
    “We have to respect that we’re in their territory now, Arien,” Luke said. “And they do things differently than we do.”
    “Assuming we
are
in their territory,” Mara said. “How about looking at that disk?”
    Jacen took it from his uncle and put it into a reader. As Irolia had promised, it contained routes and security codes, but nothing else. The Chiss were tight-lipped when it came to doling out information. They were lucky to get this much.
    “Thoughts, anyone?” Luke asked. “Do we plow on regardless, or should we comply with their request and report in?”
    “It’s your decision,” Yage said.
    “Yes, but to reach that decision I would like to hear everyone’s opinion.”
    “I don’t think there’s any great harm in doing what they say,” Mara said. “Even though it does irk me.”
    “I say to the Maw with them,” Yage put in. “They can’t tell us what to do.”
    Luke nodded quietly to both women’s comments. “Jacen?”
    “We’ll need access to their information,” his nephew replied. “It would make things much simpler. Soron’s data is accurate but doesn’t cover more than ten percent of the Unknown Regions.”
    The xenobiologist had looked slightly bored throughout the political exchange, but seemed to perk up now that she’d been brought into the conversation. “The Chiss have been expanding through this section of the galaxy for decades. Irolia clearly knew of the legend of the wandering planet, so it must be common knowledge among her people. I believe access to their data would be invaluable.”
    “But would it actually make the difference, do you think?” Luke folded his hands in front of him, as he so often did when pondering weighty matters.
    “It certainly might.” Hegerty nodded at the map. “This small amount of data has already told us something interesting. Note the outer edge of their territory. See how it has held firm against the Yuuzhan Vong incursion? They have either developed similar jamming and combat techniques as your own fighters, or the enemy has withdrawn its offensive in order to concentrate on other areas. I would imagine that the answer to this mystery would be of interest to your tacticians back home.”
    There was a general murmur of agreement following that observation. The heads of the Galactic Alliance seemed an awfully long way from the Unknown Regions, but Hegerty—and Irolia—was quite right. Luke’s mission was military at least in the sense that any information of military value would immediately be added to the war effort. Even though galaxywide communications didn’t reach into the Unknown Regions, subspace transmissions could be relayed through an isolated holocomm on the edge of Galactic Alliance space. All communications from the mission were relayed to Cal Omas immediately.
    Luke nodded. “You might be right. But tell me, Saba: have you detected any sign of Zonama Sekot in this vicinity? If we are hot on its scent, then we might not need to contact the Chiss at all.”
    Saba straightened, her nostrils flaring involuntarily. “I sense nothing. If Zonama Sekot iz here, it iz well hidden.”
    “I thought as much. It’s like looking for a droid in a desert: something’s more likely to find us before we find it.” He nodded again. “I’m of the opinion that we should do as Irolia says and check in with the local authorities. As Soron said, it couldn’t hurt. And who knows; it might actually help.” He glanced around to everyone, as though waiting to see if there were any objections to his decision.When no one spoke up, he said, “Okay, then. I’ll leave the details of the course with Mara and Arien to prepare. Those of us who just came back from Munlali Mafir will need a break before we take on anything