Samakro watched as the object accelerated toward the four Lioaoin ships, which had now positioned themselves in a vertical diamond formation. This whole scenario was, at least on the surface, exactly the same trick Thrawn had used at Rapacc to set up the Springhawk’s capture of that Nikardun patrol ship. The probe—really just one of the Vigilant’s shuttles—was playing decoy, giving the Lioaoi something to focus on while the real threat lay elsewhere.

At least, that was what Thrawn and Ar’alani hoped they would see. The question now was how much of the Rapacc incident the Nikardun had shared with their allies.

And, even more important, if they’d also shared whatever countermeasures they’d come up with for any future uses of the gambit.

Apparently, the answer to both was yes. “Probe is faltering,” Dalvu announced. “Vigilant seems to be losing control.”

“Comm interference increasing,” Samakro confirmed, peering at the comm displays. “Lioaoi are trying to jam Vigilant’s control signal. To jam and override.”

Samakro looked at the tactical. The probe’s original vector had been toward the ventral ship in the Lioaoin formation. Now it was wavering back and forth as the Vigilant and the Lioaoi fought for control.

The Lioaoi won. With a final skittering surge, the probe settled down on a new vector, one that would take it harmlessly through the center of the Lioaoin formation and from there to disappear into the empty light-years of the Chaos. “At least we know now that they can learn,” Samakro commented.

“Indeed,” Thrawn agreed. “And as you see, Mid Captain, that can be a good or a bad thing.”

“Yes, sir,” Samakro said. The probe was nearly to the Lioaoin ships, moving steadily now under the control of its new masters. It entered the open space in the center of the formation—

“Fire,” Thrawn said.

At their current distance, Samakro knew, certainly against warships equipped with electrostatic barriers, a spectrum laser attack would be not just futile but laughable. But the warships weren’t Thrawn’s target. Instead, the Springhawk’s lasers flashed a burst of energy into the small, unprotected shuttle.

And as the hull shattered, the four breaching missiles that had been packed aboard shot outward, one toward each of the Lioaoin warships.

The Lioaoi saw the attack coming, of course, and even at so close a range they had enough time to respond. But with a friendly ship directly behind each incoming missile, none of the warships could launch the level of countermeasures necessary to fully neutralize the attack. A few laser shots tentatively lanced out, and one of the missiles was caught and disintegrated. But the blast merely released the warhead’s acid globs, leaving the deadly fluid to continue onward toward its target. A second later, as the warships tried in vain to move out of harm’s way, the missiles struck.