“Thing is, Kassav, Marchion Ro told me, Wet Bub, and Dellex about the orders he gave you, and he said that if you didn’t do what he wanted, then—”

“Then what? What do you think you’re going to do?” Kassav roared, pulling his blaster with his left hand and pointing it at his supposedly loyal Storm. Now Marchion Ro was telling his people what to do? Giving them instructions behind his back?

Wet Bub and Dellex drew their own weapons—well, Dellex just powered up her shoulder cannon, but he saw it light up and heard the little hum. The other Nihil on the bridge froze, unsure of what to do, waiting to see how it would all play out.

“We’re supposed to kill you,” Wet Bub said. “That’s what the Eye told us to do, if you didn’t do what he said. He said what you did at Eriadu put everyone in danger, and this is the only way to keep us all safe. Only way to make things good again.”

What I did at Eriadu, you traitorous lizard? What I did? Like you weren’t standing right there next to me, helping me run the whole job, Kassav thought.

He could maybe have taken all three…but not with his bad hand. He kept his blaster aimed at Gravhan and spoke, snarling out the words.

“You think Marchion Ro knew we’d end up with a Republic battle fleet on us? Look, this is one of two things—either he knew, and he sent us out here to die, or he didn’t, in which case he’d want us to get out of here to live to fight another day. Whichever it is, we need to go. We can find another way to deal with the stupid flight recorder.”

He saw his three Storms considering these possibilities.

“Wet Bub, get on the comm. Try to raise the Eye. Tell him what’s happening, and ask him for a Path out of here.”

The Gungan gave it a second or two, then holstered his blaster and turned to the communications console.

“Dellex, you give the order to the rest of the fleet. Tell them to run, get to the other transfer point as fast as they can. Gravhan, get back to the weapons grid, just in case these Republic bastards decide to start shooting.”

“No answer from Marchion Ro,” Wet Bub said. “But the Republic Cruiser is hailing us again.”

Kassav gave his lieutenants a knowing look.

You see? that look conveyed. We’re on our own out here.

Without another word, they put away their weapons and followed his orders.

He felt the New Elite’s engines kick into a higher gear as it prepared for its run to escape the trap he was increasingly sure Marchion Ro had led them into.

“Ugh,” Dellex said, her voice uncharacteristically subdued.

“What now?” he asked.