That will catch some of their own ships, too, he thought. It has to. They’re killing their own people.

The Nihil didn’t seem to care. About that, about anything, beyond causing as much damage as they possibly could.

That strategy was succeeding. He was down two of his Pacifier-class patrol cruisers, the Marillion of Alderaan and the Yekkabird from Corellia, along with their crews and a good number of the Longbeam attack ships and Skywing fighters.

He wouldn’t say the Nihil were winning, exactly—their tactics were all offense, no defense, and they were taking hits, their numbers decreasing…but they weren’t exactly losing, either. This had to end, and soon. It was time to escalate his response.

Admiral Kronara checked the displays again, looking at the position of the small Eriaduan flotilla moving inexorably toward the battle.

Not close enough yet, he thought.

“Get me the Ataraxia,” he said, calling over to his communications officer.

Master Jora Malli’s voice came over the comm a few moments later. “Admiral,” she said. “How can I help?”

“The Nihil are using unorthodox tactics, ugly moves. We can beat them, but RDC pilots don’t train for things like this. It’ll take time, and it’ll cost lives. If you and your people are willing—”

The Jedi agreed before he finished the sentence. “We’ll see what we can do, Admiral. The Force provides quite an edge in battle.”

“We’d be grateful for the assist,” he said.

“Of course,” she said, and ended the transmission.

Jora Malli strode into the Ataraxia’s primary hangar, Sskeer at her side. She held a comlink in one hand.

“Avar, we’re going to take out the Vector squadron. The Republic pilots need our help shutting the Nihil down before things get any worse out there. Can you establish your link to all of us, to help to make that task simpler?”

“I can,” Avar Kriss responded. “I’m already hearing the song.”

Jora knew that Avar interpreted the Force as music. She didn’t see it that way. To her, the Force was…a force. But you couldn’t deny the effectiveness of what Master Kriss could do.

All around her, Jedi ran toward waiting Vectors, the Ataraxia’s non-Jedi crew fueling and prepping the delicate ships for flight. She saw Elzar Mann and his friend Stellan Gios, Nib Assek and her Wookiee Padawan Burryaga, the Ithorian Mikkel Sutmani who had been part of the ill-fated mission during which the Order lost Te’Ami…all strong pilots. They’d need to be. She had reviewed the tactical data from the battle, and the Nihil ships seemed willing to go to any lengths to hurt or destroy their enemies.

“You ready, old friend?” she said to Sskeer as they approached their own Vectors.