User:Darth Culator/Coruscant home of Admiral Ackbar

"I intend to go to my quarters and bite the head off a frozen ormachek."

- Ackbar

The Coruscant home of Admiral Ackbar was a residential structure located in Victory Lake on Coruscant. A two-story aquahab, the building was the residence of Admiral Ackbar, supreme commander of the New Republic Defense Fleet, from no later than 16 ABY.

Occupants
Only one dude lives here. He's a fish. Likes water. Snappy dresser. Eats ormacheks.

Description
Cylinders, skywalks, holy freaking crapload of security, yada yada.

History
Dude lived here. Mentioned that earlier but here it is again. Visited with high muckety-mucks of intel and fleet during the whole Yevetha whatsis.

Behind the scenes
The only thing the available texts call this thing is the rather unwieldy "Coruscant home of Admiral Ackbar". Oh well.

Appearances

 * Before the Storm
 * Shield of Lies
 * Tyrant's Test

Notes and references
Category:Coruscant locations Category:Residential buildings

=Source materials-ignore this-it will be deleted-we respect copyright laws wink wink= Before the Storm Chapter 1

"I intend to go to my quarters and bite the head off a frozen ormachek."

Chapter 7

Ayddar Nylykerka did not leave his desk for three days. When at last he did, it was not to go home. With his datapad tucked tightly under his arm, he ordered an airspeeder from the pool and headed for Victory Lake.

The Coruscant home of Admiral Ackbar was made up of two squat off-white cylinders. One cylinder, windowless, rose from the grassy shore of Victory Lake. The other, half transparisteel, rose from  the tranquil blue  water. They were linked by a third cylinder, a long, slender shape that enclosed a second-story skywalk. A graceful single-seat Calamari  water skimmer  was moored to a pylon in the lake.

Ayddar's Fleet ID was  enough to  get him  past the  guardpost at  the security perimeter, though he  was obliged  to surrender  his datapad  for screening, then park the airspeeder  and walk up  to the  house. There he presented himself at the entrance to the lakeshore cylinder.

"Ayddar Nylykerka,  chief  analyst  of  the  Asset  Tracking   office, Intelligence Section, Fleet Command, to see Admiral Ackbar. "

A few seconds later the curved door flashed open with a hiss to reveal a Fleet valet droid. Folding its arms across its chest, it seemed to  take up the whole doorway. "Analyst, Admiral Ackbar doesn't see anyone below the rank of commodore when he's home, " the droid said. "He spends enough time out of water  as it  is. Call  his office  in the  morning and  ask for  an appointment. "

Ayddar stared disbelievingly. "You don't understand. This is important. "

"Then it's important enough to disturb your immediate superior first, " the droid said. "Run it up through channels. The admiral will consider  it if and when it reaches his desk. "

"No, " Ayddar said stubbornly. He tried to look beyond the droid  into the house, but all he saw was the inner door of the security lock.

"Not acceptable. I have to see him personally. I can't take the chance that this information won't be brought to his attention. "

"Mr. Nylykerka, Admiral Ackbar is resting. He is not available to  see you, " the droid  said implacably. "Now, will you leave, or  do I need  to signal the guard? "

Hugging the datapad to his chest, Ayddar squinted angrily at the droid.

"Very well, " he said finally. "I'll go. "

"Thank you, Mr. Nylykerka, " said the droid. It waited until Ayddar had turned and taken his first steps down the path before closing the door.

The moment the door closed, however, Ayddar wheeled around on the path and ran past  the  entrance  toward the  shore. Gritting his  teeth  and cringing, he waded clumsily out into the water, splashing wildly.

Alarms began to sound, and a brilliant bank of lights on the underside of the skywalk suddenly cut short the twilight. With an animal cry, Ayddar flung himself headlong into the waist-deep water and  began to thrash  his way toward the lake cylinder in a wretched imitation of swimming.

His simple  and  single-minded  impulse  had  been  to  pound  on  the lake-level viewpanes to get Ackbar's attention.

But as he got closer, he saw that the cylinder was an aquahab,  filled with water nearly to the level of the skywalk.

A security airspeeder swooped  low overhead,  and an  amplified  voice bellowed orders at him. "Attention, intruder--this is your only  warning. You are  trespassing on  government  property. Antipersonnel  blasters  are aimed at you. Stop where you are, and  you will not be fired on. If you  do not surrender, you will be shot. "

Panicked, Ayddar raised his arms. When he did, his  fragile grasp  of swimming abruptly ended, and he slid below the surface. Before he realized what was happening, he found himself mired hand and foot in a layer of muck on the bottom, unable  to  push off  and free  himself  to return  to  the surface.

A ring of lamps around the base of the aquahab flooded the dark waters with light. For the  first  time  Ayddar could  see  that  there  was  an underwater entrance to the cylinder. He fought his way along the bottom to it, reached up with his free hand, and squeezed the Open lever.

Nothing happened.

In final desperation, with the sound of a jetboat's engines surrounding him and quickly growing louder, Ayddar  reached up and  swung the  datapad against the hatch. It seemed to move in slow motion and to make hardly any sound when it struck.

But to Ayddar's surprise, the  hatch slid open. A blur in the  water grasped him firmly by the front of his shirt and dragged him inside with an ease that spoke of impressive strength. Moments later Ayddar found himself breaking the surface at the top of the aquahab.

Gasping noisily, he  grabbed  wildly  for  the  edge. Only when  his fingertips had found precarious purchase there did Ayddar realize that  he no longer had the datapad.

He looked around wildly  and found  Admiral Ackbar  watching him. The Calamari glided easily through  the water  on the  far side  of the  pool, making barely a ripple.

"You are Tammarian, are you not? " Ackbar said.

Ayddar was shaking uncontrollably  as  he clung  to  the edge  of  the walkway surrounding the water. "Yes, Ad-Admiral. "

"I have heard that  Tammar has  an unusually  thin atmosphere  for  an inhabited world, " said Ackbar casually.

"That is t-true, Admiral. "

"I have heard, "  the admiral  went on,  "that as  a consequence  your people evolved a  sort of chemical  pouch where you  store oxygen while  at rest. "

"Yes, " Ayddar said through  chattering lips. "Thecbagbizs torre. It al-allows us  to expend  en-en-energy faster,  for-for a  short time,  than res-respiration alone would al-allow. "

"I am told, " said Ackbar, "that this is why your people can free-live in vacuum for short periods of time. "

Feeling nauseous, Ayddar closed his eyes  and rested his  head on  his arms. "Yes, " he said, his voice small and muffled.

"I have also heard, " said  the Calamari, gliding  nearby, "that  your planet is  wholly  without  surface  water, and  that  your  people's  most powerful fears have come to involve being immersed in standing water. "

Ayddar nodded weakly.

"I confess that such fears are completely alien to me, " said  Ackbar. "Yet you willingly entered the lake in an effort to see me. "

"Y-Yes, Admiral. I thought it was my d-duty. "

Effortlessly, the big Calamari eased himself out of the water and onto the ledge. Ayddar saw that he held the datapad securely in one big hand.

"Well, " Ackbar said, extending his empty hand to Ayddar, "I find I am not resting any longer. So  perhaps you will come to  my study with me  and tell me what news has inspired such reckless devotion to duty. "

...

Chapter 10

In the wee hours of the  morning of the  Fifth Fleet's departure  from Coruscant, a dark-blue bubble-topped Fleet speeder reached the entry  gate at Admiral Ackbar's residence on Victory Lake. It slowed only briefly, then was waved through, following the drive up to the house.

There was already  a  vehicle parked  there,  a  sleek-winged  Poranji orbital jumper-the smallest ground-to-orbit spacecraft licensed for use on Coruscant, and a favorite of kids with  dreams of the stars. But the adult who emerged from the speeder was  not beyond the  appeal of such  glittery attractions. Despite the hour  and the  weight on  his shoulders,  General Etahn A'baht paused to look over the Poranji jumper before turning  toward the door.

Light flooded the lawn briefly as Admiral Ackbar admitted the commander of the Fifth Fleet. The light also revealed A'baht's tired eyes and unhappy expression.

"Ah, Etahn, come in, " said Ackbar, stepping  aside to clear the  way. "Thank you for coming. I know you're needed elsewhere, and I will not keep you long. "

"I don't know why whatever business we have at this point couldn't have been conducted by holo comm,  " A'baht grumbled. "I should have been  at Eastpott two hours ago as it is. "

"I am certain that the Fifth will not sail without you, General, " said Ackbar, guiding A'baht  through the  house. "And I think  you  will  not begrudge the time. "

"I wouldn't begrudge  it  if I  had  it.  I  could be  on  my  way  to theIntrepid right now. I should be. "

"There is someone I want you  to meet  before you go,  " Ackbar  said, leading the way into a round-walled Inner room.

"It's a curious hour for a social call, " said A'baht, following.

"It would be,  " agreed  Ackbar  as a  third  man rose  from  a  wide, soft-cushioned chair and approached them. "Etahn, I want you to meet Hiram Drayson. "

"Admiral Drayson, of Chandrila?  "  asked A'baht,  caught  uncertainly between a salute and taking the hand offered him in greeting.

"Once upon a time, " said Drayson, smiling.

"I know of you, sir. I did not know you were still on Coruscant. "

"Let us dispense with 'sirs' and saluting, " said Ackbar. "This meeting is quite unofficial, so it might as well be informal. "

"All right, " said A'baht. "What's this about? "

"Etahn, Hiram is the director of Alpha Blue. Have you heard that  name before? "

"No. "

"Good. You should not have, until now, " said Ackbar. "Hiram and Alpha Blue work within  Fleet Intelligence,  and beyond  its reach.  They have  a charter which recognizes the ambiguities  of war and politics, and  inherit the jobs which require working outside the rules of polite society. "

"Diplomatically put, " said Drayson, smiling pleasantly.

"Hiram has some information  for  you, "  Ackbar continued. "I would listen to him carefully. I  myself have found it valuable  to do so in  the past-and to have his counsel, as well. " He nodded at Drayson.

"And now I will say good night. "

"Wait-where are you going? " asked A'baht.

"This conversation is not meant for my ears, " said Ackbar. "I am going to the water column, to sleep. It is quite late, you know. "

A'baht watched him leave the room, then turned to Drayson. "I have the curious feeling that being favored with  an introduction to you is less  an honor than a portent. "

Drayson smiled. "It signifies that Ackbar  trusts you implicitly,  and that's no mean compliment. But I won't deny it-introductions to me seem  to have a way of costing folks the blessings of a peaceful sleep. "

"Just so. Well-what did you want to talk to me about? "

"Your travel plans, " said Drayson. "Come, let's sit. "

"I've been trying for months to establish some assets in the Koornacht Cluster, " said Drayson. "It hasn't been easy, even for  me. " He  smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Traders will go to the fringes of the  Cluster, but the deep  Cluster worlds belonging to the  League are another  story. Apparently the  Yevetha have a  straightforward method  of dealing  with trespassers--they  execute them on sight. And frankly, I find that to be reason for concern in its own right. "

"They like their privacy. "

"Perhaps a little too much, " said Drayson. "Which is consistent with the behavior of the viceroy here. The  Yevetha stay in their ship, and  the viceroy limits his  outside contacts to  a few hours  every other day  with Leia. I don't know if there are ten of them in there, or a thousand-"

"You don't trust them, either. "

"No, I don't, " said  Drayson. "I'm certain that Nil  Spaar has  been lying to Leia. The  viceroy is a  player. I haven't  quite figured out  the game, and I can't tell how far beyond normal diplomatic posturing the  lies go. But one thing I know for certain is that they've been learning about us faster than  we've been  learning  about them.  That's another  reason  for concern. "

"You think they've been studying us. "

"They'd be fools if they weren't, and I  don't think they're fools,  " said Drayson. "That Yevethan spaceship  has had  access to  the  Republic hypernet and the planetary NCI channels  since the second day it was  here. And the viceroy  has had  unimpeded access  to the  Chief of  State of  the Republic. Meanwhile, I can't even confirm how many League worlds there are, or their names and  locations. I've been shut  out completely, and I'm  not accustomed to that happening. "

"Is that why you're having this conversation with  me instead of  with the princess? "

"That's one reason, " said Drayson. "The other is that you're going out there with thirty warships, and she's not. "

"Can you tell me anything about what I'm likely to find? "

"Some. There are several worlds on the fringe of the Cluster which are inhabited by species  other than the  Yevetha, " said  Drayson. "Along the border, there's a sizable colony  of Kubaz, two small mining  installations owned by the Morath,  and a commune of  H'kig cultists who apparently  left Rishii over a doctrinal  conflict. A little farther  in, there's a nest  of Corasgh established  by the  Empire  and then  abandoned, and  a  droid-run Imperial factory farm,  likewise abandoned, which  represents a free  lunch for any cargomaster willing to risk the trip. "

"The droids are still tending and harvesting crops? "

"Yes. Put a ship down at the  loading docks, and  the droids fill  the hold without even being asked! " said  Drayson. "Now, all of those are new since the last  general survey  of that sector,  and there  could be  more. Based on that  survey, there  are also  at least  five indigenous  sentient species in the Cluster, none of which have achieved hyperspace travel. Some haven't even gotten off the ground. "

"Not a very likely place for the Empire to put a key forward shipyard. "

"Not with the Yevethan worlds nearby. "

"Do you think they have the ships? "

"It would have been unusually sloppy  of the Empire  to allow that  to happen, " said Drayson. "But I don't rule it out. "

"It would be nice to know. "

"Wouldn't it? But I don't. Chances are you'll  end up finding out  and telling me, instead  of the other  way around. "  Drayson rubbed his  eyes, then finger-combed his short  black  hair. "But here's something  I  keep thinking about. The Yevetha had just achieved interplanetary spaceflight at the time of  the general  survey. Very bright,  technically clever,  rather proud of themselves, but no threat to anyone. "

"Then the Empire shows up. "

"And puts the Yevetha to work for a  few years in Imperial  shipyards, building and repairing vessels which represent  a big leap beyond what  the Yevetha had been doing  on their own. Whether  or not the Yevetha  acquired any ships or shipyards from the Empire, they almost certainly acquired  the knowledge of how to build them. "

"They could have created their own Black Fleet. "

"Indeed, " Drayson said. "How's your memory, General? "

"Why? "

"I'm going to teach you a code, " Drayson said. "If you begin a message with it, that message will come  to me  without ever being  seen at  Fleet Headquarters. And if I send you a message, that same code will decrypt  it. "

"I don't like this, " said A'baht, frowning deeply.

"And I don't believe I  like you,  Admiral. If  Admiral Ackbar  hadn't spoken up  for you,  I would  wonder at  your loyalty.  Now I  find  myself wondering at his judgment. **** Are you  asking me to conspire with you  to conceal information from the president or from Fleet Command? "

"Let me answer  your question  with  a question-do  you  trust  Leia's judgment where the viceroy and the Yevetha are concerned? "

A'baht looked away and remained mute.

"That's why, " said Drayson. "The purpose of the code isn't to conceal anything. Just  the reverse-it's  meant  to ensure  that  you can  get  the information you need, and that  you can provide us  with the same in  turn. Information that might otherwise be filtered out by the prejudices of those who control the comm channels. "

A'baht drew a deep breath and sighed. "This is the real reason for this meeting. "

"Only one of several, " said Drayson. "I want you to have  everything you need to  do your job  out there, General.  I want you  and your  people maintaining a high level of alertness through the whole deployment. I  want you to see  the punch  coming, if there  is one.  I want you  to come  back without ever having had to open your gun ports. But if you do have to  open them, I want you to know who you're trying to kill, and why. "

"Is that all? I have people waiting for me. "

"No, " said Drayson. "There's one more thing. I  understand you  know Kiles L'toth, the associate director of the Astrographic Survey  Institute. "

"We served together in the Dornean Navy. "

"More than that, you were friends. Perhaps he even owes you a favor. "

"Now I'm sure I don't like you. You know too much. "

"You're not the first to think so, or say so, " said Drayson.

"I want a better answer than that, Admiral. What does Kiles have to do with this? "

"Nothing, yet, " Drayson said. "I just think it's been much too  long since you and Kiles  talked. A pity there's  so little contact between  the Fleet and  the civil  service.  Sometimes I  think they're  two  completely disconnected worlds. "

The bark in A'baht's voice betrayed his growing anger. "Speak plainly! What are you getting at? "

"The Institute is a long way from the Fleet  Office, or the Palace,  " said Drayson. "About as far away from the Senate and the president and the inner circle as could be.  It must be nice  not to have everyone  breathing down your neck. It  must be nice to  be able to just  do your job,  without anyone questioning your every move. And they've been given everything  they need-a whole fleet of astrographic and survey vessels. "

A'baht stared, struck silent.

"Maybe you should  call him  before  you leave,  "  Drayson  suggested softly.

A frown hardened  A'baht's  gaze  still  further  as  he  weighed  the implications. "I don't like you, no, sir, " he growled at last.

"You don't have to. "

"No, I suppose I don't, " said A'baht,  and hesitated. "But I suppose you'd better teach me that bloody code after all. "

"Kiles. "

"Etahn? What are you doing calling at this hour? "

"Calling in a debt, " A'baht said.

"I'll be glad to have it paid, " said Kiles, touching the stump of his right leg unconsciously. "Long overdue. What do you need? "

"How many  of  your  ships  can  you  put  together  quietly,  without attracting a lot of attention? "

"How quickly? "

"Very. "

"Well-six, maybe. Possibly seven or eight, depending on where you need them. "

"Farlax Sector. "

"Ah. Not much out there right now. Six is the best I could do  without rolling some people out of bed, and that can't be done quietly. "

"Then six will have to be enough, " A'baht said.

"Kiles, I need an  updated survey  of the  Koornacht Cluster  and  its immediate neighborhood. The  old survey  just won't  do. I  can't tell  you why-"

"I didn't ask. "

"I can't even make this an official request. "

"I figured out that this was unofficial on my own, " said L'toth. "You know, Etahn, things don't really change out there all that fast. "

"The things I'm worried about change all too fast, " A'baht said.

"It's not navigation that concerns you. "

"No. It's all the little flags-the who, the what, and the where. "

"Will my people be at risk out there? "

"I don't know, Kiles, " A'baht said. "I just know that if it turns out that they are, it'll be the most important work they've ever done. "

"All right, " Kiles said. "I can live with that. "

"I'd take my own people there if I could. You know that. "

"I do. I know you that well. You hate to  ask for help from anyone.  I was starting to think I was going to carry this debt to my death. "

"I need your help now, Kiles. "

"You'll have it. I'll start diverting the ships right away. "

"Thank you, old friend. "

"Good luck, Etahn, " L'toth said. "Watch your back out there-watch it better than I did. "

The Fifth Fleet had marshaled at an orbital parking site called Zone 90 East. It lay just outside Coruscant's planetary shield, but within sight of the vast military space station  which served  it, and  through which  the Fleet's crews and supplies flowed.

As the time for departure neared, there was little sign of sentiment or ceremony, either on the station or the ships of the Fleet. All the tearful and earnest goodbyes had been said at the Eastport, Westport, and  Newport gates, most of them days ago. Almost every one on the  crew rosters  and everything on the manifests were already aboard.

Only the stragglers of the last watch to be recalled from liberty were aboard the tail-sitting shuttles that rose from the surface to the station. Only the most urgent supplies joined the stragglers aboard the tenders and tugs that moved back  and forth  between the  station and  the Fleet  like scuttling insects.

"You should have just gone  on up without  me, "  said Skids,  peering worriedly ahead through the view-port for the carrier Imperious.

Tuketu's long limbs were sprawled casually across  three of the  tug's tiny passenger couches. "The heck with that, " he said, his tone light. "I never go anywhere without my triggerman. "

"We're both going to get black-marked for sure.  We'll be lucky if  we both don't get taken off the flight roster. "

"Well-we've been pretty lucky together, right? "

Skids shook his head, only half listening. "I had it all timed out to the minute-exactly when I had to leave Noria's to get back to Newport.  How was I supposed  to know  that a  Duraka gang was  going to  hit the  resort exchange? "

"No way you could, Skids. So stop sweating it. "

"The police kept everything bigger than a bird on the ground for almost eleven hours, till they  caught them.  And  then I  get pulled  down  over Surtsey for speeding,  trying to make  up time-over Surtsey,  mind you.  If they've got enough aircops to patrol  Surtsey, you think they'd be able  to catch a couple of four-foot-tall jewel thieves a little faster-"

"There she is, " Tuketu said, pointing toward the upper right corner of the viewport.

"What? Where? Oh-all right. Be  there in no  time now,  " Skids  said, settling down in an empty seat. "You think they'll move Hodo up to squadron commander? I'd rather it was Hodo than Miranda,  myself. I don't know  how you feel-"

"Skids-"

"What? "

"You're babbling. "

"Am I? Okay.  You're  right,  I  am. I'll  stop,  "  Skids  said,  his expression sheepish. "I just feel so bad about all  this, is all. I  can't believe it  happened. "  He  glanced at  his  watch. "Almost twelve  hours late-the captain's going  to stuff  us in  a drone  and use  us for  target practice. Next time, don't wait for me. Just leave me there and go on up by yourself! "

Standing inside the hatch of the four-seat shuttle he had flown up  to theGlorious, General Han Solo tugged unhappily at the stiff fabric of  his uniform, vainly trying to make it more comfortable. He had gained weight on two months of regular family meals, which only made matters worse. He heard Leia's voice telling him, You look dashingly handsome, dear. It's your head that is uncomfortable in uniform, not your body.

Sighing, he surrendered and pushed the hatch release.

The flight-deck crew already had an egress ladder in place for him, and the deck officer was waiting at the bottom of it.

"Lieutenant, " Han said. "Permission to come aboard. "

"General Solo, sir! Granted-welcome aboard.  I hadn't  heard that  you were coming to see us off, sir. "

"I'm not, " said Han, smartly descending the ladder. "I'm coming along for the ride.  Have my gear  brought off, and  then get one  of your  ferry pilots to take this thing back to  the station before you lock down,  would you? "

"Yes, sir, right away. " The lieutenant's  startled look quickly  gave way to the slightly worshipful eagerness  Han had learned  to expect,  but never to accept.

"I'm just sorry you didn't come up  in the Falcon,  sir. I would  have liked to see her. "

"I'd kinda like to see her  right now  myself, " said  Han. "Where is General A'baht? "

"The general is not  aboard, sir.  We're expecting  him at  any  time. Captain Morano is on the bridge. I'd be happy to show you the way. "

Looking past the lieutenant, Han scanned the  cruiser's bay, making  a quick inventory of its contents.

"Looks like a tight pack, " he said with a nod.

"Yes, sir. Capacity plus.  Took  in half  a  dozen more  E-wings  this morning. But we can still get things moved around when we need to, so  it's not too bad. "

"Make sure you can get them launched in a  hurry, " said Han. "That's what counts most in a scrap. "

"Yes, sir. Would you like that escort to the bridge now? "

"If you could just find out where my quarters  are, that would do  for now, " Han said, tugging at the tight collar of his shirt. "Oh, and let me know when General A'baht comes aboard. "

Han lay bare-chested on his back in the bunk of what until recently had been the quarters of the ship's surgeon. His shirt hung from a wall  clip nearby, and his shoes made a pile at the foot of the bunk.

It had been a long day, and Han's body wanted sleep. But the ship, like the station, was on Standard Time, eight hours  out of sync with  Imperial City. Han knew from experience that the  best way to adjust  to it was  to extend his day further still, and turn in with the first watch. He had left the overhead lights on as insurance against falling asleep.

But his body welcomed the quietude, and his eyes needed rest from  the light, and his mind wanted relief from the thoughts that gnawed at him.

Nothing felt right-being away from Leia and the kids, going off  alone without Luke or Chewbacca, resenting Leia for asking when she knew he could not refuse her, hating his own inability to say no. Somewhere he had  lost the independence he had once cherished as his most precious possession, and the worst part was that he knew he had given it up freely.

No-the worst part was that here he  was, on his  own, and he  couldn't remember how to enjoy it. It didn't feel right to be alone.

Han flung an arm across his face and tried to make it all vanish. In a little while, it did.

General A'baht climbed  out of  the  Poranji jumper  with  respectable limberness for someone his age.

"General, " the deck officer said, saluting smartly.

"Good to see you, sir. Captain  Morano's in conference  with the  task force captains, and the XO is on the bridge. "

"Thank you, " A'baht said,  jumping down and  jerking a  thumb in  the direction of the jumper. "Find someplace to  strap this  down, will  you, Marty? It's borrowed, but I've taken kind of a fancy to it. "

"Yes, sir. Will do. "

Chapter 15

"Slow down a second. I'm  not on  call, "  said Leia. "Not for state business. Especially  not at  this  hour-what time  is  it, anyway?  "  She glanced sideways at the bedroom chrono. "Oh, heaven-I'm sorry I looked. "

"I understand how you feel, " said Ackbar. "I would rather have stayed in the water myself. Still, there's somewhere we have to go. "

Shield of Lies

Chapter 13

"Where is Ackbar? Has anyone seen him?"

"I did," Han said. "He was heading for his office with a big bundle under his arm, muttering something about too much ormachek. I think  maybe  he  was having trouble with his dress uniform."

Leia's face relaxed into a smile for the first time in hours. "If he went all the way back into his closet for the Mon Calamari battle tunic he wore at Endor, this may take a while."

Tugging uncomfortably at his own uniform, Han said wryly, "I could  have used a tailor myself. I hope we don't look more  silly  than  scary,  standing behind you."

Behn-kihl-nahm patted Han on the shoulder.

"Don't worry--the right message will come through.

And your presence is as much for domestic eyes as for Yevethan ones."

At that point Ackbar arrived, resplendent in his white admiral's tunic.

Tyrant's Test

Chapter 6

"To answer your unspoken question, yes, I have a copy of the  recording, in a secure partition at my home. But I give you my word that  neither  I  nor that copy was the source of the leak. I do not know who was responsible."