The sooner the better, Knight Vikt. And may the Force be with you," replied the Mirialan.
I was about to disconnect when Unduli continued:
"I apologize, but I forgot to give you some additional instructions."
"I'm listening attentively."
"As you already know, we have been pushed out of this region," Master Luminara explained, and another map appeared beside her hologram. "We have lost control of most of the Barab–Formos hyperspace route and now hold only a small southern section. We are currently in the T-Fifteen area, and your areas of operation are U and V, from Eleven to Twelve. Formally, this is the area of responsibility of the Thirteenth Sectoral Army, but the fact that it is separated from the main theater by Hutt Space seriously affects mobility and speed of movement. Ships are forced to make enormous detours.
"At the same time, the Republic cannot abandon the planets located there to their fate. However, due to the remoteness of the region, communications are difficult. Therefore, after completing the mission on the planet Nadiem, you are to continue operating in the same region at your own discretion. Your tasks will include patrolling nearby routes, taking action against pirates and smugglers, repelling CIS attacks on planets if they occur, and liberating worlds that have been captured or occupied by the Separatists."
"In short, act according to the situation?"
"Exactly. I'm counting on you, Knight Vikt."
With that, the communication session ended.
Act according to the situation… Ha, what a joke. The connection's failing, is it? Just admit it—our intelligence has screwed up, and you simply don't know what to do.
Since our squadron's objectives had changed somewhat, I needed to relay all of this to my subordinates. Therefore, we couldn't leave right away. I had to call a meeting and explain the new "party policy." When everyone assembled—in hologram form, of course—I nodded in satisfaction. Nearly two dozen people. Not bad.
"So, ladies and gentlemen, we have a new assignment. We are moving to coordinates U–Eleven, to the planet Nadiem. Apparently, the CIS is landing its troops there. We are to drive them out. After that, we will begin autonomous operations in the region. Ships, take up marching order. Begin calculating hyperspace jump coordinates. First Lieutenant Cerri, you have command," I ordered, then added, "Any questions?"
Major Windu Barvel raised his hand.
"Sir, I have a question. Of a personal nature."
"Then the rest of you are dismissed."
888
Ahsoka watched the meeting with boredom. She had hoped that, upon arriving here, they would work alongside Master Unduli and her Padawan, Barriss Offee. Instead, they had been shoved back into some backwater again…
Then one of the officers—a pilot, she thought—asked a question.
"Sir, I'd like to clarify something strange. During the battle in orbit over Excarga, I had an odd sensation… as if someone else were controlling my body. At the same time, there's a small gap in my memory. After reviewing the flight computer logs, I found that my performance was three times higher than normal. General, can you explain this?"
Ahsoka perked up. She had completely forgotten that strange incident when, standing on the ship's bridge, she suddenly felt as if she were inside a starfighter's cockpit. Intrigued, she moved closer and looked expectantly at her Master.
"Nothing terrible happened, Major. Consider it a bit of help."
"Master, so what was it, after all?" the girl joined in the conversation.
The man sighed.
"Well, how do I explain this… Ahsoka will understand, but for you, as a non-Jedi, it may be difficult to grasp. Still, I'll try to put it simply. I use the Force to foresee the enemy's actions and to command troops more effectively. This technique is called Battle Meditation.
"In addition, my padawan—Jedi Commander Tano," Vikt gestured toward her, "and I share a connection that is partly telepathic and partly empathic. In other words, we can communicate at a distance. This time, I tried something new: so-called Battle Meld. It allows several Force-gifted minds to be united at once. Through Battle Meditation, it is possible to influence both allies and enemies, even those who are not Force-sensitive. Battle Meld, in turn, helps concentrate and enhance the abilities of those gifted individuals who are part of the meld."
"Uh…" Barvel said, clearly confused.
"Roughly speaking, I temporarily merged your consciousnesses through myself, allowing Ahsoka to partially take control. That gave you a significant advantage."
"But I'm not a Jedi!"
"Master, that's true," Ahsoka added.
"Then you are Force-sensitive, and your blood contains an elevated concentration of midi-chlorians. That would explain why I was able to sense you during the battle…"
"I'm not exactly thrilled that some kind of… um, child was placed inside my head, General," Barvel said carefully, "but I can't deny that it actually saved my life. Still, sir, with all due respect—wouldn't it be better to try this on someone else? My piloting skills are far above those of the regular pilots.Wouldn't it be more practical to enhance their potential instead?"
"A reasonable suggestion. But that would require numerous experiments," Vikt replied calmly. "Have I satisfied your curiosity?"
"Quite, sir," Barvel said, saluted, and disconnected.
"So what, does that mean I won't be flying a starfighter at all anymore?" Ahsoka asked indignantly.
"Why not? If you're capable, then why not take ontrol of several aircraft at once?"
"Is that even possible?"
"I believe so."
"And what would it take? I'm ready! Wait… I think I know. Meditation?" the Togruta muttered, eyeing the smiling man.
The Master is so predictable.