The Krytos Trap

Authors: Michael A. Stackpole

Tags: #Star Wars, #X Wing, #Rogue Squadron series, #6.5-13 ABY

BOOK: The Krytos Trap

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The Krytos Trap
X Wing [3]
Stackpole, Michael A.
Random House Publishing Group (2011)
Tags:	Star Wars, X Wing, Rogue Squadron series, 6.5-13 ABY Star Warsttt X Wingttt Rogue Squadron seriesttt 6.5-13 ABYttt

The Rebels have taken the Imperial headquarters world of Coruscant, but their problems are far from over. A killer virus called Krytos is spreading among the population, and fomenting a counter-revolution, at the same time as the treason trial of Rebel hero Tycho Celchu. And X-wing pilot Corran Horn, given up for dead in "Iceheart"'s inescapable prison, discovers an extraordinary power in himself--the power of the Force!
Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the
Star Wars
expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular
Star Wars
books of the last thirty years!

FRIEND OR FOE?

The X-wings came around on a vector that brought them straight at him. Corran cut his throttle back and dove at a slight angle so he would pass beneath their incoming vector. One X-wing inverted and pulled up through a loop to drop on Corran’s tail while the other broke the other way. Corran knew the second pilot had made a mistake, and instantly acted to make the most of it. Cutting his throttle back, he turned hard to starboard and then back again to port.

Corran throttled up and closed with the X-wing.
You’re mine now
. He pushed the Interceptor into point blank range and started to fire, then he saw a blue crest on the X-wing’s S-foils. Though no words accompanied the crest, Corran knew they should have.

Rogue Squadron!

The second he recognized the crest, his finger fell away from the trigger. He didn’t know why he didn’t fire. Fear crystallized in his belly at the sight of it, but he knew he wasn’t afraid of the Rogues. It was something else. Something was wrong, hideously wrong, but he could not pierce the veil of mystery surrounding that sensation.

Suddenly something exploded behind him, pitching him forward.…

A woman’s voice spoke to him. Her words came tinged with anger, bitten off harshly and clearly meant to hurt him. “You have failed, Nemesis One.”

STAR WARS: THE KRYTOS TRAP
A Bantam Spectra Book/October 1996

SPECTRA and the portrayal of a boxed “s” are trademarks of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

®, TM, & © 1996 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
Used under authorization.
Cover art by Paul Youll.
Copyright © 1996 by Lucasfilm Ltd.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publisher.
For information address: Bantam Books.

eISBN: 978-0-307-79623-3

Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books” and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036.

v3.1

D
EDICATION

To the memory of
Patty Vardeman

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank the following people for their various contributions to this book:

Janna Silverstein, Tom Dupree, and Ricia Mainhardt for getting me into this mess;

Sue Rostoni and Lucy Autrey Wilson for letting me get away with all they have in this universe;

Kevin J. Anderson, Timothy Zahn, Kathy Tyers, Bill Smith, Bill Slavicsek, Peter Schweighofer, Michael Kogge, and Dave Wolverton for the material they created and the advice they offered;

Lawrence Holland and Edward Kilham for the X-
Wing
and
TIE Fighter
computer games;

Chris Taylor for pointing out to me which ship Tycho was flying in
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
and Gail Mihara for pointing out controversies I might want to avoid;

My parents, my sister Kerin, my brother Patrick and his wife Joy for their encouragement (and endless efforts to face my other books out on bookstore shelves);

Dennis L. McKiernan, Jennifer Roberson, and especially Elizabeth T. Danforth for listening to bits of this story as it was being written and enduring such abuse with smiles and a supportive manner.

D
RAMATIS
P
ERSONAE
R
OGUE
S
QUADRON

C
OMMANDER
W
EDGE
A
NTILLES
(human male from Corellia)

C
APTAIN
T
YCHO
C
ELCHU
(human male from Alderaan)

C
APTAIN
A
RIL
N
UNB
(human male from Sullust)

L
IEUTENANT
C
ORRAN
H
ORN
(human male from Corellia)

L
IEUTENANT
P
ASH
C
RACKEN
(human male from Contruum)

O
ORYL
Q
RYGG
(Gand male from Gand)

N
AWARA
V
EN
(Twi’lek male from Ryloth)

R
HYSATI
Y
NR
(human female from Bespin)

E
RISI
D
LARIT
(human female from Thyferra)

G
AVIN
D
ARKLIGHTER
(human male from Tatooine)

R
IV
S
HIEL
(Shistavanen male from Uvena III)