Luke set his head to one side in a near-shrug, allowing the possibility that it might be.
"Do we have details?"
"Apparently they have the Command Override Codes to the Invincible."
Hallin's eyes widened, "How?"
"Bothans- it was part of the original operation when they infiltrated the shipyards for the Dynamic EMP blueprints - though at this point that's irrelevant."
"What are they planning?"
"They were planning to use the codes to override Bridge command and take the Invincible on a unviable intercept course with Coruscant's atmosphere during her inaugural flight when the Emperor will be onboard - break her up under the stress."
Hallin straightened, "Wait a minute, aren't you at that inauguration?" He paused, glancing to Reece in alarm, "Aren't I?"
Luke shook his head, "They can't do that now; there are too many other Ships-of-the-Line in attendance; two Super Star Destroyers and about a dozen Star Destroyers. If they'd had the Dynamic EMP's they were intending to use them to disable all the other ships. As it is, there are at least two ships with sufficient mass to hold the Invincible back from entering the atmosphere on tractor beams, both of which have a percentage of hardened systems now that we know the rebellion gained plans of the DEMP- it's just not a workable plan anymore."
"They'll scale it down." Reece considered, "They can still take control of the ship with the codes, if they think we don't know."
"They intend to seal off the Bridge and blow out the viewpanes; explosive decompression." Luke said, voice casual.
Reece considered, eyes skipping across the desk before him, "Which means you need to be off the Bridge when it happens."
"I intend to be." Luke said simply, turning to Nathan, "And you'll be aboard the Peerless, along with Reece. Only Mara and I will attend."
Hallin raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You're taking Mara?"
"If I take no-one Palpatine will be suspicious and if I take Reece then Palpatine could easily pull the whole plot from his mind if either of us make the slightest slip. Mara doesn't know; she's the logical person to take."
There was a brief silence. It was Reece who asked the question, impassive as ever; "Will she remain on the Bridge?"
Luke had turned away to look out of the viewpane and didn't turn back to answer, the silence hanging heavy, though Hallin couldn't tell whether that was a confirmation, uncertainty or simply a decision not to elucidate. He was always reserved about his relationship with the fiery redhead; so much so that even this would be considered an intrusion and rebuffed.
Reece, who had no interest in The Heirs dealings in this matter other than professional - in terms of its impact on Luke's safety - moved on without further consideration, "Could the Emperor open the Blast Doors if they were locked down?"
"Yes," Luke said at last, his back still to them, "If he knew what they were going to do then he no doubt would. If he didn't... he may allow them to feel momentarily in control, more out of curiosity than anything else- you know how confident he is. Once he realizes, to open two of the three sets of blast-rated Bridge doors would take thirty seconds each - maybe a minute. That may be all the time they need."
"Will the Rebels know that?"
"Probably not - which is why I'm considering telling them."
Another shocked silence took hold, both men turning to Luke where he stood, his back still to them, gazing out at the cluster.
"You're going to help them?" Hallin finally asked.
"I'm considering it." Luke said. "...Opinions?"
"If it's unsuccessful and one of them is caught alive..." Hallin said, making Luke turn just slightly.
"I wasn't intending to comm them and say, 'Excuse me, this is The Heir; I understand you're about to get rid of a big problem for me so I thought I could offer a few pointers...'" Luke stated, dryly. "For one thing I doubt they'd believe anything I told them, and for another, they may well begin to ask how I know what they're doing."
"If you're putting information back to them through a third party then why are you worried?" Reece asked.
"Because I don't want it to be too much of a resounding success. I want it to work, but I need to balance that with how confident it would leave them if it did."
"Because?" Reece prompted. Luke remained initially silent, as if considering.
"Future intentions." He said at last, then, after further consideration, "I need them to think that I'm willing to negotiate with them if I came to power- force them to make a deal with me rather than continue with their hit and fade attacks. I'm not willing to spend years chasing shadows around the Rim Systems... and they're not going to come to the table if they're not hungry."
"You're going to negotiate with them!" Shock was audible in Reece's voice, a rarity for him. Too much so.
"No, I'm going to make them think I'll negotiate with them." He corrected pointedly, "And I'm wondering whether giving them aid now and revealing that it was me at a later date will enhance my credibility- bring them to the table."
"You'd never get them to negotiate." Hallin said at last, "They're too wary of you."
"Mon would have been too wary; Leia Organa might just be amenable."
Which was why he'd been so insistent on removing Mon when he had the chance!
Suddenly threads began to pull together for Hallin, isolated incidents falling into a greater plan. "Which is why you let the smuggler go!" he said of the Corellian onboard the Fury.
"Partly," Luke conceded, "He's close to Organa- she listens to his opinion."
Reece considered this fascinating glimpse of far-reaching plans; The Heir wasn't in the habit of handing out this kind of information without reason. "I doubt anybody else will be quite as open to his opinion."
"They don't need to be; just Organa; I'll approach her first. When she trusts me I'll get her to bring the Chiefs of Staff to a rendezvous - let her think that it was her idea, let her name the rendezvous and any security she requires - and I may bring along a few extra people of my own; just a Destroyer or two. It won't eradicate them completely, but if we can remove enough of their leaders at once it may well throw them into enough turmoil that we can weaken them considerably in the ensuing months- as part of a larger plan."
"Interesting." Reece allowed at last, looking for flaws; it was a loose plan but then this far in advance it would be foolish to believe one could have much more and he was sure Skywalker would elaborate only when he felt it necessary- but it had possibilities if the groundwork was laid well in advance, as The Heir seemed to be doing with his usual attention to detail.
Certainly having some kind of hold over the leader of the rebellion - and The Heir clearly believed he did - was no bad thing.
"So do I help them?" Luke repeated, bringing the conversation round.
Reece brought his mind back to the present problem, "Taking into account what you've said, I can see your dilemma... but I still think it's too much of a risk to get involved at this stage; there are too many variables and I think you know it."
Luke nodded his agreement, "I'm not dismissing it completely though; now that information is available I'll keep a close eye on developments."
"I'm sure it will change closer to the date." Reece agreed, "They say no battle plan survives..." he trailed off, seeing the sudden change in The Heir's eyes-
Luke had turned back to Hallin, "The Bothans."
Hallin frowned, "I'm sorry?"
"Bothans- you asked how they got the codes."
Nathan's frown increased, "You said it was irrelevant."
"I was wrong." Luke said quickly, conceit never a consideration, "If the Bothans who handed over the DEMPs got the information out, then Ollin'yaa surely knew."
"And the Emperor has Ollin'yaa." Hallin finished, of the Bothan Spy Master Luke himself had handed over following the capture of Mon Mothma.
"Which means he may already know." Luke stated, all three men pausing to consider this.