[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Pakkpekatt's impatience made the wait seem longer than it was.
"Brigadier Collomus, operations senior staff," said a new voice. "How
can I help you, Colonel?"
Pakkpekatt showed his teeth. "You can help me talk to General Rieekan,
as I asked."
"General Rieekan isn't available at the moment," said Collomus. "If
you have any questions about your orders, I should be able to resolve
them. I was in the planning loop for the Teljkon expedition."
"I know who you are, Brigadier," said Pakkpekatt.
"When General Rieekan becomes available again, please advise him that
his last orders were garbled in transmission.
I will require a verified voice confirmation to proceed."
"I can give you that, Colonel."
"No, sir, I'm afraid you cannot."
Pakkpekatt relaxed into the cushions and left the isolation shell up.
The callback came twenty-four minutes later.
"General Rieekan," Pakkpekatt said with an acknowledging nod.
"Colonel, Brigadier Collomus tells me that you have a problem with your
orders which for some reason only I can resolve. Would you care to
explain what's going on?"
"Sir, I must contest the decision to terminate the mission. This is a
betrayal of---" "Colonel, this is not open for discussion."
"There are six men dead and a contact team still missing."
"Colonel, those facts are not relevant to the decision."
"Not relevant? You--" "No, Colonel, they are not. All agents must be
considered expendable, always. And your ships are needed elsewhere,
most especially Glorious."
"With all due respect, sir, you don't understand the ramifications--"
"Colonel, I wouldn't finish that sentence," Rieekan said sharply.
"Your reports have been carefully reviewed.
The probability of any positive outcome at this point doesn't justify
further investment. The decision has been made, and your exception is
noted. The mission is terminated. Bring them home, Colonel."
"Sir, I request permission to take an all-volunteer team and continue
the search in General Calrissian's yacht, Lady Luck. This would not--"
"Denied."
"Then I request immediate leave, in order to continue the search on my
own."
"Denied. All leaves have been canceled due to the crisis in Farlax
Sector."
"Then you leave me in an impossible position."
"Why is that, Colonel? Do you find it impossible to follow orders?"
Pakkpekatt bared his teeth. "General, a Hortek does not leave the
bodies of comrades in the hands of the enemy--ever."
For the first time since the call had begun, there was silence. "I
understand, Colonel. But I can't help you."
"I think you can, General."
"I'm listening."
"You said that all agents must be considered expendable.
I am asking you to count me among the missing from the Teljkon
expedition. Because even if I did return, I would still be here in
ways which would compromise my ability to do any other job for you."
"This is that important to you," Rieekan said, settling back in his
chair. "Even though these missing men were not part of your command,
flouted your orders, and are principally responsible for the failure of
your mission."
"One's comrades and allies do not come neatly out of a mold, General,"
Pakkpekatt said. "They are inevitably a mixed lot, and never without
flaws. And I find I often must hope for as much tolerance from them in
that regard as I am able to offer to them."
Rieekan pursed his lips. "Very well, Colonel. I will extend you a
little tolerance. Lady Luck, no more than three additional volunteers,
and whatever unexpended mission supplies you choose and the yacht can
carry.
Report any substantive developments promptly. And, Colonel--" "Sir?"
"My tolerance is fairly inelastic. Don't try to stretch it."
"Thank you, General."
Slightly more than an hour later, Pakkpekatt, Captain Bijo Hammax, and
technical agents Pleck and Tais-den watched from Lady Luck's tiny
flight deck as the cruiser Glorious and the escort Kettemoor turned
together and jumped toward Coruscant.
"It begins," said Pakkpekatt to the empty sky.
Penga Rift found the pilot of IX-26 keeping a lonely watch over the
bodies on Maltha Obex.
"What took you so long?" he demanded. "You were supposed to be here
days ago."
"Copy, this is Joto Eckels," came the reply. "Sorry about the delay.
Frankly, we weren't even expecting you to still be here. Our original
sponsor withdrew just before we lifted, and then we got word about the
accident.
We were going to have to go to a contract ambulance to recover Kroddok
and Josala when another sponsor came along and picked up the
contract."
"This is all news to me," the pilot said. "I don't know why I wasn't
recalled if the NRI pulled out. Who's sponsoring you now?"
"A private collector--name of Drayson," said Dr. Eckels. "He hopes to
authenticate some Qella artifacts. I think he's going to be
disappointed, and very expensively so. But it helps us, and we'll do
what we can for him. Do you still have a good fix on the bodies?"
"Affirmative, Penga Rift," said the pilot. "Nothing's moved down there
since the avalanche, unless you want to count the snow that's fall en on
top. You're in for a cold dig."
"We're ready for one."
"Then tell me how you want the data, so I can light this candle and get
out of here," the pilot said. "Because this is hands down the
creepiest duty I've pulled in sixteen years, and I have a great need to
get myself somewhere warm and crowded--and soon."
"Understood," said Eckels. "Ready to receive your coordinate system
reference data. We'll take the next watch here at Maltha Obex."
II.
Luke
Chapter 5
The skiff Mud Sloth was outbound in realspace from Lucazec at top
speed--which, considering it was a Verpine Adventurer, was not enough
to satisfy Akanah.
"Luke--can't you make it go faster?"
"How? Get out and push?"
"Why--yes. Can't you use the Force to speed us up?"
"You need a lever and a place to stand," Luke said wryly. "The Force
isn't a magic wand--there are limits."
"All limits exist in the mind, not the Universe," Akanah said. "I'm
surprised your tutors never taught you that."
Luke shook his head. "Obi-Wan and Yoda both taught me to see that we
limit ourselves by not trying and sabotage ourselves by believing we'll
fail."
"Then why do you--" "--But even Obi-Wan, in our worst moments, with
millions of lives hanging in the balance, couldn't make the Falcon go
any faster." He gestured at the navigational display. "Besides, it
looks like no one's taken enough interest in our departure to try to
follow."
"They don't need to, yet," said Akanah. "We're days from clearing the
Flight Control Zone, aren't we?"
Luke glanced down at the controls. "Three days, more or less."
"Then they can just watch us for now, let us think we're away free and
see where we're going, There aren't many ships that couldn't catch us [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]