Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance (44 page)

"My
enemy is your enemy, " said Ax. "That makes you useful to
me. And vice versa. "

Captain
Pipalidi's crest turned bright orange. "We do not need you, you
murderous witch-child..."

"Enough,
" said Master Satele, raising both hands. "This won't get
us anywhere. The fact is that we do need her. Captain Pipalidi, and
the Imperials as well, so we must negotiate accordingly. Have your
analysts confirmed Dao Stryver's calculations?"

"Yes.
" The captain raised herself up to her full height, making her
the tallest person in the room by more than a meter. "I have
sent a long-range probe droid to convey a message to the Supreme
Commander, but I do not anticipate a response of any kind within a
day. "

"The
chance of Stantorrs sending a fleet on the basis of one message is
remote, " Master Satele said. "And by the time it came,
Sebaddon would be boiling over. "

"Yes.
" That single syllable conveyed a weight of import. For all her
dislike of the situation, at least the captain understood its
significance.

"I
don't understand why Stryver didn't tell us this earlier, " said
Shigar. "As it stands we have just fifteen ships, now. If we'd
combined both our fleets on arrival, it would've been over thirty. If
he'd warned us..."

"Would
you have believed him?" asked Ula.

"No,
" said Ax unexpectedly. "I tried to tell my Master about
the hexes but he didn't listen. "

Shigar
didn't add Me, too, but he could have. "So Stryver let us take a
hammering just to make a point? If we'd been beaten, that would've
done no one any good. "

"I'm
sure he has his reasons, " said Master Satele. "The same
reason, possibly, that he's the only one of his kind here. If the
Mandalore feels so strongly about this, why wouldn't he send more to
back us up?"

"Perhaps
he wants us to do his dirty work for him. "

"Or
he doesn't think his people are up to it, " the young Sith said.

Shigar
met her quick gaze. If they shared one thing, it seemed, it was a
mistrust of the Mandalorians.

"Fifteen
ships, " mused Captain Pipalidi, "including one bulk
cruiser... "

Ax
said, "We have three thousand front-line troops, divided across
the remains of three regiments-repulsorlift, heavy weapons, and
armored-with two hundred TRA-Nine battle droids. We have shuttles
sufficient to land them and support them, but we lost much of our
munitions when the ships carrying them were destroyed by the hexes. "

"Are
those figures accurate?" asked the captain suspiciously.

"I
have been ordered to withhold nothing. It is to our benefit, at the
moment, not to do so. "

"In
that spirit, I will offer the same. Three thousand five hundred
troops, two full regiments. Repulsorlift and armor. Our wings were in
the air when their capital ships were destroyed, so most of the
fighters themselves survived. Hangar decks are crowded, though, and
refueling options limited. "

"We
have the same problem, " said Ax. "Colonel Kalisch sent
raiding parties to salvage what they could from the infected vessels,
but none returned. One came back infected. We destroyed it. "

"We
noticed. Our intelligence staff is working double shifts, watching
everything around the planet. Not helped, of course, by the fact that
we were short-staffed to begin with. "

The
captain's tension visibly eased as she and Ax exchanged details of
losses and setbacks. Shigar had heard how battle lines could be
blurred on a war's bloody front. This was the first time he had seen
it in action. Perhaps Stryver's unlikely plan had some merit after
all.

Ula
broke into the rapid exchange of intelligence.

"Every
minute we stand around chatting, " he said, "Xandret's
droids build more of themselves, more factories, more who knows what?
If we're going to stop them, we have to start making solid plans, and
fast. "

"Agreed,
" said Master Satele. "Our number one priority is stopping
the droids from getting more than a toehold in orbit. While their
factories are confined to the surface of the planet, it will be
possible to defeat them. "

"A
whole planet with just fifteen ships?" asked one of the
captain's senior officers. "And just one bulk cruiser?" The
hard-skinned major shook his head. "No matter how you divide it
up, it's impossible. "

"Only
if we tell ourselves it is, " said Shigar. "Stryver's data
clearly showed how the hexes radiated outward from a central
point-the main hot spot your ships bombarded, " he added with a
nod to Ax. "I think it's safe to assume that this was where
Xandret and the others founded the colony's capital. Destroying it
didn't take out the hexes' coordinating intelligence, but must have
hurt it enough to move elsewhere. If we look for the place that's
growing the fastest, that'll be the place to hit. "

"We
have identified two such locations, " said Captain Pipalidi. A
hologram flickered to life between them. "Here and here, "
she said, indicating one spot at the equator and another at the south
pole. "Perhaps the hexes have decided not to put all their eggs
in one basket, this time. "

Shigar
studied the image. The site on the equator was in the middle of a
vast sea of lava, dotted with islands of solid stone. The polar site
was much more stable. Straight lines radiated from it in all
directions, leading to other spots elsewhere.

"That's
a factory, " he said, pointing at the pole. "Perhaps the
master factory, where everything else originates. And that's the
brain, " he said, transferring his finger to the equator.

"How
can you possibly know that?" asked Ax.

"Because
factories need physical means to get things in and out. Resources,
power, finished droids. That's what these are. " He followed one
line from point to point. "Roads or railways of some kind. Or
power cables. "

"And
brains don't need anything of the sort, " she said, nodding. "It
can just sit there, isolated in the middle of that mess, sending
orders out by radio. "

"I
think you're right, Shigar. " Master Satele moved around the
globe, rubbing her chin. "Teams striking both at once, plus
targeted bombardment at the secondary locations, should be enough to
slow the hexes' growth. "

"Enough
to stop it, perhaps, "said Captain Pipalidi, "until
reinforcements arrive. "

There
was an uncomfortable silence. Shigar knew as well as anyone that,
once the threat of the planet was reduced to zero, the alliance would
break. This moment of solidarity was both fragile and temporary. No
one had forgotten that the Sith and the Jedi, the Empire and the
Republic, were anything other than mortal enemies.

"Let's
worry about reinforcements when they get here, " Ula said.
"Captain Pipalidi, would you be willing to sketch out a basic
plan now, to pass on to Darth Chratis and Colonel Kalisch for their
opinion? I suggest dividing resources evenly over all tactical
objectives, to ensure that both parties feel that they are included
but not exploited, plus double the usual number of commanding
officers to each platoon.

Discipline
must be maintained. We don't want the troops shooting one another at
a critical moment. "

"Naturally
not, " said the captain with a bluish cast to her crest. Shigar
didn't know what that meant. Irony, perhaps.

Shigar
caught another glance from the young Sith's direction- bored, this
time, and again he sympathized. Their duel in the Hutts' security air
lock felt a lifetime ago. His lightsaber hand itched, but he kept it
carefully limp at his side.

*
* *

The
door to the conference room hissed open. Larin was taken by surprise.
She had long ago given up trying to read the lips of the people
inside. On seeing a major, she automatically stood to attention.

"Private
Hetchkee, a moment, " said the sturdy Rellarin. "You, too,
Moxla. "

Larin
followed Hetchkee and the major into the conference room. The air
seemed much denser than normal, as was always the case during long
planning sessions. A current projection of the planet hung in the
center of the room, dashed and dotted with notations in yellow and
green. People huddled around it, making suggestions. The Sith girl
was one of them.

Both
Shigar and Ula looked up as Larin entered, but it was the captain who
spoke.

"We're
sending strike teams to two locations, " she said in a voice so
deep it hurt Larin's breastbone. One long finger stabbed at the
globe. "Here, and here. We need people familiar with the hexes
to guide each team. Both your names have been mentioned for the
assault on the master factory. Private Hetchkee, your detail was with
the envoy, under the authority of Supreme Commander Stantorrs. I
don't outrank him, of course, but I can promote you above the rank
required for an escort. No one would dream of wasting a lieutenant on
such a detail, and we're short of officers. Will you accept this
assignment?"

"Yes,
sir. " Hetchkee snap-saluted, looking like he was equal parts
delighted and terrified. This was not only the fastest leap up the
chain of command imaginable, but it could also be the briefest.

"And
what about you, Moxla?"

"Forgive
me, sir, but I have a history-"

"So
I'm told. I don't care what happened back then. You're the closest
thing we have to special forces now, so I'd be insane not to use you.
All that matters is that you'll follow orders-and be followed in
turn, by anyone who has any doubts. Do you think you can manage
that?"

Her
face was burning. In the service again! She didn't know whether to
kill Shigar or kiss him.

"Yes,
sir. I do. I will. "

"Good.
Major Cha, take them to the quartermaster and have them kitted out. I
want them briefed and ready for action within the hour. "

"Yes,
sir. "

The
Rellarin saluted and guided them toward the door. Larin felt as
though she were walking through a weightless vacuum-not floating,
exactly, but cut loose from everything. One touch, and she could
tumble out of control.

The
major chuckled once the door was shut behind them. "You should
see your faces, " he said. "Well, I can't really see yours,
Hetchkee, but I can imagine. "

"Are
we really going to attack the planet, sir?"

"You
bet you are. Are you up to it?"

"I'll
do my best, sir. "

"That's
all we can ask of you. What we expect is a different story. "

In
no time at all they reached the Commenors expansive technical
storeroom. Larin gazed hungrily at row after row of clean armor
shells, up-to-date weapons, and apparently endless cases of
ammunition. She knew this wasn't a big ship, so the stores weren't as
extensive as she imagined, but it was so much more than she had seen
in a long time. She almost wept.

"Here
we are. Sergeant, these two new lieutenants find themselves sorely
underprovisioned. Make sure they're equipped with everything they
need, and do it on the double. "

"Yes,
Major Cha. "

The
swarthy sergeant took charge of Larin and led her into paradise.

*
* *

"What
about the Mandalorian?" Ax asked when the stunned troopers were
gone. "What role does he play in all this?"

She
hadn't forgotten her vow. I will kill you, Duo Stryver, or die
trying.

"Apart
from supplying any other intel he might have, " said the
captain, "I expect him to join the fighters sweeping hexes from
orbit"

"It
might be difficult keeping him out of play, " said one of her
officers. "Mandalorians love nothing better than a good fight. "

"He's
done a very good job of staying out of this one, " said the
Padawan with a shrug. "Maybe he'll be content with that. "

Ax
kept her feelings to herself. She would be hundreds of kilometers
away from them, then, intent on destroying the droids' coordinating
intelligence. But she would advise her Master to keep an eye on
Stryver's scout, in the hope that it strayed too close to an Imperial
ship. In the chaos of combat, missiles often went astray. She wanted
him dead, even if she couldn't deliver the killing blow herself.