[Short Stories] - [Insider] - The ...

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Star WarsStar Wars InsiderN 73The League of Spiesby Aaron Allston###############################################################################"I'm here to make your day a lucky one" Joram said.The head he addressed had sharp, intelligent features surrounded by a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache. The man who owned it had the door to his quarters open only a few centimeters so Joram couldn't seethe rest of his body.The man said nothing. He glanced over Joram's shoulder to the land-speeder lane beyond, a city thoroughfare that was crowded with fast-moving speeders and slower delivery flats.Joram repeated, "I'm here to make your day..."The door slid fully open, revealing the man to be of Joram's above-average height. He was as broad in the shoulder as Joram but more muscular. He wore close-fitting black garments that were completely out of style on this color-mad, comfort-conscious world. He seized the collar of Joram's tunic and yanked.Joram couldn't help but lean forward, but caught himself on the doorjamb with one hand. "...a lucky one,'" he concluded."Get in here.""Countersign.""I'm your mission commander, and I say get in here instantly"Joram grinned. "My blaster in your gut says I stay here until I hear the correct countersign."The man looked down. A holdout blaster, small enough to be dwarfed by Joram's right hand, was indeed pressed into his stomach."I am very proficient in the combat arts and I knew that was there," the man said. "I could have taken it from you at any time.""Countersign." Joram held his smile. A red dot danced around on the chest and neck of the man he faced, but the fellow couldn't see it. If he tried to seise the blaster, he would die.The man sighed. "You don't need luck when you're as well-placed as I am""Correct." Joram returned the blaster to the holster against the base of his spine."Now get in here.""And my partner?""Partner?"The one in the alley across the landspeeder lane. The one with the laser rifle pointed at you; eye."The man glared over Joram's shoulder. "Oh, him. I was wondering if you meant a second partner. Sure, have him over."Joram crooked two fingers over his shoulder and beckoned.Moments later, Mapper dodged traffic to cross the landspeeder lane and join them. He was a well-built man with dark hair, beard, and mustache that made his features seem brooding; he wore the lightweight, flowing garments common to this world of Tarhassan and carried an elongated case with the words "Pebdy Plumbing Supplies" stenciled on the side. The owner of the dwelling turned to lead Joram and Mapper inside.The main living chamber was decorated in an even more mismatched and garish fashion than the spaceport had been. The room's gold-brown tikkiwood paneling clashed with the overstuffed red-and-white-striped furniture that reminded Joram. of overweight tourists at a beach resort. Two people were already there, a man and a woman arrayed upon and, in the woman's case, almost swallowed by the billowy furniture."All right, we're all here," their host said. "Let's get back to it. Our objective-""Maybe introductions first?" Joram said.The man stood still for several moments, saying nothing, but his lips moved. It took Joram a moment to realize that he was counting to ten."All right, all right," the man said. "I'm Cherek Tuhm." He cocked his head, looking at Joram as though waiting for a response.Joram offered his hand."Joram Kithe. And this is my partner, Mapper Gann."Mapper gave the others a curt nod; he didn't speak. He seldom did, except to Joram. Mapper wasn't comfortable in most social situations. Only Joram and his superiors knew that Mapper was a clone trooper, one of the thousands of warriors bred to fight the Republic's wars. Mapper had belonged to a unit of enhanced clones, men with mote personal initiative than most of their cohorts. Injured in the mission where he'd met Joram, he'd been unable to rejoin his unit for several weeks, so his supervisors had assigned him to Joram as bodyguard and partner-in part so that Joram could continue evaluating the virtues of clone troopers. Now operating with a new name, Mapper was unused io living outside the regimented and homogenized society of his peers. At least he did a fair job of concealing his unease.Cherek ignored Joram's hand. He gestured to the woman."Timan Hanther."She was of less-thatvaverage height and slender, middle-aged, with aristocratic features and intelligent hazel eyes. She wore expensive jade-green garments in the local style, plus a turban to match. She offered Joram and Mapper a brief smile and a nod.Obviously wearying of the social niceties that were keeping him from his briefing, Cherek gestured dismissively at the last person present."And Livintius Sazet. Can I stop wasting time now? I'm only the mission commander."Livintius was humanoid but not human. Also middle-aged, the Falleen wore his graying black hair long in a ponytail. His skin had a greenish tinge to it, and his eyes, though human in configuration, had a reptilian aloofness to them. His features were broad, his forehead high. He wore local garments in blues that contrasted well with his skin tone. He gave Joram and Mapper a little smile."You are correct, Cherek. You are only the mission commander. Now we'll vote to see whether or not you may proceed.""That's not funny." Cherek flopped into one of the overstuffed chairs. As he sank into it, it settled with a noise like an asthmatic bantha letting out a long breath. "You two, sit."Joram did. Mapper set his rifle case against a bare section of wall and stood there.Cherek shook his head a long moment, his manner that of a parent who has finally despaired of his children ever accomplishing anything in life, then leaned forward, making his chair wheeze again."Here's the situation," he said. "As you know, this world of Tarhassan has recently declared itself for the Separatists, a surprise to the Republic."Joram frowned. "Why didn't the Republic Intelligence team here warn us about their defection?" Every world within the Republic had an Intelligence team, even if that team consisted of a pair of agents who spent most of their time watching broadcast entertainments."Aha!" Cherek said. His expression suggested that his children might not be irredeemable after all. The Intelligence team here disappeared six days before the government announced for the Separatists. Our goal istofirid him.""Him?"Tinian looked offended. The entire team here was just a him1"Cherek nodded. "His name is Edbit Teeks. His partner retired a few months ago, and, things being so settled and tame here. Intelligence didn't get around to worrying about a replacement for several weeks. It was during those weeks that the Clone Wars began. At that point, allocation of resources became problematic.""So," Joram asked, "what do we know about this Teeks' disappearance?"Livintius shook his head. "No, no, no. That's not next.""Not next?" Joram repeated."On the agenda." At Joram's blank stare, Livintius continued, "I've drawn up a formal agenda for this meeting. Here." He reached behind his seat, causing the furniture to whuff and sigh, then leaned forward to hand Joram a printout.Joram glanced over it. It began:Republic Intelligence MeetingTarhassan, Quarters of Cherek Tuhm1.Gathering of Operativesa.CherekTuhmb.Tinian Hantherc. Livintius Sazetd. Joram Kithe2. Pre brief ing Synopsisa. Where We Areb. Why We're Here (Mission Objectives)3. Getting to Know You4. Formal Briefinga. Objective Summaryb. Resourcesc. Break for Snacks (Optional)d. Presentation of Pre-Gathered InformationJoram read on and on. The agenda, printed in small text, filled the page."I apologize," Livintius said, "for not including the name of your partner on the agenda. I didn't know he'd be coming. You can be certain that the updated version will include it."Joram cleared his throat. "I don't mean to criticize...""Don't feel at all bad about it, young man," Livintius said. "I'm always striving to Improve my work. Take your best shot. The worst that can happen is that my next agenda will be even better.""Yes. Well, I have no objection to the agenda as such. But let's say that you were nabbed by our counterparts in PlanSec, Tarhassan Planetary Security, shortly after you printed this. They'd know the rest of our names and where we were meeting. They'd be able to grab us up, too."Livintius sat back, his brow furrowed, thinking hard. "I'll be... You're entirely cor reel. That would have been disastrous. Let's bring this up again when we get to 'New Business.'""You're, um, new to Intelligence, aren't you?"Livintius brightened. "Which brings us right into Item Three, Getting to Know You. Yes, I am. As are we all."Joram looked at the others. "How's that again?"Tinian smiled. "Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but our Intelligence careers, and the creation of this temporary unit, are all results of your success on Pengalan. Yes, we know who you are and what you've done, Joram."What Joram had done - was accompany a military expedition to the world of Pengalan.That campaign to win the world back from the Separatists had failed, and Jorarn had been stranded there with a squadron of clone troopers. Joram, theri an accountant from the Ministry of Finance, had worked with the troopers, and their combined skills had allowed a number of them to get off that world alive. "So, in running away successfully, I...""No, not that." She shook her head, and her voice took on a condescending tone.... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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