Part 12 (1/2)
By the ti area,Binalie, Corf, and Doriana had taken up seats in the greenhouse's undergroundstoreroo the trap door back intoplace and plunging the space into complete darkness ”Go ahead, Corf”
Aas the boy flicked on a sht, Master Doriana,” Binalie said ”Let's hear it”
”This is a soldier's ID,” Doriana said, producing a datacard ”I took itfrom a dead clone trooper lieutenant Nor nu called a contingency deployives detailedinstructions as to where and how to regroup in case of command structuredisruption or the kind of disaster we've just experienced”
”I've never heard of anything like that,” Binalie said
”It's not well advertised, for obvious reasons,” Doriana said dryly ”For the same reasons, the information's also not easy to access”
”But you can do that?”
”Yes,” Doriana said ”By , when the townspeople are allowed toain, you and Master Tories should be able to casuallytravel to the rendezvous point and ht's battle”
”Just the two of us?” Tories asked ”You're not co?”
Doriana shook his head ”Now that the Separatists are in control here, Ineed to keep as low a profile as possible My face round on one of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's broadcasts, and I can'ttake the risk that soive you an authorizationdatacard, though, that will confirive the ”What orders?”
”We have to get Roshton and his people out of there, Lord Binalie,”Doriana said, his voice suddenly low and sincere and very persuasive 'Thelonger they're trapped inside Spaarti, the weaker and et, all those techs he took in with hi soldiers' field packs, whichout critically low on food and water If we let the them out alive will slip from poor to nonexistent”
”And you don't think the Republic will send help?” Corf asked quietly
Tories focused on the youth It was rerown up over the past few days He'd started out as acheerful, carefree boy, content to track down siviviv weeds or just hang outwith Cartao's resident Jedi Guardian
And then Doriana had arrived, and the events that had followed had turned Corf's hohborhood into a war zone Now, he was quieter,
The war had come to Cartao Sadly, it had also come to Corf Binalie
”I don't know, Master Binalie,” Doriana adrave asthe boy's ”I've spoken with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and I know he trulywants to help The question is whether there are any Republic forces strongenough and close enough to deal with this particular Separatist army I'm sureyou understand that there are many other worlds and systems out there inequally desperate situations”
He looked at Tories ”Unless there are other forces available that I don't know about?”
Tories frowned ”What do youto read soed
”Nothing,” he said ”I just thought you estured to the trap door above theet soet this contingency deployment decrypted”
Binalie looked at Tories, his eyebrows lifted slightly Tories shrugged
microscopically in return He could sense an air of secretive-ness surrounding Doriana'sh-level ht,” Binalie said ”Let us knohen you're ready to co off the light so the others could open the trap door without giving their presence away
”Good-night And don't worry,” he added, his tone suddenly thoughtful in the dark ”I have a feeling that by toht this will all be over”
There had been seven possible rendezvous points listed on the contingencydeploy order of preference The first, oneof the hangars at the spaceport, was already occupied by Separatist forcesbusily working on dae of the city, had been effectively deht's battle Atthe third, an auto the Quatreen River,Tories and Binalie found the Republic forces
”This is all rather irregular,” their colieutenant, said as he handed back the introductory datacard Doriana had giventhenal, and the ringof clone troopers that had suddenly appeared on their third step through thedoor lowered their blasters ”I'm Lieutenant Laytron What's this all about?”
”What it's about is a couple hundred Republic troops and a thousand Republic techs trapped inside the Spaarti Creations plant,” Tories told hiroup,” Laytron said ”We've been in briefcontact with hiress on whatever theproject is they're working on in there”
”That's nice to know,” Binalie said sourly ”Did he happen to mention food or water or other irrelevant subjects?”
Laytron regarded hiht”
”Which is a complete illusion,” Tories pointed out ”And you know it”