Star Wars_ Darksaber - Kevin J. Anderson [123]
“You should not go there,” Dorsk 80 said.
Dorsk 81 looked at his predecessor and jabbed a finger at him. “Be silent and listen. This is important.” Offended, the elder clone glowered.
“Kyp and I found a full Imperial fleet massed and ready to launch. We infiltrated one of their rallies and learned their plans. The Empire is back under the command of Admiral Daala. They will attack the New Republic within a matter of days. Until now, no one has suspected, and Khomm”—Dorsk 81 spread his arms to indicate the world—“is right on the fringe of the Core Systems. The Empire could strike here. You must prepare. Engage your defenses. Establish emergency plans.”
Kaell 116 leaned across the table, putting his elbows on the salted surface. “Khomm has always remained neutral in these galactic conflicts, and we’ve never had problems before. I don’t see why this should be any different.”
“You don’t have to see why,” Dorsk 81 said. “Listen to me. Admiral Daala intends to attack where she is least expected. She knows Kyp and I heard her plans. This entire world is in great danger.”
“Yes … well.” Kaell 116 stood up with a vague smile of dismissal. “We’ll see what we can do, then. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.”
“You can’t risk this continued complacency,” Dorsk 81 said, growing impatient. “I have done and seen things you cannot imagine. Trust me in this: there is great danger.”
Dorsk 80 stood to rebuke him. “You left us. Ages ago our predecessors determined that our society was the perfect model, but you felt you knew more than our forefathers. You’ve forsaken our ways for your own independence. Why should we listen to you? You have not listened to us. In all your escapades, where is the voice of wisdom? You’ll never accomplish anything more important than what you could have done here.”
Dorsk 81 turned to him. It was obvious that his elder presumed the vindictive words would destroy the younger clone’s composure—but Dorsk 81 felt nothing but a sad pity at the narrowness of his elder’s viewpoint.
“You’re wrong,” he said coldly to his predecessor, “and you will never see how wrong you are, because you are blind.”
Dorsk 82 came over to him, and it appeared that the younger clone might actually believe part of Dorsk 81’s warning. “We don’t know how to make defenses,” the younger clone said. “But you’ve had that experience, you’ve had the training.” Dorsk 82’s yellow eyes flashed. “Perhaps you could stay here and help us establish our defenses? Then you would be here to defend us if you are indeed correct. If you’re wrong, you could still stay and perform your old duties in the cloning facility … until the threat has passed.”
The younger clone’s face held an ocean of hope. Dorsk 81 heard the plea and thought of his beautiful, peaceful homeworld, of the years he had spent as part of an enormous machine working smoothly, without worries, without threat. How could he abandon this place to its fate? But what if Dorsk 82’s words were just a ploy, a desperate trick to get him to stay on Khomm so that all could be normal again?
“No,” Dorsk 81 said, and stood up. He touched the cylindrical shape of his lightsaber inside the pocket of his work overall. “I am a Jedi Knight, and I have important work to do.”
“And we must get back to the cloning facility,” Dorsk 80 said sourly. “We know our place—and we have important work to do as well.”
Dorsk 81 did not respond, but instead returned to their ship to meet Kyp Durron. As they departed in their shuttle, he looked across the misty vistas of Khomm with vague apprehension, a premonition that he would not see his familiar homeworld ever again.…
During the brawl and confusion at the Imperial rally, Admiral Daala and Vice Admiral Pellaeon ducked into the nexus station’s turbolift and plunged away from the frenzied mob. Daala