• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“Master Hamner. Thank you for speaking with me.” Pleasant, purring Bothan.

Hamner recovered swiftly, and his voice was steady as he replied. “Admiral Bwua’tu. This is unexpected, to say the least.” What was Admiral Nek Bwua’tu doing contacting him on a secure channel out of the blue in the middle of a siege? And how—no, he knew without asking. Buwa’tu was the head of the Galactic Alliance Navy. He’d be able to bypass Galactic Alliance jamming signals if he wanted to.

“I’m certain it is. But this is a matter of some import and timeliness.”

“I’m staring at the body of a girl who was murdered by the heartless bastard you picked to lead the siege,” he said. “I assure you, sir, I am all attention.”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, Master Hamner,” the pleasant voice continued, “but your Jedi are in severe peril at the moment.”

Hamner actually laughed, though it was an angry one. “Indeed? Thank you for pointing that out, Admiral. I’m sure we would never have noticed that we were under siege by order of the Galactic Alliance, or that my assistant was just killed in cold blood.”

Bwua’tu appeared unruffled by the sarcasm. “I deeply regret the girl’s death. It is in the hope of avoiding more bloodshed that I speak to you now. I do not refer to the siege, Master Hamner, when I speak of peril.”

Hamner suspected a trap. Bwua’tu was a decent sort and a fine admiral. His loyalty to the Galactic Alliance was beyond question; Hamner knew that he had even sworn an oath of krevi, a vow so binding it meant that Bwua’tu put the needs of the Galactic Alliance before those of his homeworld or his own people. Hamner respected that. But the being was canny, the oath of krevi meant that he worked for the GA first and foremost, and Hamner suspected that, discreet as the two tried to be, Bwua’tu was involved with the Chief of State as more than a friend and adviser.

“Let us do each other the courtesy of being blunt, Hamner,” Bwua’tu said. “It will save us time and possibly lives.”

“By all means,” Hamner replied, and braced himself.

“It has come to my attention that the Jedi are building up a considerable attack force of StealthXs for some purpose as yet unknown to me.”

The knot in Hamner’s gut tightened another loop. Oddly, though, his danger sense was not active. He inhaled, exhaled, gathering calm about him.

“When you said ‘blunt,’ clearly you meant exactly that. But rumors are wild things, Admiral. You of all people should know that.”

“True,” said Bwua’tu. “But recordings made by Mandalorians as they fought inside the Temple are not rumors. There’s quite a buildup going on, Master Hamner. It looks as if you’re preparing for something big.”

Hamner closed his eyes, opened them. “Who else knows about this?” There was no point in denying it, not if they had footage of the strike force.

“What few Mandalorians survived,” Bwua’tu continued. “Myself.”

“The Chief of State?”

“No, she does not. And frankly, I’d rather she didn’t.”

Hamner was confused. “I see.”

“No, I don’t think you do. Master Hamner, believe this—if I intended you ill, I would not be speaking with you right now. I’d have informed the Chief of State of the content of the recordings. And instead of a siege, you’d be looking at a full-out preemptive attack. Daala could draw no other conclusion than that this buildup of vessels was intended to be used against her and the Galactic Alliance.”

“But you can.”

“I certainly can, and am entertaining other possibilities.”

“Am I speaking to the Head of the Navy, or am I speaking to Natasi Daala’s … companion?”

Bwua’tu seemed completely unruffled by the comment. “The Head of the Navy. The Chief of State knows nothing about any of this—not the buildup, nor my contacting you.”

“Forgive me if I am dubious.”

“Then perhaps what I have to say will convince you of my trustworthiness. We are military, you and I. We are beings of honor, beings of duty. It is in this spirit that I ask you this question. Is this buildup of armed vessels intended to be directed against Daala or the Galactic Alliance?”

Hamner didn’t even have to weigh the