Star Wars_ The Dark Lord Trilogy - James Luceno [296]
Shryne wasn’t certain that the Jedi technique was even included in his repertoire any longer, but he kept that to himself.
“My specs have their white-noise hardware enabled,” Climber went on. “If they hear me repeat so much as a phrase of what you say to me, they have orders to waste you. Understood?”
Shryne didn’t deactivate his lightsaber, but allowed it to drop from his right shoulder to point at the ground. Chatak and Starstone followed suit, but remained in defensive stances.
“What’s this about, Climber?”
“We received orders to kill you.”
Shryne stared at him in disbelief. “Who issued the order?”
Climber gave his jaw a flick, as if to indicate something behind him. “You’ll have to ask Commander Salvo, sir.”
“Climber, where are you?” Salvo shouted as Climber’s spec-two was escorting the commander forward. The commander’s helmet was off and he had his gloved hands pressed to his eyes. “You blew those ECDs?”
“We did, sir. To get to the bottom of this.”
Sensing Shryne’s approach, Salvo raised his armored fists.
“At ease, Commander,” Shryne told him.
Salvo relaxed somewhat. “Are we your prisoners, then?”
“You gave the order to kill us?”
“I won’t answer that,” Salvo said.
“Commander, if this has anything to do with our earlier head-butting—”
“Don’t flatter yourself, General. This is beyond both of us.”
Shryne was confused. “Then the order didn’t originate with you. Did you ask for verification?”
Salvo shook his head no. “That wasn’t necessary.”
“Climber?” Shryne said.
“I don’t know any more than you know, General. And I doubt that Commander Salvo will be as easily persuaded to part with information as our captive merc was.”
“General Shryne,” the spec-one interrupted, tapping his forefinger against the side of his helmet. “Comlink from forward operations. Additional platoons are on their way to Aurek-Bacta to reinforce.”
Climber looked Shryne in the eye. “Sir, we’re not going to be able to stop all of them, and if it comes to a fight, we’re not going to be able to help you any more than we have. We don’t kill our own.”
“I understand, Climber.”
“This has to be a mistake, sir.”
“I agree.”
“For old times’ sake, I’m giving you a chance to escape. But orders are orders. If we find you, we will engage.” Climber held Shryne’s gaze. “Of course, sir, you could kill all of us now, and increase your odds of surviving.”
Salvo and the spec-two made nervous movements.
“As you put it,” Shryne said, “we don’t fire on our own.”
Climber nodded in relief. “Exactly what I would have expected you to say, General. Makes me feel all right about disobeying a direct order, and accepting whatever flak flies our way as a result.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Climber.”
“Hope is not something we store in our kit, General.”
Shryne touched him on the upper arm. “One day you may have to.”
“Yes, sir. Now get a move on before you’re forced to put those lightsabers to the test.”
A chorus of ready tones announced that helmet imaging systems, heads-up displays, and weapons had recovered from the magnetic-pulse effects of the ECDs and were back online.
The troopers, also recovered, didn’t waste a moment in arming their rifles and leveling them at the four commandos, who had their DC-17s raised in anticipation of just such a standoff.
Arms outstretched, Commander Salvo rushed to position himself between the two groups before a blaster bolt could be fired.
“Stand down, all of you!” he snapped. “That’s an order!” He glanced menacingly at Climber. “You had better comply this time.”
While weapons were being lowered all around and the first of the reinforcement platoons was arriving—the troopers plainly confused by the scene unfolding in front of them—Salvo motioned the squad leader off to one side.
“Has your programming been wiped?” Salvo asked. “Our orders came down from the top of the command chain.”
“I thought the Jedi were the top of the chain.”
“From the Commander in Chief, Climber. Do you copy?”
“Supreme Chancellor Palpatine?”
Salvo nodded. “Evidently you and your team need reminding