Star Wars_ The Dark Lord Trilogy - James Luceno [41]
Yoda nodded. “Remember the incident well, we do.”
“The credits that allegedly disappeared into the pockets of Valorum’s family members on Eriadu were routed through Aargau.”
“Interesting, this is.”
Dyne opened an alloy briefcase and removed a ribbed data cell. Moving to one of the holoprojector tables, he inserted the cell into a socket. A meter-high holoimage appeared in the table’s cone of blue light.
“General Grievous,” Yoda said, narrowing his eyes.
“You’ll be pleased to learn that I’ve chosen a world for us, Viceroy,” Grievous was saying. “Belderone will be our temporary home.” The cyborg fell silent for a moment. “Viceroy? Viceroy!” Whirling to someone off cam, he barked: “End transmission.”
Dyne paused the message before Grievous had faded from view.
“As high-resolution an image as I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Technology of a different order than we’re used to seeing—even from the Confederacy.”
“About his image, Sidious cares, ummm?”
Mace’s clean-shaven upper lip curled. “What was the source of the transmission?”
“Deep in the Outer Rim,” Dyne said. “Six clone pilots pursued a core ship that jumped to the sector following the Battle of Cato Neimoidia. None returned.”
“Rendezvous of the Confederacy fleet, it is,” Yoda said.
Mace nodded. “And Belderone next.” Again his gaze fell on Dyne. “Anything further on the source of the original Sidious transmission?”
Dyne shook his head. “Still working on it.”
Mace paced away from the table. “Belderone is not a highly populated world, but it is friendly to the Republic. Grievous will kill millions just to make a point.” He glanced at Yoda. “We can’t let that happen.”
Dyne looked from Mace to Yoda and back again. “If Republic forces are waiting when Grievous attacks, the Separatists will realize that we’ve managed to eavesdrop on their transmissions.”
Yoda pressed his fingers to his lips in thought. “Act, we must. Lying in wait, Republic forces will be.”
Dyne nodded. “You’re right, of course. If no actions are taken, and word of this intelligence were to leak …” He regarded Yoda. “Do we inform the Supreme Chancellor?”
Yoda’s ears twitched. “Difficult, this decision is.”
“The information stays here,” Mace said firmly.
Yoda sighed with purpose. “Agree I do. Use the beacon we will, to gather a force.”
“Obi-Wan and Anakin aren’t far from Belderone,” Mace said. “But they’re pursuing another lead to Sidious’s whereabouts.”
“Wait, the lead will. Needed Obi-Wan and Anakin will be.” Yoda turned to the still image of General Grievous. “Prepare carefully for this battle, we must.”
In dreams, Grievous remembered his life.
His mortal life.
On Kalee, and in the aftermath of the Huk War.
After all the close calls on battlefields on his home system worlds, on Huk worlds, sowing destruction, exterminating as many of them as he could … After all the times he had returned home wounded, bloodied to the bone, surrounded by his wives and offspring, basking in their support—relying on it to recall him to life.
After all the brushes with death … to be fatally injured in a shuttle crash.
The unfairness, the indignity had cost him more pain than the injuries themselves. To be denied a warrior’s death—as was his due!
Floating suspended in bacta, keenly aware that no healing fluid or gamma blade wielded by living being or droid could repair his body. In moments of consciousness: seeing his wives and offspring gazing on his ravaged body from the far side of the permaglass. Offering words of encouragement;