Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 08_ Edge of Victory 01_ Conquest - J. Gregory Keyes [60]
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go back to an earlier vector. You said something about damuteks?”
“The sacred precincts within which the shapers live and work.”
“How many of them? How many shapers?”
“I don’t know for certain. Around twelve, if initiates are included.”
“That’s all? That’s all the Vong on this world?”
Rapuung spat something Anakin didn’t understand. He didn’t seem to be so much angry as in genuine shock.
“Do not—never refer to us in that way,” he sputtered. “How can you be so ignorant? Or do you wish to insult?”
“Not that time,” Anakin said.
“To use the word Vong alone is an insult. It implies that the person so addressed does not have the favor and kinship of gods or family.”
“Sorry.”
Rapuung didn’t answer, but stared out into the forest.
“We should go,” he said, “I have hidden our scent from the trackers, but they will find us soon enough if we stay still.”
“Agreed,” Anakin said. “But first—how many Yuuzhan Vong on this moon, total, would you think?”
Vua Rapuung considered briefly. “A thousand, perhaps. More warriors in space.”
“And we’ll fight our way through all of them?”
“Was that not your plan?” Rapuung asked. “Does the number we face mean anything to you?”
Anakin shook his head. “Only in terms of tactics. Tahiri is there. I’ll find her and get her out, no matter how many Yuuzhan Vong I have to walk through.”
“Very well. You can walk, now?”
“I can walk. Soon I can run. It might hurt, but I can do it.”
“Life is suffering,” Vua Rapuung said. “We go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Vua Rapuung gnashed his teeth. “No, ignorant one,” he growled. “Not that way.”
Anakin didn’t look at him, but kept his gaze wandering through the whispering Massassi trees, searching for shadows that did not agree with the wind in their motion.
The two stood at the divide of the ridge top; one stone spine snaked down and away to Anakin’s right, the other continued up and to his left. Anakin had started up the steepening trail.
“Why?” he asked. “The search craft are over there.” He waved toward the lowlands off the left ridge.
“They are not ‘craft,’ ” Rapuung snapped.
“You know what I meant.”
“How do you know where they are, when you cannot sense Yuuzhan Vong or the life shaped for us?”
“Because I can sense everything native in this forest,” Anakin replied. “Every whisper bird and runyip, every stintaril and woolamander. And the ones over there are agitated. I get flashes.”
“This is so? How many fliers? Five, yes?”
Anakin focused his concentration. “I think so.”
“They will split into a lav peq pattern, then. First the lowland, then arcs tightening to the highest point. If they find us up here, they will converge and release netting beetles.”
“What are netting beetles?”
“If we do not isolate ourselves on an elevation, you will not find out. This is not air warfare, Jeedai, and unless you plan to fortify this high spot and fight all of the warriors on this moon, altitude is of no use to you.”
“I want a look at the lay of the land.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve gotten us lost, that’s why. You no more know where the Vo—the Yuuzhan Vong base is than a mynock knows how to play sabacc.”
“I can find the shaper damutek. But if we slash a straight line toward them, they will snare us.”
“I know this moon,” Anakin said. “You don’t.” He stopped, staring suspiciously at the warrior. “How did you find me, anyway?”
“I followed the search parties, infidel. You were slashing a straight path, weren’t you? Yes. Without me, you would have been captured ten times by now.”
“Without you, I would have been in your shaper base by now.”
“Yes. I just said that,” Rapuung said. He closed his eyes, as if listening to something. “What do your Jeedai senses tell you now?”
Anakin frowned in concentration. “I think they’ve split up,” he said reluctantly.
“I can hear them,” Vua Rapuung said. “Not as well as I once