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At the control pad of the simulation chamber, Qorl programmed in a new set of targets while Norys recharged his blaster rifle. He vowed to train this one, and keep training him, until he saw some genuine progress in the ambitious fighter.

"I still say I should have been sent on the raid with Tamith Kai," Norys grumbled, wing his weapon as if it made him feel more secure. "I could have taken out a few enemies, evened the score a little bit for our side.

Set a few of those big Wookiee trees on fire."

Qorl set the simulated targets in rapid motion: black, orange, and blue for Rebels, and white for stormtroopers. "It's a small raid," Qorl said.

"Zekk is directing the troops.

There was no need for a second leader."

Norys took aim at a blue target and missed.

He liked target practice better when the targets were slow simulations like mynocks. It was from to kill them. "Then they should have sent me alone, old man. I'm a better leader now than that trash collector will ever be."

Rouble, Qorl thought, definitely trouble.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because," Norys said, taking aim at an orange target, but only nicking the edge of it, "my followers are so afraid of me they'd never dare disobey my orders." He missed once more. "Is the aim-point on this blaster offset again?"

"You aren't concentrating on your target," Qorl said, then addressed the candidate's comment in a neutral tone. "Your example is indeed one method of leadership. But you have much to learn."

Norys bristled and missed another shot.

He rounded on the former TIE pilot with a menacing growl. 'Like what, old man?"

Qorl didn't flinch or back down. He had faced tougher adversaries than this young bully-though perhaps none with such pure mean-spiritedness.

"You could learn to concentrate on your weapon and shut out distractions.

You could also learn how to aim and hit your intended target each time, rather than just talking about it," Qorl pointed out.

"The way you are shooting today, you would have become a casualty in only a few seconds in a real firefight."

"Really, old man?" Norys's lips pulled back in something between a snarl and a grin. He turned back toward the targets and, moving his blaster rifle in a slow semicircle, flooded the area with blaster bolts, never removing his finger from the firing stud. When he was finished, every target had registered a hit. A complete slaughter. Norys turned back toward Qorl with a satisfied smirk. "How much more target practice do I need, old man?"

"Enough practice so you don't destroy our own troops during a raid," Qorl replied.

Norys shrugged. "We all make a few sacrifices to meet our goals." He glanced back at the targets. "Seems like a fair trade-off to me." He tossed the spent blaster rifle at Qorl, who caught it with his good arm.

Rouble, Qorl thought, definitely trouble.

- ----------------

STARS BURNED IN the midnight sky like a billion white-hot embers on a slab of black marble. Jacen, Jaina, and Tenel Ka had long since retired to their beds-but Lowie could@t sleep. Perched comfortably on the wide railing of the upper verandah, with the simmering night sounds of the forest all around him, he kept a watchful eye on his sister's window.

Sirra still insisted she wanted to imitate Lowie's feat with the syren plant, and he could not talk her out of it. Now he feared she would leave him behind at the last moment, go alone on her dangerous quest-as Raaba had done. So far, though, he had seen no sign that his sister was planning anything so foolish.

Because of increased production quotas for the New Republic's military requirements, their parents had both volunteered to work the night shift at the computer fabrication facility. Kallabow and Mahraccor had spent their lives at their jobs, contented if somewhat unchallenged, and seemed baffled that neither of their children wanted to follow in their footsteps.

But Sirra demanded constant challenges, and went out of her way to create some when life didn't provide her with enough of them.

The light in Sirra's room