Star Wars: The New Jedi Order 21: The Unifying Force by James Luceno

Author:James Luceno
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction.Star Wars
ISBN: 9780345428523
Publisher: Ballantine Pub. Group
Published: 2003-11-04T08:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-FIVE

Scepter of Power grasped in his right hand and trailed by a cortege of eight slayers, Shimrra marched into the Hall of Convergence, his legs propelling him in such long strides that Onimi was compelled to run to keep up. Alerted to his approach, everyone present in the vaulted chamber—Nom Anor included—had already assumed attitudes of obeisance. The warriors were down on one knee, and the four seers had their heads inclined in reverent if apprehensive bows. The hall smelled strongly of sacrificial blood, yorik coral dust, and incense, and suddenly of floral scents as the Supreme Overlord’s bare feet crushed the flower petals that had been scattered for him.

Shimrra went directly to his ray-backed throne, but sat for only a moment before rising and beginning to pace back and forth, a confused Onimi following in the wake of the Supreme Overlord’s pliant flayed-skin robe.

“Why was I summoned from my meditation with the gods?” Shimrra demanded of no one in particular. “Is my role in our final campaign less than yours, Supreme Commander Laait?” He gazed balefully at the seers. “Or yours?”

Laait remained in genuflection. “Supreme One, the warmaster bade that I seek audience with you as soon as you would permit.”

“Is Warmaster Nas Choka’s inactivity such that he can find time to communicate with the likes of you?”

“Dread Lord, the warmaster had been anything but idle,” Laait said with a hint of exasperation. “Engaged at Muscave, his forces overwhelm those of our enemy. Thus was he able to dispatch to Zonama Sekot a task force that escorts and safeguards the ailing vessel that is our secret weapon.”

Shimrra made a fatigued sound. “I need to hear this from your mouth, Supreme Commander? Did I not just say that your urgent entreaty found me deep in rapport with the gods?”

Laait snapped his fists to his shoulders in salute. “I beg forgiveness, Great One. Then assuredly you already know that Zonama Sekot appeared to be undefended, save for a handful of enemy fighters.”

“Assuredly.”

“And that the task force commander dispatched coral-skippers to engage those fighters.”

“What of it?” Shimrra said heatedly. “Would you hold me prisoner here with your pointless statements?”

Again Laait snapped his fists. “Of course the gods told you, Lord, that the coralskippers have met with resistance from living vessels.”

Shimrra came to an abrupt halt and stared at the Supreme Commander.

“Dread Lord,” Onimi said, as if to prompt a response.

“Living vessels, you say,” Shimrra said finally.

Laait nodded in acknowledgment. “Vessels that not only match our coralskippers for size and speed, but also are propelled by gravitic affinity, and answer our plasma weapons with theirs.”

Shimrra pointed to the hall’s villip-choir. “I would see an image of these living vessels!”

Supreme Commander Laait stood and beckoned to the villip mistress. Shortly a ghostly image appeared, showing a vessel forged of smooth rocks, dimpled with plasma launchers and dovin basal emplacements.

Canting his huge head, Shimrra regarded the glimmering image in silence.

“The domain commander reported to Warmaster Nas Choka that the living vessels have sown confusion among our ranks of coralskippers.

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