Star Wars: Imperial Commando: 501st by Karen Traviss

Author:Karen Traviss
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Tags: Science fiction, Star Wars fiction, Space Opera, General, Space warfare, Imaginary wars and battles, Adventure, Life on other planets, Fiction, Media Tie-In
ISBN: 9780345511133
Publisher: Random House Group Limited
Published: 2009-10-27T07:00:00+00:00

Niner thought he saw that nuna look on Dar's face.

"That's why we need to get moving," he said. "We've got a few hours yet." He tapped his helmet. "Jaing seems to have a hundred ways of getting into government systems. The man's inventive."

"Okay," Darman said again. "Can I talk to him? Can I talk to Ordo? Why did he contact you, and not me?"

It didn't take a mind reader to work out what Darman wanted to ask.

"His spy couldn't find your helmet to slip the comlink in," Niner said. "You want me to ask him…about Etain?"

Darman put his helmet back on. "Yeah. Do that. Thanks. Look, I better go meet Rede.

Ennen's not up to being sociable yet."

Niner watched him go, and realized that losing a wife was a different kind of grief.

Mourning a brother killed in action was bad, and it never got any easier; commandos just found ways to cope with it day by day, and Ennen would, too. But there was no expectation of definite events in a shared life, none of the stuff that a couple assumed would happen to them—having kids, seeing those kids grow up and have kids of their own, and finally growing old together. Things that Darman had started to expect would happen to him would now never take place, even if he married again. The future with Etain had been glimpsed before a door had slammed shut. That somehow seemed even more cruel than just missing a brother in that general he's-not-there kind of way.

Niner put his helmet on and activated the comlink, still wary and half expecting to be intercepted. "Ordo, you there?"

"Receiving, ner vod."

"Darman needs to know what happened to Etain's body."

Ordo was silent for a few moments, as if he'd had to think about it.

"We took her back to Mandalore, and she was cremated in keeping with her custom.”

"Jedi custom."

" Kal'buir wanted it." Ordo sounded almost ashamed. "Her ashes haven't been scattered. We're waiting for Darman to come home."

Niner felt a familiar ache behind his eyes and shut them tight until the feeling passed.

"I'll let him know. Niner out."

Back at the mess hall, Darman and Ennen sat huddled at a table with a clone who had to be Rede. It was hard to explain to randomly conceived beings, but despite looking almost identical, this man was a stranger. The sameness got filtered out, leaving only the small variations—lines, gestures, tone of voice—as distinguishing features. Niner hadn't got the measure of Rede's yet.

And he was one year old. More or less.

Almost everything he knew, and every skill he had, was the result of flash learning. He just hadn't been alive long enough to undergo any of the basic training that took up the first years of a Kamino clone's life. He was going to have a tough time in special operations.

" Sergeant. " Rede sat bolt-upright. "Trooper TK Seven-zero-five-five-eight, Sergeant."

"You'll probably end up calling me Niner." He sat down. "Small-squad habits. Did you volunteer?"

"No, Sergeant. Aptitude assessment."

"But how do you feel about joining us?" The lad had to learn that he was free to say what was on his mind.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.