Star Wars: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno

Author:James Luceno
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307795816
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2011-05-04T04:00:00+00:00

By the time Cudgel returned to the landing platform the situation was already veering out of control. Blaster rifles raised and faced off with more than one hundred very indignant Wookiees, two squads of stormtroopers were deployed around the carrier that had delivered them to Kachirho, perhaps half a kilometer from where the Jedi transport was parked.

“Or are you going to tell us that your weapons are all the permission you need?” a human liaison staffer was saying to the troopers’ commander as Cudgel hurried in.

The officer’s armor was marked with green, and he wore a short campaign skirt. His sidearm was still holstered, but his enhanced voice was filled with menace. “Authorization was granted by Sector Three Command and Control. If you have any complaints, take them up with the regional governor.”

“Commander,” Cudgel said in a deferential tone, “how may I be of service?”

The officer gestured broadly to the gathered Wookiees. “Only if you can get these beasts to answer my questions.”

High-decibel snarls and furious roars rose from the crowd.

“You might want to find a more politic way to refer to Kashyyyk’s indigenes, Commander.”

From behind the T-visored helmet, the trooper said: “I’m not here to be diplomatic. Let them howl all they want.” He gazed at Cudgel. “Identify yourself.”

“I’m known as Cudgel, far and wide.”

“What are your duties here?”

“I assist with commerce. I can probably set you up with a nice selection of product, if you’re interested.”

“What would we want with wood?”

“What, you don’t have campfires?”

The crowd woofed with laughter.

The commander put his gloved right hand on his blaster. “There’ll be fires soon enough—Cudgel. Right where you can see them.”

“I’m not sure I take your meaning, Commander.”

The officer adjusted his stance, readying himself for action. “Kashyyyk is harboring enemies of the Empire.”

Cudgel shook his head. “If there are enemies of the Empire here, the Wookiees are unaware of them.”

“There are Jedi here.”

“You mean you actually missed a few?”

The commander raised his left hand and poked Cudgel hard in the chest. “Either they are surrendered to us immediately, or we take this place apart, beginning with you.” At the commander’s wave, the stormtroopers began to spread out. “Search the landing area and the tree-city! All non-indigenes are to be seized and brought here!”

The Wookiees loosed a chorus of earsplitting yowls.

Cudgel backed out of range of the commander’s armored fist. “They don’t like it when people track dirt in.”

Drawing his sidearm, the commander said: “I’m done with you.”

But the words had scarcely left the officer’s helmet enunciator when a Wookiee raced forward, knocking the blaster from his hand and hurling him into the troop carrier with such force that the commander’s forearm and elbow armor remained in the Wookiee’s grip.

At the same time, several Wookiee clarions roared in the distance.

The troopers turned, covering one another as the gathered crowd began to advance on them.

A ratcheting noise filled the western sky. Two gunships dropped from the treetops to reinforce the advance squads, stormtroopers descending from the open bay on rappel ribbons.

Rushing onto

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