Star Wars: Republic Commando: Order 66 by Karen Traviss

Author:Karen Traviss
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Tags: Star Wars fiction, Space Opera, General, Science fiction, Adventure, English, Fiction
ISBN: 9780345506184
Publisher: LucasBooks/Del Rey/Ballantine Books
Published: 2008-09-16T07:00:00+00:00

"Neither is Jaing," said Skirata, "but some Republic jobsworth knows someone's been in their network."

"What network?" Niner asked.

"Treasury."

Darman knew that Besany had slipped codes to Skirata from the start. He could guess what was coming, or at least he thought he could. "Jaing's been caught slicing? Or was it Besany?"

"Neither. Her friend Jilka's been picked up by the RDS bully-boys instead, and even Jailer Obrim can't make that problem go away. Jilka knows one thing too many. It might put Besany in the frame."

"But what's she done?"

"First things first," Skirata said. "I need to go in and shut Jilka up before she tells Palpatine's heavies too much."

"Shut Jilka up." Niner did his conscience-of-the-GAR act, that resigned expression that said he'd follow orders but he didn't have to like it-and he'd argue. "As in slot her."

"If need be, yes."

Atin looked at Darman. "She's Besany's buddy." "And it's Besany she'll implicate." "In what?" Niner asked.

Skirata was talking about something to thwart the Chancellor. It was the first explicit proof Darman had that he was running his own operation-not in parallel with the Republic's interests, or outside them, but against them. Darman loved and respected Kal'buir, but he was under no illusions about his methods. He'd been up to something dodgy for a long time; Fi's extraction, the base on Mandalore, Ko Sai, the bank job on Mygeeto with Vau that Delta didn't talk about-something major was happening. Skirata was well off the chart.

And so were the Nulls.

"Just tell us," Darman said. "We're big boys now. Put your credits where your mouth is, if you meant what you said to me a minute ago."

Skirata paced slowly around the 'fresher with his head lowered, staring at the gray tiled floor as if he was working up to saying something awful. Vau was getting impatient at the doors, doing that sigh and head shake that meant he was going to cut in and tell them if Skirata didn't. But Darman wanted to hear it from Kal'buir.

"For shab's sake tell them, Kal," Vau said.

Skirata let out a long breath. "Ad'ike, what I'm going to tell you must not, absolutely not, go beyond us. Do you understand? Not even if the Chancellor orders you to answer. Especially not then." He looked at Niner. "That means you, too. You're as straight as a die, son, but this isn't the time or the place for being Master Ethical."

So A'den had told Skirata about Niner's row with him over letting Sull desert and walk free. Niner drew his head back slightly as if he was hurt by the suggestion. "We're not going to like this, are we, Kal'buir?"

Skirata was all business again, eyes dry, as if they hadn't had the conversation about babies and lies at all. "This is a need-to-know job, not because I don't trust you, but because what you don't know usually can't drop you in it. Usually."

"We get it," Atin said. "Just tell us."

"It's not Jilka who's been mining the Treasury's data. It's Besany. And I got her to do it.

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