Read Online Dark Tide 1: Onslaught by Michael A. Stackpole - Free Book Online Page B

I’ll be along presently to say farewell.”
    The boy arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure?”
    Ganner laughed. “I won’t hurt him.”
    Valin turned his head and spitted Ganner on a hard stare. “As if you could . . .”
    â€œGo, Valin. Your mother will get impatient, and you don’t want that any more than I do.” Corran ruffled the boy’s hair. “Your mother will be worried, so ease her fears, okay?”
    The boy nodded, then started sprinting off toward the temple.
    Corran watched him go, then slowly looked back at Ganner. “Okay, and now the
real
reason you wanted to meet me here, away from the others.”
    â€œPerceptive, good.” Ganner’s arctic eyes narrowed. “You’re nominally in charge of our expedition—”
    â€œCorrection, I’m in charge of it.” Corran folded his arms across his chest. “You are my aide on this run.”
    â€œIn the data files, yes, that’s it. In reality . . .”
    â€œMeaning?”
    â€œMeaning you’re an old-style Jedi, you and your dual-phase lightsaber. Meaning I’m a much more powerful Jedi than you are. Meaning I know that you don’t care for Kyp Durron’s philosophy—a philosophy that I think must be embraced if the Jedi order is to fulfill its destiny in the galaxy.” Ganner gestured easily, and the rock rose in the air as if lodged in some invisible turbolift. “I will do what must be done for us to complete our mission, but I will not brook interference from
you
.”
    The rock shot straight at Corran. He dodged to the right. The rock veered wide to the left, then tumbled and crashed back through the underbrush.
    Ganner smirked at him. “Do you understand what I am saying?”
    â€œSure.” Corran let his hands fall to his sides easily. “You’re saying that your philosophy is more important than the job we’re being sent to do.”
    â€œThat’s not it at all.”
    â€œSure it is, but I don’t expect you to understand that.” Corran shook his head. “You and Kyp and the others that believe the way you do—you’re working very hard to establish what the Jedi mean to this galaxy. You’re doing that by wearing sharp uniforms and taking strong stands. Much of the time you’re probably right in the stands you take—I can’t disagree with them. What I don’t like is how you make the stands, and how you work. You’re all saying, ‘Hey, we are Jedi. We deserve your respect.’ I happen to think we need to earn it.”
    Ganner’s expression darkened. “We
have
earned it. The Jedi made order out of the chaos of the Empire.”
    â€œNo,
a
Jedi did that,
the
only Jedi there was at the time who was willing to stand up and fight the Empire. Luke Skywalker earned the galaxy’s respect, not the rest of us. Our fight has to be waged each and every day out there, and here’s a hologram you’d best study from all sides: People end up being inherently suspicious and resentful of anyone who sets himself up to sort right from wrong.” Corran gave him a half smile. “I saw it when I worked for CorSec, and I’ve seen it as a Jedi.”
    The taller man threw his head back and laughed. “You, of all people, have the least call to criticize us for trying to establish an image that makes our jobs easier.”
    â€œHow do you plot that course?”
    â€œWhat you did on Courkrus. You terrorized people. Made them see frightening things that weren’t there.” A triumphant smirk played over Ganner’s features. “You might have been going by the name Keiran Halcyon then, but you used the methods we use. You know how effective they can be.”
    â€œNo, no, no.” Corran shook his head. “You’re not going to use what I did at Courkrus to justify your actions. Courkrus was an outlaw planet, ruled by pirates. I used