compartment said. “We won’t have to share the glory with them!”
“Well said! Before they can get here to mess things up, we’ll have some fun with those metal soldiers down there. Now, what do you think?”
“Ooooorah!”
the officers shouted, stamping their boots in unison on the deckplates.
“You will have your operations orders before you get back to your ships,” Slayke announced. But they were not yet dismissed.
This was Zozridor Slayke’s great moment. He had risked everything, even became an outlaw with a price on his head, to get to this place with this army at this crucial instant in time. He saw himself now as the fulcrum of history.
Slayke drew himself up to his full height. He addressed his officers—many, he knew, for the last time. These soldiers had been recruited from all over the galaxy, and they had risen to positions of trust and authority in this small army through courage, devotion, and demonstrated ability. “Remember who you are!” he shouted. The last word echoed through the compartment. “What you are about to undertake is not done for fame or reward or ambition; you are not compelled into this fight by necessity like slaves! We go into battle now out of simple duty to our people.”
Slayke paused. The wardroom had fallen completely silent. There were tears in some eyes—all of which were focused on their commander. Slayke took a deep breath. When he spoke again he raised his voice to its full timbre, and it rang from the bulkheads: “Freedom’s Sons and Daughters expect every person to do his duty!”
Odie and Erk didn’t get far from the caves before once again the ground beneath and the air about them heaved and reverberated to the sounds of battle, this time somewhat farther away.
“General Khamar must be counterattacking,” Odie said, removing her helmet.
Erk pulled aside the ground sheet that he was using to protect his face from windblown sand particles and searched the sky. “I don’t think so. Look!” He pointed to the north where, just above the horizon, bright fingers of flame lanced down from the heavens. The sky there suddenly exploded in brilliant flashes followed seconds later by a deep rumbling; one of the flame pillars descending toward the ground blossomed into a brilliant chrysanthemum of fire. “Ships are landing!” he shouted. “One was just hit. It’s a relief force—Coruscant’s sent a relief force!” He threw his arms around Odie and impulsively kissed her on the cheek.
Odie was so surprised—and pleased—she didn’t know how to react, so she blurted out quickly, “Sergeant Maganinny said recon troopers always ride to the sound of the guns. Shall we?”
“Turn this thing around and let’s go!”
But when Odie depressed the foot pedal, the speeder’s motor only whined feebly.
“Out of power?” Erk hoped he didn’t sound as worried as he felt. He hopped off the speeder so that Odie could access the power-cell compartment housed in the rear.
“No,” she answered, a concerned expression on her face. “And these things are usually maintenance-free.”
“Here, look at this.” Erk pointed to a small hole in the housing cover. He felt the hole with a finger. “You’ve been shot. Feel the edges around this hole: it was burned through.”
“I—I did have a run-in with some enemy troopers,”she said, popping the cover. She grimaced and looked away. The compartment was full of grit, and the power cell was coated with sand heat-fused into glass. As they stood looking down into the compartment, the cell gave a little
pop!
and a thin tendril of smoke rose upward. “That’s it,” she said. “We’re foot-mobile now.” She stepped back and looked down at her speeder for a moment, then began to cry.
“Hey!” Erk laid a hand on her shoulder. “We’re okay. We’ll make it.”
“It’s not that.” Odie shook her head. “It’s—it’s my speeder!”
“Oh,” Erk said, mentally kicking himself. “I should’ve
“Well said! Before they can get here to mess things up, we’ll have some fun with those metal soldiers down there. Now, what do you think?”
“Ooooorah!”
the officers shouted, stamping their boots in unison on the deckplates.
“You will have your operations orders before you get back to your ships,” Slayke announced. But they were not yet dismissed.
This was Zozridor Slayke’s great moment. He had risked everything, even became an outlaw with a price on his head, to get to this place with this army at this crucial instant in time. He saw himself now as the fulcrum of history.
Slayke drew himself up to his full height. He addressed his officers—many, he knew, for the last time. These soldiers had been recruited from all over the galaxy, and they had risen to positions of trust and authority in this small army through courage, devotion, and demonstrated ability. “Remember who you are!” he shouted. The last word echoed through the compartment. “What you are about to undertake is not done for fame or reward or ambition; you are not compelled into this fight by necessity like slaves! We go into battle now out of simple duty to our people.”
Slayke paused. The wardroom had fallen completely silent. There were tears in some eyes—all of which were focused on their commander. Slayke took a deep breath. When he spoke again he raised his voice to its full timbre, and it rang from the bulkheads: “Freedom’s Sons and Daughters expect every person to do his duty!”
Odie and Erk didn’t get far from the caves before once again the ground beneath and the air about them heaved and reverberated to the sounds of battle, this time somewhat farther away.
“General Khamar must be counterattacking,” Odie said, removing her helmet.
Erk pulled aside the ground sheet that he was using to protect his face from windblown sand particles and searched the sky. “I don’t think so. Look!” He pointed to the north where, just above the horizon, bright fingers of flame lanced down from the heavens. The sky there suddenly exploded in brilliant flashes followed seconds later by a deep rumbling; one of the flame pillars descending toward the ground blossomed into a brilliant chrysanthemum of fire. “Ships are landing!” he shouted. “One was just hit. It’s a relief force—Coruscant’s sent a relief force!” He threw his arms around Odie and impulsively kissed her on the cheek.
Odie was so surprised—and pleased—she didn’t know how to react, so she blurted out quickly, “Sergeant Maganinny said recon troopers always ride to the sound of the guns. Shall we?”
“Turn this thing around and let’s go!”
But when Odie depressed the foot pedal, the speeder’s motor only whined feebly.
“Out of power?” Erk hoped he didn’t sound as worried as he felt. He hopped off the speeder so that Odie could access the power-cell compartment housed in the rear.
“No,” she answered, a concerned expression on her face. “And these things are usually maintenance-free.”
“Here, look at this.” Erk pointed to a small hole in the housing cover. He felt the hole with a finger. “You’ve been shot. Feel the edges around this hole: it was burned through.”
“I—I did have a run-in with some enemy troopers,”she said, popping the cover. She grimaced and looked away. The compartment was full of grit, and the power cell was coated with sand heat-fused into glass. As they stood looking down into the compartment, the cell gave a little
pop!
and a thin tendril of smoke rose upward. “That’s it,” she said. “We’re foot-mobile now.” She stepped back and looked down at her speeder for a moment, then began to cry.
“Hey!” Erk laid a hand on her shoulder. “We’re okay. We’ll make it.”
“It’s not that.” Odie shook her head. “It’s—it’s my speeder!”
“Oh,” Erk said, mentally kicking himself. “I should’ve
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