Jedi Trial (22 page)

Slayke laughed. “I have to admit, I’m coming to admire your style!”

At that point Anakin lost his patience with the verbal sparring. “We don’t have much time to get organized,” he interrupted. “Let’s get on with our strategy session. What happened on Bpfassh was then; this is now. Let’s put that behind us and concentrate on the job at hand.” He paused, letting them see the dark fury in his eyes. Both Halcyon and Slayke stared at him.

“Well …” Slayke leaned back and regarded Anakin for a moment. “Yessir!” He gave a casual salute.

Halcyon cleared his throat. “He’s right, Slayke,” he said. “We’ve got to cooperate—” Halcyon’s personal comlink interrupted him. “This must be something important. Excuse me, please.”

It was the fleet communications officer. “Sir, I have just received, well, the most, um, interesting transmission from the Senatorial Communications Center on Coruscant. I believe you must see it at once, sir.”

The room went completely silent. Slayke raised an eyebrow.

“Can you tell me what it’s about?” Halcyon asked. “I’m in a conference now in Captain Slayke’s command post.”

The communications officer paused. “General, I think you should see it and, well, you’ll see what I mean. Do you have a HoloNet transceiver available at your current location?”

Halcyon looked up at Slayke, who said, “Right in there,” gesturing toward a partitioned-off corner of his command post.

“Yes I do,” he said into his comlink. He turned to Slayke. “What are your codes?”

Slayke held out his hand for Halcyon’s comlink. After a second’s hesitation, the Jedi handed it over. Slayke spoke quietly into the comlink, then returned it and said, “We’d better go take a look.”

They reached the HoloNet transceiver just in time to see Reija Momen’s image flash on the monitor.

“I am Reija Momen, director of the Intergalactic Communications Center on Praesitlyn. My staff and I are being held prisoner by an armed Separatist force. The commander of that force demands you order the troops now opposing him to withdraw from Praesitlyn immediately. For every hour you delay issuing that order, one of my staff will be executed, ending with me. I beg you, for the sake of my people,
Attack! Attack! Attack!
”

The last
attack
echoed through the totally silent room. Slayke swore under his breath, then ordered, “Play it again!”

“Gutsy woman,” Halcyon said with admiration.
“She’s asking us to attack even though it means her life and the lives of her people. That’s like calling in a laser cannon barrage on your own position to save it from being overrun.”

“No kidding,” Slayke agreed. “So she’s the one we came here to rescue.”

Anakin couldn’t utter a word. There was something—else—about that woman.

Halcyon looked at his second in command. “Anakin?”

Anakin stood with his fists clenched, the muscles in his jaw working. The monitor was blank now, but he continued to glare at it as if Momen’s image were still there.

“Anakin?” Halcyon asked.

Someone behind them was cursing in the most foul terms. Someone else said something softly and the curses stopped.

“Anakin?” Halcyon clamped a hand on Anakin’s shoulder and shook it.

“What?” Anakin blinked, as though returning from someplace different.

“Anakin, it’s over.”

“Y-yes. I—it’s just …” Anakin shook his head again and took a breath. “That woman, she reminds me of—well, I don’t know …”

Slayke stood. “Listen up, everyone,” he announced in a voice so loud several officers started. “Listen up,” he repeated in a softer tone. “If our comrades who died here fighting these Separatists could see what that woman has done, they would know—” His voice cracked. “—they would know their lives were not sacrificed
in vain.” He paused and took a breath. “If we ever needed a cause to keep us going, we have it now!”

He walked over to Halcyon and offered him his hand, then extended it to Anakin and shook warmly. “I put myself and what’s left of my army completely at your disposal. What are my orders?”

O
ne of the many hardships of being in an army during wartime, aside from the possibility of getting killed, is lack of sleep. In wartime, the commander who waits to make a decision usually doesn’t live until tomorrow. All military movements and operations seem to occur during the night—and to last all night—and anyone who can sleep on the eve of an attack is either a veteran or so tired he just doesn’t care anymore. Of course, the constant pumping of adrenaline into the soldier’s system will keep him active, but sooner or later exhaustion sets in.

The strategy session that started at strongpoint Judlie continued for hours. Eventually they moved to Halcyon’s command post, which was bigger, better equipped, and offered refreshments that Slayke’s depleted supplies could not afford.

Drawing up a battle plan is no easy task. It has to be both detailed and concise, but at the same time flexible enough to accommodate the instant changes required by a fluid battlefield situation. Halycon’s operations officer was given the task, under Anakin’s supervision, of writing the plan. Each staff specialist in Halcyon’s
army was given a portion of the plan, an “annex” to execute: the personnel chief, operations chief, chief surgeon, intelligence chief, ordnance chief, the artillery, infantry, armor, and air commanders, and last but hardly least, quartermaster and transportation—none other than old Mess Boulanger. Each portion of the plan would be integrated into the whole. Time was short, however, and nobody could quite agree on the best course of action.

After several hours it finally got down to two basic approaches.

“Frontal assaults are out of the question,” Slayke roared. “You ought to know that an attacking force incurs casualties at a rate of at least three to one against a fortified position. That’s what he’s hoping for, so he can cut us down to size!”

“I know, I know,” Halcyon replied. “I’m just advising a feint at his center while a strong force swings around one of his flanks. Grab him in the center of his line, hold him fast, make him think that’s our main axis of attack, and hit him around the flank and come down on his rear.”

“How about a vertical envelopment?” Anakin suggested. “We have the transports. We could land a force in his rear and attack from there, while our main force advances on the center of his line.”

Slayke cocked an eyebrow. “What do you think?” he asked Halcyon.

“I don’t know,” the Jedi Master replied cautiously. “What’s his anti-aircraft capability?”

“We’ve made an assessment,” his intelligence officer responded. “We sent remotely piloted vehicles over his
lines an hour ago in anticipation of this question, sir. We sent several—none came back. But they transmitted enough information for us to determine that his anti-air defenses are particularly dense. We spotted quad laser cannons, as well as ion cannons that they must have off-loaded from their ships and installed as air defense weapons. We estimate at least thirty-five percent casualties just going in, sir—and even higher casualties coming back out.”

“Prohibitive,” Slayke said softly. “I’m sorry, Anakin, vertical envelopment won’t work. I think the only viable tactic is to swing around one of his flanks.” Which had been Halcyon’s opinion from the beginning.

“Don’t forget, he can reinforce every part of his line on a very short axis, while we’ll have a much longer way to go to move troops and supplies, especially if we’re successful in getting around one of his flanks,” Anakin pointed out.

Slayke nodded approvingly. “The young Jedi is becoming a strategist.”

Halcyon smiled. “Anakin is a man of many surprising talents.”

Slayke laughed. “Anakin, you just may have a future in this trade.”

“Then we’ll follow the plan to attack the center simultaneously with a strong force swinging around his flank,” Halcyon said. “But first we’ve got to know how strong his positions are.”

“I have just the man,” Slayke said. “Omin, front and center! Sergeant L’Loxx is one of the best recon men in the business. He’ll probe their lines and find any weaknesses there might be.”

The sergeant approached the officers and came to attention. Halcyon stood and shook his hand. “It’s nearly midnight, Sergeant L’Loxx. Can you complete a reconnaissance of the enemy line by dawn?”

“I can’t do the whole line in the same night, sir,” the sergeant answered, “but yessir, I’ll reconnoiter wherever you want and be back here well before dawn. I can be ready in fifteen minutes.”

“Let’s send three probes, then—center, left, and right. But I think we should send clone commandos,” Anakin said.

“Begging your pardon, sir, but I’m the best there is for this job, only I can’t do the whole line myself. Give me whatever sector you want and I’ll get the information you need.”

“Very well. Sergeant, you take the right flank.” Aside, Halcyon told Anakin, “You select commandos to do the center and left flank.” Then back to L’Loxx: “The former strongpoint Izable will be your jumping-off place, and that’ll be where you’ll come back through our lines. How many troopers will you need?”

“Just me, sir.”

“Only yourself?” Halcyon looked at Slayke, who shrugged. “What if something happens, Sergeant? How will we get your report?”

“Nothing will happen to me.”

“I’d like to go with him,” Grudo said, stepping up beside where Anakin was sitting.

“Ridiculous!” Slayke snorted.

“A Rodian should be good on patrol, sir,” Sergeant L’Loxx said. “They’re experts at getting into places where they aren’t wanted—and getting back out again.”

Anakin nodded. “Grudo’s in, then.”

“We want to go, too,” someone said. It was one of the guards from the
Neelian
, Corporal Ram Raders.

Halcyon stood up quickly. “What is this? I send out one man on a recon, and half my army wants to go along. We may as well mount the assault right now without any idea what’s out there. No, and that’s final.” He sat down.

“Please, sir,” Raders pleaded. “That’s the sort of thing we’re good at. Besides, all we’re doing here is standing around. We can be a great help to the sergeant.”

“I’ll take them,” Sergeant L’Loxx said. “If I’m not satisfied with how they move, I’ll leave them at Izable. But that’s it. Four’s maybe too many as it is.”

“Very well,” Halcyon said. “Anakin, coordinate all this with the clone commandos. All of you meet back here in fifteen minutes for a briefing.”

Anakin turned to the operations officer. “Would you start writing up the operation order? I want to talk to Grudo privately for a moment.” He excused himself and went outside with the Rodian. They sat down on some ration boxes in the dark. “I don’t want you to go out there, Grudo, but if your mind is set on it, then I won’t stop you.”

“I’ll be all right,” Grudo replied.

Anakin didn’t speak for a while, not sure what he wanted to say. “Are you married?” he asked at last.

Grudo hooted a laugh. “Many times.”

“Did you love your wives?”

Anakin could feel Grudo’s shrug in the dark. “I was good to them, they to me. But a soldier, just like a Jedi,
must put duty first, learn to live without the things other men yearn for. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Grudo laid a hand on Anakin’s shoulder, and the two were silent.

“That woman we watched earlier, do you know her?” Grudo asked, changing the subject. “I saw you. I think you must know her.”

“N-no …,” Anakin replied. “She just reminded me of my mother, who was killed.”

“That must have been hard,” Grudo said softly. “But you know, I’ve watched you, and I can tell you this much: she’d be proud of you now, your mother. I’ve never seen someone as smart in as many ways as you are. You’re quick in everything: to learn, to decide, to act. You will be a great commander, and I’m proud to have helped you.” He stood. “I must go now. The sergeant is waiting, and dawn comes quickly tonight.”

“Good luck, then, friend.”

“Yes, luck. Every soldier needs luck, but remember, it’s skill that counts in battle. But you wish me luck and I take it, with many thanks.” Grudo took Anakin’s hand in his own, held it briefly, then turned and disappeared into the night. Anakin was surprised at how silently the Rodian walked in the dark. He stood there for a long moment, then turned and went back into the command post.

“They won’t be foolish enough to attack us at the center of our line,” Pors Tonith told his assembled commanders. “They’ll send a force at the center, but it’ll be a diversion. The main attack will come on one
of our flanks. Therefore, I want a strong reserve here—” He indicated a spot near the communications center. “—ready to move to reinforce any part of our line on a moment’s notice. Expect probes all night tonight and then an attack in the morning. I want you all out there all night long, checking your positions, registering your weapons, checking your fields of fire. Droids don’t need sleep and you do, but tonight no one sleeps in this army.”

“These hills on our left, sir, they command the approaches around that flank and we have troops on them, but they’re still only lightly defended. I suggest we reinforce immediately.”

“We must wait until the attack develops,” Tonith said. “With a mobile reserve we can reinforce anywhere we need troops. You have your orders. We must hold this position until our reinforcements arrive, which I am confident will be very soon now.”

After his commanders had left the command post, Tonith grinned at B’wuf, still sitting under guard, dozing fitfully. “Wake him up,” he ordered the droid guards. “I said no one sleeps in this army, and I meant no one. Except me, of course. The brain needs its rest.” He turned to one of the technicians. “Wake me if there are any developments.” And he went to his quarters to sleep.

The briefing went quickly. There were three recon teams. Team one would cover the left flank; team two the center; and team three, Sergeant L’Loxx’s team, the right flank. Each soldier on the three teams was given a
comlink. “No voice traffic,” the intelligence chief warned them. “The enemy is sure to be eavesdropping.

“Everyone, form up at Izable. As soon as the barrage starts, move out. When you’re ready to come back in, press the talk button on your comlinks: one long and one short for team one; two long, two short for team two; and three long, three short for team three. When you’ve all reported you’re ready to return, we’ll lay down some more artillery to cover you, and that’ll be your signal to come back in.”