TheburnishedconferencetablewasassoullessandunyieldingasthemoodoftheeightImperialSenatorsandofficersrangedaroundit。Imperialtroopersstoodguardattheentrancetothechamber,whichwassparseandcoldlylitfromlightsinthetableandwalks。Oneoftheyoungestoftheeightwasdeclaiming。Heexhibitedtheattitudeofonewhohadclimbedfarandfastbymethodsbestnotexaminedtooclosely。GeneralTaggedidpossessacertaintwistedgenius,butitwasonlypartlythatabilitywhichhadliftedhimtohispresentexaltedposition。Othernoisometalentshadprovenequallyefficacious。- x! [ G& D/ E, Q- v8 P
Thoughhisuniformwasasneatlymoldedandhisbodyascleansasthatofanyoneelseintheroom,noneoftheremainingsevencaredtotouchhim。Acertainsliminessclungcloyinglytohim,asensationinferredratherthantactile。Despitethis,manyrespectedhim。Orfearedhim。: g' L+ }4 i* ]7 o
Itellyou,hesgonetoofarthistime,theGeneralwasinsistingvehemently。! I( x }# M9 p, o# c. ]2 q
ThisisSithLordinflictedonusattheurgingoftheEmperorwillbeourundoing。
/ q: d$ ~& K! H& \1 m! Q2 G* N Untilthebattlestationisfullyoperational,weremainvulnerable。
5 K3 T) i% x: \& n; o% Y SomeofyoustilldontseemtorealizehowwellequippedandorganizedtherebelAllianceis。Theirvesselareexcellent,theirpilotsbetter。Andtheyarepropelledbysomethingmorepowerfulthanmereengines:thisperverse,reactionaryfanaticismoftheirs。Theyremoredangerousthanmostofyourealize。Anolderofficer,withfacialscarssodeeplyengravedthateventhebestcosmeticsurgerycouldnotfullyrepairthem,shiftednervouslyinhischair。Dangeroustoyourstarfleet,GeneralTagge,butnottothisbattlestation。Wizenedeyeshoppedfrommantoman,travelingaroundthetable。IhappentothinkLordVaderknowswhathesdoing。Therebellionwillcontinueonlyaslongasthosecowardshaveasanctuary,aplacewheretheirpilotscanrelaxandtheirmachinescanberepaired。Taggeobjected。Ibegtodifferwithyou,Romodi。IthinktheconstructionofthisstationhasmoretodowithGovernorTarkinsbidforpersonalpower TheburnishedconferencetablewasassoullessandunyieldingasthemoodoftheeightImperialSenatorsandofficersrangedaroundit。Imperialtroopersstoodguardattheentrancetothechamber,whichwassparseandcoldlylitfromlightsinthetableandwalks。Oneoftheyoungestoftheeightwasdeclaiming。Heexhibitedtheattitudeofonewhohadclimbedfarandfastbymethodsbestnotexaminedtooclosely。GeneralTaggedidpossessacertaintwistedgenius,butitwasonlypartlythatabilitywhichhadliftedhimtohispresentexaltedposition。Othernoisometalentshadprovenequallyefficacious。
! h2 P: A; l' A d7 } Thoughhisuniformwasasneatlymoldedandhisbodyascleansasthatofanyoneelseintheroom,noneoftheremainingsevencaredtotouchhim。Acertainsliminessclungcloyinglytohim,asensationinferredratherthantactile。Despitethis,manyrespectedhim。Orfearedhim。
# v" J4 L5 ~: y; E( \ f Itellyou,hesgonetoofarthistime,theGeneralwasinsistingvehemently。
* ^ @8 |% Y3 F ThisisSithLordinflictedonusattheurgingoftheEmperorwillbeourundoing。
6 F0 n7 r; U: F- ]0 _ Untilthebattlestationisfullyoperational,weremainvulnerable。* m& M& ^3 K1 c/ v
SomeofyoustilldontseemtorealizehowwellequippedandorganizedtherebelAllianceis。Theirvesselareexcellent,theirpilotsbetter。Andtheyarepropelledbysomethingmorepowerfulthanmereengines:thisperverse,reactionaryfanaticismoftheirs。Theyremoredangerousthanmostofyourealize。Anolderofficer,withfacialscarssodeeplyengravedthateventhebestcosmeticsurgerycouldnotfullyrepairthem,shiftednervouslyinhischair。Dangeroustoyourstarfleet,GeneralTagge,butnottothisbattlestation。Wizenedeyeshoppedfrommantoman,travelingaroundthetable。IhappentothinkLordVaderknowswhathesdoing。Therebellionwillcontinueonlyaslongasthosecowardshaveasanctuary,aplacewheretheirpilotscanrelaxandtheirmachinescanberepaired。Taggeobjected。Ibegtodifferwithyou,Romodi。IthinktheconstructionofthisstationhasmoretodowithGovernorTarkinsbidforpersonalpower andrecognitionthanwithanyjustifiablemilitarystrategy。WithintheSenatetherebelswillcontinuetoincreasetheirsupportaslongThesoundofthesingledoorwayslidingasideandtheguardssnappingtoattentioncuthimoff。Hisheadturned,asdideveryoneelses。
, a- S5 ]/ `+ z- @- F1 l m8 I
y/ A; q T5 |& J0 Z9 ^3 u2 l. |, M Twoindividualsasdifferentinappearanceastheywereunitedinobjectivehadenteredthechamber。ThenearesttoTaggewasathin,hatchet-facedmanwithhairandformborrowedfromanoldbroomandtheexpressionofaquiescentpiranha。 |