TheburnishedconferencetablewasassoullessandunyieldingasthemoodoftheeightImperialSenatorsandofficersrangedaroundit。Imperialtroopersstoodguardattheentrancetothechamber,whichwassparseandcoldlylitfromlightsinthetableandwalks。Oneoftheyoungestoftheeightwasdeclaiming。Heexhibitedtheattitudeofonewhohadclimbedfarandfastbymethodsbestnotexaminedtooclosely。GeneralTaggedidpossessacertaintwistedgenius,butitwasonlypartlythatabilitywhichhadliftedhimtohispresentexaltedposition。Othernoisometalentshadprovenequallyefficacious。, E. Z7 B2 l9 B: P
Thoughhisuniformwasasneatlymoldedandhisbodyascleansasthatofanyoneelseintheroom,noneoftheremainingsevencaredtotouchhim。Acertainsliminessclungcloyinglytohim,asensationinferredratherthantactile。Despitethis,manyrespectedhim。Orfearedhim。
$ ?! T7 M3 J2 _8 T# B0 t" e Itellyou,hesgonetoofarthistime,theGeneralwasinsistingvehemently。. C# @7 z) G: v
ThisisSithLordinflictedonusattheurgingoftheEmperorwillbeourundoing。9 _) L' w; s! M- p, R8 d+ i
Untilthebattlestationisfullyoperational,weremainvulnerable。, i) P7 _+ I/ a* N6 V0 z& Q
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。
1 u; W1 ^4 _2 @$ i- |6 ]; X9 Y Thoughhisuniformwasasneatlymoldedandhisbodyascleansasthatofanyoneelseintheroom,noneoftheremainingsevencaredtotouchhim。Acertainsliminessclungcloyinglytohim,asensationinferredratherthantactile。Despitethis,manyrespectedhim。Orfearedhim。& j T7 J. W& }. x. t; u
Itellyou,hesgonetoofarthistime,theGeneralwasinsistingvehemently。
% C7 {; E, i2 ]% b) i6 v T ThisisSithLordinflictedonusattheurgingoftheEmperorwillbeourundoing。
9 j9 k3 i7 r r1 g; Z( F Untilthebattlestationisfullyoperational,weremainvulnerable。
. c4 n" @$ v: L7 `4 B7 \ 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。
# T3 U* X6 R3 l- l- d" k7 \0 K9 S* H; j7 A/ G
Twoindividualsasdifferentinappearanceastheywereunitedinobjectivehadenteredthechamber。ThenearesttoTaggewasathin,hatchet-facedmanwithhairandformborrowedfromanoldbroomandtheexpressionofaquiescentpiranha。 |