Part 35 (1/2)

He was halfway through his dinner when Kav suddenly stood up and made his way across the room. ”This Mitthrawdo,” he said without preamble as he sat down across from Doriana. ”You think him a genius, do you?”

”I consider him a highly effective military commander and tactician,”

Doriana said, eyeing the other. Where was this suddenly coming from? ”His abilities at art or philosophy I can't vouch for.”

”Amusing,” Kav growled. ”But he is not even a good tactician. He is, instead, a fool.” Pulling a datapad from inside his robes, he dropped it on the table in front of Doriana. ”See the reprogramming he has ordered for my starfighters.”

Doriana glanced at the datapad's display, covered with droid-language symbolics. ”I don't read tech,” he said. ”How about giving it to me in plain Basic?”

Kav snorted contemptuously. ”He has programmed the starfighters for close-approach attacks.”

Doriana frowned back at the datapad. ”How close?”

”I believe the term is hull skimming,” Kav said, tapping the display ”The chief programmer informs me the attack is set for no more than five meters above the hull.”

Doriana rubbed his cheek thoughtfully. Tactically, it made good sense to cut in that close to an enemy's s.h.i.+ps. It put the attacker inside the defender's point-defense weaponry, as well as permitting the kind of targeting accuracy that made for efficient destruction of vulnerable equipment and hull-plate connection lines.

The catch, of course, was that it was enormously difficult to get inside those point defenses in the first place. ”I don't suppose anyone thought to mention to him that Dreadnaughts come with a very good point-defense system?”

”The programmers did not think it their place to speak out of turn.”

”And neither did you?”

”I?” Kav feigned innocence. ”You, of all people, should know better than to question the orders of a military genius.”

Doriana took a deep breath. ”Vicelord, I strongly suggest you remember our ultimate objective here. We've been sent to destroy Outbound Flight.

Without Mitth'raw'nuruodo's aid, we have no chance of doing that.”

”Yet a being of his genius is certainly capable of grasping technical readouts,” Kav said blandly. ”Perhaps his plan is to throw our starfighters against Outbound Flight in an awesome display of disintegrating metal that will frighten Captain Pakmillu into submission.”

Doriana let his gaze harden, utterly disgusted by this pathetic excuse of a military commander. ”So in the end all you care about is your pride,”

he said. ”You don't even care if Darth Sidious executes us both as long as you can find some small point where you can feel superior to Mitth'raw'nuruodo.”

”Calm yourself,” Kav said, resettling himself comfortably in his chair.

”There is no reason why my pride and my victory cannot coexist.”

”Explain.”

”I have not told Mitthrawdo of the flaw in his plan,” the vicelord said with spiteful satisfaction. ”But I have instructed the chief programmer to create a secondary attack pattern for the starfighters, which has been overlaid across Mitthrawdo's primary pattern. Once he has wasted the first wave in his foolish close-approach attack, I will take command and switch to a more effective line of attack.”

Doriana thought it over. That would probably work, he decided. ”It still loses us a full attack wave,” he reminded Kav. ”Not to mention the element of surprise.”

”What surprise?” Kav scoffed. ”As soon as they see the Darkvenge they will know to prepare for droid starfighters.”

Doriana pressed his fingertips together. Surely even a Neimoidian vicelord couldn't be this dense. ”I don't suppose it's occurred to you that Mitth'raw'nuruodo might have off-loaded the starfighters precisely because he doesn't intend to let Captain Pakmillu see the Darkvenge?” he suggested. ”That, in fact, he doesn't intend for the Darkvenge to partic.i.p.ate in the battle at all?”

Apparently, it hadn't occurred to Kav. ”That is ridiculous,” he protested, his eves widening. ”No military commander would refuse to bring a battles.h.i.+p of our might into his fleet.”

”Except maybe a commander who's already seen how easily they can be destroyed?” Doriana couldn't resist asking.

Kav's whole body stiffened. ”I perceive that you have come under Mitthrawdo's spell, Commander,” he said evenly. ”But do not be swayed by his learned manner and cultured voice. He is still a primitive savage . .

. and no matter what the outcome, in the end he will have to die.”

Doriana sighed. Unfortunately, he had already reached that same conclusion. Mitth'raw'nuruodo had come into contact with Car'das and his s.h.i.+pmates, and he might easily touch the edge of the Republic again.

Until all the witnesses to Darth Sidious's betrayal of Outbound Flight had been silenced, the mission would not be complete. ”Regardless, for the moment we still need him alive,” he said. ”How have you arranged for us to reach this second programming level?”

”I will have a relay control,” Kav said. ”Once Mitthrawdo's failure is apparent, I will bring the starfighters back under my control, and will complete our mission.” He c.o.c.ked his head. ”Unless you have further objections?”

Doriana shook his head. ”Though we'll have to make sure we're on his bridge when the battle begins.”

”I leave that to you,” Kav said. ”He is a fool in other areas, as well.

Did you know he has taken twenty of my starfighters and linked them together by twos with a spare fuel tank between them?”

”What good does that do?” Doriana asked, frowning. ”Those starfighters run on solid-fuel slugs.”

”I imagine he was inspired by Outbound Flight's design,”

Kav said contemptuously. ”He is probably regretful that his tanks are too small to fit six starfighters around each.”

”You're sure they're fuel tanks?”

”What else could they be?” Kav countered, getting to his feet. ”A pleasant evening to you, Commander.”

The Neimoidian walked away, and Doriana returned to his meal. Somehow, the food didn't taste as good as it had five minutes earlier.

”There,” Captain Pakmillu said, pointing a flippered hand at the planet visible through D-1's bridge viewports. ”Roxuli, our last stop in known s.p.a.ce. From this point on, we enter territory never before seen throughout all the ages of Republic star travel.”

”It's indeed a historic moment,” Obi-Wan agreed. ”With your permission, Captain, I'd like to send a signal to Coruscant through Roxuli's HoloNet connection.”

”Certainly,” Pakmillu said, gesturing aft. ”The secure comm room will be at your disposal as soon as our guest is finished.”

Obi-Wan frowned. Less than an hour since Outbound Flight had made orbit, and already they had a guest? ”One of the local officials?”

”Hardly,” Pakmillu said drily, his eyes swiveling toward the aft blast doors. ”Ah.”

Obi-Wan turned, and felt his mouth drop open. Local official, nothing.

Their visitor was none other than Supreme Chancellor Palpatine himself.

”Master Ken.o.bi,” Palpatine called as he crossed the bridge toward them.

”Just the man I need.”