[Legacy Of The Force] - 07(90)
“True.”
“It would behoove you not to lose one of your arms. Yet you’re walking in the jungle and are bitten on the wrist by a venomous animal. The venom will spread from your arm and fatally poison the rest of you in less than a minute. What do you do?”
“Well, if you’ve prepared properly for this expedition, you break out the antitoxin and inject it.”
“Correct. But in this instance, you have no antitoxin. You have only a large vibroblade.”
“Then you tie off a tourniquet, cut your own arm off… and hope you can inject the painkillers before you black out.”
“Also correct. Because to be a mighty warrior, you need one thing more than you need to have both arms.”
“Your life.”
“Yes.”
Teppler thought it through. “You’re saying that the Confederation is the warrior, and Corellia is the arm.”
“Yes. And Sadras Koyan is the venom. His use of Centerpoint Station struck almost as deadly a blow to us as it did to the enemy, in terms of morale, of ensuring cooperation between our armed forces. And it’s clear that if we win this war-and I mean if, not when-his first act will be to point the station at one of his allies and begin to dictate the terms of peace and postwar prosperity.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Remove him from power.”
“It’s not as easy as that. We have a coalition government whose representatives jockey for power endlessly.”
“I’m not telling you who to put in power. I’m telling you to remove Koyan, which is as easy as that. It can be done with a small group of specialists who spirit him away in the night and return him when the war is done. It can be done with a hold-out blaster pressed to his kidney and fired. It can be done with planted evidence that does nothing more than prove that he’s the idiot he is.” Phennir leaned close. “I’m not playing kingmaker here. I don’t want to decide who governs Corellia. I just need you to choose a ruler I can work with. Until you do, Corellia stays outside the comfort of our campfire.”
“I’ll think about what you’re saying.”
“Good.” Phennir actually fidgeted, and his tone became conspiratorial. “Listen. I’ll admit that I don’t understand you Corellians. You place the value of freedom so far above that of duty that you’re incomprehensible to me. I’ve flown with and against the best, most disciplined pilots Corellia has offered-Soontir Pel, Wedge Antilles-and I don’t even understand them. Perhaps that’s my failing, but the Confederation will fall apart if Koyan remains in charge. Get me someone who can understand me.”
Teppler nodded. “Understood.”
Phennir gave him a half bow. Then his hologram disappeared.
Moving fast, Teppler pulled out the card he’d meticulously wired into the holocomm. He pressed a button on it, sending an electrical charge through the frail device-burning out its memory and circuits, destroying most of the evidence of his actions here.
Phennir was right. But Teppler, though he had briefly been Five Worlds Prime Minister, didn’t know if he’d be better than Koyan in that role in this time of war. Nor did he know if any military officer could cope with the nearly carnivorous needs for attention and status that characterized the Corellian planetary Chiefs of State he’d have to deal with.
He slapped shut the panel on the holocomm and got to work around the chamber, using a chemical-soaked felt cloth to wipe down every surface he had touched. Fingerprints and genetic evidence were simultaneously destroyed with each stroke.
Wait-the Alliance now had a Chief of State office shared by two collaborators, one originally civilian, one originally military. The same structure might work for Corellia.
Admiral Delpin was intelligent, reasonable, and, unlike Koyan, honorable. She could bring the support of Corellian Defense while Teppler wrangled the civilian chiefs.
It could work. If they could be rid of Sadras Koyan, and soon.
Teppler paused at the doorway into the chamber and surveyed his handiwork. There was nothing to see suggesting he had ever been here-nothing but the wires leading from his holocam subversion device to the recording device above the door. He grabbed the device and gave it a yank, pulling its data wire free of the holocam. He put the rig in his pocket with the burned-out card.
Yes, Admiral Delpin. Perhaps, despite her bearing and reputation, she was willing to become as big a traitor as Teppler himself.
Chapter 31
CORUSCANT SYSTEM, ABOARD THE ANAKIN SOLO
At peace with himself, Caedus stared through the bridge viewports at the stars, at the trails of running lights indicating the presence of ships arriving at or departing Coruscant.