[Republic Commando] - 03(162)

“He’s mediocre at best,” she said sweetly. “I shall savor correcting this.”

“Of course-you never published research, did you? Academics didn’t even know Kamino was there.”

“There were times when that was … galling, I admit.”

“I’ll talk to Mereel. He’s doing his best, believe me.”

“Perhaps he should have considered his best before he and that savage who corrupted him destroyed my life’s work.” Ko Sai curled her long claw-like hand gently around Etain’s arm. “You understand, though. You understand what it is to have so much knowledge and yet have so few outlets for its application.”

Etain had that sudden connection with another species, as the had sometimes when looking into Mird’s eyes, when she felt she truly knew who was in there. Did she understand? She could guess what motivated Ko Sai, imagine what it was to be her, and even think as she thought up to a point. Perhaps she even pitied her, utterly alone and never able to go home, or even mix with her professional peers.

Hang on, this is someone who builds children to design specs, and kills them if they don’t meet quality control standards.

It was an ugly thought for any expectant mother. Etain shook off the pity and reminded herself that monsters weren’t a separate species, or even wholly different from the rest of their own, and that was what made them monstrous.

“I wouldn’t swap lives with you, Chief Scientist,” she said. “I just don’t understand why you won’t concede a small thing to a handful of men who mean nothing to you anyway.”

“Skirata would sell that knowledge to the highest bidder. Mandalorians are amoral. Look at our clone donor, Fett.”

Ko Sai seemed to have no idea just how much of a crusade this was becoming for Skirata. He’d moved rapidly beyond the focus of just saving his boys: he was now repelled by the whole idea of cloning.

“I don’t think he would,” Etain said. “He’s not a paragon of virtue, but I think he’d use it solely on his troops and then defray it. He’d never sell it.”

She hoped that might soften Ko Sai. It happened to be the truth, and sometimes the truth was so unexpected in a dishonest world that it was a shock weapon. Etain left her to chew that over and went back to the mobile gene-tech unit parked outside. Mereel was wiping down the surfaces with sterilizing fluid like a fussy droid.

“I don’t think my hearts-and-minds initiative is working with her, Mer’ika” she said.

“That’s because she’s missing one of the essential components in that pair. I’ll give you a few nanoseconds to work out which one.”

“I think she’s finally coming to the end of her tether after being away from Kamino and all her comfort zones for a year. I don’t think she thought it through when she bolted.” Mereel stood back to admire his handiwork, visibly subdued. To Etain’s lay eye, the lab looked pretty impressive, but then she had no idea what Tipoca City laid on for its scientists. The whole planet relied wholly on cloning exports.

“Like I didn’t think through what might happen if we got the research, grabbed the scientist, and then thought we had all the kit for making a solution to the problem,” Mereel said at last. “Even Nulls misjudge situations. That’s why we’re human, and not droids.”

“I think,” Etain said, “that you grabbed an opportunity because it was senseless to ignore it, and then started to put too much faith in it. As we all do sometimes.”

And no woman who conceived a baby as she had could pass judgment on any clone for seizing what he could. Sometimes, things worked out.

The Force made her certain that something positive-she didn’t yet know what-would come of all this. It had to.



Jailer Obrim’s residence, Rampart Town, Coruscant, 499 days after Geonosis

“How’s Fi today?” Besany asked. “I brought Dar to see him.”

Jailer Obrim stood back to let them in. “See for yourself And if you can get Bardan to relax for a while, you’ll be doing better than me.” He clapped Darman on the shoulder. “Good to see you again. How’s Corr settling in?”

“Fine, sir. He blew up a gas storage facility on Liul last week, and he was very pleased with himself. Sort of his qualifier for the squad, if he needed one.”

“I’m glad to see you boys know how to have fun.” Fi was propped almost upright now, but the tubes were still in place, and the med droid-one that was programmed only to nurse, thankfully-checked the saline drip before leaving them with him. Jusik seemed back to his relaxed self. “I waited for you,” Jusik said. “Time for the next stage.” Darman perched himself on the edge of Fi’s bed and took his hand. Everyone did that automatically now. Jusik opened the holdall he’d brought on the first night and began pulling out a set of Mandalorian armor.