Star Wars Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel

2 Ba'jur bal beskar'gam, Ara'nov, aliit, Mando'a bal Mand'alor An vencuyan mhi. Education and armor, Self-defense, our tribe, Our language and our leader All help us survive. Rhyme taught to Mandalorian children to help them learn theResol'narethe six tenets ofMandoculture Arca Barracks, Special Operations Brigade HQ, Coruscant, 736 days after the Battle of Geonosis second anniversary of the outbreak of war Scorch raised his rie and sighted up on the two sergeants on the parade ground below the window. The DC-17's upgraded optics were a deFinite improvement on the last version. The reticule settled on Kal Skirata within a narrow imaginary band level with his eyes and the indentation at the base of his skull; a perfect cranial vault shot, the ideal for instant incapacitation. Scorch could see the Mandalorian's mouth moving as he spoke to Walon Vau. Yeah, it's getting like downtown Keldabe around here. It's not as if I don't like the guy. But . . . Sergeant Vauand he wouldalwaysbe Sergeant Vau, civilian or notwas the nearest Scorch had to a father. Vau and Skirata seemed to be deep in conversation, both talking at once while they stared down at the ferrocrete surface of the parade ground, no eye contact at all. It was a weird thing to be doing at daybreak. "I thought you said you could lip-read," Sev said, munching on a handful of spiced warra nuts. "I can, but he's not making sense." "Maybe they're talkingMando'a." "I can lip-readMando'ajust Fine,mir'sheb . . ." "You'd think they'd have the sense to wear their buckets and use the internal comlink." "Maybe it's nothing conFidential." Scorch could smell the pungent spice on the nuts from across the room. "Look, you know what happens when you stuff your face with those things. You get indigestion and wind. And I'm not going to put you over my shoulder and burp you." Sev belched. "You'll miss me when I'm gone." "Make yourself useful and take a look, will you?" Sev made a long, low rumbling noise at the back of his throat, Finished the handful of nuts, and sighted up with his own Deece. He was a sniper. He spent even more time staring through optics than Scorch did. "They're reciting something," he said at last, and leaned his Deece against the wall again to sit on his bunk and resume munching. "They're both saying the same words." "Yeah? And?" "Don't know. Can't make it out." For as long as Scorch could remember, Skirata and Vau had been at loggerheads about everything from tactics and how to motivate troops to the color of the mess walls, sometimes to the point of FistFights. But the war seemed to have softened their outlook. There was no affection between themnot as far as Scorch could seebut something kept them together as brother warriors, tight and secret. Neither of them needed to be here. Vau's bank raidand they didn't talk about that, no sirhad probably netted millions. They were men with a mission, driven by something Scorch didn't quite understand. He cranked up the magniFication.Traviss, Karen is the author of 'Star Wars Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel' with ISBN 9780345506184 and ISBN 0345506189.