Nick stopped cursing long enough to ask, "Are we leaving?" "No time," Mace said, still staring into the screen.
It showed the airspace over Pelek Baw.
"It's that bad?" Nick spread his hands. "I mean, you've got a plan, right? You've got some trick to get us out of here?" "No more tricks," Mace said.
The sky was full of droid starfighters.
Incoming.
"How long do we have?" Mace shook his head again. "Seven-One. We hold the ranking militia officer, yes?" "Yes, sir. Major Stempel." "Get him." CRC-09,'571 saluted stiffly. Mace acknowledged his salute with a wave of dismissal, and the clone commander strode away toward the huddle of prisoners.
"What good is he gonna do us?" Mace pointed to a console a few meters away. "You see that? That is linked by landline to a secure transmitter beneath this bunker. Which is the only one on this planet that can send orders to those starfighters; that's the reason this bunker is a bunker. Whoever called them in had to be here." Nick nodded, understanding. "The control code." CRC-09,'571 returned, accompanied by two troopers who held between them an ashen- faced trembling man in the sweat-stained uniform of a militia major. "Major Stempel, I am Mace Windu," Mace began, but the shaking man cut him off.
"I–I know what you want. But I can't help you. I don't know it! I swear. I never knew it.
The codes are on a datapad-it's just a big personal datapad in an armored shell. He carries it with him. I didn't even know what he was doing-he just ordered me to relay his signal through the control console-" Mace closed his eyes, and put his hand to his forehead.
He felt a headache coming on.
"Of course. I should have expected this," he muttered to himself. "I keep forgetting that he's smarter than I am." "He? He who?" Nick demanded. "Who is this he you keep talking about?" "Priority signal incoming," the trooper at the comm board announced. His helmet rested on the console at his elbow; a cybernetic headset hung across his brow and down one side of his jaw, but even so, when he looked back it was Jango Fett that Mace saw.
"He says his name is Colonel Geptun," said this stranger with the face of a dead man. "He's asking for you, General. He's calling to accept your surrender." An immense, bluishly-translucent Lorz Geptun smiled his well-fed lizard smile down into the command bunker from the main holoprojector view. His khaki uniform shirt was again impeccably starched, and his aluminum-colored hair was swept back from his forehead.
"General Windu." He spoke with the same cheery lilt. "When last we met, I had no idea I was entertaining such a distinguished Jedi Master. Not to mention famous. It's an honor, sir.
How was your trip upcountry?" Depa was sitting up now, leaning on a desk, staring dazedly up at the screen. The light cast by Geptun's image threw black shadows that swallowed her eyes.
Kar and his Akks still paced. The clones stood motionless.
"I take it," said Mace Windu, "that you did not get my message." "Message? Oh, the message. Yes, yes, quite. My Jedi Problem and all. Very thoughtful.
Most appreciated." "Then you didn't believe it." "Should I have?" "You had the word of a Jedi Master." "Ah, yes. Honor, duty, justice. The flavor of the month. I can't imagine why I wouldn't simply take the word of a Jedi Master. Really, what could I have been thinking? Mmm-by the way, how is Master Billaba? Hasn't found the mass murders of our citizens to be a strain on her health, has she?" "You," said Mace Windu, "said something about surrender." Geptun's lips pressed together as though he tasted something sour. "Really, Master Windu, it's not every day a man in my position achieves such a resounding victory. In any civilized society, I should be permitted a moment to savor it." "Take all the time you want. Call back when you're finished." "Ah. Quite. After all, I didn't call to gloat. Well, not entirely. So. This is your situation.
"There are several hundred droid starfighters over your position. Anything that takes off from the spaceport will be shot down without warning. Anything airborne throughout the capital district, in fact. Meanwhile-oh, by the way, have I complimented you on your maneuver at the Lorshan Pass? Brilliant, Master Windu. Truly a work of art. You must be quite the dejarik player." His pale eyes sparkled gleefully. "I have been known to indulge in the game myself.
Perhaps-should our discussion today end profitably for us both-we might have a match some time." "Isn't that what we've been doing?" Without a sideways glance or change of expression, Mace sent a pulse in the Force down the connection he had forged with Nick Rostu. The young Korun's eyes widened, then narrowed; his face went blank, and he turned away to speak softly to a nearby trooper.
"In a way, Master Windu. In a way. So. Where was I? Yes: Meanwhile, back at the Pass.
I have fifteen thousand regulars on the ground. And while your clever bit of droid-baffling cost me almost fifty gunships, I have some left. Several, in fact. Of which twenty or so are already at the Lorshan Pass, and have already made a bloody mess of your landers and your defensive perimeter. I'm told your surviving troopers still hold the mouth of the tunnel, but of course they won't for long. I imagine their next move will be to mine the tunnel, and collapse it like you did the others. Which works for me; I have sappers clearing the other tunnels already. We'll be inside within the hour. Which is exactly how long you have to save your people." "An hour." STARWARSlSHAIItKPUINI "Ah, no: you misunderstand. I am plagued by unreliable subordinates; perhaps you can sympathize. My troops are not so disciplined as yours. They are young men, after all, and their blood is up. It may take them an hour to get inside. It may take them ten minutes. Once they enter those caves, I should be very much surprised if any Korun leaves that place alive." "Geptun-" "Colonel Geptun." '-there are over two thousand civilians in there. The old, and the very young. Would you have your men slaughter children?" "There is only one way to stop them," Geptun said regretfully. "I must give them the order to stand down before they breach those caves." "And for that, you want our surrender." u't'tr? Yes.
"There are," Mace said slowly, "civilians in here, as well." "Of course there are." Geptun's smile broadened. "Civilians that you, Mace Windu, would give your life to protect. I cannot be bluffed. Not by you." Mace lowered his head.
"Don't take it too hard, General. In dejarik, part of true mastery is recognizing when a game is lost." Geptun cleared his throat delicately. "You have, sad to say, only one move left: to resign." "Give us a a little time." Defeat had leaked into Mace's voice. "We-we'll have to talk it over-" "Ah, time. Of course. Take as long as you like. It's not actually up to me, is it? My sappers are quite, shall we say, gifted? They could break through at any moment. It would be-mmmm, ironic-if your surrender were to come too late to save all those innocent lives." "Yes." Mace's voice was subdued. "I'll call back on the same frequency." "I look forward to it. It's been a pleasure playing against you, Master Windu. Geptun out." The image on the huge wallscreen faded. Silence shrouded the room.