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Author	Topic: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
KarenTraviss Title: Author: -Har d Contact -Tri ple Zero -LOTF Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 5/16/05 4:38am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	<< I guess I just figured you were showing us a glipse of the more tender and loving side of Ghez Hokan >> He makes all his own frocks, too. Actually, it's his Mandalorian sense of honour and comradeship that gets him killed in the end. If he'd been a totally selfish monster he'd still be walking around today. -----signature----- Website: http://www.karentraviss.com Blog: http://www.livejournal.com/users/karentraviss/ "Karen, put that stormie down at once!"
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KarenTraviss Title: Author: -Har d Contact -Tri ple Zero -LOTF Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 5/16/05 6:02am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	<< That makes perfect sense, and I can even remember reading the book the first time and remarking upon how the Neimodian had to sniff that way due to an inconvenient lack of nostrils. Somewhere between then and when I transcribed the passage I had forgotten that... >> If I had broken the para just before "Qiilura's commercial overlord..." then it would have been clear it was Ankkit. Letting it run on made it possible that the "he" was referring back to Hokan. Shows you what a fine line we tread between clarity and confusion in narrative. -----signature----- Website: http://www.karentraviss.com Blog: http://www.livejournal.com/users/karentraviss/ "Karen, put that stormie down at once!"
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QuentinGeorge Registered: Dec '03	Date Posted: 5/17/05 12:02am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	I should note that there's a slight continuity error in Jango's background. All that stuff above about him working as a miner, learning the bounty hunter trade? Well, he has to fit that in the timespan 34 BBY - 32 BBY along with being a slave for "years". -----signature----- Yar
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Reverend_Tegoth Registered: Jan '05	Date Posted: 5/17/05 1:39am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Yup, the D20 stuff was obviously written before Open Seasons was a glimmer in anyone's eye. Still, with some minor changes I think everything could fit. -----signature----- Passion about fiction is great when it's fun and lighthearted, or when it provides respite or sheds light on real issues. But save your anger about it - on both sides of the argument - and channel it into improving real lives. - Karen Traviss
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Reverend_Tegoth Registered: Jan '05	Date Posted: 5/17/05 1:50am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Here are all the Mandalorian and Ghez Hokan references from pages 50 - 75 of Republic Commando: Hard Contact: The Republic Commando's ship crashes and burns on Qiilura. Omega Squad is seperated from one of their number, Darman, who is forced to kill two Weequay militia members to stay hidden. When both the civilian population and the militia freeze upon first laying eyes on Darman, he realizes that it's because in his armor he looks like a Mandalorian warrior, and everyone must think he's Ghez Hokan - who they are all apparently quite terrified of. Hokan conversing with his men: "You're a di'kut." Ghez says to an Ubese by the name of Cailshh, and then takes off his helmet so that the Ubese can look him in the eye. "What are you?" Ghez whispers. "A di'kut, sir." The trembling Ubese responds. "You've made me look like a di'kut, too. I don't like that." Hokan has assembled his entire senior staff (the twenty least stupid individuals selected from the criminals that ended up on Qiilura) in the room (which is a disused merlie-shearing shed). It disappoints Ghez that the Neimodians spend so much on secure communications and so little on personnel. A few credits more and Ghez could have bought the small army he needed. Hokan hadn't wanted to hire an Ubese - they could be unpredictable, even sly - but few mercenaries wanted to work on Qiilura and those that did were simply unemployable elsewhere (usually because of a criminal record that even a Hutt would balk at). So there Hokan was, paying them what he could because Ankkit wouldn't give him the funds for proper support. Hokan despaired the lack of professional standards and suspected that extreme coaching was necessary to refocus the team. "So you torched another farm." he says to Cailshh. The Ubese responds that it was a warning. "No, that's not the way it works." Hokan replies. Staring into the being's masked face Ghez thinks to himself that he doesn't like people whose eyes he can't see. He tells the Ubese that the warning comes first, then, if they break the rules, you punish them. He says that if you punish them before they break the rules that then they have nothing to lose, and they hate you, and they will seek revenge, and so will their offspring. "Do you understand that? Does everyone understand that?" Some of his men grunt in reply. "Does everyone understand that?" Hokan snarls at them. "What do we say when an officer asks you a question?" "Yes.... sir!" His men reply. "Good." Hokan says, and then activates Fulier's blue lightsaber and slices off the Ubese's head - quick, bloodless, quiet, and clean. There is sudden and total silence. No one in the room so much as breathes. Hokan looks both himself and the corpse of the Ubese up and down and, noticing that there is not so much as a drop of blood to be seen, decides he rather likes the lightsaber. "That," Hokan said, "was punishment for Cailshh. It's a warning for the rest of you. Now, is the difference clear? It's very important." A few men reply with a wavering "Yes, sir." "Then go and find our visitors. And you, Mukit. Clear up this mess. You're Ubese. You understand the proper way to dispose of the remains." Hokan catches the arm of his senior Weequay lieutenant and asks him where his brother and his brother's friend are. He says they haven't shown up for two meals or signed off shift. Guta-Nay responds that he doesn't know. "I need to know." Ghez persists. "To work out if anything... unusual might have happened to them." A fearful Guta-Nay reasserts his ignorance. "I chose you as my right-hand...man because you could very nearly express yourself in several syllables. That makes you an intellectual among your kind. Don't make me doubt my judgement." Hokan orders Guta-Nay to go out on the route that the missing beings were patrolling and see what he can find. Then he grabs an electroshocker from his desk - an agricultural device for herding, Ghez found it worked fine on most nonanimal species. "This is why I disapprove of undisciplined acts like thieving and drinking. When I need to be certain of someone's whereabouts I can't be. When I need resources, they're already committed. When I need competence, my staff is... distracted." Ghez pushes the shocker up into Guta-Nay's armpit. He tells the Weequay that there is a Republic presence on Qiilura - that they have a downed speeder and a large black crater at Imbraani. Ghez says that he needs data - that the more he has the better he can assess the situation and deal with it. Guta-Nay says that he understands, and Hokan lowers the shocker. The Weequay shoots out the door "his enthusiasm for his career refreshed." Hokan prides himself on his motivational skills. Hokan thinks to himself that the battle to take Qiilura has begun, and shuts himself in his room and turns on all of his comlink screens. Hokan has some idea what the deal between the Seperatists and Ankkit is, and that a significant amount of work had been done to convert a grain store into a building that had triple-sealed doors and walls that could be sterilized with extreme heat. Then Hokan had to try to make decent bodyguards out of the rabble he employed because important Seperatist scientists were coming and going, and the Neimodians saw conspiracies everywhere (which they weren't always wrong about). Then the Jedi had come to Imbraani... Suddenly Hokan realizes that there is a military target on Qiilura. I'm my father's son, though. I'm a warrior. Hokan thinks to himself, and then wonders if all cultures seperated from their heritage were unable to move on and doomed to relive old glories. I'd rather be fighting a worthy opponent then terrorizing farmers who haven't got the guts to stand up for themselves. And fighting soldiers also commanded a higher fee, of course. Hokan knows that the greater the fee the sooner he can get off Qiilura and go... somewhere. "There was no longer a home for him, and few of his kind left. But things could change. Yes, they very well might one day." -----signature----- Passion about fiction is great when it's fun and lighthearted, or when it provides respite or sheds light on real issues. But save your anger about it - on both sides of the argument - and channel it into improving real lives. - Karen Traviss
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CeiranHarmony Registered: May '04	Date Posted: 5/17/05 2:03am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Why do you always tend to see problems instead of solutions like me? ^^ here´s the fix: Jango was a slave, as slave he had to work as miner some time and learned something there, maybe from other slaves he met that were former hunters or whatever. Perfecting his skills, he planned for his escape and then he did it. -----signature----- www.njoe.com (Govsec Author) "Less is more!" Union In Love with the Star Wars Atlas Dark Horse: Star Wars: Invasion (best idea ever!!!) My life is an Idiots Array, PURE SABBACC
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Reverend_Tegoth Registered: Jan '05	Date Posted: 5/17/05 2:35am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Huh? I said that with some minor changes that I think everything could fit . -----signature----- Passion about fiction is great when it's fun and lighthearted, or when it provides respite or sheds light on real issues. But save your anger about it - on both sides of the argument - and channel it into improving real lives. - Karen Traviss
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CeiranHarmony Registered: May '04	Date Posted: 5/17/05 2:42am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	sorry reverend, I didn´t mean you^^ I just posted my version of your "little changes" -----signature----- www.njoe.com (Govsec Author) "Less is more!" Union In Love with the Star Wars Atlas Dark Horse: Star Wars: Invasion (best idea ever!!!) My life is an Idiots Array, PURE SABBACC
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QuentinGeorge Registered: Dec '03	Date Posted: 5/17/05 3:53am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Jango was a slave, as slave he had to work as miner some time and learned something there, maybe from other slaves he met that were former hunters or whatever. Except for the fact he was a slave on a ship, not in a mine. -----signature----- Yar
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Quiet_Mandalorian Registered: Apr '05	Date Posted: 5/17/05 5:21am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Mandalorians with Lightsabers. Could this get any better? -----signature----- Fey'la was right! Bring Asyr Sei'lar to justice!
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Reverend_Tegoth Registered: Jan '05	Date Posted: 5/17/05 8:38am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide - Date Edited: 5/17/05 8:53am (1 edits total) Edited By: Reverend_Tegoth
	In the summary of The Sith War #6 on the previous page, the second sentence of the first paragraph should read: "We have reached Onderon, the former home of the Dark Jedi, Freedon Nadd." Not "Freddon" Nadd. I loathe this sites timed edit feature. I declare it my sworn enemy and call forth a religious jihad to cleanse the forum of its evil! They can take our lives, but they cannot take... our FREEDON! -----signature----- Passion about fiction is great when it's fun and lighthearted, or when it provides respite or sheds light on real issues. But save your anger about it - on both sides of the argument - and channel it into improving real lives. - Karen Traviss
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CeiranHarmony Registered: May '04	Date Posted: 5/17/05 10:00am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Jango was a slave on a ship,yeah, but he was a slave for years and nowhere is it said that he was ONLY slave on a ship. He might have been sold, or when the ship is onplanet might have worked for short time as mining slave. -----signature----- www.njoe.com (Govsec Author) "Less is more!" Union In Love with the Star Wars Atlas Dark Horse: Star Wars: Invasion (best idea ever!!!) My life is an Idiots Array, PURE SABBACC
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KarenTraviss Title: Author: -Har d Contact -Tri ple Zero -LOTF Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 5/17/05 10:34am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	<< I loathe this sites timed edit feature. I declare it my sworn enemy and call forth a religious jihad to cleanse the forum of its evil! >> Remember... "They prosper, who burn in the morning The letters they wrote overnight." (Admiral Ronald A. Hopwood CB, The Laws of the Navy) -----signature----- Website: http://www.karentraviss.com Blog: http://www.livejournal.com/users/karentraviss/ "Karen, put that stormie down at once!"
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QuentinGeorge Registered: Dec '03	Date Posted: 5/17/05 2:07pm Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Jango was a slave on a ship,yeah, but he was a slave for years and nowhere is it said that he was ONLY slave on a ship. Actually, it says he was a slave on the ship only right there in the text. -----signature----- Yar
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Reverend_Tegoth Registered: Jan '05	Date Posted: 5/22/05 2:41am Subject: RE: The Official Mandalorian Reference Guide
	Here are all the Mandalorian and Ghez Hokan references from pages 75 - 125 of Republic Commando: Hard Contact: Ghez Hokan never took kindly to being summoned, but thought to himself that at least Ovolot Qail Uthan was charming about it - she invited him to join her at the research complex and even sent one of her staff with a speeder to collect him from his offices. Hokan respects the gesture. Unlike Ankkit the woman knew how to use power and influence. What Hokan likes most about her is that while she seemed to know that her feminine charms wouldn't override his common sense, she still never dropped her seductively reasonable facade. She was a professional, and mutual respect goes a long way with Hokan. That she was a scientist with subtle political skills impressed him further, to the point where he could almost forgive her unnatural act of fighting without real weapons. As he goes to see her Ghez carries his helmet under his arm - he is unwilling to leave it, or his weapons, with the servant. He looks local to Ghez, and he thinks that the locals are all thieves. Uthan says that she's grateful that Ghez has come to see her, and that normally she would never bypass someone with which she has a contract in order to speak with his "subcontractor." Ghez realizes that Ankkit isn't part of the conversation... and that Uthan is laying on flattery with a trowel. "I'm merely Hokan, a citizen. Let me address your concerns... madam?" Ghez suddenly feels a little foolish when he realizes he doesn't know how to address her. "Mistress Uthan?" Uthan tells Ghez that "Doctor" will be fine, and he asks her how he might reassure her. Uthan leads Ghez into a comfortable side room. Hokan hesitates to sit in one of the decadent seats, but does so because he refuses to stand before her like a servant. She tells Hokan that she believes he has some idea of how important the work she is doing is. "Viruses." He replies. "From the building specification anyway. Hazardous materials." Uthan confirms this, then says that while Ankkit has ensured her that her security is guaranteed, she wants Hokan's assessment of the situation. Hokan doesn't hesitate. "Yes, I believe your facility is vulnerable." A master of his trade, Hokan sees no reason to lose his reputation over restrictions not of his making. "And no, I can't guarantee anything with the level and quality of staff that I have." Uthan is surprised by that, and says that with the generous contract that Ankkit has received that Hokan should have the resources to employ better help. Ghez says that the generosity has not filtered down to his operation. Uthan suggests shortening the supply chain, in the interests of efficiency. "I have no opinion on that. Ankkit's welcome to his cut as long as I have the tools to do the job." Smiling coldly, Uthan replies that that wasn't the cut she had in mind for Lik Ankkit, then asks whether Hokan believes the recent incursions are related to her facility. Hokan, returning a smile that he suspects is a few degrees colder then Uthan's, says that he has circumstantial evidence that leads him to believe so. He knows that if Uthan would do this to Ankkit, that she'd do it to him as well. Ghez tells Uthan that he hasn't found any forces yet, but has identified two points of hard contact (situations where soldiers actually engage one another) and a downed vessel. Uthan asks Ghez whether or not her arranging for Ghez to take command of the Seperatist officers and droids of a nearby garrison would make his task easier. "I take no sides." Ghez responds. "I won't lie to you and pretend to support your cause." Uthan tells him that there's no disgrace in being a mercenary, to which Ghez responds: "I'm Mandalorian. It's in my soul as well as part of my education. No, there's no shame in it as long as you give of your best." Uthan then tells Ghez that the Republic has created an army of millions of cloned troops that have been bred and genetically altered to be the willing servants of the Jedi - that they have no normal life and age rapidly. She then asks him if he knows who they used as the template. "No, I don't." Hokan is never embarassed to admit ignorance, he feels that is for lesser men. "Tell me." "Jango Fett." She replies. "What?" "Yes. The finest Mandalorian warrior of his day has been used to churn out cannon fodder for the aggrandizement of the Jedi." If Uthan had spat in his face, Ghez wouldn't have been more apalled. He knew that Uthan was aware of what would enrage him - she used the emotional term "warrior" not "bounty hunter." She knew how much the information would offend his cultural pride. He feels, however, that she was right to tell him. "It was a matter of honor, and more then his own. He would not see his heritage used in this travesty of honest war." "I'd take the contract even if you didn't pay me." Hokan says. Uthan tells Hokan that she can get him 100 droids to start with, and asks him what he wants done about his existing militia. "I think layoff notices might be in order." He responds. "Perhaps your troops might help me with the administration of that." Uthan grasps Ghez's meaning: I can be just as ruthless as you. Hokan stands up and, holding his helmet in both hands, he reflects upon how he had always been proud of the Mandalorian tradition. Proud that, other then an occassional technical enhancement, it hadn't changed in thousands of years. "What really mattered was what lay under Mandalorian armor - a warrior's heart." Uthan asks Hokan, now addressing him as "Major," whether he would like to now what the virus they were developing was for. Thinking to himself that he has a real rank now, not the flatteringly extravagant "General," Hokan asks if he needs to know. She tells Ghez it's specifically for the clones, to kill them. Hokan replaces his helmet. "The kindest solution." He says, and means it. Bal kote, darasuum kote, Jorso'ran kando a tome. Sa kyr'am Nau tracyn kad, Vode an. (And glory, eternal glory, We shall bear its weight together. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all.) -Traditional Mandalorian war chant After witnessing Hokan's new Seperatist droid troops massacre a group of his old militia members, Niner, one of the Republic Commandos, says: "General Zey said Hokan was violent and unpredictable. He executes his own people in cold blood. Let's remember that." Ghez Hokan thinks to himself that while his droids weren't real warriors, soldiers with pride and honor, he could at least trust that they wouldn't be found lying in the gutter the next morning with an empty bottle... And they look magnificent when they march. He and the droids are marching to Lik Ankkit's villa. Hokan keeps changing position because he is fascinated with the precision of the droids steps, and the conformity of their height and profile. He thought to himself that machines could be made identical, and that was good, but it was anathema to do that to men - especially Mandalorian men. Ankkit is waiting for them at the top of the veranda steps. Hokan remarks inwardly that he is wearing his fancy headress and a di'kutla robe like the decadent grocer he is. Helmet under his arm, he nods politely at Ankkit. Ankkit remarks that Hokan appears to have made some new friends. Hokan says that he'd like to introduce them to Ankkit, because they're all going to be seeing a lot of one another. His Lieutenant, Cuvin, then leads the platoon inside. Hokan thinks to himself that it's all vulgar theatrics, but that he had been waiting a long time for this and it was necessary besides - He needed to billet some troops near Uthan's facility for rapid deployment. The Neimodian verbally objects, but stands aside as the droids walk in. "It's very good of you to allow me to billet my troops here," Hokan says. "A noble use of all that wasted space. The Seperatists are grateful for the personal sacrifice you've made to ensure the security of Doctor Uthan's project." So upset that he's shaking, Ankkit declares that he has a contract with Uthan and her government. Ghez informs him that he failed to honor the clause that guaranteed adaquate resourcing for security and that Doctor Uthan's notice of penalty should be on its way. "I do not take kindly to betrayal." Ankkit says. "That's no way to address a commissioned officer of the Seperatist forces." Hokan responds. Ankkit replies with shock at the statement. "Field commission." Hokan smiles because he is geniunely happy, then tells Ankkit that he has no need of him and he should be grateful that he's still alive. He also tells him that Uthan's government has paid a bonus to the Trade Federation to ensure that he is allowed to work unhindered, and that the region is now under martial law. Ankkit's mouth is clamped shut in anger, but Hokan thinks to himself that at least he wasn't begging for his life. He would have had to kill him if he begged, he couldn't bear whining. "If you see any of my former employees wandering around, don't shelter them, will you?" Hokan says. "Some of them have failed to show up to collect their severance payment. I'd like to handle their outplacement package personally." "You're the paradigm of efficient management for us all." Ankkit replies. Hokan enjoys his moment of revenge, then sets it aside as the distracting bauble he considers it to be. He knows that Ankkit is no longer a threat as droids could not be bribed and the Umbaran and Aqualish officers knew he wouldn't tolerate negligent soldiers because they'd helped carry out the executions of his old militia. Hokan wanted to be clear about what would happen if anyone left his employment under a cloud. "And where do I live?" Ankkit asks Ghez. Ghez replies that there's still plenty of room there, and that he's sure Ankkit won't get in the droid's way. Then Hokan leaves, thinking to himself that he still needs to find Guta-Nay. He wanted to demonstrate to the new officers that he would happily do his own disciplinary work so that they would have an image in their heads should Ankkit ever attempt to bribe them. As he approached his speeder bike Hokan thought about a farmer that had found scraps of circuitry on his land and wanted to know if it was worth a bottle of urrqal to reveal the location. Hokan set off to visit him personally, to show the farmer that the information is worth more then that - it's worth a farmer's life. Remembering training, Niner recalls his training Sergeant Kal Skirata, who was anxious for the clones to read about the Mandalorian culture. "This is who you really are," he'd say. "Be proud, however much these ugly gray freaks treat you like cattle." Later, Ghez Hokan surveys the wreckage of what had been a functioning droid platoon a few hours earlier. Whatever hit them had done so fast and hard. Judging by the precise sniper shot and a blast pattern indicating only two grenades, they had been taken out by experts. Ghez knew that it could be one man or a platoon - although typically you couldn't ambush battle droids with only a handful of men, that depended on who the men were. Looking at his droid escorts, Ghez wondered if they felt anything when they saw dismantled comrades. Lieutenant Cuvin jogs up to Hokan and tells him that he can't tell how many men they were dealing with. "You can't tell much, can you, Lieutenant?" Hokan says. Then Second Lieutenant Hurati sprints over to Hokan, an attitude Hokan appreciates, in order to inform him that he's made a discovery. A pile of droid parts that seem sort of arranged. "That's how the droid pilot was left, too, sir." Hurati says, and Hokan thinks to himself that Hurati is indeed a good man, as he'd obviously studied the report that the militia had filed, however inadaquate its presentation had been. Hokan stared at the ritually arranged debris and wondered who would want to send the Seperatists a message - and what that message was. "It's a trophy." He says at last. "They're taunting us. They're showing how easy this is for them." That made Ghez angry. He was Mandalorian, and being an easy enemy was not his way. He tells Hurati to begin a curfew on all powered vehicles until further notice so that all powered vehicles are either theirs (which they can track) or the enemy's. Hurati asks how the farmers will get their produce to Teklet for shipping. "I imagine they have handcarts." Hokan responds. "Ankkit will have to find an alternate means of conveyance for his crops." Hokan returns to his new headquarters in Ankkit's villa. Fearing that moving into that "vulgar Hutt bordello of a house" would make him soft and decadent, he set up his office in an outbuilding. He didn't care for fancy drapery and ornaments, it just happened to be convenient for the research facility and close to his troops. He wondered who it was the Republic had sent to target Uthan's project. He knew they were bold men who apparently chose their targets carefully, but he wondered where the Jedi Generals and conventional armies were. Ghez thought to himself that this was a new kind of war. "He hated not knowing who was out there, preparing to fight him. If he hadn't known the man was dead, he would have sworn it was Jango Fett himself." Later, in Uthan's facility, Ghez observes as a battle droid fires a volley of shots at a sealed alloy door until it glows red. An unhappy Dr. Uthan appears in her nightgown and tells Hokan that there is a Biohazard behind the door. "I know," Hokan replies. "Just testing. It's all holding up well indeed. Excellent safety bulkheads." She asks Hokan if this couldn't have waited until the morning, and he replies that they might not have the luxury of time and that he thinks he needs to relocate her. Uthan expresses her displeasure at the idea. Hokan assures her that he is aware of the inconvenience involved, but that he still feels it's necessary. "Why?" Uthan asks. "You have the security situation under control." "I have it more under control then I did, that's true, but enemy troops have landed. I don't know their numbers, and I don't know what materiel and armaments they have at their disposal. All I know - all I think I know - is that this is what they've come for." Uthan responds that the building is a fortress and that Ghez can repel any attackers. Hokan says that all fortresses can be breached and that he could give her a list of circumstances under which someone could get through the doors, but that he wants her to trust his judgement and accept what he says. He asks that she allow him to move her and her work somewhere less obvious until he has more information on the threat. Uthan says that she can move the biomateriels and the staff. She says that they won't be able to continue working, but that if the project was at risk then idle time was better then throwing away months of work. Ghez admires how sensible Uthan is, and how she is almost Mandalorian in her discipline and dedication. He asks her how long and she replies that it will take six hours. Ghez asks her if the materiel is that dangerous, and Uthan replies "Only if you're a clone. If you're not, it might simply make you unwell." "It must be strange to fight with weapons you can't see." Hokan remarks. "War is about technology." Uthan replies. Hokan smiles politely and walks out into the courtyard. He suspected that the conflict was going to be a rapid one. Intelligence reports were coming in that the Republic was fighting on hundreds of different fronts. To achieve that dispersal Ghez knew that their new army would have to be millions strong. All sad travesties of the great Jango Fett. Hokan thought to himself that he knew one thing: the Republic wouldn't be sending clones there. They had to know the Seperatists already had the one weapon that could stop them in their tracks. This kind of operation was beyond the capacity of the docile infantry clones Uthan had described anyway. It was not a game of numbers. Replacing his helmet, Hokan began to visualize the research facility as a trap. If they wanted to come and look, he would make them welcome. Ghez places two ranks of battle droids across the entrance - a road sign confiming what the Republic thought they already knew about the location of their target. But they'd be wrong, and would instead be sending their best men to a decoy. Ghez thought about what Uthan had said: War is about technology. "No." He said aloud. "War isn't even about firepower. It's about applying your brains." Ghez taps his temple. "And it's about courage." Ghez touches his chest. Hokan didn't expect the droids to understand that, and figured that clones probably didn't understand it either. Jinart, a Gurlanin shapeshifter on Qiilura, looks at a Darman with his helmet off: "You really are a perfect copy of Fett, aren't you? In his prime, of course." -----signature----- Passion about fiction is great when it's fun and lighthearted, or when it provides respite or sheds light on real issues. But save your anger about it - on both sides of the argument - and channel it into improving real lives. - Karen Traviss
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