It was good to talk shop again, too.

"So how did you get all the equipment?" she asked. "Not just this lab. All the medical facilities. The portable diagnostic kit. The monitors. The operating table. I couldn't help but notice the Republic Central Medsupply security labels on it all."

"Ah," Gilamar said. "That'd be because I thieved the lot, although we did buy this lab fair and square-but I think the creds we used were stolen, too. Oh, you know what Mandos are like. Light-fingered and dishonest, every last one of us."

Uthan found herself laughing. She thought he was joking for a moment, but even when she realized he wasn't, she still thought it was funny. Most criminals stole easily fenced, high-value objects, or trinkets that amused them. But this man stole entire hospitals hospitals. That took a certain panache.

"I make the population of Kyrimorut thirty at the moment, if you include the strill."

"And I do, Qail, I do do. I don't care how many legs my patients have."

"So...I know we're a long way from decent medical facilities, a whole sector away in fact, but isn't your medical facility excessive? excessive? " "

"Not if you need to handle any injury a clone trooper might arrive with."

"Skirata's serious about resettling deserters, then."

"Some of those lads are going to be pretty damaged. You know what happened to Fi.

Well, look at him now."

"Temporary coma?"

"Brain-dead. I mean really really brain-dead. They switched him off and he went on breathing, but his brain scan flatlined." brain-dead. They switched him off and he went on breathing, but his brain scan flatlined."

"You're sure about that?"

"Oh yes. Fi's our little miracle."

"Don't tell me you're a neurosurgeon. Either that, or you stole a neuromed droid."

"No, Doc Jedi to the rescue. Bard'ika Bard'ika put Fi back together again. Astonishing." put Fi back together again. Astonishing."

"So they're good for more than just being Republic stooges."

"Some are. Anyway, he's not a Jedi now. Never use the J J word to him." word to him."

"They can switch it off, Jedi-ness, can they?"

"Are you mocking me, Dr. Uthan?"

"Why, the very thought, Dr. Gilamar..."

Uthan enjoyed the cut and thrust of conversation with a smart man. Gilamar spoke her jargon, understood her profession, and-despite that prizefighter's nose, or maybe because of it-she found him attractive company. The last thing she'd expected was not not to want to kill every Mandalorian she met, given what had happened to her. Solitary confinement had changed her at a level she still didn't quite understand. to want to kill every Mandalorian she met, given what had happened to her. Solitary confinement had changed her at a level she still didn't quite understand.

So I'm happy to mix with the scum of the galaxy. Is that it? But nobody's who I think they are these days. they are these days.

Gilamar shrugged. "I don't know about other Jedi, except Kad's mother, may she rest in the manda manda, but Bardan left the Order before the war ended. He's got remarkable healing skills, very logical ones. He was influencing Fi's progesterone levels to repair brain tissue, for example. Quite extraordinary. And completely untrained."

Uthan dealt in the detectable and demonstrable, and she suspected Gilamar did, too.

But everyone clutched at straws when science failed them. Perhaps some straws had more substance than she imagined.

"So, did you begin life as a Mandalorian, or did you join the club later?" she asked.

"You all sound so different."

"Adult recruit. My late wife was Mandalorian. And I look great in armor." Gilamar's guard dropped just a fraction. "If you're asking why I ended up in the Cuy'val Dar Cuy'val Dar...some of my patients were the kind who got into big trouble and tended to spread it around. The good news is that Mandos need a lot of emergency medicine and first aid with no questions asked. The bad news is that I can't overcharge patients in some fancy Coruscant diet clinic."

"Imperial City."

"What?"

"Palpatine renamed Coruscant Imperial City Imperial City. It was on the holonews."

"Nothing says I am an insecure maggot I am an insecure maggot quite like renaming cities to reflect your own imagined importance." quite like renaming cities to reflect your own imagined importance."

"He never struck me as that-insecure, I mean. Maggot, yes." Uthan got up and switched on the holoreceiver. Skirata had made sure there were plenty of things to entertain her, at least. He wasn't a total brute. "When did you last watch the holonews?"

"I get headlines from the datapad. It's all garbage. It was garbage under the Republic, too. Nothing changes."

Uthan needed the news, garbage or not, because it was her only glimpse of her homeworld, even if it was filtered through the spin of a regime that treated it as a dangerous enemy. She hadn't been back home for years. She caught sight of her own reflection in the holoscreen, superimposed for a moment on the scenes of devastation on remote worlds like Nadhe, Cel Amiin, and Lanjer. All she saw was her failure to stop Palpatine's power grab when she'd had the chance. She'd been so close to perfecting the FG36 virus when Omega Squad had captured her that it hurt.

And they're here, aren't they? Fi and Atin, at least. Funny, now I have names for them. I can tell them apart. They have lives, wives, histories, plans for the future. Is all them. I can tell them apart. They have lives, wives, histories, plans for the future. Is all this their fault? this their fault?

She didn't know. She was torn between seeing them as a threat she'd once tried to neutralize and young men who she knew, ate with, talked to. She watched the screen, feeling Gilamar's stare burning a hole in her, and waited for her world to appear on the list of planets that just didn't seem to understand that the Empire was their friend and only wanted the best for them.

"Meanwhile, on Gibad, assembly leaders have refused to allow an Imperial diplomatic mission to land in Koliverin. After a four-week standoff, Gibadan forces diplomatic mission to land in Koliverin. After a four-week standoff, Gibadan forces are..." are..."

It didn't look like a diplomatic mission. It looked like an assault ship. And the troops in that ship would be exactly like the nice young men she'd just watched playing bolo-ball and pulling faces to amuse the baby son of one of their brothers.

Uthan lived by clarity, definitive answers, and-even in the still-uncertain world of genetics-predictable outcomes. Confusion and conflicted feelings weren't something she was used to. She didn't like it at all.

"You know what the final score's going to be," Gilamar said. "And there's nothing you can do to stop it. So you might find it easier to switch off the holoscreen for a week."

"You think it's that inevitable, do you?"

"Palps has to make it clear that nobody breaks away on his watch. Big show of force, start as you mean to go on, and all that osik osik."

"I just don't understand how the CIS caved in to the Republic when it had the upper hand, when it had Coruscant under attack-"

"Qail, there were never two sides in this war. Don't you get it? Palpatine was running both campaigns. He's a Sith, and he engineered the whole war to get rid of what stood in his way-the Jedi Order. Then he moved in his second army to consolidate the Empire."

"I didn't even know what a Sith was until I came here. If Mandalorians fought for them, why can't they defeat this one?"

"We fought against them, too, but that's the nature of the beroya beroya's job. You think we'd we'd be any better off under the Jedi? Mandalore, I mean? It makes no difference to us. When it does- be any better off under the Jedi? Mandalore, I mean? It makes no difference to us. When it does- then then we'll get involved. One thing we won't be doing is fighting an ideological war for we'll get involved. One thing we won't be doing is fighting an ideological war for aruetiise aruetiise who'll spit on us the moment we win it for them, and blame us if we don't." who'll spit on us the moment we win it for them, and blame us if we don't."

"That's how tyranny succeeds," Uthan said. "When folks think it won't affect them.

Until it eventually does does."

"Thank you for the tips on glorious rebellion and liberty. Me, I like clearer definitions of glory and freedom before I start a fight over them."

"The galaxy is entering the dark ages."

"Actually, most of the galaxy won't notice the difference. Some of it will even be better off. The average citizen just wants an excess of food on the table, something to watch on the holonet, and the freedom to indulge a few health-destroying habits. The individuals who'll feel aggrieved about all this are the aristocrats and politicians who lost power and want it back, the hobby revolutionaries, and the relatively few unlucky shabuire shabuire who have something the Empire wants and plans to take." who have something the Empire wants and plans to take."

"I think you're in that group somewhere, you Mandos."

Gilamar just gave her a look that said he'd heard it all before. But for a moment, she wondered if she could could do something to stop what would happen to Gibad. The question wasn't whether the Empire would subdue it by force, but how much damage it would do in the process. do something to stop what would happen to Gibad. The question wasn't whether the Empire would subdue it by force, but how much damage it would do in the process.

The only thing she could do was perfect the FG36 virus, get it to her government, and then hope there was enough time to produce millions of vials of it. She'd also have to hope there was a way to distribute it not only across the surface of Gibad but throughout the galaxy to kill every clone soldier without a shot being fired.

She would also have to find a way to get from Mandalore to Gibad. Right now, she didn't even have a way of getting to Enceri.

She was too late. She'd been too late more than three years ago, and only just realized it.

"We'll be in the karyai karyai this evening if you want to join us." Gilamar stood up to go. this evening if you want to join us." Gilamar stood up to go.

"Relax a bit. I know this project is urgent, but you're no use to us dead."

"Ah, Mando concern." Uthan didn't want to take it out on Gilamar. None of this was his doing. They were all in this mess together, and she was looking for reasons to like him.

"The karyai karyai is the big central living room, yes?" is the big central living room, yes?"

"It is. We might get a little emotional when someone talks about Etain, but generally we plan to laugh. The dead don't like us moping around."

He leaned over and switched off the holoreceiver, smiled sadly at her, then shut the lab doors behind him. Uthan was left staring at her reflection in the dead screen, suddenly feeling worn out and useless. Her black hair was still in the meticulously groomed style she'd worn for years, pulled tight behind her ears in a pleat and highlighted with brilliant scarlet streaks. She didn't want to be that Uthan any longer. She wouldn't be able to maintain the complex color anyway, not here. Mandos didn't seem to go in for hair fashions.

Perhaps it was frustration, or anger that had no safe outlet. It might just have been pragmatism. Whatever sparked it, she'd made up her mind. She unpinned her hair, reached for the lab shears, and began cutting.

Change was coming. She preferred to go and meet it.

CHAPTER SIX.

Beskar is a uniquely resistant iron that develops a wide range of properties-and is a uniquely resistant iron that develops a wide range of properties-and colors-in the hands of skilled metalsmiths. Depending on the alloy, it can take any form colors-in the hands of skilled metalsmiths. Depending on the alloy, it can take any form from plate, laminate, and wire to foam, mesh, micronized particles, and even a from plate, laminate, and wire to foam, mesh, micronized particles, and even a transparent film. Mandalorians jealously guard their transparent film. Mandalorians jealously guard their beskar beskar -working skills and refuse to -working skills and refuse to sell the formulas for any price; attempts to reproduce finished sell the formulas for any price; attempts to reproduce finished beskar beskar elsewhere have elsewhere have been disappointing. The ore is found solely on Mandalore, and only Mandalorians know been disappointing. The ore is found solely on Mandalore, and only Mandalorians know how to work it to maximize its extraordinary properties. Therefore if you want how to work it to maximize its extraordinary properties. Therefore if you want beskar beskar , , you must take Mandalore. But that inevitably proves easier to say than to do. you must take Mandalore. But that inevitably proves easier to say than to do.

From Strategic Resources of the Galaxy Strategic Resources of the Galaxy, by Pilas Manaitis Main living room, Kyrimorut Main living room, Kyrimorut Only a Mando would create a musical instrument that doubled as a weapon.

Wad'e Tay'haai had shown up with his bes'bev bes'bev, an ancient flute made out of beskar beskar, playing tunes that Jusik didn't recognize. He thought he didn't, anyway. It was only when he tried to hum them to himself that he realized what they were. The marching song "Vode An"-learned by all clone troopers bred on Kamino, the only Mando'a Mando'a language that most of them ever heard-sounded totally different played as a lament. language that most of them ever heard-sounded totally different played as a lament.

Tay'haai held out the flute to Jusik. It was painted a deep violet, like the man's beskar'gam beskar'gam. "Want a go?"

"I'm not musical." Jusik took it anyway, held it as Tay'haai demonstrated, and blew across the lip plate. The bes'bev bes'bev remained stubbornly silent. When he balanced it in his hand, it had a pleasant heft to it. "So you can use this as a club. Which is probably the only use I'd get out of it." remained stubbornly silent. When he balanced it in his hand, it had a pleasant heft to it. "So you can use this as a club. Which is probably the only use I'd get out of it."

"It's made for stabbing." Tay'haai ran his fingertip along the end to indicate the diagonal cut, like a quill stylus. "Bleeds out someone very efficiently."

"Why have a flute that's a weapon?"

"Maybe we just don't like music critics."

Tay'haai began playing again, and Mird didn't so much as howl along with the music as whine to it. Astonishingly, the strill managed to hit at least half the notes, sounding like a drunk who couldn't remember the words but was doing his best to join in. A'den only made matters worse by howling along, too, which drove Mird into an operatic frenzy. It was the first time Jusik had ever seen Vau laugh uncontrollably.

If only...

The karyai karyai was almost full to capacity this evening; Cov and his three brothers from Yayax Squad were demonstrating-with Levet-how they'd learned to plow a field. The joy of simple achievement radiated from them. Rav Bralor-Parja's aunt, another member of Jango Fett's was almost full to capacity this evening; Cov and his three brothers from Yayax Squad were demonstrating-with Levet-how they'd learned to plow a field. The joy of simple achievement radiated from them. Rav Bralor-Parja's aunt, another member of Jango Fett's Cuy'val Dar Cuy'val Dar-showed up with a crate of her special throat-searing tihaar tihaar.

She'd trained the Yayax Squad back on Kamino, and they seemed to spend as much time at her clan's farm a few kilometers away as they did at Kyrimorut.

She's like Kal'buir Kal'buir . She treats them like her own kids. . She treats them like her own kids.

Jusik, pleasantly tired from an afternoon of meshgeroya meshgeroya, full of food, and slightly numbed by black ale, felt that he could sink into the sense of well-being contained in that room like a deep mattress.

If only...Etain could see this now.

Beneath the vague sense of celebration, though, Jusik could sense the absence of Dar and Niner nagging at everyone. They should have been here making plans for the coming year about what to grow on the farm and how the various business interests would be run.

And Dar should have been here for his son.

Kad played with Laseema on the floor, retrieving toy animals that Atin had carved out of veshok. Laseema named the animal-nerf, bantha, shatual shatual, nuna, jackrab, vhe'viin vhe'viin-and Kad had to go pick out the right toy. Jusik watched, fascinated both by how fast Kad learned words, and by what a great mother Laseema was turning out to be. Atin joined them. As the three of them played, they looked like a perfect family, and Jusik sensed the slight sadness when Laseema caught Atin's eye.

A human and a Twi'lek couldn't have children. That didn't matter to a Mando, of course, and adoption was common for all kinds of reasons, but it obviously mattered to Twi'leks-even those who'd joined the clan. Laseema had raised Kad while Etain was away; the kid still ran to her like a mother. Jusik would have given anything right then to see Atin and Laseema with a baby of their own, but there was nothing whatsoever he could do about it, and in this isolated place, in hiding from the world, where could they find a child who needed a home?

Skirata sat down beside Jusik on the cushions. "Well, this is fun, Bard'ika Bard'ika. All this talk of grain yields and nerf calves makes me positively giddy with excitement."

"Levet's taking it very seriously. The fewer supplies we buy in, the less traceable we are."

"So is everyone happy? As happy as they can be, anyway."

"You really want to know?" Jusik asked.

Skirata could read moods pretty well, especially within his family. He didn't really need Jusik to sense things for him. Perhaps he was opening up the conversation to tackle something else. "Tell me."

Jusik took a breath. "Ordo's a little wary of Ruu. She's trying hard to fit in, but feels lost. Scout's scared of clones-all of them. Jilka's scared and confused, but Corr makes her feel better. Besany worries about everything. Ny is...Ny likes you."

"I need to get Ordo and Ruu sorted out, don't I?" Skirata looked weary again, and didn't seem to take any notice of the comment about Ny. "Is he worried she's going to rob me or something?"

"Even adults feel disoriented when a new sibling shows up-not just children."

"Ordo, jealous? Never. Six brothers, and not one of them ever showed any signs of jealousy."

"I think it's his compulsion to protect you."