concern.' 'No concern. Just tellm. That's all.' 'Thank you.' The guard frowned a moment longer, then gave an elaborate shrug before he turned away and faded once more into the gloom.
Mace thoughtfully watched him go. The two Akk Guards hadn't been hard to co-opt; while Nick wrangled the Balawai into something resembling marching order, Mace had worked his way back upslope to where one stood watching him, while the one he'd knocked down still sat on the ground massaging his broken nose.
Mace squatted beside him. 'How's your face?' he'd asked gravely.
The guard's voice was half muffled by his hands. 'Why care, you?' 'It's no dishonor to lose to a Jedi,' Mace had said. 'Here, let me see.' When the astonished Akk Guard took his hands away from his face, Mace put his hands to either side of the man's nose and popped the bones straight with one brisk twisting squeeze. The sudden sharp pain made the Korun gasp, but it was over so quickly he didn't even have time to yelp.
After that he could only blink in wonder. 'Hey-hey, feels better, that. How'd you-' 'Sorry I lost my temper,' Mace said, standing to include the other Akk Guard. 'But I can't back down from a challenge. You understand.' The two Korunnai exchanged a glance, and they both nodded reluctantly, as Mace had known they would: Vaster had trained them like dogs, and like dogs their only answer to the pat on the head that followed the kick was to wag their tails and hope they weren't in trouble anymore. 'I think you're both solid,' Mace went on. 'Strong fighters. That's why I went at you so hard: respect. You're too dangerous for me to play games with.' The Korun with the broken nose had said in a tone of generous concession, 'Got a stone- sweet head-butt, you.' He chuckled, crossing his eyes to look at the bloodied swelling between them. 'Best I ever ate.' Now the other Akk Guard could not resist chiming in. 'And that grab on my face-was a Jedi thing, that? Never seen it before, me. Maybe teach me, you?' Mace had no more time for pleasantries. 'Listen: I know taking the prisoners will cause trouble with Kar. And I know you'll be in trouble for letting them go with me. Why don't you stay with us? Bring your dogs. Keep the Balawai in line, and don't let any of them get lost. It's not like Kar won't know where we're going. I told him myself. And if you're along, he won't have any trouble finding us: you can feel each other in pelekotan. Right?' Again they had exchanged glances, and again they had nodded.
'If Kar wants these prisoners, he can take them from me himself. How can he blame you for losing if he's afraid to step up?' To a dark-soaked Korun, this was undeniable logic.
'Right,' the bruised guard said happily. 'Right. Thinks you're a tumblepup in vine cat skin, him? Let him yank your tail. Will find out quick enough, I think.' And so Mace Windu had acquired a pair of Korun shepherds for his flock of Balawai.
Mace had cemented Nick's assistance with a similar technique. As they were about to turn aside from the ULF column, Mace had stood thoughtfully alongside Nick's grasser. 'Nick,' he'd begun, 'I'm going to need an aide.' The young Korun had squinted suspiciously down from the saddle. 'An aide? What for?' 'Like you said when you picked me up in Pelek Baw: I'm not from around here. I need someone who can look after me, give me advice, that kind of thing-' 'You want advice? Flush the fraggin' Balawai and shag your Jedi butt back up the column.
Make some kissy-face with Kar and Depa before they chop you into sausage. Any other advice you want, feel free to ask.' 'That's what I'm doing.' 'Huh?' 'I need someone who knows his way around out here. Someone I can trust.' Nick snorted. 'Good fraggin' luck. I wouldn't trust anyone out here-' 'I don't,' Mace told him. 'Except you.' 'Me?' Nick shook his head. 'You really have gone bats. Haven't you heard? I'm the least trustworthy guy in the ULF. I'm the weak coward, right? I'm the useless butter-brain who couldn't even get you out here from Pelek Baw without screwing it up-and now I'm screwing up again by playing along with this whole nikkle-nut Free-the-Ealawai parade-' 'You're the only trustworthy man I've met on Haruun Kal,' Mace had said solidly. 'You're the only man I can trust to do the right thing.' 'Hoo-fraggin'-ray. Look where it's gotten me.' 'It's gotten you,' Mace said, 'a chance to join the personal staff of a general of the Grand Army of the Republic.' 'Yeah?' Nick began to look interested. 'What's it pay?' 'Nothing,' Mace admitted, and Nick's face fell, but the Jedi Master went on, 'Though when I leave this planet, I'll be taking my staff with me.' Nick's eyes recovered a little spark.
'With a brevet rank of, let's say, major? And once we get to Coruscant, I'll be needing staff instructors to train officers in guerrilla tactics. A few months as an urban- and jungle-warfare consultant affiliated with the Jedi Temple should make you pretty attractive to all those mercenary captains out there. You might even get your own company. Isn't that what you want?
Or am I confusing you with some other Korun whose fondest dream is to travel the galaxy as a mercenary?' 'You bet your sweet-I mean, No, sir. General. Major Rostu at the general's service. Sir.
Uh-is there any kind of swearing-in, or anything?' 'I hadn't really thought about it,' Mace admitted. 'I've never inducted anyone into the Grand Army of the Republic before.' 'I feel like I should raise my right hand or something.' Mace nodded thoughtfully. 'Put your left hand over your heart, raise your right and stand at attention.' Nick did so. 'This is-uh, y'know, I' feel kind of funny about this-' 'It is not to be undertaken lightly. The Force stands witness to such oaths.' 'Sure enough.' Nick swallowed. 'Okay, I'm ready.' 'Do you solemnly swear to serve the Republic in thought, in word, and in deed; to defend its citizens, resist its enemies, and champion its justice with the whole of your heart, your strength, and your mind; to forswear all other allegiances; to obey all lawful orders of your superior officers; to uphold the highest ideals of the Republic, and at all times to conduct yourself to the credit of the Republic as its commissioned officer, by witness of, aid from, and faith in the Force?' Didn't sound bad at all, Mace thought.,' should probably write that down.
Nick blinked silently. His eyes looked glassy, and he licked his lips.
Mace leaned toward him. 'Say I do, Nick.' 'I–I guess I do,' he said in a tone of wondering discovery, as though he had just learned something astonishing about himself. 'I mean: yes. I do.' 'Come to attention, and salute.' Nick had snapped to in very creditable fashion, though he still looked a bit dazed. 'Hey- hey, I feel something. In the Force-' His daze was replaced by open astonishment. 'It's you.' 'A soldier at attention does not speak, except to answer direct questions. Is this understood?' 'Yes, sir.' 'What you feel is our new relationship: it has a resonance in the Force not unlike the bond of an akk to its human.' 'So I'm your dog, now?' 'Nick.' 'Right, right, shut up. I know. Uh-sir.' 'At ease, Major,' Mace had said as he finally returned the young Korun's salute. 'Move them out.' Now as the departing Akk Guard disappeared into the rain, Mace carried the wounded Balawai back to the group of exhausted prisoners. He couldn't find anyone among them who even looked strong enough to support this man's weight over the jumbled tree roots and through the calf-deep mud, so he just shrugged and joined the march, holding the Balawai's arm around his neck.
Heads down, shoulders hunched against the icy downpour, they slogged on.
They broke out of the trees on a small promontory that ended in a sheer cliff. Jungle swarmed its base a hundred meters below. They had been sidestepping down a long switchback, heading for the canyon floor. Half a klick behind, a ribbon of waterfall steamed down a thousand-meter drop; the far canyon wall was a riot of greens and purples and bright shining red that eclipsed half the sky. The thunderstorm swept to their rear as Mace and Nick broke out from the trees, and in the near distance through the canyon's mouth ahead, only a klick away- glowing now with afternoon sun blazing red-slanted from a crystal sky-lay the broad bare-dirt curve of the steamcrawler track.
Mace and Nick were both on foot. The feverish Balawai was tied into the grasser's saddle.
