"Ah, Lieutenant," General Garza said from the holocomm. "I was just speaking with Sergeant Jaxo. Congratulations. Saving Senator Krasul will certainly help our affairs with the Senate."

"Thank you, General," Cyr'rnin said. "But we couldn't have done it without Jaxo and her team."

"Yes," Garza said. "Another reminder Havoc Squad is below complement. I was disappointed to learn of Wraith's escape. She's capable of causing great turmoil."

"I had to make a choice, ma'am, Krasul or Wraith."

"Then you probably made the best choice. The Senator is certainly more useful alive than dead."

Sergeant Jorgan nodded slightly, as if he approved of the choice.

"But, on to business," the General said. "Our technicians have decoded some of the data from the Coruscant relay. Your next target is on Taris. How much do you know about Taris, Lieutenant?"

"Not much, ma'am."

"I'll include the relevant history with the mission briefing," Garza told her. "I've already contacted our local regimental commander, Colonel Gaff, to secure his support. Colonel Gaff doesn't know the specifics of your mission-only that he should assist you in every way possible. I'd like to keep it that way."

"Understood, ma'am. Do we know the target?"

Garza shook her head. "I'm afraid not. You'll have to depend on local intelligence gathering to determine your target's identity and location. I'd like you to work with Sergeant Dorne on this if possible. She's under Gaff's command, but I feel he's stifling her potential. I'd like an objective evaluation of her."

"Will do, ma'am," Cyr'rnin said.

"Very good, Lieutenant. Garza out."

Cyr'rnin looked at Jorgan after the General switched off. "'Objective evaluation'?"

Jorgan shrugged. "She probably wants this Dorne in Havoc squad."

Cyr'rnin nodded. "Let's hope she's good. We need the recruits."

"Well, well," the Republic colonel said as Cyr'rnin and Jorgan entered the command center. "General Garza graces us with her finest. At ease. I'm Colonel Gaff, and these are my senior officers." He indicated two men behind him. The only other soldier in the room was a human female in a sergeant's uniform. She worked at a console and faced away from the officers. "Your CO sent orders to do whatever is necessary to support your mission," Gaff continued. "Of course, she didn't see fit to tell me what that mission is. Care to enlighten me?"

"I'm afraid I can't, Colonel," Cyr'rnin said.

"Typical," Gaff said. "Forget the reconstruction of Taris- I've got to shift everything around and help with some 'top secret mission' nonsense! Whatever Garza has you looking for, you won't find it on Taris. Nothing unusual has happened since I took command."

"Patrol teams three, five and eight. All lost, all without explanation," the sergeant said, turning. As she did, a chest that could rival Yvie's hove into view.

Colonel Gaff said, "Sergeant Dorne, I don't recall giving you permission to speak."

"I was speaking to the lieutenant, per General Garza's instructions" Dorne said. "Are you ordering me to violate Code 73-B and ignore the general's directive, Colonel?"

Gaff sighed. "No, Sergeant. Proceed."

"Thank you, Colonel." Dorne turned to Cyr'rnin. "You must be Lieutenant Onoka. I'm Elara Dorne, sir. Sergeant, first class, commander of Search and Rescue Squad 204." Dorne saluted.

Cyr'rnin said, "I prefer 'ma'am'."

The sergeant choked a bit. "Terribly, terribly sorry, ma'am. I'm not familiar with... Twi'lek naming conventions."

"Right," Cyr'rnin said. "That was it. What was that about patrols, Sergeant?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dorne said. "We have three full squads, all MIA on patrols. The situation is critical."

"Taris is dangerous," Gaff said. "Casualties are common on patrol teams. It's unfortunate, but not unusual, no matter what Sergeant Dorne says."

"For individual soldiers," Dorne countered. "Not entire units. Eighteen unexplained casualties over two weeks."

"The sergeant is right, sir," one of the other officers said. "It's not common for a whole patrol to disappear."

Gaff shook his head. "The farther we go into the swamp, the more rakghouls we find."

"SAR sweeps discovered no evidence of rakghoul activity in these instances," Dorne told him. She turned to Cyr'rnin. "Ma'am, General Garza ordered me to identify any unusual activity on Taris. Currently, these patrols are your best option."

"Good enough," Cyr'rnin said. "We'll head out right away."

"Like hell!" Gaff said. "Nobody goes out there without training."

"He's right, Lieutenant," the other officer said. "The rakghoul threat is too serious to go out there blind."

"I've read the reports of them," Cyr'rnin said.

"Reports aren't enough," the Colonel told her. "Not with rakghouls."

Dorne said, "I must concur, ma'am. Without the training, you have no chance of surviving."

Cyr'rnin shrugged. "Fine. Let's start the training."

Six days later, they were deep in the Taris jungle, heading toward the last identified location of Patrol Team Eight. Progress was slow and tedious. Communication was mostly hand signals. Rakghouls could attack from anywhere at any time with zero provocation. High alert was SOP on Taris. They reached a ruined section of the ecumenopolis superstructure and moved into an exposed area. Jorgan led the way, his Cathar tracking skills at home in a jungle.

"This is it, ma'am," Jorgan said, stopping at a clearing.

The first two locations had yielded very little. No rakghoul tracks, just men in boots, but too many to identify. Those locations had been easy for the attackers to clean, but Taris is never that generous. Sergeant Jorgan identified three likely sniping spots. They both took a spot and began moving back along its line of sight. Cyr'rnin looked for anything that might be a clue. Blaster mark, ricochet, tree trunk, stop. She caught a glint of metal in the tree trunk. The impact looked recent. Definitely a projectile. She dug in with her knife, and pulled out a small dart. She called Jorgan over, but he couldn't identify it.

Cyr'rnin tapped her helmet comm. "Dorne, are you getting this?" She held the dart in front of her armor-cam.

"Yes, ma'am," Dorne replied. "A toxic dart, I think. They're mostly bounty hunter weapons."

"Bounty hunter?" Cyr'rnin said. "I know someone we can ask about it. Where can we get this analyzed?"

"Tower Command Station," Dorne replied. "And I suggest you hurry, ma'am. It will be dark soon."

"Understood," Cyr'rnin said, and they headed back.

"Your brother?" General Garza said from the holoemitter. Cyr'rnin had requested time on the secure emitter at the Command Station.

"Yes, ma'am," Cyr'rnin replied. "I won't discuss anything mission critical. I just want some details about the dart."

"Very well, Lieutenant, but err on the side of caution if you must."

"Understood, ma'am," Cyr'rnin replied. She ended the call, tuned the comm to Ter'viro's transponder and waited. After a moment, the emitter stuttered, and Ter'viro appeared.

"Cyr'rnin," he said.

Jorgan stared at the figure. Damn, that was a big Twi'lek.

Cyr'rnin smiled. "Good to see you, little brother. I wish this was a friendly call, but I need your help. Could you identify this for me?" She transmitted an image of the dart.

Ter'viro nodded. "Saberdart. Toxic delivery. Tough to use. You need to know your target's species."

Cyr'rnin nodded. The patrols had been mostly human. "Is this something a scavenger would use?" Trace analysis of the dart had indicated soil from a scavenger camp.

Ter'viro shook his head. "Too expensive. Professionals only."

"What about military use?"

"Possible," Ter'viro said. "If they had the right reason."

"Thanks, little brother. And good luck on the Hunt. Don't die. Mom'll kill you if you do."

Ter'viro nodded and switched off. Cyr'rnin held in a laugh.

"Ma'am?" Jorgan said.

Cyr'rnin shook her head. "It's nothing. The only time he talks that much is if he got a girlfriend. Or met a girl he really likes." She contacted Sergeant Dorne. "Sergeant, my contact said a dart like that would be too expensive for scavengers. Whoever they really are, we can expect more significant resistance at the camp."

"Understood, Lieutenant," Dorne replied. "I'll prep my team and be at your location at first light. Dorne out."

The next day, the two teams approached the scavenger camp. They stopped near some angled debris that could have once been a wall or floor, and Cyr'rnin, Jorgan, and Dorne crawled to its edge. Cyr'rnin searched the camp with her macrobinoculars.

"Any of them ex-military?" she asked Sergeant Dorne.

"Some of them, ma'am," the Sergeant replied. "Normally, we can approach scavengers peacefully. We often barter with them, in fact."

Cyr'rnin shook her head. This group did not look friendly. The three of them crawled back to Dorne's team.

"How many snipers do you have?" Cyr'rnin asked Dorne.

"None, ma'am. We're Search and Rescue."

Cyr'rnin sighed. "Sergeant Jorgan, what's your best location?"

He nodded at the angled debris.

"Sergeant Dorne and I will try the friendly approach," she told the SAR team. "You'll follow at a distance. If shooting starts, move in. But try to take them alive. We need answers."

Once Cyr'rnin and Dorne reached the edge of the camp, they moved in slowly, in a non-threatening pose. Cyr'rnin called out to one of the men, "Excuse me. Who's in charge here?" The scavengers turned, saw the Republic gear, and started firing.

Jorgan fired immediately, throwing off the attackers and giving Cyr'rnin and Dorne time to get to cover. The SAR team reached them quickly, and the firefight began. Cyr'rnin gave the team quick directions, and they started to circle the camp in a tight formation.

"Ma'am, their movements-" Dorne said.

"I know," Cyr'rnin said. "Military training."

"Imperial training. Their commander will be there. Their next attack will be from there." She indicated an area near the center of the camp and another along the edge.

Cyr'rnin repositioned the SAR team, and they moved in. The defenders were disciplined and dedicated, and fought nearly to the last. Only two of the ten were subdued and captured.

"Corporal Goran," Sergeant Dorne said. "Contact Tower Command Station. Request a security detail to take custody of these men." Goran nodded.

"Good job, everyone," Cyr'rnin said. "Sergeant, how exactly did you know they were Imperial troops?"

"Not troops, Lieutenant," Dorne replied. "Most likely mercenaries with some Imperial training."

The prisoners glared at her but said nothing.

"That wasn't the question," Cyr'rnin said.

Dorne nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I was born Imperial. However, after two years' service in the Imperial military, I defected. Given my extensive knowledge and training, I was awarded this position under Service Code 37-R."

"Service Code what?" Jorgan asked, walking into camp.

"37-R," Dorne replied.

Cyr'rnin said, "Recognition of Equivalent Rank of Foreign Military Personnel Enlisting in Republic Forces. Any ideas on how to get those two to talk?"

"We may not need to, Lieutenant," Ensign Vise said. "Sergeant, look at these power converters."

"Very good, Ensign," Dorne said. "Ma'am, if the model numbers are in our database, we might be able to locate their origin. Ensign Marko-"

"On it, Sergeant," Marko replied, scanning through records. "Got it. Shit. Uh, ma'am. Closest site using that model is Fallenspire Stronghold."

"Shit," Vise echoed.

Cyr'rnin shrugged. "They can't all be as easy as this."

"Shit" had been the correct assessment. Fallenspire, like most bunkers on Taris, had more space than the defenders needed. Designed for a staff of three hundred, it held about a tenth of that. The defenders had minimal training, but they were entrenched and ready to fight. Secret mission or not, Cyr'rnin was glad to have the SAR team there. She and Jorgan could not have taken the bunker without the help.

They found the missing soldiers in a rebuilt stockade, injured but alive.

Sergeant Dorne said, "Cav, Goran- cover the exit. Vise, Marko, Tabber- see to these men's wounds."

One of the men limped from his cell and saluted Cyr'rnin. "Ensign Tane," he said. "Head of Patrol Team Five."

Cyr'rnin nodded. "Lieutenant Cyr'rnin Onoka, Commanding officer, Havoc Squad."

"You're kidding," Tane said. "They actually sent Havoc Squad after us!"

"Report, soldier," Cyr'rnin said.

"Yes, ma'am. We were running our patrol route when these damned scavengers jumped us. It's a good thing you found us-the scavengers were going to ship us off to some guy named 'Needles' as soon as we healed up."

"Are you absolutely sure they said 'Needles'?" Cyr'rnin asked.

"Yes, ma'am, I'm one hundred percent sure," Tane replied.

"Ma'am," Sergeant Dorne said. "I have my initial assessment of the men."

"Oh, great," the Ensign said. "Sergeant Dorne's here to make sure we got stomped according to regulation."

"Ensign!" Cyr'rnin said. "Are you looking for a trip to the brig?"

"No, ma'am," Tane replied. "My apologies to you, Sergeant."

"Did you hear anything else?" Cyr'rnin asked Tane.

"Yes, ma'am," Tane replied. "The scavengers were pretty sloppy about talking in front of us. Anyway, get this: There are Imperials here, on Taris! They're working with this Needles guy in a hidden base out in the swamps."

Dorne said, "Ensign Marko, go through the scavenger's computer. Locate that base."

Marko nodded and got to work.

"Sergeant Dorne," Cyr'rnin said. "You were going to tell me the condition of the men."

"Yes, ma'am. Injured but less than expected. It appears the scavengers were providing medical assistance."

Tane said, "They wanted us healthy before they shipped us to Needles."

"Thank you, Ensign," Cyr'rnin said. "Dorne, call in an evac unit and see to the injured. Jorgan, you're in charge of perimeter defense. I'll update General Garza."

"Imperials, the Havoc Squad medic, and toxic darts," Garza said. "This is a disturbing development."

"Ensign Tane said the Imperials wanted healthy subjects," Cyr'rnin added. "With respect, ma'am, I don't like where this is going. Especially not on Taris."

"I understand your concerns, Lieutenant," Garza said. "Let's hope you're wrong. Have you located the Imperial base?"

"Soon, ma'am."

"You won't be able to take the SAR team with you," Garza said. "We need to keep that information classified. But you'll need someone with medical training on your team. What do you think of Sergeant Dorne?"

Cyr'rnin said, "A bit high strung, ma'am, but a good soldier."

"Good is an understatement," Garza replied. "Since joining the Republic, she's earned two Medals of Valor, both for rescuing wounded soldiers under fire in enemy territory. She'd have a stellar career if she could find a commanding officer that trusted her. Stood up for her. The way you did for Sergeant Jorgan at the inquiry."

"I understand, ma'am. I don't hold her past against her."

"Take her with you to the Imperial base. See for yourself."

"I will, ma'am," Cyr'rnin said.

"You sound reluctant."

"Not about her," Cyr'rnin replied. "First recruit, ma'am. I want to know I did it right."

The General smiled. "It gets easier, Lieutenant. Garza out."

Cyr'rnin stared at the inactive comm and thought, It's not her loyalty that I'm worried about.

Back at Tower Command, Ensign Marko loaded the scavenger data into a tactical holo along with the most recent scans of the area.

"Thank you, Ensign," Cyr'rnin told him. "That's it for now. You'll have to wait outside."

The ensign saluted and left.

"Sergeant Dorne," Cyr'rnin continued. "I'd like you to remain. We'll be going against Ryler Dorant, Havoc Squad's former medic. We might need someone with medical training. General Garza wants you with us."

Elara's eyes widened for an instant then she nodded. "Of course, ma'am."

Cyr'rnin held back a smile. She figured that out fast. "What can you tell us about this location?"

"One of the highest concentrations of rakghouls in the area, ma'am. Our scans show little human activity until recently. We thought them to be pirates. Nevertheless, the base is likely below complement. A strategic incursion, even by a small team, has a good chance at succeeding."

"Good to hear," Cyr'rnin said. "Get your gear ready. We leave at first light."

The attack on the Imperial base required every guerrilla tactic Cyr'rnin could muster. The base had only a skeleton crew but still outnumbered Havoc Squad seven to one. They whittled the Imperials from the edges, and used the terrain and rakghouls for cover. The final push didn't take long, but was bloody and painful. They reached the control center and found an Imperial officer, his back to them, monitoring a console.

"Freeze! Hands up," Cyr'rnin said. "Turn around. Republic forces. You are in violation of the Treaty of Coruscant. We are within our rights to fire on you."

"Looking for Needles, are you?" the officer said. "I recognized the Havoc Squad insignia on the monitor."

Dorne stiffened at the sound of his voice and gripped her weapon so tightly it shook.

The officer turned, smiling. "I'm afraid he's long gone, my friend." He exhaled softly. "Corporal Dorne? Your father would be very unhappy."

"Sergeant Elara Dorne," she replied, her voice tight. "Republic military. Sir. Do not trust this man, Lieutenant. I served with him in the Empire. His name is Thorus. He's a mass murderer. A war criminal."

"I am a soldier!" Thorus protested. "I do what I must to achieve my objectives!"

"He ordered the executions of hundreds of civilian non-combatants," Dorne said. "And full-scale bombings of unarmed populations. Furthermore, these actions were committed in circumvention of direct orders from Imperial Command."

"Imperials thought you were too severe?" Cyr'rnin said. "Shit."

"You and I are both soldiers, yes?" Thorus said. "Coincidence makes us enemies-"

"And your war crimes," Dorne said.

"But that's no reason we can't come to an honorable agreement," Thorus continued. "I'll tell you everything you need to know about Needles. But in exchange, you have to let me go."

Dorne raised her weapon. "Military actions against civilian populations are explicitly unlawful, as defined in the Treaty of Coruscant."

"Needles is doing experiments on the rakghouls," Thorus said, and the team froze. "He wants to understand their disease, to turn it into a weapon. Is that worth letting me live?" He paused for a response but none came. "I can tell you where he is and how to bypass security. Everything you need."

Cyr'rnin thought for a moment and said, "Revenge is a path to the Dark Side."

"Excellent!" Thorus said.

"Ma'am!" Dorne cried.

Cyr'rnin stepped forward. "You will be a prisoner of war, and you will go on trial for your crimes."

Thorus started to speak.

"Or I can give you to Dorne," Cyr'rnin finished.

He sighed. "Prisoner it is."

They delivered Thorus to Tower Command, quickly reviewed the data he provided, and started out.

"It will be dark soon, ma'am," Dorne reminded Cyr'rnin.

"He'll escape if we delay," Cyr'rnin said.

"Yes, ma'am. My apologies for my outburst earlier. I understand Lieutenant Dorant's weapon is the greater threat. Even compared to Colonel Thorus." She sighed. "I suppose I've failed the job interview."

"Not yet," Cyr'rnin said. "We've all made some bad decisions."

Jorgan added, "Just don't fuck up with Needles."

Fortunately, the lab was nearly empty. Not even Imps were crazy enough to work with rakghouls. Not up close anyway. Stealth tactics and sniper attacks got them within sight of Needles unnoticed.

The former Havoc Squad medic spoke comfortably with an armed rakghoul. As important as it might be, Cyr'rnin couldn't waste time on an intelligent rakghoul. She attached a sniper scope to her rifle and ordered Jorgan to target the rakghoul while she targeted Needles. They were almost in position when the rakghoul caught their scent. The resulting fight was quick but hideous. Both Cyr'rnin and Jorgan missed a vital spot on their targets. Needles fell from his injury and crawled toward cover; the rakghoul ignored his injury and charged. Cyr'rnin fired full auto on Needles, tearing him apart. Jorgan and Dorne did the same with the rakghoul. It fell six meters from them, too damaged to run, but dragged itself across the ground toward them. With Needles down, Cyr'rnin added her rifle to theirs, and they fired on the rakghoul until it stopped.

"Sergeant, is that really you?" Needles called out.

"It's lieutenant, now," Cyr'rnin replied, kicking his gun away.

"So I see," Needles said. "You've slaughtered enough Republic enemies-" He coughed up blood. "I take it you're to blame for the Coruscant relay's destruction. We've been busy, haven't we?" He coughed again. "Are you here to take me in?"

"That's not the plan anymore," Cyr'rnin said. "Not after I saw Patrol Team Three on the way in, swarming over a kill."

"Yes," Needles laughed. "They turned out very enthusiastic. A pity, really. It pains me to leave such a magnificent project incomplete."

"I'm okay with it," Cyr'rnin said.

"What do we do with the research?" Jorgan asked.

"Got it covered," she replied. She removed a small cylinder from her pack.

Jorgan stared at it. "Thermal detonator?"

"Remote detonated. Smallest yield," she told him. "One kilometer minimum safe distance." She looked at Needles. "Fifty meter vaporization radius."

"How merciful of you," he said.

Jorgan said, "Ma'am, the Imps wouldn't hesitate to use this virus."

"I must concur," Dorne added. "Reluctantly."

Cyr'rnin shook her head. "No one wins with this weapon." She attached the detonator to the rack containing the virus samples and locked Needles in one of the rakghoul cages. "Let's go."

"A moment, ma'am," Dorne said. She injected Needles with enough sedative to drop a rancor.

"You fucking bitch," he gasped and collapsed.

Jorgan laughed. "I think he wanted to see it go off."

Two kilometers away, and upwind from the base, Cyr'rnin detonated the device. The resulting fusion ball was extremely satisfying.

Cyr'rnin groaned as she pulled off her armor. She hadn't fought this hard since the Temple. She dropped the chestpiece into a locker and removed a bracer just as Sergeant Dorne entered the locker room. Clean water was too rare on Taris to waste on individual showers, even for officers.

Dorne said, "Excellent work out there, ma'am." She unbuckled her flak jacket. "Sorry again about calling you 'sir'."

"Not the first time that's happened," Cyr'rnin said. She stretched with a groan. "We should check each other for bites and scratches."

Dorne nodded. She hesitated before removing the jacket.

"I am a woman," Cyr'rnin said. "Despite appearances."

"I know that, ma'am. In fact, I nearly reprimanded some of the men for making highly inappropriate comments about you."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Of course, ma'am," Dorne said. Elara started to remove her shirt and hesitated again. "Sorry. I sometimes get negative reactions from women." She turned away, stripped to the waist, and turned back.

Shit, Cyr'rnin thought. Dorne was bigger than Yvie.

"They're really not that special, ma'am," the sergeant said, looking hopeful. "Didn't sound the least bit believable, did I?"

"Don't worry about it," Cyr'rnin said and pulled off her own shirt.

Dorne gasped, first at the muscles and then at the scars. "I am a field medic, ma'am. I know quite a bit about skin grafts."

"I know what skin grafts can do," Cyr'rnin replied.

"Yes, of course," Elara said. "Terribly sorry if I've offended you again, ma'am."

"I'm not offended," Cyr'rnin said. "I just don't talk about it." She pulled off the rest of her armor and found Elara staring up at her. Barefoot and face to face, she was at least fifteen centimeters taller than the sergeant. "Problem?"

"Not at all, ma'am. I'm rather glad to find a woman I can't intimidate."

"Yeah," Cyr'rnin said. "Turn around. I'll check your back."

Elara turned and checked her front and sides carefully, but the armor seemed to have done its job.

"You're clean," Cyr'rnin said.

Elara turned back to examine the lieutenant. "Is everyone in your family... like this?"

"Just my brother Ter'viro and me. We get it from our father. I got a little. Ter'viro got a lot."

"Is he a soldier as well?"

"Bounty hunter," Cyr'rnin said.

"Oh. You're clean, ma'am." When Cyr'rnin turned, Elara stared for a moment at what was left of the Lieutenant's right breast then looked away. "Terribly sorry, ma'am. Again."

Cyr'rnin grabbed her towel. "You may as well know. Sergeant Jorgan does. A Sith Lord did it. But I don't like to talk about it."

A Sith Lord? Elara thought as she followed Cyr'rnin into the showers. That can't be. Those scars are old. She must have been a child. An accident, Elara could believe, or a wild animal, but a Sith Lord? Only if he cared a great deal for her.

"How has Gaff taken your transfer?"

"Ecstatic, ma'am," Elara replied.

"Why didn't he believe your version of what happened?"

"He did, ma'am," Dorne said, following Cyr'rnin into the showers. "He didn't want to lose more soldiers. I respect his reasons, though I don't agree with his decisions."

Cyr'rnin let the hot water massage her muscles for a while. "Has the Colonel done anything?"

"Implementing new orders. Teams will begin supporting each other. Incidents like this will be more difficult, whatever the cause. It's a very Taris answer. Focus on the living and the healthy, not the dead or turned."

Cyr'rnin nodded. She watched Elara lather up a bit. "Sergeant," she began.

Dorne turned with a jiggle. "Yes, ma'am?"

"You might want to stay away from my older brother Xal."

The sergeant's expression soured. "Are you afraid I might corrupt him, ma'am?"

Cyr'rnin paused. "No," she said. "No. That's. Not. What I'm afraid of."

"You needn't worry, ma'am. The regulations on fraternization are entirely clear."

"Yeah," Cyr'rnin said. "My... drill instructor said... something similar."

"There, you see. It shan't be a problem."

"Yeah."

A light above their shower stalls began to flash.

Dorne said, "Two minute warning, ma'am."

Cyr'rnin sighed. "Even the showers push you."

They rinsed off and returned to the lockers.

"Lieutenant," General Garza said from the base holocommunicator. "Did you set off a thermal detonator on Taris?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cyr'rnin said. "A tactical detonator. Smallest possible yield. I am within my rights as head of Havoc Squad to request the device."

"In times of war, Lieutenant," Garza said. "When attacking a vastly superior force, and more than twenty kilometers from the nearest civilian habitation."

"We were fourteen klicks from the nearest settlement, ma'am. I made a judgement call."

"How many more judgement calls like this do you plan to make, Lieutenant?"

"Special case, ma'am," Cyr'rnin replied. "No one wins with Needles's weapon."

Garza sighed. "You're very lucky, Lieutenant. Colonel Gaff agrees with you. I had to justify your actions to him. I asked him what he would have done. He said he would have killed everyone there, destroyed the data, burned the lab, and bombed the ashes. Tactical nuke was his second choice. But make no mistake. Violate the Treaty of Coruscant like this again, and you will be dishonorably discharged. Garza out."

Sergeant Jorgan shrugged. "I expected worse, ma'am."

"No orders, ma'am," Dorne said.

"No need," Cyr'rnin said. "We will be training you. We are a team, and we will operate like one. I just wish we could add some anti-Force Sensitive techniques. I get the feeling we'll need them."

"We could ask Master Ryen, ma'am," Dorne replied. "He's very selective, but it couldn't hurt to ask."

"Master Ryen is on Taris?" Cyr'rnin said.

"You know him?" Jorgan asked.

"Only by reputation," Cyr'rnin replied. "But I would be very honored to work with him. However, that can wait." She looked at Elara. "Can you run with those?"

"If I strap them down."

"Get your strap," Cyr'rnin said. "We've got training to do."