"The New Rebellion (Kristine Rusch)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

aristocratic Pydyrians had tried for generations to create droids that could
locate the jewels, but no matter how good the droid, it couldn't tell the
jewel from centuries of hardened fish dung.
He walked to a column and ran a gloved finger over the ridged jewels
embedded in the baked surface. The jewels were bright spots of swirled color,
some blue and green, some black and red, some white and orange, some a
startling, lusterless yellow. Each jewel, no wider than the seam on his
fingertip, had formed over the centuries from tiny seafah bodies discarded on
the ocean floor.
The column alone held two years of materials cost for him at the rate he
had been spending it. He would probably increase his spending now. He had some
large ships that needed rebuilding quickly. Unlike the Pydyrians, he was not
one to hoard his wealth. He would have plenty more within a few months.
"It feels as if someone just left." Femon's soft voice boomed in this
empty place. She had apparently finished her tasks on Almania and decided to
join him.
"Someone did." Kueller did not turn. His mask was slipping more than he
liked. The mouth no longer moved with his. "They haven't been dead very long,
Femon." "It seems so strange. I was in the eating wing, and there were still
dishes on the tables." "But the food was gone," Kueller said. Cleaned up by
the droids, as was anything organic and likely to decompose.
"Of course." She walked up behind him. He could feel her warmth against
his back. He did not move, even though he wanted to. She was getting too
presumptuous of her own power. He would have to remind her who controlled
whom, and soon. "I don't understand why the Emperor didn't do this. He was so
destructive." Kueller remembered the delicious feeling of all those screams,
all those lives, all that fear filling him. "He hadn't found a clean way yet.
Maybe he didn't look for one. Sometimes I think Palpatine was less interested
in power than in destruction itself." "But you're interested in power." She
seemed to be making a statement, but he thought he heard a question beneath
it.
"You have an opinion?" he asked in a way that made it sound as if she had
no right to one.
"It would seem to me," she said slowly, "that if we are going to conquer,
we should do so now. Everything is in place." "Only on Coruscant," he said.
"But that's where it's needed." He brought his hand down. Her questions
were interrupting his fine mood. "It's needed on all the designated planets.
The secret to control is thoroughness." "So we do Coruscant first. Everything
else will be in place in a few days." "Timing is everything," Kueller said. "I
will wait." "If you get rid of the leaders-" "Others will rise in their place.
" He resisted the urge to turn, to glower at her through the mask. The mask
wasn't working, and he didn't want her to see his face. Sweat dripped off his
chin onto his linen shirt.
"Is that why you're trying to get rid of Skywalker?" He hesitated, unsure
how much he wanted to reveal himself to her. Then he said, "Skywalker's sister
leads the Republic." "How do you know she survived the attack on the Senate
Hall?" "She survived," he said softly.
"So go after her." "I am." He clenched his fists, careful not to let his
temper show on such a fine, successful day. "I most assuredly am."