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.There was nothing that indicated multiple layers.One level.So far, so good.The next step was to work out how the building was organized, and all that took was a little guesswork backed up by information that was usually public.Fett lowered himself from the roof on his rappel line, letting the pulley take the strain, flicked the cord clear, and settled down in the shelter of waste storage sheds to browse the local comlink directory system from his datapad.It was fascinating to see how much information one could put together just by seeing how companies listed their departmental comlink numbers.Names and numbers scrolled across the screen of his pad.Arkanian MicrotechnologiesDELIVERIESPERSONNEL SERVICESPUBLIC AFFAIRS AND INVESTOR RELATIONSHe scrolled farther.What was Taun We’s specialty?DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCES AND EDUCATIONTaun We was an expert in human psychology.She knew enough about humans to make sure the ones the Kaminoans bred under the most unnatural conditions imaginable were conditioned enough to prevent them from becoming basket cases.She wouldn’t be splicing DNA.She’d have brought her little case of datachips with her as some kind of employment dowry, and Microtech would have been glad to have that data, but her day-to-day work—the work she loved doing—was making sure clones didn’t go crazy.Profiling, testing, flash-teaching, accelerated socialization: giving clones the right attitude to be useful tools.Hi, Taun We.I hope you’re enjoying your new job.Fett could have waited to see when she came out—almost certainly by vehicle, probably obscured from view—and followed her to wherever she called home.But it wasn’t that much harder to walk in and find her.If he could get close enough to the building, he could use the penetrating terahertz radar sensor in his helmet’s visor to look for a long body with pockets of low-density tissue, quite distinct from a human radar profile.It could see through walls.Infrared couldn’t.And it had been a long time since he had broken into a laboratory for data retrieval.A bounty hunter had to keep his skills sharp.GALACTIC ALLIANCE GUARD HQ QUADRANT A-89.GALACTIC CITY: 0830 HOURS.Jacen came out of the GAG briefing room to find Mara standing with her hands on her hips as if he’d kept her waiting a little too long.She looked more under control than relaxed: her expression was carefully neutral, but he could feel the fear in her and see the dark circles under her eyes.She stared.“When did you start wearing a uniform?”Jacen glanced down at his black fatigues, hands held away from his sides.“I should have changed before we carried out the raids.Jedi robes and police actions don’t mix.”“You’re telling me.Luke’s going crazy.Emergency meeting of the high council right now, in fact.”“I meant that all that loose fabric is.never mind.” Luke’s reaction was predictable.Jedi couldn’t be seen getting their hands dirty, and certainly not his son.“You know why we wore robes originally? To fit in with the ordinary people.So I’m fitting in now, with my people.”Mara indicated her own battle jacket.“Sorry, Jacen.It’s just a shock to see you in that uniform.”“I’m a colonel now.”“I’m not arguing.I just wanted to talk to you before Luke finds you.Is Ben okay?”“He did very well.You want to see him? He’s in the briefing room.We’re just doing a wash-up with the squad leaders to work out what we’ll do differently next time.And watching the news on the hour, of course.”Mara managed not to raise an eyebrow.“There’s going to be a next time, then.”“You turned the job down.What did you think?”“That it was going to be dirty.”“It is.But churning through war after war because we don’t ever fully deal with unrest is a lot dirtier.”The briefing room doors slid open and a corporal from 967 Commando, Lekauf, stuck his head out.“Sir, you’re on again!” he said with a grin.“Sorry, ma’am.HNE news.”“Don’t let me interrupt you,” said Mara.“Just passing.”Jacen took her arm.“Come in and meet my men.” He wanted to reassure her about Ben.Unlike Luke, she didn’t seem to want her son to be her little replica.She knew how to let go.She recoiled visibly at the sight of Ben in black fatigues.He was sitting at the table with Shevu and the sergeants, cup of caf in one hand and datapad in the other, and even his body language had suddenly become adult.He was mirroring the adult males around him without even realizing.When he stood up to greet Mara, it struck Jacen that Ben would soon be as tall as he was.“Ma’am,” said Ben, all grave concentration.Not Mom: ma’am.“I didn’t sense you coming.”“I just dropped by to say that I watched the holonews and—I wanted to see how you were feeling,” said Mara.“Are you all right.son?”Yes, he isn’t your sweetheart when he’s in uniform, thirteen years old or not
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