Tories looked over at Binalie. The other's face looked pale, but that could have just been the lighting. With only limited power supplies available here in the depths of the Binalie family safe room-and with no desire to attract notice from the droids occupying the main house upstairs-Binalie had elected to shut down everything except the permlights. "So where does that leave us?" Tories asked.
"Basically, stuck in here," Roshton said heavily. "My troops are doing what they can to harass the droids, but we don't have nearly enough manpower to push them back to the landing ships. Master Doriana tells me Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has promised help, but that could be as much as several days away.
"And meanwhile, your clones and the droids tear Foulahn City to shreds,"
Binalie growled.
"We're keeping the war out of your plant, aren't we?" Roshton retorted.
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
"What I wanted was for the whole cursed war to stay off my world,"
Binalie shot back.
"I'm afraid those choices aren't always ours to make," Doriana spoke up calmly.
"It certainly wasn't Commander Roshton's idea to bring the war here."
"So we just sit here and let them wreck our city?"
"If I were you, I'd focus on the central issue," Roshton said tartly.
"Namely, once the sun sets they'll be able to get the Cranscoc to retool the plant. Once that happens, you can wave goodbye to any hope for your city or your world."
"What do you mean?" Corf asked, huddling a little closer to his father.
"The Separatists are about to launch a brand-new line of assault droids,"
Roshton told him. "Once they get it up and running, every hour they spend in there means a stronger droid army on Cartao. If they're not stopped, sooner or later they'll have enough troops to defeat anything the Republic can spare to throw against them."
He looked back at Binalie. "And at that point, the only way to stop them.
.."
"No," Binalie said flatly. "Don't even think it."
"You think I want Spaarti destroyed?" Roshton asked, his voice icy calm.
"Those new cloning tanks we were building could conceivably turn the war around in a matter of months, and this is the only place we can fine-tune the production quickly enough to get the most efficient design possible. But at the same time, we can't let this new D-90 assault droid line get started, either. I'm sorry, but we're running low on options."
"Just a moment," Doriana said, straightening up and pulling a holoprojector from a belt pouch. "We may have news."
He flicked it on, and an image of an Iktotchi head appeared over the projection platform, its distinctively shaped horns curving down toward its shoulders. The words were too faint for Tories to hear, but suddenly Doriana smiled. "Thank you, General," he said, standing up and walking over to Roshton. "Commander, General FyefeeTiis of the Republic Light Cruiser Whipsaw would like a word with you."
He took the chair beside Roshton, holding up the holoprojector so that both of them could see and hear. Without waiting for an invitation, Tories moved over to the seat on Roshton's other side. Doriana flashed him a look, but said nothing.
"...with ten fully loaded LAAT/i gunships at your disposal," General Tiis was saying as Tories sat down.
"That's only four hundred troops," Roshton pointed out doubtfully. "Not going to do much good against three C-9979s' worth of droids and AATs unless you can knock out their control ship."
"Thank you for the suggestion," Tiis said dryly. "We had in mind to do just that. The gunships will be dropped in five minutes; ETA your position in thirty. We'll commence our own attack on the control ship in fifteen." The image vanished. "How's that going to work with the Cranscoc timing?" Doriana asked.
Binalie shrugged as he consulted his chrono. "Sunset's in about ten minutes. By the time the gunships arrive, it'll be nearly full dark."
"So we have a chance of getting the Separatists out before they can retool," Doriana concluded. "Excellent. What's the plan from this end, Commander?"
"Basically, to engage the enemy," Roshton said, pulling out his comlink.
"Between the incoming gunships and my own clone troopers, we should be able to cause a fair amount of chaos out there. With luck, that may distract the Neimoidians long enough for us to get in through the tunnel and retake the plant."
"You can't do that," Binalie objected.
"We'll be as careful as we can," Roshton said.
"That's not what I meant," Binalie said. "That Neimoidian commander- Ashel-said they'd sealed their end of the tunnel."
"Sealed it so well that a Jedi with a lightsaber can't get in?" Roshton shook his head. "I doubt that very much."
"You'll still be risking damage to Spaarti," Doriana pointed out. "Why not wait until the control ship has been destroyed? The Neimoidians certainly won't put up a fight once their army's out of commission."
"Two reasons," Roshton said. "One, because I wouldn't put it past Separatists to start wrecking things as soon as they know they've lost. And two-" he grimaced. "I should be out there with my men, not skulking around down here. The sooner I can get into action, the better."
"That's a pretty poor basis for tactical decisions," Doriana warned. "And Lord Binalie is right: we don't want any fighting inside the plant."
"Tell that to the Neimoidians," Roshton said shortly. "As of nineteen minutes from now, that'll be their decision, not mine."
"Just a minute," Tories said slowly as Roshton lifted his comlink, bits and pieces of an idea starting to swirl around in his mind. A strange, dangerous idea, but one that might work for all that. "What if we could get all the droids to come outside to fight?" "And how do you persuade them to do that?"
Binalie growled. "Neimoidians are cowards-they wouldn't just send their guards marching away. Especially not with a possible tunnel attack to guard against."
"Unless they thought the tunnel was secure," Tories pointed out. "And thought the factory perimeter wasn't." Binalie blinked. "You've lost me."
"Of course," Roshton said, sitting up straighter. "Like I said, they know a Jedi can probably break through the tunnel. They also know, from bitter experience, what it's like to face one in battle."
"So what are you suggesting?" Doriana asked, frowning. "That we put Master Tories outside with your clone troopers?"
"Exactly," Roshton said. "Leading a charge against, say, the plant's east door. They'd have no choice but to throw everything they have at us." Doriana snorted gently. "Sounds suicidal."
"Not for a Jedi," Binalie said, his voice and sense suddenly tense with cautious hope as he saw a chance of getting his factory back intact. "You could do it, Master Tories. I know you could."
"Please?" Corf added, gazing pleadingly at Tories. "Just a moment,"
Doriana put in. "I'm not at all sure I can authorize an action like this. An attack of any sort will put the plant at serious risk."
"It's that, or the plant stays in Separatist hands," Roshton pointed out.
"Who's side are you on here, anyway?"