The Cestus Deception Read Online Free PDF Page A

reconstruct the time line. “To the Cestians, the Republic has twice caused economic chaos. I assume they appealed to the Trade Council?”
    “Indeed, and we tried to reach a compromise, even offering another, more lucrative military contract.”
    “And?” Kit asked.
    “Negotiations collapsed.”
    “Because?”
    “We were told that payment would have to be in advance.” The Chancellor’s face grew long. “This we cannot do on a contract of such magnitude.”
    “Perhaps it is merely my ignorance of commerce,” Kit growled, “but surely the Cestians know they flirt with disaster. How can the sale of a few thousand droids be worth such risk?” He leaned forward, his dark eyes swirling with intensity. “Explain.”
    Lido Shan closed her own eyes for a moment, and then spoke. “The JKs themselves represent only a fraction of Cestus’s total economic picture. But they’ve become fashionable, high-status objects, increasing the value of their entire product line.”
    “Of course, there are additional problems,” Palpatine admitted. “The lower-class population, which of course constitutes ninety-five percent of Cestus, is descended from… how do I say this delicately?” He pondered, and then abandoned the effort to be politically correct. “They are descended from uncivilized aboriginals and criminals, and inherited their forebears’ unfortunate antisocial tendencies. The wealthiest families, and duly elected government, might well be thrown into turmoil and collapse if a proper solution is not found.”
    Obi-Wan nodded to himself, thinking that there was much left unsaid here. “Why is the situation so severe?”
    “Because Cestus is a relatively barren world, which cannot support its current population without importing soil nutrients, food, medicines, and supplies. Every drop of water consumed by an offworlder must be carefully processed.”
    “I see.”
    “So. The first JKs appeared on the market, priced at a premium. This was noted, but was hardly something to be alarmed by. And then a second piece of intelligence reached us.”
    “That being?” Kit asked.
    “That the Confederacy had made an offer to buy thousands of these security droids. Perhaps tens of thousands.”
    Obi-Wan was stunned. “Has Count Dooku access to such wealth?”
    “Apparently,” Palpatine said with obvious regret.
    Kit Fisto’s black eyes narrowed. “I’d assumed that such bioconstructs could not be mass-produced.”
    “We’d made that assumption as well, Master Fisto. Apparently, we were wrong. We don’t know how, but we know why.”
    “They will be used as battle droids,” Kit said.
    Battle droids. Obi-Wan winced. “How can this be allowed? Certainly selling military ordnance to the Separatists is forbidden.”
    “Yes,” Lido Shan said. “But there are no laws against selling security droids to individual planets in the Confederacy, which is, technically speaking, all Cestus is actually doing. It’s irrelevant that the JKs can be converted into lethal implements merely by substituting memory crystals.”
    Obi-Wan hoped that his face concealed his thoughts, because his most primary emotion was dismay. The idea of bio-droids being converted to death machines was alarming. Such devices might even nullify the slight precognitive advantage enjoyed by Jedi in combat.
    It could not be allowed.
    “We’ve learned that Count Dooku offered to supply Cestus with its own Gabonnas, allowing the assembly lines to resume production. He also offered to supply technology allowing Cestus to streamline and increase production of droids and dashta eels.”
    “Cloning?”
    “Yes. The rumors suggest superiority to Kaminoan technology. Techniques that create endless colonies of living neural tissue, allowing their factories to production-line a process that was once quite exclusive and expensive.”
    “Those who place profit above freedom,” Kit said, “generally end with neither.” He paused, sensor tendrils waving gently.