“I see. Well, I’ll put a stop to that right now.”
As he spoke, Phule raised his wrist communicator to his mouth and pressed a button.
“Mother?”
“Yes, Captain,” came the immediate response without any of that Legionnaire’s usual banter.
“Is everyone in range for a general broadcast?”
“That’s a big affirmative. Truth to tell, they’re all hangin’ so close you could probably just raise your voice and save the batteries.”
A brief smile flitted across Phule’s face.
“I think I’ll follow normal procedure, anyway … just for practice. Give me a broadcast channel.”
“You got it, Big Daddy. We’re all ears.”
Without thinking, Phule dropped into a deeper, formal voice as he began his announcement.
“If I could have your attention for a moment … I have been told that some of you are worried about the recent call from Legion Headquarters. All I can tell you at the moment is that we are being reassigned. I repeat, we are being reassigned … That’s the entire unit. Details will be provided at a formal briefing tonight at twenty hundred hours. Officers, please stand by. Your presence will soon be required for a strategy session. That is all.”
He clicked off his com unit and leaned back, winking at his butler.
“There, I think that should do it.”
“Quite. Thank you, sir.”
“Okay, now that that’s taken care of, I have something I want you to see.”
Phule waved Beeker toward a chair as he rose and fiddled with the holo unit which occupied the better part of one wall of his quarters. He had purchased and installed this unit as a supplement to the one issued the company specifically to ease the reception of calls from Headquarters. Of course, unlike the issued model, this one also had a record and playback capacity.