Star Wars - Cloak Of Deception Read online

Palpatine formed his response carefully.

  "Senator Antilles thinks only of the Core Worlds. Doubtless he would

  advocate a policy of nonintervention. As for Senator Teem, he would probably

  bestow whatever the Trade Federation requests in the way of advanced weaponry

  or additional franchises." Valorum thought about it. "Perhaps I was wrong in

  ruling that the Nebula Front shouldn't be allowed to participate in the Eriadu

  summit. I feared giving the impression that the Republic would be recognizing

  them as a political entity.

  Furthermore, I couldn't envision them sitting down at the same table with

  the Neimoidians." Confusion clouded his eyes. "But what could they hope to

  gain by having me killed?" Palpatine recalled Havac ranting about not being

  invited to the summit.

  We need a stronger Supreme Chancellor, Havac had said.

  "I've been asking myself the same question," Palpatine replied. "But you

  were right not to solicit their participation. They are dangerous--and

  deluded." Valorum nodded. "We can't risk having them interfere at Eriadu. Too

  much is at stake. The outlying systems must be encouraged to speak for

  themselves, without fear of reprimand by the Trade Federation or reprisals by

  the Nebula Front." Palpatine steepled his fingers in reflection, summoning

  memories of the recent meeting with Havac, hearing again his every word...

  "Perhaps it is time to ask the Jedi for help," he said at last.

  Valorum regarded him for a long moment. "Yes, perhaps the Jedi would be

  willing to intervene." He brightened somewhat. "Two of them helped thwart my

  would-be assassins." "Indeed?" "The senate will have to sanction Jedi

  involvement. Would you consider introducing the motion?" Palpatine smiled with

  his eyes. "I would consider it a great honor, Supreme Chancellor." Leaving the

  hospital docking platform behind, Sate Pestage accelerated into a midlevel

  traffic lane, then, at each vertical exchange, began to ascend toward the

  upper-tier thoroughfares, until he had entered a rarefied zone of limousines

  and private skycars. Here, one seldom encountered a taxi, much less a delivery

  craft, because those who resided in the heights owned their own vehicles, and

  goods were delivered to the lower stories of the buildings and moved skyward

  by turbolift.

  Pestage kept climbing until he was in the uppermost lane. In that part of

  Coruscant, the lane was restricted to skycars the mobile traffic scanners

  could verify as enjoying diplomatic privilege, which Senator Palpatine's

  vehicle did.

  He piloted the car to the attached platform of a luxurious, kilometer-

  high skyscraper and docked. From the car's luggage compartment, he retrieved

  two expensive-looking bags. The larger was a square handheld piece; the other

  was a sphere about the size of a sweetmelon, which fit snugly into a specially

  designed shoulder bag.

  Pestage carried both into the building's upper-tier lobby, where he was

  scanned head to toe before being allowed to enter the turbolift that accessed

  the penthouse. Once again, his employer's credentials opened many a door that

  would otherwise have been locked to him. Few residents were about, and none

  gave him a second look, trusting implicitly that anyone who had managed to get

  into the building had every right to be there.

  He rode the turbolift to the penthouse, which was owned by one of

  Palpatine's peers in the senate, but was presently unoccupied, as the senator

  had, only the previous day, embarked on a visit to her homeworld.

  In the penthouse alcove, Pestage carried the bags to the entry and tapped

  a code into a touchpad mounted on the wall. When the scanner asked for retinal

  corroboration, he e ntered a second code, which essentially commanded the

  scanner to cut short its usual security routine and simply open the suite.

  The bypass code did the job, and the door pocketed itself into the wall.

  Soft lighting came up as Pestage moved into the elegant front room.

  Furniture and artwork attesting to the senator's refined taste were everywhere

  in evidence. Pestage went directly to the terrace doors and stepped outside.

  Traffic hummed below the tiled enclosure, and the lights of still-higher

  buildings shone down on him. The air was ten degrees cooler than at midlevel,

  and nowhere near as grimy. From the chest-high wall at the edge of the

  terrace, Pestage could see clear to the Jedi Temple in one direction and the

  Galactic Senate in the other.

  But those weren't the views that interested him; only the view directly

  across the cityscape canyon, into a mostly darkened penthouse of similar size.

  Pestage set the two pieces of luggage on the floor and opened them. The

  square one contained a computer, with a built-in display and keypad. The

  second was a surveillance droid, black and round, with three antennae

  projecting from its metallic pate and sides. Standing the computer on end,

  Pestage positioned the droid alongside it.

  The two devices conversed for a long moment, in a dialogue of beeps and

  warbles. Then the surveillance droid levitated of its own accord and began to

  float out into the canyon.

  Pestage repositioned the computer so that he could monitor the flight of

  the surveillance droid while he entered commands on the keyboard.

  By then the black sphere had crossed the abyss and was hovering just

  outside one of the penthouse's lighted rooms, and relaying color images back

  to the computer's display screen. The small screen showed five Twi'lek

  females, lounging together on comfortable furniture. One of the females was

  Senator Orn Free Taa's red-skinned Lethan consort. The others may have been

  lesser consorts, or simply friends of the Lethan, indulging in drink and

  gossip while the fat-faced senator was off visiting Valorum at the medcenter.

  Pestage was pleased. The females were so absorbed in debauched merriment

  that they were unlikely to interfere with his business.

  He instructed the surveillance droid to move to an unlighted window,

  three rooms away, and go to infrared mode. A moment later the screen displayed

  a close-up of Taa's computer terminal, which, while it was capable of

  interfacing with distant systems, could not be accessed remotely.

  Pestage did rapid input at the keyboard.

  Pressing close to the window, the droid activated a laser and burned a

  small hole in the sound-silencing and blasterproof pane--just large enough to

  accommodate the computer interface arm that telescoped from its spherical

  body. At the end of the arm's extensible rod was a magnetic lock, which the

  droid inserted into the access port of Taa's system.

  The computer booted up and asked for a passcode, which Pestage provided.

  A novice operative might have thought to ask Senator Palpatine how he had

  secured the passcode. But part of what made Pestage a true professional was

  knowing when not to ask questions.

  Taa's computer welcomed him inside.

  Now it was simply a matter of slicing into the relevant files and

  planting the bits of coded information Pestage had been given. Even so, the

  infiltration was hardly routine. First of all, the data had to be untraceable,

  and it
had to be implanted in such a way that the computer would be convinced

  that it had, in fact, discovered the data. Then the computer had to be

  instructed to reveal the data--to flag it--only in response to specific

  requests from Taa.

  Most important, Taa himself would have to be persuaded that he had

  uncovered data of such resounding import that he was compelled to shout it

  from the rooftops.

  At the center of the Jedi Temple's High Council spire was an enormous

  holographic representation of the galaxy, which highlighted trouble spots and

  locations of Jedi activity. The spherical projection changed in accordance

  with signals received by a multifeed assembly located in the tower's summit

  chamber, while a collimating disk located beneath the projection focused the

  signal beams and sustained them through power fluctuations.

  Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood on the circular walkway that surrounded the

  holomap, waiting to be called before the members of the High Council.

  Several other Jedi were about, studying the map or headed for one of the

  three exterior contemplation balconies that overlooked the vast plain of

  cityscape below the Temple. It was from the dawn-facing balcony that Qui-Gon

  had had his first real look at Coruscant.

  "This is the first time I've ever seen Coruscant singled out," Obi-Wan

  remarked as he gazed up at the sphere, his elbows resting on the walkway

  railing.

  Qui-Gon glanced at the flashing spheroid that was Corus-cant, then

  allowed his eyes to roam midway to the holomap's perimeter, where a second

  spheroid was aglow.

  Dorvalla.

  "Coruscant should remain illuminated at all times," he started to say,

  when yet another spheroid, at even greater remove than Dorvalla, began to

  flash.

  "Eriadu," Obi-Wan said, reading the graphic attached to it. He looked

  questioningly at Qui-Gon.

  "The site of the upcoming trade summit." "Whose idea was that, Master?"

  Obi-Wan asked.

  "Senator Palpatine," a baritone human voice said from behind them.

  They turned to find Jorus C'baoth watching them.

  An elder human Jedi Master, C'baoth had a chiseled face, white hair as

  long as Qui-Gon's, and a beard three times as long.

  "Palpatine represents Naboo," C'baoth added.

  "Just the world for Qui-Gon," another human Jedi said from farther along

  the walkway.

  C'baoth nodded. "More indigenous species in one square kilometer than you

  normally encounter on a hundred worlds." He smiled faintly. "I could easily

  see Master Qui-Gon losing himself there." Before either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan

  could respond, Adi Gal - lia entered the holomap room. "We're ready for you,

  Qui-Gon," she announced.

  Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan folded their arms, so that each hand disappeared into

  the opposite sleeve of their cloaks, and followed Gallia to the turbolift that

  accessed the summit chamber.

  "Don't say anything, Padawan," Qui-Gon said quietly when they reached the

  circular chamber.

  "Simply listen and learn." Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master." Arch-topped

  panes of transparisteel afforded unobstructed views in all directions. The

  ceiling was also arched, and the lustrous floor was designed as a series of

  concentric circles, inlaid with floral motifs.

  Leaving Obi-Wan to wait by the turbolift, Qui-Gon advanced to the center

  of the room and stood with his hands crossed in front of him.

  To the right of the turbolift sat Depa Billaba, a slender near - human

  female from Chalacta, who wore a mark of illumination between and slightly

  above her eyes. Beside her was Eeth Koth, his face a jigsaw puzzle of lines,

  and his hairless head studded with vestigial yellow horns of varying length.

  Next came the long - necked Quermian, Yarael Poof; then Adi, Oppo

  Rancisis, and Even Piell, a Lannik warrior whose face bore a puckered scar. To

  Piell's left sat Yaddle, a female of Yoda's species; Saesee Tiin, an Iktotchi,

  with downward-facing horns; Ki-Adi-Mundi, a strikingly tall humanoid from

  Cerea; Yoda, in the red chair that cupped him; and Yoda's peer, Mace Windu, a

  powerfully built, dark - complexioned human with a shaved skull. To Windu's

  left, close to the opposite side of the turbolift entrance, sat Plo Koon.

  Fingers interlocked, Mace Windu leaned forward in his seat to address

  Qui-Gon. "We've just met with members of the Judicial Department, regarding

  the attempted assassination of Supreme Chancellor Valorum. We're trusting that

  you can shed additional light on what transpired at the Galactic Senate." Qui-

  Gon nodded. "I trust that I can." Yoda glanced at Windu, then leveled his gaze

  at Qui-Gon. "How came you to be at the senate, Qui-Gon? Alerted by your source

  in the Nebula Front, were you?" "I'll answer that," Adi Gallia said. "I asked

  Qui-Gon to ac company me to the Senate, to speak personally with Supreme

  Chancellor Valorum." Windu regarded her with a frown. "For what purpose?" Adi

  looked briefly to Qui-Gon.

  "Qui-Gon has reason to believe that the Supreme Chancellor errs by

  relying on worlds along the Rimma Trade Route to end terrorism in those

  sectors." "Is this so, Qui-Gon?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked.

  Qui-Gon nodded. "The Nebula Front receives much of its funding from those

  very worlds." "Knows much about the situation, Qui-Gon does," Yoda said with

  false flattery. "Correct he was about Captain Cohl surviving the explosion at

  Dorvalla." He paused. "Behind the attempted assassination attempt, is Cohl?"

  "No, Master," Qui-Gon said. "Cohl is on the run. Furthermore, I'm not

  persuaded that the Nebula Front actually wished to harm the Supreme

  Chancellor." Yoda's expression hardened. "Shot him, they did. Traced by

  documentation to their secret base in the Senex sector, they were." "Too

  easily, Master," Qui-Gon said, holding his ground. "The signs were far too

  obvious." "Terrorists they are. Not soldiers." Windu looked at Yoda, then at

  Qui-Gon. "You've obviously given thought to this.

  Continue." "The assassins aimed their bolts at Supreme Chancellor

  Valorum's guards. I believe that the bolt t hat grazed him was inadvertent. The

  escape was also unconvincing. And since they must have known in advance that

  there was little chance of all of them getting away, why would they carry

  documentation?" "Unlike Captain Cohl, eh, Qui-Gon?" Qui-Gon nodded. "He would

  not have been so careless." Yoda brought his right forefinger to his mouth.

  "Plan this he did--from afar. Seek out your Bith contact in the Nebula Front,

  you must." Qui-Gon turned to him. "I'll do that, Master.

  Still, why would the Front target the Supreme Chancellor, when he has

  finally taken a stand against the Trade Federation?" "Answer your own

  question," Windu said.

  Qui-Gon took a breath and gave his head a quick shake. "I'm not certain,

  Masters. But I fear that the Nebula Front has something even more treacherous

  in mind." Hyphens of angry light streaking past her to all sides, the Hawk-Bat

  fled the surface of a green planet, graced by two small, close-set, and

  heavily cratered moons.

  Her ardent pursuers were a trio of slender-bodied vessels, Coruscant red

  fro
m stem to stern, with blunt bows, a trio of large, drum-shaped sublight

  thrusters, and multiple pairs of turbolaser batteries.

  In the gunship's cramped bridge, Boiny studied the console's

  authenticator displays.

  "Corellian space cruisers, Captain!

  Gaining fast! Estimated time before they overtake us is--was "I don't

  want to know," Cohl said from the captain's chair, as an explosion pitched the

  ship roughly to port. "Blasted Judicial Department!

  Don't they have better things to do?" "Apparently not, Captain," Boiny

  rejoined.

  Cohl swiveled away from the forward viewports to regard Rella, who had

  the controls. "How soon before we can make the jump to lightspeed?" She shot

  him an angry look. "The navicomputer is holding out on us." Cohl glanced at

  Boiny. "Persuade it." The Rodian staggered across the cockpit and slammed his

  hand against the navicomputer.

  "That'll do it," Rella said, relieved.

  Another bolt rocked the ship.

  "Route power to the rear deflectors," Cohl ordered.

  "I'm on it, Captain," Boiny said, as he strapped back into his chair.

  Rella turned slightly to Cohl. "You know, not everyone thrives on close

  calls." He laughed theatrically. "This from someone who claims that an escape

  isn't worthwhile unless it's narrow?" "That was the old me. The new me has

  different ideas about what's fun and what isn't." "Then you'd better stow the

  new you until we hit clear space." Stung in the tail, the Hawk-Bat shuddered

  as she rolled to one side.

  "Where are those jump coordinates?" Cohl snapped.

  "Coming up now," Rella assured him. "It's time we put this sector behind

  us, Cohl. Every one of our hideouts is under surveillance." "And just where

  are we supposed to go?" "I don't care if we go live with the Hutts. I just

  know it's gotten too hot for us here." Cohl grimaced. "Don't tell me you'd

  work for those bloated worms." "Who said anything about working?" "What about

  our retiring in high style?" "Right about now, I'll settle for retiring, plain

  and simple." Cohl shook his head. "That's not the way I planned it. Besides, I

  don't like the idea of getting chased out of my own hunting ground." "Even

  when it's clear you've become the prey?" Cohl watched Rella for a long moment.

  "You're serious, aren't you? You're thinking of quitting this tour." She bit

  her lip and nodded. "Unless you decide to come to your senses, Cohl. We're too