Star Wars - Cloak Of Deception Read online

  old for this. I want to make good on some of the promises we made ourselves,

  before it's too late." He thought about it, then laughed. "You won't walk.

  You know you'd miss me and come looking for me." Rella showed him a sad

  look. "You're still thinking of the old me, Cohl." He glanced at Boiny. "Am I

  right or wrong about her looking for me?" The Rodian ducked his crested head.

  "Don't get me in the middle of this. I'm only good at following orders." Cohl

  shook his head at Rella. "Our first fight." "Wrong, Cohl. Our last." She

  reached for the throttle. "Making the jump to hyperspace." With laser bolts

  still nipping at her, the Hawk-Bat surged forward. The stars elongated, and

  the gunship blinked from view.

  In the greeting room of his office in the Galactic Senate, Valorum

  slipped into his veda cloth robe and regarded his image in an elaborately

  framed mirror. His right arm was almost healed, and instead of the cumbersome

  tube, a soft case was in place, concealed within the ample sleeve of his

  overcloak.

  A pair of Senate Guards flanked the door, facing into the room, but

  Valorum ignored them as he prepared for the imminent arrival of Jedi Masters

  Mace Windu and Yoda.

  The Valorum dynasty had long hoped that one of its offspring might be

  strong in the Force, but, by all accounts, it appeared that the Force just

  wasn't in Valorum blood. That regrettable absence, however, hadn't stopped

  Finis Valorum from revering the Jedi. As an entitled youth on Coruscant and on

  other Core worlds, he had passed countless hours with the family chronicles,

  devouring accounts of his ancestors' dealings with the order- - often with

  Jedi Knights and Masters of legendary status. The tales had only firmed a

  belief developed early on that, even if he couldn't be a Jedi, he could at

  least model his life after them, behaving as if the Force were his ally, and

  devoting himself to upholding peace and justice at all times.

  But the Republic Valorum had inherited had afforded him few opportunities

  to foster peace or justice. Weakened by greed and corruption, the senate had

  become a tool for widening the rift between rich and poor, and bolstering the

  ambitions of the privileged and influential. Try as he might to remain

  faithful to his ideals, Valorum had found himself foiled by delegates fattened

  on bribes or enslaved to self-interest. Why serve the common good when it was

  more profitable to serve the Commerce Guild, the Techno Union, the Corporate

  Alliance, or the Trade Federation?

  Whether for personal reasons or in exchange for trade favors for their

  home systems, more than half the senate's delegates answered to the powerful

  corporations, which, in return, asked only that certain motions be quashed, or

  others be supported.

  Time and again Valorum was made to appear weak by being overruled, and

  that perceived weakness had made those who should have known better consider

  him to be ineffectual.

  Ineptitude, of course, was the unexpressed goal of the corruptors

  themselves. Where a weak leader would have been replaced, and a strong one

  counterproductive, one who had simply given up the fight was seen as the best

  of all possible solutions.

  The rueful middle ground had been Valorum's domain for too many years,

  until recently, when senators like Bail Antilles, Horox Ryyder, Palpatine, and

  a few others had begun to rally round, pledging their support to help end

  corruption--or, at the very least, to keep it in check. Many thought that the

  current crisis involving the Trade Federation would be a testing ground for

  what lay ahead. Valorum hoped only that he could spend the fi-nal years of his

  term in office doing right by everyone, in true service to peace and justice.

  That was why the Nebula Front had to be contained.

  Normally the Jedi were not asked to intervene in trade disputes, but the

  attempt on Valorum's life had had less to do with trade than with preserving

  law and order. Because the Jedi answered to the Supreme Chancellor and the

  Judicial Department, their assistance could now be solicited, and in that

  sense, the assassination attempt had been a blessing in disguise.

  Valorum could not recall an instance where they had refused to serve, in

  any case. On occasion, though, dealing with them had made Valorum feel as if

  he were contracting with a power even greater than that enjoyed by the various

  trade consortiums or the Republic.

  Ten thousand strong, their collective strength was such that they could

  rule the Republic if they so wished--if their dedication to peace was any less

  demonstrably earnest. Although the Republic government funded the order, at

  times there seemed to exist an added price for their support--a sense that

  they might one day come to Valorum and demand that the favors they had

  rendered be returned tenfold. Although Valorum couldn't imagine what they

  might ask for that either he or the Republic could provide. While the Jedi

  operated in the world, they were at once outside it, living within the Force,

  as if it were a separate reality.

  It sometimes seemed to Valorum that the Jedi behaved as if the Force

  ruled the ordinary world, and that the role of the Jedi was to behave in such

  a way that a balance between good and evil, light and dark, was forever

  preserved--lest the scales tip one way or the other, opening a portal for the

  dark to come streaming in, or for allowing the light to blind everyone to some

  greater truth.

  Two thousand years earlier, the Jedi had faced a menacing threat to

  continuing peace, in the form of the Sith Lords and their armies of dark-side

  apprentices.

  Founded by a fallen Jedi, the Sith believed that power disavowed was

  power squandered. In place of justice for all, they sought single-minded

  authority. Agitation and conflict were thought to be more crucial to

  transformation than was gradual understanding.

  Fortunately, dark power was not easily harnessed, and over the course of

  a thousand years, the Sith had ultimately destroyed themselves.

  Valorum heard the guards snap to attentio n as the greeting room opened

  and Sei Taria entered, followed by the two Jedi Masters.

  Dignified in his hooded robe, linen-white tunic, and knee-high brown

  boots, Mace Windu seemed to fill the room. But it was the slight and enigmatic

  Yoda, in well-seasoned and less-tailored robes, who took up the most space.

  "Masters Windu and Yoda," Valorum said warmly. "Thank you for coming."

  Yoda regarded him for a moment, then smiled lightly. "Restored, you are."

  Valorum touched his right forearm beneath the cloak.

  "Nearly. If the assassin had been a better shot..." Windu and Yoda traded

  meaningful looks.

  "How may the Jedi be of service, Supreme Chancellor?" Windu asked.

  Valorum motioned to chairs in the sitting area.

  "Won't you be seated?" Windu sat tall and straight, with his feet flat on

  the floor. Yoda considered sitting, then paced to the center of the room,

  tapping the floor with his cane.

  "Think better in motion, I do." Valorum dismissed Sei Taria and the two

  guards and sat down opposite Windu, where h
e could watch Yoda, as well.

  "I trust you've heard that the assassins have been identified as members

  of the Nebula Front." Valorum waited for Windu's nod before continuing.

  "The few that managed to escape were traced to Asmeru, a world on the

  edge of the Senex sector." Leaning toward the table that separated him from

  Windu, Valorum activated a holoprojector. In a cone of translucent blue light,

  a star map took shape. Valorum indicated a cluster of star systems.

  "The Senex is an autonomous sector, ruled by a line of fiercely self-

  reliant royal houses. The Republic respects the independence of the Senex

  worlds, and has no interest in meddling in the affairs of those worlds--given

  especially my recent request that worlds along the nearby Rimma Trade Route

  unite to curtail terrorism in their sector of space. However, when affairs

  there reach across the stars to affect Coruscant, we cannot stand idly by."

  Valorum switched off the holoprojector.

  "I have communicated with the rulers of Houses Vandron and Elegin, who

  hold sway over Asmeru and other systems in that part of the Senex sector.

  They deny granting the Nebula Front safe haven. Rather, they contend that

  the terrorists seized Asmeru from a scant indigenous population, and have been

  using the planet as a base of operations for raids against ships plying the

  Rimma Trade Route and Corellian Trade Spine. Wishing to avoid becoming targets

  of the Nebula Front, Houses Vandron and Elegin have essentially ignored

  activities on Asmeru." "Until now," Windu interjected.

  Valorum nodded. "They have agreed to help us in our effort to contain the

  Nebula Front on Asmeru until the Eriadu trade summit concludes." Yoda frowned.

  "Breeders of slaves, they are.

  No better than those who make up the Nebula Front." Valorum acknowledged

  it with a fatigued sigh.

  "It's true. Slavery is what has prevented the Senex sector from trading

  openly with the Republic.

  The possibility of trade is what prompts their willingness to help us."

  Windu's eyebrows beetled. "What help are the Senex Houses offering?"

  "Logistical support. Owing to a nearby gravitic sink, as well as to space

  mines sown by the Nebula Front, Asmeru is not easily approached. House Vandron

  has offered to guide us in." Windu considered it. "You wish us to accompany

  the Judicial Department cruisers." "Yes," Valorum said flatly. "Should you

  consent, I will petition the senate for authorization. But allow me to

  explain. This operation is not designed to be a show of force, nor an attempt

  at retaliation for what happened here. I propose to dispatch two cruisers,

  carrying thirty judicials, along with as many Jedi as you see fit to include.

  "For all we know, those responsible for the attempt on my life could be

  members of a radical faction.

  The rest may know nothing of the assassination plot.

  Nevertheless, I don't want them disrupting the Eriadu summit. I also wish

  to learn what they hoped to accomplish by assassinating me. If their actions

  sprang from not being included in the trade summit, then I want them to know

  that I am willing to meet with them, as soon as they agree to desist in

  attacking Trade Federation vessels. If they are unwilling to enact a truce,

  the Trade Federation will likely be given consent to increase their already

  substantial arsenal of weapons." Windu glanced at Yoda before replying. "And

  if our attempt to communicate these things to those in charge is rebuffed?"

  Valorum frowned. "Then I would ask that the Jedi see to it that no one

  involved with the Nebula Front leaves Asmeru. They are to be contained there

  until further notice." Windu stroked his smooth chin. "You could be sending

  your judicials into a trap." "We have to take that risk," Valorum said

  sternly, then softened his voice to add, "We should at least attempt to

  negotiate before deciding on desperate measures." He looked from Windu to

  Yoda, and back again.

  Yoda stopped moving to gaze unsympathetically at Valorum. "Want to see

  this conflict resolved, we do." Windu interlocked his fingers and leaned

  forward in his chair. "The Trade Federation should not be granted additional

  weaponry. Defensive or otherwise, weapons are not the way to settle this. Such

  actions will lead only to further escalation." "I agree," Valorum said sadly.

  "And I wish it was that simple. But the Trade Federation is deeply entrenched

  in Republic politics." "At war with yourself, you are," Yoda remarked.

  "Caught up in your own conflict." Chagrined by the remark, Valorum shook

  his head from side to side. "These matters require great delicacy, and deals

  of a sort I am loathe to make." Windu firmed his lips. "We will consider what

  help we could lend at Asmeru." Valorum was disappointed. "Thank you, Master

  Windu. I would also request that you consider providing security at the Eriadu

  summit. No one, I fear, is safe." Windu nodded, stood up, and walked to the

  door.

  Yoda turned to Valorum before leaving.

  "Confer we will, and inform you of our decision." Docking rings linked by

  a rigid cofferdam, the Hawk-But and a modified CloakShape orbited drab Asmeru

  in deeply shadowed concert.

  "To be honest, I didn't expect you to come back," Havac was telling

  Captain Cohl in the forward compartment of the gunship.

  Cohl sniffed. "To be honest, I didn't expect to come back." Havac's

  partner, Cindar, made a show of glancing around the compartment. "Where's your

  first mate, Captain?" "She walked," Cohl said.

  Havac regarded him for a moment. "And you didn't walk with her? Why not?"

  "My business," Cohl snapped.

  Cindar couldn't suppress a smug grin. "You came back because you couldn't

  resist the credits, and she could." Cohl gave his head a smart shake. "It's

  not the credits that brought me back. It's the life." He laughed bitterly.

  "How does someone like me retire? What do I know about farming?" He slapped

  the blaster on his hip. "This is what I know. This is how I am." Havac swapped

  satisfied looks with Cindar.

  "Then we're even more pleased to have you back aboard, Captain." Cohl

  planted his elbows on the table. "Then make it worth the trip." Havac nodded.

  "Maybe you haven't heard, but Supreme Chancellor Valorum intends to press for

  taxation of the free trade zones. If the proposal meets with Senate approval,

  the Trade Federation stands to see a lot of its profits end up on Coruscant.

  All well and good, if the Neimoidians would agree to take it on the chin, but

  they won't. They'll try to offset the taxes by raising the costs for shipping

  with them. Without anyone else to ship with, the outlying systems will have no

  choice but to pay whatever the Federation demands. Worlds that refuse to play

  by the new rules will be overlooked, and their markets will collapse."

  "Competition will get cutthroat," Cindar added.

  "Especially hard for worlds desperate to do trade with the Core. There'll

  be credits galore for anyone willing to take advantage of the situation." Cohl

  gazed at the two of them and smirked.

  "What's all that got to do with me? I couldn't care less what happens to

  either side." Havac's gaze narrowed. "D
isinterest is exactly what this job

  calls for, since our goal is to change the rules." Cohl waited.

  "We want you to assemble a team of spotters, trackers, and weapons

  experts," Havac said.

  "They have to be highly skilled, and they should share your penchant for

  impartiality. But I don't want to use professionals. I don't want to take the

  chance of their being under surveillance already, or first-choice suspects

  after the fact." "You're looking for assassins," Cohl said.

  "We're not asking you to be involved in the act," Cindar said. "Only the

  delivery. In case you need to soothe your conscience any, think of the team as

  a shipment of weapons." Cohl's upper lip curled. "I'll let you know when my

  conscience needs soothing. Who's the target?" "Supreme Chancellor Valorem,"

  Havac said carefully.

  "We want to strike during the trade summit on Eriadu," Cindar elaborated.

  Cohl stared at them in amusement. "This is the major job you promised?"

  Cindar spread his huge hands. "Your assured retirement, Captain." Cohl shook

  his head and laughed. "Who put this bright idea in your head, Havac?" Havac

  stiffened. "We're receiving help from a powerful outside agency, sympathetic

  to our cause." "The same one who told you about the shipment of aurodium."

  "The less you know, the better," Cindar warned.

  Cohl laughed again. "Secret information, huh?" Havac's forehe ad wrinkled

  in concern. "You don't think the job can be done?" Cohl shrugged. "Anyone can

  be killed." "Then why are you hesitant?" Cohl blew out his breath in scorn.

  "You two must take me for a furbog trader. Just because I've been chased up

  and down the Rimma and all over this sector doesn't mean I don't keep an ear

  to the background noise. You tried to kill Valorum on Coruscant, and you

  rumbled the job.

  Now you're turning to me, which you should have done in the first place."

  Cindar returned the sneer. "You weren't interested, remember? You were bent on

  a life of moisture farming on Tatooine." "Besides, we didn't fumble anything,"

  Havac said.

  "We thought we could scare Valorum into inviting the Nebula Front to

  attend the summit. He didn't bite, so now we mean to finish the job on Eriadu.

  " Cindar grinned malevolently. "We're going to ruin his summit in a way no one

  will soon forget." Cohl scratched at his beard. "For what? So Valorum won't