“I don’t see why we’re even bothering with it.” Rozhdenst’s sneer grew even more pronounced. “We’ve got other, more important business to take care of-like keeping an eye on what’s going on down in the KDY construction docks. This stuff is old news; Xizor’s been dead for a long enough time now. There isn’t going to be any trouble coming from that direction. Let’s concentrate on our living enemies, all right?”
“You’re missing the whole point,” snapped Kodir. Her gaze tightened into slits as she regarded the commander. She hadn’t come all this way, back here to a point just above Kuat Drive Yards itself, to wind up dealing with some one-track military mind. “It doesn’t matter whether Prince Xizor is alive or dead. All that’s important is knowing who had an interest in creating this phony evidence against him, and why they did it.”
Uzalg reached out and touched the commander’s sleeve. “She’s got an excellent point,” Uzalg said softly. “After all, that’s why I came here. On an emergency basis, as well-given what’s shaping up out near Endor, there’s a great many other things I could be taking care of right now.”
“You and me both, and everybody else in my squadron.” The commander’s temper flared even higher. “Look, the Alliance wants to put us out where there’s nothing happening, that’s the high command’s decision, and there’s nothing I can do about it. But you can bet that my men and I would sell our own viscera on the black market if there was a way of buying into that battle at Endor. We’d rather die in the action than fall asleep baby-sitting some fancy dry-dock facility like this.”
“Rest assured, Commander, that the value of your service here will become apparent before too long.” Uzalg took his hand from the commander’s sleeve and tapped with a forefinger on the spread-out data before them. “You are a creature of action-your calling demands that of you-but it makes you understandably impatient with the slow sifting of the past’s remnants, the gleaning of the small grains of truth. As our friend Kodir here has spoken, it is not the surface appearance of this fabricated evidence that matters. It is what lies underneath.”
“All right,” grumbled Rozhdenst. “So what is it?”
Kodir watched as the attache leaned closer to the other man. “Someone,” said Uzalg darkly, “wanted the Rebel Alliance to believe that Prince Xizor and the Black Sun organization were involved in some way with a raid by Imperial stormtroopers on a moisture farm on the planet Tatooine. It’s logical to assume that the target of that disinformation would have been the Rebel Alliance, and more specifically Luke Skywalker himself. As heinous as that stormtrooper raid was, its significance is primarily for us. Skywalker has become both an inspiration and a charismatic leader for our forces; at this point, it might very well be said that his joining the Rebels was a crucial turning point for the Alliance, at one of our darkest hours. As Skywalker has shown us, one brave individual can turn the course of battle. And bravery can be contagious: right now, there are many ready to fight at Endor whose hearts have been strengthened by Skywalker’s example. As you’ve said, Commander, you would give a great deal to be with them. But the moral strength that has flowed into the Alliance was largely shaped by a purity of vision as well; Skywalker knew that the raid in which his family died was the work of the Empire. He’s known since then exactly what he’s had to fight against. What would the consequences have been, both for Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance, if that vision had been confused and muddied by evidence showing that Prince Xizor and Black Sun had somehow been involved in that stormtrooper raid? Skywalker’s attention might well have been diverted at some crucial point while he tried to unravel this mystery, the clues of which were all lies to begin with. He very likely would have found that out, and seen through the lies, but at a price of critically lost time-and the Alliance would have paid that price with him.”
The sneer had vanished from Rozhdenst’s face. “I see your point.”
“It’s exactly why I wanted the Alliance to have this information,” said Kodir. “As security head for Kuat Drive Yards, I’ve discovered some things I’d rather not have found. My sympathies are with the Rebel Alliance, gentlemen-but apparently my feelings are not shared by everyone here. Most importantly, they’re not shared by Kuat of Kuat, the leader of Kuat Drive Yards. He’s made it plain to me that he fears and distrusts the Alliance. Of course, it’s bad enough that he has not supported you in your struggle against the Empire-but it turns out that he’s been actively seeking your defeat.” She paused a moment, gauging the two men’s reactions to her words. “For it was Kuat of Kuat who created this false evidence, and who sought to have it planted where Luke Skywalker would have eventually learned of it, and been deceived by it.”