“Zekk isn’t my boyfriend,” Jaina said. “And you haven’t answered my question-not really. Who are the Directors?”
Longnose rolled his eyes again and tried to speak, but could only choke.
“Ready to say something useful?” Jaina asked. When he nodded, she released his vocal cords. “Let’s hear it.”
“It’ll go bad if you make them send someone else,” Longnose said. “You’d be better off just letting us do you now.”
“Yeah,” Scarcheek agreed. “We’ll make it real painless.”
“I’ll take my chances with the next crew,” Jaina said. “I’m sure they wouldn’t be any better than you.”
Longnose perked his ears in pride. “You’re a smart girl, Jedi. We like that in a target.”
“Then how about telling me who these Directors are?” Jaina made a pinching motion with her thumb and forefinger. “Or is your partner the only one getting out of this alive?”
“I guess there’s no harm-it’s not like you’re going to live long enough to go after them,” Longnose said. “The Directors are the head of the family-our great-great-great-grandparents.”
“Grees, Sligh, and Emala,” Scarcheek finished. “Your parents had some dealings with them on Tatooine.”
Jaina nodded. “I’ve heard about that. Why do they want me dead?”
Longnose shrugged. “Didn’t say.”
“You owe them money?” Scarcheek asked.
Jaina shook her head.
“Your parents owe them money?” Longnose asked.
“I doubt it,” Jaina said.
The two Squibs glanced at each other, then Longnose nodded. “Well, you’re costing them money somehow. That’s the only reason the Directors ever put out a contract.”
“Or maybe your parents are,” Scarcheek added. “If they ignored a warning.”
Longnose nodded enthusiastically. “That’s usually what it is when they send us after the kids.”
“Dad never heard a warning he took seriously, so that part makes sense.” Jaina was more mystified than ever. “But I still don’t know how my parents could be mixed up with your, uh, the Directors. What business are they in?”
“What business aren’t they in?” Longnose snorted.
“But right now it’s a lot
of
war
stuff,”
Scarcheek
said. “Double-billing supplies, gouging for fuel deliveries, vouchering meals that were never served-“
“You know: the usual stuff,” Longnose continued. “War is always good for a few billion credits in off-the-book profit.”
“Okay-now it makes sense,” Jaina said.
If she knew her parents-and her uncle Luke and the rest of the Jedi-they would be working to end this war as quickly as possible. And if their efforts had upset these “Directors” enough to put a hit on a Jedi, then whatever they were doing was effective. Maybe her parents actually had a chance of stopping the war.
Jaina shifted her gaze to the hit-Squibs’ Mollom guards. “Get these two out of here. Turn them loose.”
“Burrub?” boomed several of the Mollom together.
“A deal’s a deal,” Jaina said. She shifted her gaze to the Squibs. “But your
contract
is
finished,
you
understand?
If
we
see
you again-anywhere-you’re speeder-kill. Okay?”
The Squibs’ muzzles fell open in surprise, and they both nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Whatever you say, doll.”
“And don’t call me doll,” Jaina hissed. She motioned to the Mollom to take the Squibs away. “Tell Wuluw I need a new-“
“Bu.”
Jaina turned around to see a new Wuluw communications assistant standing on the water behind her. She smiled at the little Killik.
“What took you so long?”
Wuluw flattened her antennae in apology. “Urru bu, urbru, uu bu ru-“
“It was a joke,” Jaina said. “Don’t any of your nest’s Joiners have a sense of humor?”
“U,” Wuluw answered. “Bu urb r urubu bubu ur bur-bur?”
“No, that was serious,” Jaina said, feeling guilty about the number of Wuluws she had lost. “I’ll-we’ll try to do a better job of protecting you this time.”
Wuluw rattled her mandibles in gratitude, then asked if Jaina had a plan to exterminate the Chiss on the islands yet.
“The plan’s coming along,” Jaina exaggerated. “We-just need to check out a few last details.” She started down the stream, waist-deep in water and crouching to keep her eyes level with the top of the streambank. “Stay low. Those sharpshooters are good.”