Someone on the intercom swore softly. “I give up,” Faughn said. “What the blazes was that?”
“You got me,” Man said. “Luke? You still there?”
“Right here,” Luke replied. “Did you get all that?”
“Only part of it,” Mara told him. “He waited until we were blocked by an asteroid before making his move.”
“Interesting,” Luke said. “The ship gave off a very unusual energy signature as he took off-I recorded what I could of it, but I doubt my sensors were able to pick up more than a fraction of what was really there.”
“Maybe that’s why he waited until we couldn’t see him.”
“Probably,” Luke agreed. “He’d have guessed a ship your size would have better sensors than mine.”
Mara rubbed her lips. Well, unless you want to follow his hyperspace vector, there’s not a lot we can do about him right now. How about feeding us what your sensors got?”
The astromech droid made a rude sound. “It’s all right, Artoo,” Luke soothed. We can consider this their rescue fee.”
“Part of their rescue fee,” Man corrected. “We’ll settle on the rest later.”
“Understood,” Luke agreed. “Here it comes.”
“Got it,” Faughn said.
“Thanks,” Mara said. “You need anything else, Luke?”
“Not at your prices,” he said dryly. “Seriously, thanks for everything.”
“Glad we could help,” Mara said. “Don’t forget to have those injuries looked at.”
“I won’t,” he assured her. “Artoo’s already pulling up a list of the nearest New Republic medical facilities. See you later.”
“Right. Watch yourself.”
The comm clicked, and with a flicker of pseudomotion the X-wing made its jump to lightspeed. Mara gazed after it, a strange mixture of emotions chasing each other through her mind. The glowing reports she’d read of Luke’s glorious achievements … and yet, they were a far cry from what she’d seen him do just now. Had something happened to him?
Or was be finally coming to his senses?
“Jade?” Faughn asked. “What now?”
Mara exhaled softly, putting Skywalker out of her mind. We shoot a report off to Karrde,” she said, doing a quick time calculation. “See if he wants us to get back on schedule for the Nosken rendezvous or else try to track the pirates’ escape route.”
“Right,” Faughn said. “Incidentally, Jade, in case no one’s ever mentioned it before, you and Skywalker make a pretty good team.”
Mara gazed out at the drifting asteroids. “Bite your tongue, Faughn,” she said softly. “Bite your tongue.”
CHAPTER
10
It was a hot day in this part of Dordolum. Hot and sunny, with an oppressively still and heavy atmosphere that seemed to wrap around the silent lunchtime crowd like a wet grov-fur blanket.
The speaker currently shouting at the crowd from his perch atop the Stand of Public Expression was adding to the heat, too. But unlike the weather his heat was a fiery one, a mixture of words and thoughts and stage presence carefully designed to inflame the emotions and stir up the dozens of long-simmering resentments represented out there today. Practically everyone listening to the diatribe harbored at least one such quiet grudge, whether it be Ishori toward Diamala, Barabels toward Rodians, or Aqualish toward humans.
Or almost everyone toward Bothans. Letting his eyes drift across the crowd to the elaborate sign of the Bothan-owned Solferin Shipping Company directly across the plaza to their right, Drend Navett permitted himself a private smile.
It was a good day for a riot.
The speaker had made it to his main topic now, and as he hammered in graphic detail at the horror that had been the destruction of Caamas and the Bothans’ cowardly and loathsome role in it, Navett could sense the crowd’s anger finally edging toward the mindless fury that he’d been waiting for. Slowly, careful that his movement not break the spell for those around him, he began drifting toward the area closest to the shipping company. Klif might be a genius at demagoguery; but it was he, Navett, who knew how to gauge a crowd’s mood and pick the right time for action.
Almost there. Navett was in position now, within easy targeting range of the shipping company. Dipping a hand into the bag banging unobtrusively at his side, he withdrew his weapon of choice and waited. Another few seconds … and … now.
“Justice for Caamas!” he shouted. “Justice now!” Cocking his arm over his shoulder, he spun and hurled at the Bothan building&mdash