[Legacy Of The Force] - 03(38)

“But it doesn’t look like this Lumiya was following your son when he left the Temple,” Tozr said. He reached over to tap the screen of the datapad. “So she was waiting for him inside the plaza.”

“It would seem so.” The edge in Mara’s voice was as cold as the knot in Luke’s stomach. “I don’t like it. She knew where he was going to be.”

“We said this was an ambush,” Raatu reminded them. “Both killers were waiting for Master Lobi in the hedges.”

“That’s the way it looks, all right,” Luke said. He turned back to Mara. “Lumiya had to enter the plaza somewhere.”

Mara began to bring up feeds from the other entrances and run through them at high speed. Finally, a line of static flashed across the screen, and she froze the picture and checked the time code.

“Nineteen fourteen,” she reported.

“Eight minutes before Tresina’s message,” Luke said. “That fits.”

“But that’s just a power glitch,” Tozr said, still looking at the datapad.

“It’s a Force-flash,” Luke corrected. “And it can be used to prevent a security cam from recording your image as you pass through its field of view.”

Mara checked the cam code at the bottom of the screen, then asked Tozr, “Is that the Galactic City entrance?”

Tozr nodded. “That’s right.”

“Then we’re in luck,” Raatu said. Without asking, the Rodian took the datapad from Mara and called up a schematic of the cam net, “Galactic City is dignitary central. There are security cams all over.”

He scrolled through the feeds from each of the adjacent cams until he came to a line of static similar to the last one.

“Nineteen oh six.” Raatu led the way back through the hedge, then started up the walkway toward the Galactic City entrance. “Looks like we’re on the scent.”





Chapter Ten


Within a few hours of discovering Lumiya’s trail in Fellowship Plaza, Luke, Mara, and their two detective companions were following a Neimoidian building manager down a larmalstone hall on the three hundredth floor of the opulent Zorp House apartment tower. Luke had talked Raatu out of calling an enter-and-capture team-but just barely-by pointing out that SWAT-droids were hardly inconspicuous. Lumiya would have sensed the agitation of any bystanders who happened to see them moving into position and fled before they could capture her. But Saba Sebatyne and two other Jedi were stationed outside as backup, posing as maintenance workers on a hoversled just around the corner.

The building manager stopped next to an expensive ho-mogoni side table, then pointed down the hall to a double sliding door of polished brass.

“That’s three hundred seven twelve,” he whispered.

“You’re sure it’s theirs?” Tozr asked. Like Raatu, the Bith was convinced that Lumiya had an accomplice. Luke and Mara were not arguing the point, especially since there bad been two sets of footprints in the hedges.

The Neimoidian spread his leathery hands. “There are twenty-five thousand apartments in Zorp House,” he said. “I can’t know who lives in them all.”

“But this is where the security cam keeps malfunctioning?” Luke asked.

The Neimoidian nodded his flat-faced head. “And that is the only apartment whose door never opens when the cam is working.”

Mara commed Saba, telling her they were about to go in. Raatu drew his blaster and started down the hall, pulling the Neimoidian along beside him.

“Buzz them,” Raatu ordered. “Say you’ve been getting a smoke alert for their apartment, and you want to be sure they’re okay.”

“Me?” The Neimoidian glanced warily at Raatu’s blaster, then at Luke and Mara. “Isn’t the tenant dangerous?”

“Are you refusing to cooperate with a criminal investigation?” Raatu demanded.

“You won’t have to go inside,” Tozr said, speaking to the manager over his partner’s shoulder. “We’re just trying to find out if they’re home.”

The Neimoidian’s pace remained unenthusiastic, but he did go to the door and do as he was asked. As they waited for a response, Luke extended his Force-awareness into the apartment, searching for any glimmer of a presence that would suggest someone hiding inside. He felt nothing, but that meant little. Lumiya would certainly be capable of hiding her Force presence.

When no answer came after the second buzz, the Neimoidian said, “It seems they’re not home.” He turned to leave. “If you need me, I’ll be down in my…” “Not yet.” Raatu caught his arm and pointed at the security panel. “The universal code.”