hundreds of meters across. Green was the dominant color, but the foliage was also rich with gold, blue, purple, and red.
“They do not look like trees,” Obi-Wan commented.
“Not trees,” Charza said. “Not trees at all. Vergere called them boras.”
The planet’s yellow sun, setting in a golden haze between the ranks of huge growths, was not the only light in the sky. The vast pinwheel of red and purple gas covered all they could see of the northern sky beyond the boras.
“That is all I know,” Charza continued. “I dropped off Vergere, then waited until I was dismissed, and returned to orbit. There was no message to retrieve her, so I departed, as she had ordered. At that time, I detected six ships of known types in the region. All were private craft, I think belonging to customers of the shipbuilders on Zonama Sekot.”
“You did well, Charza,” Obi-Wan said, getting to his feet. “Perhaps nothing is amiss.”
“She may be alive,” Charza said, “but I do not think all is well.”
“Your instinct?”
Charza burred and lifted his head to the ceiling, then twisted around to regard them with all of his eyes. “Simple observation. Where one Jedi travels alone, perhaps no cause for alarm. Where a Jedi falls silent, and other Jedi follow … mishap and adventure!”
T arkin marched ahead of Raith Sienar down the tunnel toward the waiting shuttle. “There is no time to lose,” Tarkin shouted over his shoulder. “They’ve emerged from hyperspace, and we’ve received the tracker signal. We have less than an hour before you must join your squadron and leave Coruscant.”
Sienar clutched his travel bag and passed last-minute instructions to his protocol droid, which followed at a quick if lurching pace a few steps behind.
“Come on, man!” Tarkin shouted.
Sienar handed the droid the last thing he had packed earlier that morning: a small disk containing special instructions should he not return.
The droid halted at the embarkation slip and gestured a formal good-bye as Sienar joined Tarkin inside the well-appointed shuttle lounge. The hatch slid shut with an ear-popping hiss, and the shuttle immediately pulled from its tower berth and punched through a clear space in the traffic lanes.
It rose rapidly into orbit.
“I hope you understand what could be at stake here,” Tarkin said, his thin face grim. His blue eyes grew large and deadly serious as he looked at Sienar. With such wide eyes, his face once more took on the aspect of an animated skull. “At the moment we are merely useful lackeys. We are below the level of awareness of those who will command the galaxy. If this planet and its ships are as useful as they appear to be, we will be richly rewarded. We will be
noticed
. Some already share my belief that this could be very big. All will share in our success, so our mission has been given level-two priority, Raith.
Level two
!”
“Not level one?” Sienar asked innocently.
Tarkin frowned. “Your cynicism may not serve you well, my friend.”
“I keep an independent mind,” Sienar said.
“In the long run, that could be extremely unwise,” Tarkin told him, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
C harza Kwinn brought the
Star Sea Flower
into a high orbit above Zonama Sekot. As Obi-Wan and Anakin prepared their belongings in the dry cabin, Obi-Wan brought out a pouch he had concealed in his robes, drew open a cord, and laid it out on top of his travel kit.
Anakin looked at it hopefully. “Another lightsaber?” he asked.
Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head. “Not yet, Padawan. Something more appropriate for a planet run by merchants. Old-style aurodium credits. Three billion’s worth, in several large ingots.”
“I’ve never
seen
that much money!” Anakin said, stepping closer. Obi-Wan shook his finger in warning, then opened the packet and showed its contents to Anakin.
The ten pure aurodium ingots sparkled like tiny flames. Each held a depth of mysterious light that refused to
“They do not look like trees,” Obi-Wan commented.
“Not trees,” Charza said. “Not trees at all. Vergere called them boras.”
The planet’s yellow sun, setting in a golden haze between the ranks of huge growths, was not the only light in the sky. The vast pinwheel of red and purple gas covered all they could see of the northern sky beyond the boras.
“That is all I know,” Charza continued. “I dropped off Vergere, then waited until I was dismissed, and returned to orbit. There was no message to retrieve her, so I departed, as she had ordered. At that time, I detected six ships of known types in the region. All were private craft, I think belonging to customers of the shipbuilders on Zonama Sekot.”
“You did well, Charza,” Obi-Wan said, getting to his feet. “Perhaps nothing is amiss.”
“She may be alive,” Charza said, “but I do not think all is well.”
“Your instinct?”
Charza burred and lifted his head to the ceiling, then twisted around to regard them with all of his eyes. “Simple observation. Where one Jedi travels alone, perhaps no cause for alarm. Where a Jedi falls silent, and other Jedi follow … mishap and adventure!”
T arkin marched ahead of Raith Sienar down the tunnel toward the waiting shuttle. “There is no time to lose,” Tarkin shouted over his shoulder. “They’ve emerged from hyperspace, and we’ve received the tracker signal. We have less than an hour before you must join your squadron and leave Coruscant.”
Sienar clutched his travel bag and passed last-minute instructions to his protocol droid, which followed at a quick if lurching pace a few steps behind.
“Come on, man!” Tarkin shouted.
Sienar handed the droid the last thing he had packed earlier that morning: a small disk containing special instructions should he not return.
The droid halted at the embarkation slip and gestured a formal good-bye as Sienar joined Tarkin inside the well-appointed shuttle lounge. The hatch slid shut with an ear-popping hiss, and the shuttle immediately pulled from its tower berth and punched through a clear space in the traffic lanes.
It rose rapidly into orbit.
“I hope you understand what could be at stake here,” Tarkin said, his thin face grim. His blue eyes grew large and deadly serious as he looked at Sienar. With such wide eyes, his face once more took on the aspect of an animated skull. “At the moment we are merely useful lackeys. We are below the level of awareness of those who will command the galaxy. If this planet and its ships are as useful as they appear to be, we will be richly rewarded. We will be
noticed
. Some already share my belief that this could be very big. All will share in our success, so our mission has been given level-two priority, Raith.
Level two
!”
“Not level one?” Sienar asked innocently.
Tarkin frowned. “Your cynicism may not serve you well, my friend.”
“I keep an independent mind,” Sienar said.
“In the long run, that could be extremely unwise,” Tarkin told him, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
C harza Kwinn brought the
Star Sea Flower
into a high orbit above Zonama Sekot. As Obi-Wan and Anakin prepared their belongings in the dry cabin, Obi-Wan brought out a pouch he had concealed in his robes, drew open a cord, and laid it out on top of his travel kit.
Anakin looked at it hopefully. “Another lightsaber?” he asked.
Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head. “Not yet, Padawan. Something more appropriate for a planet run by merchants. Old-style aurodium credits. Three billion’s worth, in several large ingots.”
“I’ve never
seen
that much money!” Anakin said, stepping closer. Obi-Wan shook his finger in warning, then opened the packet and showed its contents to Anakin.
The ten pure aurodium ingots sparkled like tiny flames. Each held a depth of mysterious light that refused to
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