Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance by Sean Williams Page B

entertained
that day.

    It
had occurred to him on the way that the Imperial envoy wouldn't know
that the Republic envoy was actually a traitor with no intention of
winning the auction for his so-called masters. If he could only find
some way to communicate that message, it might save the Emperor a
great deal of trouble and expense...

    Yeama
was speaking again. "The auction will be held tomorrow, with all
parties present. You will be bidding for the combination to this
vault. The safety of all parties is our primary concern, so the
process will be anonymous. I will take you to your secure
accommodation now, and you may examine the data there overnight. "

    "If
the bidders are anonymous, " said Ula, seeing his chance of
getting a message to the Imperial envoy slipping away from him, "how
will we know that the bids are genuine?"

    "How
indeed?" said Yeama, with a knowing smile. "I advise you to
bid fairly, so you can be sure that the winning bid reflects the
prize's true worth. "

    Thieves
and liars and economic rationalists, thought Ula as Yeama led him to
the embarrassingly lush hospitality center. To chaos with the lot of
them.

    *
* *

    Analyzing
the data took the better part of an hour. The Cinzia shown in
recordings taken by Bareesh's pirate had been a light star cruiser of
unfamiliar design, but Ula's sharp eye detected hints of an Imperial
chassis under a refurbished hull. It could have been an old S- class
model, stripped down and rebuilt from the inside out. The drives had
a similar signature, although their emissions had been baffled
somehow. Fragments of the hull collected after the explosion showed
high proportions of rare metals-similar to those of the object
sitting in Tassaa Bareesh's vault. Nothing about the ship gave any
hint as to its origins.

    A
world rich in exotic metals would be a prize indeed, Ula thought as
he scoured the data for clues. Perhaps his trip hadn't been for
nothing after all. Such rare substances were the backbone of many
industries, from communications to war. Shortages had delayed many
projects crucial to the Empire's expansion already, including some so
secret that he heard of them only through reports issued to Supreme
Commander Stantorrs by Republic spies. His own side didn't trust him
to know.

    "It's
all a game, " he muttered to himself, pushing the holovid away
from him in frustration.

    "Is
anything the matter, Envoy?" asked Potannin, standing to
attention by the entrance to their suite.

    "Oh,
nothing, Sergeant, " he said. "I'm just tired. "

    "Would
you like to retire? You have a choice of beds..."

    "I
don't think I'll sleep tonight. "

    "You
have received several invitations from other parties in the palace,
sir. If any interest you, I could make arrangements. "

    "Would
that be safe?"

    Potannin's
angular face displayed confident assurance. "I would hazard a
guess, sir, that so long as the Hutts propose to profit from us,
we're in the safest place in the galaxy. "

    "True.
" Ula thought for a moment. "All right, then. Let me see
the list. "
    He
scanned it quickly, glossing over minor ambassadors, ambitious crime
bosses, and several beings whose intentions were even less honorable.
One name caught his attention.

    "Jet
Nebula, that pilot with the ridiculous name who has free run of the
palace. What does he want from me?"

    "I
couldn't say, sir. But he's invited you for a drink in a cantina
called the Poison Pit. "

    "Sounds
unpleasant. "

    "Shall
I turn them all down, sir?"

    "Yes.
No, wait. " There had been something odd in Jet Nebula's
disaffected stance, and in his placement in the welcoming hall. If he
was truly so bored, why had he put himself in a position from which
he could study everyone in the room?

    "Tell
Nebula I'll meet him in half an hour. "

    "Yes,
sir. "

    Ula
picked a refresher at random and changed his robes for something more
sensible. The ones Diplomatic Supplies had provided him with made him
feel like a clown. And besides, he didn't want to stand out. If