his Master appeared as though out of
nowhere, right by his side. He never heard her coming, but had
learned at least not to be as startled as in the early days of his
apprenticeship. That, he assumed, was the heart of this particular
lesson: some things could never be anticipated, but he could control
the way he reacted to them.
They
stood together for a moment in the empty cloisters, staring up at the
looming, silver cylinder that was the Galactic Justice Center. Its
lights burned brightly, and never flickered once.
"You've
put something in motion, Shigar, " she said.
"Do
you see this in the future, Master?" The foresight of Grand
Master Satele Shan was legendary, and never wrong.
She
shook her head. "Not this time. I received this a moment ago
from Supreme Commander Stantorrs. "
She
passed Shigar a datapad, and he read the packet of information
displayed there twice. It contained everything uncovered about Dao
Stryver, Lema Xandret, and the Cinzia in the previous hours. Someone
had been busy, he thought.
"The
Hutts certainly recognize an opportunity when they see one, " he
said, wrapping the new data around everything he had already gleaned
about the Mandalorian, the Black Sun, and the attack on Larin Moxla.
"The
Cinzia gives Tassaa Bareesh two plays for the price of one, "
his Master said. "To the administrations of the Republic and the
Empire, the primary concern is the ship's origin. Where it came from
matters much more than its purpose or what it contained. We all know
that the Republic is desperate for resources, and any new world will
aid its cause. It goes without saying that Supreme Commander
Stantorrs will pursue this matter further, on that ground alone.
"From
the point of view of the Jedi Council, however, the situation is
precisely reversed. The Hutts are auctioning more than just
information: there's the cargo of the ship to consider, too. The
object they're selling presumably has some recognizable value, but as
yet we do not know what it is. It could be anything. We can't ignore
the possibility that they have stumbled upon something critical to
the Jedi
Order-an
artifact, perhaps, or a weapon. Many are spoken of in ancient records
but are yet unaccounted for; just one might make a difference in the
war against the Emperor. "
"It
could lie a Sith artifact, " he said, knowing full well that the
forces of the enemy had their own arsenals, as ancient as the Jedi
Order's.
"That's
also a possibility. We must, therefore, do everything in our power to
ensure that this thing the Hutts have-whatever it is-does not fall
into the wrong hands. "
"It's
already in the wrong hands, " he said.
"That's
true, but Tassaa Bareesh only recognizes one side: her own. I have no
fears of her using this find directly against us. Still, we need to
know more about it, and soon. That's where you come in, Shigar. "
Shigar
studied his Master's face. He had felt that the conversation was more
than idle chat, but he hadn't expected an active role in the
situation.
"I
will do anything you wish, Master. "
"You
will go to the court of Tassaa Bareesh and uncover everything you can
about the Cinzia and its contents. You're to travel incognito in
order to minimize our apparent interest in the sale. You will report
what you find to me directly, and I will decide what to do with that
information. You will leave this evening. "
Her
voice was brisk and matter-of-fact, belying the significance of her
words. This was a major assignment, cutting through the thick of a
complex political knot. Were he to fail, it would reflect badly on
the Jedi Order, and perhaps hinder the entire war effort. The
responsibility was considerable.
Coming
so soon after his disappointment of that morning, however, it was
impossible to silence a nagging, doubtful voice.
"Are
you sure I'm the right choice?" he asked, dragging the words out
as though they were made of lead. "After all, the Council
believes me unfit for the trials. There must be
nowhere, right by his side. He never heard her coming, but had
learned at least not to be as startled as in the early days of his
apprenticeship. That, he assumed, was the heart of this particular
lesson: some things could never be anticipated, but he could control
the way he reacted to them.
They
stood together for a moment in the empty cloisters, staring up at the
looming, silver cylinder that was the Galactic Justice Center. Its
lights burned brightly, and never flickered once.
"You've
put something in motion, Shigar, " she said.
"Do
you see this in the future, Master?" The foresight of Grand
Master Satele Shan was legendary, and never wrong.
She
shook her head. "Not this time. I received this a moment ago
from Supreme Commander Stantorrs. "
She
passed Shigar a datapad, and he read the packet of information
displayed there twice. It contained everything uncovered about Dao
Stryver, Lema Xandret, and the Cinzia in the previous hours. Someone
had been busy, he thought.
"The
Hutts certainly recognize an opportunity when they see one, " he
said, wrapping the new data around everything he had already gleaned
about the Mandalorian, the Black Sun, and the attack on Larin Moxla.
"The
Cinzia gives Tassaa Bareesh two plays for the price of one, "
his Master said. "To the administrations of the Republic and the
Empire, the primary concern is the ship's origin. Where it came from
matters much more than its purpose or what it contained. We all know
that the Republic is desperate for resources, and any new world will
aid its cause. It goes without saying that Supreme Commander
Stantorrs will pursue this matter further, on that ground alone.
"From
the point of view of the Jedi Council, however, the situation is
precisely reversed. The Hutts are auctioning more than just
information: there's the cargo of the ship to consider, too. The
object they're selling presumably has some recognizable value, but as
yet we do not know what it is. It could be anything. We can't ignore
the possibility that they have stumbled upon something critical to
the Jedi
Order-an
artifact, perhaps, or a weapon. Many are spoken of in ancient records
but are yet unaccounted for; just one might make a difference in the
war against the Emperor. "
"It
could lie a Sith artifact, " he said, knowing full well that the
forces of the enemy had their own arsenals, as ancient as the Jedi
Order's.
"That's
also a possibility. We must, therefore, do everything in our power to
ensure that this thing the Hutts have-whatever it is-does not fall
into the wrong hands. "
"It's
already in the wrong hands, " he said.
"That's
true, but Tassaa Bareesh only recognizes one side: her own. I have no
fears of her using this find directly against us. Still, we need to
know more about it, and soon. That's where you come in, Shigar. "
Shigar
studied his Master's face. He had felt that the conversation was more
than idle chat, but he hadn't expected an active role in the
situation.
"I
will do anything you wish, Master. "
"You
will go to the court of Tassaa Bareesh and uncover everything you can
about the Cinzia and its contents. You're to travel incognito in
order to minimize our apparent interest in the sale. You will report
what you find to me directly, and I will decide what to do with that
information. You will leave this evening. "
Her
voice was brisk and matter-of-fact, belying the significance of her
words. This was a major assignment, cutting through the thick of a
complex political knot. Were he to fail, it would reflect badly on
the Jedi Order, and perhaps hinder the entire war effort. The
responsibility was considerable.
Coming
so soon after his disappointment of that morning, however, it was
impossible to silence a nagging, doubtful voice.
"Are
you sure I'm the right choice?" he asked, dragging the words out
as though they were made of lead. "After all, the Council
believes me unfit for the trials. There must be
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