Star Wars_ Cloak of Deception - James Luceno [104]
“Has Senator Antilles made any progress?”
Taa lowered his voice another notch. “What I have to tell you is hardly equivalent to your revelation about King Veruna, but, in fact, I have just learned that Antilles was successful in tracing the origin of the funds to what he at first thought was a venture capital consortium, but which, in fact, appears to be a fraudulent bank account, set up expressly for channeling illicitly gained funds to areas of special interest.”
Palpatine stared at him. “By special interests, I assume you refer to those senators who are receiving kickbacks from various organizations, criminal and otherwise.”
“Precisely.”
“But you have yet to learn where the funds originated.”
“We are getting close, and the closer we get, the more potentially embarrassing this could be for the Supreme Chancellor.”
“I’d appreciate being kept fully informed.”
Taa smiled. “We’ll make no announcement without consulting you.”
Palpatine and Taa turned to watch Valorum waving to the crowd, which responded with a second round of gracious applause.
“This is the Supreme Chancellor’s moment,” Palpatine said. “We shouldn’t spoil it with gossip.”
Taa was chagrined. “Please accept my apologies, Senator. It was never my intention to spoil the moment.” He glanced to his left. “I’ll leave that to the Trade Federation.”
Viceroy Nute Gunray felt as if everyone’s eyes were on him, despite the fact that it was Valorum who had the hall’s undivided attention. Gunray’s own eyes, however, were on the battle droid that had been delivered into his care only moments before he and the members of the directorate had left their temporary quarters for the summit.
Indistinguishable from the dozen other droids providing protection for the directorate—save for a blush of yellow markings—the new addition stood just to Gunray’s right, at the leading edge of the detachment on that side of the Trade Federation rostrum.
Gunray had barely had time to settle into his quarters on Eriadu when the Sith Lord, faithful to his word, had appeared, by means of the holoprojector Sidious had sent him months earlier. Although on this occasion the image was so distinct, so free of the usual noise and static, that Gunray might have almost believed that Sidious was on Eriadu or some neighboring world, rather than concealed in whatever manner of fathomless den from which he worked his dark magic.
Some strangers will be coming to give you an additional droid, Sidious had said, a battle droid. You are not to question them, nor the purpose of the droid itself. You will simply instruct the droid to join the others you brought to Eriadu. It will respond to your commands.
Gunray had been feverish with questions, but he had managed to restrain himself when the strangers arrived at his quarters with the boxed battle droid. He hadn’t even informed Lott Dod of the communication, even when the senator—alone among the Trade Federation delegation—had casually remarked that he could have sworn that they had arrived on Eriadu with only twelve droids.
The shipping manifest would bear that out, of course. But considering that the Trade Federation enjoyed diplomatic status, it was improbable that Eriadu customs would raise a concern when the delegation returned to the spaceport with the extra droid in tow.
It was the second of the Sith Lord’s directives that continued to prey on Gunray’s thoughts, in any case, and was the cause of his present disquiet.
Even now he saw that the ensemble of musicians were assembling on the floor, in preparation of trumpeting the