Star Wars_ Cloak of Deception - James Luceno [74]
“Where?” Obi-Wan asked. “When?”
The Bith turned partway to him. “I don’t know. The plan was kept secret from most of us. But I know that it involves Captain Cohl …”
The Bith’s words trailed off. Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan’s gaze on him. At the same time, all light fled the alien’s eyes.
“He’s dead, Master,” Obi-Wan said.
“Jedi,” someone said from behind Qui-Gon. The speaker was a Nikto humanoid, flat-faced and horned. “I don’t mean to intrude, but your friend was my friend, as well.”
Qui-Gon stood up. “What do you know about this plan involving the one he called Havac and Captain Cohl?”
“I know that it had something to do with Karfeddion.”
“Karfeddion?” Obi-Wan repeated, while he showed the Nikto his most disapproving gaze.
“The homeworld of House Vandron,” Qui-Gon said. “Deep in the Senex.” He turned back to the humanoid. “Your name?”
“Cindar.”
“Do you know this Havac on sight?”
“I do.”
Qui-Gon considered something, then said, “Come with us.”
He led the way to where Tiin, Yaddle, and some of the others were gathered in the plaza.
“There’s no time to sort all this out,” Tiin was saying, gesturing broadly to ruination. “The High Council and the Judicial Department have ordered us to leave the Senex sector as quickly as possible.”
“We need to make one stop first,” Qui-Gon interrupted. “At Karfeddion.”
Tiin stared at him, awaiting an explanation.
“Cohl is executing another plan.” Qui-Gon indicated Cindar. “This one is going to help us pick up Cohl’s trail.”
Tiin and Yaddle traded brief glances. “Cohl is no longer working for the Front,” Tiin said. “We all heard as much.”
“The plan has been a closely guarded secret. Someone named Havac is behind it. We must go to Karfeddion.”
“Impossible, Qui-Gon,” Yaddle said, shaking her head back and forth. “Leave the Senex, we must.”
Qui-Gon squared his shoulders. “Then my Padawan and I will go.”
Obi-Wan’s jaw dropped slightly.
“Not in any of our ships, Qui-Gon,” Tiin said in challenge.
Qui-Gon glanced around. “Then we’ll use the Hawk-Bat.”
“Making this personal, you are,” Yaddle said. “Defying a direct order from the High Council, you’ll be.”
Qui-Gon didn’t argue the point. “My duty is to the Force, Master.”
Yaddle studied him for a long moment. “To what end, Qui-Gon? To what end?”
The holobanner glowing through the t’bac smoke in the cantina read: THE TIPSY MYNOCK WELCOMES THE KAR-FEDDION SKULL CRACKERS. A smashball team, the Skull Crackers were known throughout the Senex for their blatant disregard for the rules of play and for the lives of their opponents. A boisterous dozen of the local heroes were gathered in a corner of the Tipsy Mynock, raising flagons of fermented drink to one another and whomever happened by, growing more inebriated by the minute, and fairly itching to cause trouble of a major sort.
A few booths away, Cohl and Boiny sat with a hulking human who might have been a member of the Skull Crackers—had he been a few centimeters shorter and a lot less dangerous looking.
A pleasant-looking humanoid female bred on one of the Karfeddion slave farms placed a tall shot of bright-yellow liquid in front of Cohl’s guest, who downed the notoriously strong drink in one swallow.
“Thanks, Captain,” the human said genuinely, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “It’s not often I get a taste of the real article.”
Cohl appraised Lope, as the man called himself, from across the table that separated them. The fact that Lope could handle himself in a brawl was beyond dispute. But the Eriadu operation would not turn on brute strength, but on a combination of skill and intelligence. Of course, situations could arise in the most carefully designed scenarios when it came down to muscle. But Cohl still wasn’t convinced that Lope was suited to handle even that eventuality.
“What’s your specialty?” he asked after a moment.
Lope planted his elbows on the table. “Vibroblade, stun baton, nerve pick. But I can also handle a blaster—BlasTechs, Merr-Sonns, Czerkas …”
“But you prefer in-close work.”
Lope shrugged. “When it comes right down to it,