Star Wars_ Darth Maul 02_ Shadow Hunter - Michael Reaves [38]
Maul saw Darth Sidious’s eyes narrow in disapproval. “You disappoint me, Lord Maul.”
He felt that censure spear him like an icy shaft. No trace of it showed on his face. “I am sorry, my master.”
“Your tasks are now twofold: Destroy this Lorn Pavan and find the crystal.”
“Yes, my master.”
Sidious regarded Maul steadily for a moment. “Do not fail me again.” The hologram vanished.
Darth Maul stood silently for a moment in the perennial darkness of the city’s surface. His breathing was steady and even, his body motionless. Only one trained to sense the whorls and verticils of the Force would get a sense of the dark storm that raged within him.
His master had rebuked him. And rightly so. That crystal could be the ruination of all Darth Sidious’s carefully laid plans. And he, Darth Maul, heir to the Sith, had left it behind when he had fled for his life.
Fool!
Maul’s nostrils flared as he drew in a deep, shuddering breath. He had no time for self-recrimination. The Neimoidian’s cubicle was no doubt already overrun with police droids searching for a clue to the explosion. They would hardly overlook an information crystal lying in an opened safe.
There was, of course, the possibility that it had been destroyed in the explosion, but he couldn’t count on that. He would have to go back and find out what had happened to it, even if every police droid on Coruscant was packed into that tiny room.
And after he had found the holocron and disposed of the human, then he would have to face whatever punishment Darth Sidious would undoubtedly devise for his lamentable failure.
Maul strode out of the alley and back toward the domicile.
Lorn found I-Five just venturing into the first floor of the building—or trying to, as the stampede of panicked tenants had filled all the exits. Though the droid’s metallic face was expressionless as always, he still somehow managed to project concern, followed by relief as he saw Lorn.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lorn muttered to the droid. “Fast.”
“That sounds like a remarkably astute idea.”
Walking quickly, they soon put several city blocks between themselves and the debacle. Then I-Five said, “It appears that all did not go entirely according to plan.”
“Ever a master of the understatement.” Lorn explained what had happened. “I have no idea who the dead woman was. I have no idea what caused the explosion. I have no idea who killed the Neimoidian and his goons. What I do have is this.” He pulled the holocron from a pocket.
I-Five took it and looked closely at it. “It appears to be encoded,” the droid said. “It definitely contains some sort of information. Whether it’s the details of the trade embargo of Naboo or a recipe for Alderaan stew is impossible to tell without activating it.”
“It better well be what Monchar said it is.” Lorn glanced at his wrist chrono. “We’ve got barely enough time to make the meeting with the Hutt and then get to the spaceport.”
“I would predict another half hour or so of grace. Most of the local law enforcement will be more interested in the explosion than in catching us. Nevertheless, I agree that a hasty retreat is called for. I took the liberty of using our temporary wealth to secure two berths on the next spice transport bound for the Rim. Once we have the money from the Hutt we can pay the fare in cash.”
Lorn nodded. I-Five was right; the important thing was to unload the holocron and get offworld as quickly as possible. It was likely that whoever had terminated Hath Monchar was looking for the crystal, and Lorn most definitely did not want to make his acquaintance. In his mind’s eye he could still vividly see the Neimoidian’s headless body lying on the floor of the apartment, along with