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“I would choose a different approach … but you’re the boss. I back you all the way.”

“But you don’t think I can pull it off.”

“Palpatine did. For a while. At a cost.”

Daala whistled appreciatively. “Nicely struck, soldier. Where do you hide that vibroblade when you’re not using it?”

“Pocket keeps it quite handily in her pouch. She’s a useful pet.”

“You think I’m becoming Palpatine, then?”

“No ma’am, I don’t. I wouldn’t be working for you if I did. I’m saying your tactics are similar to his, and could be perceived as such by the general public and your enemies.”

She gave him a brief smile she didn’t feel. “Well. I appreciate your candor.”

“It’s my job, ma’am.”

“That’ll be all.”

He rose and left. When the door slid closed behind him, Daala continued to sit, unmoving, now unaware of her errant hair, and pondered the course of action she was taking.

DATHOMIRI RAIN FOREST

Tribeless Sha emerged from a screen of bushes like a phantom, no noise heralding her arrival, and Han, seated on the hood of the red speeder, jerked in surprise; caf sloshed from his cup onto his wrist. The sudden burn caused him to jerk again, more violently this time, and the full contents of his cup dashed across Carrack’s armored legs.

The big man gave Han an admonishing look and moved around to the far side of the grounded speeder as if putting it between them for cover.

Han shrugged an apology. “Sorry.” He rubbed at his stinging wrist. “Her fault.”

Leia moved forward and gave Han an amused smirk before turning to Sha. “What did you find?”

“Many tracks.” Sha gestured toward the northwest. “The woman tracking your brother precedes him. Again and again she cuts across his path, becoming clumsy and obvious when she does so. She always heads northeast. He sometimes follows a little while and sometimes not. He always returns to his northwest course.”

Yliri, stretched out on a blanket on the broad hood of the cargo speeder, laughed. “She’s trying to draw him off, and he’s not having any of it.”

Sha nodded. “You are a tracker?”

“Not like you. But I’ve done some hunting.” Yliri rolled onto her side, facing the others. “So what is she trying to draw them toward?”

Sha shook her head. “Away from. Another set of tracks. An entire clan at least, and many rancors. Heading toward Redgill Pass.”

“Huh.” That was Dyon, who had been working diligently at their small campfire, situated on bare spongy ground between the two landed speeders, warming caf and packaged meals. “Wait a second.” From one of his vest pockets he drew a datapad and spent a few moments tapping in commands. Finally, he turned his screen around so the others could see it; on it was displayed a simple, colorful two-dimensional map. Most of the map was green, with some irregular black dots indicating mountains and bluish lines and blobs indicating bodies of water.

He pointed at a lake situated between two mountain peaks. “Redgill Lake. Also Redgill Pass. It’s a choke point for northward passage. The valley beyond has another pass farther north, meaning it’s easy for clans to defend.”

Tarth’s face fell. “So there could be a battle coming. One clan fortifies itself up there to fight another one.”

Dyon nodded.

Han made a derisive noise. “And this woman, one of the scouts for a clan about to go to war, deals with two dangerous Force-using pursuers by trying to lead them astray? Does she belong to Clan Nice? No, it’s something else.”

Leia looked up through the trees, their branches meeting more sparsely above this clearing, and at the sky beyond. Sunlight slanted in at a steep angle, suggesting the lateness of the hour. “We’re not going to catch up to them tonight, I take it.”

Sha shook her head. She moved to the campfire and sat cross-legged beside it. Dyon handed her a cup and poured caf into it from the pot resting on a folding metal grill set up over one low portion of the fire.

“Then let’s sleep.” His wrist no longer stinging, Han moved over to get his own cup refilled. “We’ll start at first light and see how long it takes us to catch up to them. Two-hour watch shifts: me, then