Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 05_ Allies - Christie Golden [89]
Jaina was surprised, but quickly concealed it. She wasn’t going to let the Sith know anything more about her than they were willing to let her know about them. She remembered hearing that Ben had reported another Force-user who had been in Shelter losing control, and that he was currently in custody aboard the Jade Shadow. She hadn’t known that they’d stopped him from desecrating the Fountain … or that a Sith had helped them.
“What you say is true,” Darima agreed. “It is duly noted.”
“Which is why what you have done is all the more heinous” came a slightly shaky female voice. Jaina turned to see that it was the very old, very frail-looking female who had regarded her so intently when she had entered the room with the others.
Faal turned her pretty face and inclined her head respectfully. “If this had been done under my orders, or indeed, under the orders of anyone in my fleet who was in a position to issue such, then you would be absolutely correct.”
“Wait—are you saying that the guards are making all this up? That those recordings were forged?” Jaina asked, knowing her skepticism was plain on her face and not caring.
“No, Jedi Solo,” replied Faal, giving Jaina a slight chill as she realized that the Sith knew exactly who she was. “Not at all. I’m saying that Captain Holpur acted completely independently.”
Holpur tried and failed to keep the shock from showing. But his feelings of betrayal and surprise spiked hard in the Force before they were quickly subdued. A muscle twitched near his eye. He remained utterly silent.
“I have no idea what he was thinking,” and now Faal turned to regard Holpur with anger and contempt. “He knew, as we all did, how sacred that Fountain was. How proud we were of brave young Vestara, preventing such a blasphemy on a world we were merely visiting.”
Jaina gave up the struggle to conceal her feelings and let her anger and disgust pour into the Force. She didn’t believe one word of this, and she let Faal know it.
Faal didn’t bat an eyelash. “Let it be known that Holpur, and the entire crew of the Starstalker, acted completely on their own in this matter.”
“Is this true, Captain Holpur?” asked Darima.
Lando and Jaina exchanged glances, and Lando was as disbelieving as she was.
“It is true,” lied Holpur. His voice was steady; he’d had a few seconds to compose himself. “I thought it might please and surprise our leadership if I were able to obtain samples of the wintrium.”
“Whoa, wait,” said Jaina, “You took samples? Where are they?”
“Their vessel was searched as soon as it was brought to ground,” Darima said. “No samples of wintrium were found anywhere on board.”
“So, you can’t use that as evidence, then,” said Lando.
“Witnesses said they saw two members of the crew attempting to cut pieces off the Fountain.” The Elders had been admirably quiet, but now they stirred uneasily.
“But you don’t have them?” Jaina pressed. Darima shook his head. That was a pity. Hard evidence like that would have made the case open and shut.
“Even if you did not take samples, you wanted to. You thought to use this sacred Fountain of a people who offered us nothing but hospitality as a way to get ahead,” snarled Faal. Jaina had to hand it to her. She was good—better than many holodrama actresses. “Now look what your selfishness has brought on your head. Chancellor—I believe that those who committed this sacrilege should pay. I offer your government the Starstalker, and her crew, for you to use as you see fit. Take the ship, imprison the crew—or execute them. Whatever your law decides.”
Jaina had never expected to ever, ever, feel sorry for a Sith. But as she looked at Holpur, standing there resolutely accepting being used as the ultimate scapegoat, sacrificing perhaps even his life simply so the others would not have to shoulder the blame—even though Jaina knew in her gut that poor Holpur was only doing what he had been