Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [104]
FOLLOWING LUKE SKYWALKER AND HIS PYDYRIAN GUIDE WITHOUT BEING seen was going to prove difficult—especially in the bright orange hazard suit Vestara was wearing to protect herself from the epidemic. If her quarry remained on foot, the huge columns and shadowy arcades of Corocus’s blocky, mud-brick architecture would provide her with plenty of cover. But if they emerged from the spaceport in a speeder, she would need a speeder to follow, and in the deserted streets of Corocus that would quickly get her spotted.
Still, whether they emerged on foot or in a vehicle, Vestara had to keep them under surveillance. She had already used a public S-thread booth in the spaceport to send a dispatch to the Lost Tribe relay center on Boonta. Within the hour, the Circle of Lords on Kesh would know that the Skywalkers were hunting for Abeloth on Pydyr and that Vestara suspected they had already sent for Jedi reinforcements. It was difficult to guess how the Circle would respond, but respond they would … and it was her duty to be ready with as much intelligence on their enemies as she could gather.
Vestara studied the line of landspeeders resting on their struts along the side of the street, then selected one of the most common models and colors—a turquoise-blue Ubrikkian AirCushion—and stepped over to the driver’s door. She used the Force to pop the locks from the inside, then lifted the door and slid into the driver’s seat. The alarm system was flashing red and pinging softly, warning her that it needed to read a thumbprint. Vestara ducked down and looked behind the scanning pad. It was difficult to see clearly through the hazard suit’s transparent faceplate, but after a moment she located the signal carriers and used the Force to jerk the two wires free of their contact points.
The alarm began to wail immediately. Vestara touched the ends of the wires together, silencing the siren in less than a second—then cried out in surprise as the vehicle’s passenger-side door lifted open.
“Galactic Alliance Disease Control,” she said, preparing to Force-hurl the intruder into the adjacent building. “I need transport to—”
“Don’t,” said Ben Skywalker’s filter-muted voice. “Just … don’t.”
Vestara looked up to find Ben, also wearing a hazard suit, standing outside the speeder. His lightsaber remained on his belt, but he was holding a blaster pistol—and pointing it at her.
“Ben.” As she spoke, Vestara was wondering how long he had been watching her, and whether he had seen her enter the PanComm S-thread booth in the spaceport. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Right,” he said. “That’s why you invited me.”
Vestara cocked her head. “Would you have come any other way?”
“Of course not,” Ben said. “We’re supposed to be waiting aboard the Emiax. You are supposed to be taking a nice long sanisteam.”
Vestara thought for an instant, then said, “That’s right. How did you know I wasn’t?” She shot him a playful smile and, wondering how effective her flirting could be from inside a hazard suit, cocked her brow. “Did you peek?”
“Didn’t need to.” Ben plucked at his orange hazard suit. “I checked the suit locker. Now let’s go put these suits back where they belong.”
Ben waved the blaster barrel for her to leave the speeder.
Instead, Vestara hit the repulsor activator. “I’ve got a better idea. Get in.”
“I’m under orders.” Ben leveled the blaster at her. “And for once, I should probably obey them.”
Vestara rolled her eyes. “Ben, we both know you’re not going to use that thing, and I’m not going to get out.” She used the Force to depress her door toggle, and the driver’s door dropped into place. “So you can either get in, or let me go alone.”
Ben holstered his blaster. “You forgot the last option.”
“What’s that?”
“Pull you out of there by force.”
Vestara raised her brow, surprised by his assertiveness. “As fun as wrestling you might be, Ben,