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But Kenth had not been out of the military for so long that he had forgotten the value of intelligence. It would not be enough to eliminate the traitor. He had to know who was with her, and who was reluctant—he had to know whom he needed to fear after Saba was gone.

Kenth opened himself up to the Force, attuning his ears to its ripples and using it to amplify the voices below. Saba’s dorsal ridge instantly rose, and she cocked her scaly head, turning a recessed ear up toward the catwalk where Kenth was hiding. Aware of just how keen her predator’s senses were, he held his breath and used a meditation technique to calm his pounding heart. Even then, Saba’s head remained cocked, the corner of one eye turned up toward the support level.

Kenth was beginning to think he had lost the element of surprise when Cilghal’s gurgling voice began to sound in his ears. “… and Mirax are returning to the Temple, and the Solos report the extraction team is ready to proceed.”

Extraction team. That could only mean Saba had convinced the Council to strike on multiple fronts at once, sending a team to recover the Horn kids during the confusion of the StealthX launch. It was a smart tactical move, of course … and just the kind of thing that would convince Daala the Jedi were going into open rebellion.

“Good,” Saba said, thumping her tail in approval. “And the tournament?”

“Booster is expecting Senator Treen to board within the hour,” Cilghal reported. “Once she does, they’ll be ready to start. The other players are aboard already.”

“Ask Captain Terrik to keep us informed. Our timing must be perfect.” Saba turned to Barratk’l and asked, “You have made contact with Jedis Saar and Arelis?”

Barratk’l nodded, then rumbled, “My team will rendezvous with them in Arari.”

Saba thumped her tail again. “Then may the Force be with you,” she said. “Eight Jedi against worldz—this one wishes it could be more.”

“Eight must do,” Barratk’l assured her. “The Sith are our first concern. But eight Jedi will be enough to offer hope to the slaves. And, with hope, the slaves will free themselves.”

“Yes,” Saba said. “The Jedi are counting on that.”

Kenth could not believe what he was hearing. Not only had Saba convinced the Council to commit high treason and sponsor a prison break, she was also sending a team of Jedi to spark rebellions along the entire galactic rim. And she had recruited Booster Terrik to … do what? Organize a celebrity sabacc tournament?

Clearly, the Barabel had to be stopped … at any cost.

Saba turned to the Masters in vac suits. “It seemz all is in order. Perhapz you should return to your squadronz.”

Cilghal raised a hand-fin to stop them, and for an instant Kenth thought that maybe Saba had not duped the entire Council into following her. But then the Mon Calamari spoke, and he realized that matters had deteriorated even further than he thought—the entire Galactic Alliance was already beginning to dissolve.

“There is one more development we should consider,” Cilghal said. “Head of State Fel has informed the Solos that the Empire is no longer interested in joining a Galactic Alliance led by Natasi Daala.”

Kenth saw the jaws of several Masters drop, and his own surprise was such that he let it ripple out into the Force for a full second before he realized he had slipped. He quickly reined in his emotions, but Saba’s dorsal ridge was already raised. She turned her head so that one eye was staring into the shadows where Kenth lay hiding, and he knew that he had just lost all hope of taking her by surprise and ending this thing quickly.

“What happened?” Octa Ramis asked. “Why is Fel backing out?”

“Never mind what happened,” Kyle interrupted. “What we need to know is whether Daala knows yet?”

“If not, she will soon,” Cilghal replied. “The Pellaeon is preparing to break orbit, and that will not go unnoticed for long.”

“Especially not when Head of State Fel returnz to it,” Saba said, not turning her head away.

A broad smile came to Kyp’s lips. “Any idea why Jag thought the Solos needed to know his plans?”

Octa Ramis’s heavy brow