Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [151]
Leia and Taryn dived in on top of him, and an instant later Turi had the supercharged transport slipping over the edge of the detention center and streaking downward. Han and the two women tumbled down against the forward bulkhead of the cargo bay and lay there in a tangle atop the cargo pods, trying to catch their breath and still their pounding hearts. Finally, the Cygnus-7 entered the concealing gloom of the undercity and leveled out.
“There.” Han snaked an arm around Leia’s shoulder and planted a big kiss on her lips, then pulled back and gave her one of his crooked smiles. “Didn’t I say this was going to be easy?”
TAHIRI, IT SEEMED, WAS NO LONGER NEWS. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE her trial had opened, the spectator area of the Ninth Hall of Justice sat nearly empty. As word had spread of the Errant Venture’s attack on Coruscant’s climate-control mirrors that morning, half the reporters in attendance had drifted out of the room and not returned. When news had arrived of the StealthX launch, the rest had departed, and by the time the Venture had escaped into hyperspace, even casual observers were leaving. Now, with Daala making noises about martial law and the whole planet waiting to see if she would attempt to storm the Jedi Temple again, the only beings still in the courtroom were those directly involved with the trial.
And that, according to Sardonne Sardon, was a problem. With Eramuth Bwua’tu ambling back and forth in front of the witness stand, seeming to fumble about in search of a defense while actually preparing to demolish the prosecution’s most damaging witness, the galactic media was nowhere to be seen. The momentum of the trial was about to swing toward the defense, and no one was going to see it. In the court of public opinion, Lieutenant Pagorski’s claim that the defendant had violated a direct order would be allowed to stand. Tahiri would continue to be regarded as a renegade Jedi who had murdered a legendary commander, and—of course—potential clients would not see on live HoloNet how quickly Sardonne Sardon had reversed the course of the trial.
Which was fine with Tahiri.
All she wanted was the truth brought to light. And the truth was that Caedus had instructed her to kill Pellaeon if it was necessary to secure the Empire’s military cooperation. Tahiri had followed those orders exactly. Whether that had been an act of war or a murder was for the jury to determine. She just wanted them to make that determination based on facts.
Bwua’tu’s pacing carried him back in front of the witness stand, where he paused to scowl at Lieutenant Pagorski. “So you’re telling me that Bloodfin Security had all compartments on the vessel under surveillance?”
“Yes, sir,” Pagorski replied. As before, she was in full Imperial dress uniform, white jacket with epaulets over a gray shirt buttoned to the throat. “All compartments except the admiral’s refresher. That was what we were told.”
“I see,” Bwua’tu said.
The trap had been Sardon’s idea, but even she had recognized that opposing counsel would see it coming if she tried to lay the groundwork in her own meticulous, orderly style. That was just one of the reasons Tahiri was glad that Bwua’tu hadn’t been allowed to resign in protest when she had insisted on adding Sardon to the defense team. Together, they were a great pair, Bwua’tu’s experience and style a perfect complement to Sardon’s intellect and organization. With them working together, she didn’t see how she could lose.
“And that’s how you knew that my client was present at this supposed conference aboard the Bloodfin before the Battle of Fondor?” Bwua’tu asked, weaving another strand in his web. “You saw her in the conference compartment with the Admirals Niathal and Pellaeon and Colonel Solo?”
“Not quite, Counselor,” Pagorski said. “No one but FinSec sees those vids. I was told of her presence afterward, by a FinSec officer.”
Bwua’tu cocked a furry brow in feigned astonishment.