Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [63]
Jaina explained what they were seeing. “This is an impostor droid a pirate group used to impersonate Lando’s voice aboard the Rockhound. Its commands redirected us to an ambush point, disabled our comm and sensor systems, and crippled my StealthX.”
“We’ve already delivered it to Lowbacca for analysis,” Lando added. “He’s taking it apart now.”
“Thank you,” Hamner replied drily. “I’m sure those are the orders we would have given anyway.”
“We’re hoping Lowbacca can tell the Council something about the programming style.” Lando’s explanation was directed primarily to Kenth, and his tone was pointed. “It might help you locate the pirates’ home base.”
The image changed to a recording of the cockpit tactical feeds as Jaina went out to challenge the ambushers.
“As you can see,” Jaina continued. “They came at us in three BDY crew skiffs, launched from a Damorian S-eighteen light freighter.”
“I do see,” Hamner said. His voice assumed a disapproving tone. “You filed a TOP URGENT request in order to inform the Council that you were assaulted by … pirates?”
“That’s right.” Lando did not bother to hide his irritation. “Except these pirates also redirected us to Ashteri’s Cloud. And there’s only one way they could have known to choose those coordinates for an ambush.”
“You’re saying they knew you would be coming out of the Maw.” Kyp shifted forward in his seat, then clarified, “You’re saying they had to be Sith.”
“Yes,” Jaina said. “After the mouse droid sabotaged my StealthX, the only weapons I had left were shadow bombs. Every time I launched one, their gunners found me. They felt me using the Force.”
“So … Sith,” Barratk’l growled. “A double cross. Then Master Skywalker and Ben must be—”
“No,” Lando interrupted quickly. “They’re fine—at least they were when we left orbit.”
“We’re not sure of the details, because we never made planetfall,” Jaina added. “But after Abeloth’s death, Luke came to some kind of arrangement with the Sith to investigate her nature. Only three people from each side stayed behind, and everyone else was ordered to leave.”
“And you’re sure the Sith obeyed?” asked Octa Ramis.
“We’re sure they left when we did,” Jaina replied. “And it wouldn’t be easy to return. The planet was tough to reach.”
“The Sith lost a frigate going in,” Lando added. His voice assumed a note of pride. “And they would have lost another if the Rockhound hadn’t been there to pull it to safety. They could probably make it back on their own, but they wouldn’t be eager.”
“And I think I would have felt it if something had happened to Uncle Luke or Ben,” Jaina added. Noticing Hamner’s mouth starting to sag at the corners again, she turned to Kyle Katarn. “Will you advance to the next image, please?”
Kyle pressed a control on his chair arm, and a holographic map of the known galaxy appeared over the projection pad. Scattered along the hyperspace lanes were nearly four hundred bright red squares. Near one edge, in the Corporate Sector, was a large cluster of twenty-seven red triangles.
“This map is derived from the one Jaden Korr has been assembling during his piracy investigations,” Jaina explained. “We spent most of the trip back filtering out attacks that don’t fit the same profile as the one against the Rockhound.”
“Basically, we were looking for two things,” Lando explained. “A recent port call, followed by the total disappearance of the vessel—no survivors, no wreckage, no flotsam or bodies.”
Jaina stepped forward and pointed to the twenty-seven red triangles in the Corporate Sector. “These triangles represent a fleet of old ChaseMaster frigates that disappeared on their way to a decommissioning yard,” she explained. “We know that they were taken by the Lost Tribe, because High Lord Taalon had a squadron of twelve with him.”
The Force