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Tahiri spoke quietly, forcing Eramuth to come closer, but did not say more until she saw Leia flick a finger and send both camdroids tumbling toward the rear wall. Strictly speaking, it was illegal to use the Force inside the Hall of Justice—but it was just as illegal to bring a camdroid inside a courtroom, so it seemed doubtful that Leia would be ejected.

Once the camdroids had been smashed against the wall, and Eramuth had taken a seat beside her, Tahiri continued in a whisper, “You’ve been dozing off in court, Eramuth, and every time I try to talk about bringing in help, you insist you don’t need it and have me taken back to my cell.”

“Because I don’t need a second chair.” Eramuth shot a disapproving glance in Sardonne’s direction. “Especially someone who looks like her.”

“You just said she was brilliant!”

“She is,” Eramuth admitted. “But you don’t need brilliant. You need me.”

“I need both,” Tahiri insisted. “And since I’m the one on trial for her life, I’m going to insist.”

Eramuth snorted and stared at the table. “My dear, I do have a plan.”

“Falling asleep is part of your plan?” Tahiri countered. “In court?”

“I know it’s hard to believe—”

“Eramuth,” she interrupted. “I was a Jedi. How gullible do you think I am?”

“Not very, apparently.” Without looking up, Eramuth asked, “You’re certain of your decision?”

Tahiri glanced back at the Solos and Lando, who were just shuffling into their reserved seats, past a dozen reporters who had spent half the night waiting in line to be certain they would have front-row seats. When all three gave her encouraging nods, she let out her breath and nodded.

“I’m sorry to have to do it this way, Eramuth,” she said. “But you didn’t leave me any choice.”

“Well, it was a conversation I was trying to avoid,” Eramuth admitted. Unexpectedly, he laid a furry hand across hers, and Tahiri was surprised by the deep pain she saw in his eyes. “But no need to worry. I’ve had my feelings hurt by attractive young women before.”

“Eramuth, I just think this trial has been wearing you out,” she said. “And I need you at your best.”

“I understand, my dear,” Eramuth said, rising. “As you say, it is your life on the line.”

He stepped over to a bailiff and asked for another chair, then went to the bar and personally opened the gate to admit Sardonne. She quickly entered, removed her overcoat, and passed it to the Solos—then spent the next couple of minutes awkwardly waiting for her chair. Despite the fact that all eyes were on her, she managed to look confident and unconcerned with the attention. But Tahiri knew better, for Sardonne’s Force aura was ablaze with her excitement—and why not? Win or lose, the trial of Gilad Pellaeon’s murderer would make her a household name.

The extra chair had barely arrived before Judge Zudan entered and activated a high, piercing bell tone to call the session to order. With her topknot pulled even higher than usual, her reptilian features looked even harsher, and her gaze immediately turned to Sardonne Sardon’s seat at the end of the defense table.

“I see we have a new face at the defense table today,” Zudan said. “Please declare yourself for the court.”

“Of course, Your Honor.” Sardonne rose. “Sardonne Sardon, with the defense.”

“Thank you.” Zudan turned to Eramuth. “I’m glad to see that you reconsidered my suggestion to take an assistant, Counselor.”

Eramuth rose. “Actually, Your Honor, Counselor Sardon isn’t my assistant,” he said. “She’ll be taking the defense as of today. I’ll be withdrawing.”

Tahiri probably shouldn’t have been surprised—she had, after all, seen the hurt in Eramuth’s eyes when she insisted that he take on a second chair—but she was. Withdrawing on such short notice seemed unprofessional, to say the least, and she had expected better from Eramuth.

Apparently, so had everyone else in the courtroom. The chamber burst into an astonished din that did not fade until Judge Zudan stabbed her finger down on the bell button atop her bench and held it there. When the room finally fell silent again, she glared out