• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“As you wish, sir.” Dorvan and Asokaji rose. “Admiral, there are beverages and food available. You’ll be monitored, and when we next return, we’ll review the recordings. Don’t worry, there’s no holocam in the refresher. The Jedi believe in treating their prisoners civilly.”

“I’ll be missed,” she said as they turned to deactivate the force field. She knew her legs would give out if she tried to rise, otherwise she would have charged them.

“Of course you will,” said Asokaji. “That’s why I’ll make sure that everyone knows you are unreachable for a time as you are following up a lead, which of course I can’t elaborate on for reasons of galactic security.”

They had planned this well.

Curse them.

She watched them go, and thought of delightful revenge.

Feeling and control of her limbs returned a few moments after they had gone. She went to use the refresher, and when she came out, she froze.

Four humans stood there, two men and two women. All of them were strikingly attractive. She didn’t recognize any of them.

“Are you the new interrogation team?” she asked wearily.

“No, Admiral,” said one of them, a tall, handsome man with a square jaw and dark brown eyes. “We’re here to get you out. Senator Suldar sent us. He was worried about you after the whole business with Treen and Bramsin, and had us follow you.”

Relief flooded her. “Oh, thank goodness. You heard everything then?”

The man smiled. “Indeed we did,” he said. “Senator Kameron Suldar is very grateful for the information, and that you didn’t implicate him or, indeed, confirm anything at all.”

Parova smirked. “Of course I wouldn’t. Let’s get going. I’ve got a lot of work to do—and some people we need to get rid of.”

“So do we,” said the man, smiling. He nodded to the others. Before Parova realized what was happening, she heard a snap-hiss sound and found herself staring at three red lightsabers. “You will continue to serve, even with your death. Thank you, Admiral.”

And they sprang.

ABOARD THE GILAD PELLAEON, MERIDIAN SECTOR

“NOTHING IS EVER EASY,” SAID JAGGED FEL. HE SAT IN HIS OFFICE aboard the Pellaeon, dully watching the latest on the holonews. “Not even something that should be as uncomplicated as tracking down an escaped convict and returning her to Coruscant for a proper trial.”

Tahiri gave a slight chuckle. “Daala is no mere escapee, sprung from jail and now on the run. She’s not even just a popular political figure rallying supporters. She’s an admiral, with a fleet that is as scattered and secret as it is powerful. The Squibs certainly gave us an important break. At least we’re looking in the right spot. But even so, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface.”

Jag gave her a dirty look. “I don’t recall you being quite so negative,” he said.

She shrugged. “Being sentenced to death and surviving only by escaping tends to make one less than confident in the rightness of the universe.”

“I can see that.” He sighed. “You’re right, of course. Daala does have her detractors, certainly. But there are others who approve of her methods—some of my own Moffs among them. There are still more who would simply take whatever side their government did … and that would lead to civil war between her proponents and those who supported the Galactic Alliance.” He looked up at her. “And as shaky as the Alliance is now, that’s a war I’m not sure it could win.”

Tahiri perched on his desk, arms folded, regarding him. “What’s the latest from Ashik?”

“He’s contacted various intelligence sources and spoken with beings in positions of power in the Meridian sector. The news isn’t good. They have long memories there, and most of those memories of Daala are fond ones.”

His gaze drifted back to the holoscreen. They had been kept completely up-to-date with the nigh-unbelievable mess that was unfolding on Coruscant: the election of a being who had no business running the GA, one Padnel Ovin. The Senate subcommittee that had sprung up seemingly overnight, and had arrested his future mother-in-law on utterly ludicrous charges up to and including spice