• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Treen actually clapped her hands like an excited little girl. “I do look forward to meeting this fellow,” she said. “I have the best feeling about him.”

They worked their way through the rest of the list, but no likely candidates for corruption or opportunities for additional crises presented themselves. The droid hummed up, topping off cafs.

“When do you depart for Imperial Space?” asked Jaxton.

“In a few days,” Lecersen replied. “I have some loose ends I need to tie up here, and a few favors I need to call in, but that shouldn’t take too long.”

“Where will you be heading, specifically?” Parova inquired.

“That, my dear, is one of the loose ends.” He gave her a genial smile.

“We shall hold the fort until your return,” said Treen.

And he had no doubt that they would.

The hour was growing late. Jaxton, the last to arrive, was the first to put his napkin down and push his chair back. “Dorvan’s scheduled another obscenely early meeting tomorrow,” he said.

Parova sighed and rose, as well. “Merratt unfortunately speaks the truth. We have only a few hours to snag some sleep.”

“Then perhaps you should have gone lighter on the caf,” Treen chided.

“Are you kidding?” said Jaxton. “With the brewed swill we’ve got to look forward to tomorrow morning? I’m going to enjoy the good stuff while I can.” Parova chuckled and nodded her head in agreement.

“When things are settled, I promise you I shall introduce you all to my supplier,” said Lecersen, rising and taking Jaxton’s outstretched, meaty hand and giving Parova a courteous bow. “We can’t possibly have a proper Empire fueled by bad caf.”

Thaal rose in silence and shook Lecersen’s hand, nearly crushing the other man’s fingers. And in silence, he headed for the door. Lecersen flexed his fingers and eyed him speculatively.

“I should be heading home, as well,” said Treen, rising as the generals and the admiral left. “As should … oh dear.”

Bramsin had fallen asleep in his chair. Gently, Treen tapped his shoulder, and amid protests that he was just “resting his eyes,” she and E-3PO located the venerable Senator’s hat and coat and escorted him to the small speeder that had brought him there. Treen gave them a cheery wave as the door closed behind her.

Lecersen hadn’t lied. There were several favors to call in. In the morning, he’d contact his old friend Porrak Vansyn. He’d opted not to include Vanysn in his little “group,” as the younger Moff didn’t really have much to offer. Now, however, he was certain Vansyn would aid him in establishing a base of operations.

He turned his mind to another one of the loose ends. He sank back in his chair, reached into his pocket, and unfolded the piece of flimsi E-3 had delivered to him a few hours earlier.

“I found it tucked in the flower bed by the the gate, sir,” the droid had said. “Do you wish to peruse the security vids?”

Lecersen, rather alarmed that someone had felt confident enough to walk up to his gate and place an old-fashioned note in a flowerpot, did indeed wish to peruse the security vids. He had watched, eyes narrowing, as they showed nothing more sinister than a small human village child on a hoverbike approaching the gate, looking admittedly wary. His—or her—face was turned away from the cam, and he or she wore gloves, gripping the note hard, edging up to the gate, shoving it into the dirt, and then hastening away. No doubt with a bit of effort he could uncover the identity of said child, but there was little point. He was certain that the youngling had been put up to it, perhaps with the promise of some credcoins or treats, and would not be able to identify the real culprit.

The note was written in block letters, in Basic, and read simply:

WE HAVE SOMETHING TO DISCUSS THAT

WILL BE TO YOUR BENEFIT. I WILL COME

TO YOU.

“Come if you like, my mysterious friend,” murmured Lecersen. “Walk freely into the rancor’s lair.”

ABOARD THE JADE SHADOW

“WELL, THEY CAN’T SIMPLY HAVE JUST DISAPPEARED,” JAINA SOLO SAID. “I mean—that was a lot of ships. They’ve got to be somewhere.”

“Physics would dictate that,” Luke Skywalker