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By Root 626 0

who had emerged from the shelters and wanted to offer their congratulations to Palpatine. Isard found the lack of security appalling. Fierce fighting had occurred in the vicinity of the annex while Palpatine had been held prisoner, and it was possible that the Separatists had infiltrated flesh-and-blood or droid assassins. Yet here Palpatine was, acting as if he'd only been out for a stroll, a pair of Republic guards his only protection. But that was typical of him, despite the strain it placed on the Intelligence Bureau. Typical of him, too, to admit only loyalist senators to the docking berth, in full knowledge of their growing impatience with the sweeping changes he had made, the liberties he had revoked. Palpatine had at least agreed with Isard's suggestion that the media be held at bay for a while longer.

Isard thought about the clandestine meeting. The Senators were harmless, but he didn't like the idea of a Jedi being present. Members of the Order had been doing more than their usual share of snooping about of late. Eavesdropping on Senate sessions, investigating old tunnels that ran beneath The Works and the sub-basements of 500 Republica … It had to stop.

“Send a squad of shock troopers to disrupt the meeting,” he said, “with orders to hold the Senators for questioning.”

“What about Master Shé?”

“Supply a credible pretext for the intrusion. Senate security concerns, a bomb threat, whatever you need. Shé will keep out of it.”

“And the couriers?”

“Charge them with possession of a stolen security code, impersonating emergency personnel, and violating restricted airspace.” Isard paused, then said: “I'll see to their interrogation myself.”

“It should hold,” Jadak said into the mouthpiece of his headset from beneath the YT's port mandible. “But we might want to pick up a replacement on Kuat before heading to Toprawa.”

Reeze was crouched inside an access bay at the tip of the mandible, evaluating the braking thruster from the inside. His response came through the earphones. “You don't have to twist my arm.”

Jadak gave the damaged jet another look. Wiping lubricant from his hands, he walked around the bow of the ship and nearly collided with Master Shé as he was hurrying down the boarding ramp. The installation apparently completed, the Jedi had the tool case in one hand, an activated comlink in the other.

“Shock troopers have been dispatched to arrest the Senators,” he said, without slowing down. “I will lead them to safety. Raise the ship and be quick about it.” He stopped a few meters from the ramp, then turned. “Good luck, Captain.”

Halfway up the ramp, Jadak waved a casual salute. “Thanks for the heads-up.” He brought the headset microphone to his mouth and commed Reeze. “Company's coming. Haul yourself out of there.”

Reeze was climbing from a hatch in the main hold when Jadak entered.

“Clones?”

“Shock troopers.”

Reeze scowled. “We're not being paid enough.”

“Noted.”

“Especially now that they're taking the ship.”

“We knew this could happen.”

“That doesn't soften the blow.”

“How 'bout we have this conversation later.” Jadak extended a hand and yanked Reeze up onto the deck plates. “Do a readiness check and get her warmed up. I'm going see about delaying them.” Moving to the engineering station, he pulled a small blaster from a compartment below the console.

Reeze planted his hands on his hips and laughed. “I'm sorry, Tobb, but that's the funniest sight I've seen in a long while. That toy against a couple of DC-fifteen blaster rifles?”

Jadak frowned at him. “I'm not planning on a standoff. I just want to slow them down.”

“I guess you can try.” Reeze laughed again as he made for the cockpit.

Jadak raced down the ramp and hurried to the landing bay's rear door. Taking aim, he sent a bolt directly into the door controls, stepping back while sparks and tendrils of smoke erupted from the switch and the smell of fried circuitry stung his nostrils. Broader and taller, the cargo door was a vertical hatch in the bay's west wall. Rearming the blaster, Jadak fired two bolts into the control, one of which