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Smiling sardonically, he gestured to the stormtroopers. “Take them away.”

The police station cell was cooler than the cantina had been, but that was about all it had going for it. Small, sparsely furnished, streaked with Tatooine’s ubiquitous sand, it had all the charm of a used transport crate.

“Did you catch when they’d be moving us out?” Karoly asked, leaning against a wall and gazing dolefully at the door.

“Didn’t sound as if it would be anytime soon,” Shada said. “The colonel said something about finishing up the search before getting us transferred to his ship.”

Karoly’s lip twitched. Clearly, she was also appreciating the irony here: The Imperials’ search had already ended, only they didn’t know it.

Or maybe they did know it. Maybe the colonel was just playing along with the masquerade while he sent out for the proper interrogation equipment.

Shada looked around the room. A single bunk, a reading lamp fastened to the wall over one end, primitive refresher facilities, a barred door, and a one-way observation window opposite it. Limited resources, and no privacy to use them.

Which left only their combat training. And the possibility that the Imperials still didn’t know they were dealing with Mistryl. “I just hope they feed us before then,” she commented to Karoly. “I’m starving.”

Karoly’s eyebrow twitched. “So am I,” she said, looking around. “Maybe I should beat on the bars and see if I can get someone’s attention.”

“Go ahead,” Shada said, stretching out on the bunk and letting her hand rest idly on the reading lamp above her head, examining it with her fingertips. It was fastened to the wall over the bunk, but a little work with her belt buckle ought to get it off. Behind it would be power cables … “On second thought, you might want to try that mirror instead,” she said to Karoly, nodding back at the spy window. “Someone’s probably watching it.”

“Okay,” Karoly said. She stepped over to the window and pressed her face against it, blocking the view into the cell. “Hey! Anyone there?”

Quickly, Shada pulled off her buckle and got to work as Karoly kept up the noise. She got one of the three fasteners loosened; did the second; started on the third—

“Shut up the noise!” someone snapped.

Shada paused, palming the buckle, as a man in a faded uniform appeared at the door. “We’re hungry,” she complained.

“Too bad,” he growled. “The meals come in two hours. Now shut up or I’ll have you strapped down and muzzled.”

“Two hours?” Shada repeated. “We’ll never make it that long. Can’t you get us something to tide us over?”

“Please?” Karoly added, smiling encouragingly.

The guard’s lip twisted; and he was just opening his mouth for what would probably have been a memorable comeback when a young man in civilian clothing stepped into view. “Problems, Happer?”

“Always,” the other growled. “I thought you were off till tonight.”

“I am,” the younger man said, peering thoughtfully at Shada and Karoly. “Heard you were drowning in prisoners; figured I’d come in and take a look. Who do we have here?”

“Brea and Senni Tonnika.” Happer threw a glower at the two women. “Very special prisoners of Colonel Parq. And none of our business, if you ask me. If the Imperials want to lock up half of Mos Eisley, the least they could do is provide their own holding tanks.”

“And do their own ID checks?”

“Don’t remind me.” Happer grunted. “I’ve got fifteen of them running right now, with about thirty more in the hopper.” He glared again at the prisoners. “Look, Riij, do me a favor, will you? Go down to Stores and pull a couple of ration bars for these two, I’ve got to go down to the check room—the sifter’s been needing a lot of babysitting today, and those stormtroopers are starting to get snotty.”

“I’ll handle it,” Riij assured him. “Have fun.”

Happer grunted again and disappeared down the corridor. “So,” Riij said, gazing at them again. “Brea and Senni. Which is which?”

“I’m Brea,” Shada said carefully. There was something about the way he was looking at her that she didn’t at all care for.

“Ah,” he said. “I’m Riij—Riij Winward.