Star Wars_ The Black Fleet Crisis 02_ Shield of Lies - Michael P. Kube-McDowell [0]
“What I question is the Princess’s claim that this is a matter of great urgency,” said Senator Marook. “Perhaps she can help me understand.”
“I’ll do my best,” Leia said, wary.
“These recordings from the Koornacht Cluster—to the best of your knowledge, they were made days, even weeks ago, yes?”
“That’s true.”
“So what you’ve shown us is history. None of these tragedies can be prevented, or even tempered.”
“No—”
“Then how is this any different from the unavenged atrocities of the Imperial era? Why are we not meeting to discuss how and when to invade the Core in search of the agents of Palpatine’s rampages? Isn’t the real urgency here the waning of your political power, and your desperate need for a dramatic victory to restore your prestige?”
SHIELD OF LIES
A Bantam Spectra Book / September 1996
SPECTRA and the portrayal of a boxed “s” are trademarks of
Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
®, TM, and copyright © 1996 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.
Cover art by Drew Struzan.
Copyright © 1996 by Lucasfilm Ltd.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information address: Bantam Books.
eISBN: 978-0-307-79632-5
Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books” and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada.
v3.1
Dedication
For Matt, Amanda, and Gwen,
in gratitude for
their love, support, and understanding.
And for all the twelve-year-olds
everywhere and anywhen
who, like me,
believed they would journey into space someday—
most especially for those who really did,
and for those who still believe.
Acknowledgments
The STAR WARS universe has been so greatly expanded and enriched in the years since Return of the Jedi appeared that even the best-intentioned of us can hardly hope to master all its details unaided.
I’m therefore grateful for the assistance of the many writers and fans in the extended STAR WARS community online—on Genie, CompuServe, and the Internet—who took the time to answer (and even undertook to research) my questions. In particular, Kevin J. Anderson, Roger MacBride Allen, Matt Hart, Robert A. Cashman, Laurie Burns, Jim Fisher, Cathy Bowden, Tim O’Brien, Wm. Paul Sudlow, and Steve Ozmanski each added at least one page of helpful facts to my reference binder this time around.
Other invaluable references included Bill Slavicsek’s A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Shane Johnson’s Star Wars Technical Journal, Dan Wallace’s planet research, and the various timelines, lexicons, and concordances provided me by Sue Rostoni of Lucasfilm, Ltd., and Tom Dupree at Bantam.
Once again, I owe a great debt of thanks to my family and first readers, all of whom made sacrifices so that I could devote my time and attention to this project. Without Gwen, Matt, Amanda, Arlyn, and Rod aiding and abetting the effort, this book would still be a work in progress, and my editor and agent would have even more gray hair than I’ve already given them.
Finally, I remain grateful to George Lucas for giving me a chance to add a few pages to the continuing saga of the STAR WARS universe. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to serve as a de facto historian for the maturing New Republic and biographer for some of its legendary figures.
—Michael Paul McDowell
February 6, 1996
Okemos, Michigan
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Dramatis Personae
I. Lando
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
II. Luke
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
III. Leia
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
About the Author
Also by this Author
Introduction to the Star