Star Wars_ The Dark Lord Trilogy - James Luceno [324]
“We appreciate that,” Shryne said, sensing the sharp-featured Skeck had left something unstated.
“The Twi’lek fix you with new identichips?” Archyr asked, in what seemed to be actual concern.
Shryne nodded. “Good enough to fool agents at Murkhana STC, anyway.”
“Then they’ll pass muster on Mossak, as well,” the lanky security chief said. “You shouldn’t have too much trouble finding temporary work, if that’s your plan.” Archyr regarded Shryne. “You have any contacts you can trust?”
Shryne’s eyebrows bobbed. “Good question.”
When the assembled crew members fell into a separate conversation, Starstone moved close to Shryne. “Just what is our plan, Mas—”
Shryne’s lifted finger stopped her midsentence. “No order; no ranks.”
“You don’t know that,” she said, echoing his quiet tone. “You agreed that other Jedi probably survived.”
“Listen, kid,” he said, gazing at her for emphasis, “the Climbers of this galaxy are few and far between.”
“Jedi could have survived by other means. It’s our duty to locate them.”
“Our duty?”
“To ourselves. To the Force.”
Shryne took a deep breath. “How do you propose we do that?”
She gnawed at her lower lip while she considered it, then looked at him pointedly. “We have Master Chatak’s beacon transceiver. If we could patch it into the Drunk Dancer’s communications suite, we could issue a Nine Thirteen code on encrypted frequencies.”
Shryne laughed in spite of himself. “You know, that could actually work.” He glanced at the crew members. “Still, I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.”
She returned the smile. “But you’re not me.”
When Shryne turned back to the crew, he found Skeck gazing at him. “So I guess your scheme failed, huh?”
“Which scheme would that be, chief?”
Skeck glanced at his crewmates before answering. “Knocking Palpatine off his perch. Fighting the war the way it probably should have been fought all along.”
“You’ve been misinformed,” Shryne said flatly.
Skeck sat back in feigned nonchalance. “Really? We’ve all heard the recordings of what went on in Palpatine’s chambers.”
The other crew members nodded somberly.
“Don’t get me wrong,” the first mate continued before Shryne could respond. “I’ve nothing against any of you personally. But you have to admit, the way some of your people conducted themselves when Republic interests were at stake … The prestige you enjoyed. The wealth you amassed.”
“I give the Jedi credit for trying,” the slicer, Filli Bitters, chimed in. “But you should never have left yourselves so short-handed on Coruscant. Not with so many troopers garrisoned there.”
Shryne laughed cheerlessly. “We were needed in the Outer Rim Sieges, you see.”
“Don’t you get it?” Eyl Dix said. “The Jedi were played.” When she shrugged her narrow shoulders, her twin antennae bobbed. “That’s what Cash thinks, anyway.”
Skeck laughed in derision. “From where I sit, getting played is worse than losing.”
“You’ll be safe from Imperial reach on Mossak,” Bitters said quickly, in an obvious attempt to be cheerful.
Sudden silence told Shryne that none of the Drunk Dancer’s crew was buying the slicer’s optimism.
“I realize that we’re already in your debt,” he said at last, “but we’ve a proposition for you.”
Skeck’s green eyes widened in interest. “Lay it out. Let’s see how it looks.”
Shryne turned to Starstone. “Tell them.”
She gestured to herself. “Me?”
“It was your idea, kid.”
“Okay,” Starstone began uncertainly. “Sure.” She cleared her voice. “We’re hoping to make contact with other Jedi who survived Palpatine’s execution orders. We have a transceiver capable of transmitting on encrypted frequencies. Any Jedi who survived will be doing the same thing, or listening for special transmissions. The thing