Star Wars_ The Dark Lord Trilogy - James Luceno [368]
Tarkin stopped the holoimage and nodded. “We thought they might be refused entry. Apparently, however, someone aboard the ship is familiar with Kashyyyk’s trading protocols.”
Vader considered it for a moment. “You said that you had your reasons for clearing the transport through the checkpoint.”
“Yes, I’m coming to that,” Tarkin said, standing to his full height and beginning to pace in front of the desk. “I realize that you of all people require no assistance in … bringing the fugitive Jedi to justice. But I want to lay out a somewhat broader plan for your consideration. Should you accept the proposition, I’m in a position to provide you with whatever ships, personnel, and matériel you think necessary.”
“What is the proposition, Moff Tarkin?”
Tarkin came to a stop and turned fully to Vader. “Simply this. The Jedi are your priority, as they should be. Certainly the Empire can’t permit potential insurgents to run around loose. But—” He raised a bony forefinger. “—my plan allows for the Empire to profit even more substantially from your undertaking.”
Reactivating the holoprojector, Tarkin turned his attention to an image of the Emperor’s moonlet-size secret project, orbitally anchored at its deep-space retreat. Vader had learned that the Emperor had placed Tarkin in charge of supervising certain aspects of construction.
Clearly, though, Tarkin was angling for more.
“How does my hunt for a few rogue Jedi figure into your scheme regarding the Emperor’s weapon?” Vader asked.
“My ‘scheme,’ ” Tarkin said, with a short laugh. “All right, then. Here’s the truth of it. The project is already far behind schedule. It has been beset with engineering problems, delays in shipments, the unreliability of contractors, and, most important, a shortage of skilled laborers.” He stared at Vader. “You must understand, Lord Vader, I wish nothing more than to please the Emperor.”
This is Sidious’s real power, Vader thought. The ability to make others wish nothing more than to please him.
“I accept that at face value,” he said at last.
Tarkin studied him. “You would be willing to help me achieve this goal?”
“I see a possibility.”
Narrowing his eyes, Tarkin nodded in a way that came close to being a bow of respect. “Then, my friend, our real partnership is just beginning.”
They’re interested in knowing why you’re so interested in knowing whether any Jedi were here during the battle,” Cudgel explained to Starstone and the others while the quartet of armed Wookiees glared down at them.
“Idle curiosity,” Filli said, which only succeeded in eliciting rumbling growls from the four.
“They’re not buying it,” Cudgel said needlessly.
Starstone gazed up into the wide bronzium muzzles of weapons she suspected she would need the Force to heft, let alone fire. Peripherally she was aware that the confrontation had begun to draw the attention of other landing parties. Humans and aliens alike were suddenly interrupting their transactions with liaison staffers and Wookiees, and turning toward the transport.
Quickly she made up her mind to risk everything by simply telling the truth.
“We’re Jedi,” she said just loud enough to be heard.
From the way the Wookiees tilted their enormous shaggy heads, she grasped instantly that they had understood her. They kept their exotic weapons enabled and raised, but at the same time their expressions of wariness softened somewhat.
One of them brayed a remark to Cudgel.
Cudgel stroked his long beard. “Now, that’s even harder to swallow than the idle-curiosity explanation, don’t you think? I mean, considering the fact that the Jedi were wiped out.”
The same Wookiee lowed and gobbled, and, again, Cudgel nodded, then centered his gaze on Starstone.
“Maybe if you’d said that you were a Jedi, then all of us on the happy side of these blasters would be convinced. But—” He counted heads. “—you can’t be telling me all eight of you are Jedi. Seven anyway, ’cause I know Filli’s almost as far from being a Jedi as it gets.”
“I meant me,” Starstone said. “I’m a Jedi.”
“So it’s just you, then?