Star Wars_ The Dark Lord Trilogy - James Luceno [51]
Ten years passed.
Under its new Supreme Chancellor, the Republic recovered somewhat, then grew more corrupt and beset with problems than before. As best they could, Sidious and Tyranus helped things along.
Sidious had the ability to see deep into the future, but there was always the unexpected. With the power of the dark side, however, came flexibility.
Having traced Fett to Kamino, Obi-Wan Kenobi had turned up on Geonosis. All at once, here was Qui-Gon Jinn’s former Padawan, right under Dooku’s nose. But when he had informed Sidious of Obi-Wan’s presence, Sidious had only said, Allow events to play out, Darth Tyranus. For our plans are unfolding exactly as I have foreseen. The Force is very much with us.
And now, a new wrinkle: as a result of Nute Gunray’s blunder at Cato Neimoidia, the Republic and the Jedi had chanced on a possible way to trace the whereabouts of Sidious and expose him.
The mechno-chair’s exceptional transceiver—and others like it—had been created for Sidious by a host of beings, a few of whom were still alive. And if agents of the Republic—or the Jedi, for that matter—were clever and persistent enough, they could succeed in learning more about Sidious than he would want anyone to learn …
He had to be informed, Dooku thought.
Or did he?
For a heartbeat he hesitated, imagining the power that could be his.
Then he went directly to the hyperwave transmitter Sidious had given him, and began his transmission.
Mace Windu couldn’t recall a visit to the Supreme Chancellor’s chambers in the Senate Office Building when his attention hadn’t been drawn to Palpatine’s curious and somehow unsettling collection of quasi-religious statuary. On one occasion, picking up on Mace’s interest, Palpatine had offered lengthy and enthusiastic accounts of when and how he had come by some of the pieces. Acquired at an auction on Commenor; procured after many years and at great expense from a Corellian dealer in antiquities; salvaged from an ancient temple discovered on a moon of the gas giant Yavin; a gift from the Theed Council of Naboo; another gift from that world’s Gungans …
Just now Mace’s eyes were on a small bronzium statue Palpatine had once identified as Wapoe, the mythical artisan demigod of disguise.
“I’m relieved that you contacted me, Master Jedi,” the Supreme Chancellor was saying from the far side of his expansive desk. “As I was about to contact you on a matter of some gravity.”
“Then speak of your matter first, we will,” Yoda said.
He was seated for a change, atop a cushioned chair that made him appear even smaller than he was. Mace was at Yoda’s left hand, sitting with legs widely spread, forearms resting on his knees.
Palpatine touched his steepled fingers to his lower lip, then inhaled and sat back in his throne of a chair. “This is rather awkward, Master Yoda, but I suspect that the matter I have in mind is the very one that brought you and Master Windu here. By that I mean Belderone.”
Yoda compressed his lips. “Fail you, your intuition doesn’t. About Belderone, much to say, we have.”
Palpatine smiled without showing his teeth. “Well, then, suppose I begin by saying that I was most pleased to learn of our recent victory there. I only wish I had been informed of your plans before the fact.”
“We had no time to corroborate the intelligence we received,” Mace said without hesitation. “We thought it best to commit as few Republic ships as could be spared. It was essentially a Jedi operation.”
“A Jedi operation,” Palpatine said slowly. “And by all accounts you, that is, the Jedi, were successful in routing General Grievous’s forces.”
“A rout it was not,” Yoda said. “To hyperspace Grievous fled. But protecting the Separatist leaders, he was.”
“I see. And now?”
Mace leaned forward. “Wait for him to resurface, and strike again.”
Palpatine regarded him. “Might I be informed of your intelligence next time? Didn’t you and