Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 11_ Dark Journey - Elaine Cunningham [81]
Ta’a Chume removed her scarlet veil and smiled up at Jaina. “You look lovely, my dear, as I knew you would. Not many young people are willing to take advice. And you came at an excellent time, as I was about to pause for refreshment. You will join me, of course?”
Jaina took the indicated seat and accepted a glass of what appeared to be liquid gold. Small, shining flecks swirled through the effervescent wine. She took a tentative sip.
“Not like that,” the young man objected with a smile. “Let me show you.” He sat down beside Jaina and enfolded her hand and the goblet she held with both of his. “You swirl it around, like so,” he said, moving their enjoined hands in a slow circle. “The art is to awaken it gently and coax warmth into it. Only then is the sweetness revealed.”
Jaina stared at his too-close, too-handsome face for a startled moment. Her first impulse was to burst out laughing—she’d seen more subtle and convincing performances from Mos Eisley street performers. A glance at Ta’a Chume convinced her that this wouldn’t be wise. The older woman was watching with a faint smile and sharp, measuring eyes.
So Jaina guided the cup down to the table and tugged her hand free. “Thanks, but I never developed a taste for this sort of thing.”
A quick, wry lift to Ta’a Chume’s lips suggested that the vaguely dismissive comment had hit the right note. “You were introduced to Trisdin?”
“Not him specifically,” Jaina said. She gave the young man a sweet and blatantly insincere smile. “But I certainly feel as if we’ve met before.”
Ta’a Chume chuckled. “I suspect he has much the same feeling. Thank you, Trisdin. That will be all for now.”
The courtier rose, his handsome face blandly smiling and showing no sign of insult taken or even perceived. But as he left, Jaina caught a whiff of dark emotion—not quite rage, but a deep frustration.
She dug a bit deeper, and sensed a native cunning that went far beyond anything his vapid persona suggested. For the first time, she felt a flicker of interest in the young man, and with speculative eyes she watched him glide from the room.
“Trisdin is decorative enough, but he does not warrant your interest,” Ta’a Chume said in mildly accusing tones. “A moment ago, you made that admirably clear.”
Jaina’s gaze snapped back to the queen’s face. “Do you have him watched?”
“Naturally. Why do you ask?”
“There’s more to him than he wants anyone to see.” She shook her head. “I can’t sense anything more specific than that.”
“Interesting,” Ta’a Chume observed. She put her own goblet beside Jaina’s. “Now, what have you come to discuss?”
“It’s about the pirates who were brought to Hapes for trial,” she began. “I’m wondering if it might be possible for me to question one or two of them. Privately.”
The queen lifted one auburn brow. “To what purpose?”
“That would take a bit of explaining,” Jaina hedged.
“As it happens, my afternoon is free.”
She nodded and dived in. “Months ago, when Jacen and my uncle Luke were traveling together, they came across a Yuuzhan Vong encampment worked by slaves from many species. The Vong had implanted these slaves with a small coral-like creature, some sort of mind-control device that ate away at their personalities. Jacen got himself captured and implanted. Fortunately Uncle Luke cut the creature out before it could do any real damage, other than leave a little scar right here.” Jaina paused and touched her face just below the cheekbone.
“I have heard of these implants. Go on.”
“On Yavin Four, the slaves had less invasive implants. Maybe the Yuuzhan Vong found that mindless slaves were not as efficient as those who retain some vestige of their personalities. On Garqi, the slaves were forced to fight. As far as I can tell, all these implants are variations on