Star Wars_ The Old Republic_ Revan - Drew Karpyshyn [40]
“Darth Xedrix,” Scourge gasped.
“Most of the call was already erased by the cleaner program,” Sechel explained. “But I was able to save this.”
He hit another button and the recording began to play. It was obviously damaged; the image flickered in and out of focus, and the audio was plagued by bursts of static that cut off much of what was said.
“… latest failed attempt …” Xedrix said, his voice thin and crackling. “Nyriss is dangerous, and must not be … keep allegiances hidden … stop the Emperor … madness must end …”
“Can you get anything more?” Scourge asked.
“Not here,” Sechel answered. “Give me enough time and the proper equipment and I should be able to come up with plenty.”
“Tell your team to load up every terminal and datafile they find,” Scourge instructed Murtog. “Nyriss won’t be pleased if we leave something important behind.”
Sechel didn’t say anything, but the grin on his face spoke volumes.
NYRISS’S PERSONAL SLAVE GREETED them at the front door as the three arrived back at the palace.
“My mistress received your message,” she said to Scourge. “She wishes to speak to you at once.”
“Get started on those datafiles as soon as Murtog’s team finishes unloading them,” he said to Sechel.
“Forgive me, my lord,” the young Twi’lek said, her voice trembling slightly. “Darth Nyriss wants to speak to all three of you.”
Scourge glanced from the slave to Sechel and Murtog, wondering if they knew anything more than he did. They only shrugged.
“Let’s go,” Scourge said with a brisk nod.
The Twi’lek turned and led them down the now-familiar corridors to Darth Nyriss’s personal chamber. As she always did, the slave knocked once on the door and waited for acknowledgment from within.
“Enter,” Nyriss called.
The slave opened the door and slipped to the side to allow Scourge, Murtog, and Sechel to crowd into the small room where Nyriss sat at her computer terminal, looking as if she hadn’t moved since the last time Scourge had seen her there. She flicked off the terminal, spun in her chair, and stood up.
“Is it true?” she asked, not even bothering to greet them. “Is Darth Xedrix a traitor to the Empire?”
“We found a recording of a call from him at the separatist base,” Sechel said. “They were obviously working with him.”
Despite the compelling evidence, Scourge wasn’t fully convinced. Xedrix was human, which didn’t sit well with some of the Sith pureblood families in the nobility of the Empire. Yet whatever petty prejudices he had endured in his life were insignificant compared with all he had achieved.
Darth Xedrix was the longest-serving member of the Dark Council, having joined a full decade before Nyriss. He had risen to the penultimate position in the Empire, and while Scourge could understand his desire to eliminate Nyriss or other potential rivals, it was hard to imagine that he would be bold enough to challenge the immortal, all-powerful Emperor.
“Xedrix’s betrayal makes no sense,” he said, feeling confident enough in his analysis of the situation to voice his opinion.
“It makes perfect sense if you know the man as I do,” Nyriss assured him. “Xedrix is old and desperate. He knows his position has become vulnerable. Soon the Emperor will have no further use for him. In his arrogance, he thinks he can usurp the Emperor’s position and save himself. That is why he plotted with the separatists to assassinate me. He knows those of us currently on the Dark Council would oppose him in his bid for power. He seeks to replace us with new members who are weak and inexperienced. He thinks he will be able to manipulate them and seize control of the entire Council, so that they will follow him when he finally moves against the Emperor.”
Her explanation made sense. He had seen firsthand how those in power became desperate when they sensed their positions were threatened.
“It won’t be long before Darth Xedrix learns of the attack on Bosthirda,” Nyriss continued. “We must act quickly.”
“I’m surprised the Emperor instructed you to deal with this,” Scourge remarked. “I’d have expected