Star Wars_ X-Wing 03_ The Krytos Trap - Michael A. Stackpole [121]
34
That’s it, then. Loor smiled and killed the sound accompanying the holographic images of Nawara Ven’s press conference. The Twi’lek had said the phrase. The New Republic would become Loor’s new home. It’s just as well Corran Horn is dead—our being on the same side would have killed him anyway.
Loor folded up a small transportable datapad and slipped it into his pocket. Once he left his office he would use a public access site to plug in and send the directions for his pickup to Nawara Ven. Sending it from his office would have been easier, but would have increased the probability that a copy of the message would fall into Isard’s hands. Though he planned to be hidden well away by the Rebels by the time she discovered he was missing, he wanted as much time for his disappearance to take place as possible.
At his desk he copied files from his desktop datapad to a datacard. “Helvan, come here.”
One of his Special Intelligence operative cell leaders entered his office. “Sir.”
Loor held the datacard out to him. “There has just been an announcement concerning the Celchu trial that leads me to believe there will be a fair amount of attention centered on the proceedings today. We shall take advantage of that. These are the plans and authorization for a strike at the largest of the Republic’s bacta storage areas, the one in Invisec.”
“The one guarded by Vorru’s militia?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“No, sir, the target is no more secure than any other Rebel facility. It is just that we have refrained from hitting targets he is guarding so far.…”
“Indeed.” Loor shrugged. “An oversight on my part. Vorru thought himself immune to our wrath. He learns now he was wrong.”
A smile tried to squirm its way into the SIO man’s face, but failed to do more than tug at the corners of his mouth. “Sir, when do we strike?”
“Court begins early in the morning. Time the strike to occur with the first witness. That gives you approximately five hours.”
“It’s done, sir.”
“Very good, Helvan. You make me proud.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The SIO man turned and practically ran from the office. Loor would have laughed, but he feared that might have betrayed his true intentions. The attack he had designed would call for a strike force of thirty SI operatives—three cells’ worth. He designated a bacta facility as the target because he knew Isard would approve of it and might set aside, even for a moment, her fears about him. He chose Vorru as a target both to strike at the man’s vanity and so he could hurt the man personally before he sold him out to the Rebels. Stick the vibroblade in and modulate the oscillation rate.
Loor prepared the plans for transmission to Isard by adding a note stating he intended to personally supervise the operation, and then sent them. He shut down his datapad, then took one last look out the window of his sanctuary at the brilliant galaxy of synthetic stars below him. There will be other towers and other chances to rise to such heights.
On a whim he turned on all of his lights and left them burning like a beacon in the night as he abandoned his office and set out on the most dangerous mission he had ever undertaken.
Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Iella Wessiri entered Halla Ettyk’s office. “You look as haggard as I feel.”
Halla looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. “You don’t know the half of it. Nawara Ven called me just past midnight. I’ve spent two hours meeting with him and various Provo Council members. This is all madness.”
“Why tractor-beam me into it?”
Halla smiled. “Because you’ve been the one who’s harbored little doubts about Tycho Celchu’s guilt. We’ve got a witness now who can confirm his innocence. We have to bring him in, and you’re going to help Nawara do the job.”
Iella blinked her eyes. “A witness? Lai Nootka came forward?”
“Nope.” Halla sat back and mischievous