Star Wars_ X-Wing 03_ The Krytos Trap - Michael A. Stackpole [53]
“Flight Officer Dlarit, how did you come to be on Coruscant two weeks ago?”
Erisi brought her chin up and her blue eyes flashed defiantly. “Corran Horn and I were inserted into Coruscant under the guise of being a Kuati telbun and his mistress. For the entire journey to Coruscant and the subsequent week, we were together almost constantly. We were good friends and talked a great deal.”
Halla Ettyk nodded. “So you were confidants?”
“We shared confidences, yes.” The black-haired woman smiled politely. “It is difficult to keep secrets when you are living in such close proximity with someone.”
“And Corran Horn felt free to discuss things with you?”
“Objection: relevance.”
Iella glanced over at Nawara Ven. The twitching of his braintails betrayed some nervousness, but the Twi’lek was objecting at all the places Halla had predicted he would. She said he had talent. She didn’t think he could win the case, and his decision not to cross-examine Cracken wasn’t what Halla had anticipated.
Halla looked up at Admiral Ackbar. “This is foundational, Admiral. She was living with Corran Horn for a considerable portion of the last part of his life. I would suggest this would qualify her to give opinions on his demeanor.”
“Overruled.”
Erisi frowned briefly. “We discussed many things rather openly and frankly.”
“How would you characterize the conditions under which you spent time with Lieutenant Horn?”
The Thyferran pilot shrugged. “I saw him in combat, during which he was calm and a leader. A hero. I saw him in regular circumstances as well. He could be funny and compassionate and, well, attractive. I saw him in all different ways and situations.”
“On the night Coruscant fell, how would you characterize him?”
“Anxious and agitated.”
“And what was the source of his irritation?”
Erisi chewed her lower lip for a moment. “Corran said …”
“Objection.” Nawara Ven stood. “This is hearsay.”
Halla Ettyk took a step forward. “I would ask for an excited outburst exception, your honor. She has already testified that Horn was anxious and agitated.”
The Twi’lek stepped up beside Halla. “My learned colleague certainly understands that being agitated and saying something in no way makes it subject to the excited outburst exception.”
“Sustained.”
Nawara smiled slightly as he returned to his bench, but Halla’s expression just darkened. “Very well. Flight Officer Dlarit, did you speak with Lieutenant Horn before you took off on the mission that evening?”
“Yes.”
“You stated he seemed anxious and agitated. Did you find his state of mind unusual?”
“Objection, counsel is leading the witness.”
“Rephrase the question, Commander.”
“Flight Officer Dlarit, how did Lieutenant Horn’s state of mind strike you at the time?”
Erisi tugged at a wisp of hair behind her left ear. “Anxiety I could understand. We were all anxious to get going and to see if the mission would succeed or not.”
“And his agitation?”
“That wasn’t like Corran.”
“Had you seen or heard anything that, in your mind, explained his agitation?”
The witness hesitated. “I saw Corran speaking with Captain Celchu. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I saw them speaking together. Then Corran came over and spoke with me.”
“And you concluded?”
“Something in their conversation had set Corran off.”
Iella glanced down at the datapad on the prosecution table. Halla had gotten out of Erisi all she expected the witness to admit—testimony showing Corran to be out of sorts as a result of his conversation with Captain Celchu. When they had deposed Erisi they had learned