Part 31 (1/2)

Vader continued, his voice stiff. Apparently, he wasn't in the mood to accept apologies. ”That person is not you. And never will be,” he added ominously.

'Then let me make this as brief as possible,” Mara said. She wasn't exactly in the best of moods herself. ”I'm here on an important mission, and I need some a.s.surance your presence here isn't going to get in the way.”

”That my presence won't get in your way?” Vader demanded, his voice dropping half an octave. ”Walk softly, Emperor's Hand.”

”I don't walk softly where treason is involved,” Mara countered. ”I'm on the trail-”

”No!” Vader boomed, his voice slamming across the room and straight through Mara's skull. He took a long step around the end of the table toward her, his black cloak billowing, his gloved hand dropping to his lightsaber. ”She is the key to finding him. She is mine!”

”What?” Mara managed, her own simmering anger vanis.h.i.+ng in the realization that she was suddenly in big trouble. ”No, I-”

But it was too late. Vader pulled the lightsaber from his belt, and with a snap-hiss the blazing red blade appeared. Holding the weapon in attack position, he strode toward her.

Mara took a step backward, s.n.a.t.c.hing out her own lightsaber but leaving it closed down. The last thing she wanted to do was try to match blades with a Sith Lord. She threw a quick look at the door, s.h.i.+fting her weight in preparation for a dash for freedom.

But Vader either spotted the glance or read her body language. s.h.i.+fting direction, he angled toward the door, blocking any chance of escape.

Grimacing, Mara s.h.i.+fted her weight in the other direction and threw herself sideways onto the conference table. A quick kick-and-roll off her left shoulder, and she had landed in a crouch on the floor on the far side. ”Take it easy,” she called as soothingly as she could. ”What's Governor Ch.o.a.rd to you, anyway?”

Raising his lightsaber high, Vader slashed the blade straight through the table.

Mara took a quick step back as the two sections of the bisected table crashed to the floor. With the wall at her back, and Vader between her and the door, there was only one option left. ”You want trouble?” she demanded, finally igniting her lightsaber and lifting it to blocking position in front of her. ”Fine. Come and get it.”

Vader's only reply was to s.h.i.+ft his own weapon again into attack position as he stepped into the gap between the two sections of table. Stretching out to the Force, Mara reached to the wall behind him and switched off the lights.

It was a trick she would never have tried with a normal opponent. Their two lightsabers didn't give off a lot of light, but there was more than enough for biological eyes to work with while they adjusted to the gloom.

But Vader's helmet was equipped with optical sensors for use in dim light, with all the strengths and weaknesses inherent in such equipment.

There was a chance that for the first crucial second before the contrast adjusted itself all he would see was her glowing lightsaber blade floating in a field of otherwise total darkness.

She was right. With a bellow, the Sith Lord angled his lightsaber and slashed it viciously in a horizontal arc through the air half a meter beneath the glowing magenta blade.

Only Mara wasn't there anymore. Using the Force to hold her lightsaber floating in place, she had dropped to the floor the instant the lights went out and rolled out of sight beneath one of the angled sections of the broken table.

Vader stopped in his tracks, and for a long moment the room was silent except for the hum of the lightsabers. Mara listened carefully, but the steadiness of the sound indicated that he was holding the weapon motionless. Was he finally coming to his senses? And then, to her relief, she heard the familiar sizzle as he closed down the weapon. A moment later, the room's lights came back on. ”What were you saying about Governor Ch.o.a.rd?” Vader asked, his voice calm again.

Cautiously, Mara emerged from cover, alert for any last-minute tricks.

But Vader had taken a step back from the table, and his lightsaber was again hooked onto his belt. The brief madness was over. ”Ch.o.a.rd has been recruiting pirate gangs to attack military s.h.i.+pments,” she said, calling her own lightsaber back to her hand and closing it down. ”A few days ago he sent the Reprisal to destroy their base and cover his tracks. They also nearly killed me in the process.”

”That would have been unfortunate,” Vader said. Mara could hear no actual sarcasm in his voice, but she had no doubt it was there. ”Still, your information matches my own.” Mara stared at him. ”You mean you already knew?” ”The knowledge is recent,” Vader a.s.sured her. ”But it is of no interest to me,” he added, his voice darkening.

”As he denounced his governor, Chief Administrator Disra also claimed that Leia Organa is in Makrin City.

”That is who I seek tonight.” ”Really,” Mara said, the word obsession flas.h.i.+ng through her mind as she finally understood the Dark Lord's earlier outburst. She might have guessed it would have had something to do with the former Alderaanian princess and the Rebellion. ”What's she doing here?”

”Disra claims she was consulting with local Rebel leaders,” Vader said.

”He a.s.sures me he can supply names.”

”Handy,” Mara said. ”Do we know where this Disra is right now?”

”He has gone to the palace to collect surveillance records that might be of use in our search.”

Or perhaps he was there to destroy other, more incriminating records? ”I need to get down there right away,” Mara said.

”Is someone stopping you?”

Mara felt her lip twist. Even when Vader wasn't being homicidal, he was never pleasant to deal with. ”Not at all,” she said. ”Enjoy your hunt.”

Nodding to him, she headed for the door.

”Emperor's Hand?”

She turned back, finding his black faceplate turned toward her. ”Yes?”

she said.

”As you dispense your justice to Governor Ch.o.a.rd,” he said softly, ”take care not to get in my way.”

The sky had darkened into the hazy starless gray typical of large cities, and Leia had just taken an order for a group of Mungras, when Chivkyrie arrived at the kitchen's back door with the bad news.

”It has begun,” he told her, his voice trembling. ”Imperial stormtroopers have arrived at the s.p.a.ceport and are spreading throughout the city.”

Leia took a careful breath. So Imperial Center's response had come at last. ”I understand,” she said.

”No, I don't think you do,” Chivkyrie said urgently, glancing furtively both ways down the alley. ”It is reported that Darth Vader himself is among them.”

That part wasn't exactly unexpected, either, Leia reflected. Vader had always been the type to take things personally, and her role in the Death Star's destruction was about as personal as one could get. Even so, his name sent a s.h.i.+ver through her. ”I understand,” she said again. ”Thank you for the warning. You'd better get moving.”

”What is the point?” Chivkyrie said wearily. ”No one escapes Lord Vader.”

”Of course they do,” Leia said firmly. ”I suggest you try the catacombs.

The local patrollers have probably searched them by now, which means they're not very likely to do so again.”

Chivkyrie snorted. ”The stormtroopers will not care what the patrollers have or have not done.”

”But the stormtroopers aren't looking for you,” Leia reminded him. ”I doubt their orders mention anyone but me. Anyway, you have to try something.”

*You are right,” Chivkyrie said. ”Forgive my moment of despair.”

”Everyone has such moments,” Leia said, her cheeks warming as she thought back on her own latest battles with that emotion. ”The trick is to make sure they stay moments, and don't lengthen into hours or days.”

”Or a lifetime,” Chivkyrie said.

”We'll win,” Leia said quietly. ”Someday. I know we will.” She leaned out the door, checking the alley. Still empty. ”Now get going. And again, thank you for everything.”

For a moment the Adarian studied her eyes and face, as if committing them to a final memory. Then, bowing his head, he hurried away.