Part 2 (2/2)

”Fingers, my lord Count? I'm not sure I-that's to say- human idioms, my lord, not always easy to...”

”General Durd!” He let the dark side flare around him. ”I give you fair warning-I am not to be trifled with. You are being handsomely paid for the privilege of serving the Separatist Alliance. And even though you have failed us once we have forgiven you. Are you under the impression that a second failure will meet with an equivalent leniency? For if you are... ” He shook his head. ”Alas. You labor under a serious misapprehension. Do you understand me, General? Or do my idioms continue to confuse?”

”No, my lord Count, ” said the Neimoidian faintly. ”I understand perfectly. ”

”Excellent. Then I can expect to hear from you no later than four days hence, with good news about the completion of your Project?”

”Yes, my lord Count, ” said Durd. He was close to choking. ”Four days, my lord. I will comm you in four days. ”

A distinct stench of fear bubbled through the dark side. Dooku smoothed his beard, eyes narrowed. ”What aren't you telling me, Durd?

The truth. Or I swear you will feel my fingers closing hard upon the back of your neck. ”

12.The Neimoidian wrung his plump, clammy hands. ”It's-it's nothing, my lord Count. I swear. The woman was being troublesome. The scientist. Doctor Fhernan. I had to punish her. Not so that she cannot work, of course not, but severely enough so she mended her ways. ”

Without the scientist his plan was ruined. If Durd had misjudged the situation... ”Punish her how. General?”

”I took action against a hostage, my lord. She understands now, and is perfectly obedient. ”

Took action meant ”killed. ” Grudgingly Dooku appreciated the gesture. ”You're quite certain she will give you no further trouble?”

”Absolutely, my lord Count. ” said Durd, eagerly nodding. ”She is as penitent as can be. You will have your weapon, sir. The Separatist Alliance will prevail. ”

He could still sense Durd's fear, but pride and arrogance and truth mingled with it. The Neimoidian believed his own claim, that much was clear.

”And the other hostages? They remain secure?”

”They are secure, my lord Count. Doctor Fhernan is bound tight to my will. ”

”Then I am satisfied, ” he said. ”For now. Return to your work. General. I look forward to your final report. ”

He broke the transmission in the midst of Durd's incoherently blathered promises. And as he disconnected the signal he felt a leap in Vanquisher's engines. A heartbeat later the stars beyond his staterooms window s.h.i.+vered and streaked as the cruiser made its jump to hypers.p.a.ce.

Disquiet allayed, Dooku returned to his bed. Sleep claimed him swiftly. As the warmth of the dark side closed over his head, he felt himself smile.

Ah, sweet victory. Close enough now to kiss.

Scant seconds after Count Dooku's flickering image vanished from the holopad, Lok Durd vomited down the front of his tunic.

I lied to Count Dooku. I lied to Count Dooku. Hive Mother protect me, I lied to-He vomited again. Praise to all good things in the hive that he was alone. He'd lied to the leader of the Separatist Alliance, a man who-by all accounts both confirmed and rumored only-could kill with a look, or the snap of his fingers. Possibly by merely raising an eyebrow.

I lied to Count Dooku. And... I think he believed me.

Horror and relief coursed through his veins. If he'd been human, surely a river of sweat would be pouring down his skin. How he'd managed to dupe Dooku he didn't know, but he wasn't inclined to question the miracle. No. He'd accept it and build on it, to salvage the ruins of his life.

The Jedi escaped. Every hostage but one rescued. All I have left is that barve of a woman. Ami if she so much as suspects that the rest of her precious family and friends are safe...

There was no one he could trust with this. Barev, Colonel Argat's replacement, was typical human sc.u.m. And as if that weren't bad enough, the liaison officer answered to the nondroid wing of the Separatist military machine, not to him. Barev and the others called him General Durd, but he wasn't really one of them. That was a courtesy t.i.tle, a show of respect he'd had to fight for. Humans were such bigots. Count Dooku was a bigot, though no sentient who wanted to live was fool enough to say so to the man's face.

Durd whimpered. Mired to his armpits in trouble, staring at calamity everywhere he turned, there was only one creature he could trust.

And it wasn't even a creature, it was a droid. Built to his most careful specifications, and equipped with unique sensor and infrared programming that made it impossible for anyone to give the machine orders in his stead.

KD-77 was the closest thing he had to a friend.

13.His office in his now compromised compound was equipped with a small refresher. Durd washed his face and rinsed his mouth, forcing the panic of the last few hours to subside. True, his droid army had failed to kill or capture the Jedi-aiding Dr. Fhernan-but hope was not entirely lost. There were only two of them, after all. The groundcar they'd managed to escape in wouldn't get them far.

And beyond Lantibba City's barely civilized limits lay nothing but open countryside and scattered villages. No s.p.a.ceworthy craft. No comm equipment. The villagers of Lanteeb were little better than their meat animals. Even with the groundcar's transponder disabled it was only a matter of time before the Jedi were found.

Found and killed, their involvement here obscured forever. They defeated me once. They will never defeat me again.

A day at the most, surely, it would take him to eliminate his fleeing enemies. Count Dooku would never know how close the Project had come to disaster. He had everything under control...

”Droid!” he said, coming out of the refresher. ”Droid, I have orders for you. ”

KD-77 stood patiently in the corner. At the sound of Durd's voice, its photoreceptors lit up. ”Sir. ”

”This is a priority task, ” he said, dabbing a dampened hand- cloth at the sticky, halt-dried vomit down the front of his tunic. ”Doctor Fhernan must believe that the hostages are still hostages. I want credible holoimagery created to convince her. Several weeks' worth.

Understood?”

”Sir, ” said the droid. ”Consider it done. ”

What else? What else? Oh, yes. Of course. Barev. The trouble was that he hardly knew the man. Argat he'd had time to psychologically dissect and learn how to manipulate. But Colonel Barev had only just arrived. They'd barely been introduced.

But he is human, and humans are greedy and driven by fear. They want to live for as long as they can. I can use that.

He sent for Colonel Argat's replacement.

”A bad business, this, General, ” said Barev.

He was short even for a human. Though not yet middle- aged, most of his reddish hair was gone. What remained had been shaved close to his pitifully vulnerable skull. His eyes were blue and small. His crooked teeth stuck out. His skin was sickeningly pale and covered in-what did the humans call them? Oh, yes. Freckles. At least his voice was pleasantly deep. Too many humans squeaked, like rodents.

”Bad?” Durd nodded. ”Yes. Very bad. Your men at the s.p.a.ceport have failed me, Colonel. ”

Colonel Barev's eyes narrowed almost shut. Ha. ”I'm sorry, General? Failed you?”

Yes. Yes. Bl.u.s.ter. Humans did not do well with bl.u.s.ter. And they did not like it when their safety was threatened.

”Are you deaf, Colonel?” he demanded. ”Yes. Failed me. Did the Jedi appear out of thin air? No. They came here in a s.h.i.+p. They pa.s.sed preliminary security checks and docked at the s.p.a.ceport. And then your men gave them clearance into the city. Your men endangered my vital Project, Colonel Barev. ”

”Strictly speaking, ” said Barev slowly, ”prior to my arrival Colonel Argat was responsible for any security lapses. ” A small muscle beside his right eye spasmed. ”The fault is his. ”

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