Part 9 (1/2)
The smile that came to Jaina's face was almost as lopsided as Han's. ”Trust me?”
Leia felt her daughter reach out in the Force, then felt herself rise into a standing position. Her legs started to move, by Jaina's will instead of her own, but in a reasonable imitation of walking. The room erupted into a fresh round of murmurs as the vidcasters commented on what they were broadcasting.” Luke and the others took protective positions around Leia, and they started forward.
If Shesh had a.s.sa.s.sins lurking in the crowd, they had the good sense to realize an attempt now would be hopeless. Leia reached the front of the room and took her scat at the accuser's table, with Han at her side and her children and the others behind her. As was proper for a formal proceeding of this nature, she did not ackoweledge Kvarm Jia or any other other friends behind the high consoles.
Given the importance of punctuality in such matters, Leia was somewhat surprised to note that Viqi Shesh was not at the respon dents table. There was only her chief of staff, a beady-eyed little man who could not help glancing at the accuser's table as though seeing a ghost-Leia caught his gaze and nodded, her lips just hinting at a hard smile. He paled, but returned the gesture and refused to look away.
Han leaned over and whispered, ”Where's Viqi?”
”Where do you think?”; Leia asked.” Their plan had backfired; Shesh had been so confident of their deaths she had not even both ered to attend the Corruption Panel's meeting. ”She's rounding up support for the Appeas.e.m.e.nt Vote.”
Han's face fell.
At exactly the appropriate moment, the head of the panel, a Bith female named E'noro, thumbed the signal chime to call the meeting to order-Widiout preamble, she turned to the respon dent's table and addressed Shesh's beady-eyed chief of staff.
”Staff Chief Pomt, I see that Senator Shesh is not present today. Is this panel to take it she has fled the planet?”
This drew a nervous laugh from the gallery...which was promptly silenced by a thumb on the signal chime. Pomt waited a moment for the disturbance to die away, then stood.
”Of course not. Senator Shesh has no wish to show any disrespect to the panel. But as you know, a crucial vote on the Jedi question is coming to the floor next week, and she refuses to let a cynical ploy by the very subjects of that vote to interfere with her preparation. If it pleases the panel, she requests that the inquiry be postponed until after the Peace Vote.” Pomt cast a sidelong glance in Leia's direction. ”At which time, Senator Shesh will be happy to answer any and all complaints still lodged against her*no matter how groundless they may be.”
”I see.” E'noro turned to Leia-”The timing of the complaint does seem convenient, Princess Leia. Would the Jedi have an objection to such a postponement?”
”The Jedi would not,” Leia said. ”But I would. Forgive me for not standing, but I'm sure the panel has heard of my injuries. Let me start by saying that I am here on my own behalf, to complain against a corrupt Senator who has already tried to have me killed in an attempt to conceal her wrongdoings.”
Pomt was on his feet instantly, his voice carrying, over the tumult of the crowd only by dint of the ampdroid hovering near his mouth. ”These accusations are outrageous slander!”
”I have proof of my charges.” Leia could feel Luke's astonish ment, and that of all the other Jedi. The strategy they had agreed upon had been far more conservative, designed to neutralise Shesh by occupying her time and resource...but it was clear they had to move more boldly ”I am ready to present my proof, and I maintain that any delay greatly enhances the danger not only to my own life, but to the New Republic as well.”
E'noro thumbed the signal chime until the chamber quieted.
”Another outburst, and I will bar spectators.” The room quickly went silent, and she turned to Leia. ”Princess Leia, what is the sub stance of your claim?”
Leia summarized what she and Han had discovered about CorDuro s.h.i.+pping's treason then accused Shesh of taking bribes and outlined the attempts on their lives.
”Madam, I really must object...”
E'noro silenced Pomt with a finger wag, then asked Leia, ”And the nature of your evidence?”
”Data recordings and witnesses,” Leia said. She could provide enough of each to justify her statement, though the only guilt she could actually prove was CorDuro's. ”The record will speak for itself.”
”Records can be distorted,” Pomt said. ”Especially when the subject of an inquiry is not present to defend herself.”
”That is Senator Shesh's doing, not Princess Leia's E'noro replied harshly.
Leia continued,”I should also mention that Staff Chief Pomt is not innocent in this, Madam My presence in the panel room today came as something of a shock to him. Both he and Senator Shesh had reason to believe that my husband and I had been killed in an a.s.sa.s.sination attempt. In fact, the staff chief is the one who pro vided my location to the original a.s.sa.s.sins.”
”That's a lie!”
”I have withnesses.” Leia glanced over her shoulder at her Noghri bodyguards. ”You don't remember going to my apartment to ask my whereabouts?”
Pomt's face fell.
”Well, Staff Chief?” E'noro asked.
”It had nothing to do with a.s.sa.s.sins,” Pomt said. ”We were, um, concerned about her safety.”
”Yes, I do believe that has been established. Staff Chief Pomt you may consider yourself relieved of office pending investigation.” E'noro motioned a pair of guards toward him-”These gentlebeings will escort you from the panel room.”
The chamber almost erupted into a tumult...until E'noro thumbed the signal chime. She turned to Leia. ”As for the charges against Senator Shesh...”
E'noro activated a comlink, and, save for the sound of her voice, the panel room fell silent-Leia and everyone else listened patiently as E'noro threatened her way through several layers of a.s.sistants, then was finally connected to Shesh.
”I don't care who you were with, Senator Shesh,” E'noro said into the comlink. ”You were expected in my panel room... Now, why should that surprise you? We confirmed the schedule three days ago... I see. No, I hadn't heard anything about that, but I a.s.sure you she's fine. She's sitting right here*and saying some rather unpleasant things about you, I might add... Of course we can reschedule... A month from now?”
Leia started to object, but E'noro raised her finger and con tinued to speak into the comlink.
”Consider it done... You're welcome, Senator. But I do want to mention that the panel will be taking a vote today...” She paused to glance in both directions down the console; when she received only nods, she said, ”And your Senatorial members.h.i.+p will be suspended until the matter is cleared.”
The crackle that came from the comlink was loud enough to hear in the back of the room. E'noro held the device at arm's length, then shook her head in dismay and thumbed the signal chime.
”It seems,” she said,” this meeting is adjourned.”
A week later Leia was lying in her bed in the nervesplicing ward of the Orowood Medcenter with both legs elevated on pil lows. Han was standing next to her, Anakin and the twins were perched on the edges of the only chairs in the room, and Luke, Mara, and half a dozen other Jedi were gathered around the head other bed. They were all staring at the vidscreen hanging high on the opposite wall.
”How long can it take to count the vote?” Han demanded.
”It's compputerized.”