by Jude Watson
They took a turbolift up to the fifty-third floor. They rang the bell at the apartment and a pretty woman answered the door. A dark-haired girl raced behind her, chasing a toy. To his surprise, Ferus recognized them. He’d seen them the very first day. The girl’s name was Tula.
The woman’s face froze when she saw their Inquisitor’s cloaks.
“Sona Ziemba?”
Slowly, the woman nodded. Her eyes darted from Hydra to Ferus.
“I am Imperial Inquisitor Hydra, and this is Head Inquisitor Ferus Olin. We have a few questions for you regarding your presence in Grasslands Park one week ago Thursday.”
Hydra walked past her, not waiting for the woman to invite her in. Ferus followed.
“Were you there on that day?”
“I’m there every day.” Sona Ziemba swallowed. “With my daughter. My husband and I had a business, and it failed. And my mother…she used to take care of Tula, and she died last fall…so I take her there every day….”
Ferus recognized the signs of someone giving more information than needed because they were nervous.
“Did you know about the incident where someone almost fell into the sea when a barrier wall gave way?” Hydra asked.
“I didn’t see it.”
“But you know about it?”
“Some of the mothers and fathers were talking about it, yes. We talk…”
Hydra whipped out her datapad. “Can you give me names?”
A slight hesitation alerted Ferus that the woman was about to lie. “I don’t know their names. Just the other parents. We just chat sometimes. We don’t ask each other’s names.”
Hydra made a notation.
The door opened behind them. A tall, thin man walked in, his arm filled with a basket of food.
Again, Ferus was surprised. He had seen that man the first day at the park, through his electrobinoculars. Now he realized why the shadowy spy looked familiar. They were the same.
“Dartan!” Sona said with relief. “You’re home. These are Imperial Inquisitors. They’re asking about Grasslands…something that happened there.”
“Strictly routine,” Hydra said.
Ferus felt the back of his neck prickle. Hydra had given the man an It’s all right signal. She’d hidden it well, but he had seen it. Hydra knew the man was a spy. And Ferus was guessing that the man’s wife did not.
That was why Hydra hadn’t bothered to investigate this woman. There was no need. If Sona Ziemba had known something, she would have told her husband. And it would have gone straight into his report.
Looking around the tiny apartment, Ferus felt a rush of sympathy. This family didn’t have much. The wife had lost her job.
Dartan put the basket down. Ferus recognized food from the market. Perhaps Dartan worked there.
No doubt he had been corrupted by the idea of wealth for his family. That’s how many spies were recruited. Just keep your eyes and ears open, the Imperial recruiter would say in a friendly way. You don’t have to betray your neighbors. Just give us bits of information.
And so the person would pass along something, then another thing, and before he knew it he was compromised. He would be asked to do more and more until he found himself on top of a warehouse building with electrobinoculars trained on the main spaceport. And then there was no turning back.
One day he would realize that he’d betrayed not only his neighbors, but everything he believed in.
Now Ferus knew how it happened. Dartan had been bored with the spaceport, had turned his electrobinoculars down to the park to seek out his wife and daughter…and had seen the incident with Leia. He had reported it because he had nothing else.
“You work at the market?” Ferus asked.
Dartan nodded.
“Have a good evening,” Hydra said. “We’ll contact you again if we need to.”
As they descended to street level, Hydra spoke. “An Imperial Governor will be arriving tomorrow,” she said with satisfaction. “Organa forced the Emperor to take a stand here. It was a stupid move to send Antilles fleeing when Lord Vader arrived. Did he think the Empire’s reach didn’t extend to TerraAsta?” She snorted. “So much for his so-called intellect. Alderaan will soon discover that it can’t operate if it doesn’t cooperate with us.”
Ferus walked out into the soft evening air. His mind buzzed with the information Hydra had just dropped.
Dartan Ziemba couldn’t have reported that Raymus Antilles had left Alderaan. He had left secretly. Bail had sent Raymus Antilles to the TerraAsta spaceport in a personal communication in front of only a few trusted people in the palace. Someone must have overheard, or have placed a bug in the reception room.
There was another spy on Alderaan.
Only this spy was more dangerous. This spy was at the palace.
Ferus was in his quarters when the signal appeared on the emergency coded channel. Obi-Wan had surfaced at last.
Ferus felt the balled-up frustration of the past days. He didn’t bother greeting Obi-Wan. “You knew that Leia Organa was the Force-sensitive child!” he spit out at Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan’s lined face was impassive. “Ferus—”
“Don’t deny it.”
“I’m not denying it.”
“You could have saved me a whole lot of trouble! Why did you let me fly blind on this case?”
“I didn’t tell you for two reasons. One, I wasn’t positive it was Leia Organa. And two, if it was her, the only way I’d know how vulnerable she was would be to let you track her.”
Ferus shook his head. “I can’t even follow that sentence, let alone your reasoning.”
“I had to know if there was a spy on Alderaan. The only way to know was for you to follow in his or her footsteps…without knowing it.”
“Well, let’s elect you Minister of Withholding Information, then,” Ferus said furiously. “I’ve been chasing around Aldera like an idiot.”
Obi-Wan grinned. Ferus’s annoyance grew. That smile of Obi-Wan’s—so rare, and then so engaging when it appeared. That hadn’t changed.
“Hardly an idiot,” Obi-Wan said. “You found out who Leia was. That means she’s more vulnerable than I thought. I bet you found the spy who turned her in.”
“No thanks to you,” Ferus muttered.
“Tell me about Leia,” Obi-Wan said unexpectedly. “Is she strong in the Force?”
“It’s hard to say,” Ferus said. “I didn’t pick up anything at first. She definitely has a Force-connection, but without support or training it will likely wither. She will have it, but those around her won’t know it. She will be exceptionally quick and bright, perhaps, with fast reflexes. Right now she is vulnerable to being picked up only by another Jedi.”
“Or a Sith.”
“Or a Sith, yes. As the years pass, this will change.”
“Tell me about the spy.”
“The spy isn’t the problem. My take is that he’s a low-level functionary, a spotter. It’s clear he’s doing it for the money. He has a post overlooking the main spaceport. Probably reports on unusual arrivals and departures. I’m guessing he saw what happened with Leia that morning and reported it because he didn’t have anything else to give them. I know he tracked some kind of shipment through the spaceport. But what it is and why, I don’t know.”
“So what is the problem?”
“There’s a mole in the palace. Another spy. Someone close, who Bail trusts.”
Obi-Wan let out a breath. “How do you know?”
“Someone reported where Raymus Antilles was going to break his journey at the TerraAsta spaceport. The only ones who knew were Bail’s inner circle. A servant could have been listening. He trusts everyone in that place.”
“You have to tell him.”
“I’m the enemy, remember? Bail doesn’t trust me. I have to help him without him knowing that I’m helping him. I can’t keep turning up at the palace for no reason. Unless you have a suggestion.” Ferus said this last sentence with a twist of irony. So f
ar, Obi-Wan hadn’t been much help.
“I’ll talk to Bail,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll tell him you’re on our side. He’ll believe me.”
“You’re going to let Bail know that you’re alive?” Ferus asked, surprised.
“He already knows,” Obi-Wan said.
Ferus almost threw the comlink against the wall.
“Is there anything else you’re not telling me?” he barked.
“There is a great deal,” Obi-Wan said, “but it wouldn’t help you to know it.”
“So you say.”
“Go to the palace,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll contact Bail.”
His reception this time was completely different. Once they were in private, Bail welcomed him warmly, grasping his shoulder as he shook his hand. “You are doing important work,” he said. “Those of us who oppose the Empire owe you a debt.”
“You put yourself on the line every day in the Senate,” Ferus said. “I should be thanking you.”
“Come into my study. We can talk with our friend.” Bail ushered Ferus into his study. A hologram of Obi-Wan was waiting there. “I sent everyone out of the palace today at Obi-Wan’s request,” Bail said. “And I upgraded to highest security in my office. Everything we say will be scrambled, coded, and then erased.” He turned to Obi-Wan. “Now, my good friend, tell me why you asked for these things.”
“Ferus believes that there is a spy in your household,” Obi-Wan said.
“Impossible,” Bail answered immediately. “Everyone here is either family or friend. Even the servants.”
“Even if that’s so,” Ferus said, “I heard from Hydra that Imperial security knew beforehand that Raymus Antilles would be landing at TerraAsta. It was not a random stop. He was targeted.”
“But when I gave Antilles that order, there were only Breha and Deara present,” Bail said.
“Someone must have been listening,” Ferus said.
Bail shook his head slowly. “I can’t believe it.”
“You have to believe it,” Obi-Wan said. “You have to set a trap for the spy. To have one that close is dangerous not just to you…”
“But to Leia as well,” Bail said. “Yes, I see that.”
“We have to set a trap,” Ferus said.
Bail nodded his agreement before turning to Obi-Wan. “I’m glad you contacted me. Something has been on my mind. Have you heard of a group called Moonstrike?”
“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “Ferus has done a few favors for the leader, Flame.”
“She contacted me about Alderaan joining the group. Apparently there is to be a first meeting of resistance leaders from planets in the Core. Mon Mothma and I have decided to go very slowly with our resistance efforts. What will be strong must be built with care. But Flame has a different take. Perhaps a better strategy is to strike now, when the Empire is just beginning to consolidate its power. Alderaan is vulnerable. Things are changing so fast. I want to protect my homeworld if I can. If we had alliances willing to help us….” Bail let his voice trail off.
“You are asking my advice?” Obi-Wan asked.
“You are my best counselor,” Bail said warmly.
“Ferus and I no doubt disagree on this issue,” Obi-Wan said after a pause. “A linkage of resistance movements from planet to planet is of course a goal. The question is timing. Most planets are depleted from the Clone Wars. Empty of weapons, empty of spirit. Bellassa is a rare example of a planet that has managed to mobilize the will of the people to fight the Empire. Most of the others are just glad for peace and hoping for prosperity. To create a full-out rebellion would be difficult if not impossible. In the meantime those resistance leaders who will be needed later will be exposed. So I would advise you not to join Moonstrike. Waiting is hard—but sometimes it is smarter.”
“You believe so in this case,” Bail said gravely.
“I do.”
Ferus saw that Bail was now wavering. That was unfortunate for Flame. He agreed with her that without a political component Moonstrike could be doomed.
Obi-Wan hadn’t changed Ferus’s mind. It was exactly the opposite. Now he felt more inclined than ever to help Moonstrike.
Revery appeared, a blue planet with a soft haze of pink clouds. Aquamarine seas were visible in a patchwork of gold and green land. It was as lovely from space as it was reputed to be on the surface. Clive entered their coordinates into the nav panel for the mysterious abode of Eve Yarrow.
“Let’s just hope we escaped detection. Even if by some miracle Bloomi didn’t talk, the report of two bank robbers will be all over the security channel right now.”
“Could be,” Astri said. Her lips quirked upward. “We’ll know soon enough.”
Clive gave her a quick glance. “Hey, you like this.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Astri bent over to fiddle with her utility belt. Her curly hair hid her face.
“You do!” he crowed.
“That’s an awful thing to say—”
“I’m not saying you like the Empire. Or that you’re glad there was a war so you could go flying through the galaxy with a blaster strapped to your leg. It’s just that…you’re not afraid. You like the adrenaline. You’re the one who got us out of that mess back there. So what gives? I thought you were a politician’s wife, giving teas and running receptions. Were you some kind of spy back before the Clone Wars?”
“You’ve got a pretty dumb idea of what a politician’s wife does,” Astri said, annoyed. “Teas? Receptions? I ran a policy think tank. Until Bog eliminated it after we came up with real solutions to planetary problems.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Before I met Bog—a long time ago—I ran around with the Jedi a bit.”
“You ran around with the Jedi? What does that mean?”
“I helped Obi-Wan rescue Qui-Gon. I pretended to be a bounty hunter. Shaved my head. Learned how to shoot a blaster and pilot a swoop. Stuff like that.”
“You surprise me, Astri Oddo. Every time I think I know what you’re about, you turn out to be about something else.”
Astri cocked an eyebrow at him. “That’s your flaw, Flax. You don’t get it. People aren’t about one thing. Now let’s keep an eye out. You can’t rely on instruments for everything. You need visual sightings. Obi-Wan taught me that.”
“I’m guessing there’ll be a place to land near the house,” Clive said as the surface of the planet grew closer. “Nobody seems to want neighbors.”
It was true. Grand estates were tucked into the mountains many kilometers apart, or displayed on wide spectacular beaches with the mountains behind them. No one had a near neighbor. With coves tucked into steep hills, the geography of the planet cooperated with the need for privacy.
They found the estate they were looking for. Unlike the others, it wasn’t on a secluded cove, but tucked into the mountains with a view of the sea below. It was almost invisible from the air. It was more modest than the other places they had passed. Tall trees surrounded it and it was built of the same gray stone of the mountain, so it blended into the slope.
“There’s a landing platform and a small hangar,” Astri said.
“I don’t think there’s a big welcome mat,” Clive said. “Is there a clear space nearby where we can land?”
Astri studied the nav screen. “Let’s try the top of the mountain. We’ll have to hike straight down, but at least the cruiser will be hidden.”
They found a rocky outcropping to land the cruiser. It was a tough hike down, but they made it to the house, coming down through a steep ravine that left them scratched and bloodied.
Clive trained his electrobinoculars on the hangar. “There aren’t any vehicles inside. Not even an airspeeder.”
“Let’s get closer.”
They moved from tree to tree, inspecting the place. It seemed deserted. Still they were reluctant to move out from the shelter of the trees.
“Look, we have to get closer,” Astri said. “We can’t stay here all day. We have to
risk it.”
“If someone’s here, I’ll say we’re lost,” Clive said.
“That seems far-fetched.”
“I can convince anyone of anything.”
“No,” Astri said. “You just think you can. Come on.”
They left the shelter of the trees and entered the compound. There was no security fence. They simply walked in, finding a path made of smooth flat stones. Astri watched the house but saw no flicker of activity visible behind the large windows.
Alert for trouble, they walked up to the door and knocked.
“There’s no security screen,” Clive muttered. “This is weird.”
“Maybe they’re so isolated out here they feel protected,” Astri said.
“Well, one thing is for sure,” Clive said as the minutes ticked away. “Nobody’s home.” He reached into his utility belt and removed a small item.
“A rusty coin?” Astri asked. “Are you going to bribe your way in?”
“Not just any coin.” Clive held it up. “And it isn’t rusty. This is a rare coin from the planet Maill, a thousand years old. Only several hundred were made before they discovered that it had a fatal flaw. The king of Maill had a queen whom he loved. She had hair, they said, the color of a flaming sunset. He used a special alloy of metals to get exactly that hue. Then they discovered that the coin was useless for trade because it was so malleable. Not only that, when heated just a bit it would expand to fill a space and then harden. Ruined many a minting machine before they cancelled the coin. It’s the rarest in the galaxy now.”
“That’s mildly interesting,” Astri said, “but what are you going to do with it?”
Instead of answering, Clive also took an ID security card out of his pocket. “Not a real one, a fake one,” he explained. “They use a cheaper plastoid. Works better.”
Astri stepped back from the door. Clive warmed the coin in his hands, then slid it into the hinge of the security panel. After a moment he was able to slide in the ID security card. The security panel popped open. He studied the circuitry for a moment, then took a small electronic device out of his pocket, attached it, and pressed a sequence of keys. Astri heard a small electronic beep and the door slid open.
