by Timothy Zahn
"Maybe we should go ask Formbi," Mara suggested.
"Sure, why not?" Luke said. "We need to warn him to check the shield generators, anyway."
Mara shook her head. "I don't think the generators were the target," she said. "I think it was something else."
"Any idea what?"
"Not really," Mara conceded. "But if I had to vote, I'd vote for someone putting a tap on the sensor lines. Remember when we were called into the command center earlier this evening and Formbi was listing all the dangers we would be facing inside the cluster?"
"Yes," Luke said, wondering where she was going with this.
"Among the various natural hazards to life and happiness, he also mentioned something called firepoints," she went on. "I've been meaning to ask him what exactly those are, but I think I may have figured it out." She pointed out the viewport. "You see that asteroid over there? The one with all the dark spots?"
Luke peered out into the brilliant starscape. A spotted asteroid... "Yes," he said as he picked it out of the shadows.
"Ten to one it's either a missile cluster or a fighter nest," Mara said. "Those dark spots are almost certainly the ends of launching tubes."
"A firepoint," Luke murmured, studying the asteroid. There were a lot of dark spots on it, too. "Aptly named."
"Very aptly named," Mara agreed. "An unfriendly ship that stops here for a nav check is going to be in for a world of hurt."
She looked at Luke, her expression grim in the reflected starlight. "Anyone who might be thinking about taking on the Chiss would have a definite interest in locating as many of those defenses as possible."
Luke felt his stomach tighten. "Fel?"
"Or the Geroons might have an interested client with an unused planet to swap them," Mara said. "Jinzler could be fronting for someone, too."
"Car'das?"
She shrugged. "Could be. We do know that Car'das likes collecting information. This would certainly come under that heading."
"Point," Luke said, taking one last look around at the stars. The last refuge of the Chiss people, Formbi had called it. Who out there would be interested in learning its secrets? "I think we've pushed this set of puzzle pieces around as much as we can. Let's go see if we can pick up another piece or two."
Mara pushed away from the viewport. "Formbi?"
Luke nodded. "Formbi."
* * *
They found the Aristocra in a service corridor midway between the control center and the main engines, watching in silence as a pair of Chiss crewers dug into an open conduit access panel with long, tonglike probes. A third crewer stood expectantly by with a sealed metal container. "Ah, our noble Jedi," Formbi said as they maneuvered past the workers in the cramped space and came to his side. "I understand you've been busy this evening."
"I see you have, too, Aristocra," Luke pointed out. "Have you found the problem?"
Formbi nodded. "Line creepers, as we suspected."
"Line creepers?"
"Long, slender creatures that chew their way into power and control systems and live on the electrical power generated within," Formbi explained. "They're a vermin we've worked very hard to destroy or contain."
"Sounds like conduit worms," Mara commented. "That's a type of vermin we've tried hard to destroy."
"With no more success than we've had, I suspect," Formbi said.
"True," Luke said. "What was this particular batch working on? The engine control lines?"
"Yes," Formbi said. "That's what caused the flutter you apparently felt earlier. We're clearing them out now."
"What about the lights in the forward part of the ship?" Mara asked. "Did they get in there, too?"
"No," Formbi said. "It appears someone merely shut them down."
"Accidentally?" Mara asked.
Formbi's glowing eyes seemed to blaze a bit brighter as he looked at her. "What do you think?" he countered.
"We think the Chaf Envoy has some serious problems," Luke said. "We're not sure everyone aboard wants this mission to succeed."
He stretched out to the Force, hoping for a telling reaction. But Formbi merely shook his head. "You're wrong, Master Skywalker," he said quietly. "Everyone aboard very much wishes the mission to succeed."
"Maybe so," Mara said. "But it may not be the same mission as the one you have scheduled."
"I presume you've heard of the incident in the bow a few minutes ago?" Luke asked.
"I have," Formbi said. "Captain Talshib is already searching for damage or theft in that part of the vessel."
"Good," Mara said. "What did you and Jorj Car'das talk about?"
Luke had been trying, without success, to spark a reaction from the elderly Chiss. Mara's attempt was just as futile. "Jorj Car'das?" Formbi asked, lifting his eyebrows politely, his composure not even flickering.
"The human who brought Ambassador Jinzler to Crustai," Mara said. "The ambassador said you two spoke at length."
Formbi smiled faintly. "And you suspect something sinister about it?" He shook his head. "Not at all. He introduced the ambassador to me and listed his credentials and honors. I greeted him in turn, and welcomed him on behalf of the Chiss Ascendancy."
"And you did all this in that trade language, Minnisiat?"
"At the time I doubt he was aware I could speak your New Republic Basic," Formbi said.
"And you'd never met Car'das before?" Mara persisted.
"How could I possibly know anyone from the New Republic?" Formbi asked patiently. "I've never been farther than a few light-years outside Chiss space. Ah."
He pointed over Luke's shoulder. Luke turned to see one of the workers pull a long, segmented worm from the conduit with his tongs. The third Chiss had his container open, and the first eased the worm carefully into the opening. "A line creeper," Formbi identified it as the third crewer sealed the container again. "A young one, too, from its size. If left undisturbed long enough, they can grow to be as long as an adult Chiss and thick enough to nearly fill a conduit that size."
"I can see why you don't want them around," Luke said. "Any idea how it got in there?"
"Not yet," the Aristocra said. "We'll begin a thorough search of the vessel in the morning." His eyes bored into Luke's. "Of our vessel, and all others associated with it."
"Of course," Luke said, sensing Mara's sudden wariness. "May I ask exactly what this search will entail?"
"For you, it will most likely be noninvasive," Formbi assured them. "Line creepers exhale a distinctive mixture of gases that is quite easy to detect. If none of those gases is detected in your vessel's compartments, that will be the end of the procedure."
"And if you do detect any?" Mara asked.
"Then we will of course need to examine those areas more thoroughly," Formbi said. "But you should have nothing to be concerned about. If you haven't opened your vessel elsewhere in this region of space, it's highly unlikely you could have picked up any vermin. But we must check nevertheless."
"We understand," Luke said. "Actually, if one of these things is aboard the Sabre, we'd be just as glad for you to get rid of it. Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Thank you, but no," Formbi said. "We'll alert you before entering your vessel, of course."
"We thank you in turn," Luke said, sensing the dismissal in his tone. "We'll see you in the morning, then."
"One other thing," Formbi said as they turned to go. "I'm informed that both you and Jedi Skywalker activated your lightsabers during your search this evening."
"Yes, we did," Mara said. "We were hunting a possible saboteur, if you recall. Not to mention defending ourselves against a Chiss warrior with a twitchy trigger finger."
"Yes—that," Formbi said, sounding embarrassed. "An unfortunate occurrence. The warriors have been spoken to, and it will not happen again."
Something seemed to flicker through the Aristocra's eyes too fast for Luke to catch. "But in return, I must ask you not to activate your weapons again as long as you are aboard a vessel of the C
hiss Ascendancy."
Luke frowned. "Not at all?"
"Not at all," Formbi said flatly.
"What if we're in danger?" Mara demanded. "Or if you or one of your people is in danger?"
"Then of course you may do whatever you deem necessary," Formbi said. "But General Drask has insisted that the casual waving of alien weapons aboard the Chaf Envoy will no longer be tolerated."
"Casual?" Mara echoed disbelievingly. "Aristocra—"
"We understand," Luke hurriedly cut her off. "We'll do our best to comply with the general's order."
"Thank you," Formbi said, dipping his head slightly. "Until the morning, then."
The corridors were deserted as they made their way back. Just the same, Luke waited until they were in the privacy of their quarters before breaking the silence. It made for better security, and also gave his quietly seething wife time to cool down. "What do you think?" he asked when the door was solidly sealed behind them.
"My low opinion of General Drask just dropped a few points," she said darkly. "Of all the stupid, childish—"
"Take it easy," Luke soothed, sitting down on the bed and pulling off his boots. "And don't blame Drask, at least not directly. I don't think he was the one who gave the order."
Mara frowned. "Then who did? Formbi?"
Luke nodded. "That's the feeling I was getting."
"Interesting," Mara murmured thoughtfully. "And the reason?"
"No idea," Luke said. "But don't forget how annoyed Drask was when we helped the Five-Oh-First put out the fire. Formbi may be playing politics again, trying to give Drask fewer things to complain about."
"Terrific," Mara muttered as she started again to get ready for bed. "It's so nice to spend time with an honorable people like the Chiss."
"It could be worse," Luke pointed out. "We could be doing this with Bothans. What did you think about his story?"
"The one about Car'das?" Mara snorted under her breath. "He's lying through his teeth on that one, too. There's no reason to let Car'das rattle off Jinzler's list of alleged credentials in an exotic trade language when he understands Basic. He could have switched languages anywhere along the way, just as soon as it was his turn to speak."
"I was thinking that, too," Luke said. "The obvious conclusion is that they didn't want Jinzler to know what they were talking about."
"Exactly," Mara said. "You'll also notice Formbi never actually answered my question as to whether he knew Car'das from somewhere else. And don't forget that they held their little rendezvous in the outer Crustai system where Drask and the rest of the Chiss couldn't eavesdrop."
She shook her head. "They're planning something, Luke," she said darkly. "Something devious. Possibly devious and nasty."
"I know," Luke said, pulling her down onto the bed beside him and wrapping his arm around her. "Do you want to leave?"
"Of course not," she said. "I still want to see Outbound Flight, assuming that part of the story isn't a lie, too. Besides, if there's some trap being spun here—whether for us, Fel, or Drask—we're really the only ones available to stop it."
She shifted position to nestle herself more comfortably against his side. "Unless, of course, you want to leave that to the Geroons?" she added.
Luke smiled at the thought. "No, I think we'd better handle it," he agreed. "Pleasant dreams, Mara."
His last mental image, as he drifted off to sleep, was a darkly amusing one of Bearsh and Estosh and the other Geroons shaking in terror as they stood huddled in one of the ship's corridors, trying desperately to hold blasters steady.
* * *
Fel looked up from his desk as Grappler sat down across from him. "Yes?"
"It is in place," the other said, his large eyes reflecting the light from Fel's desk lamp. "Tapped into the navigational repeater lines."
Fel laid aside the datapad he'd been reading. "That was quick," he commented. "Any chance of the Chiss spotting it?"
The orange highlights of Grappler's green skin faded to yellow, the Eickarie equivalent of a head shake. "Not by any casual search," he said. "It is in a conduit behind a cabinet, not directly behind an access panel."
Fel nodded. "Nicely done," he said. "What about our Jedi? Do they suspect anything?"
"Of course they suspect," Grappler said, the highlights becoming orange again. "But they know nothing." His mouth opened in a sardonic grin. "Jedi Skywalker asked me to thank you for my assistance to her."
"Don't underestimate them," Fel warned. "I've heard stories about these two, both from my father and from Admiral Parck. They're sharp, they're quick, and they're very, very deadly."
"I would have it no other way," Grappler assured his commander, stiffening his shoulders proudly. "I look forward to learning their full measure in combat."
Fel took a deep breath. So the game had begun. Time to sit back and let it play. "You'll get your chance," he promised Grappler softly. "I guarantee it."
CHAPTER 10
The vermin search began early the next morning, with four pairs of Chiss armed with atmosphere sniffers starting at the bow and stern and checking every room, storage compartment, conduit, access panel, and supply package aboard the Chaf Envoy. They reached the Jade Sabre about midday, and Mara watched in polite but stolid silence as they made their methodical way through her ship.
Fortunately, Formbi's prediction proved to be correct. No line creepers were found, and within half a standard hour the search team had departed down the transfer tunnel, leaving nothing behind but a faintly metallic aroma from their equipment.
Fel's Imperial transport was searched with equal speed and efficiency. The Geroon shuttle, in contrast, took nearly three times as long to be cleared. Most of that was due to the fact that so much of the vessel had been repaired, rebuilt, or replaced that there were virtually none of the sealed equipment modules that most ships carried and that would normally not have to be checked. The search would have taken even longer if the bunkrooms and storage compartment Luke had noticed on his first visit hadn't been open to space behind their vacuum-sealed doors. The Chiss confirmed the doors' pressure readings, assured Luke that line creepers couldn't survive in vacuum, and moved on.
The whole procedure took most of the day. In the end, they found nothing.
"So we apparently have two options," Luke commented to Mara as they sat together in the forward lounge watching the hyperspace sky roll past. "Either a single group of line creepers got in and ignored everything else while they worked their way nearly to the center of the ship, or else someone brought them in and deliberately let them loose in that spot."
"Guess which option I'd pick," Mara invited.
"I know which one you'd pick," Luke said dryly. "What bothers me is that our saboteur seems to have had only that one group. What if he hadn't accomplished whatever he'd intended the first time around and had needed to create another diversion?"
"Maybe he had a few spares and spaced them before the search started," Mara suggested.
"Which means what?" Luke asked. "That he lost his nerve and dumped the evidence even though he wasn't finished with it?"
"More likely that he did accomplish what he set out to do last night," Mara said. "And that one really bothers me."
"Why?"
"Because I can't figure out what that was. Drask's been over every piece of equipment in the forward third of the ship and hasn't found anything. So what did the diversion gain anyone?"
Luke stroked thoughtfully at his cheek. "Maybe Drask is looking in the wrong place," he suggested. "Maybe we're looking at a two-stage diversion: line creepers in the control lines and doused lights in the bow, while the actual work went on somewhere else."
"Fine," Mara said. "But where? And what? Don't forget, the Chiss checked every cubic centimeter of the ship today."
"Looking for line creepers."
"Looking at everything," Mara corrected. "I watched them go through the Sabre, Luke. Even when they were sampling the air they were looking around. If there'd bee
n any spare weapons or explosives or anything else out of place in there, they'd have spotted it. And I'll bet that goes double for the Imperials and Geroons."
"Probably triple for the Imperials," Luke conceded. Outside, the mottling vanished into starlines and collapsed into stars. Yet another navigational stop, apparently. Idly, he wondered what sort of firepoints the Chiss had waiting at this one. "So what's our next move?"
"Unfortunately, that's probably up to him," Mara said, not sounding at all happy about it. "The initiative always lies with the attacker. About all we can do is be ready—"
She broke off as a raucous trilling tone suddenly sliced like a vibroblade through the lounge. "Alert T-Seven!" a Chiss voice snapped over the speakers. "Arc twelve-two. Repeat: Alert T-Seven; arc twelve-two."
The nearest comm panel was at the far end of the next couch over. Luke got there first. "This is Master Skywalker," he said. "What's going on?"
"This does not concern you—"
"This is Aristocra Formbi, Master Skywalker," Formbi's voice cut into the circuit. "Please come to the Geroon vessel as quickly as possible."
"On our way," Luke promised. "What's happened."
There was a hint of a sigh from the speaker. "One of the Geroons has been shot."
* * *
There were a dozen Chiss swarming about the corridor outside the Geroon shuttle when Luke and Mara arrived. Two of them, Feesa and someone in Defense Fleet black, were kneeling beside the writhing and moaning figure of a Geroon, working on him with one of the ship's medpacs. Formbi, looking grim, was standing off to the side where he'd be out of the way. "What happened?" Luke asked as they were passed through the outer circle of Chiss.
"He was shot with a charric as he left his vessel," Formbi told them. "Upper back, left side. We're searching for the weapon now."
Luke stepped around Feesa and looked down, his heart sinking inside him as he got a look at the victim's face. It was Estosh, the youngest of the Geroons, his features twisted in pain at the charred and blackened skin across his left shoulder.
"You are a Jedi," Formbi went on. "I'm told Jedi have healing powers."
