Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader by James Luceno

Author:James Luceno [Luceno, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-04-04T23:00:00+00:00

Jula laughed. "Then you won't get any side action from me." She looked at him askance. "Olee and Filli are two of a kind, don't you think?"

"I did for a while. But I figure she's already found her life partner. "

"The Force, you mean." Jula forced an exhale. "That's dedication of a scary sort."

Shryne stopped walking and turned to her. "Why'd you say yes to taking us here, Jula?"

She smiled lightly. "I thought I'd made myself clear. I'm still hoping to convince you to join us." Scanning his face for clues, she asked: "Any movement at all on that front?"

"I don't know what I'm thinking."

"But you'll keep me updated?"

"Sure I will."

Shortly they reached the end of the corridor of winged statues and turned the corner into an intersecting corridor lined with smaller carvings.

In the bobbing light of the lumas, Shryne said: "How did Filli know about this place?"

"We made a couple of runs here six or so years back. Communications hardware for the hyperwave transceiver. And before you go all patriotic on me, Roan, we didn't realize that the facility would eventually be used to eavesdrop on Republic transmissions."

"That would have stopped you-knowing that a war against the Republic was brewing?"

"It might have. But you have to understand, we were hungry, like a lot of other freelancers in the outlying systems. It still amazes me that Coruscant remained in the dark about what was going on out here after Dooku formed the Separatist movement. Weapons buildup, Baktoid Armor Workshop installing foundries on dozens of worlds... Back then, there was a lot to be said for free and unrestricted trade."

"I would have figured that would be bad for business."

"Yes and no. Free trade invited competition, but it also meant we didn't have to worry about being chased by local system defense forces or jedi Knights."

"Who hired you to bring in the comet hardware?"

"Someone named Tyranus, although none of us ever met him face-to-face.

"

"Tyranus," Shryne repeated, in uncertain recollection.

"Ring a bell?"

"Maybe. I'll have to run it by the librarian-Olee. So when did the Separatists pull up stakes?"

"Shortly after the Battle of Geonosis-"

Shryne came to a sudden halt in front of a tall, cloaked statue wearing a goggle-eyed mask.

"Gruesome," Jula started; then the corridor's regularly placed illuminators suddenly flooded the area with light. Squinting, she said,

"I thought the idea was to avoid drawing too much attention to ourselves."

Distant rumblings overpowered Shryne's response. In one swift action, he drew and ignited the lightsaber clipped to his belt.

Jula raised her brows in surprise. "Where'd you come by that?"

"It belonged to the Master of one of the Padawans." Spinning on his heel, he began to race back toward the communications control room, Jula right behind him.

Shryne realized that the rumbling sounds were being made by doors and hatchways opening and closing. He hastened his pace, weaving through stands of deactivated battle droids.

In the control room Filli, his spiked hair matted to his skull, was doing furious input at a console, while Eyl Dix and Starstone paced behind him, Olee gnawing away at her lower lip.

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