Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance (19 page)

The
end came unexpectedly for both of them. She had tuned out the sound
of alarms and the distant aftershocks of her sabotage, but she
remained alert for everything in her environment, just in case her
sparring partner tried something new. When a noise came from the
other side of the air lock room's inner door, she initially dismissed
it as a ploy to distract her. She had sealed her ferrocrete tunnel
behind her, so no one could be coming up that way, and there was no
other entrance to the vault.

The
sound came again-a muffled metallic thud-and this time she caught the
Jedi's reaction to it. He was distracted, too. His eyes flicked to
the sealed inner door.

In
that instant she struck.

Her
ability to produce Sith lightning wasn't fully developed yet, and she
didn't dare hope that it could overwhelm anyone with Jedi training,
but she used it anyway, blasting her opponent with everything she
had. He caught it badly, as though he wasn't used to facing such
attacks-and it occurred to her only then that he was an apprentice
like herself. Like her, this could be the first time that he had
faced his enemy alone. Unlike her, he wouldn't live to learn from the
experience.

He
staggered away, flesh tortured and smoking. She maintained the surge
as long as she could, and followed it with two quick strikes to
midriff and throat. He barely blocked them, swinging one-handed,
holding his other arm across his eyes as though the light blinded
him. Thrilled by his weakness, Ax lunged again and again, driving him
backward until he hit the wall. He slid down it, blade raised
ineffectually to block the killing blow.

His
comlink squawked.

"Shigar,
watch out. Stryver's on his way. He's after the navicomp!"

Triumph
turned to all-consuming hatred. Dao Stryver-here!

It
was her turn to be surprised.

With
one swift kick, the Jedi, Shigar, knocked the lightsaber from her
hand. It skittered away, blade flashing and deactivating
automatically. She staggered backward, disarmed, and he came to his
feet, eyes bloodshot and full of determination. Not hatred. Not
anger. She didn't even have the satisfaction of that small victory.

She
ran backward, Force-pulling her fallen hilt to her even though she
knew it couldn't possibly arrive in time. The Jedi followed her,
driving her toward the outer door.

When
the door burst in behind her, she didn't need to look to see who was
there. She felt his presence as keenly as a dagger in her back.

Dao
Stryver.

Caught
between a Jedi apprentice and a Mandalorian who had already beaten
her once, all she could do was hit the activation stud and hope for a
miracle.

CHAPTER
14

Larin
was halfway to the vault when Yeama intercepted her. He was standing
in the deserted passageway ahead with his hands upraised in the
universal signal to halt. She would have pushed right past him had he
not been backed up by five Weequay and a dozen ax- wielding
Gamorreans.

"I
see the missing envoy has returned, " he said, taking in the
group behind her with baleful red eyes. "The pirate, too. My
mistress will be pleased. "

Larin
didn't have time to discuss the situation. The thought of Shigar
facing Dao Stryver alone filled her with urgency. It might already be
too late. Her attempts to hail him on the comlink had prompted
nothing but silence in reply.

"Thank
her for her concern, " she said. "We're returning the envoy
to his quarters now. "

"Are
you? Excellent. You may have heard the, ah, occasional disturbance in
the last hour. There is nothing to worry about, I assure you of that,
but it would be advisable for you to remain in the high-security wing
until told otherwise. "

"Sounds
like you're under attack, mate, " said Jet. "Has Fa'athra
made his move at last?"

The
Twi'lek smiled tightly. "We have many items of great value
stored in the palace, so attacks are not uncommon. "

"It's
not coming from outside, " said Larin, growing impatient. "It's
the Mando I warned you about earlier. He's after the Cinzia's
navicomp. "

"Impossible.
No alarm has been raised in that sector of the palace. "

"That's
bound to change, and soon. "

Hefting
her rifle, she went to continue on her way.

"Not
so fast. " The Twi'lek sidestepped in order to block her path.
The Weequay backed him up. "You are going the wrong direction.
The envoy's quarters are that way. "

"Really?
It's easy to get turned around in here. "

"I
don't believe you're turned around at all. I believe you know exactly
where you're going. " The Twi'lek wasn't smiling now. "You
are not a registered visitor to this palace. The kidnap was a
distraction, giving you time to go about your true business. We found
the trail you left in our security systems. The sabotage is another
distraction. What is your business now? Are you all in league, or
just opportunistic collaborators?"

His
cold gaze swept the group before him.

Larin
didn't like where this was heading.

"Look,
" she said, "we're not planning to steal your precious
things. But someone else is, and we're trying to stop them. I'm
serious. Dao Stryver will be in and out before we get there if you
don't step out of my way right now. Don't make me make you. "

The
Twi'lek didn't flinch from her ultimatum. "You admit that you
are heading for the vault?"

"That's
what I just told you. "

"And
yet you insist that your motives are pure?"

"As
pure as they'll ever be. "

"Then
you won't mind if I advise the Imperial envoy to meet us there?"

"Whatever!
Just get moving-that's all I ask. "

Yeama
signaled his entourage, who fell in around her and her companions.
Once the way was clear, she set a brisk pace while Yeama growled in
his native Twi'leki into a comlink.

Behind
them, the Republic envoy put up a sustained display of bluster.

"I
resent the implication, " he said, "that this is a
conspiracy of any kind. If anything, it is I who should be
suspicious. I'm the one who has been kidnapped and had my escort
neutralized. I've been imprisoned and tortured-under the roof of a
host whose servant now calls me a criminal! You'll be lucky if we
stick around at all for this sham auction of yours. "

Yeama
ignored him, and so did Larin. Still nothing from Shigar.

"No
alarms, " she said to the Twi'lek. "And in the middle of
all this fuss, too. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Yeama
looked at her for a full three seconds. His only other response was
to pick up the pace and begin barking orders into his corn- link
again.

*
* *

Ula
maintained his diatribe long enough to ensure that his point had been
made. It wasn't even his point. He was playacting the loyal Republic
envoy in a difficult situation. Wasn't that what one should do?

Ula
didn't know. He was light-years out of his depth and heading farther
out by the minute. He wished they really were going to his secure
quarters rather than rushing headlong into danger. All that stopped
him from asking to be exempted from the coming action was the thought
of how Larin Moxla would regard his cowardice. She didn't seem the
type to brook anything of the sort.

He
couldn't take his eyes off her. Everything about her-from her
beaten-up armor to the black tattoos across her cheeks-captivated
him.

"Don't
even think about it. "

Ula
glanced at Jet. He was also watching the remarkable woman who had
come from nowhere to lead their mismatched ensemble.

"What
do you mean?"

"She's
no good for you, and vice versa. "

Ula
flushed. He'd had no idea his instant fascination with her was so
obvious.

"What
are you talking about?" he said, lowering his voice so no one
could overhear. "You know as much about her as I do. "

"I
know she's faking it. And that's about the only thing you two have in
common. "

Again
that sly hint that Jet thought Ula was more than he was saying. Or
less, if his tone of voice was anything to go by.

"What
exactly are you suggesting?"

"Me?
Nothing. I'm just making conversation. "

That
rapidly became difficult. Their pace was increasing by the minute.
Soon they were jogging alongside Potannin and the security detail,
with Weequay loping long-legged beside them and Gamorreans struggling
along behind. More palace security personnel joined them, Niktos and
Houks mainly, forming an ever-growing caravan heading toward the
vaults. It was hard to see what lay ahead past the Twi'lek and Larin,
but it looked like there were further guards waiting for them. And
more than that, besides.

At
the entrance to the security air lock lay a scene of utter
demolition. Walls had fallen in; the ceiling had collapsed. Tons of
stone and reinforced ferrocrete lay between them and their objective.
Evocii slaves and security guards picked at the rubble, getting in
one another's way such was their haste to clear a path. Conflicting
orders flashed back and forth. Yeama hurried into the mess, trying in
vain to impose order.

"This
is outrageous, " announced a high-handed voice over the hubbub.
It was a tall, long-nosed man in Imperial uniform, shouldering his
way toward the Republic entourage. "If you've had a role to play
in this fraudulent affair..."

"We've
as much to lose as you, " snapped Ula, wishing he could take his
fellow Imperial aside and reveal to him the secret role he was
playing. There was no need to argue, except for appearance's sake.
"And are as much in the dark. "

From
the other side of the rubble came an explosion, crisp and floor
shaking. Ula put his hands over his ears and backed away. Two
enormous dirt-moving droids shouldered forward to plow through the
mess.

"Stay
here, " Larin ordered him, and he was happy for the moment to
obey. She joined Yeama in the wake of the heavy lifters, clearly
determined to be among the first inside. The Twi'lek didn't disabuse
her of that intention. Once again, Ula admired her confidence. What
on Korriban did Jet Nebula mean that she was a faker as well?

A
cry went up. The barrier was breached. A cloud of smoke and dust
rolled over those assembled. The sound of combat came to them, fierce
and pitched.

Larin
yelled something over her shoulder.

"What
did she say?" Ula asked let.

"Something
about a Sith. I didn't catch all of it. "

Ula
glanced at the Imperial envoy, who studiously avoided everyone's
gaze.

Yeama
waved for reinforcements. A line of Weequay moved in, followed by
Potannin and his opposite number on the Imperial side. There was more
confusion as all three columns tried to squeeze through space for
one. Ula lost sight of Larin, and craned for a better view.

"Why
don't you go closer?" asked Jet.

"I,
ah, don't think that would be safe. Do you?"

"I
think it's all relative, right now. "

Shamed,
Ula headed toward the widening hole. Jet followed, leaving his droid
to watch the entrance. Seeing Ula moving in, the Imperial envoy
followed, not wanting to be left out. The tunnel through the rubble
was crowded with people. What lay at the end of it was not clear
through the smoke and dust. Blasterfire cast strange lights into the
haze, and Ula distinctly heard the sound the Mandalorian's jet- pack.
On top of that scraped the volatile hum of lightsabers.

They
passed a twisted sheet of metal that might once have been the
security air lock's outer door. The smell of ozone was overpowering.

"Down,
sir!" cried Potannin on seeing him.

Ula
let himself be dragged to a relatively sheltered position behind a
wall of rubble. From there he still couldn't see the action, but he
could see the back of Larin's helmet. She was crouched next to Yeama,
sighting along her rifle. Her voice came clearly across the sound of
battle.