LOCATED A MERE KILOMETER FROM THE G GALACTIC J JUSTICE C CENTER, the blockhouse across the skylane was hardly "secret." It did not appear on any public list of government addresses, but it was a hundred-story monolith shoved into a long line of elegant stone-and-mirrsteel spires, with permacrete walls and purple cam bubbles that openly hinted at its fortifications. The only concession to style was a smattering of dash-shaped viewports, scattered across its gray face in globe-shaped cl.u.s.ters that were probably meant to suggest a star and its planets.
"GAS is better than this," this," Jaina said. Along with Mirax Horn and a handful of Jedi Masters, she was standing in the lobby of the Palem Graser Office Tower, ostensibly waiting for an appointment with a Neimoidian lobbyist whose name she had selected at random from the building directory. "Why not hang a sign out front that says Jaina said. Along with Mirax Horn and a handful of Jedi Masters, she was standing in the lobby of the Palem Graser Office Tower, ostensibly waiting for an appointment with a Neimoidian lobbyist whose name she had selected at random from the building directory. "Why not hang a sign out front that says SECRET SECRET PRISON?" PRISON?"
"Daala wantz wantz people to know she keepz a secret prison." As Saba spoke, her slit-pupiled eyes remained fixed on the blockhouse across the skylane. "The shenbit showz itz teeth to frighten, not to kill." people to know she keepz a secret prison." As Saba spoke, her slit-pupiled eyes remained fixed on the blockhouse across the skylane. "The shenbit showz itz teeth to frighten, not to kill."
"Psychological deterrence," Kyp Durron agreed. He had prepared for their mission by carefully gelstyling his hair and donning a steam-pressed formal robe, but the effect was ruined by a two-day beard stubble starting to show gray. "Daala wants the lobbying industry to know they they could disappear into someplace like that, if they"re working for the wrong people." could disappear into someplace like that, if they"re working for the wrong people."
"That would certainly explain its location," Cilghal agreed. The Mon Calamari rolled a bulging eye around to look at Jaina. "You are certain this is where Valin and Jysella are now?"
"It"s where the new incarceration order said they were being ..." Jaina nearly said stored stored, but when she saw the flash of pain in the eyes of both Horns, she decided it would be better to avoid any term a.s.sociated with being frozen in carbonite. "... held held. From what I can tell, Daala seems to be trying to do everything by the book with this Jedi court of hers, so I don"t think she would have had the records falsified."
"This one agreez." Saba finally looked away from the blockhouse, then asked Jaina, "You have the writ?"
"Yes." Jaina produced a flimsi-tube from inside her robe and held it out. "Here you go."
"No, keep it." Saba flicked a talon toward the blockhouse. "Your plan, your hunt."
"Okay, thanks ... I think," Jaina said.
Actually, the plan was more Jag"s than hers, but Jaina knew better than to reveal that to the Masters. They all professed to understand Jag"s reason for not mentioning that Daala was going to hire a company of Mandalorians, but they were still irritated. In fact, they had barred him from entering the Temple due to possible "conflicts of interest." And while they had not actually instructed instructed Jaina to stay away from Jag, they had made it clear that she needed to reexamine where her priorities lay-and to think about whether a marriage to the Imperial Remnant"s Head of State was a realistic possibility for a Jedi Knight. Jaina to stay away from Jag, they had made it clear that she needed to reexamine where her priorities lay-and to think about whether a marriage to the Imperial Remnant"s Head of State was a realistic possibility for a Jedi Knight.
Jaina was, of course, hoping to convince them that it was. And a good outcome today would certainly help her cause. She slipped the writ back into her robe, then turned to Corran and Mirax Horn.
The Horns" anguish was evident in the purple crescents that hung beneath their eyes. Mirax"s black hair was uncombed and dirty, and the jaw beneath Corran"s tangled beard was clenched so tight he was probably in danger of breaking teeth. They They were the one weak spot in her plan, Jaina knew. She was asking a lot by expecting them to remain calm and under control while they stood looking at their children frozen in carbonite, but they were both people of extraordinary emotional resources. Corran was a Jedi Master who regularly made decisions that placed dozens of Jedi Knights, including his own children, in harm"s way. And Mirax was, quite simply, Booster Terrik"s daughter. That fact alone suggested that Daala had no idea of the kind of storm she had brought down on herself when she decided to freeze the Horns" children in carbonite. were the one weak spot in her plan, Jaina knew. She was asking a lot by expecting them to remain calm and under control while they stood looking at their children frozen in carbonite, but they were both people of extraordinary emotional resources. Corran was a Jedi Master who regularly made decisions that placed dozens of Jedi Knights, including his own children, in harm"s way. And Mirax was, quite simply, Booster Terrik"s daughter. That fact alone suggested that Daala had no idea of the kind of storm she had brought down on herself when she decided to freeze the Horns" children in carbonite.
It took a moment for the Horns to realize that Jaina was looking at them, but when they did, there was no need to ask if they were ready. Corran nodded curtly, and Mirax said, "Let"s move. It"s time to serve the Chief some of that mynock stew you promised."
Jaina smiled. "Let"s see if we can make her choke on it." She turned to Saba. "With your permission ..."
"Permission?" Saba thumped her tail against the floor, then pointed toward the exit. "We have no time to waste with jokez, Jedi Solo." Saba thumped her tail against the floor, then pointed toward the exit. "We have no time to waste with jokez, Jedi Solo."
Jaina dipped her head in acknowledgment. "I"ll let you know when I"m inside."
As she left the Graser Tower, Jaina was relieved to glimpse the always well-dressed Javis Tyrr and his stocky camoperator on the balcony of the adjacent building. As expected, the sight of the Horns and several Jedi Masters gathering near a secret GAS detention center had drawn enough attention to alert the media. She just hoped Tyrr wasn"t the only reporter who had been tipped.
Jaina used a pedbridge to cross the humming chasm of the skylane, then followed a balcony walk to the center of the blockhouse. Entry was via a long escalator that ascended a gradually narrowing tunnel toward a pair of tunqstoid blast doors. Over the doors hung a simple sign reading: GALACTIC ALLIANCE STORAGE. GALACTIC ALLIANCE STORAGE. Underneath, a motto proclaimed: Underneath, a motto proclaimed: SERVICE, SECURITY, SECRECY SERVICE, SECURITY, SECRECY.
Everything about the entryway said fortress fortress. The two doors were so heavy they had to be mounted on mag-lev guides instead of tracks. The tunnel walls were lined by tall rectangular panels that just had to be the sliding covers of firing ports. Even the treads of the escalator could be folded down to create a steep, steel ramp that would be difficult to ascend under fire.
Nonetheless, Jaina ascended without incident. At the top of the tunnel, the escalator changed to a moving pedwalk, and the blast doors slid open to reveal a small lobby. As the pedwalk carried her across the threshold, she used the Force to tilt an alignment sensor askew so the blast door locks would fail to engage. To her left she saw two separate seating areas, and to her right, a raised security counter. In the back of the lobby, a pair of turbolifts provided access to the rest of the building.
The pedwalk deposited Jaina in front of the security counter, where a pair of Rodian guards stood with their hands concealed and the sensory saucers atop their heads turned outward in wariness. Even without using the Force, Jaina would have known that each had one hand poised over a panic b.u.t.ton and the other wrapped around the b.u.t.t of a blaster pistol. Both were dressed in black paramilitary uniforms with an arcing yellow GALACTIC ALLIANCE STORAGE GALACTIC ALLIANCE STORAGE embroidered over one pocket and a name patch sewn above the other. embroidered over one pocket and a name patch sewn above the other.
Jaina reached out in the Force, letting the Masters know she had made it inside, then stepped over to the guard counter. She looked up at the two Rodians and said nothing. The pair glared down their tapering snouts, their curiosity keeping their attention on her instead of the misaligned doors. If they had noticed the problem with the locks, their faces did not show it.
When Jaina did not speak first, the larger one finally said, "I didn"t know we had any Jedi Jedi clients." He was so plump that his cheeks looked like they had pouches, and the name on his breast read clients." He was so plump that his cheeks looked like they had pouches, and the name on his breast read WEEZE. WEEZE. "Vault number and pa.s.sword?" "Vault number and pa.s.sword?"
"I don"t have either," Jaina said. "But you already know that."
Weeze looked to his skinnier partner, whose name tag read ROSII. ROSII. "I "I didn"t didn"t know that," he said. "Did you?" know that," he said. "Did you?"
Rosii nodded. "Kind of thought so." His voice was more typically Rodian than Weeze"s, buzzy and nasal. "I haven"t seen any Jedi in here."
Weeze looked back to Jaina. "We can"t help you at this door. You"ll have to go over to main reception and rent a vault from an account representative."
"I don"t want want a vault," Jaina said. "I came to see Valin and Jysella Horn." a vault," Jaina said. "I came to see Valin and Jysella Horn."
"Horn?" Rosii echoed. His snout wrinkled in an expression of confusion, but the sudden alarm she felt in the Force suggested that both Rodians knew very well why Jaina was looking for the Horns there. "Aren"t those two of those Jedi Knights who went barvy?" Rosii echoed. His snout wrinkled in an expression of confusion, but the sudden alarm she felt in the Force suggested that both Rodians knew very well why Jaina was looking for the Horns there. "Aren"t those two of those Jedi Knights who went barvy?"
"Who suffered a delusional break," Jaina corrected. She kept her gaze fixed on Weeze. "And I will see them now now ..." She paused to allow Weeze"s rank to rise to the top of his mind, where she could sense it through the Force. ..." She paused to allow Weeze"s rank to rise to the top of his mind, where she could sense it through the Force. "Sergeant." "Sergeant."
Weeze"s sensory saucers snapped forward. "We"re all civilians here, Jedi." The alarm in his Force aura changed to decisiveness, and Jaina saw his shoulder twitch as he finally pressed the alarm b.u.t.ton. "Galactic Alliance Storage handles property, not pris-"
Jaina used the Force to shove both Rodians away from the counter-and any heavy weapons they might have hidden behind it.
"Never lie to a Jedi, Sergeant," Jaina said. As the Rodians raised their blaster pistols, she sent both weapons flying with a gesture. "That really annoys us."
The Rodians glanced at each other, then Rosii said, "You"re not going to make it past the lobby."
"This one thinkz differently," Saba said, leading Kyp and the others through the half-opened blast doors. "This one thinkz you you will escort us where we need to go." will escort us where we need to go."
As soon as the Rodians" eyes fell on Saba"s hulking form, their sensory saucers drooped against their heads and their Force auras grew electric with fear.
"Relax," Jaina said. "We have permission."
"Permission?" Weeze turned his head to regard Jaina out of one eye. "What kind of permission?" Weeze turned his head to regard Jaina out of one eye. "What kind of permission?"
"You haven"t shown him the doc.u.ment, Jedi Solo?" Saba asked, feigning surprise. "Why do you wait?"
Jaina glanced back through the door and-behind Kyp, cilghal, and the other Masters-saw Corran and Mirax Horn ascending the escalator with a sizable mob of newsbeings with holocams shouting questions at them. Javis Tyrr, of course, was in the lead, his fashionable tabard badly wrinkled where he had been grabbed and-no doubt-shoved away. A puffy cheek and darkening bruise suggested that it had been done with relish, and Jaina began to have doubts about Master Horn"s ability to control himself once they reached Valin and Jysella.
Jaina turned back to Saba and dipped her head in mock apology. "I"m sorry, Master Sebatyne. It took a few minutes to confirm that this is the correct place."
Confident that the Rodians would not try anything foolish with so many Masters in the room, Jaina released them from the wall, then withdrew the writ tube from inside her robe. By then, the Horns were entering the lobby, with Javis Tyrr and another half a dozen news teams pushing through the doors behind him.
Jaina waited while Kyp and Cilghal used the Force to subtly arrange the crowd. Once she was sure that all the holocams would have a clear view of the security counter, she stepped forward and presented the tube, turning it so the Justice Center seal was in plain sight.
"Sergeant Weeze," she said, "this is a legal writ granting us visitation rights for Valin and Jysella Horn, who, as you can see by the accompanying incarceration order, are being held at a secret Galactic Alliance Security detention center located at this address."
Weeze made no move to accept the tube, staring at it as though Jaina were trying to hand him an armed thermal detonator.
"I ... I don"t know what you"re talking about," the Rodian said. "This is just a storage facil-"
The Rodian"s denial came to an abrupt end as the sizzle of deactivating access shields sounded from the turbolifts at the back of the lobby. Sharp voices began to shout contradictory orders to "get down" and "don"t move." Everyone turned toward the sounds-just in time to see a GAS a.s.sault squad charging into the lobby in full armor, stun grenades in hand and repeating blasters ready to shoulder.
Of course, the news teams immediately activated their cam lights, and only a few quick Force nudges from Jaina and her fellow Jedi sent the flurry of bolts that followed into the ceiling instead of into the crowd of journalists. The beings carrying the larger holocams merely dropped to a knee and continued filming as the rest of the confused a.s.sault squad poured out of the turbolifts and took up positions at the far end of the lobby.
The firing quickly died away as the a.s.sault squad realized they were being filmed instead of attacked, but by then the news teams had a full four or five seconds of GAS confusion for the evening broadcast. Things were going even better than Jaina had hoped-and they quickly improved when the familiar square-shouldered figure of the a.s.sault squad commander stepped out of the turbolift.
"Bloah!" Jaina started toward the lift. "If it isn"t Captain Atari!" Captain Atari!"
She called the name out especially loudly, to be sure that Javis Tyrr and every other newsbeing caught it on their audio. If the plan kept going this this well, she might even risk revealing that this whole trap had been Jag"s idea. That probably wouldn"t do much to buy him-or well, she might even risk revealing that this whole trap had been Jag"s idea. That probably wouldn"t do much to buy him-or her her-any slack with her parents, but it just might make the Masters view their situation a little more sympathetically.
Atar quickly motioned his troopers to lower their weapons, then came three meters forward and stood scowling out from beneath his bushy mustache. Jaina was glad to see that both he and his team were in full GAS uniform.
Jaina stopped half a pace away, then-once she felt the cam lights warming her flanks-said, "Captain Atar, I wish I could say what a pleasure it is to see you again." She held out the writ tube. "Perhaps you you would be good enough to accept this. Your subordinates seem to be rather confused about who they"re working for." would be good enough to accept this. Your subordinates seem to be rather confused about who they"re working for."
This drew a round of snickers from the reporters, and Atar"s att.i.tude grew wary and bitter. He had been ambushed inside his own nest, and he knew it. He accepted the tube without comment, then removed the writ and read it in silence.
When he came to the authorizing signature, his eyes grew wide and his face turned red. He lowered the flimsi and studied Jaina with a raised brow.
"You want to visit Valin and Jysella Horn?"
"That"s right," Jaina said.
"But they"re frozen," he said, "in carbonite."
"We"re aware of that," Cilghal said, stepping to Jaina"s side. "That order gives me the right to inspect their frigidation pods and make certain everything is in good order."
"And affirms the right of Valin and Jysella Horn to receive visitors while being held in detention," Kyp added, motioning Corran and Mirax forward. "Just like any other prisoner."
"As you can see." Jaina glanced back, addressing the cams directly. "We"ve taken pains to acquire all the necessary permissions."
Atar nodded. "So you have." He rerolled the flimsi carefully, no doubt trying to buy himself time to think, and returned it to the tube. "I"m sure the facility director will be happy to make an appointment-"
"No, Captain." Jaina stepped closer to Atar, craning her neck to look up at him-and using the Force to nudge him back. "That order gives us immediate immediate access." access."
"So we can be sure that GAS is maintaining the pods properly, and as a matter of routine," Cilghal added, also starting forward. "If you think we are going to give you a chance to make repairs and forge maintenance records, you are quite mistaken."
Jaina nudged him back another step, but Atar centered himself in front of the turbolifts. "I"m sorry." He motioned the rest of his squad to their feet. "But I don"t have the authority to grant you entry to this facility."
Saba slipped forward to stand snout-to-nose with him. "Look again, Captain. You have no authority to stop stop us." us."
The Barabel s.n.a.t.c.hed the tube from his hand, then poked him in the chest with it. Atar"s eyes bulged with rage, but before he could respond, Javis Tyrr shoved forward to push a microphone into his face.
"Captain Atar," the reporter demanded, "is it your position that Galactic Alliance Security is not bound by Judicial Center writs?"
"No, of course not." Atar had barely spoken before the rest of the press began to shout questions, and his face reddened as he realized how his meaning was being misconstrued. He raised his hands for silence, and when that didn"t work he shouted, "I mean, the security services are absolutely absolutely bound by the law, just like anyone else in the Galactic Alliance." bound by the law, just like anyone else in the Galactic Alliance."
"This one is glad to hear that," Saba said. She handed the tube back to Jaina, then started toward the turbolifts. "We will start our search in the sublevelz and work up."
Atar"s red face suddenly grew pale, and he rushed after her. "There"s no need to search, Master Sebatyne. I"ll escort you myself."
Saba stopped at the entrance to the turbolift and turned. "How nice, Captain." She turned to the cams, which were already pressing in close behind her, then asked, "What are the cell numberz?"
Atar shook his head. "I"m sorry, Master Sebatyne. We"ll be going to-"
"The infirmary, perhapz?" Saba stooped down to peer at the turbo-lift control panel. "Is this it? Level four ninety-eight?"
She extended a talon toward the number pad, but Atar"s hand shot out to enter a different level instead. Saba studied the number, then turned to the captain, her face scales flattened in the Barabel equivalent of a frown.
"Four seventy?" She turned and added the level designation for the benefit of her companions and the reporters. "The executive officez?" executive officez?"
Atar dropped his gaze, and Jaina knew knew. GAS was treating the Horn siblings like some sort of prize, putting them on display-just as Jabba the Hutt had put her own father on display four decades earlier. And she could feel by the rising tide of fury in the Force that the Masters realized it, too.
An instant later Atar tried to cover. "We, uh, need to pick up some visitor pa.s.ses."
Saba fixed him with a cold reptilian glare. "This one doubtz that very much."
She stepped into the turbolift and vanished up the tube.
Atar cursed under his breath, then turned to a young Bothan with a lieutenant"s patch on her collar. "The Horns and the Jedi can follow, Rasher. No one else."
The lieutenant-the name above her pocket read KE"E, RASHER- KE"E, RASHER-came to attention. "Yes, sir."
"Set the turbolift level yourself," he said. "And check them for weapons first."
Again the lieutenant saluted, but by this time Atar was already going after Saba. Cilghal immediately moved forward to the turbolift and entered the level number herself.
"Hold on, Master," Ke"e said, moving to block her way. "You heard the captain. I need to check you for weapons."
"I a.s.sure you, that"s not necessary." Cilghal waved a finger, and the lieutenant slid out of her way. "I didn"t bring any."
She stepped into the turbolift and rose out of sight, leaving the Bothan sputtering in anger. Jaina glanced back and saw Kyp standing behind the reporters with the Horns, waiting to bring them forward. She caught Corran Horn"s eye, then raised a questioning brow and tipped her head toward the turbolift. This next part was going to be harder on him and Mirax than anyone had expected, and the decision to put them through it in the middle of a media frenzy was not hers to make.
Corran acknowledged her question by turning to his wife, whose impish face was already creased in outrage and grief. She answered with a curt, narrow-eyed nod that told Jaina all she needed to know about the Horns" state of mind. They knew how much this was going to hurt, and they were willing to bear it and stick to the plan.
Jaina turned back to find Ke"e pointing her subordinates toward the turbolifts, growling at them to stop standing around and secure the lobby. Jaina stepped forward to take possession of the entrances. The troopers immediately trained their weapons on her and began shouting orders for her to stand down.
Jaina calmly turned to Javis Tyrr, using the Force to make herself heard above the GAS troopers. "Don"t you want to go up and see what Daala is trying to hide?"
Tyrr"s narrow eyes lit with something akin to greed, but quickly turned fearful as they swung toward Lieutenant Ke"e.
"Stay where you are, Tyrr," the Bothan ordered. "The news media isn"t permitted to-"
"What are you going to do, Lieutenant?" Jaina demanded. "Blast them on a live holofeed?"
With that, she turned and used the Force to slide a couple of troopers out of Tyrr"s path. He continued to hesitate-but only until the rest of the cam teams began to push forward. Tyrr and his stocky a.s.sistant began to fling elbows and shout that the invitation had been extended to them them, and reporters began to vanish up the turbolifts.
Lieutenant Ke"e waved her subordinates off, then pushed her way over to stand muzzle-to-nose with Jaina. "You are going to regret that, Jedi. We have a long reach."
"Lieutenant Ke"e, I have been threatened by a.s.sa.s.sin droids, Yuu-zhan Vong Warmasters, and Sith Lords." Jaina watched as Kyp and the Horns followed the last of the reporters into the turbolift, then added, "Them "Them, I worried about."
With that, Jaina turned her back on the Bothan and entered the turbolift. She rose three levels to the executive offices, then stepped out into an expansive lobby area with a vaulted ceiling and high stone walls. The s.p.a.cious sitting area featured three nerf-hide couches arranged before a long, built-in aquarium filled with exotic water species from Pavo Prime.