militant started for the now motionless sleds, coming to an abrupt halt when he saw Rella.
'I thought you'd retired.' 'I had a memory lapse,' she told him. 'But I'm about to get over it.' Havac appraised the gathered mercenaries and turned to Cohl. 'Will they follow orders?' 'If you feed them regularly,' Cohl said.
'What do we do with this one?' Lope asked, indicating the still- unconscious customs chief.
'Leave her there,' Havac answered. 'We'll take care of her.' He swung back to Cohl.
'Captain, if you'll follow me, we can conclude your part in this.' 'That suits me fine,' Cohl said.
Havac glanced at Lope and the others. 'The rest of you wait here. I'll brief you when I return.' I n a restricted area of the spaceport, Adi Gallia met Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they stepped from the sharp-nosed shuttle that had brought them downside.
'The High Council's favorite Jedi,' Adi said as Qui-Gon approached, his long hair and brown cloak stirred by the wind. 'I half expected you and your loyal Padawan to come bolting overhead in Captain Cohl's gunship.' 'We left the Hawk-Bat in orbit,' Qui-Gon replied without humor. 'What's the situation here?' 'Master Tiin, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Vergere, and some of the others are on their way from Coruscant.' Qui-Gon planted his hands on his hips. 'Did you ask security to run a check on Corellian freighters?' Adi gave him a long- suffering look. 'Do you know how many Corellian freighters are in orbit just now? Unless you can provide a registry or a drive signature of some sort, there's little anyone can do. As it is, it will take customs and security a week to search every vessel.' 'What about Captain Cohl?' Adi shook her head, the tails of her tight-fitting bonnet whipping about her handsome features.
'No one fitting Cohl's description has passed through Eriadu immigration.'
'Could we have arrived first, Master?' Obi-Wan asked. 'The Hawk-Bat is about the fastest ship I've ever flown in.' Adi waited for Qui-Gon's response, which was to shake his head negatively.
'Cohl is here somewhere. I can feel him.' The three of them glanced around, reaching out with the Force.
'There is so much disturbance just now, it's difficult to focus on any one thing,' Adi said after a long moment.
Determination quickened Qui-Gon's gaze. 'We must prevail on the Supreme Chancellor to allow us to take the place of his Senate Guards. It's our best hope.' Havac led the way down a long corridor. Against one wall were slumped a dozen or so bound, gagged, and blindfolded customs agents, who voiced muffled exclamations of fury as Cohl, Rella, and Boiny passed. Havac continued on to a room that housed the warehouse's small power plant.
He opened the door and gestured everyone inside.
Flickering overhead fixtures illuminated a clamorous generator, along with scores of unopened shipping crates. The room reeked of lubricants and liquid fuel.
Havac's demeanor changed as soon as he shut the door behind him. He unwound the cloth scarf that concealed his face and threw it to the floor.
Cohl regarded him curiously. 'What's gotten you so jumpy, Havac?' 'You,'
Havac seethed. 'You've nearly ruined everything!' Cohl swapped brief looks with his comrades, then said, 'What are you babbling about?' Havac fought to compose himself. 'The Jedi learned that you've been hiring assassins, and that you're planning something for Eriadu. Your likeness is all over the Holoationet!' 'Again, the Jedi.' Cohl narrowed his gaze at Havac. 'I thought you and Cindar were supposed to keep them occupied.' 'We did our part. We lured the Jedi to Asmeru, and we managed to lure even more of them away from Eriadu. But you, you left a trail any amateur could follow, and now Cindar's dead because of it.' 'You'll forgive me if I don't sob,' Cohl said flatly.
Havac ignored the remark and began to pace the floor. 'I've been forced to modify the entire plan. If it wasn't for the help of our advisor — was 'Take it easy, Havac,' Cohl cut him off.
'You're going to give yourself a stroke.' Havac came to a halt behind Rella and aimed his forefinger at Cohl. 'I'm going to have to use the ones you delivered to fashion a diversion.' Cohl's features warped into a mask of acrimony. 'I can't allow that, Havac. I didn't deliver them here to be killed.
They trust me.' 'Content yourself that they'll die rich, Captain.
What's more, I don't care what you think you can and cannot allow. I won't have you interfering in this.' Cohl laughed shortly. 'You're going to stop me?' He turned and started for the door.
'Stay where you are!' Havac made a sudden grab for Rella's blaster. She tried to turn away, but wasn't in time. Havac threw his left forearm around her neck and pressed the blaster to the side of her head.
Cohl stopped dead in his tracks and turned slowly toward him. Boiny was about as far from Havac as he was, but neither of them risked a move.
'You haven't got the stomach for this kind of work, Havac,' Cohl said in a controlled voice.
'Put the blaster down and let her go.' Havac only tightened his choke hold on Rella. She clamped her hands on his forearm.
'You said it yourself, Captain: anyone can be killed.
I'll do it if you try to leave. I swear, I'll do it.' Cohl glanced at Boiny before replying. 'Havac, think it through. You're the brains, remember?
You hired us to be the brawn.' Havac's face was red with fury and panic; he was trembling from head to foot. 'You underestimate me.
You always have.' 'All right,' Cohl said. 'Maybe I have. That still doesn't mean-was 'I'm sorry it has to be this way,' Havac interrupted. 'But when it comes to safeguarding the interests of the Outer Rim, people like you and Rella and me are expendable. Our advisor prefers as few loose ends as possible, in any case.' The door opened and two of Havac's confederates entered the room with blasters raised.
Cohl saw the sorrow in Rella's dark, beautiful eyes. 'Oh, Cohl,' she said in a sad, quiet voice.
Abruptly, Havac turned his blaster and fired.
