Chapter 31
Though at times a very patient man, Raith Sienar itched to get on with his mission. Instinct told him time was of the essence, that such an open world, with such a valuable secret, was like a ripe carcass under a sky full of winged scavengers.
Not that he had ever contended with winged scavengers. Sienar preferred the high-tech comforts of a well-developed planet, whose wilderness had long since been tamed. But he was an educated man and he knew a scavenger when he saw one.
He felt like a scavenger himself, right now.
The first of many.
He looked down on the small image of Kett that flickered to bluish life on his command table. 'Yes, Captain?'
Kett seemed uncomfortable. 'I have complied with your orders and released the Blood Carver in your ship, Commander.'
'All went well?' Sienar had introduced Ke Daiv to his sponsoring 'pilot' in the small shuttle docking bay where the private starship had been loaded. Ke Daiv had seemed uncomfortable working with a droid. Sienar had not bothered to explain how he had come by this droid, or how the droid had become a sponsor of clients for Zonama Sekot. Some secrets were best kept.
'Yes, sir.'
'And he is well away, heading toward Zonama Sekot?'
'Yes, Commander.'
'And no one on the planet has detected our squadron, this far out in the system?'
'No, Commander.'
Sienar breathed a sigh of relief. 'Then we will await word from Ke Daiv before we make our next move. You seem unhappy, Captain Kett.'
'May I speak freely, Commander?'
'Indeed, please do.'
'None of this is in accord with our original orders, as outlined by Tarkin.'
'And so?'
'I hope to be blunt without causing offense. This is a delicate time, Commander. My ships were once part of an honorable and effective defense force assigned to protect ships belonging to members of the Trade Federation. Our record goes back centuries, with never a blot.'
'A record to be proud of, Captain.'
'I do not know how we will be treated as part of the Republic defense forces. I hope the integration will be smooth, and that I may continue my honorable career.'
Honor, Sienar thought, is much overstated in that record. You took part in the worst of the Trade Federation transgressions. You personally held planetary systems at blasterpoint, forced concessions, escorted contraband drugs and machines, and transported immigrants whose bodies were laced with time-delay biological weapons. .You will be lucky if people like Tarkin can divert the attention of the senatorial arm of justice and save you from a summary trade- crimes trial. But he maintained a sympathetic face for the captain.
'I do not trust this Blood Carver, sir. His people are notorious for fiery tempers and dirty deeds.'
'He was handpicked by Tarkin. You have in your orders that he is to be accorded complete cooperation in whatever he might do.'
Including assassination of your commander should things go wrong.
'I am aware of that, sir.'
'Then what is your point, Captain Kett?'
'I wish to communicate my unease, sir.'
'So noted. I hope you will maintain your vigilance.'
'Yes, sir.'
Sienar disconnected, and the image blipped into nothing.
Using the Blood Carver as a client was not a brilliant stratagem, but it would serve. Judging from all he had learned from the pilot of the ruined Sekotan craft now in his deep-city hangar, before that pilot had died. .
Things Sienar had not revealed to Tarkin-he'd even lied to Tarkin about how he obtained the ship. Facts that he had learned long before Tarkin had in his slippery way tried to involve Sienar in this overblown and all-too- obvious scheme.
From the Gensang pilot's dying words, encouraged by subtle Agrilat drugs, Sienar had concluded that Zonama Sekot's settlers were hungry for something, or just plain greedy-that they had found a treasure of incredible proportions, and instead of arranging for a well- orchestrated exploitation, with bidding wars conducted between members of the Trade Federation, they had taken a decidedly risky path, catering to the galaxy's spoiled little rich boys, and engaging in a remarkable but ultimately futile quest to hide themselves.
The settlers needed capital to buy things. Expensive things. They needed it quickly and quietly, and as soon as possible.
