A small victory for him, Mace thought. No loss for me.
'What am I charged with?' 'That depends. What have you done?' 'Officially.' Geptun shrugged. 'Nothing's been filed. Yet.' 'Then why am I being held?' 'We're interrogating you.' Mace raised an eyebrow.
'Oh, yes. We are.' Geptun winked. 'We are indeed. I'm a terrific interrogator.' 'You haven't even asked me a question.' Geptun smiled like a sleepy vine cat. 'Questions are inefficient. In your case, futile.' 'You must be good indeed,' Mace said, 'to have figured that out without even asking one.' By way of reply, Geptun reached into the animal-skin case and pulled out Mace's lightsaber.
The glow rod shell had been stripped away. Traces of adhesive showed black against the metal. He hefted it in his hand, smiling. 'And torture would probably be a waste of time, too, yes?' He set the lightsaber on the table and spun it like a bottle. Mace could feel its whirl in the Force: feel exactly how to touch it with his mind, to lift it and trigger it and set it flashing upon Colonel Geptun, to slay or hold hostage, or to slash through the restraints that held him in the binder chair- He let it spin.
The two shooters standing ready at the far end of the corridor made sense to him now.
His lightsaber's spin took on a wobble, slowed, and trickled to a stop, its emitter centered on his breastbone. 'I believe that means you're It,' Geptun said.
A neat trick. Mace measured him again. The colonel endured his scrutiny blandly. 'Geptun,' Mace said, 'could be a Korun name.' 'And in fact it is,' the colonel admitted cheerily. 'My paternal grandfather came out of the jungle some seventy-odd years ago. This, ah, is not discussed. You understand. Not in polite society.' 'Is that something you still have here? Polite society?' Geptun shrugged. 'My name's only a mild handicap. Maybe that trace of Korun blood is what makes me too proud to change it.' Mace nodded, more to himself than to the other. If the man had enough Force-touch to control the lightsaber's spin, he might easily have enough to conceal his intentions. Mace revised his threat assessment from Low to Unknown. 'What do you want from me?' 'Well. That's the real question, isn't it? There are a variety of things you could do for me.
You could, say, be a substantial boost to my career. A Jedi? Even your basic Jedi grunt might be valuable, to the right people. I mean, I've captured an enemy officer here, haven't I? The Confederacy might reward me handsomely for you. In fact, I know they would. And maybe even give me a medal.' He tilted his head: a humorous sidelong look. 'You don't seem concerned by the possibility.' If he were planning to turn Mace over to the Separatists, Geptun wouldn't be here. Mace waited. Silently.
'Ah, it's true,' the colonel sighed after a moment. 'I'm not political. And there's something else you might be able to do for me.' Mace kept waiting.
'Well. I see it like this. Here I have a Jedi. Probably an important Jedi, since we caught him next to the corpse of the planetary chief of Republic Intelligence.' He winked at Mace again.
'Oh, yes: Phloremirlla and I were old friends. Friends too long to let political differences come between us, eh?' 'I'm sure she'd be gratified by your obvious grief.' Geptun took this without a blink. It didn't even dent his smile. 'Tragic. After so many years in so many dangerous places, to be cut down by a stray blaster bolt. Collateral damage. Merely a bystander. Hardly innocent, though, was she?' It was possible, Mace reflected, that he might come to profoundly dislike this man. 'If your men hadn't shot me, she'd still be alive.' He chuckled. 'If my men hadn't shot you, I wouldn't have the pleasure of your company tonight.' 'And has this pleasure been worth your friend's life?' 'That remains to be seen.' Their gazes locked for a full second. Mace had seen lizards with more expressive eyes. Predatory lizards.
He revised his threat assessment again. Upward.
Geptun shifted his weight like a man getting comfortable after a large meal. 'So. Back to this Jedi in question. I'm thinking this Jedi is also someone a little on the capable side. Even, perhaps, actively dangerous. Since he answers the description of a fellow who broke several bones belonging to a pair of my best men.' 'Those were your best? I'm sorry.' 'So am I, Master Jedi. So am I. Well. I fell to wondering what business might possibly bring an important, dangerous Jedi like yourself to our little backworld of Haruun Kal. You would hardly have come so far just to commit petty assault upon peace officers. I fell to wondering if your business might possibly have something to do with another Jedi. One who seems to be running around upcoun-try, doing all sorts of un-Jedi-ish kinds of things. Like murdering civilians. Might your business have something to do with her?' 'If it does?' Geptun tilted his chair back and looked at Mace over the curves of his plump cheeks.
'We've been hunting this Jedi for some time now. I've even posted a bounty. A big bounty. It's possible that if someone were to, mm-deal with-my existing Jedi problem, I might feel fully compensated. I might not even miss that reward we were talking about earlier.' RT w see.
'Maybe you do. And maybe you don't. Here's the thing: I can't quite make up my mind.' Mace waited.
Geptun sighed irritably and settled his chair back on the floor. 'You're not the easiest man to have a conversation with.' This didn't call for a reply, so Mace didn't make one.
'See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. Well. I suppose I just need a way to ease my mind, you understand? I'm right on the bubble, here: I can go either way. I'd like that reward.
Yes, indeed I would. But given the choice, I'd prefer my, er, upcountry]z&i problem taken care of-but I'm not sure that's the best decision I could make right now. For my future. I'm wavering. You see? Teetering. I need a little reassurance. If you know what I mean?' Now Mace finally understood what they were talking about. 'How much reassurance do you need?' Geptun's eyes glinted the same flat sheen as the shearplanes of the gravel in the walls. 'Ten thousand.' 'I'll give you four.' Geptun scowled at him. Mace stared back; his face might have been carved from stone.
'I can keep you here a very long time-' Mace said, 'Thirty-five hundred.' 'You insult me. What, am I not worth even haggling with?' 'We are haggling. Thirty-two fifty.' 'I'm wounded, Master Jedi-' 'You mean: Jedi Master,' Mace said. 'Three thousand.' Geptun's face blackened, but after a moment wasted trying to match uncompromising stares with Mace Windu-a losing proposition-he shook his head and shrugged again. 'Three thousand. I suppose one must make allowances.' He sighed. 'There is a war on, after all.' They cut him loose at dawn.
Mace descended the worn stone sweep of the Ministry of Justice's front steps. The high cirrus over Grandfather's Shoulder bled morning. The lightpoles had gone pale. The street below was as restlessly crowded as ever.
He had his kitbag over his shoulder and his blaster strapped to his thigh. His lightsaber was in an inside pocket of his vest, concealed below his left arm.
He slid into the crowd and let its current carry him along.
