Epilog

Kirtan Loor dropped to one knee before Ysanne Isard’s life-size hologram. “Please forgive my disturbing you, Madam Director, but you said you wanted to be informed immediately on any developments.”

She frowned impatiently at him. “I have seen General Derricote’s requisition request for more Gamorreans. Has there been a breakthrough?”

“I am not certain.”

“But you approved the request.”

“Yes, Madam Director.” Even though she was projecting her image from her tower office nearly three kilometers above and away from his cramped workspace, the distance did not insulate him from her ire. Somehow her eyes seem to project venom through the holonet. “You will forgive me, Madam Director, but General Derricote is still upset about the loss of his facility on Borleias. He said you promised him it would be returned to him if he completed his work within your parameters.”

“And so it shall. The Alliance stewardship of Borleias will be of little consequence in the grand scheme of things.” Isard’s image stared hard at him. “So, there is no breakthrough with Derricote?”

“None to my knowledge, Madam Director.”

“Then what would have prompted your call to me, Agent Loor?”

“Our agent in Rogue Squadron has provided us with some useful information. Rogue Squadron will be moving to Borleias and the base will become a major staging operation for a move Coreward.”

Isard tapped her teeth with a fingernail. “This was not unanticipated.”

“It was also reported that the best of the new pilots, Bror Jace, will be returning to Thyferra to visit his family.” Loor reached back and pulled a datapad from his desk and glanced at it. “Given the precarious balance of loyalists and Rebel sympathizers on Thyferra, it seems to me that having a hero of the Rebellion visit will not be a good thing. Since his course of travel has been communicated to us, I have prepared orders for the Interdictor cruiser Black Asp to intercept and destroy him.”

“Very good thinking, Agent Loor.” Isard nodded slowly, her eyes focusing distantly. “Amend the orders to have him taken alive if possible. I have a facility that is most successful in convincing ardent Rebels they really should be on our side. I have room at Lusankya for this Jace. He will prove very useful in the future.”

“I have the intercept set for a system where enough smuggling goes on that the Black Asp’s presence makes sense. An increase in general interception activities will hide our foreknowledge of Jace’s course.”

The ruler of Coruscant looked quizzically at him. “Do you truly think so?”

“I do not follow your meaning.”

“Don’t you think your Corran Horn will be suspicious?”

He thought for a moment, then bowed his head. “He will be, but he is not so single-minded that he cannot be distracted.”

“That concurs with my reading of his datafile.” She smiled slightly. “But it would take information of sufficient import to distract him, yes?”

“Yes, Madam Director.”

“Good.” She clasped her hands behind her back. “I have let slip the information that you killed Gil Bastra.”

“What?!”

“And it includes data that suggests you are, in fact, here on Imperial Center.”

Kirtan’s jaw dropped. He’d seen Horn angry more than once, and knew the man to be relentless in pursuit of those who had slain other members of CorSec. Horn had even found a way to capture his father’s killer, the Trandoshan bounty hunter Bossk. Kirtan had taken great delight in releasing Bossk, citing the Trandoshan lack of manual dexterity to explain why Hal Horn had been killed in a spray of blaster fire meant to kill the smuggler to whom he was speaking. Since Bossk was working under a valid Imperial warrant, Hal Horn’s death was an unfortunate bit of collateral casualty.

“Madam Director, didn’t you say the Rogues would be coming here, to Imperial Center?”

“Indeed, I believe I did.” Her smile grew. “And I believe my prediction will be proven true.”

“Then Horn will come here.”

“And will be looking for you.” Isard licked her lips. “More distraction from his main mission for Lieutenant Horn, and more motivation for you to succeed in Rogue Squadron’s destruction.”

In this case I’m not sure those ends justify the means at all. “I see, Madam Director.”

“I’m sure you do, Agent Loor. Spare me future reports about General Derricote’s tantrums. I want results, and I want them to be successful results.”

“As you will it, Madam Director,” he found himself saying in the darkness resulting from her termination of the communication.

He rocked back and sat on the floor. For a half a second he longed for a return to the days when he and Horn were adversaries at CorSec. They had hated each other, especially after the Bossk incident, but the tension had not yet become lethal. Then he realized he harbored no real fear of Corran Horn’s retribution. His success would mean release from her clutches. If he knew that, of course, Horn would find a way to clone me, so he could have the pleasure of killing me and forcing me to work for Ysanne Isard forever!

“Yes, he could be that cruel, but he would hold himself back. Therein is his weakness.” Kirtan Loor grabbed the edge of his desk and pulled himself upright. “Here on Imperial Center, in Isard’s domain, I have neither the compunction nor need to restrain myself. Do come to Coruscant, Corran. Bring your friends and your hidden enemy with you. Imperial City is undoubtedly the last place you ever thought you’d visit, and I will do all I can to make certain it is the last place you visit.”