Alliances (Star Wars: Thrawn, #2)(33)

Anakin stretched out to the Force, getting a feel for the sense and emotions of each of them, and gave a small nod.

“You are smugglers,” Thrawn said, gesturing toward the group seated around Janott’s couch. “You are also thieves.”

He looked at Oenti. “You are part of the Separatist movement, currently at war with the Republic and Loyalist systems. Your duke has constructed a base and is shipping materials and equipment to it. Because he didn’t want anyone to know where the base is, he gathered his supplies from various origination points and sent them to Batuu, where the inhabitants don’t pry into others’ activities. But he didn’t expect interference from thieves.”

He pointed his blaster at Janott. “Nor did you know that the man who owned your chosen transfer point, the cantina, was in league with those thieves.”

“I’m not in league with them,” Janott insisted, starting to rise from his couch. Anakin flicked his lightsaber around Oenti’s side, settling the blade warningly over the bartender’s chest, and he subsided.

“With your assistance the thieves learned which shipments were the most valuable,” Thrawn continued, ignoring the protest. “The shipments no doubt arrived at wide intervals, allowing you sufficient time to steal the best cargoes and leave worthless duplicate containers in their place. You felt confident that the leisurely pace of the shipments would delay detection of the thefts until such time as you were ready to leave Batuu.

“But then another entered the scene, and with her came your downfall.”

“Duja,” Anakin murmured.

“Indeed,” Thrawn said. “She was able to identify one of the shipments and follow it to Batuu. She entered the Separatist ship and learned of the base, then sent a message to alert the Republic.”

He gestured to Oenti. “But your comrades detected her intrusion, and concluded that she was a thief.”

“Which started them looking for other thieves,” Anakin said. “Which suddenly put all of you in their viewfinders.”

“You realized you were in danger of being caught, and therefore collected all the gains you could and attempted to escape Batuu,” Thrawn said. “But before your ship could arrive, the landing space was occupied and blocked by another ship.” He looked at Anakin. “That of your ambassador.”

With an effort, Anakin held on to his temper. Flashing his lightsaber around right now wouldn’t gain them anything. Better to let Thrawn carry this, at least for the moment. “What happened to her?” he asked quietly, looking at each of the others in turn.

“We don’t know,” one of the long-snouts said.

“Neither do we,” Oenti added hastily. “She landed, went into Black Spire, then left.”

“All I know is that she came into the cantina and wrote a poem for the dead woman,” Janott said.

“So Duja is dead,” Anakin said. That had been the direction the story had been going, but it was still a wrench for him to say it aloud. “Which of you did that?”

“It wasn’t any of us,” Janott said, cringing back a little, his eyes focusing on the lightsaber blade still swinging above him.

“I wasn’t there,” Oenti said, equally quickly. “I was in the Larkrer’s hold, trying to figure out what she’d been trying to steal.”

“General?” Thrawn invited.

“They’re telling the truth,” Anakin growled. It would have been so much easier if he’d been able to sense guilt in one of them. As it was, justice would have to be delayed.

“That’s their good fortune,” Thrawn said, a dark menace in his voice. “But now the masquerade is over.”

“You going to turn us over to the Separatists?” Janott asked anxiously.

“Most of them are currently outside your door,” Thrawn said. “Though not, I grant you, currently in a position to deal out punishment. They’re now trapped here, as are the rest of you.”

Janott flashed a look at Anakin. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve seen both the Black Spire landing field and the clearing where your comrades took their cargo,” Thrawn said. “I conclude the ship you planned for your escape is too large to land nearby without drawing unwelcome attention. Your only hope is to seize the Separatist freighter.”

Oenti stiffened. “You can’t let them do that.”

“We won’t,” Thrawn assured him.

“Why not?” Janott asked. “You’re Loyalists, right? I heard all Jedi were Loyalists.”

“We’ll give you a good price for their ship,” one of the long-snouts added.

“Shut up!” Oenti snarled. “You couldn’t take it anyway—we’ve got a full squad of combat droids ready to cut you to mulch if you try.”

“Hardly,” Anakin said. “You have three droids, and they’re general-service, not combat.” He cocked his head. “Rather, you had three droids.”

“The ship isn’t for sale,” Thrawn said. “We intend to take it ourselves.” He paused. “To the Separatist base on Mokivj.”

For a single second they all just stared at him. Anakin had just time to feel the sudden surge of fear and dismay—

Then, as if on a signal, the whole group exploded into action.