Timothy Zahn - Survivor's Quest

Fel nodded. "Apparently the Vagaari wanted to know everything they could about Outbound Flight before we arrived."

"Right," Mara agreed. "All of which brings up an even more interesting point."

She turned to face the three Chiss. "As I think about it, Aristocra Formbi, you asked for an amazing amount of muscle to accompany you on this trip. First you called Parck and asked for Luke and me, only the message got waylaid. Then, when it looked like we weren't going to show, you called him back and got him to send a unit of the best stormtroopers he had available."

"And it was indeed fortunate all of you were here," Drask said, nodding his head gravely. "We owe you our lives."

"Yes, you do," Mara agreed. "But here's the question. How exactly did you know you were going to need all this help?"

"I do not understand what you are asking," Drask said evenly. But there was a new tightness at the corners of his eyes. "You were invited to take possession of Outbound Flight. That is all."

Mara shook her head. "Sorry, General, but that won't fly. After that incident with the line creepers, the Aristocra gave us specific orders not to use our lightsabers aboard the ship. Even when we couldn't get into the Dreadnaught's docking bay, neither of you asked us to just cut it open, which we could have done in a fraction of the time it took the techs with their torches."

"Yes," Jinzler put in, sounding suddenly thoughtful. "I remember thinking about that myself at the time, wondering if it was some form of stiff-necked Chiss pride."

"That was what I thought, too," Mara said, smiling tightly. "In fact, I thought it right up to the minute Bearsh told me to die and casually sent his wolvkils charging at me... and I cut them in half."

Jinzler inhaled sharply. "Your lightsaber," he said in sudden understanding. "He'd never seen a lightsaber."

"That's right, he hadn't," Mara agreed. "Because Formbi made very sure they never saw us in action. That, plus our Jedi abilities in general—which they also never really saw—gave us an edge they were completely unprepared for."

She looked back at the three Chiss. "So again: how did you know we'd need that edge?"

"I do not appreciate the tone of your words," Drask said stiffly. "You may not make such unsupported accusations against a senior member of the Fifth Ruling Family."

"Feesa," Jinzler murmured suddenly.

Mara looked at him. "What?"

"Feesa," Jinzler repeated, nodding as if an odd puzzle piece had suddenly fallen into place. "In the turbolift, right after Pressor sprang his trap, she was frightened far more than seemed reasonable. It was because we were all alone in there with Bearsh and another Vagaari, wasn't it?"

Feesa didn't answer. "I see," Mara said, eyeing Formbi closely. "So I was wrong. It wasn't the Aristocra running this scam at all. It was Feesa."

The Aristocra's closed eyelids twitched. "And since she's obviously too young to be a senior member of a Ruling Family or anything else," Mara went on, "I guess it's perfectly all right for me to make such accusations against—"

"Enough," Formbi said quietly.

"Please, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano," Feesa said, an edge of urgency in her voice. "It's all right. I'm not afraid to admit my part in this."

"Your loyalty honors me, second niece," Formbi said, reaching over to touch her hand. "But it was my plan, and my decision. I cannot and will not allow others to take the responsibility for my actions."

He turned his head slightly. "Jedi Skywalker: approach where I may see you, and ask what you will."

Mara stepped up beside Feesa. "You knew they were Vagaari, didn't you?" she said, determined not to let his drawn face or the oozing blood on his arm influence her. "You knew it right from the start."

Formbi nodded. "Yes."

"But you told me you'd never seen one before," Jinzler objected.

"That was true," Formbi acknowledged. "But I had received a detailed description from one who had seen them." He smiled at Jinzler. "You, of all of us, should understand."

Mara stared at Formbi as it suddenly hit her. "You mean... Car'das?"

Again, the Aristocra nodded. "He and I spoke briefly when he brought the ambassador to the Chaf Envoy" he said. "When the Vagaari then appeared, I knew it was indeed them."

"Car'das gets around more than I'd realized," Mara commented. "Is he also the one who clued the Vagaari in on this in the first place?"

"No," Formbi said. "When I sent the message to Admiral Parck requesting Master Skywalker's presence, I made sure the transmission had enough edge leakage to be intercepted in the regions where we suspected the Vagaari were gathering their strength."

"And even knowing who they were, you let them aboard your ship?" Jinzler demanded, sounding more surprised than angry.

Formbi closed his eyes again. "The Vagaari are a violent people, Ambassador," he said wearily. "They have killed many, enslaved many others, and driven all who know them to terror and despair. Worse, they may already have made alliances with powers even more dangerous than they are. If Bearsh succeeds in escaping with even a partial route into the Redoubt, I have no doubt that knowledge will be used against us to terrible advantage."

"So the Vagaari need to be slapped down hard," Mara said, frowning. "So what's the problem?"

Formbi smiled wanly. "The problem is Chiss military doctrine, Jedi Skywalker," he said. "Specifically, the decree that no potential adversaries may be attacked until and unless they first act against Chiss interests within Chiss space."

Mara stared at him. "You wanted them to make a move against you," she said, not quite sure she believed it. "You invited them aboard one of your ships and into your most critical military base, hoping they'd pull this exact stunt."

Drask snorted. "This exact stunt? That had better not be the case."

"Of course I didn't expect what actually occurred," Formbi assured him. "My expectation was that the five Vagaari we permitted aboard would attempt to take control of the Chaf Envoy at some point after we reached Outbound Flight. That would have been sufficient provocation for us to act."

"Especially when you add in the slaughter of a few unarmed crewers?" Fel put in.

"Loss of life was neither necessary nor expected," Formbi insisted, some heat seeping through the fatigue into his voice. "My ship had been specially prepared for this mission. All crewers had been provided with hidden areas near their duty stations where they could protect themselves from attack as they watched for the Vagaari to betray themselves. With a squad of warriors in the Dreadnaught docking bay, I also expected there to be ample warning if Bearsh and the others attempted to return to the vessel. We expected to merely catch them in the act of attempted theft or sabotage, which would have satisfied the rules of engagement."

He closed his eyes. "I did not expect such a massive attack to come from the other direction," he said, the heat fading away. "The warriors whom I stationed in the Dreadnaught are certainly dead. So perhaps are all who we left aboard. Their blood now lies on my hands."

"It's hardly your fault that you didn't know about the Vagaari suspended animation trick," Jinzler pointed out. "Car'das must have missed that one."

"He merely met them," Formbi said. "He wasn't given a tour of their technical facilities."

"He'll have to do better next time," Mara said. "What about the others? Feesa and General Drask and your other aides?"

"Feesa knew the entire plan," Formbi said. "That was why I insisted she come along, so that if anything happened to me she could direct the operation. No one else knew more than you yourself were told."

He smiled slightly. "Though I believe General Drask was able to deduce much of the truth."