"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
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
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.
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."