"Then your opinion is wrong," C'baoth countered flatly. "I'm doing what is necessary-andonly what is necessary-to keep this mission running smoothly."
"Others would disagree," Ma'Ning said, his eyes flicking over C'baoth's shoulder to the crewers and their families gathered together beside their borrowed shuttle. "At any rate, it's now a matter for all of Outbound Flight's Jedi to decide."
C'baoth seemed to draw back a little. "Are you suggesting that a Judgment Circle be convened?"
"In actual fact, Master C'baoth, I've already made the arrangements," Ma'Ning said. "The circle will convene as soon as the situation with the Chiss has been resolved."
For a long moment the two men gazed at each other, and Lorana could sense the tension arcing along the line between their eyes. "Then it will convene," C'baoth said at last. "And when it concludes, you'll understand that I do what is best for Outbound Flight and its people."
He looked at Lorana. "You'llall understand."
He turned back to Ma'Ning. "Until then, I am still in command," he went on. "You'll return at once to Dreadnaught-Four and prepare for combat."
Ma'Ning's lip twitched. "The negotiations with the Chiss have failed?"
"There was nothing to negotiate," C'baoth said. "Return to Dreadnaught-Four."
Ma'Ning's eyes flicked to Lorana, as if wondering whether he should ask her opinion on that. But if he was, he left the question unvoiced. "Very well," he said, looking back at C'baoth. Turning, he left the hangar.
C'baoth took a deep breath, let it out in a long, controlled sigh. "Did you know about this?" he asked quietly.
Lorana shook her head. "No."
"A waste of time," C'baoth said contemptuously. "Still, if it'll end this dangerous disunity, he can convene his little circle. Now; come."
Turning, he led the way back to Uliar and the others.
"Wonder what they're talking about," Pressor murmured at Uliar's side.
"No idea," Uliar said, studying the three Jedi closely. Even if they'd been closer, the hangar's lousy acoustics would probably have made their conversation impossible to hear.
But neither distance nor acoustics could disguise their expressions. . and to Uliar, it was abundantly clear that no one over there was very happy right now. "Maybe they're finally having it out," he suggested.
"I doubt it," Pressor said. "Jedi stick together like molwelded deck plates."
"Yeah, I've noticed," Uliar agreed sourly. "Probably just a difference of opinion on how to swat down this Mitth-whatever."
"Probably." Pressor cleared his throat. "You know, Chas, it occurs to me that we still have one card we could play," he said, lowering his voice even further. "Back in the aft reactor storage area we've got a couple of droidekas packed away for emergency intruder defense. If we pulled them out and turned 'cm loose, even the Jedi would have to sit up and take notice."
Uliar snorted. "Oh, they'd notice, all right. All the bodies lying around would be a dead giveaway. Those things are way too dangerous for amateurs to fool around with."
"Maybe," Pressor said. "But still-"
"Break time's over," Uliar interrupted as the Jedi conversation broke apart. Ma'Ning turned and left the hangar, while C'baoth and Jinzler conversed a moment longer and then headed back toward the shuttle. In Uliar's estimation, both looked even less happy than they had before.
They reached the silent group by the shuttle, and for a moment C'baoth sent his gaze around at all of them as if memorizing their faces. "Jedi Jinzler, you'll escort these people back to Dreadnaught-Four," he said at last. "No. On second thought, take them to the storage core and put them in the Jedi training center."
Jinzler turned to him, her eyes widening in surprise. "Thetraining center? "
"Don't worry, there's plenty of room," C'baoth said. "I've ordered all the students to Dreadnaught-One's ComOps Center, where they can observe the upcoming meld in safety."
"But they'll be locked in down there." Jinzler's gaze flicked past Uliar, lingering on the children as they clutched their parents' hands. "Besides, we're on full battle alert," she added. "They need to be at their stations."
"Where they can preach their sedition to others?" C'baoth countered darkly. "No. They'll be out of trouble down there until I've had time to decide on a more permanent solution."
Jinzler seemed to brace herself. "Master C'baoth-"
"You will obey my order, Jedi Jinzler," C'baoth said. His voice was quiet, but Uliar could hear the weight of will and age and history behind it. "Between the Chiss and whatever game this Sidious impostor is playing, Outbound Flight has no time right now to deal with internal dissent."
And as Uliar watched, Jinzler's brief flicker of defiance faded away. "Yes, Master C'baoth," she murmured.
With one final look at the people still lined up on the deck, C'baoth turned and strode away. "If you please, Uliar?" Jinzler said quietly, her eyes avoiding his.
Uliar gazed across the hangar at C'baoth's receding back. Someday, he promised himself Someday. "You heard our beloved Jedi slave master," he growled. "Everyone back in the shuttle."
The pulsating hyperspace sky flowed past the Vagaari warship, closer and more vivid and more terrifying than Car'das had ever seen it. With only a single layer of thin plastic between him and the waves, he couldn't shake the sensation that at any moment they might break through and snatch him away from even the precarious safety of his hull bubble, leaving him to die alone in the incomprehensible vastness of the universe. He tried closing his eyes, or turning around so that his face would be to the hull. But somehow that just made it worse.
And it would be a six-hour journey back to the Crustai base, six hours of uncertainty and mental 'agony along with the emotional strain of the hyperspace sky beating against his transparent coffin. More than once he wondered if he would make it with his sanity still intact.
He never had the chance to find out. Less than two hours after leaving the Geroon homeworld, the hyperspace sky suddenly coalesced into starlines and collapsed back into stars. There was a click from somewhere beside him
"Human!" the Miskara's voice snarled into his ear.
Car'das jerked, banging his head on the cold plastic. What in the worlds-?
"Human!" the voice came again.
And this time he realized it was coming from the diamond-shaped device he'd puzzled at earlier. The Vagaari version of a comlink, apparently. Reaching awkwardly over his shoulder, he grabbed it. "Yes, Your Eminence?"