III
"Daelin's computer had been tampered with, sir," Lieutenant Hadeen said.
"Can you restore the original data?" Barrin asked.
"I think so, sir, but it will take some time. It would be easier if I had access to the Adjudicator's slicer facilities."
"I think that can be arranged." Barrin took his comlink from his belt and activated it. "Captain to Adjudicator."
No answer. The captain tried again, to no avail.
"Could the transmitter be fouled?" Hadeen questioned.
Barrin shrugged and took a comlink from one of the waiting stormtroopers. He had no more success than he had with his own transmitter.
"Perhaps we're being jammed, sir," Hadeen suggested.
"I think you're right," Barrin said.
"Who would jam our signal to our ship?"
"I believe I have an idea as to the culprit."
The captain beckoned to a pair of stormtroopers who had heavy blaster rifles cradled in their arms. He drew their holstered sidearms and handed one to Hadeen, keeping one for himself.
"Moff Ruykin has been cagey since we first arrived," Barrin explained.
"He might be involved in the slaver operation?"
"It's not unheard of for a sector governor in the outer rim territories to line their pockets by overlooking illicit activities."
"But slavery?"
"Even more despicable than taking bribes from spice smugglers."
"If he is involved, sir, we have no proof. We can't make any unfounded accusations against a Moff."
"If he's preventing us from contacting our ship via comlink, the only alternative we have is our shuttle. He'll have a surprise waiting for us at the landing pad, no doubt."
Hadeen checked the charge of his blaster. "What now, sir?"
"We take the data bank from Daelin's computer with us to the shuttle."
With the data bank carried between two stormtroopers, Barrin and his men hustled from the adjutant's quarters toward the landing pad. Their path was unimpeded even as they approached the shuttle. The pilot, who had remained inside the craft, released the chin ramp. Hadeen and the troopers with the data bank were already inside when a contingent of Ruykin's guards marched onto the landing pad, their heavy blasters aimed to crippled the shuttle's repulsor lifts. Moff Ruykin himself threaded his way through the guards.
"Why are you taking Daelin's computer data bank?" the administrator asked.
The stormtroopers formed up protectively around Barrin. "We need to use slicer facilities aboard the Adjudicator, and our signal's not getting through, preventing us from doing the work remotely," the captain replied.
"Under whose authority?"
"Under my authority, my lord. As the senior officer assigned to investigate this slavery ring, I have autonomous authority to conduct this investigation how I see fit."
"Don't step on my toes, Captain."
"And don't interfere with my investigation, my lord."
Ruykin smiled. "I'm afraid, Captain, that the slavers' contact on this planet, out of revenge for capturing his well-paying boss, will sabotage your shuttle. It will explode as you attempt to lift off."
Warning signals flashed through Barrin's brain even as the Moff's gray-uniformed guards raised their blasters. Stormtroopers, however, were the elite of the Empire's armies, and Barrin's troops reacted more swiftly than Ruykin's soldiers. Ruby bolts crisscrossed the span between the two opposing contingents. White-armored stormtroopers and gray-uniformed regulars alike fell under the onslaught.
Barrin joined the fight with his own blaster, felling several soldiers with well-placed bolts. Face pale with fear as he realized he was in the middle of a fire fight instead of a simple execution, Ruykin ducked low and attempted to escape. Calmly, Barrin redirected the muzzle of his blaster and fired a bolt into the seat of Ruykin's trousers. The Moff's legs collapsed from under him.
Seeing their cause lost, the Moff's few remaining soldiers dropped their weapons and held their hands above their heads in surrender. Barrin's surviving stormtroopers—more numerous than Ruykin's surviving soldiers—proceeded to both gather the surrendering men and tend to their own dead.
Ruykin was crawling toward the walkway off the landing pad when Barrin and a stormtrooper walked up. Barrin set a booted foot on the prone administrator's back.
"Even if we can't retrieve whatever data was wiped off Daelin's computer," the captain said, "I can still charge you with firing upon an Imperial officer."
"You dare apprehend me, Barrin!" Ruykin groaned.
"I dare." Barrin gestured to the stormtrooper, who promptly lifted the administrator and half-carried, half-dragged him to the shuttle.
The sergeant in command of the stormtrooper platoon walked up. "What about the Moff's soldiers, sir?"
Barrin moved to stand before the surrendered men and regarded them with a baleful glare. They had become traitors to the Empire as soon as they followed Ruykin's orders to open fire on Imperial troops, and should be punished accordingly. The deaths of the stormtroopers killed by these men demanded as much.
"Bind these men and put them aboard the shuttle. We'll hold them in detention aboard the Adjudicator until we can deliver them to the nearest Imperial court, where they will stand trial for treason," Barrin said.
"Understood, sir."
* * *
"You imprisoned a Moff?" Vesperon asked incredulously as he and Barrin traversed the corridors from the ship's detention area toward the superstructure.
"He as much as admitted his guilt when he attacked me on the landing pad," Barrin said. "If we can't find his link to the slavers, we can at the least hold him on the charges of high treason and the murder of nine stormtroopers."
"Do you think he's working for the rebellion?"
"I doubt it, Commander. The rebellion is made up of idealistic crusaders. They wouldn't stomach involvement with a slaver ring."
"You sound like you admire the rebels."
"I don't admire them, Commander. I can't bring myself to admire those who killed my son. I do, however, understand them."
"So you believe the reports that the rebels are murderous thieves is naught but propaganda?"
Barrin's lips twitched in a brief smile. "Would you consider me a traitor if I tell you that I don't regard everything coming out of Coruscant as rock solid truth?"
"I would call you a cynic, Captain."
"Perhaps I am. Have no fear of my loyalty to the Empire, Commander. The rebels want to return us to the days of the Old Republic, and all I remember of those days is the impotence of Coruscant brought about by the widespread corruption of the Senate. The Emperor has, at least, restored order to the galaxy. Coruscant is no longer impotent to deal with despicable activity such as this slave ring. In the days of the Republic, the Senate would have to debate in multiple committees before dispatching a ship to intervene."
"By then the intervention would come to late."
Barrin nodded. "Yes. Remember, Commander, how the Emperor came to power. He was voted as Supreme Chancellor after his predecessor was deposed by a vote of no confidence because Chancellor Velorum was unable intervene in the Trade Federation's embargo of Emperor Palpatine's home world of Naboo. Any possible intervention was held up in committee, and after the queen of Naboo called for a vote of no confidence to oust Velorum, then-Senator Palpatine was elected Supreme Chancellor."
"The presence of Moff Ruykin in our detention area is an indication that corruption yet exists."
"And we have the power to deal with that corruption without getting mired in bureaucratic committees."
The two men arrived at a turbolift and took it to the superstructure. They didn't head to the bridge, but instead to the cryptography spaces. They found Lieutenant Hadeen and several other cryptographers hard at work on Daelin's data bank. Hadeen looked up at the senior officers' entry and stood to meet them.
"Anything?" Barrin asked.
"Yes, sir, we found Daelin's erased files. Whoever did the deed was good enough to crack Daelin's pass code, but not good enough to remove the ghost files still lingering in the data bank."
"What's the bottom line, Lieutenant?" Vesperon asked.
"Moff Ruykin is implicated in the abduction of people from the planet under his care. Daelin discovered that Ruykin was being paid to overlook the slavers' activity on Tureen."
"Daelin's call for intervention was without Ruykin's authorization," Vesperon observed. "Ruykin wasn't happy to see us."
"No, he wasn't," said Barrin. "And Daelin's action brought about his murder, presumably by one of Ruykin's men. Does the file indicate who the slavers are?"
"The name Gorgon Shipping is mentioned," said Hadeen. "It's based in the Salavar system."
"Salavar is a little out of the way for a shipping company, isn't it?" Vesperon said.
Barrin nodded, moving to an intercom. "Bridge, this is the captain. Set course for the Salavar system and prepare to make the jump to hyperspace." He turned to Hadeen. "Can you get me all the information you have on the Salavar system and send it to me on the bridge?"
"Yes, sir," Hadeen said.
Barrin and Vesperon headed for the bridge.
* * *
The Adjudicator dropped out of hyperspace in the Salavar system approximately thirty thousand kilometers from the fourth planet. Two full squadrons of TIE fighters emerged from the Star Destroyer's hangar bay and fanned out ahead.
"They've seen us, Captain," one of the crewmen in the bridge pit reported. "The scanners are detecting numerous star fighters launching from the planet."
"Type?" Vesperon asked.
"Z-95 Headhunters, sir."
"Outdated ships."
"But still lethal enough in a dogfight," Barrin said. "Launch two more squadrons of fighters and prepare a squadron of bombers."
"Aye, sir," Vesperon said.
"Captain!" the crewman at the scanner station cried. "Two capital ships are emerging from behind the shadow of the planet."
"Identify," Barrin ordered.
"One Carrack-class cruiser and one Corellian corvette."
"Arm the turbolaser batteries." Barrin glanced at Vesperon. "Have the cryptographers scan the signature readings on those ships. I want to know if they can narrow down the exact identity of those ships."
Vesperon nodded. "Right away, sir," he replied before moving off to carry out the captain's orders.
Barrin clasped his hands behind his back and peered out the forward view ports. The battle was engaged as the TIE fighters intercepted the Z-95 Headhunters. Green and red laser fire flashed, and ships disappeared in violent blossoms of burning gases. As the small craft became interlocked in their dogfight, the two capital ships closed in on the Adjudicator.
Green bolts from the Star Destroyer's turbolaser batteries lanced out, slamming into the smaller corvette. The two ships returned fire, pumping ruby bolts into the Adjudicator's superior shielding. Concussion missiles streaked from the Carrack-class cruiser, detonating against the upper hull on the Adjudicator's port side. Barrin felt the slight tremor of the explosions.
In a straight fight, however, the Star Destroyer had the clear edge. Her awesome firepower pulverized the corvette. The fatally injured corvette attempted a final suicidal dive into the Adjudicator's superstructure, but the behemoth's turbolaser batteries vaporized the burning hulk.
The cruiser turned to port and delivered a full broadside of turbolasers at the section of the Star Destroyer damaged by the concussion missiles, hoping to exploit an already damaged area. The Adjudicator swung her prow, turning her damaged hull away from the cruiser to present her undamaged starboard side, her turbolasers maintaining a continuous pouring of hot energy. Gas blossoms erupted along the cruiser's hull.
"The scan of the planet is complete," Vesperon said, walking up. "Two ion cannon emplacements have been discovered."
"Deploy the TIE bombers to eliminate the ion cannons," Barrin said.
"And those ships have been positively identified, sir. Both are listed as having been sold for scrap two years ago."
"Well, as you can see, they seem to have escaped the scrapping yard. Who purchased the ships to supposedly scrap them?"
Vesperon consulted the datapad in his hand. "A firm called the Shagaki Consortium."
"I'll wager a few credits that the Shagaki Consortium and Gorgon Shipping are front organizations."
"But for whom?"
"Have the slicers trace it out."
"Aye, sir."
As Vesperon left to carry out the new orders, Barrin monitored the battle outside. The Adjudicator's turbolaser batteries were hammering the cruiser into submission, and the TIE's had the Headhunters on the run.
The cruiser put her stern toward the Star Destroyer and moved away to attempt a retreat into hyperspace, but the Adjudicator's main batteries wouldn't relent. One by one, the glowing exhaust of the drive nacelles winked out. The cruiser's hull was reddened by the numerous fires raging within.
"Cease fire," Barrin ordered. "Prepare boarding parties."
He barely had the order from his lips when the cruiser disappeared in a white hot flash of fire and debris.
Barrin stared out the view port at the patch of embers where the Adjudicator's hull had been penetrated by the cruiser's concussion missiles. The damage was slight compared to the immense hull, but was serious enough to have caused casualties to his crew.
"Report on the bombers," the captain snapped.
"The ion cannons have been eliminated," Vesperon replied.
"Send a landing force to the planet."
"Aye, sir."
* * *
"The commander of the landing force is reporting in, sir," Commander Vesperon said.
Barrin stood from behind his desk. "And?"
"And we have prisoners, including a fellow by the name of Rito Gann. He's the head of Gorgon Shipping. The prisoners are on their way up."
"Excellent. Maybe we can finally put an end to this chase."
"He should be in the detention area shortly."
Barrin ordered Vesperon to return to the bridge. The captain then made his way to the detention block. By the time he had arrived, the prisoners from the planet were being locked up in their cells. He found the one occupied by Rito Gann.
The prisoner was a Sullustian who was big for his species. He stood when he saw Barrin and began protesting in his native tongue.
"Do you speak Basic?" Barrin asked.
The Sullustian only replied in his own language.
"I need a protocol droid in here," Barrin called to the guard.
The gray-uniformed guard nodded and disappeared outside the cell. He returned a few moments later with a silvery colored protocol droid. Barrin peered into the robot's glowing photoreceptors.
"I am T-9CO, human-cyborg relations—"
"I need you to translate for me," the captain said. "This creature only speaks his own tongue."
"Of course," said T-9CO.
Barrin turned toward Rito Gann. "Now, are you the head of this organization? Gorgon Shipping?"
The droid translated, and the Sullustian began gibbering. T-9CO turned toward Barrin.
"He says he's not answering, sir."
"Perhaps I can be more persuasive," said the captain. "Guard!"
The soldier stepped forward. "Sir?"
"The interrogation droid."
"Yes, sir."
The guard left once again. He returned a few moments later. Just behind him hovered a black spherical droid with numerous appliances protruding from its form. Most prominent was a hypodermic on its left side.
Gann stared at the interrogator, his throat convulsing with a swallow.
"Well?" Barrin asked, and the protocol droid translated.
The Sullustian bowed his head. He began speaking, and not only did T-9CO translate, but he kept a recorded log of the confession. Barrin smiled when he finally discovered who was behind the slavers' ring.
* * *
The bluish hologram of Admiral Urias filled the desktop projector. "I've been awaiting your report, Captain."
Barrin leaned forward in his chair. "I have most of the ringleaders of the slaver operation in custody, Admiral, including Moff Ruykin and a Sullustian named Rito Gann. I also have a Hutt named Orba, but he's a petty spice smuggler."
"You've been busy. So Moff Ruykin was behind this?"
"He was a key player in that he accepted bribes to look the other way. And Gann was but an underling to the true power broker."
"And who is that, Captain? Please, spare me the dramatic pauses."
"The slavers operated under corporate names that are merely dummy corporations. They provided a buffer for Jabba the Hutt, the true power behind the slave ring on Tureen. And if he's operating a slve ring in one system, I'm sure he has others."
The admiral's face contorted. "Are you certain it is Jabba?"
"Yes. I'm preparing to take the Adjudicator to Tatooine shortly. I wanted to contact you before I jumped to hyperspace."
"Bring your prisoners to Coruscant immediately, Captain."
"Sir, I can make the transit to Tatooine and pick up Jabba before heading to Coruscant. It's not that far out of my way."
"No. Leave Jabba alone."
"I don't understand, sir. We have concrete evidence that he is behind the scenes of this slaver organization that has enslaved Imperial subjects."
"You have your orders, Captain."
Barrin frowned. "Are you going to at least send another Star Destroyer to apprehend him?"
"No." Urias looked down. "Jabba has an arrangement with the Emperor. It has something to do with Jabba's bounty hunters and those rebels that Lord Vader is pursuing."
Barrin leaned back in his chair. "What is so important about those particular rebels?"
"I don't know, Captain. Now, set course for Coruscant and bring your prisoners in."
"Yes, sir."
The hologram winked out, and Barrin stared at the blank projector. He wondered if anyone cared about the fate of the Imperial subjects who had been abducted. And fear entered his soul—fear that the same corruption that had doomed the Old Republic was now beginning to infect the Empire.