The Krytos Trap (5 page)

“But there has to be a chance to appeal a conviction.…” Wedge hesitated, then nodded. “Councilor Beruss’s comment about a lack of a Judiciary … that was meant to forestall this argument, yes?”

Leia nodded. “In simple terms, yes, but we haven’t yet had time to make decisions concerning the structure of such a body, much less its jurisdiction and duties. For example, would an appeal go to the New Republic courts first, or would it be sent to the courts on the defendant’s homeworld, or the victim’s homeworld? Putting together a government is not easy, and the process is not pretty or without pain. There are casualties all over the place.”

“And Tycho will be one of them.”

“Unfortunately, yes, he may be.” Leia’s shoulders slumped with fatigue. “You may not realize how fragile the New Republic is right now. With her Krytos virus Ysanne Isard has succeeded in driving a wedge between the human and non-human members of the New Republic. There have been accusations that some of us knew the virus was here and encouraged people to return to their native worlds specifically to spread the disease and kill off whole planetary populations. There are others who accuse us of not doing enough to get bacta to those who need it. If we do try to get as much as possible here to save as many people as possible, we drain the military of their supply. If Isard hits back, or Warlord Zsinj decides to strike at us, we can be devastated. Trying to buy up supplies of bacta has driven the price higher than ever before, and to make matters worse, the Ashern rebels on Thyferra have managed to damage production, limiting the supply at a time when the demand couldn’t be higher.”

She looked up at him. “It’s a good thing we don’t have a Treasury Ministry in place, because they’d tell us we’re bankrupt.”

When Wedge realized his mouth was hanging open he clicked it shut. “I had no idea.…”

“Of course not. Nor does anyone else outside the Council.
Things are so dire that I’ll be heading off to try to open relations with Hapes and ask them for help—and that’s something that’s so secret I’ll deny even knowing you if it gets out.”

Wedge nodded. “Already forgotten.”

Leia mustered a weak smile. “Frankly speaking, there is a remote possibility that we can secure enough bacta to save many of the people who are afflicted by Krytos, but not all. Even if we cure 95 percent of the cases, those we don’t cure will amount to millions of fatalities—non
-human
fatalities. The resentment against the government will rise until the Alliance falls apart. When that happens, someone like Warlord Zsinj or Ysanne Isard or who knows who else is lurking out there can come in and sweep up the pieces.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “That shouldn’t have anything to do with Tycho, but it does because Tycho is a
human
, accused of a heinous crime against a fellow Rebel and a man who is now a hero. If we do not bring him to trial quickly and let the trial take its course, we will be accused of favoring a human. People will suggest that were Tycho a Gotal or Quarren, we’d have tried, convicted, and executed him inside of a day. That charge is baseless, but it’s critical we avoid any appearance of favoritism.”

“So Tycho gets offered up as a sacrifice to keep the Alliance together?”

“I would have preferred being able to put Ysanne Isard on trial for having the Krytos virus created and spread, but she got away—how, I don’t know, but she did. We probably could scoop up a double-handful of Imperial bureaucrats and put them on trial for past activities, but then the entire Imperial bureaucracy would go into hiding and any chance we had of trying to govern the galaxy would go away.”

That comment brought Wedge up short. The notion of using the enemy to administer the territories of the new government struck him as wrong, but then he realized the Alliance military had always welcomed defectors from the other side into its ranks. Experience was enough to forgive past sins, especially when things were so critical. “You’re right, creating a government isn’t easy or pretty.”

“But it’s what we have to do.”

The logic of her argument was inescapable, but Wedge bristled at it and didn’t want to back down. “Perhaps resigning is something I
have
to do.”

Leia shook her head. “No, no it’s not. You’re not going to resign, Wedge.”

“Why not? The war’s over. There have to be a half-dozen fueling depots I could buy and operate here on Coruscant or back on Corellia.” He knew he was letting himself be a bit petulant, but to acquiesce seemed like abandoning Tycho.
I won’t do that without sufficient reason
.

“You won’t resign, dear heart, because of the same sense of responsibility that makes you threaten to resign.” Leia smiled at him. “Cracken’s people have been doing more than looking into Tycho’s activities. Turns out that Warlord Zsinj hit a Thyferran bacta convoy and stole a fairly big shipment. An Ashern rebel was on the convoy and got word out to us about the location of the space platform where Zsinj has the convoy docked. The bacta will save a lot of people, but getting our operatives in and back out means someone very good is going to have to be flying cover for our strike. Rogue Squadron will be leading the way.”

Wedge nodded. “Resign and doom millions, or stay and watch a friend be destroyed. Not much of a choice.”

“Not so, my friend, it is indeed quite a choice. Not an easy one.”

“Oh, the choice is easy, Leia, but living with the result will not be.” Wedge swallowed past the lump choking him. “You’ll let the Council know I’ve reconsidered my resignation.”

“I’ll tell them that you meant the suggestion as a way to underscore your concern for Captain Celchu.” Leia nodded solemnly. “According to Cracken you’ll be briefed inside a week and then head out. May the Force be with you.”

“I’ll save the Force for Tycho.” Wedge’s eyes became slits. “No matter what sort of reception Zsinj has for us, what Tycho’s going to face will be a million times worse.”

4

The prison uniform Tycho Celchu had been given looked enough like a flightsuit that Wedge Antilles could almost imagine his friend being free again. The black jumpsuit had red sleeves and leggings that started at elbow and knee respectively. They also ended well shy of wrist and ankle so the fabric would not interfere with the operation of the binders Tycho wore.

Wedge shuddered with anger and embarrassment.
I will see you free again, my friend
.

Tycho looked up and smiled. A bit taller than Wedge, but with the same lithe build, Tycho was a handsome man whose blue eyes appeared brighter than Wedge would have thought possible. Tycho held his hands up in greeting to Wedge and Nawara Ven, and almost made it seem as if the binders were not hampering him. He waited patiently as a guard in a control room opened the transparisteel barrier separating him from the visitation center, then shuffled in past his escort.

Wedge rose and started across the sparsely furnished white room, but Tycho’s guard brandished a Stokhli Spray Stick. “Keep away from the prisoner, Commander.”

Wedge felt a hand on his left elbow and turned back to
face the Twi’lek who had accompanied him to the detention center. “Commander, we’re not allowed physical contact with Tycho—no one is allowed to touch prisoners. It’s security.”

Wedge frowned. “Right.”

Nawara Ven skewered the guard with a pink-eyed stare. “You’ve done your duty here, now I require you to leave us alone with my client and my droid here.”

The heavyset guard’s eyes narrowed, then he tapped the Stokhli Spray Stick against the palm of his other hand. “I’m going to be right out there. Anything funny happens, and you’ll be spending a lot of time with this traitor.” He turned and headed back out to the far side of the transparisteel barrier.

Wedge dropped into one of the four chairs around the table in the middle of the room. “How are you doing? Is that guard causing you trouble? Because if he is, I’ll do something about it.”

Tycho sat across from him and shrugged. “Voleyy isn’t so bad, he just doesn’t like things to get odd on his watch. Other guards are worse, and if I weren’t in solitary confinement, I think the general population would have already tried and executed me.”

“What?” Tycho’s comment caught Wedge by surprise. “What do you mean by that?”

“I thought it was rather self-explanatory.” Tycho shook his head, then smiled up at his friends. “You have to remember, I’ve been charged with murder and treason. There are guards here who are just waiting for an excuse to show the New Republic how deep their patriotism runs. Some of the prisoners think they could win a pardon by saving the Republic the cost of a trial. I shouldn’t think that would come as a surprise to you, Wedge.”

“No, I guess it doesn’t, but your reaction to it does. If I were in your boots, I’d be angry and outraged.”

“That’s because you’ve never been a guest in the Empire’s correctional system.” Tycho sighed and Wedge read weariness in the way his shoulders sagged. “All the anger
and outrage I can muster won’t get me out of here any faster,
and
it could get me in trouble.”

“But aren’t you angry about being imprisoned for something you didn’t do?”

“Yes.”

Wedge opened his hands. “Then why don’t you show it? You can’t keep it bottled up inside. It’ll tear you apart.”

Tycho took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Wedge, you’ve always been my friend and you’ve supported me with no questions asked, but what I’m enduring now is really no different than what I endured while being under house arrest. Sure, I can’t go flying, can’t head out to Borleias with Mirax to save Corran’s tail, and I’m not free to walk the streets of Coruscant as your hole card, but nothing has really changed. Since my capture by the Empire right here on Coruscant I’ve been their prisoner. I’ve never really escaped the Empire because they managed to make others suspicious of me. I was outraged then and have been since, but protesting wouldn’t do me any good. The only way I can be free, truly free, is for the Empire to be destroyed. I know, as it falls apart, someone somewhere will have the information that will set me free.”

“And if they don’t?”

Tycho cracked a smile. “You figured out a plan to take Coruscant away from the Empire. Springing a friend from prison shouldn’t be that hard for you to manage.”

Nawara Ven cleared his throat. “Let’s not be adding conspiracy to the charges against you.”

Tycho nodded. “As you wish, Counselor. How’s my defense going?”

“Good and bad.” Nawara Ven sat at the end of the table and a little green and white R2 unit rolled up beside him. “The best thing we have going for us right now is that Whistler here has joined our defense team.”

“But I’m accused of killing Corran Horn. He and Corran were partners. Why would he want to help defend me?”

The droid keened a reply.

Wedge smiled. “Ah, he did know Corran well.”

The Twi’lek nodded. “Well enough to decide Horn was
wrong about you, Captain Celchu. If Horn was wrong about your being a traitor, that means someone else killed him. Since you’ve been framed for the murder, if Whistler does nothing to help you, he’s ensuring that his friend’s murderer is getting away. Having Whistler on the team is unbelievably useful because of the specialized circuitry and programming he has. It allows him to wade through a lot of law enforcement data, including Imperial files.”

Tycho shifted around in his chair, making his binders click against the edge of the table. “I hope the bad news doesn’t obliterate the good.”

Nawara’s braintails twitched lethargically. “Corran had reported to Commander Antilles that he saw you in the Headquarters talking to Kirtan Loor. You said you were speaking with,” Nawara glanced at his datapad, “a Duros Captain Lai Nootka.”

Tycho nodded. “Right. He flew a freighter called
Star’s Delight
. I was negotiating with him for spare parts for the Z-95 Headhunters I’d bought.”

“Well, no one can seem to find him or his ship. The prosecution can introduce ample evidence that Kirtan Loor was here on Coruscant, that Corran would have recognized him, and that knowing you were exposed, you had to take steps to cover yourself.”

Wedge frowned. “If the only way out of that trap is to find Nootka, we’ll find him.”

Whistler tooted a dour message.

Rogue Squadron’s commander rubbed his eyes for a moment to ease their burning. “Fine, fine, there are 247 unidentified bodies of Duros here on Coruscant, and the possibility exists that the Imps caught him, killed him, and dumped him so we’ll never find him. We can still try to find the ship. The log might have an entry in it about the meeting.”

Tycho gave Wedge a smile. “You’re more nervous than I am, Wedge.”

“That’s because I don’t think you understand what’s at stake here, Tycho.” Wedge got up and began to pace. “Your trial is going to go forward and go forward quickly. It’s going to be used to show that the New Republic can be just
as hard on humans as the Empire was on non-humans. I have to tell you, if Nawara here weren’t already a lawyer, I’d be looking for the best non-human counsel I could find for you. The judges here are going to feel pressure to convict to seem fair; I want the fact that your defender is non-human to make them worry about how your being found
guilty
will look.”

“Captain, you might want to look into more competent counsel than me.”

Tycho shook his head. “No, Nawara, I want you. I’ve read your file and I know you. This is going to be hard enough without having a lawyer who wants the case for the notoriety.”

“Tycho’s right, we need you. The squadron is behind Tycho, and having you represent him means the rest of us don’t feel entirely impotent.” Wedge’s dark eyes narrowed. “Do you see a problem with defending him?”

The Twi’lek hesitated for a moment, then answered. “I’ve defended a lot of people in criminal cases, but the stakes have not been this high before, nor the opposition so tough. Emtrey knows all the regulations, so having him in court with me means I’ll have a good grasp on the differences between military law and civil law, but it would be better for you to have someone who doesn’t have to rely on a droid for that stuff. The fact that I was down with the first stages of Krytos during the alleged murder means I can’t be called as a witness of fact in the case—at least,
I’d
not call me, but the prosecution might have other ideas.”