“And you?” Malgus loomed over him, all dark eyes, all dark armor, all dark power. “Are you a spicerunner? A business rival, maybe?”

The lie exited his mouth before wisdom could stop it. “No, no, I am a former Imperial. A sniper. I’m … I’m just doing my part for the Empire, my lord.”

Malgus inhaled deeply, exhaled, the mechanical sound heavy with disappointment. “You are a poor liar. You are a rival spicerunner, or a killer in service to one of the syndicates that runs spice.”

Vrath dared not deny it. He stood there, frozen, pinioned by Malgus’s eyes.

“When is this freighter due to arrive?” Malgus asked. “And how do they plan to get through the blockade?”

Vrath found his mouth was dry. He cleared his throat. “They are coming soon. Today. They must.”

“Because of the engspice?”

Vrath could not meet Malgus’s eyes. “Yes. I don’t know how they intend to get through, but I know they will try.”

Malgus stared at him for a long second that felt like an eternity to Vrath.

“You will remain on the bridge, Vrath Xizor. If this freighter and the Jedi it carries show up, I will overlook your illegal flight into restricted space. Perhaps I will even compensate you for your service. But if the ship doesn’t show then I will devise a … suitable punishment for a spicerunner found in restricted space. Does that seem to you unreasonable?”

Vrath choked on his response. “No, my lord.”

“Excellent.”

Malgus turned from Vrath and Vrath felt as though the air had become easier to breathe. Malgus took a seat in his command chair and spoke to Commander Jard.

“Commander, intensify all scanning until further notice. Any unusual readings are to be reported to me. And dispatch a squad of fighters to put eyes on all incoming ships.”

“Most of the fighter fleet is otherwise assigned, my lord.”

“Use shuttles then.”

“Yes, my lord,” answered Jard.

Vrath stared at the cruiser’s viewscreen, hoping that Zeerid had not scratched the run for some reason. Or just as bad, that Zeerid had somehow beaten him to Coruscant and already snuck through the blockade.

He had never before felt so vulnerable.

“WE HAVE TO JUMP right on their heels, Aryn.”