The breach in security was more extensive than Kuat had originally feared. They've gone off-planet, Kuat realized. The Knylenn household had obviously been in touch with intelligence sources elsewhere in the galaxy, and had paid for what they wanted to know; that meant there was a good chance they had traced out a few more connections that Kuat would have preferred to keep hidden.
But what exactly had the Knylenns found out? That remained to be seen.
"Since you seem to know so much-" Kuat's hand swept a gesture toward Khoss." Why don't you tell us what is true? Or what you think is true."
"It's not a matter of thinking, Kuat; it's a matter of knowing. Or knowing enough; enough to be concerned about where your schemes have led us to."
"And where is that?" Kuat kept his tone mild and even somewhat amused.
"You have kept much hidden-you show an undeniable talent, Kuat, for secrecy. But secrets can also be found out; truth has a way of revealing itself." Khoss straightened himself behind the encased torso and scowling head of the Knylenn Elder, and folded his arms across his chest." For is it not also true that these schemes also entangled you-and by extension, Kuat Drive Yards-with the criminal organization known as Black Sun? You've said that you value the Empire as a customer, and yet you also had secret dealings with the very creatures who continually circumvented Emperor Palpatine's authority in the galaxy. I would call that a risky game, one that tried to play both sides against each other. That's not good business, Kuat; that's madness."
So they don't know everything, decided Kuat. Whatever intelligence sources the Knylenns had used, whatever information they had paid for, it hadn't been enough to reveal all of his schemes and maneuvers. If Khoss of Knylenn had known exactly what had gone on with the Empire and Black Sun-and even the Rebel Alliance-he would have already used that knowledge against Kuat. Some of those schemes, such as Kuat's attempt to link Prince Xizor, the leader of Black Sun, with the Imperial stormtrooper raid that had killed Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle, had gone beyond all reasonable concepts of risk-yet they had been necessary as well as part of Kuat's calculated campaign to eliminate the threat that Xizor represented to Kuat Drive Yards. The scheme had failed
Kuat had already admitted that to himself. All his efforts now, including the bombing raid on Tatooine's Dune Sea, were concentrated on eliminating the evidence of that scheme before the truth of it leaked out to Emperor Palpatine. Maybe I'm too late-if the Knylenns had gotten wind of even these few scraps of information, there was no telling what Palpatine, with his vastly superior intelligence organization, might already be aware of.
"Very well." He had heard enough from Khoss of Knylenn. The state of the Knylenns' perception of his secrets was clear." I don't care to tell you more than you already know. If you believe these matters to constitute treachery-and if you've convinced enough of the other ruling households that that is the case-only one question remains. What are you going to do about it?"
The Knylenn Elder spoke, its voice a grating rasp from the amplified speaker mounted at the front of the cylinder housing the ancient flesh." The bloodline of Kuat. . . must pay the price. . . for its crimes. . ."
"'Crimes'?" The Elder's words seemed to enrage Kodir of Kuhlvult. She stepped forward from where she had been standing next to Kuat." The crime is yours!" An accusing finger darted out, pointing directly at Khoss of Knylenn above her." Your greed and ambition have led you to spy on and invent slanders against a fellow kinsman." Kodir lowered her hand, letting the same gesture sweep across the ranks of the other Knylenns and their affiliates." And all of you share the guilt for letting these suspicions poison your minds. The galaxy is at war, the Empire against the Rebels, and like it or not, we find ourselves on the battlefield. Now is not the time to conspire against the only one who has a chance of leading us to safety."
"Lead us to ruin, more likely." Khoss of Knylenn tempered the severity of his voice, the better to draw back into line any of his followers who might have had second thoughts." Kuat of Kuat hides from us that which we most need to know-and that which would absolve him of suspicion, if his actions are indeed blameless. There are things we need to know, which he managed to keep secret. All he needs to do is dispel the darkness that he himself has created, and then our objections to the way he administers Kuat Drive Yards will melt away like dew upon the forest's leaves." The last bit of poetry was accompanied by an unpleasant smile." What say you, Kuat of Kuat? You may have your secrets-but not without suspicions. Or accusations."
The temptation was great to divulge exactly those things that Khoss and the other Knylenns demanded to know. Tell them, thought Kuat grimly, and let there be an end to it all. Upon the heads of the Knylenns and their affiliates, the blame would be as heavy as it was upon his own. Why should he be the only one to be crushed beneath this burden when all shared the benefits of his constant, unsleeping labors? He could feel the words splitting open his heart and rising to his tongue, the intricate details of his schemes forcing their way to the light. . .
Tell them the truth, thought Kuat. And give up any hope of success. Any chance of survival, of saving Kuat Drive Yards from its enemies.
That was the problem, the trap in which he was caught. Information flowed both ways; if the Knylenns were already in contact with spies and other shady intelligence sources, then anything revealed here would quickly find its way to those who would be even more interested in discovering the details of Kuat of Kuat's schemes. Someone such as Prince Xizor would not have been grateful upon finding out that he had been the target for the net that Kuat had woven in hopes of trapping him within. And Xizor would have had ways of expressing his displeasure; ways that would have been personally unpleasant, then fatal for the schemes' instigator. It was the price that came with playing games with such high stakes. What burned inside Kuat was the awareness that the cost of his failure would also be paid by Kuat Drive Yards. The corporation would cease to exist; even its name would be wiped from memory, as it was absorbed into the fabric of the Empire. Xizor's intentions toward Kuat Drive Yards had been made plain long ago; all that he had lacked had been the pretext upon which he could convince Emperor Palpatine to seize the corporation's valuable assets and make them his own. The discovery of schemes such as those launched by Kuat of Kuat would have more than sufficed for that purpose.
A choice such as that which Kuat faced was no choice at all. Kuat knew that to use the truth to defend himself against an enemy such as Khoss of Knylenn would only deliver him, and Kuat Drive Yards, into the hands of an even more implacable enemy. Better to maintain silence, he decided, and take whatever accusations they want to throw at me.
"I keep my own counsel," Kuat answered aloud." As do you yourself. You and your fellow conspirators did not seek the benefit of my advice before you saw fit to spy upon me. So be it. If all your prying cannot unveil what you seek to know, and if you cannot buy it with all the credits that my labors have put in your coffers, then you can hardly expect me to give you that information for free."
Khoss of Knylenn smiled as he nodded." That is exactly the answer I expected from you. That all of us, who have chafed under your unbridled power, thought we would hear from you. It comes as no surprise that you will not-or cannot-defend yourself."