Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown Micro-Excerpt #2

Del Rey's Star Wars Books Facebook page has posted the second micro-excerpt from Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown by Joe Schreiber. Check it out below.

“Darth Sidious,” Damask said, gesturing to the empty seat beside him. “Will you join me?”

Palpatine flicked his eyes toward the air-taxi’s cockpit, but Damask gave him a reassuring nod.

“I’ve rendered the surveillance equipment inoperative,” the Muun said, “so that we may speak freely. As equals.”

“Of course.” Without hesitating, Darth Sidious slipped inside next to the Muun, his expression revealing just the right tincture of pleasant surprise. “It’s always good to see you under any circumstances.”

“Yes.” Behind the transpirator mask, Darth Plagueis offered what might have been a faint smile. “I know we had plans to meet later in Monument Plaza for our usual stroll, but something’s come up and I had to alter my schedule at the last minute. I thought it best that we meet now.” He turned to Sidious and cast a passing glance back at the LiMerge Building. “I take it that you’ve been in touch with the Zabrak?”

“As a matter of fact, I just—”

“I recall you mentioning that you’ve dispatched him to Cog Hive Seven find this elusive weapons dealer?”

“Iram Radique, yes.” Sidious was careful to sound as casual as possible, although inside he was already puzzled. Darth Plagueis knew only the broadest generalities about Darth Sidious’s ongoing work to destabilize the Outer Rim planets and orchestrate the Galactic Civil War. He rarely asked specific questions about where the weapons were coming from, or how exactly Sidious intended to use them to facilitate the Grand Plan.

“This Radique,” Plagueis continued on in the same conversational tone as he gazed out the window at the approaching Avenue of the Core Founders, “is rumored to be one of the most powerful arms dealers in the galaxy?”

“Radique is as dangerous as he is unpredictable.” Sidious was aware of an unwelcome warmth beginning to climb upward through the back of his neck, enveloping his cheeks and forehead.

“Which is why I sent Maul to assassinate him.”

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