Star Wars - 210 - Jedi Prince 01 - The Glove of Darth Vader by Paul Davids, Hollace Davids Read Free Book Online Page B

said Grand Moff Hissa, flattering Trioculus,
    "as though it were made for you to wear!"
    They proceeded to Captain Dunwell’s cabin.
    When they approached the part of the corridor where the sabacc game was being played, Grand Moff Hissa cautioned Trioculus, telling him that the noisy Aqualish gamblers in their path seemed to be out of control.
    As Trioculus drew closer, the gang of Aqualish didn’t even look up, let alone step out of his way. They were as rude and stupid as any Aqualish he had ever encountered anywhere in the galaxy.
    Grand Moff Hissa clicked his heels to get their attention. "Why aren’t you Aqualish at your work stations?" he demanded.
    But there was no reply, only a snarling growl from the loser and a coarse laugh from the winner as he picked up his credit chips. Trioculus’s three eyes turned fiery.
    "You are blocking the path of the Supreme Ruler of the Empire!" Grand Moff Hissa shouted.
    "Clear a path and get back to work now or you’ll all be executed!" The one with the thickest tusks just sneered, then spit on the floor and hissed at the Imperials.
    "How dare you!" an enraged Trioculus boomed, raising the glove of Darth Vader and pointing it at the Aqualish who had just insulted him.
    But to Trioculus’s amazement nothing happened.
    The glove didn’t work for him the way it had worked for Darth Vader, who had been able to choke the life-breath out of his victims by pointing the glove in their direction. Scowling, Trioculus raised his other hand and lightning bolts flowed from his fingertips, causing the offending Aqualish to crumple to the ground, kicking and writhing. The electricity quickly reduced him to an unrecognizable heap.
    The remaining Aqualish scattered at once, without any further incident. Moments later Trioculus, Grand Moff Hissa, and Emdee arrived at the captain’s private quarters. Captain Dunwell agreed to depart so that the Imperial leader could confer with his most trusted advisors without being disturbed.
    Shaking his head in disgust, Trioculus sat down in the captain’s favorite chair. "When Darth Vader pointed this glove, he had the power to choke his victims," he said. "The glove is useless if it no longer has that power."
    "The important thing to remember," said Grand Moff Hissa, "is that the glove is a great symbol of evil. As we know, the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side, Kadann, prophesied that the new Emperor would wear that glove. And now that you wear it, none of the Imperial warlords can question your claim to be our new Emperor. And Kadann won’t be able to question your authority, either, once we go to Space Station Scardia and prove to him that you have found it."
    "I’m not interested in symbols," said Trioculus. "I want the same power as Darth Vader!" Grand Moff Hissa continued. "My lord, you must realize that, though you are a great slavelord, it could still take many years for you to become a True Master of the Dark Side. Don’t forget, the lightning bolts don’t flow naturally from your fingertips like they did with Emperor Palpatine. Emdee had to implant a cybernetic device inside of you so that you could appear to have the lightning power. But if you use it too many times, all that electricity could prove fatal to you. You mustn’t use it anymore. Fortunately, however, the lightning device has already served its purpose. It helped us to convince everyone that you are the Emperor’s son, which is exactly what the Central Committee of Grand Moffs wanted to do."
    "Never forget," Trioculus said with a blaze of anger in all three of his eyes, "that when the Central Committee of Grand Moffs proposed to me that I be the one to declare himself the Emperor’s son, you grand moffs swore you would keep the plot a secret. And in turn I agreed that when I became Emperor, I would share my rule with the Central Committee of Grand Moffs."
    "And I hope you shall never forget," said Grand Moff Hissa, bearing his pointy teeth,
    "that we dreamed up this plot only