scrambling and descrambling routines buried in his signal.
"Ahh, my little velsers" he said. "You must still be on Cloud City.
By now I'm sure you've learned of the tragedy that has befallen your
young Jedi friends."
"Tragedy?" Ania said with a frown of distaste. "So, you did set that
up."
"Of course," Czethros said. He looked down at his fingertips, then
back up again, smiling at her.
"Well, they're not dead," she said in a flat voice. "None of them."
Alarmed, Czethros drew back. "But I've already had a report from my
operatives. At least three of those meddling kids were thrown down an
exhaust chute and dumped out into the open skies of Bespin."
"Is that the best you could do?" Anja chided. "I've told you before,
they're resourceful and strong," She was amused by his obvious
surprise. "They've been trained by the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker
himself, and they've been through a lot worse than falling down a
hole."
Czethros snarled. Anja took a new tack, scowling back at him.
"How could you send a bunch of hired assassins to kill a few
teenagers?
Even for you, isn't that a bit"-she searched for the right
word-"cowardly?"
Czethros raised his eyebrows above the visor, and the red laser eye
flashed back and forth in agitation. "Do I detect compassion for the
Solos in your voice, Anja Gallandro? I must not have trained you well
enough. You were a predator, as ruthless as the velsers on Bespin.
And now you're feeling sorry for the children of the man who killed
your father?" He laughed out loud. "Do you realize how ridiculous
that is?"
Anja bit back a reply, not sure exactly how she felt. Jacen had been
so friendly toward her. Jaina had accepted her. And even their
friends considered her part of the group. She'd never felt this way
before. She'd always been bitter about her life, holding on by her
fingernails, fighting for every little advantage she managed to get.
Never before had Anja felt the slightest bit sentimental.
Czethros leaned closer, his face growing larger on the mirror-screen.
"Have you changed your mind? Don't you want Solo's children killed?
Perhaps you'd like me to send some flowers to Han Solo himself.?"
Anja felt torn. After what Solo had done to her father, she'd spent
her life trying to get even with him. He deserved to be hurt. But
when she had believed Jacen Solo was dead, it had twisted her
insides.
The pain had been unbearable.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Czethros said. "Even if you did change
your mind I doubt I could stop my plans now. Everything is set.
Soon I will send my signal, and Black Sun will appear everywhere,
simultaneously taking over key installations and assuming key
positions.
Then the galaxy will run smoothly for us.
"My operatives are in place. They received orders days ago to
eliminate Jacen and Jaina Solo and their friends, as well as Lando
Calrissian. I can't afford to let anyone find out too much about how
we've been working our way through the bureaucratic levels of Cloud
City.
Bespin will be ours, as will Kessel, Mon Calamari, Ord Mantell, Borgo
Prime, and every other important installation. Even Coruscant will
feel our strength." Anja swallowed hard and forced herself to change
the subject.
"I'm ... almost out of spice," she said. "You promised me more, and
I've done everything you asked."
"Yes, yes," he said, brushing aside her comment. "I'll get it to you
as soon as I can."
"When?" she said. Her lips trembled. Her eyes stung. She hated to
beg.
Czethros looked at her and smiled faintly. "It's on my schedule.
Don't worry your pretty head, my little velser. Now get back to your
work. I have details to attend to. My killers are professionals, who
always carry out their orders. Just stay clear of Lando Calrissian and
the Solo kids, and you'll be safe."
Czethros switched off the flat screen from his end, and it became a
mirror again in Anja's hands. She stared at the polished surface for a
long time, seeing only her own reflection ... and Anja did not like
what she saw there.
When Lando went straight to the Wing Guard on Cloud City and demanded a
high-level investigation into the assassination attempt on Jacen, Tenel
Ka, and Lowie, he held back his suspicions about Black Sun ... for
now.
When the appropriate Exex and Wing Guard commanders responded, they
summoned the three "alleged victims" to a private debriefing at an
unfamiliar address high in Cloud City.
Lando, Jaina, Zekk, and Anja intended to accompany the others to add
their observations on the story, but as they prepared to leave their
V.I.P rooms in the extravagant Yerith Bespin, Lando received an urgent
message. He read the screen, then turned away from the comm system,
frowning.
"We've got trouble at the construction site," he said. "There's
something strange going on, and I have to attend to it." He looked
over at Jacen. "Do you three think you can handle the interview
alone?"
"Hey, no problem," Jacen said. "Blaster bolts, if we lived through the
incident itself, I guess we can handle talking about it."
"All right," Lando said, grabbing his burgundy cape and preparing to
deal with whatever troubles he might encounter down at SkyCenter
Gaileria.
"We'll come with you, Lando," Jaina said. "You might need some ...
Jedi backup."
"I know better than to turn down help. Sounds like this is some kind
of labor dispute."
Anja looked from one group to the other, and offered to join Jaina,
Zekk, and Lando. The four of them ran to a lift tube as Jacen, Tenel
Ka, and Lowbacca headed off to their own meeting.
After dropping down several levels, then transiting to the outer walls
of the city, Lando took his group to the site of the
soon-to-be-completed SkyCenter Galleria. Using his passwords, he
escorted them into the barricaded construction area. Jaina stood next
to Zekk, looking around.
Anja fidgeted, feeling very out of place. The four of them stayed
close together as the sheer silence and oppressive tension in the air
struck them.
"What's going on?" Lando said. "There was supposed to be a riot
happening here."
"Looks like everybody went home early," Zekk said.
Anja snorted. "False alarm, then."
They moved farther inside, under the tall, skeletal structure of the
primary hovercoaster. Bright glowpanels dangled from exposed wires
high in the girders and catwalks overhead. The temporary fabric walls
blocked most of the high breezes, but still let drafts whistle in.
There were no other sounds. The shadows were thick.
"Hello!" Lando called out. "Uh, what seems to be the problem here?"
His words echoed from the equipment and construction shacks, but no one
answered.
"Where is everyone? We've got a completion schedule to meet," he said
with a huff, toming
to Zekk, Anja, and Jaina. "I promised myself that
I wouldn't let Cojahn's work go to waste. We'll open this galleria on
time."
Zekk frowned. "Not if all your workers are gone."
"There must be some explanation for this," Lando said. They ventured
deeper in. Doors of construction shacks hung open, loose. Computer
terminals glowed with inventory records, unattended.
"It's like they all got up and ran away," Jaina said.
"Yeah, maybe somebody sounded an evacuation alarm," Anja suggested.
As the four continued into the construction site, exploring and passing
under overhangs, Jaina mumbled, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Suddenly, from under some debris hidden behind stacks of crates, a
small brown Ugnaught dashed out. Ducking past the startled Jaina and
Lando, he ran, squealing and chittering.
"Hey, wait!" Jaina said.
Zekk leapt to intercept the small creature, but the Ugnaught shrieked
in terror, split to one side, and dove headfirst down an open
airventilation duct. He disappeared with a thud of tumbling limbs.
Zekk peered into the darkened shaft. "He certainly was in a hurry to
leave."
"Maybe he knows something we don't," Jaina said, looking around with wy
apprehension. Cautiously she drew her lightsaber and ignited it. The
blaze of violet rippled and flickered against the naked structural
metal of the tall entertainment machinery. "Just to be safe," she
explained, though she knew its brilliant glow might draw attention to
their hiding place. Anja made no move to draw her own antique Jedi
weapon.
Suddenly all the garish glowpanels overhead winked out, plunging the
enclosed construction area into deep shadows that were alleviated only
by the glow of Jaina's weapon and by scores of tiny emergency lights
that reminded her of the phosfleas the Wookiees used in their forest
cities on Kashyyyk.
"Great," Zekk said. "Now I've got a bad feeling about this, too."
Two doors opened up on either side of the construction area and in the
blaze of light from the exterior corridors, Jaina could see burly
silhouettes of heavily armed men wearing padded bodysuits. The ominous
figures stepped forward.
Lando heaved a sigh of relief. "Ah, those are uniformed Wing Guards,"
he said. "Man, are we glad to see you!"
Then, in unison, the guards opened fire-directly at them.
"Look out!" Jaina tackled Lando to the ground, while Zekk moved fast
enough of his own accord, dropping and rolling under a low girder.
Anja staggered back and fumbled for her lightsaber. Deadly blaster
bolts ricocheted and sponged from girders, sending out sparks with
every impact.
"Get down," Jaina warned the older girl, deflecting one of the bolts
with her weapon.
"Seal the other exits!" one of the traitorous Wing Guards said.
"Hey, you're supposed to be the good guys!" Lando bellowed.
"What are you doing?" More blaster fire cut off further discussion.
"It was a setup," Zekk said through gritted teeth. "We were lured
here. These must be hit men, paid off by Black Sun."
Lando grumbled, "There's something rotten in Cloud City."
They ducked into the shadows, taking shelter behind crates. "At least
we've got plenty of places to hide," Jaina said.
"They didn't think very well before they planned this ambush," Anja
said, crouching beside her.
Lando shook his head and frowned. "Maybe not, but if they've got the
exits covered, we have no place else to go. They can take their
time."
They heard the marching of booted feet as more turncoat security forces
entered the construction area and barricaded the doors. Jaina wiped
perspiration from her hand and gripped her lightsaber more securely,
ready for hand-to-hand battle.
"Maybe we could climb up," Zekk suggested, "find some way out the top
to a higher level."
Jaina looked up toward the nest of girders and hover-scaffolding,
trying to scout out an escape hatch-but she suddenly realized that the
thick building frames were moving, as if alive. She saw the flickering
shadow of a humanoid shape as something scuttled down, crawling like an
insect.
"More of those chameleon creatures!" Jaina said, remembering the
murderous henchmen that had attacked them in the docking bay on Ord
Mantell. Though foiled in their assassination attempt, the chameleon
creatures had stolen the evidence of the space mines that had nearly
destroyed the Millennium Falcon. Jaina drew a deep breath as it hit
her: even that must have been part of a complicated Black Sun plot.
"Now I know what Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Lowie felt like when the
assassinscornered them down in Port Town," Jaina said. "This time we
get all the excitement while they attend their little meeting."
"Well," Lando said. "With these traitorous Wing Guards here, I don't
believe anything is as it seems. I hope they're safe."
Another volley of blaster bolts erupted, and Lando ducked as sparks
flew overhead. The deadly chameleon creatures scrambled closer,
surrounding their prey, closing the trap.
"Right now, let's just worry about ourselves," he said.
When Jacen arrived with Tenel Ka and Lowie at the address for the
supposed debriefing facility, they found only an empty hangar dock
filled with old-model cloud cars and other small sky vehicles waiting
for repair.
"There's nobody here," Jacen said.
Tenel Ka looked around. "Are you certain this is the correct
location?"
Jacen checked again. "This is where they told us to come."
"Indeed, I can verify that," Em Teedee added, though no one had asked
him.
Lowie sniffed the air. His black Wookiee nose wrinkled, and he let out
a low, uneasy groan.
"Something is not right here," Tenel Ka said.
"Hey-this is afact," Jacen agreed with forced humor. Tenel Ka and
Lowie unconsciously moved closer to him, as if preparing for battle.
The outer bay doors were open wide, and clouds stretched out in a vast
empty skyscape, tall gray thunderheads rising above the white ritists
far below. Judging from the weather patterns, Jacen suspected that
heavy storms would strike the floating city before the day was out.
The three went deeper into the docking bay, looking around, growing
more uncertain by the moment. "We'd better check with someone," Jacen
said.
Lowie stopped by two of the cloud cars, bent over, and touched their
control panels. One was painted a rich blue, the other a bright
scarlet. Both were typical recreational vehicles, cloud cars that had
been souped up and probably used for races or sky patrols.
Lowie grumbled something, and Em Teedee scolded him. "Master Lowbacca,
these are not our vehicles. It's of no concern to us that they are
still functional. We're going to be late for our debriefing."
"We are here," Tenel Ka pointed out. "The others are not."
Jacen glanced at Lowie. "Hey, maybe you and Jaina could tinker with
some of those things later. Lando could probably get them for us
&n
bsp; cheap, if they're just sitting here, decommissioned."
Tenel Ka, her reflexes coiled like an overwound spring, suddenly
whirled about. In the only entrance to the cloud-car bay were the
hairyfaced bounty hunter and the slime-dripping alien from the first
attempt on their lives. Beside them stood two Wing Guard security
policemen.
"Hey, you caught them," Jacen said to the Wing Guards, thinking that
this was part of the debriefing: identifying two of the hit men who had
attacked them. "Those are the ones who tried to kill us."
"I say! If those men have been arrested, why are they all carrying
their own weapons?" Em Teedee said, as the Wing Guards and the two hit
men hauled out their blaster rifles.
Lowie roared in outrage.
"We have been betrayed," Tenel Ka said.
Jacen backed up, holding his hands in front of him to prove he had no
weapons. Only a few meters behind them stretched the open entrance to
the cloud-car bay and another immense drop.
"Just keep backing up until you're over the edge," the slimedripping
Under A Black Sun Trilogy Page 30
