Part 3 (1/2)

Beyond the forward viewport hung the gossamer veil of Ashteri's Cloud, a vast drift of ionized tuderium gas floating along one edge of the Kessel Sector. Speckled with the blue halos of a thousand distant suns, its milky filaments were a sure sign that the Rockhound Rockhound had finally escaped the sunless gloom of the Deep Maw. And, after the jaw- clenching horror of jumping blind through a labyrinth of uncharted hypers.p.a.ce lanes and hungry black holes, even that pale light was a welcome relief to Jaina Solo. had finally escaped the sunless gloom of the Deep Maw. And, after the jaw- clenching horror of jumping blind through a labyrinth of uncharted hypers.p.a.ce lanes and hungry black holes, even that pale light was a welcome relief to Jaina Solo.

Or, rather, it would would have been, had the cloud been in the right place. have been, had the cloud been in the right place.

The Rockhound Rockhound was bound for Coruscant, not Kessel, and was bound for Coruscant, not Kessel, and that that meant Ashteri's Cloud should have been forty degrees to port as they exited the Maw. It meant Ashteri's Cloud should have been forty degrees to port as they exited the Maw. It should should have been a barely discernible smudge of light, s.h.i.+fted so far into the red that it looked like a tiny flicker of flame. Jaina could not quite grasp how they had gone astray. have been a barely discernible smudge of light, s.h.i.+fted so far into the red that it looked like a tiny flicker of flame. Jaina could not quite grasp how they had gone astray.

She glanced over at the pilot's station-a mobile levchair surrounded by bra.s.s control panels and drop-down display screens-but found no answers in Lando Calrissian's furrowed brow. Dressed immaculately in a white s.h.i.+mmersilk tunic and lavender trousers, he was perched on the edge of his huge nerf- leather seat, with his chin propped on his knuckles and his gaze fixed on the alabaster radiance outside.

In the three decades Jaina had known Lando, it was one of the rare moments when his life of long- odds gambles and all- or- nothing stakes actually seemed to have taken a toll on his con- artist good looks. It was also a testament to the strain and fear of the past few days-and, perhaps, to the hectic pace. Lando was as impeccably groomed as always, but even he had not found time to touch up the dye that kept his mustache and curly hair their usual deep, rich black.

After a few moments, Lando finally sighed and leaned back into his chair. ”Go ahead, say it.”

”Say what?” Jaina asked, wondering exactly what Lando expected her to say. After all, he he was the one who had made the bad jump. ”It's not my fault?” was the one who had made the bad jump. ”It's not my fault?”

A glimmer of irritation shot through Lando's weary eyes, but then he seemed to realize Jaina was only trying to lighten the mood. He chuckled and flashed her one of his nova- bright grins. ”You're as bad as your old man.

Can't you see this is no time to joke?”

Jaina c.o.c.ked a brow. ”So you didn't didn't decide to swing past Kessel to say h.e.l.lo to the wife and son?” decide to swing past Kessel to say h.e.l.lo to the wife and son?”

”Good idea,” Lando said, shaking his head. ”But . . .

no. ” ”

”Well, then . . .” Jaina activated the auxiliary pilot's station and waited as the long- range sensors spooled up. An old asteroid tug designed to be controlled by a single operator and a huge robotic crew, the Rockhound Rockhound had no true copilot's station, and had no true copilot's station, and that that meant the wait was going to be longer than Jaina would have liked. ”What are we doing here?” meant the wait was going to be longer than Jaina would have liked. ”What are we doing here?”

Lando's expression grew serious. ”Good question.”

He turned toward the back of the Rockhound Rockhound's s.p.a.cious flight deck, where the vessel's ancient bridge- droid stood in front of an equally ancient navigation computer. A Cybot Galactica model RN8, the droid had a transparent head globe, currently filled with the floating twinkles of a central processing unit running at high speed. Also inside the globe were three sapphire- blue photoreceptors, s.p.a.ced at even intervals to give her full-perimeter vision. Her bronze body- casing was etched with constellations, comets, and other celestial artwork worthy of her nickname. ”I know know I told Ornate to set a course for Coruscant.” I told Ornate to set a course for Coruscant.”

RN8's head globe spun just enough to fix one of her photoreceptors on Lando's face. ”Yes, you did.” Her voice was silky, deep, and chiding. ”And then you countermanded that order with one directing us to our current destination.”

Lando scowled. ”You need to do a better job main-taining your auditory systems,” he said. ”You're hearing things.”

The twinkles inside RN8's head globe dimmed as she redirected power to her diagnostic systems. Jaina turned her own attention back to the auxiliary display and saw that the long- range sensors had finally come on line.

Unfortunately, they were no help. The only thing that had changed inside its bronze frame was the color of the screen and a single symbol denoting the Rockhound Rockhound's own location in the exact center.

RN8's silky voice sounded from the back of the flight deck. ”My auditory sensors are in optimal condition, Captain-as are my data storage and retrieval systems.” Her words began to roll across the deck in a very familiar male baritone. ”Redi rect rect to to dest dest ina ina tion tion Ashteri's Cloud, arri Ashteri's Cloud, arri val val time seven time seven teen teen hours fif hours fif teen, Galac- teen, Galac- tic Stan Stan dard.” dard.”

Lando's jaw dropped, and he sputtered, ”Tha . . . that's not me me!”

”Not quite,” Jaina agreed. The emphasis was placed on the wrong syllable in several words; otherwise, the voice was identical. ”But it's close enough to fool a droid.”

Lando's eyes clouded with confusion. ”Are you telling me what I think think you're telling me?” you're telling me?”

”Yes,” Jaina said, glancing at her blank sensor display. ”I don't quite know how, but someone impersonated you.”

”Through the Force?”

Jaina shrugged and shot a meaningful glance toward a dark corner. While she knew of a half-dozen Force powers that could have been used to defeat Ornate's voice-recognition software, not one of those techniques had a range measured in light- years. She carefully began to expand her Force- awareness, concentrating on the remote corners of the huge s.h.i.+p, and, thirty seconds later, was as-tonished to find nothing unusual. There were no lurking beings, no blank zones that might suggest an artificial void in the Force, not even any small vermin that might be a Force- wielder disguising his presence.

After a moment, she turned back to Lando. ”They must must be using the Force. There's no one aboard but us and the droids.” be using the Force. There's no one aboard but us and the droids.”

”I was afraid you'd say that.” Lando paused for a moment, then asked, ”Luke's friends?”

”I hate to jump to conclusions, but . . . who else?”

Jaina replied. ”First, Lost Tribe or not, they're Sith. Sith. Second, they already tried to double- cross us once.” Second, they already tried to double- cross us once.”

”Which makes them as crazy as a rancor on the dancing deck,” Lando said. ”Abeloth was locked in a blackhole prison blackhole prison for twenty- five thousand years. What kind of maniacs would think it was a good idea to bust her out?” for twenty- five thousand years. What kind of maniacs would think it was a good idea to bust her out?”

”They're Sith, Sith, ” Jaina reminded him. ”All that matters to them is power, and Abeloth had power like a nova has light-until Luke killed her.” ” Jaina reminded him. ”All that matters to them is power, and Abeloth had power like a nova has light-until Luke killed her.”

Lando frowned in thought. ”And if they're crazy enough to think they could take Abeloth home with them, they're probably crazy enough to think they could take the guy who killed her.”

”Exactly,” Jaina said. ”Until a few weeks ago, no one even knew the Lost Tribe existed. existed. That's changed, but they'll still want to keep what they can secret.” That's changed, but they'll still want to keep what they can secret.”

”So they'll try to take out Luke and Ben,” Lando agreed. ”And us, too. Contain the leak.”

”That's my guess,” Jaina said. ”Sith like secrecy, and secrecy means stopping us now. now. Once we're out of the Maw, they'll expect us to access the HoloNet and report.” Once we're out of the Maw, they'll expect us to access the HoloNet and report.”

Lando looked up and exhaled in frustration. ”I told told Luke he couldn't trust anyone who puts Luke he couldn't trust anyone who puts High Lord High Lord before his name.” He had been even more forceful than Jaina in trying to argue Luke out of a second bargain with the Lost Tribe-a bargain that had left the Skywalkers and three Sith behind to explore Abeloth's sav-age homeworld together. ”Maybe we should go back.” before his name.” He had been even more forceful than Jaina in trying to argue Luke out of a second bargain with the Lost Tribe-a bargain that had left the Skywalkers and three Sith behind to explore Abeloth's sav-age homeworld together. ”Maybe we should go back.”

Jaina thought for only an instant, then shook her head. ”No, Luke knew the bargain wouldn't last when he agreed to it,” she said. ”Sarasu Taalon has already betrayed his word once.”

Lando scowled. ”That doesn't mean Luke and Ben are safe.”

”No,” Jaina agreed. ”But it does does mean he's risking their lives to increase mean he's risking their lives to increase our our chances of reporting to the Jedi Council. chances of reporting to the Jedi Council. That's That's our mission.” our mission.”

”Technically, Luke doesn't get to a.s.sign missions right now,” Lando pressed. ”You wouldn't be violating orders if we-”

”Luke Skywalker is still the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. I think we should a.s.sume he has a plan,” Jaina said. A sudden tingle of danger sense raced down her spine, prompting her to hit the quick- release on her crash harness. ”Besides, we need to start worrying about saving our own skins.”

Lando began to look worried. ”What are you saying?” he asked. ”That you're sensing something?”

Jaina shook her head. ”Not yet.” She rose. ”But I will will be. Why do you suppose they sent us someplace easy to find?” be. Why do you suppose they sent us someplace easy to find?”

Lando scowled. ”Oh . . .” He glanced up at a display, tapped some keys-no doubt trying to call up a tactical report-then slammed his fist against the edge of the bra.s.s console. ”Are they jamming us?”

”That's difficult to know with the s.h.i.+p's sensor systems offline for degaussing,” RN8 replied.

”Offline?” Lando shrieked. ”Who authorized Lando shrieked. ”Who authorized that that?”

”You did, ninety- seven seconds ago,” RN8 replied. did, ninety- seven seconds ago,” RN8 replied.

”Would you like me to play it back?”

”No! Countermand it and bring all systems back up.”