Suddenly something whistled by his ear. He caught the glint of a vibroshiv as it wheeled through the air in a spinning, perfect aim for the tail. It sank in up to the hilt. The thick tail suddenly unfurled, and Trever heard the sound of the creature slithering away.

"Duracrete slug," Keets said, holding down a hand for him and hauling him up. "About ten meters long, by the look of him. They burrow into the stone. Best to keep an eye out."

"Thanks for the tip." Trever dusted off his pants.

Ferus hurried over. "What happened?"

"Nothing much. I was almost strangled by an enormous slug. Nothing for you to worry about," Trever said. He didn't know why he felt so irritated that Ferus hadn't saved him. Ferus had been walking ahead, not concerning himself with Trever at all.

"Hey, sorry. Thanks," Ferus said to Keets.

"Sure. You owe me a vibroshiv." Meets grinned, his teeth white through the dirt streaked on his face.

"We found a place that might provide some information," Ferus said.

The others had paused in front of two crumbling stone columns. A sputtering laserlight sign read: UNDERWORLD INN. They regarded it as Ferus, Trever, and Meets walked up.

"Not your most premier establishment," Rhya said.

"We do need a bed for the night," Ferus said.

"And where there's beds, there's grog," Meets said. "And where's there's grog, there's gossip."

"Let's give it a try," Ferus said. "But keep your weapons close."

They pushed open the stone door. They walked into a large circular s.p.a.ce formed by towering arches. The stone floor and stone ceiling made their footsteps echo. Huge alien gargoyles leered over their heads with what looked like malicious intent.

"Homey," Hume remarked.

They approached a small battered desk that was dwarfed by its surroundings. A clerk sat behind it, fast asleep. Ferus cleared his throat, but he didn't stir.

Oryon slammed the hilt of his blaster rifle down on the desk, and the clerk awoke with a start. "Fire!" he shouted.

"No fire," Ferus said. "Just some customers."

"Oh." The clerk straightened. "Ah, we only have a couple of rooms available. You'll have to double up."

"Fine."

"Costs extra for towels and water."

"Extra for water'?"

"Hard to get water down here."

"All right, all right."

Ferus was about to produce his false ID does, but the clerk waved a hand to dismiss him. "Just credits. We don't need ID dots."

"I thought it was the law."

The clerk raised an eyebrow at him, as though Ferus was a new recruit into a very old army. "There's no law down here. If you haven't figured that out yet, I feel sorry for you."

They paid the credits, and then Hume asked, "We've got some dry throats here. Any recommendations?"

The clerk shrugged a shoulder in the direction of a doorway.

They pushed open the door and went inside. The cantina was small but the ceiling was high, casting deep shadows throughout the s.p.a.ce. To Ferus's surprise, the place was almost full. Humanoids and other creatures sat at the bar or at small tables that hugged the shadows. Weapons were prominently displayed on the tables.

"Reminds me of a place I used to go in Galactic City called the 'Dor, only worse," Keets observed.

Ferus nodded. He'd been to the 'Dor with Siri, as a Padawan who had tried very hard not to be intimidated by the atmosphere. The dregs of the galaxy went there to drink, buy or sell information, and hire bounty hunters. It had once been called the Splendor until most of its laser letters had shorted out, and everyone just called it the 'Dor.

"I'd say we should have a seat," Hume advised. "We're attracting a bit of attention here."

"Not necessarily a bad thing," Oryon said. "It might get us some answers."

They took over several small tables and ordered drinks and food. They saw that they were being observed. Ferus took a small sip of his drink, then got up and brought it to the bar to see if anyone was in the mood to chat. Meanwhile, Keets struck up a conversation with the table next door.

They ate the food and finished four pots of tea and talked to almost every person in the bar, but no one was able to get directions to Solace. Everyone had heard of it, but no one knew where it was. Finally, the cantina cleared out and they had to admit defeat. Trever had been feeling woozy for some time. He yawned.

"We might as well get some sleep," Ferus said.

The room was large, with sleep couches and one receptacle and outlet that dribbled pale yellow water. The couches were just planks with a blanket on top. Not the most uncomfortable bed Ferus had ever slept on, but it was definitely in the top ten.

He turned on his side and looked at Trever's tousled hair sticking up from his blanket. He felt bad about not being the one to help Trever earlier. He'd made sure Trever was safe during the battle, then concentrated on their attackers. He had heard Trever's cry, but by the time he'd started to run, Keets was already there.

He couldn't be there for him every time. Or so he tried to tell himself.

He didn't know where his responsibility to the boy began or ended. He knew, of course, that Trever was hardly as self-sufficient as he professed to be. Even though the boy had lived on his own for years, he occasionally needed guidance, someone to watch over him.

Was that his job?

If he were still a Jedi, if the galaxy hadn't changed, he'd be old enough to have a Padawan now. But Trever wasn't his Padawan. Ferus didn't have the connection with him that a Master Jedi would. He didn't have the link that he'd had with Siri. He lost track of him occasionally. And he couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling.

It was better that they part, that he find a haven for Trever so he could grow up safe and secure. Even loved, if that were possible.

Because Ferus would just keep burying them deeper into complications and danger. It wasn't fair to Trever. Today it had been a ten-foot duracrete slug. But what would tomorrow bring, and the day after that?

With those disquieting thoughts, Ferus felt himself slipping toward sleep. The soft breathing in the room told him that the others had succ.u.mbed, despite the hard, flat beds.

Suddenly he heard a noise. Ferus put his hand on his lightsaber, but soon saw it was Trever, crawling toward him quietly so as not to awaken the others.

He stopped by the head of the sleep couch, his eyes gleaming.

"I know where to find Solace," he said.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

"It was when the slug started to pull me down - "

"Trever, I'm sorry I - "

"Enough with the guilt wallow, Feri-Wan - I'm trying to tell you something. I dropped an alpha charge and when it went off, the light showed me something. More than a ten-foot predator chewing on my ankle, I mean. There's something down there."

"Something?"

"Something more than a duracrete slug nest. I was thinking about it. There was a glint... like there was metal or something, or water. I'm not sure, but it was like there was... s.p.a.ce. Like a room. Or something. It's just that... remember when some of the rumors said below the crust?"

Ferus didn't have to ask if Trever was sure. He trusted this boy's perceptions.

"I'll wake the others. Let's go."

It was now what many called the empty hours. Too late for even those who walked these dangerous areas at night, too early for those who rose before dawn. They kept close together as they walked.

Trever led a yawning Keets and the others to the spot where the duracrete slug had tried to pull him through the crack. Ferus leaned over and shined a glowlight down into the s.p.a.ce. He couldn't tell, but he thought Trever was right - there was something down there.

"I think I can fit," Ferus said. "Let me go down, and if I see anything, I'll call up."

Keets leaned against a column and yawned. "Take your time."

Ferus eased into the opening. There was a crumbling half-wall once he got below, he saw. It was deeply gouged with the tracks of a slug, but that gave him toeholds and handholds. To his surprise, Trever began to climb down after him.

"Stay up there," Ferus told him.

"No way. I found this place, I'm coming."

Ferus knew it would be a waste of breath to argue. He continued to climb down slowly. He jumped the last few meters. His boots. .h.i.t solid ground. Trever jumped next to him a moment later. He held a glow rod over his head for illumination.

Ferus could see now that they were in a tunnel.

Gigantic blocks of stone formed the walls and ceiling. The floor was deeply grooved and he could see the remnants of machinery buried in the tracks.

"That's what you saw glinting," he told Trever. "This must have been some kind of transportation system."

He shouted up to the others that the way was clear, and they began to climb down, one after the other.

Hume avoided a steaming yellow pool that released a rank odor. "Careful," he said. "Looks like some toxic waste down here."

"The system must have been primitive," Rhya said. "They used rails for transport."

Keets looked up. "There are still conduit lines in the ceiling. I wonder where they lead."

"It sure doesn't look like Solace," Hume said. "But the tunnel could lead us there."

Ferus heard a whisper above. That was his only warning as a black shape suddenly dropped from the ceiling into their path.

He didn't have time to grab his lightsaber hidden in his cloak. That's how fast the creature was.

He was a short being, with compact muscles, and wore a close-fitting helmet over his features. His waist was tightly cinched with a belt that held a variety of weapons. He didn't a.s.sume a threatening pose, however. He seemed casual as he watched them move closer, the Erased all holding their weapons and training them on him.

"You mentioned Solace," he said.

Ferus nodded, watching him warily. "We want to go there."

Gilly and Spence moved to the man's rear, and Keets, Oryon, Hume, and Rhya moved in even closer. The intruder didn't seem rattled in the least.

"I can take you," he said. "It will cost you."

"Why should we trust you?" Trever asked.

"Because your choices are limited here at the crust," he replied. "Either find it yourself, or use me."

"How do we know you can find it'?" Keets asked. "Because I've been there. I'm the only one who's been there and has come back."

They knew part of what he said was true. They had heard of those who'd gone to Solace, but they'd never heard of one who had returned.

"You've got to do better than that," Ferus said.

"What many don't know is that long ago, before Coruscant was a city-world, it had vast oceans," the intruder said. "The oceans were drained and pumped into caverns below the crust. That's where you'll find Solace."

The others exchanged glances. It sounded real to them. It made sense. That was why it was safe, why even the Empire would have a hard time finding it.

"What's your name?" Ferus asked.

"Just call me Guide," the intruder replied. "I left my name behind long ago. Like you, I have wiped out all traces of my past."

Something is off here, Ferus thought. There was something odd about Guide. But then again, there was something odd about everyone down here.

Guide was right. They didn't have much choice. It was the only lead they'd found since they started. Slowly, Ferus nodded.

"Take us there," he said.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

Guide held up a glowlamp. "Best to keep close down here. Watch out for duracrete slugs. They're especially aggressive."