The Trandoshan should have died then, but the monster was just too mean to die so easily, Lowie thought. Lowie could not move his arms, could not bunch his muscles or draw his lightsaber. He was helpless. Corrsk snarled a hot, wet breath against his fur-covered ear. The sharp teeth were close, close enough to rip out Lowie's neck if they wished, but Corrsk was enjoying his victory too much. He tightened his grip.

Lowie's ribs creaked; his muscles strained. His lungs wanted to burst because he could not draw a breath. He could not reach his weapon-so instead, with a final b.e.s.t.i.a.l wheeze, Lowie used the primal weapons he still had available to him. He opened his mouth wide and sank his Wookiee fangs deep into the Trandoshan's scaled shoulder, biting down with all the force he could muster. Leathery skin ripped, and greenish-black blood spurted into Lowie's mouth as he bit down hard again, snarling. Corrsk drew in a long hiss of shock and pain and loosened his grip just enough for Lowie to snap both of his arms sideways, breaking free of the embrace. Without taking the time to draw his lightsaber, he spread both of his hands and clapped them like cymbals against the Trandoshan's flat earholes.

Corrsk staggered back, disoriented and shaking his head. Lowie broke away and ran as fast as he could. He had no need to be quiet now, no requirement for stealth. Corrsk howled after him, but Lowie made his best speed toward the door. The Trandoshan, finally giving up his attempt to savor the kill, drew his blaster and fired. Lowie ducked, and the energy bolts struck the metal walls of the plague chamber. Luckily, the ricochets dissipated, and the secondary bolts struck none of the plague canisters.

"Run, Master Lowbacca, run!" Em Teedee urged. For once Lowie did exactly what the translating droid told him, without the least thought of argument. The reptilian charged after them, bellowing in fury.

BACK IN THE tunnels on Ryloth, Luke Skywalker had to admit that the Diversity Alliance had done a good job of sanitizing its operation.

Kambrea surrounded herself with armed soldiers to match the New Republic honor guard. All business, eager to get rid of her unwanted visitors, the Devaronian led them through a large Twi'lek city and spoke of how the once-bloodthirsty race had risen above violence to form peaceful collectives.

The inspection team stood in a vast cavern hollowed from the mountain's heart. The rubble itself had been used to construct tall buildings like warrens hugging the grotto walls. Twi'lek families and clans lived and worked inside the stone-walled dwellings, going about the shadowy business of Ryloth-much of which was now devoted to promoting and a.s.sisting the Diversity Alliance.

Luke watched everything, absorbing details. The Calamarian amba.s.sador Cilghal stood next to him, also observing, though he could not read any expression on her fishlike face. Kur, the exiled clan leader, spent most of his time staring at the floor, as if afraid to gaze at the cave city.

Trubor, the Chadra Fan senator, seemed impressed by Twi'lek society. The rodentlike creature scuttled around, making appreciative noises every time Kambrea pointed out newly erected dwellings, prisons that punished corrupt slavers who had once captured Twi'lek females renowned for their dancing skills. Nolaa Tarkona's own half sister Oola had been sold as a dancing girl and killed by Jabba the Hutt. The underground commerce in sentient beings had now been halted.

Kambrea turned her homed head to Luke Skywalker.

"So you see, the Diversity Alliance takes a stance, not just against human oppression, but against oppression in all its forms."

"Very admirable," Luke said, but made no other comment. Lusa and Sirra followed the group, remaining together. The centaur girl was skittish, barely able to face her fear at being in the realm of her greatest enemy.

She was immensely relieved that Nolaa herself was not there to confront them. However, the question remained as to where the Twi'lek leader was, and what she was up to.

Luke noticed the hateful sidelong glances Kambrea flashed at both Lusa and the young Wookiee girl. The Diversity Alliance did not tolerate betrayal: a Bothan a.s.sa.s.sin had already tried to kill Lusa on Yavin 4, and though the alien soldier insisted he had no connection with the Diversity Alliance, Luke could sense otherwise. Kur followed meekly, offering no commentary. He seemed ashamed to set foot in the cliffside cities again, though occasionally he looked longingly at the tall rock-walled buildings and the hardworking people that had once been part of his clan. The Twi'leks looked down at him with cold hatred. They despised Kur-but Luke couldn't tell whether it was because he had been banished...

or because he had failed them and let Nolaa Tarkona take over.

After a day of being shown the glories of Twi'lek civilization and all the changes Nolaa Tarkona had wrought, Senator Trubor whined in exasperation.

"I see no evidence of all the horrors those children claimed," he said.

"The New Republic is a diverse group of worlds, with many species-not just humans, but Chadra Fan and Calamarians and Wookiees and all manner of intelligent races. I am insulted that Chief of State Organa Solo would pit us against each other so soon after we formed our government and drove out the hated Empire-the human Empire, I might add."

"I won't argue with you the terrible nature of the Empire," Cilghal said calmly. "But we must continue to look. Remember, we are seeing only what Kambrea wishes to show us."

As Sirra growled, Lusa added her own comment with a snort. "Yes, we need to see the ryll mines. Take us to where slaves excavate the mineral for Diversity Alliance profit. Then we'll see what Nolaa Tarkona's really doing."

Kambrea brushed nervously at one of her curved horns, then let out a long sigh.

"The ryll mines are in a different portion of the mountains, but we can take our tunnel transport system, if you really insist on seeing them."

"We insist," Luke said. "This is an inspection team, not a guided walk for tourists."

Kambrea sighed again.

"Come with me." She looked over her shoulder, fixing a cold glance on Lusa. Then she returned to Cilghal and Trubor with a more placid expression. "Remember, though, it's an industrial area for rock excavations. It's not pretty-but you'll see that we have no captive humans. All of our workers are willing laborers." She laughed, and the sound made it clear that Kambrea was not accustomed to laughing.

"Certainly not slaves!"

They boarded a high-speed transport train that shot them southward beneath the spine of mountains. As they held on to their seats, the New Republic honor guard looked nervous: this would be a perfect place for an ambush, if the Diversity Alliance decided to turn against them. The alien guards seemed just as uneasy as the humans, though, finding themselves in the awkward position of having to question their own prejudices. When the high-speed train stopped, the air grew colder, picking up a breeze from increased air circulation. The glowpanels overhead flickered, then grew brighter. Kambrea looked up to the rocky ceiling, where conduits rose upward through sloped tunnels to the mountain peaks high above.

"A heat storm just pa.s.sed over the surface," she said. "We receive most of our power and air circulation from wind turbines erected on the twilight borderline. The shifting temperatures create the terrible storms that drive our turbines."

"We know," Lusa said. "Our friends were trapped outside in one of those storms after they escaped from slavery in your ryll mines."

Kur stepped forward. "Yes, I rescued them out in the cold, and took them to where their ship could take them away from your oppression."

Kambrea looked at them coldly. "So you say."

The Diversity Alliance soldiers grumbled, and the human guards reached for their weapons, ready to fight. Cilghal raised her flipper hands.

"So let us see the mines. We wish to inspect the work conditions there."

Kambrea hesitated, then turned, ignoring the previous exchange. She led them into a large cavern where scores of Twi'leks were busily hammering out chunks of rock, seeking veins of the precious mineral buried deep in the mountain. The Rodian crew boss stood around waving his sucker-tipped fingers and giving orders. Luke saw the large polished eyes, the narrow flexible snout, and the warty head; he remembered the inept bounty hunter Greedo who had tried to capture Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina. Luke hoped all Rodians weren't so gullible. This shift boss seemed to be doing a good job keeping his workers in line. Twi'leks scurried over the walls using sonic hammers; others dangled from the ceiling in harnesses as they chipped away at fungus-covered stalact.i.tes.

"They're all Twi'leks!" Lusa said in astonishment.

"Of course," Kambrea answered, "volunteer labor from the cliff cities.

Ask any one of them - they work here and get paid well. In fact, people wait in line for this opportunity."

She laughed again in her broken-gla.s.s chuckle.

"We have no need to take slaves. Besides, Twi'leks work harder than weakling humans, especially human children."

"I've seen enough," Trubor squeaked, putting his hands on his tiny hips.

He perked his wide, fanlike ears around as if listening for hidden prisoners, cries for help. "There is nothing the least bit suspicious in all these tunnels. I, for one, must say that Nolaa Tarkona's concerns about of human prejudice and intolerance seem to have a very firm grounding-especially with what the New Republic has demonstrated here."

Luke used his Jedi senses, but could detect no struggling human prisoners. He hoped that Nolaa Tarkona hadn't ordered their immediate execution upon learning of the inspection team's visit.

"Is there nothing else we can show you?" Kambrea said.

"Yes!" Lusa snapped. "Show us everything you have hidden."

The Diversity Alliance guards stiffened, but Cilghal proved calmer. She turned to Sirra.

"Is there anything specific you suggest?"

Sirra growled something, a suggestion, and the Calamarian amba.s.sador turned to Kambrea.

"You wouldn't mind if we looked at your loading dock, would you?"

"Certainly not," the Devaronian answered with a huff. "As I've said repeatedly, we have nothing to hide."

Luke's senses p.r.i.c.kled as Kambrea led them to one of the main shipping and receiving bays. Stacks of crates stood tall against one wall. Bulky alien workers and numerous droids lifted the crates, catalogued them, and loaded them into small transports.

"You see," Kambrea said with a gesture, "food and medicinal supplies for alien colonies, settlement worlds the New Republic has abandoned."

"Very commendable," Cilghal said.

Trubor emphasized the point further.

"The New Republic cannot help every world, though we wish we could. The Diversity Alliance serves a good purpose by a.s.sisting those we cannot."

Sirra growled curiously as she strode over to the wall of crates.

Luke watched her carefully. The Wookiee seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

"I hope you're satisfied," Kambrea said, intent on Trubor. "There's nothing to warrant the treatment we have received. We trust you'll return to your New Republic and report our displeasure to your government."

Sirra gave a challenging bellow. As everyone turned to look, she balled her furry fist and punched in the side of a supply crate marked FRAGILE: MEDICINAL SUPPLIES-URGENT. The container split open. Kambrea yelped in astonishment, and Sirra stood back as the crate cracked, groaned, and then spilled packaged blaster power-packs and handheld laser rifles out onto the floor. At that point, all chaos broke loose.

JAINA TROTTED UP the metal-lined corridor beside Tenel Ka and Jacen.

Looking back over her shoulder she saw that the emergency interlock still held Rullak and his Diversity Alliance guards. She couldn't tell how much longer the barrier would last, though. A moment ago it had sounded as if Tenel Ka might have a plan.

"Exactly what kind of drastic measures did you have in mind?" Jaina asked.

"Speed is essential," Tenel Ka replied, and picked up her pace. Her expression flickered with physical pain, but the warrior girl did not falter or slow down.

"Yeah, I think we can all agree on that," Jacen panted.

At the next branching of corridors, Tenel Ka said, "This way!" and turned so quickly that Jaina had to pivot on one foot to make the turn, causing her to fetch up sharply against the wall.

Jacen grabbed her left arm and pulled her forward again.

"Come on, Jaina. So what's the rest of the plan, Tenel Ka?"

Jaina willed her legs to keep moving.

"Kind of hard to have a committee meeting while we're" - she gasped- "while we're on the run."

"Almost there," Tenel Ka said, turning left again at the next intersection. Jaina sped up and hoped that Tenel Ka really did have a plan.

"Almost there," Jacen echoed, trying to encourage Jaina.

"Hey-almost where?" Tenel Ka skidded to a stop without warning, and Jacen collided with her, forcing him to throw an arm around her to keep her from falling down. Jaina overshot the intersection by a few steps before she managed to stop.

"We must set explosives here," Tenel Ka said.

Jaina's mind quickly switched to a.n.a.lytic mode and her gaze swept the walls, ceilings, joints, and supports of the intersection.

"Structural weak points there, there, and here." She pointed to each location as she swung her knapsack from her back and rummaged around for the larger thermal detonators. She tossed one to her brother, who caught it easily and began setting it up where she had indicated. Jaina set another one by herself.

"If my sense of direction serves me, the Rock Dragon is docked just over one hundred meters from here," Tenel Ka said.

"Set the timers for three minutes." Jaina blinked at the other girl.

"But the blast from these detonators is going to be huge-"

"-and we won't be able to get far enough away from the blast unless we do a full takeoff in the Rock Dragon," Jacen finished for her.

"Exactly, my friends."

Shaking his head, Jacen positioned his detonator and set the timer. Jaina rigged her second and third detonators, lobbed one at the warrior girl, and situated the remaining one for maximum damage.

"Hey, we can't leave Zekk and Lowie and-"

"We will take off only for a few minutes," Tenel Ka said, catching the detonator with her one hand and thumbing it into position, "then return to a different point, free of pursuit."

As one, the three young Jedi Knights began to run down the corridor toward the Rock Dragon. Jaina put on a burst of speed which barely kept her ahead of the clock that ticked down each second in her mind. The pa.s.sageway seemed to stretch endlessly ahead of them.

"Almost there," Jacen chanted as they ran. Jaina's entire concentration focused on the effort of placing one foot in front of the other without slowing down. Left, right, left, right, left, right. An airlock hatch swung open right in front of her. Through her haze of exhaustion she glimpsed her brother's face streaming with perspiration as he held the hatch open for her.

"Don't stop now, Jaina!" She couldn't have stopped then if she had tried.

She bolted straight through the hatch into the Rock Dragon without even thinking about where she was going. She dove into to the pilot's seat, and her hands instantly began moving across the console controls. There was no time for mistakes. In the back of the Rock Dragon Jacen slammed the airlock shut, and Tenel Ka was already beside Jaina, slapping the engine power to full. Jaina checked her chronometer and knew there was no time to wait for her brother to get into his crash restraints. Uncoupling from the asteroid dock, she threw the Rock Dragon into full reverse.

Repulsorjets kicked the Rock Dragon free a split second before the asteroid began to shudder from the shock of the explosions. In the back, she heard Jacen stumble and fall with a loud thunk. Flames and shattered rock sprayed out of the dome and docking area, but the Hapan pa.s.senger cruiser shot away at full power.

"Hey, no need to worry about me-I'm fine." Jacen scrambled into the c.o.c.kpit as the Rock Dragon pulled away from the tiny asteroid.

"You are bleeding," Tenel Ka observed. Jaina looked back in alarm to see a large discolored lump forming on the side of her brother's forehead.

Blood trickled from a ragged gash beside his eye. Jacen shrugged a shoulder and pulled his crash webbing around him.

"Builds character."

Beneath them, an angry, fiery glow marked the site of the detonation.

"We'll wait another minute until all the aftershocks have died down,"

Jaina said. "Then we'll find a new place to dock."

"There," Tenel Ka said, pointing to a dock far below. Jaina nodded.

Jacen said, "Uh-oh. We're not alone out here."

Jaina looked out the windowport at a cl.u.s.ter of ominous ships racing toward them-the Diversity Alliance armada.

FROM s.p.a.cE, RAABA watched the weapons depot like a ravenous hawkbat waiting to pounce on a juicy rodent. The chocolate-furred Wookiee was well aware of the honor she held by being in charge of the Diversity Alliance fleet. Nolaa Tarkona trusted her, and Raaba would not let her leader down. Keeping the fleet in attack-ready formation, Raaba took them around the asteroid again and again, altering their course each time so that they got a view of the plague storehouse from every angle. The human ships were still down there, but one was no longer docked at the asteroid. She looked at the ship glinting in the reflected light of the distant sun. The sight sent a meteor storm of conflicting emotions through her. She had first seen that Hapan pa.s.senger cruiser on Kuar, where she had found Lowbacca and explained to him why she had faked her own death. Then, more recently, the Rock Dragon had appeared on Ryloth.

Lowie and Sirra had stolen the ship, rescued their human friends, and left Raaba behind.

Deep inside, Raaba grudgingly admitted to herself that she was glad the humans had not actually died in the ryll spice mines. Still, it had been hard for her to accept that her lifelong friends Lowie and Sirra could so easily abandon her in order to save other friends, especially humans. Yet a part of her could not help but understand. After all, she would have done the same for either Lowie or Sirra. And, taking the responsibilities of command seriously, she knew she would willingly risk her life for any of the Twi'leks, Talz, Devaronians, Bith, or other Diversity Alliance members who worked around her with such dedication. Raaba knew her duty to the Diversity Alliance. The Rock Dragon could not be allowed to interfere with their plans.