"We may still hit a dead end," Lando said. "Just a lot farther along the way."
Anja watched, arms crossed over her chest, still skeptical. She had so obviously been relieved, even overjoyed, to see that Jacen still lived.... Now, perhaps out of embarra.s.sment, she hid behind a haughty mask.
Lowie"s golden eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stared at the images that flickered by from docking bay holocams. He plugged Em Teedee in to help him monitor the data. Some of the video snapshots stuttered and wavered.
Em Teedee suddenly blurted in a shrill voice, "Oh dear, these images have been tampered with! I"m detecting skillful erasures and fine video cuts.
Most sophisticated. "
Lando watched as Lowie worked furiously, his long fingers tapping the controls. He growled something, and Em Teedee said, "Master Lowbacca is attempting to move beyond the obvious. If someone has a.s.sisted in covering up the arrival of Czethros, they most likely have sanitized recordings from the docking bay... but they may have overlooked other holocams......
Images flowed by in a rapid blur. Jaina peered over Lowie"s shoulder.
Everyone intently studied the screen. Finally, Lowie growled in triumph.
"There! I see it, too!" Jaina said an instant later.
"That"s him," Jacen agreed. "Good old respectable Czethros."
An external holocams from one of the Port Town gambling casinos had managed to catch the image of a tall man with moss-green hair and a narrow silver laser visor; the man emerged from a docking port and ducked into the shadows between buildings, trying to lose himself in the crowd.
"He couldn"t clean up everything," Lando said.
Lowie froze the image and enlarged it.
"Now do you have any doubts?" Zekk asked Anja. She avoided his gaze as he continued. "Any man who intentionally removes all record of his presence here has got something to hide."
"It doesn"t mean he murdered anybody," Anja said.
Jacen looked at her in surprise. "Maybe not. But he was here at exactly the right time, in secret, and tried to erase all evidence of his presence from Cloud City records. We know that a criminal organization has been blackmailing and threatening professionals here on Bespina criminal organization that has ties to Ord Mantell, where Czethros lives.
And we also have an eyewitness who says he saw Czethros throw Cojahn off the balcony. How much more proof do you want?"
Tenel Ka nodded grimly. "Do you believe Czethros is involved with Black Sun criminal activities?"
Lando frowned. "More than that, I"m afraid. From his background and from what I"ve seen here, I think Czethros may well be one of the key figures behind Black Sun. Worse yet," he added, "the fact that all these records and images have been doctored tells me that he must have some pretty important people in Cloud City"s administration under his thumb."
"Figrin said Cojahn had tried to report the danger to the authorities, but they never did anything about it," Zekk pointed out.
"We"ve got to report this," Jaina said in a determined voice. "But this time to someone who"ll take it seriously. If Black Sun is on the prowl again, we"ve got to do something before they get too powerful to stop."
n.o.body noticed how Anja jumped when she heard Jaina"s words.
With the doorlock cyber-sealed, Anja retrieved the meager luggage she had brought from the Jedi academy. She rummaged in the bottom of her case, popped out the false bottom, and removed the high-power small transmitter screen that she used only in emergencies. When the screen wasn"t switched on, it looked like a portable mirror. But it was much more.
Moving her fingers along the edges of the frame, she depressed b.u.t.tons, entering a code and sending her signal. She tossed her long, honey-streaked hair behind her, feeling sweat p.r.i.c.kle her scalp.
Oh, how she needed a dose of spice right now. She had to have one... but the need wasn"t any greater than it had been all day. Anja just didn"t know how long she could tolerate this pressure. Her personal supply was nearly gone, and she didn"t know what she would dounless Czethros came through for her. She hated to depend on him.
The secret crime lord followed his own paths, busy setting up his own game. In the past, though, he had spent an incredible amount of time with her on Ord Mantell, taking her under his wing, training her in the ways of making a profit at the expense of less-vigilant people.
Anja had connected with him in the first place because of a shared hatred for Han Solo. Czethros had helped her arrange the fateful meeting with him and the attempted ambushes on An.o.bis, but Han Solo had survived it all. Then, Solo"s own children had adopted her as their friend.
At first she had gone along, pretending. Anja had been most eager to do whatever she could to hurt Han Solo for his despicable crimefor shooting her father Gallandro in the back. Even though Han Solo denied it, Anja knew the truth. Czethros had told her what had really happened.
After an interminable silence and a transmission delay, the mirror finally clouded, and the face of Czethros appeared. The laser-red dot of his optical sensor beamed through the visor that covered his face.
His moss-green hair seemed distorted, discolored by the numerous 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 a.s.sa.s.sins 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 compa.s.sion 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 a.s.suming 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 a.s.sa.s.sination 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 pa.s.swords, 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.
"h.e.l.lo!" 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 pa.s.sing 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.