[Jedi Academy] - 01 by Jedi Search (Kevin Anderson)

Author:Jedi Search (Kevin Anderson) [Search, Jedi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-03-10T13:35:33+00:00

Streen looked out the passenger window, staring with a bleak sadness that struck Luke’s heart with pity. Below, the ghost town of Tibannopolis was truly empty again.

Then Luke watched something amazing happen. The city came alive with movement, swarming as tiny black figures took to the air. Thousands and thousands of rawwks that had made their home with Streen suddenly took flight, departing the abandoned metropolis in a huge flock that kept coming and coming and coming, spreading out among the clouds in a farewell salute to Streen.

Looking out the window and watching this, Streen smiled.

Skynxnex inserted a new charge pack into his double-blaster, smiled at the weapon, then thrust it into the holster. “Thank you, Moruth,” he said. “You won’t regret this.”

Doole tapped his spongy fingers on the former warden’s desk. One of the loose iridescent insects fluttered around the room, battering itself again and again on the wide landscape window.

“Just try not to make a mess of it,” Doole said. “I want Solo gone and all traces removed. Nothing left. It’s only a matter of time before the New Republic comes nosing around. We’ve got to be absolutely clean. Is the energy shield functional yet?”

“We’re testing it this morning, and our engineers are confident it’ll work. Solo and the Wookiee will be dead by then,” Skynxnex said. “My personal guarantee.”

Doole’s lips curled like a rubbery gasket stretched out of shape. “Don’t enjoy yourself too much.”

Skynxnex smiled back at him and turned to leave. His black eyes glittered. “Only as much as necessary,” he said.

The mine car roared through the tunnels in total blackness. Han had no choice but to trust the computer guidance system.

Chewbacca had found the accelerator button and punched it repeatedly, trying to get farther away from the multi-legged horror deep in the mines.

Han gripped the sides of the car with hands gone white from cold and terror. Each time they shot past a gaping side tunnel, his imagination heard noises of skittering legs and scythe-like claws reaching out to pluck them from the passing car.

“Our course is taking us back to the muster room,” Kyp said. “This could be our chance to escape.”

“Where else should we go?” Han asked. He felt his heart pounding. Chewbacca groaned a question, and Han translated it. “Do you know any other way out of these tunnels?”

“I don’t,” Kyp said, “but maybe I could find one.”

Han fought to contain a sudden fit of shudders. “I don’t know about you, but I’m in no mood to go wandering through dark tunnels feeling for a way out—not with that thing chasing after us.” The thought of a freezing death in the energy-draining fangs of the monster made the option of imprisonment in the spice mines seem not so terrible after all.

Before they could form some sort of alternative plan, the floating mine cars coasted to a halt in the long holding chamber. The metal door at the far end slammed shut behind them. With his infrared goggles, Han could see the activation controls on the wall next to an inner door.

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