[Dark Nest] - 1(26)

“Jedi commandos are good equalizers,” Han agreed. “But what I want to know is how the Colony got them to come out here in the first place.”

Several moments passed with no answer, and finally their gazes began to drift toward Juun. Tarfang’s eyes darted from one to the other of them, and finally he jabbered an angry denial.

“Tarfang asks that you stop looking at them,” C-3PO said. “He denies any involvement.”

“That’s not what we were implying,” Leia said.

“But we do need your help,” Luke said to Juun. “Han needs your help. We must find our Jedi Knights.”

Juun considered this for a moment, then said, “Perhaps there is a way. There’s room in the forward hold. If we hide you in there-“

“Forget it,” Han said. “We’re flying our own ships.”

“I’m afraid this is the only practical way,” Juun said. “I’ll be relying entirely on the guide myself.”

Han shook his head.

“Han, I know it’ll be crowded,” Luke said. “But it sounds like the best plan.”

“No, Luke,” Han said, discreetly eyeing the control board. “It really doesn’t.”

Luke’s gaze darted to the board and away again almost immediately, but he was not quick enough to escape Juun’s notice.

“Why are you looking at the control board?” he demanded. “You don’t trust me to maintain my own ship?”

“Well, you did slip with your solder.” Han stooped down and pointed at a silver line angling across the board. “You’re going to have a short running across your flux inhibitors.”

Juun studied the line, then said, “It’s nothing to worry about. I followed all the proper procedures.”

“Yeah, but you slipped-“

“It’s more than adequate. I’ll demonstrate.” Juun slipped the master plug onto the supply prongs, then waved Tarfang to the far side of the cabin. “Close the main breaker.”

“Juun, I don’t think that’s a good-“

A sharp clack echoed across the room. Han barely managed to close his eyes before the ship erupted into a tempest of bursting lamps and sizzling circuits. Leia and the others cried out in shock. When the crackling continued, Han pulled his blaster and, opening his eyes to what looked like a indoor lightning storm, shot through the wire array just above the master plug.

The popping and buzzing quickly died away, and the main cabin was again plunged into its previous green dimness. Juun dropped to his knees in front of the control board.

“Not again!”

“What did I tell you?” Han asked.

Tarfang returned to the group and studied his crestfallen captain a moment, then looked Han in the eye and spoke sharply.

“He says the cost just doubled, Captain Solo,” C-3PO said. “You must pay for the damages you caused.”

“I caused?” Han protested. “I told him not to-“

“We’ll be glad to replace the wire array Han destroyed saving the XR-eight-oh-eight-g,” Leia interrupted. “And we’ll do anything else we can to help Captain Juun complete his repairs… per item seven of the Smuggler’s Code.”

“You bet,” Han said, catching Leia’s strategy. “It’s not as bad as it sounded, or the smoke would be a lot thicker.”

Juun looked up, his small eyes round with wonder. “This is covered under item seven?”

“Oh, yeah,” Han said. “But we’re flying our own ships.”

“I’m sure we can think of a way to follow Captain Juun.” Luke spoke in a tone that suggested he had already solved this problem. “We may need to install a couple of pieces of equipment when we repair the wire array.”

Tarfang raised a lip, then jabbered a demand.

“What kind of equipment?” C-3PO translated.

“The secret kind,” Luke said, glaring at the Ewok.

Tarfang lowered his furry brow and glared back for a moment, then finally said something that C-3PO translated as, “Captain Juun will be taking a big risk. It’ll cost you.”

“Fine,” Luke said. He stepped close to Juun and Tarfang, and suddenly he seemed as large as a rancor. “But you know who we are. You understand what it will mean if you try to double-cross us?”

Tarfang shrank back, but Juun seemed untroubled.

“Double-cross Han Solo?” the Sullustan asked. “Who’d be crazy enough to do that?”





SEVEN


Down in the valley, the Taat were scavenging along the flood-plain, their thoraxes glowing green in Jwlio’s hazy light. With the rest of their foraging territory brown and withering from a Chiss defoliant, the workers were stripping the ground bare, leaving nothing in their wake but rooj stubble and mud. It was a desperate act that would only deepen their famine in the future, but the insects had no choice. Their larvae were starving now.