ATTENTION, CITIZENS OF MAH DALA. THE BEING ‘WE ARE TAKING INTO CUSTODY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A SUSPECTED PIRATE AND SMUGGLER. HE IS BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL!
The stormtroopers dragged the Rodian kicking and screaming to the hovercar. “I’m not a pirate! I’m not a pirate!” the Rodian yelled. But the troopers ignored him and tossed him into the waiting vehicle, then jumped in behind him. The lead trooper paused only to attach a large data screen to a nearby wall. Then he, too, slipped into the vehicle. Its sirens wailing, the Imperial hovercar slid quickly away.
“What was that all about?” Tash asked of her new companion. But Wedge had vanished.
Tash and Deevee walked over and joined the crowd that had gathered around the data screen. The flat electronic device displayed the words “WANTED FOR PIRACY.” Underneath those words were four images. One was of the Rodian that had just been captured. A digital red X had been drawn through his image. But the other three images were of suspects still at large. Tash recognized the furred face of a Bothan, and two humans.
One of the humans was Wedge Antilles.
“Oh, dear,” Deevee said with a start.
“I don’t believe it,” Tash said. “Why would a space pirate save us from that blob?”
“He did say he had been trapped here by the blockade,” Deevee pointed out.
Tash still didn’t believe it. Maybe it was his mention of the Jedi, but she had a feeling that Wedge had a good heart, and she had learned to trust her feelings.
“What do you think he meant about the Infirmary?”
The droid shook his metallic head. “I can’t imagine. After all, it is the finest facility of its kind, and it is run by a friend of Master Hoole’s.”
That did not make Tash feel any better. She already had suspicions about Uncle Hoole. “I think we should go check on Zak. Right now.”
Tash didn’t wait for Deevee to respond. She sprang to action and hurried back to the suspended bridge. On the way, she tried to make sense of everything that had happened. First the mysterious Wedge Antilles appeared out of nowhere to save them from a weird blob creature, and then told them that no one but Imperials had been allowed on Gobindi in weeks. And yet, Tash reminded herself, Uncle Hoole made only one comm transmission and got clearance for them to land. And the Imperial in charge of the Infirmary was an old friend of Uncle Hoole’s.
A thought sent icy chills down Tash’s spine. Did Uncle Hoole have connections with the Empire?
She and Zak had been traveling with Hoole for six months, but their Shi’ido uncle had never clearly explained what he did. All they knew was that Hoole was an anthropologist and that he visited different planets to study alien cultures. As Zak had once pointed out, they didn’t even know Uncle Hoole’s first name!
For all she knew, her uncle could be an Imperial agent.
If that’s the case, Tash thought, then he’s no uncle of mine.
Tash reached the Infirmary slightly out of breath. The hot Gobindi climate made even the slightest exertion difficult, and her sore arm had become stiff. She touched her bruise.
Something was wrong.
She rolled up her sleeve. The bruise had become a brown lump, and the skin there was dry and rough. Whatever Kavafi had given her had caused some sort of reaction.
Just as one of the turbolift doors opened, Deevee caught up to her, his gyros straining from the effort.
“Tash Arranda!” he scolded as they rode up the lift together. “How do you expect me to function as your caretaker if you continually run off like that!”
“Sorry, Deevee, but we need to make sure Zak is all right.”
“I’m quite sure Zak is in good hands,” the droid replied. “Dr. Kavafi is an expert in his field, and after all, Master Hoole would only bring Zak to a first-rate medical facility.”
The turbolift door opened, and Tash found herself staring into the face of Dr. Kavafi. His face broke into a warm smile. “Tash, you’re back from your walk so soon?”
“Urn, yes. I want to see my brother,” she said, slipping past him and starting down the hall.
“Wait!” Kavafi said, catching up to her. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to-“
“I want to see him anyway,” Tash interrupted. She had been raised to respect adults, but her concern for her brother overwhelmed her. Besides, it was hard for her to respect someone in an Imperial uniform, even if he was a doctor. She continued her march down the hall.
“Wait!” Kavafi called after her.
Tash reached the door to Zak’s medichamber with Kavafi running to catch up with her. “If you will only listen to-“
Tash activated the automatic door and stepped into the room.