[Galaxy Of Fear] - 04(3)

“Prime,” Zak said. “I’ll get Tash.”

Zak knew just where to find his sister. She could generally be found in her room, reading datastories about the now-extinct Jedi Knights. She believed in the Force and in the powers the Jedi Knights were said to have; she even dreamed of becoming a Jedi herself someday. Until recently Zak had teased Tash about her dream, but during their travels with Hoole, Tash had gotten some strange, unexplainable feelings of dread. She seemed to sense when danger was near, just like (Zak had to admit) the legendary Jedi Knights supposedly could.

But when he reached Tash’s cabin, she wasn’t reading. She was sitting at her computer terminal.

“We’re about to land,” Zak said, flopping down on her bed.

The minute he saw the computer screen, Zak knew what Tash had been up to. She had been on the HoloNet, the galaxywide computer network. It was here that Tash had first learned about the Jedi Knights from a mysterious contact, code-named ForceFlow. Tash suspected that ForceFlow worked for the Rebels, who fought against the Empire. ForceFlow had warned her about their last trip, to the planet Gobindi. They should have paid more attention.

“I finally got through to ForceFlow,” Tash said. “I asked him about Project Starscream and about Hoole.”

“Did he know anything?” Zak asked.

Tash pointed to the screen. “Not much. He says that Project Starscream is a top-secret operation run by someone in the Empire. But he says it’s not just military. It’s scientific.”

“We already knew that,” Zak replied. “What about Uncle Hoole?”

“ForceFlow sent me this.” Tash touched a button on her computer and the information on the screen changed. Zak was looking at Hoole’s personnel file-the same file they had tried to break into at the Research Academy.

Zak scanned the readout eagerly, but the gleam in his eye faded quickly. According to the files, Hoole had been born on Sh’shuun, the homeworld of the Shi’ido species. He had been an excellent student on Sh’shuun, and eventually he had left his homeworld to study at the Galactic Research Academy, where he became a professor of anthropology. He had dedicated himself to recording the cultural habits of species across the galaxy.

“There’s nothing here,” he scoffed. “At least nothing we couldn’t figure out on our own.”

“Look closer,” Tash prodded.

Zak scanned the file again and shrugged. He had read everything that appeared on the screen. Then he stopped.

He hadn’t read what wasn’t on the screen.

Four years of Hoole’s life were missing.

Hoole had left his homeworld. Four years later, he enrolled at the Academy.

“What happened in between?” Zak asked.

Tash shook her head. “Even ForceFlow doesn’t know. But I’ll bet that’s why Hoole is so mysterious now.”

Zak studied the screen again. “By the way, who is this ForceFlow?” he wondered out loud. “How does he get so much information?”

“I don’t know,” his sister replied. “But I’m going to meet him someday. I told ForceFlow we were going to Hologram Fun World and that I’d contact him again later.”

Zak paused. “Didn’t Uncle Hoole warn us not to tell anyone where we were going?”

Tash shrugged. “But this is ForceFlow. He’s on our side.”

Tash and Zak reached the cockpit of the Shroud just as the ship arrived at Hologram Fun World’s docking station. They watched as Hoole guided the ship toward one of the docking latches. There, the Shroud would firmly connect to the transparent dome and its airlock, which would allow travelers to enter Fun World without being exposed to the cold, airless void of space.

Hoole deftly touched a thruster control. The Shroud nudged forward a few meters and came to rest squarely next to one of the entrance bays. As soon as the ship came to a stop, Hoole turned to his niece and nephew. “This is where we separate. Hologram Fun World is an exciting place-and I know you will be safe here.”

“Where are you going?” Zak asked. “When will you be back?”

Hoole paused. “I should be back in a few days. As for where I am going, it is better that you do not know.”

The Shi’ido escorted Zak and Tash to the hatchway of the Shroud, where Deevee waited, holding two travel cases in his mechanical hands.

Hoole opened the hatchway, which led to a sterile, durasteel airlock. Zak and Tash stepped into the lock and turned to look at their uncle. The stern Shi’ido’s face had suddenly softened. He looked almost sad. He raised one hand in a brief goodbye. The outer airlock door closed, and a moment later Zak felt the floor beneath his foot tremble as the Shroud launched itself away.