They hurried into the Falcon. For the first time, Zak and Tash sat at the controls, while Uncle Hoole stood behind them. Zak glanced at his sister, who returned his wry smile. So many times, they had stood behind while Hoole led the way. This time, they were in charge.
Their second landing was only slightly better than the first. Hoole leaped out of the hatchway before it had opened completely, with Tash and Zak close behind him.
“The place still looks deserted,” Tash whispered.
“Let’s hope so,” Hoole replied.
They reached the front door of the fortress. All was dark and silent inside. Creeping as quietly as possible, they made their way down the hallway, until they reached the central chamber.
The room looked undisturbed. The doors to the room stood open, since they had been damaged by the Rebels earlier. The enormous command chair still faced the bank of video monitors, its back toward them. Beyond, the door to the egg chamber was still open.
“Okay, we’re here,” Zak said softly. “Now what?”
“Now,” Hoole replied, “we look for any information that might help us destroy Gog’s monster.”
“Let me save you some trouble.”
The voice was high-pitched and shrill-a weird combination of evil pleasure and utter hatred.
The command chair in the center of the room swiveled around, and they saw Gog grinning at them. He looked confident and secure. Even though his laboratory had been abandoned and damaged by Rebels, it was still the center of his power.
“Let me save you some trouble,” Gog repeated. “There is no way to destroy my creature.”
Hoole’s face was stern and threatening. “Then surrender him to me, Gog. I won’t let you use this creation to hurt anyone else. Give him to me.”
Gog smiled again. “Why, of course, Hoole. He’s right behind you.”
CHAPTER 17
They spun around to see Eppon looming over them. Even Hoole let out a cry of alarm.
Eppon no longer looked even vaguely human. He was over two meters tall, and covered in purplish scales. The remnants of the jumpsuit he’d worn hung in tatters around his waist. His thick arms reached almost to the floor. His eyes were blood red, and his mouth had become a slavering, tooth-filled maw.
“Eppon-” Tash started to say.
Eppon roared and lunged forward.
They backed away as Hoole put himself between Eppon and the others.
“Don’t let him touch your skin, Uncle Hoole!” Zak warned.
Hoole shimmered for a moment, and suddenly a huge Wookiee stood in his place. The Wookiee snarled. Eppon roared in reply and lunged forward, and the two huge figures crashed together.
Tash and Zak cringed, waiting for Hoole to turn to jelly… but nothing happened. Eppon clung to the Wookiee, trying to touch exposed skin, but he could not dig past the thick layer of fur that covered the Wookiee’s body.
“The creature can’t absorb him!” Deevee realized.
Eppon was as surprised as Zak and Tash. That gave Hoole the upper hand. Powerful blows from his Wookiee claws rained down on Eppon, beating the monster back. Tash and Zak thought Hoole would actually win, until Eppon changed his tactics. With brute force, he started to trade blows with the Wookiee.
A powerful blow of Eppon’s arm crashed down on the Wookiee’s head, stunning Hoole. Losing his concentration, Hoole shimmered and shifted back into his own shape. Quickly, Eppon grabbed hold of Hoole’s arms. Then Eppon’s flesh began to ooze and slither. Strings of slime grew out of his skin and started to crawl up Hoole’s arms toward his open mouth and his eyes.
“Ooze,” Tash said with a shudder. “Just like the virus creatures we saw on Gobindi.”
Struggling to escape, Hoole fell on his back with Eppon crashing down on top. As the strings of slime touched Hoole’s bare skin, the Shi’ido cried out in pain and fear.
Just then, a black shadow fell across the two combatants. An incredible force lifted Eppon up and hurled him against a nearby wall. Eppon struck the wall with such force that the entire building shook, and the ceiling above them cracked.
Darth Vader had come.
Vader glanced down at Hoole. “You are fortunate that I have not yet questioned you.”
Sitting in his command chair, Gog shrieked like a madman at Eppon. “Kill Vader! Kill Vader!”
Eppon leaped to his feet and threw himself at Vader. He slammed into the Dark Lord with the sound of a mountain falling. Vader took half a step back to keep his balance, then lifted Eppon up over his head. Eppon tried to clasp his opponent, but Vader’s armor covered every inch of his skin. With the help of the dark side of the Force, Vader sent Eppon crashing into the egg chamber, ten meters away.
Schrrrummmmm!