[Galaxy Of Fear] - 06(3)

“Wiped out,” Tash repeated sadly. “Kind of like Alderaan.”

Zak nodded. The two Arrandas understood how terrible the loss of an entire planet could be. Their homeworld, Alderaan, had been destroyed by the Emperor’s Death Star only eight months before. The Arrandas had lost their parents, their home, and their friends, all in one terrible moment.

Deevee continued. “The scientist, Mammon, was condemned by everyone, even the Emperor. He went into hiding and has never been heard from again. The planet became barren and the entire civilization of Kiva was lost.”

“Maybe that’s why Gog decided to build his headquarters there,” Zak suggested. “Who would bother to look on a planet everyone knew was deserted?”

“Maybe,” Tash agreed. She was kind of glad the place they were going was deserted, after everything they’d been through on Nespis 8. She remembered that Nespis 8 was supposedly abandoned-but they’d had plenty of surprises there. Who knew what awaited them on Kiva? “Come on, let’s get to the cockpit and help Uncle Hoole,” she said to Zak.

Deevee’s battered body whined a little as he walked, but otherwise he functioned normally as all three hurried back to the ship’s control room. They offered to help, but Hoole had their course all set. There was little to do for the next few hours but watch the white, blurred lights of hyperspace rush past.

Finally, with a frown on his face, Hoole powered down the hyperdrive, and a planet the color of charcoal appeared before them.

“Kiva,” Hoole said stiffly. “Don’t worry, we will not be detected. This planet is lifeless.”

“We know,” Zak said. “Deevee told us all about Mammon.”

Hoole raised an eyebrow at his droid. Anger crossed his usually unreadable face. “I would have thought you had better ways to waste your time than teaching them about dead planets.”

Deevee was startled. “Master Hoole, I-“

“Never mind,” Hoole snapped. “We’re entering orbit.”

Zak and Tash exchanged a quick glance. They had rarely heard Hoole snap at Deevee, and never when the droid was trying to teach them something.

The great ball of dark gray matter that was Kiva filled the entire viewscreen as the ship drew nearer. Tash stared down at the dark world, amazed at how barren it looked. Suddenly, a wave of fear swept through her like a warning.

“What’s that?” she said, stabbing a finger at the viewscreen.

“What’s what?” Zak asked, alarmed by the fear in her voice.

“That!” Tash said again.

Then they all saw it. On the planet’s surface, something glowed with sudden brightness. It was tiny, but clearly visible even hundreds of kilometers above the surface.

A sensor alarm bleeped. “Energy readings just went off the scale,” Zak yelped.

“Something’s attacking us!” Tash cried.

“Taking evasive action,” Hoole responded, banking the Shroud hard to the right.

Too late.

An enormous energy beam streaked toward them, slamming into the ship with the light of a dozen suns. The Shroud spun to the right, and continued to spin even after the bright light vanished. Tash felt her stomach leap into her throat. They were falling. The ship lurched into a nosedive, and Tash was slammed against a wall. Through the spinning viewport, she could see the planet spiraling upward toward them.

“What’s happening?” she yelled.

“No power,” Hoole said. He was straining forward in the pilot’s seat, trying to regain control of the ship. “We’re out of control. We’re going to crash!”





CHAPTER 3


We’re going to die. That same thought gripped both Tash’s and Zak’s minds at the same time.

Neither one of them could speak. Their mouths and throats had gone dry, and all they could do was watch the surface of the planet grow closer by the second.

Zak knew there were procedures to regain ship control. There were steps to follow. But he was too terrified to remember them. Then he heard a calm voice speak over the sound of the atmosphere rushing past the ship’s hull.

“Restarting repulsor engines,” Hoole said aloud. “No response. Main circuits are off-line.”

The planet’s surface was very near now, but Hoole’s voice was utterly calm. “Switching to backup circuit board.” Zak heard something click. But it was too late. The planet rushed up to crush them. “Circuits are on-line. Restarting repulsor engines again.”

A low groan rumbled through the ship. “Brace yourselves!” Hoole warned. “Engaging thrusters.”

The ship’s forward repulsors fired up, breaking against the overwhelming pull of gravity. Tash and Zak were thrown forward, slamming into the Shroud’s main console.