CHAPTER 18
For several tense minutes, neither Tash nor Fandomar spoke. Tash listened with her ears-and with her mind. She guessed that Jerec
was
still concentrating on shielding himself from Spore. That, plus the attention required to fly his own ship, should keep the dark-sider from sensing their presence.
As for anyone hearing them, they were back near the thruster ports. The sound of the ship’s engines would mask their conversation.
“What now?” Fandomar whispered.
“I have a plan,” Tash said, which was half true. “I think we can stop the Star Destroyer and save Zak and Hoole. But it means relying on something I’m not sure I can do. And I need your help.”
Fandomar stated firmly, “I cannot break the Law of Life.”
Tash tried to smile. “You’ll just have to bend it a little.”
The shuttle glided quickly toward the massive Star Destroyer orbiting Ithor and slid smoothly into the docking bay. Tash and Fandomar weren’t sure what happened next. They could hear very little. But from the few sounds that trickled into their hiding spot, they could guess. Spore had branched out and was infecting everyone in the docking bay. In a matter of minutes, he had spread from a handful of victims to hundreds.
With painfully slow, quiet movements, Tash slipped out of the storage bin and tiptoed toward the front of the shuttle. She crawled on her stomach until she reached the hatch, and peeked outside.
The docking bay of the Star Destroyer was huge. It should have been filled with noise.
This one was quiet as a tomb.
Tash guessed that all the infected crewmen were now moving around the ship, infecting even more Imperials.
Only two figures were left standing alone on the main deck. When she saw them, Tash almost cried tears of joy. It was Zak and Hoole.
Tash had hoped they would be left behind. She remembered that Spore had captured Zak, and nearly captured her, by sending someone familiar to lure them in. She had guessed that Spore would use the same strategy on the crew of the Star Destroyer. Since Hoole and Zak were outsiders, they would only raise suspicion, so Spore had left them behind.
Now all Tash had to do was save them.
Tash walked up to her uncle and brother as calmly as if they were aboard their own ship. They were standing as still as statues, with their backs to the shuttle. Summoning up all the courage she could manage, she said, “Hi, guys.”
Zak and Hoole whirled around as one. “Tash,” Spore said through their mouths. “I want you to join me. Now.”
“Wait!” Tash said. She was speaking with her mouth, but she was focusing with her mind. She reached out with the Force. Once before she had used the Force to reach into someone’s mind. If she could do it again…
Hoole and Zak opened their mouths and eyes wide to release the deadly spore tendrils. Then they closed them.
“Zak, Uncle Hoole, it’s me, Tash,” said Tash, still reaching out with the Force. She tried to imagine the connection between them, a power stronger than Spore.
Hoole blinked.
Zak cocked his head in confusion.
Tash could feel the Force flowing back and forth-from Tash to Hoole, from Zak to Tash. They were connected. It was working!
Then Spore seemed to strengthen his hold. Tash felt herself losing them. The Force connection wasn’t broken (it could never be broken, she realized), but she didn’t know how to use it. She didn’t have the skill.
Spore, meanwhile, had everything he needed to fight back. The confused look left Zak’s face. He and Hoole belonged to Spore once again.
Dark tentacles burst from their eyes. Vines flew from their mouths.
At the last second, Tash imagined the Force rising up around her like a wall. She didn’t know if it was the best thing to do. She didn’t even know if it was the right thing to do. All she knew was that she loved her brother and her uncle, and to save them she had to defend herself.
The dark vines stopped in midair and fell to the floor in withered strings.
Zak and Hoole froze for a moment. Tash’s knees nearly gave out. Using the Force had taken something out of her. She knew she didn’t have the strength to defend herself again.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to. In the moment Hoole and Zak hesitated, Fandomar rose up behind them. She aimed the blaster she had carried and fired two quick blasts. Hoole and Zak crumpled to the floor.
Fandomar paused for the briefest instant. She bent down to examine her two victims. Tash saw her relax when she confirmed that they were only stunned. She sighed, “Bent, but not broken.”
“Spacesuits and Starflies,” Tash said. “And hurry. Spore will know everything that’s happened here.”
As if to confirm her words, intruder alarms sounded throughout the ship.