[Galaxy Of Fear] - 09(29)
The Starflies were easy to find-Jerec and his men had used them not long before. A spacesuit that fit Fandomar took a little longer. Most Imperials were humans, and there was almost no need for alien-sized uniforms. Tash checked three lockers before she found one that came close. The Ithorian’s hammerhead was nearly crushed against the sides of the oversized helmet. Her wide-set eyes were so jammed that she could hardly see.
“Is that comfortable enough?” Tash asked.
“I will be less comfortable as one of Spore’s victims,” Fandomar replied.
The alarms had been going off for over a minute. Spore’s entire crew of new slaves would be there any second.
Fandomar and Tash frantically slid Zak and Hoole into spacesuits. Tash grabbed a length of cable she’d found in one of the lockers and tied their hands together.
“There’s cargo space behind the Starfly seats,” she told Fandomar.
At the far end of the docking bay, a door slid open. A squad of stormtroopers burst in. Their weapons were drawn, but they did not fire.
They belonged to Spore. And they wanted Tash to join them.
“Your uncle will not fit,” Fandomar said.
“Make him fit!” Tash screeched. She helped the Ithorian slip the large Shi’ido into the cargo space of Fandomar’s vessel, folding his tied hands quickly across his chest.
Tash then jumped into her own Starfly, with Zak’s unconscious form crammed in behind her. The stormtroopers were only a dozen yards away. As Tash lifted off in the Starfly, the docking bay’s enormous doors started to close. But Spore had moved too slowly. The quick Starflies slipped easily through the opening.
As the two tiny ships darted away from the giant Star Destroyer, Tash heard Fandomar’s voice over the intercom. “We can’t outrun an Imperial Star Destroyer in these!”
Tash replied, “No, but we can outfly it!”
She pointed her ship toward the asteroid field and hit the accelerator.
CHAPTER 19
Tash banked hard as an asteroid came out of nowhere and nearly crumpled the front end of her Starfly.
She checked her scanner, hoping the Vengeance had fallen back.
It had gained.
Spore was following them.
Tash wasn’t sure whether Spore would come after them. After all, it had an entire Star Destroyer at its disposal-why chase down a few more victims? She had gambled on something Fandomar had told her, that Spore was driven to infect every being it met. The creature itself had confirmed that when it pursued the Ithorians in the forest.
Spore wanted everyone to join it.
As the two Starflies flicked in and out among the asteroids, the Vengeance surged forward. Its pointed front end sliced into the asteroid field like a knife. Power turbolasers blasted any space rocks that came close. The asteroids that weren’t destroyed bounced off the Destroyer’s deflector shields.
So far, so good, Tash thought. She took a few deep breaths, trying to regain the awareness of the Force she’d had a few minutes before.
“That won’t work, you know,” Spore whispered in her ear.
Tash nearly jumped out of her skin. Zak was awake. He had spoken through the comlink in his helmet, and hers had picked it up.
Tash tried to calm her racing heart. The Starfly didn’t provide any atmosphere of its own, she reminded herself. The inside of the little ship was just like the vacuum of space. Spore couldn’t infect her. And since Zak was tied up, he didn’t pose much of a threat, either.
“I’m going to warn the Empire,” Tash threatened. “You’ll be hunted down and destroyed before you can infect one more person.”
“You’ll never get the chance,” Spore said in Zak’s voice. Tash was surprised at how evil her brother could sound. “You will join me. You’ll be a part of me. Didn’t you want to become one with the Force? Isn’t that what you told me?”
“I told Zak!” Tash snapped.
She swerved just in time to avoid another asteroid. Spore was trying to distract her. She couldn’t listen.
Spore continued, “The Force is nothing. If it ever existed, it belonged to Jedi who died years ago. I can offer you something more. Join me, and you will join thousands, millions of others.” Spore laughed. “You are just what I’ve been waiting for. Jerec thinks I’m mad for chasing you down, but I control the crewmen, so I control the ship. He’s right here with me, on the bridge of the Star Destroyer.”
For an instant, Tash let herself be impressed by Spore’s power. He could be in many places at once. He was with Tash in the Starfly, and he was on board the Imperial ship. It was frightening.
Spore continued. “Jerec doesn’t know of your Force sensitivity. But I do. Should I tell him?” the creature taunted. “Or should I keep it to myself? You know, you’re not strong enough to stop me. Not nearly strong enough. Once you’re under my control, I’ll make you my primary host. I will be you.”