[Last Of The Jedi] - 07(11)

Flame turned the ship into a quick dive, then flew in a random pattern toward the freighter. She quickly dipped the ship down, heading for the stern of the freighter.

“We’re going to catch a few space disturbance waves from displacement as we get closer,” she said. “So hang on.”

Suddenly the ship lurched, and Flame had to pull back to avoid smashing into the freighter. As winds whipped around their craft, sending it left and right and hurling it toward the large freighter, Flame was able to keep the ship steady, only meters from the freighter’s exhaust.

“The ship will blowout the exhaust soon,” Roan advised.

“I’m ready. It’ll be a good time to dive.”

The exhaust blew, and the ship rocketed backward. Flame lost control for a split second, and the ship spun so quickly that Trever almost fell to the floor. He was beginning to feel dizzy. Flame quickly leveled out, then dived toward the surface.

“Didn’t expect that to be quite so … aggressive,” she said with a grin.

“All right, we’re beyond their sensors,” Roan said, watching the computer. “No sign that they’ve seen us. I think we made it past the checkpoint.”

Flame’s hands relaxed slightly on the controls.

Sunset spread out below them in streaks of hot orange and deep red. Their craft zoomed downward.

Suddenly the Tanglewoods loomed ahead. The forest was renowned on Bellassa. The towering trees shared a complex root system and grew so thickly together that their branches intertwined in fantastical shapes. There was not a sliver of space to be seen between them. The darkness was falling rapidly. Only streaks of color remained near the horizon. Flame’s hands tightened on the controls.

“This is impossible,” she muttered.

“It only seems so,” Roan said. “Trust me. Follow the coordinates I laid out. Don’t trust your eyes.”

“Okay,” Flame said, her voice a bit shaky, “but we’re about to crash into that tree.”

Trever shrank back in his seat. The massive trunk loomed ahead. Flame kept going.

The ship burst through a holographic scrim. Now ahead through the gloom they could just make out a narrow, twisting tunnel through the entwined branches of the trees.

“The resistance worked for weeks to get this set up,” Roan said, leaning forward. “First we set up the hologram, then we cleared a path through the trees. The Empire hasn’t discovered it yet, and we hope they never do. It’s a safe pathway to Ussa.”

Confident now, Flame powered down the speed and looped through the twisting tunnel. It was now completely dark, and the trees overhead made only a whispering noise as they slipped through. “

“We can leave the ship at the edge of the wood,” Roan said. “It’s a short hike to Ussa.”

“This looks good,” Flame said, easing the ship down into a clearing surrounded by a thickly tangled canopy of trees.

“No survival packs,” Roan warned. “We have to look like residents of the city.”

For a time they walked through the forest, which gradually thinned until they could make out twinkling lights in the distance.

Gradually they heard the hum and whoosh of air traffic, and they knew they were close. They walked parallel to the main road.

“Up ahead is the airbus stop,” Roan told them. “Dona and I will bring Flame’s credentials to the Eleven. We’ll contact you when there’s word. Are you corning with us, Trever?”

“I’ll stick with Flame for now,” Trever said. “I’ve still got my buddies in the black market. They’ll hide us for sure.”

Roan nodded. “Good luck. Dona and I will continue on foot.”

Trever and Flame stepped out onto the road. The lights of Ussa were just a kilometer or so ahead. The airbus stop was crowded. This was where those who lived outside the city either left their personal transports or stepped off the interplanetary liners to get to the city airbuses. There was a small landing area crowded with swoops and speeders. Trever and Flame joined the short line forming to wait for the next airbus. A soft rain began to fall.

I’m home, Trevor thought.

The airbus arrived and they boarded. No one gave them a second look. They stood near the rear doors. The airbus glided through the winding city streets. Outlanders often got lost in Ussa, since it was a city built around seven lakes, and roads were circular and twisted around each other in dizzying arcs.

More people got on and off. The passengers began to dwindle as the airbus reached the Moonstone District, which was made up of warehouses and power plants for the city. Trever nudged Flame, and they jumped off.

“Not much to see around here,” Flame observed.