[Last Of The Jedi] - 08(17)

“Can we do it tonight?”

“Sure. Just do me a favor. Don’t get caught. There are rumors of medics who’ve disappeared. I don’t mind helping you, Ferus, but I’d like to stay healthy.”

Ferus looked at Malory, with her gaze so like Roan’s, and spoke the truth. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’d die first.”

She grinned, and the flash of Roan hit him again. “Just so I’m not second.”





CHAPTER TEN


Ussans always began their workday early, in darkness, so that they could quit in late afternoon in order to take advantage of the long late afternoon light. In Ussa, twilight was called “the endless hour.” That was when families crowded the cafes and children played in the parks. Back in the time every Ussan could still remember, before the Empire came.

Before sunrise, they were crowding the streets and space lanes with airspeeders, packing the buses, and hurrying along the broad walkways. This crush was a crucial element in the plan to rescue Amie.

All members of the Eleven had spread the word. Even to those without jobs. And to the airbus drivers, the air taxis, the pedestrians. Flood the streets and space lanes, they’d said. Create traffic, maybe an accident or two. Or three. But they had to be careful. It had to look natural. They could not risk their children again.

Many were reluctant, especially those whose children had been taken only the week before. But the power of the Eleven and a personal appeal from Wil swayed them to the cause.

Clive had heard of the now-legendary cooperation of the Bellassan people. He knew that almost every citizen supported the Eleven. It was one reason why Ferus had been able to operate so long. No one betrayed him. No spies could be recruited by the Empire. But he had to admit he had cast a cynical eye on the Bellassan resistance from a distance. In his experience, beings could be noble, but only up to a point. Self-interest would always win out.

So he was stunned when the citizens of Ussa risked everything and took to the streets.

The crush of traffic was the perfect cover. Checkpoints were overwhelmed. Airspeeders idled, airbuses broke down. Pedestrians milled in small crowds, spreading into the lanes for wheeled traffic. And in the confusion, Amie was passed from vehicle to vehicle.

At the checkpoints, the stormtroopers couldn’t handle the mass, so random gravsleds and airspeeders were able to break through and disappear into the chaos on the other side or down alleys that ran behind many of the twisting streets. Soon the garrisons sent out more stormtroopers, but it would take time before the city could be managed.

Clive’s job was simply to keep Amie in sight and try to add to the chaos. He did his part, piloting an airspeeder and then abandoning it to block a lane, jumping aboard a gravsled and taking it through the back alleys to keep Amie in sight, who was now aboard a different speeder. Her last ride was with Dona again, this time in a utility skiff that the Eleven had blastproofed and secretly tweaked to give it advanced speed and agility.

All the while, more and more patrols appeared. The skylanes were now thick with prowler vehicles trying to get a lock on Amie’s position. But even the dreaded prowlers were having a hard time distinguishing between the vehicles and pedestrians jamming the streets.

They were almost to the last checkpoint. This would be the tricky part. No question. Clive knew the Jedi must be around him somewhere, but they were gleaming good at concealing themselves when they had to.

On foot now, he slowed to a walk. He could see Dona ahead at the checkpoint, several vehicles back in line. Wil was assigned the job of creating the diversion. Suddenly a garbage scow overturned, spewing foul-smelling material into the street. Airspeeders collided, an airbus let out all its passengers, and pedestrians ran from the garbage straight toward the checkpoint. At the same time Dona backed up her skiff, maneuvered around the checkpoint, and then zoomed forward.

She would have made it. As far as Clive could tell, everything had gone according to plan. But they couldn’t plan for everything. They couldn’t plan around the airspeeder full of stormtroopers that had been sent for reinforcements.

The airspeeder took off after Dona.

Clive was on foot. No one in line had reacted to the chase. The checkpoint line still moved. He flashed his ID docs and moved through. Then he picked up his pace and quickly joined the pedestrian walkway. As soon as he was out of sight of the guards, he began to run.

Dona pulled over. She knew she’d be blasted out of the skylane if she didn’t. She was far ahead of him, and he dodged pedestrians, trying to keep her in sight without being too obvious about it. He saw her hand over her ID docs. The stormtrooper ordered her out.