Star Wars Adventures 005 - The Shape-Shifter Strikes

by Ryder Windham

Holowan’s index finger came down on the button with the circle on it. There was a beep from the device.

  “That’s one,” Zam said.

  Holowan’s hand wavered, then she brought her finger down on the button with the square on it. There was a loud, sudden hum of an electric jolt, and Holowan’s arm flew away from the device and then flopped to her side. Zam leaned over to check the stunned Holowan’s pulse, which was steady. Zam said, “That’ll teach you to try to shock me.”

  Zam recuffed Holowan’s hand, then reached down to the small sheath that was strapped around her left thigh and removed her universal key. She fitted the key circuit over the three buttons, and then heard three sequential beeps. The device was disabled.

  “Sure, I could have used my key in the first place,” Zam muttered to Holowan’s unconscious form as she removed the device from the controls and set it on the floor. “But then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of watching you sweat.”

  Zam started the starship’s engine, then piloted the vessel up through the open roof. As she ascended from Kuat City, she inserted a data card with the coordinates for the Commenor system into the nav computer. Minutes later, she left Kuat’s atmosphere and entered interstellar space. She was heading for a hyperspace portal when two Kuat Drive Yard patrol ships swooped into sight through her viewport.

  A light flashed on a comm console to Holowan’s left, and a Kuati pilot’s voice droned, “You have made an unauthorized departure from Kuat City. Return to Kuat’s orbit immediately and prepare to be boarded.”

  Zam switched off the comm and took evasive action, looping back at the two patrol ships. As her pursuers tried to maneuver after her, she tore out of her loop and accelerated for the hyperspace portal. One of the patrol ships shot at her, and a burst of laser-cannon fire glanced off her port deflector shield.

  Zam pushed a control switch and threw the ship into hyperspace. Outside the viewport, the starscape distended and enveloped Holowan’s ship in a blaze of light. Zam checked the sensors. The patrol ships hadn’t made it to the portal.

  Zam settled back into her seat. Commenor wasn’t far from Kuat, but Zam took advantage of downtime when she could. She slept all the way to the Commenor system.

  The planet Commenor served as a trading outpost and spaceport for ships traveling the Corellian Run, Corellian Trade Spine, Hydian Way, and other hyperspace trade routes. As Zam Wesell—feeling refreshed after her short nap—dropped out of hyperspace and arrived in the Commenor system, she was looking forward to a profitable trade with Jango Fett.

  She brought the ship into orbit of Commenor, and then scanned for Slave I. She had been scanning for several minutes when she finally sighted Jango’s distinctive Firespray-class ship approaching Holowan’s starboard docking port. After the two ships docked, Zam went to the port to greet Jango. Jango boarded Holowan’s ship. He was wearing his armor and carried a leather case.

  Zam eyed the case and said, “That’s the credits?”

  “That’s right,” Jango said. “Where’s Holowan?”

  “Out cold and tied up on the bridge.”

  Jango held onto the case and said, “Show me.”

  Zam led Jango to the bridge. After Jango checked Holowan’s vital signs, he handed the case to Zam. “Take it,” he said. “You earned it.”

  Zam took the case and smiled. It was heavy.

  At this point, readers who chose to follow the adventure in the Star Wars Adventures Game Book can return to the novel, The Shape-Shifter Strikes.

  Zam helped Jango Fett transfer Hurlo Holowan’s unconscious form to a cage in the prisoner hold on Slave I. In a neighboring cage, Senator Rodd sat on the floor with his eyes closed, hugging his knees.

  Jango noticed Zam was looking at the new cage, the one Boba had expanded from two cages. Jango hadn’t had time to examine Boba’s handiwork, but he was impressed with what his son had accomplished. And Boba had been right: The cage did need a long piece of durasteel to reinforce the bars. But maybe the bars themselves were the problem.

  “Cabinets,” Jango said.

  “Cabinets?” Zam repeated.

  “Instead of cages. Coffin-like wall cabinets would ensure control of captives.”

  “You’re an inspired remodeler,” Zam said. Using her eyes to measure the prisoner hold’s interior, she added, “You really think you can squeeze Groodo in here?”

  Jango said, “I’ve squeezed bigger.”

  “Any idea where he might be?”

  “I’ll interrogate Holowan when she comes around,” Jango said. “But I think he may be on Balmorra.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s where his brother lives.”

  Zam raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t know Groodo had a brother.”

  “That’s because you’ve never been to Balmorra,” Jango said. “And I have.”

  Zam followed Jango out of the prisoner hold to Slave I’s cockpit. Zam looked at the empty bunk at the rear of the cockpit and said, “You brought Boba back to Kamino?”

  Jango nodded.

  Zam said, “When we were on Esseles, you said there was another reason you had to return to Kamino. Something else you had to do. You got me curious. What was your other reason for going back? And don’t tell me it was just to get credits for me.”

  “But I did have to get credits for you.”

  Zam shook her head. “I can tell when you’re hiding something.”

  Jango thought for a moment, and then said, “I probably should tell you. Just in case you hear about it later, and you probably will.”

  “Hear about what?” Zam asked, irritated.

  “I had to get something for Cradossk. Something that would end any curiosity he has about Boba’s relationship to me.”

  “You’re going to personally give this thing to Cradossk?”

  “I’m going to show it to him,” Jango said. “If he wants it, he can have it.”

  “And are you ever going to let me know what ‘it’ is?”

  “I’ll show you right now,” Jango said. “But I’m warning you… you’re not going to like it.”

  Jango went to the bunk and motioned for Zam to stand next to him. She watched as he pulled the thin mattress off the bunk to reveal a long storage compartment that was sealed with a hinged metal cover.

  Zam said, “Is this where you got your idea for cabinets in the prisoner hold?”

  “Just look,” Jango said, as he raised the metal cover to reveal what was inside the compartment.

  Zam looked. And despite all her knowledge and experience in the deadly arts of bounty hunting and contract executions, her hands flew over her mouth. But even that couldn’t stop Zam Wesell from screaming.

  NEXT ADVENTURE:

  THE WARLORDS OF BALMORRA

  11.6.18.15.14.5-1