by Greg Keyes
“Vega?”
“Almost there,” she said, distractedly.
The skips fell into several wedges. Uldir began to wonder who the Yuuzhan Vong were fighting exactly‑at the moment he didn’t see any ships that weren’t enemies.
The skips approached firing range.
“Got it, boss. Go.”
He went.
Their next reversion was entirely uneventful. They appeared a few hundred thousand clicks from Thyferra–right on the dot in galactic terms.
“There’s still no word from Skywalker or anyone else,” Vega told him.
“Small wonder. There’s a war going on.”
Vega shook her head. “It’s more than that. I did manage to get a news summary from the HoloNet. Master Skywalker was ordered arrested. He fled Coruscant and went into hiding.”
Uldir whistled. “I knew Borsk Fey’lya was stupid, but that’s really stupid. How does he think the New Republic can possibly win this war without the Jedi?”
“The Yuuzhan Vong promised that if all of the Jedi were delivered to them the war would end, remember?”
“Yeah, right. That’s why they’re taking Yag’Dhul even as we speak.”
A light blipped on the console. “The Thyferrans are asking what our business in their system is:’
Uldir sighed. “Tell them. Give them our highest priority clearance code. If that doesn’t work, we go in without them. There’s no time to lose. The operative is probably already here.”
An hour later they were planetside, in an old building that recalled Imperial architecture. The office they stood in had been opened to the air on two sides, furnished with potted plants and trailing vines and wickerwork furniture not designed for humanoid frames, but the harsh, industrial lines of the structure still peeked through.
“It’s quite impossible,” Xeshen Kra was saying, clicking the three fingers of one hand and touching Uldir’s shoulder with another. His skin had changed from a light gray to mauve since Uldir’s arrival, and while he remembered that signified a shift in emotion, he had no idea what particular emotion mauve signified.
“Our intelligence was stolen directly from the Yuuzhan Vong,” Klin‑Fa pointed out. “They plan to destroy bacta–all of it–and they will if you don’t take us seriously.”
The Xeshen Kra didn’t blink–he couldn’t, for there were no lids on his bulbous black eyes–but Uldir got that impression, nevertheless.
“And yet how could this scheme be carried out?” Kra asked,mildly. “We screen off–worlders carefully, and I do not think a Yuuzhan Vong could masquerade as one of us, no matter how clever the disguise.”
“True,” Uldir agreed. Their host was a Vratix. His body washook‑shaped, his insect‑like head set on a long slender neck on the long end of the hook He looked down at Uldir from a height of nearly two meters. His two back limbs were enormously muscular and bent the wrong way–twice. The spiked forelimbs were also twice jointed. “But Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology–”
“Might be able to produce our form, though that is highly doubtful. But we also communicate by scent and touch, and by the mind‑to‑mind. Could all of this be convincingly duplicated? We would know. Our bacta production is not without security precautions. Saboteurs have come here before.”
“They might be using a Vratix,” Vega pointed out. “They could have captured one of your people and brainwashed him.”
“Even less likely that we would not notice such a thing. His intentwould be known by the mind‑to‑mind.”
“But you do have humanoid employees, don’t you?” Uldir persisted.
“Not many. Since we expelled the off‑world cartels many yearsago, we have employed mostly our own people.”
“That might actually make it easier,” Bey put in. “You’re right, theYuuzhan Vong agent is almost certainly disguised as a humanoid. If there aren’t many humanoids working in Bacta production, it makes our job of checking them much simpler.”
The Vratix considered that for a moment, continuing to paw Uldir’s arm. “Very well,” he said at last. “I still doubt this threat, but it will do little harm to do as you propose.”
“Good,” Uldir said. “Where should we start?”
Xeshen Kra turned to her assistant, who had a portable database.
“We should check the most recent arrivals first,” Vega said. “Anyone who was just hired or has recently returned from off‑planet.”
The assistant consulted the pad for a moment, then looked up.
“The alazhi fields at Vrelnid are nearby. They are vast, and there are a number of humanoid technicians there. Two have begun work there in the past week.” He released Uldir’s arm. “We can take my flier,” he added. During the flight, Uldir distractedly watched the alternation of jungle and field.
Vega moved near. “What’s wrong?” She asked.
“I don’t know. Something seems wrong about this.” “Such as?”
“If our hypothetical saboteur is already here, his work is already done–the bacta is infected.”
“Right, but maybe not all of it. They can burn the infected fields.” “True. It’s just ...” He shrugged. “Just a feeling.”
The fields at Vrelnid were indeed vast, though Uldir wouldn’t have really called them fields, just a lower sort of jungle, rambling off from the base of a small mountain range. The processing plant was modest, a few buildings outside of a ring‑walled Vratix village. Hesaw that the humanoid workers were already assembled near
the landing pad.
“This bio‑weapon,” Xeshen Kra asked, as they circled in. “Doyou know the mode of delivery?”
“Not the primary mode, no,” Klin‑Fa said. “It might be in somesort of aerosol container. Once introduced, the plants themselvesbegin producing it in the form of spores. The spores are not only
airborne but also self‑motivated. They’ll seek out the chemical signature of alazhi plants.”
“It would spread very quickly, then?” The Vratix asked.
“Very,” Bey said. “That’s why we need to catch the agent beforehe can begin the introduction.”
The flier touched down and its landing ramp extended. The fourhumans and two Vratixdescended to the packed brown earth.Three humans, a Twi’lek, and a Neimoidian watched themapproach with puzzled expressions.
“What’s this all about?” One of the humans‑a small woman withblond hair asked.
“Yes,” the Neimoidian said. “Why is our time being wasted?”
“And why the security troops?” A second human‑a sandy‑haired man‑said. “We aren’t criminals.”
“We apologize for the inconvenience,” Uldir said, “but it’s necessary. And it won’t take long. Klin‑Fa? Bey?”
The two Jedi nodded and stepped forward.
“Really,” the Neimoidian said. “Aren’t we even due an explanation?”
Xeshen Kra waved his hands. “These Jedi believe there is a threat tothe bacta. All will be explained in time.”
“He’s not there,” Klin‑Fa said, pointing at the man who had just spoken.
Before the words left her mouth, the fellow was already in motion,leaping straight for Uldir’s throat, shouting something in the all‑toorecognizable Yuuzhan Vong language.
He was fast. Vega was faster. Her blaster rifle came up and whined.Uldir’s attacker snarled and staggered as a bolt struck him in the sternum, but he did not stop. Uldir raised his hands to defend himself andtired to step back, but he bumped into Xeshen Kra. A fist slammed intohis guard and through it, catching him hard on the side of the jaw. Thenthe hands were on his head, and he felt his neck twist. He vaguely heardthe snap‑hiss of a lightsaber, and was suddenly free as the hands–andthe arms they were attached to‑fell away. Klin‑Fa stood there, her yellow lightsaber held at guard. The man‑Yuuzhan Vong, rather‑fell tohis knees, gaping at the stumps of his arms.
“Infidels,” he snarled. “You are too late. The hinges of this fortress arealready weak. Our fleet sweeps through it
like flame.”
“Fleet?” Uldir said. “The fleet we saw back at Yag’Dhul? It’s staging foran attack on Thyferra?” He frowned at Klin‑Fa. “Then why would they sendsomeone to poison the bacta?”
“The bacta plague is a Shaper initiative,” Klin‑Fa said. “Maybe they didn’tknow about the military invasion‑the warriors would plan that. Or maybeit’s a back up, in case the fleet is defeated at Yag’Dhul.”
The kneeling Yuuzhan Vong collapsed, finally overcome by shock.
“Wait,” Uldir said. “That means this guy isn’t–”
“Where did Bey go?” Vega asked.
“What?” Uldir swung his head around, looking.
“Oh, no,” Klin‑Fa said. “Oh, no.”
“Vaping Moffs,” Uldir said. “It’s Bey, isn’t it? He’s the agent.”
“I–the Vong must have done something to him.”
“You suspected this?” Vega snarled.
“No‑I mean, I knew there was something wrong with him. He keptclosed to me. But sometimes I felt–”
“Something dark,” Uldir finished. “It was him, not you.”
She closed her eyes. “it must be true.”
“Question?” Vega asked. “Why are we still discussing this?”
“You’re right. We have to find him, and fast.”
“The fields,” Klin‑Fa said. “He can’t have gone far.”
“Split up,” Uldir commanded.
Klin‑Fa had already started off at a dead run. Uldir chose anotherdirection, but Vega tugged at his sleeve. “You still trust her?” sheasked. “What if she’s just going to help him?”
“Then we’re in very deep trouble,” Uldir replied. “Now go. And becareful. If he is what I think he is–”
“Yeah.” Vega started off, too.
Leaft woke in a foul mood. His head hurt, his nose itched–and,oh, yes–his imbs were glued to a wall with some kind of goo.
Bloorash jelly, he figured, because that’s what the Yuuzhan Vongused to hold captives, and he was clearly still on the Yuuzhan Vong ship.
What had happened to the Boss and the others? Had they beencaptured? Had they left him here? He yanked at the jelly until hislimbs started to spasm, and then tried to quiet himself. It wasn’teasy, but he had to think.
He’d been in a coralskipper. He’d been falling into a black hole,and then something hadgrabbed the ‘skip, a counter‑forcepulling it back‑then nothing.
But he didn’t think this was the slave transport either. It wasanother ship; maybe the one Vook had been fighting.
“Where are you cowards?” He shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Where are you, you brave Yuuzhan Vong? I’ve killed a thousandof your kind and never seen one’s face yet–” he took wind for more air, “–because you’re always running the other way!”
Then hejerked at the jelly some more.
A few moments later, someone came into the room. He was Yuuzhan Vong, of course. A black web tattoo covered his face, centered on the two holes that passed for a nose. His ears had been sliced into three lobes, and he had three holes in each cheek. He was rangy, almost wiry for a Yuuzhan Vong, and tall.
“Pray,” he said, in Basic.
“I’m not religious,” Leaft informed him. “But you ought to take your own advice and ask your mangy, mother‑beating coward‑gods to have pity on you, because once I’m free of this stuff–”
The Yuuzhan Vong smiled and raised some sort of staff. It spat at Leaft’s wrist and ankles, and the stuff holding him suddenly dissolved. With a yowl, Leaft leapt at the Yuuzhan Vong, swinging up for a powerful kick.
But when his hand‑feet got there, the enemy wasn’t. He’d moved aside, blindingly fast. Or, no, he wasn’t there at all. Leaft turned this way and that, snarling.
Then the wall punched him in the head so hard that for an instant he thought that his eyes had been pushed together. He stumbled, and the Yuuzhan Vong was there again, swinging, hitting him in his dorsal diaphragm so he suddenly had hard vacuum in his lungs. A final kick sent him into the wall, were all sorts of things seemed to snap.
Wheezing, Leaft tried feebly to rise.
“Prey, not pray, infidel,” the Yuuzhan Vong said. “You are my prey, nothing more. I honored you by giving you the opportunity to attack me. It was clearly more honor than you deserved:”
Leaft tried to retort, but he was still failing to breathe.
“I am Tsaa Qalu, a hunter,” the Yuuzhan Vong went on. “Do you understand? I have tracked you from Wayland. I am still tracking the rest of your pack.”
“Why?” Leaft managed to cough out.
“Get up. I will show you.”
“I can’t. You’ve broken one of my arms.”
“Ah. Is that so?” He took a step closer and pointed. “This one?”
“Yes.”
He kicked it, hard. Leaft screamed what he thought was a suitably loud scream. It wasn’t that difficult, since it really was broken.
“Embrace the pain, infidel, for you will never draw breath again without it.”
“Eat mynock dung,” Leaft suggested.
“Come.” The Yuuzhan Vong grasped him by his good arm and yanked him up as if he were made of pfith‑thistle. He dragged him from the cell and into a corridor, hustled him past a couple of coralskipper docks, though a dilating membrane and into another hall. They passed one more door and entered what Leaft recognized as a bridge. Another Yuuzhan Vong sat with a cognition hood on his head.
Through a transparency, Leaft could see the curve of a large green‑and‑blue planet.
“Your nestmates are down there,” Tsaa Qalu said. “They have with them one who has seen the wisdom and rightness of our ways.”
“A traitor? The girl?”
The Yuuzhan Vong dismissed the question with the back of his hand against Leaft’s face. It stung, but next to his other pains, it was nothing.
“I am speaking, infidel. He has embraced the Truth. The Shapers sent him here to do a thing, a thing that will hasten our victory. I do not know what. I do not care.” He snarled and clutched his hands behind his back. “The Shapers did not bother to inform me of this thing. Two of you invaded our territory on Wayland. I followed, sensing a good hunt. Only when I had your ship in my claws did the Shapers tell me their plan, knowing that I would spoil it by killing you all.” He grimaced. “Shapers. They know nothing of honor. They should have given this task to me to carry out, but they prefer to work in secret, to keep things from the other castes and even other Shaper sects so they do not have to share the spoils of battle. Many are heretics, as well.” He shrugged. “But no matter, the hunt was begun. I merely altered the time of the kill. I had to stop you from plunging the slave‑ship into the singularity so that the Shaper agent would not die.”
“What are you talking about?” Leaft muttered. “I saved the transport.” His arm was really hurting now. He was starting to worry he might black out.
“A near miracle,” Tsaa Qalu said. “I gave you the knowledge. The Shaper’s agent has a small villip implanted in his skull. Through it, I told him what to do. And yet still you almost failed:”
The planet below was growing larger. “So what now?” Leaft asked, wearily.
“The agent’s task is complete,” Tsaa Qalu said. “But he has been discovered. So, I will now kill everyone who has learned of the Shaper plan. According to the agent, most such are all in one place. It should not be difficult to track those who remain. We will be there in a few moments.”
“Hah. You and this guy are going to beat the boss? Think again.”
“I won’t fight them hand‑to‑hand, though that would be glorious. No, I must be efficient and certain. I have weapons that can easily neutralize any sentient in the area. It will be no trouble at all.”
“You forgot one thing,” Leaft said.
“What’s that?”
“You have to kill me first:”
And ignoring the pain, Leaft gathered his three functioning l
imbs and sprang.
Uldir felt something in the Force: A shadow, but a familiar one. He was certain it was the same dark presence he had sensed several times before. He imagined if he had real Jedi potential it wouldn’t be so intangible but like a giant laser display pointing the way. As it was, it gave him only the vaguest sense of direction. Bey could be a meter away, hidden in the undergrowth, or half a kilometer away.
Was it Bey he sensed? The Jedi hadn’t been on Bonadan, had he? Well, maybe he had. How long ago had the Yuuzhan Vong broken him?
But the only Jedi he knew for sure had been on Bonodan was Klin‑Fa. What if Vega was right? What if they had both gone dark? It made a certain amount of sense‑if the Yuuzhan Vong
could break one of them, they could break both.
He heard something up ahead and moved even more cautiously.
The sound was gone, now, though. So was his sense of a dark presence.
Then he heard the hum of a lightsaber igniting, only a few footsteps away. He whirled and saw Klin‑Fa, her face set in grim lines. Her blade cut toward him. With a yelp he dropped and rolled. She flew past, her blade shearing through undergrowth. He came up on one knee, brought his blaster to bear–
–and saw her real target as her amber blade met Bey’s crimson one in a shear of sparks. Bey must have been hidden less than an arm’s length from Uldir.
He pulled out his comlink with one hand and tried to draw a bead with his blaster with the other.
“Vega, I found him. Hurry!”
Klin‑Fa was a whirlwind. Bits of alazhi plants flew everywhere, and her blade was an arcing blur. Bey seemed unconcerned, parrying easily and returning blows that missed Klin‑Fa by quantum increments. He was clear for a moment, and Uldir snapped off a shot. The Jedi parried it without even glancing his way, sending the bolt burning off through the underbrush.
“It’s too late,” Bey informed them. “It’s already done. The spores were inme. They were released from my pores. It’s all around you, now.”
Klin‑Fa drew back to a guard position. Uldir could see tears streaming down her face.
“What did they do to you, Bey? How did they turn you into‑this?”