Under A Black Sun Trilogy

by Kevin J. Anderson

  scrambling and descrambling routines buried in his signal.

  "Ahh, my little velsers" he said. "You must still be on Cloud City.

  By now I'm sure you've learned of the tragedy that has befallen your

  young Jedi friends."

  "Tragedy?" Ania said with a frown of distaste. "So, you did set that

  up."

  "Of course," Czethros said. He looked down at his fingertips, then

  back up again, smiling at her.

  "Well, they're not dead," she said in a flat voice. "None of them."

  Alarmed, Czethros drew back. "But I've already had a report from my

  operatives. At least three of those meddling kids were thrown down an

  exhaust chute and dumped out into the open skies of Bespin."

  "Is that the best you could do?" Anja chided. "I've told you before,

  they're resourceful and strong," She was amused by his obvious

  surprise. "They've been trained by the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker

  himself, and they've been through a lot worse than falling down a

  hole."

  Czethros snarled. Anja took a new tack, scowling back at him.

  "How could you send a bunch of hired assassins to kill a few

  teenagers?

  Even for you, isn't that a bit"-she searched for the right

  word-"cowardly?"

  Czethros raised his eyebrows above the visor, and the red laser eye

  flashed back and forth in agitation. "Do I detect compassion for the

  Solos in your voice, Anja Gallandro? I must not have trained you well

  enough. You were a predator, as ruthless as the velsers on Bespin.

  And now you're feeling sorry for the children of the man who killed

  your father?" He laughed out loud. "Do you realize how ridiculous

  that is?"

  Anja bit back a reply, not sure exactly how she felt. Jacen had been

  so friendly toward her. Jaina had accepted her. And even their

  friends considered her part of the group. She'd never felt this way

  before. She'd always been bitter about her life, holding on by her

  fingernails, fighting for every little advantage she managed to get.

  Never before had Anja felt the slightest bit sentimental.

  Czethros leaned closer, his face growing larger on the mirror-screen.

  "Have you changed your mind? Don't you want Solo's children killed?

  Perhaps you'd like me to send some flowers to Han Solo himself.?"

  Anja felt torn. After what Solo had done to her father, she'd spent

  her life trying to get even with him. He deserved to be hurt. But

  when she had believed Jacen Solo was dead, it had twisted her

  insides.

  The pain had been unbearable.

  "It doesn't matter anyway," Czethros said. "Even if you did change

  your mind I doubt I could stop my plans now. Everything is set.

  Soon I will send my signal, and Black Sun will appear everywhere,

  simultaneously taking over key installations and assuming key

  positions.

  Then the galaxy will run smoothly for us.

  "My operatives are in place. They received orders days ago to

  eliminate Jacen and Jaina Solo and their friends, as well as Lando

  Calrissian. I can't afford to let anyone find out too much about how

  we've been working our way through the bureaucratic levels of Cloud

  City.

  Bespin will be ours, as will Kessel, Mon Calamari, Ord Mantell, Borgo

  Prime, and every other important installation. Even Coruscant will

  feel our strength." Anja swallowed hard and forced herself to change

  the subject.

  "I'm ... almost out of spice," she said. "You promised me more, and

  I've done everything you asked."

  "Yes, yes," he said, brushing aside her comment. "I'll get it to you

  as soon as I can."

  "When?" she said. Her lips trembled. Her eyes stung. She hated to

  beg.

  Czethros looked at her and smiled faintly. "It's on my schedule.

  Don't worry your pretty head, my little velser. Now get back to your

  work. I have details to attend to. My killers are professionals, who

  always carry out their orders. Just stay clear of Lando Calrissian and

  the Solo kids, and you'll be safe."

  Czethros switched off the flat screen from his end, and it became a

  mirror again in Anja's hands. She stared at the polished surface for a

  long time, seeing only her own reflection ... and Anja did not like

  what she saw there.

  When Lando went straight to the Wing Guard on Cloud City and demanded a

  high-level investigation into the assassination attempt on Jacen, Tenel

  Ka, and Lowie, he held back his suspicions about Black Sun ... for

  now.

  When the appropriate Exex and Wing Guard commanders responded, they

  summoned the three "alleged victims" to a private debriefing at an

  unfamiliar address high in Cloud City.

  Lando, Jaina, Zekk, and Anja intended to accompany the others to add

  their observations on the story, but as they prepared to leave their

  V.I.P rooms in the extravagant Yerith Bespin, Lando received an urgent

  message. He read the screen, then turned away from the comm system,

  frowning.

  "We've got trouble at the construction site," he said. "There's

  something strange going on, and I have to attend to it." He looked

  over at Jacen. "Do you three think you can handle the interview

  alone?"

  "Hey, no problem," Jacen said. "Blaster bolts, if we lived through the

  incident itself, I guess we can handle talking about it."

  "All right," Lando said, grabbing his burgundy cape and preparing to

  deal with whatever troubles he might encounter down at SkyCenter

  Gaileria.

  "We'll come with you, Lando," Jaina said. "You might need some ...

  Jedi backup."

  "I know better than to turn down help. Sounds like this is some kind

  of labor dispute."

  Anja looked from one group to the other, and offered to join Jaina,

  Zekk, and Lando. The four of them ran to a lift tube as Jacen, Tenel

  Ka, and Lowbacca headed off to their own meeting.

  After dropping down several levels, then transiting to the outer walls

  of the city, Lando took his group to the site of the

  soon-to-be-completed SkyCenter Galleria. Using his passwords, he

  escorted them into the barricaded construction area. Jaina stood next

  to Zekk, looking around.

  Anja fidgeted, feeling very out of place. The four of them stayed

  close together as the sheer silence and oppressive tension in the air

  struck them.

  "What's going on?" Lando said. "There was supposed to be a riot

  happening here."

  "Looks like everybody went home early," Zekk said.

  Anja snorted. "False alarm, then."

  They moved farther inside, under the tall, skeletal structure of the

  primary hovercoaster. Bright glowpanels dangled from exposed wires

  high in the girders and catwalks overhead. The temporary fabric walls

  blocked most of the high breezes, but still let drafts whistle in.

  There were no other sounds. The shadows were thick.

  "Hello!" Lando called out. "Uh, what seems to be the problem here?"

  His words echoed from the equipment and construction shacks, but no one

  answered.

  "Where is everyone? We've got a completion schedule to meet," he said

  with a huff, toming
to Zekk, Anja, and Jaina. "I promised myself that

  I wouldn't let Cojahn's work go to waste. We'll open this galleria on

  time."

  Zekk frowned. "Not if all your workers are gone."

  "There must be some explanation for this," Lando said. They ventured

  deeper in. Doors of construction shacks hung open, loose. Computer

  terminals glowed with inventory records, unattended.

  "It's like they all got up and ran away," Jaina said.

  "Yeah, maybe somebody sounded an evacuation alarm," Anja suggested.

  As the four continued into the construction site, exploring and passing

  under overhangs, Jaina mumbled, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

  Suddenly, from under some debris hidden behind stacks of crates, a

  small brown Ugnaught dashed out. Ducking past the startled Jaina and

  Lando, he ran, squealing and chittering.

  "Hey, wait!" Jaina said.

  Zekk leapt to intercept the small creature, but the Ugnaught shrieked

  in terror, split to one side, and dove headfirst down an open

  airventilation duct. He disappeared with a thud of tumbling limbs.

  Zekk peered into the darkened shaft. "He certainly was in a hurry to

  leave."

  "Maybe he knows something we don't," Jaina said, looking around with wy

  apprehension. Cautiously she drew her lightsaber and ignited it. The

  blaze of violet rippled and flickered against the naked structural

  metal of the tall entertainment machinery. "Just to be safe," she

  explained, though she knew its brilliant glow might draw attention to

  their hiding place. Anja made no move to draw her own antique Jedi

  weapon.

  Suddenly all the garish glowpanels overhead winked out, plunging the

  enclosed construction area into deep shadows that were alleviated only

  by the glow of Jaina's weapon and by scores of tiny emergency lights

  that reminded her of the phosfleas the Wookiees used in their forest

  cities on Kashyyyk.

  "Great," Zekk said. "Now I've got a bad feeling about this, too."

  Two doors opened up on either side of the construction area and in the

  blaze of light from the exterior corridors, Jaina could see burly

  silhouettes of heavily armed men wearing padded bodysuits. The ominous

  figures stepped forward.

  Lando heaved a sigh of relief. "Ah, those are uniformed Wing Guards,"

  he said. "Man, are we glad to see you!"

  Then, in unison, the guards opened fire-directly at them.

  "Look out!" Jaina tackled Lando to the ground, while Zekk moved fast

  enough of his own accord, dropping and rolling under a low girder.

  Anja staggered back and fumbled for her lightsaber. Deadly blaster

  bolts ricocheted and sponged from girders, sending out sparks with

  every impact.

  "Get down," Jaina warned the older girl, deflecting one of the bolts

  with her weapon.

  "Seal the other exits!" one of the traitorous Wing Guards said.

  "Hey, you're supposed to be the good guys!" Lando bellowed.

  "What are you doing?" More blaster fire cut off further discussion.

  "It was a setup," Zekk said through gritted teeth. "We were lured

  here. These must be hit men, paid off by Black Sun."

  Lando grumbled, "There's something rotten in Cloud City."

  They ducked into the shadows, taking shelter behind crates. "At least

  we've got plenty of places to hide," Jaina said.

  "They didn't think very well before they planned this ambush," Anja

  said, crouching beside her.

  Lando shook his head and frowned. "Maybe not, but if they've got the

  exits covered, we have no place else to go. They can take their

  time."

  They heard the marching of booted feet as more turncoat security forces

  entered the construction area and barricaded the doors. Jaina wiped

  perspiration from her hand and gripped her lightsaber more securely,

  ready for hand-to-hand battle.

  "Maybe we could climb up," Zekk suggested, "find some way out the top

  to a higher level."

  Jaina looked up toward the nest of girders and hover-scaffolding,

  trying to scout out an escape hatch-but she suddenly realized that the

  thick building frames were moving, as if alive. She saw the flickering

  shadow of a humanoid shape as something scuttled down, crawling like an

  insect.

  "More of those chameleon creatures!" Jaina said, remembering the

  murderous henchmen that had attacked them in the docking bay on Ord

  Mantell. Though foiled in their assassination attempt, the chameleon

  creatures had stolen the evidence of the space mines that had nearly

  destroyed the Millennium Falcon. Jaina drew a deep breath as it hit

  her: even that must have been part of a complicated Black Sun plot.

  "Now I know what Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Lowie felt like when the

  assassinscornered them down in Port Town," Jaina said. "This time we

  get all the excitement while they attend their little meeting."

  "Well," Lando said. "With these traitorous Wing Guards here, I don't

  believe anything is as it seems. I hope they're safe."

  Another volley of blaster bolts erupted, and Lando ducked as sparks

  flew overhead. The deadly chameleon creatures scrambled closer,

  surrounding their prey, closing the trap.

  "Right now, let's just worry about ourselves," he said.

  When Jacen arrived with Tenel Ka and Lowie at the address for the

  supposed debriefing facility, they found only an empty hangar dock

  filled with old-model cloud cars and other small sky vehicles waiting

  for repair.

  "There's nobody here," Jacen said.

  Tenel Ka looked around. "Are you certain this is the correct

  location?"

  Jacen checked again. "This is where they told us to come."

  "Indeed, I can verify that," Em Teedee added, though no one had asked

  him.

  Lowie sniffed the air. His black Wookiee nose wrinkled, and he let out

  a low, uneasy groan.

  "Something is not right here," Tenel Ka said.

  "Hey-this is afact," Jacen agreed with forced humor. Tenel Ka and

  Lowie unconsciously moved closer to him, as if preparing for battle.

  The outer bay doors were open wide, and clouds stretched out in a vast

  empty skyscape, tall gray thunderheads rising above the white ritists

  far below. Judging from the weather patterns, Jacen suspected that

  heavy storms would strike the floating city before the day was out.

  The three went deeper into the docking bay, looking around, growing

  more uncertain by the moment. "We'd better check with someone," Jacen

  said.

  Lowie stopped by two of the cloud cars, bent over, and touched their

  control panels. One was painted a rich blue, the other a bright

  scarlet. Both were typical recreational vehicles, cloud cars that had

  been souped up and probably used for races or sky patrols.

  Lowie grumbled something, and Em Teedee scolded him. "Master Lowbacca,

  these are not our vehicles. It's of no concern to us that they are

  still functional. We're going to be late for our debriefing."

  "We are here," Tenel Ka pointed out. "The others are not."

  Jacen glanced at Lowie. "Hey, maybe you and Jaina could tinker with

  some of those things later. Lando could probably get them for us

&n
bsp; cheap, if they're just sitting here, decommissioned."

  Tenel Ka, her reflexes coiled like an overwound spring, suddenly

  whirled about. In the only entrance to the cloud-car bay were the

  hairyfaced bounty hunter and the slime-dripping alien from the first

  attempt on their lives. Beside them stood two Wing Guard security

  policemen.

  "Hey, you caught them," Jacen said to the Wing Guards, thinking that

  this was part of the debriefing: identifying two of the hit men who had

  attacked them. "Those are the ones who tried to kill us."

  "I say! If those men have been arrested, why are they all carrying

  their own weapons?" Em Teedee said, as the Wing Guards and the two hit

  men hauled out their blaster rifles.

  Lowie roared in outrage.

  "We have been betrayed," Tenel Ka said.

  Jacen backed up, holding his hands in front of him to prove he had no

  weapons. Only a few meters behind them stretched the open entrance to

  the cloud-car bay and another immense drop.

  "Just keep backing up until you're over the edge," the slimedripping