Under A Black Sun Trilogy

by Kevin J. Anderson

  slowly. A stash of andris on the ocean world.... Black Sun agents

  making illicit drug sales to customers in the floating casinos.

  It all made sense now. Czethros was indeed part of Black Sun, perhaps

  one of its leaders. He already had his claws into the gambling and

  entertainment on Cloud City. He stockpiled drugs on Mon Calamari ...

  and had been running weapons to the civil war on Anobis, all the while

  pretending to be her friend and protector. Many of Anja's people had

  died because of him. She began to wonder how many pots Czethros was

  stirring that she didn't know about yet.

  "Tell me the coordinates of your stash, Lilmit," she said. "How do I

  find it? I'll be taking over this run from you."

  Lilmit blanched. "No, please!"

  "It's all right. I've been testing you," she said. "For Czethros. He

  wanted to be sure you were up to the new assignment." She paused,

  thinking fast. "You'll make the delivery to Coruscant. I'll take care

  of Mon Calamari, because-because it falls into my new territory. I'm

  surprised Czethros didn't warn you."

  Lilmit said, "But what you ask is impossible. I couldn't possibly make

  it past security to Coruscant with a load of spice."

  She sighed and shook her head in a disgusted fashion. "I told him he

  wouldn't be able to entrust this mission to you, but he assured me you

  wouldn't disappoint him again......

  "Wait! No. I can do this. If Czethros is trusting me to pull this

  mission off, then I will."

  "Good. Now tell me how to find the stash of andris on Mon Calamari.

  Czethros has ordered me to move it."

  In a stuttering voice, Lilmit told her. He gave her maps and the

  transponder frequency of the stash so that she could locate the supply

  in the extremely cold waters of the ocean world's polar seas.

  " I need to hurry," Lilmit said, his voice quavering. "I don't have

  much cargo, but. . ." He looked around furtively, anxiously. The

  other people in the domed space dock didn't seem to feel his

  nervousness.

  "You know something's about to happen here-and it's got to be very soon

  now. Czethros has plans for Kessel." He lowered his voice. "Between

  you and me, I don't want to be here when his troops come in for the big

  takeover."

  "When?" Anja said.

  "I don't know. If he didn't tell you, he certainly wouldn't have told

  me." Lilmit shrugged. "But these people don't suspect at all, and I

  don't want to be here during all the blaster fire. I need to get off

  this planet."

  "You will," Anja said. "But I'm leaving first."

  "Wait. Why didn't Czethros tell me about this change of plans?"

  Lilmit wanted to know.

  "You said yourself there are many things Czethros tells me that he

  wouldn't tell you," Anja said.

  "All right." Lilmit glanced furtively around. "Just don't let Czeth

  ros touch my family."

  Remembering that Lilmit had a family-one that he had barely kept out of

  slavery-Anja felt a pang of conscience. Although this man had smuggled

  who knows how many weapons to Anobis to fuel the war there, Anja found

  it harder to judge him now. She herself could no longer justify all of

  the work that she had done in Czethros's service.

  She couldn't even be certain that she knew the consequences of all of

  the tasks she had performed for him.

  "If all goes according to plan, I assure you Czethros will never touch

  or threaten your family again," she said.

  Lilmit's eyes lit with enthusiasm and wonder. "Then this assignment is

  important."

  Anja cocked her head to one side and gave him a wordless look that

  said, Of course. What did I tell you?

  "Now, I'm going to need two doses of spice before I head out," Anja

  said briskly, folding her arms across her chest and fixing him with a

  no-nonsense stare. She cast about in her mind for a good reason. "Uh,

  Czethros has asked me to do a bit of ... spying for him while I'm on

  Mon Calamari." She gave a meaningful lift to her eyebrows.

  "Oh, I see. Certainly," Lilmit said, hurrying into his ship and

  returning moments later with two insulated cryovials and a miniature

  carbon-freeze unit. "He told me I might need to be flexible on this

  assignment. Now I understand." He handed her the vials. "Czethros

  warned me I wouldn't be able to contact him until everything was 'in

  place." So when you speak to him next time, tell him that I got the

  message. I won't let anything get in my way this time, not even Han

  Solo himself."

  Anja tucked the two insulated vials into a pocket, then graced him with

  a thin smile. "I see Czethros was right about you after all, Lilmit.

  I'll remember not to underestimate you from now on."

  Lilmit squared his bony shoulders. "Yes. You remember that, young

  lady. Someday we may even end up working on the same team."

  Anja did not try to hide the genuine smile that sprang to her face.

  Things were working out even better than she had hoped. She had gotten

  her needed dose of spice, had discovered Czethros's true colors, and

  had already hatched a plan to make her former employer pay for at least

  some of his misdeeds.

  With any luck she would also be able to keep the poor bumbling Lilmit

  out of harm's way while she carried out her plan. Perhaps Kessel would

  be the safest place for him. For now. She gave him a brisk nod.

  "No time to lose." She started to go, then turned back. "And Lilmit,

  whatever happens, don't let yourself be caught or hurt."

  Lilmit nodded, misunderstanding her words. "Yes, I know how important

  the mission is. I won't let Czethros down. Just let me pack up and go

  now."

  "Of course," Anja said. "I've got what I need. Thank you."

  The man scuttled back into his craft and closed the door, sealing the

  hatch as if afraid she might follow him inside.

  Anja looked around to make certain she wasn't being observed, and

  quickly took a dose of the precious spice.

  More andris awaited her. She would go to Mon Calamari and find the

  stash. But now that she realized she'd been betrayed and duped, it had

  become vital for her to foil Czethros's plans. She would keep only a

  small amount and destroy the rest, denying him that profit. She would

  ruin this scheme, just as she had helped destroy Lilmit's Anobis-bound

  weapons.

  "You called me your little velser, Czethros," Anja puffed in a low

  voice. "Now I'll show you just how unwise it is to get a velser

  angry!"

  She clicked on her antique lightsaber, and the acid-yellow energy blade

  throbbed and sizzled. She ducked low, narrowing her huge eyes to see

  the workings of Lilmit's engines. She slashed quickly, severing two of

  the coolant lines in a sizzle of flashing sparks and smoking

  lubricants.

  Lilmit might not notice immediately, but as he warmed up his engines in

  preparation for takeoff from Kessel, the engines would overheat and

  burn out. His craft would be stranded here, out of her way-and out of

  harm's way-for the duration of whatever was about to happen.

  Before Czethros could set his plans in
motion, Anja would be far away,

  putting her sabotage plans into effect on Mon Calamari.

  At first, Czethros probably wouldn't even suspect who was doing this to

  him. But eventually he would learn.

  Yes, eventually he would learn.

  laina was surprised at how good it felt to be in the pilot's seat of

  the Rock Dragon once again, even if they weren't exactly going on a fun

  trip. The pleasure of being surrounded by her best friends added fuel

  to the fire of her excitement as they set out on this new adventure.

  "How's our navigator doing?" she asked, settling herself more

  comfortably in her seat, anxious to be off.

  "Perfect," Zekk assured her. "Em Teedee's got the route and the timing

  to our first stop calculated down to the second."

  "And naturally, I have been very thorough, as I always wn when safety

  is concerned," Em Teedee preened. "You've come to expect only the best

  of me, and I should hate for your trust to be misplaced."

  Jaina chuckled.

  "Just give us the count, Em Teedee," Jacen urged. "We've got to go

  find Anja."

  The little droid made a sound as if clearing its throat. "Prepare for

  transition to hyperspace in five, four, three, two . . ."

  "Punch it, Lowie," Jaina said. Her ginger-furred copilot grumbled with

  satisfaction as he switched on the hyperdrive engines. Glittering

  stellar pinpricks exploded into brilliant starlines around them.

  Jaina couldn't keep the smile of exhilaration off her face. "Isn't

  this exciting?"

  "I'd be a lot more excited if I didn't feel responsible for the

  situation Anja's in," said Jacen.

  Jaina swiveled in the pilot's seat to give her twin brother a strange

  look. "Responsible? How? We didn't have anything to do with Anja

  getting addicted to spice."

  "Well, if Dad hadn't killed her father, maybe she'd've had parents to

  teach her right from wrong. She might never have gotten hooked on

  andris in the first place."

  Jaina bristled. "I don't believe Dad shot Gallandro in the back, no

  matter what Anja says. She can't even be sure what happened. It's not

  as if she was there."

  "Neither were we," Jacen pointed out. He sighed and rubbed the back of

  his neck. "Anyhow, it's not just Anja I'm worried about. I mean,

  we're heading for Kessel. I've got kind of a bad feeling about

  this."

  Lowie smoothed the fur at the back of his neck and gave a thoughtful

  rumble.

  "Have you sensed something through the Force?" Tenel Ka asked.

  Jaina glanced back at her brother. He shrugged. "Not exactly, but Dad

  and Chewie sure had a hard time of it when they crashed on Kessel years

  ago." Jaina turned and looked back out the front viewport. "It was

  hard for them to get away, but that was back when the spice mines were

  a slave pit. Dad reminds us whenever he gets a chance that Lando and

  Uncle Luke had to disguise themselves in order to sneak in and help him

  and Chewie escape." She bit her lower lip. "Now that Lando owns the

  mines, though, we shouldn't need to worry about anything."

  "It's still not a place I'd like to go for a vacation," Zekk

  muttered.

  "Hey, don't worry about it too much," Jacen said. "I told you, I

  didn't really sense anything through the Force. I'd just be extra

  careful when we land there."

  Jaina nodded, but a frown of concern still wrinkled her brow.

  "Such caution would be sensible," Tenel Ka agreed.

  Once the Rock Dragon had landed near the spice mine's administrative

  offices on Kessel, a thin and dour-looking administrator arrived to

  greet them, introducing himself as Second Administrator Kymn.

  "Your clearances are all in order," he said. "In fact, Master

  Skywalker himself sent a message asking for our cooperation in your

  mission-whatever it is. I'm to conduct you directly to the Chief

  Administrator's office. Nien Nunb is a very busy man."

  The young Jedi Knights followed the sour-faced man. Jacen looked

  around at the bleak landscape and felt the barest hint of a tingle

  along the back of his neck, so faint he didn't think it could possibly

  be a warning through the Force. He scratched the back of his neck and

  tried to divert his thoughts.

  "Well, I wouldn't exactly say we're on a mission," Jacen told the

  man.

  "We're just looking for someone. We won't take up much of his time. "

  The dour administrator looked suspiciously at him but said nothing as

  they entered the main administrative buildings. When they were finally

  led into the Chief Administrator's underground office, mousy little

  Nien Nunb got up, came around his low desk, and greeted each of them

  effusively, although they did not actually know one another. Em Teedee

  promptly provided translation services, since Nien Nunb's Basic was

  difficult to understand.

  "Master Nien Nunb would like to thank you all for taking the time for

  this visit. He deems it a great honor that the relatives of his old

  friends Han Solo and Chewbacca of Kashyyyk have come to visit, and

  extends you any help he can offer."

  "Thanks," Jacen said. "Maybe if we could look at-" Nien Nunb held up a

  hand for Jacen to pause, then turned to the sour-faced administrator

  and said a few short words in his own language. Em Teedee continued

  translating. "Master Nien Nunb says thank you, Second Administrator

  Kynm. He will not require your services any further." Kynm's lips

  pressed into a thin, tight line, but he made no argument as he

  withdrew. Nien Nunb strode to the doorway, shut the heavy door, and

  pressed his ear against it for a moment. Then, to all of their

  surprise, he locked the door.

  The Sullustan Chief Administrator spoke rapidly and spread his hands to

  indicate a cluster of cushioned repulsor benches in a group on one side

  of his rock-walled office. "Master Nien Nunb urges you to be seated,

  and he is now anxious to learn the nature of the business that has

  brought you all here."

  The five young Jedi explained about their search for their friend Anja

  and how they had hoped to find her here on Kessel. Nien Nunb put a

  hand to his chin and shook his broad head while he replied. In

  translation, Em Teedee explained that the Chief Administrator had not

  seen the Lightning Rod and, since he had known old Peckhum a good many

  years, he believed he would have recognized the ship had it landed

  anywhere in the main docking domes. He had been very busy and very

  concerned, however, so he couldn't be sure.

  "Is it possible that she might have managed to sneak past your security

  screens?" Jaina asked.

  Jacen frowned at his sister for implying that Anja was trying to do

  something illegal on Kessel, but Nien Nunb was already answering.

  "In the past, Master Nien Nunb would have assured you that very little

  could get past his security screens here on Kessel, and that he knew of

  all comings and goings on this planet," Em Teedee said. "But in recent

  months there have been some small ... occurrences that have led him to

  believe that perhaps all is not as it seems here. Therefore, he has
/>
  offered to put the full resources of Kessel's computer records at your

  disposal. You may also physically search for Mistress Anja if you

  believe that will be of any use. He only urges you to be extremely

  cautious."

  Tenel Ka, always slightly suspicious, sat up straighter. "May I

  inquire what the source of your concern is?"

  The Chief Administrator opened his small mouth under drooping folds of

  skin, closed it, opened it, and closed it again, as if he could not

  decide exactly what to say. Finally the story spilled out, and he

  described the "accident" from which he had barely escaped with his

  life, the blasts of carbonite and the suspected sabotage that had cost

  the life of Torvon, the predecessor to Second Administrator Kymn.

  "Master Nien Nunb has ordered immediate inspections and has implemented

  new safety systems in order to foster the appearance that he has no

  suspicions of anything at all sinister." The young Jedi Knights looked

  at each other, trying to decide how dangerous the spice mines might

  really be.

  Em Teedee went on. "He does not wish anyone to know that he now

  suspects treachery, and is no longer certain which of his employees he

  can trust. As of yet, however, he has no solid proof. Therefore, in

  return for his assistance in helping you with your search for Anja, he