by John Whitman
bodies tapered into long, thin tails that they used to swim about in the red Auid. Without pause the six creatures swarmed the wriggling mass. Five of the creatures suc- ceeded in piercing its membrane. They forced themselves inside the mass, eating away at it. As Tash watched, the five creatures suddenly trembled, and then they split apart, becoming ten organisms. And then twenty, and then forty! They were replicating faster than Tash could count them. The sixth wriggling creature, the one that hadn't suc- ceeded in getting inside the floating mass, turned, and with a sudden surge, lunged right at Tash. "Ah!" Tash jumped back. Then she remembered she was wearing the electroscope. She was looking at the Auid on a small glass plate, magnified thousands of times. "Startling, isn't it?" she heard Kavafi say. "Those tiny organisms are what make living beings sick. They invade the body and begin to reproduce, taking over the body's living cells." Tash watched as more of the viruses swam into view. They seemed to be searching for something. "Are they fatal?" "Sometimes," the doctor admitted. "But since the vi- rus feeds oA' its living host, it doesn't usually want to kill it. Sometimes viruses can live and reproduce inside an animal or person for years, causing all kinds of terrible illnesses." Tash removed the electroscope. "How do you get them? I mean, they're too small to travel from one place to an- other." The doctor nodded. "Viruses get around in all kinds of ways. Sometimes touching an infected person can give you the virus, or drinking infected water. Some viruses even Aoat through the air." A medical droid entered the room carrying a tray that had two needles on it. Kavafi picked up one of the needles. "Hoole, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you and your niece to endure an injection." "For what purpose?" the Shi'ido asked. "We are not sick." Kavafi shrugged. "Just a precaution. You and your niece may have caught the virus that Zak has, and I want to stop it before it has time to take hold in your system." He held the needle out toward Hoole. Hoole stuck one long, thin arm out from beneath his blue robe. Kavafi quickly and expertly stuck the needle into the Shi'ido's arm and squeezed until all the fluid had been injected. "Your turn," he said cheerily to Tash. "I never catch anything," she insisted. "I never get siek." "Better safe than sorry," he replied. Reluctantly Tash held out her arm. She felt a quick prick as the needle poked beneath her skin, then a slight tugging as the fluid was injected into her bloodstream. For
a moment the injection felt hot and stinging. Then the pain passed. "There we are," Kavafi said cheerily. "Now all your worries are over. I will be right back." The minute Kavafi left the room, Tash turned to the Shi'ido and whispered, "Uncle Hoole! I think some- thing's wrong here!" Hoole raised his eyebrows. "What?" "Just before we left the Shroud, I got a message from ForceAow. He warned us not to come to Gobindi!" Hoole furrowed his eyebrows. "Tash, I appreciate your concern. But why should we change our plans, based on a warning from a person you have never actually met?" Tash searched for a reply. "He's always helped me be- fore." Hoole said, "He is meddling in afFairs he cannot possi- bly understand. I cannot permit you to run your life based on mysterious messages sent over the HoloNet." "But this is an Imperial base!" Tash argued. "There are stormtroopers here!" Hoole sighed. "I know how you feel about the Empire, and you have a right to bc angry. But you have to under- stand that the government has ofticers, soldiers, and fleets of ships all across the galaxy. Most of the time they are just beings going about their daily business. If you think that every time you see stormtroopers you have uncovered a wicked Imperial plot, you will go insane with worry. You must learn to control your suspicion, or it will control you." "But " "Tash, please." Hoole looked at her stern1y. "I have known Dr. Kavafi for years. He is a good scientist, dedi- cated to improving the lives of species-kind. We are in no danger." The tone in Hoole's voice told Tash that she should not continue the argument. She crossed her arms as if to hold in her frustration. As she did, she felt a small pain in her left arm. She touched the tender spot where she had received the injec- tion. "I think your friend bruised me with that needle," she muttered. Dr. Kavafi returned just as Zak moaned loudly in his sleep. Tash reached down and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Why is he so hot?" "That's the human way of fighting off disease. Most viruses cannot take extreme heat, so your body automati- cally raises its temperature to fight back." Tash couldn't help thinking the worst. "But what hap- pens if this virus actually likes the heat?" Kavafi raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, that is a very interesting scenario. It would cause great problems for the victim, I think. Let's just hope you never encounter a virus like that." Hoole asked, "Kavafi, is there anything else we can do?"
The doctor shook his head. "No. He will sleep for a while now. We will need to run some tests on Zak to make sure there is nothing else wrong. My best advice is for you to go out and refresh yourselves. His sedative should wear off in about an hour." "I'm not leaving," Tash said. "What if he wakes up early?" "I will stay with him," Uncle Hoole decided. "Tash, I want you and Deevee to find a cantina and get something to eat." "I'm not hungry," Tash replied. "Then at least go for a walk," the Shi'ido insisted. "Zak will be fine." "I will take you back down," Kavafi offered. "I have business below, myself." Tash didn't want to leave her brother, but Hoole would hear no argument. Finally she and Deevee followed Kavafi out of the room and back to the lifts. They got in and Kavafi said, "Lobby." "Does this lift go down into the ziggurat itself?" Deevee asked excitedly. "No, no," the doctor replied. "As I said before, some of the ziggurats have no rooms or chambers. This is one of them. I'm afraid it's just an enormous mountain of stone." The turbolift descended with a soft whoosh, and the doors opened onto the Infirmary lobby. Tash and Deevee stepped off, but Kavafi stayed behind.
"Aren't you getting ofF?" Tash asked. "This is the bot- tom floor, isn't it?" Kavafi paused. "Oh, of course. But I forgot my datapad upstairs. I will have to go back and get it." The doors closed. Tash and Deevee walked out of the lobby to the edge of the ziggurat and looked down. The sides of the tower stuck out below them in jagged steps that were eventuaIly lost in hazy clouds. Nearby, they saw a footbridge con- necting this ziggurat to several others. It seemed stable, and soon they were walking along the path, hundreds of meters above the ground. Deevee had begun a lecture on the number of lost civili- zations in the galaxy, including the Massassi of Yavin Four and the Ysanna of Ossus, but Tash wasn't listening. Her eye had fallen on a shape on the bridge ahead of them. As they closed the distance, she expected its shape to be- come clearer... but even as close as ten meters away it looked like a blob. Its center appeared hard and somewhat firm, but around the edges, the greenish sha'pe oozed and pulsed. Although it was lying fairly Aat, the blob was slightly larger than a human being, and it had spread across the bridge in a pile of steaming ooze. "What's that?" she asked. "Is it alive?" Deevee didn't answer. He didn't have to. The blob surged toward them.
Tash and Deevee both scrambled backward as the blob lunged forward and landed heavily on the spot where they had been standing. The impact caused the creature to fiat- ten out briefly, but then it gathered itself up for another spring. Rolls of squishy green gel rippled across its sur- face. "Deevee, what is it?" Tash cried. "I'm familiar with more than fifteen billion forms of life in the galaxy," the droid replied with a hint of panic in his electronic voice, "but I've never seen anything like it." The blob made no sound, except for the slimy slap of its wriggling, fatty skin on the surface of the bridge. Then it sprang again. Tash jumped backward, but this time Deevee was too slow. The oozing creature landed heavily against his legs, sending the droid clattering to the Aoor of the bridge. "Help! Help!" Deevee tried to pry himself loose as the blob began to creep up his silver legs. "Get off him!" Tash yelled. Tash never knew where the man came from. He seemed to appear out of nowhere. His flight suit was clean but worn, and he wore pilot's gloves that were frayed around the edges. His features were sharp and his face looked young but very serious. The man wore a blaster at his hip, but he kept it holstered. Without saying a word he kicked the blob with his booted foot. The blob did not react, but the man's boot sank into the wriggl
ing skin up to the ankle. He grunted and pried himself free. "Use your blaster!" Tash suggested. "Don't hit me!" Deevee added. The man ignored them both. He grabbed the upper edge of the blob in his gloved hands and yanked hard. The ooze peeled away from Deevee's metallic surface. But that only seemed to make the blob angry. It let go of its sticky grip on the droid and turned on their rescuer. Two squishy ropes of ooze almost like arms suddenly grabbed hold of the man. "By the Force!" he yelled in surprise as he lost his balance. He staggered backward toward the edge of the high bridge. "I could use some help," he grunted as he tried to lift the blob up over the bridge's guardrail.
Tash hurried to his side, but the man said, "Don't touch it! Get the droid. And. hurry!" The creature's oozing limbs had almost crept up to his shoulders. Deevee rose stiRy to his feet and shuf8ed over as fast as his servos would carry him. "I am not programmed to handle this," he muttered as he grabbed hold of the blob. He tried to lift it. "By the Maker, this creature is heavier than a human!" Deevee's computer brain automatically transferred more power to his upper servos, and he and the newcomer lifted the blob up and over the guardrail. "Okay, drop it!" the man ordered, bracing himself against the rail. Deevee let go, and the blob dropped a few feet. Two thick strands of ooze still clung to the man's shoulders, but as the blob's own weight dragged it down, the ooze ropes stretched thinner and thinner. "Hold on!" Tash shouted. "Good... advice!" the man grunted, pulling back against the weight of the blob. At last the strands of ooze snapped. The blob dropped. Tash watched as the creature shrank away beneath them, finally disappearing into the jungle steam. She looked at the man, who was still panting from his efforts. "Thanks!" was all she could manage. "Yes, indeed!" Deevee added, picking himself up. His legs were covered in a sticky trail of green slime. "That creature would have turned me into scrap! How fortunate that you happened to be nearby."
Deevee was too slow. The oozing creature landed heavily against his legs, sending the droid clattering to the Aoor of the bridge. "Help! Help!" Deevee tried to pry himself loose as the blob began to creep up his silver legs. "Get off him!" Tash yelled. Tash never knew where the man came from. He seemed to appear out of nowhere. His flight suit was clean but worn, and he wore pilot's gloves that were frayed around the edges. His features were sharp and his face looked young but very serious. The man wore a blaster at his hip, but he kept it holstered. Without saying a word he kicked the blob with his booted foot. The blob did not react, but the man's boot sank into the wriggling skin up to the ankle. He grunted and pried himself free. "Use your blaster!" Tash suggested. "Don't hit me!" Deevee added. The man ignored them both. He grabbed the upper edge of the blob in his gloved hands and yanked hard. The ooze peeled away from Deevee's metallic surface. But that only seemed to make the blob angry. It let go of its sticky grip on the droid and turned on their rescuer. Two squishy ropes of ooze almost like arms suddenly grabbed hold of the man. "By the Force!" he yelled in surprise as he lost his balance. He staggered backward toward the edge of the high bridge. "I could use some help," he grunted as he tried to lift the blob up over the bridge's guardrail.
Tash hurried to his side, but the man said, "Don't touch it! Get the droid. And. hurry!" The creature's oozing limbs had almost crept up to his shoulders. Deevee rose stiRy to his feet and shuf8ed over as fast as his servos would carry him. "I am not programmed to handle this," he muttered as he grabbed hold of the blob. He tried to lift it. "By the Maker, this creature is heavier than a human!" Deevee's computer brain automatically transferred more power to his upper servos, and he and the newcomer lifted the blob up and over the guardrail. "Okay, drop it!" the man ordered, bracing himself against the rail. Deevee let go, and the blob dropped a few feet. Two thick strands of ooze still clung to the man's shoulders, but as the blob's own weight dragged it down, the ooze ropes stretched thinner and thinner. "Hold on!" Tash shouted. "Good... advice!" the man grunted, pulling back against the weight of the blob. At last the strands of ooze snapped. The blob dropped. Tash watched as the creature shrank away beneath them, finally disappearing into the jungle steam. She looked at the man, who was still panting from his efforts. "Thanks!" was all she could manage. "Yes, indeed!" Deevee added, picking himself up. His legs were covered in a sticky trail of green slime. "That creature would have turned me into scrap! How fortunate that you happened to be nearby." The corners of Wedge's mouth turned up in a slight smile. "I've heard of them." "I've always wanted to be one," Tash said. She turned to Deevee. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a guide." But the man's manner had triggered Deevee's cautious caretaker programming. "I'm afraid Tash's uncle would not want her to roam a new city with a complete stranger." Wedge Antilles sighed. "Oh, well. I'm the best guide you'll find around here. I could have shown you some out- of-the-way examples of Gobindi architecture and ancient culture that you'd never find on your own, but if that's how you feel " "Culture?" the droid replied with sudden enthusiasm. "Well, I'm sure Master Hoole would not want Tash to miss an educational opportunity. Lead on, Master Antil- les." Wedge led them across the bridge and into the next ziggurat. This one was bustling with activity. The halls inside the flat-topped pyramid were high and wide, with many side corridors and lifts rising up and down. If all the buildings are this well populated, Tash thought, Mah Dala must be a fairly crowded place. The beings inside the ziggurat came from every corner of the galaxy. Many were human, but there were also large numbers of furry Bothans, Twi'leks with skull tendrils draped across their shoulders, and dozens of other species walking, crawling, or writhing about. Tash recalled what
Hoole had said: The original Gobindi had vanished, and many other species had filled the city they left behind. They stopped and sat on a bench in the middle of a central plaza as the crowd hurried past. "This isn't much of a cultural experience," Deevee sniffed. "Crowd-watching is for amateur anthropolo- gists." Tash ignored him. She was more interested in the man who had saved their lives. "Are you from Gobindi?" she asked. Wedge shook his head. "No. I'm just visiting some friends. I've been here for several weeks, though. Long enough to know the city pretty well. Actually I only planned to stay a few days. But of course with the block- ade and all " "Blockade?" Tash interrupted. "What blockade?"- Yet again the man's eyes seemed to peer inside Tash's head. Tash had the distinct impression that this encounter with Wedge was no accident. It was a strange sensation, but Tash often had unexplainable feelings. about people and events. Lately she'd learned to trust her intuition. Wedge spoke matter-of-factly. "The blockade of the Gobindi system. According to the Imperial news broad- casts, pirate activity has gotten so bad that the Empire has sent a fleet of Star Destroyers to deal with the prob- lem." "We saw them," Tash responded. "But we didn't see any pirate ships." Wedge snorted. "No one's ever seen any pirates here. But' that doesn't matter to the Empire. They've still or- dered all ships to be grounded until they've had time to hunt down the criminals. So everyone's stuck here. No one has come or gone from Gobindi in almost three weeks." Deevee spoke up. "You must be mistaken, sir. We just amved on Gobindi. How is that possible if there is a blockade?" Wedge raised an eyebrow. "Only Imperials have been allowed to leave or arrive." So that 's what he 's after, Tash thought. He 's trying to figure out if we 're Imperials! "We*re not Imperials," she replied hotly. "But your ship was allowed to land " Wedge replied. "We're not Imperials!" she repeated. Wedge raised his eyebrows in surprise. Even Tash was surprised at how angry she sounded. She blushed. She felt foolish, not only for yelling, but for revealing her feelings to this man. She had no idea who he was. But even so, Tash felt a strong urge that seemed to say, Trust him. Caught between these two feelings, Tash said nothing. "So, what brings you to Gobindi?" Wedge asked. "My brother's sick," she replied. "They're examining him at the Infirmary." The man's face darkened. He clenched his jaw and said, "Listen, I'm going to tell you something, even though it
might be a mistake. For all I know you could be the daughter of some high-level Imperial oKcer and you could get me in a lot of trouble. But..." The fear in his voice m
ade Tash's hair stand on end. "What?" she asked. He nodded in the direction of the Infirmary. "In the past few weeks, no one has come out of there alive." "What do you mean no one's come out of the Infirmary alive?" Tash cried. But at that moment a siren sounded shrilly in their ears. It was followed by a white-paneled hovercar that swooped into the plaza, scattering the crowds of pedestrians. A squad of stormtroopers leaped out of the back before it even stopped. With military precision the troopers singled out a specific being in the startled crowd. Tash saw that the creature with its green skin, large purple eyes, and narrow snout was a Rodian. Four of the troopers pounced on him. The leader of the stormtrooper squad activated a loudspeaker built into his armor:
ATTENTION, CITIZENS OF MAH DALA. THE BEING WE ARE TAKING INTO CUSTODY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A SUSPECTED
PIRATE AND SMUGGLER. HE IS BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL!
The stormtroopers dragged the Rodian kicking and screaming to the hovercar. "I'm not a pirate! I'm not a pirate!" the Rodian yelled. But the troopers ignored him and tossed him into the waiting vehicle, then jumped in behind him. The lead trooper paused only to attach a large data screen to a nearby wall. Then he, too, slipped into the vehicle. Its sirens wailing, the Imperial hovercar slid quickly away. "What was that all about?" Tash asked of her new companion. But Wedge had vanished. Tash and Deevee walked over and joined the crowd that had gathered around the data screen. The flat electronic device displayed the words ' WANTED FOR PIRACY." Under- neath those words were four images. One was of the Rodian that had just been captured. A digital red X had been drawn through his image. But the other three images were of suspects still at large. Tash recognized the furred face of a Bothan, and two humans. One of the humans was Wedge Antilles. "Oh, dear," Deevee said with a start. "I don't believe it," Tash said. "Why would a space pirate save us from that blob?" "He did say he had been trapped here by the block- ade," Deevee pointed out. Tash still didn't believe it. Maybe it was his mention of the Jedi, but she had a feeling that Wedge had a good heart, and she had learned to trust her feelings. "What do you think he meant about the Infirmary?" The droid shook his metallic head. "I can't imagine. After all, it is the finest facility of its kind, and it is run by a friend of Master Hoole's." That did not make Tash feel any better. She already had suspicions about Uncle Hoole. "I think we should go check on Zak. Right now." Tash didn't wait for Deevee to respond. She sprang to action and hurried back to the suspended bridge. On the way, she tried to make sense of everything that had hap- pened. First the mysterious Wedge Antilles appeared out of nowhere to save them from a weird blob creature, and then told them that no one but Imperials had been allowed on Gobindi in weeks. And yet, Tash reminded herself, Uncle Hoole made only one comm transmission and got clearance for them to land. And the Imperial in charge of the Infirmary was an old friend of Uncle Hoole's. A thought sent icy chills down Tash's spine. Did Uncle Hoole have connections with the Empire? She and Zak had been traveling with Hoole for six months, but their Shi'ido uncle had never clearly ex- plained what he did. All they knew was that Hoole was an anthropologist and that he visited different planets to study alien cultures. As Zak had once pointed out, they didn't even know Uncle Hoole's first name! For all she knew, her uncle could be an Imperial agent.