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 velker, Czethros,” Anja purred in a low voice. “Now I’ll show you just how unwise it is to get a velker 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.
6
Jaina 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 am 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 Kymn. He will not require your services any further.”