Part 25 (1/2)

”Who's there? Move and I'll shoot!”

Uh-oh-Deep in the Southern Underground the corridor opened up into a huge hemispherical chamber, as big as a city square, with a high roof, good lighting, and a circle of shops around the perimeter. Here the thick smells thinned. People and aliens moved about, protected by armed guards in some kind of uniform who were obviously here to maintain some semblance of order. It could have been a small-town shopping area almost anywhere on any civilized planet.

Around part of the circle where they stood were a bakery, a weapon shop, a shoe store, a clothing kiosk, an electronics market. Here a restaurant, there a cantina, and there, a plant store. Leia sighed, relieved. The place had changed since she'd been here, but their destination was still here.

”There,” she said to Chewie.

The inside of the plant store smelled great, would have been delightful anywhere but more so given these surroundings. There were platters of gray stikmoss, potted stretchy plants, flowers of all kinds, colored from red to violet, and thick, billowy sheets of yellow fungus draped on the walls and ceiling. This latter pro-duced oxygen without a need for sunlight and was thus particularly suited for underground habitat. The amount of oxy in the air here was so great it made Leia lightheaded to breathe it.

The ceiling was four meters high, necessary because the original owner of the plant shop had been an old Ho'Din named Spero. Ho'Din were usually at least three meters tall themselves, counting their vermis-like hair, which looked like nothing so much as a nest of snakes covered with bright red and violet scales.

Leia looked around and spotted the tall and spindly alien as he moved from behind a display of feather trees that brushed against the ceiling.

Old Spero was still alive. Another stroke of good luck.

”Good meeting,” Spero said. ”How may I a.s.sist you?” Leia spoke. ”We're here to collect a debt, Master Gardener.”

Since many Ho'Din were famous for their ecological work, especially that with plants, ”Master Gardener” was considered a high honorific among them. Spero had earned his t.i.tle by creating the strain of yellow fungus that hung on his walls and was used all over the galaxy.

”I cannot recall that I owe anyone a debt,” the old Ho'Din said.

”Certainly not strangers.” He looked amused.

”Not even Leia Organa?” Now he did smile. ”Ah, yes. The princess. I owe her my life and those of my entire family.”

”She would have you aid us.”

”And how do I know you are from Princess Organa?”

”How else would we know of your debt?”

He nodded. ”Reasonable. What would you have of me?”

”We need to know about Black Sun. Who runs it, how we might contact them.” Spero sighed. ”I was about to make tea. Would you care for some?”

”Another time, perhaps.”

”Well, then. Black Sun is led by the Falleen, Xizor. He is known variously as the 'Dark Prince,' or sometimes 'Underlord.' He is also the owner and president of XTS-Xizor Transportation Systems-a more or less legitimate concern worth billions in itself. He seldom leaves Coruscant, has a palace that ranks with those of the Emperor and Darth Vader.” Spero pointed up at the ceiling. ”On the surface, though portions of it ex-tend deep into the ground.”

Leia and Chewie looked at each other. This con-firmed what Guri had told her. It was what she needed to know. Leia nodded and started to turn away. ”Thank you, Master Gardener,” she said.

”You are welcome, princess.” Leia turned back to stare up at the old alien. ”Ex-cuse me?”

”Ho'Din are not limited to their eyes and ears, princess.” The thick fleshy ”hair” on his head stirred and waved, flas.h.i.+ng bright under the shop's lights. ”We never forget our friends.”

Leia bowed. ”Then consider our debt balanced.”

The Ho'Din bowed in return. ”Nonsense. Mygrandchildren's grandchildren could never live long enough to repay you. But I am happy to have been of some small service. Move with care, princess. Black Sun is a formidable foe.”

”I will. Thank you again, Master Spero.”

Outside in the open area, Leia nodded at Chewie. ”Well, it seems as if that much of Guri's story is true. Best we go and meet her.”

Chewie growled, and she wasn't sure if he was agreeing or disagreeing with her.

24.

Luke still held his lightsaber loosely in his right hand. He gripped the weapon tighter, thumb on the control as he slowly turned to face the owner of the voice behind him.

”Sorry, I thought this was the 'fresher,” Luke said. Well. It was worth a try.

The alien facing him was a Nikto, and the comment must have puzzled him, at least for a second. Then his horn-rimmed eyes went wide as he recognized Luke. He thrust the blaster out one-handed.

Luke thumbed the lightsaber control. The glowing blade added its light to the dim room.

The Nikto fired, and a red bolt speared at Luke. He let the Force flow, and the bolt ricocheted from his blade, bounced back... and hit the shooter in the foot. The Nikto dropped his weapon, grabbed at his wounded extremity, and began hopping on his other foot, yelling.

”Ow, ow, ow, ow, owl”

If it wasn't so dangerous it would have been funny.

So much for sneaking out undetected.

Luke ran at the injured shooter, hit him with his shoulder in pa.s.sing, and knocked him sprawling. As the swoopers had been, the Nikto also was more adept at cursing than he was at shooting.

Doors began to open into the hallway, and armed bounty hunters, most of them dressed for sleep, emerged.

He was in for it now. He swung the lightsaber and tried to cut a path to freedom.

Leia and Chewie worked their way to where they were to meet Guri. The place was a public park on the surface, a small dab of planted greenery surrounded by plasticrete and durasteel.

”It took you longer than expected,” Guri said when she saw them.

”We stopped to see the sights,” Leia said.

Guri glared at her, and Leia felt strongly that the woman-no, the droid-didn't like her.

”Follow me,” Guri said.

A horizontal hail of energy bolts stabbed at Luke - The Force let him move faster than he thought possible, and he wove a defensive tapestry with his lightsaber that turned the hard rain away. Ricocheting beams. .h.i.t and pierced walls, bounty hunters, the floor, the ceiling. It was dangerous to be here, no matter where you stood.

Amazed as he was at his speed and skill, Luke knew it couldn't continue.

He had to miss only one block and he would be a goner. Sooner or later, they'd get him.

He ran forward down the hall, and the shooters ahead of him gave way against their own reflected firepower.