Part 5 (1/2)

Triclops closed all three of his eyes and began rubbing his temples. Then he opened his eyes and said, ”Well, so it's archaeologists you want, is it? Come, I will lead you to them.”

”Or perhaps you intend to lead us into a trap,” Luke mused.

”You live by the ways of the Force, don't you, Jedi?” Triclops said, frowning. ”Consult the Force and discover whether I lead you into a trap-or whether I am about to lead you to your goal.”

CHAPTER 8.

The Imperial Attack Luke accepted Triclops's challenge.

As he concentrated on the Force, he felt a feeling of trust; but he also felt confusion rather than certainty.

”Of course you trust me,” Triclops said, ”I've always despised the Empire. The Empire considers me hopelessly insane.” Triclops tapped a forefinger against his forehead. ”But wanting to destroy the Empire hardly qualifies me as crazy or insane, wouldn't you agree?”

At that, Triclops and the a.s.sa.s.sin droid led Luke, Han, Threepio, and Ken on a twisting, winding path through the musty tunnel. Luke kept his guard up the whole way, holding his lightsaber with its blade glowing, ready to use at a moment's notice.

The group soon emerged into a wide cavern. There they beheld a dazzling display of ancient treasures. A team of thirteen Duro aliens was hard at work. Dustini had said that their group consisted of fifteen archaeologists, including himself. That meant that one of them was unaccounted for, at least for the moment.

Antigravity carts were piled high with crates filled with scrolls, statues, ornaments, vases, jewelry, masks, ancient costumes, coins-every type of relic imaginable. The carts glided smoothly, without any wheels, floating back and forth above the ground.

The work of the archaeologists, however, seemed far from done.

Luke put away his lightsaber. ”Greetings from SPIN!” he shouted, stepping out from behind a boulder to reveal himself. Threepio poked his head out next, followed by Han and Ken.

Triclops and his a.s.sa.s.sin droid remained in the shadows. ”Don't be frightened,” Luke continued. ”Dustini sent us to rescue you.”

Upon hearing Dustini's name the archaeologists gathered around and activated their translators to communicate. Their gray-skinned faces showed great relief as they listened to Luke's words.

To Han Solo's embarra.s.sment, one of the Duro aliens even hugged him.

”Easy does it,” Han said. ”I'm a Corellian, and we Corellians gave up hugging strangers four centuries ago.”

Another archaeologist dropped to his knees, thanking them and shouting praises to Dustini for having sent help. ”I'm Dustangle,” he explained. ”Dustini is my cousin, but he has always been more like a brother to me. We're grateful he sent you to help us. We must leave our native planet. It has become a wasteland. But we can't leave our treasures here.

These treasures hold the memories and the history of our people. They must be protected for future generations. They must not fall into the hands of Kadann.”

”We've landed our transport vehicle in the mountains beyond the Valley of Royalty,” Luke explained to Dustangle. ”It's large enough to hold most, if not all of your relics. If you wish, SPIN will protect them at Mount Yoda, on behalf of all Duros, until your people relocate in safety without fear of destruction from the Empire.”

They started right away to move the archaeological treasures down the tunnel. The antigravity carts were designed so that they could be gently pushed up the winding stairs that led to the planet's surface.

Everyone helped-Triclops and the a.s.sa.s.sin droid, and even See-Threepio pitched in.

After lifting a crate onto one of the carts, Ken accidentally knocked over a small emerald box containing a collection of ancient rings. Han helped pick up the jewelry and put it back in its case.

Dustangle noticed a ring that Han left behind. He reached down to pick it up.

”It's an ancient wedding ring,” Dustangle explained, handing it to Han. ”It belonged to a Corellian Princess who was a friend of our Queen Rana. You're a Corellian who's come to save us, so from now on, the ring shall belong to you. Please accept it as a sign of our grat.i.tude. Perhaps some day you'll give it to the one you love, on the day that you get married.”

Han blushed. ”Marriage isn't exactly in my plans right at the moment,” he explained, ”but, well . . . who knows?”

Han winked, then pocketed the ring thoughtfully.

Above ground, inside the Imperial Reprogramming Inst.i.tute, piercing red eyes shone brightly from the wolflike face of Defeen.

Defeen, the Imperial interrogator, held several truth needles tightly between his vicious yellow claws.

He drooled with excitement. In just a few moments the Empire would learn once and for all the exact location where the archaeologists were hiding underground. And then perhaps Defeen would be considered for yet another promotion. The Defel alien relished the thought of gaining more power within the Empire, hopefully one day leaving the Imperial Reprogramming Inst.i.tute for a truly important position, perhaps one at Emperor Kadann's side.

”Sssssssspeak!” Defeen hissed, baring his white fangs at the Duro archaeologist fastened to the interrogation table. ”You will ssssssspeak!”

The Duro archaeologist had been captured by Imperial intelligence agents when he had tried to escape the planet, like Dustini. Although his situation looked grim, he was determined not to betray his people.

”Evvvvverything! You will tell me evvvverything about where your friends are hiding!”

The Empire had heard stories about the cavern that was hidden deep beneath the Valley of Royalty-but where could it be exactly? And how could they find it?

The archaeologist refused to speak.

”All riiiiiiight, then . . .”

With that, Defeen pushed two needles into the truth centers of his victim's brain.

The archaeologist gasped and closed his eyes, shaking his head back and forth. But the truth needles were too powerful. ”Through the mouth of Queen Rana's Face, a tunnel down to the catacombs . . . the cavern, seventeen paces to the left of the face .. . fifteen standard units beneath the ground . . . that's where they've collected the relics of Duro . . .”.

”So you talk at la.s.ssssst!” Defeen said, with a sneer.

Without delay the Imperials moved a powerful device resembling a giant drill to a position seventeen paces to the left of Queen Rana's face. Known as a zenomach, the ground-boring machine was set to plunge fifteen standard units beneath the Valley of Royalty.

ZIIIIIIIIIIICH!.

The ground nearly disintegrated under the force of the powerful zenomach. Rocks crumbled, dirt swirled, and a hole began to appear, large enough for Imperial stormtroopers to descend into the catacombs below.

RUMMMMMMMMMBLE .. .

The ground shook furiously as the zenomach unexpectedly set off forceful ground tremors.

It was a large quake that reached 77.88 on the Imperial quake scale.

When the tremors stopped, High Prophet Jedgar glanced down into the hole in the ground. He could clearly see that fifteen standard units below they had broken through the roof of a cavern. Light streamed through the hole, glinting off some golden relics. It was just a hint of the many treasures down below, but Jedgar couldn't wait to take them back to s.p.a.ce Station Scardia and add them to Kadann's already enormous collection.

High Prophet Jedgar grabbed hold of one of the ladders attached to a flex-mount. The flex-mount instantly lowered twistable ladders into a deep hole, allowing entry into otherwise inaccessible areas.

The Imperials began to descend, with Grand Moff Hissa and High Prophet Jedgar following close behind the first exploratory force of stormtroopers.

Luke, Han, and the Duro archaeologists counterattacked, and a battle ensued.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim, golden glow of the archaeologists' cavern, High Prophet Jedgar spied Ken. Noticing the silvery crystal the boy wore on a chain around his neck, Jedgar wondered whether this was the Jedi Prince whom Trioculus had failed to find and destroy. According to legend, the Jedi Prince wore a dome-shaped birthstone on a necklace chain, and he had worn it all his life-ever since the boy was first taken to the Lost City of the Jedi to be raised by droids.