Star Wars_ Legacy Of The Jedi Part 5

"Of course," the Senator said. "I'm aware of that, too."

"There is a difference between a particle s.h.i.+eld and an energy field, which I'm sure you know," Dooku said as a blast shook the s.h.i.+p.

"The energy s.h.i.+eld will not protect against laser cannons. And we can't operate both s.h.i.+elds simultaneously. That means that we'll have to alternate as we attack."

"Stop telling me things I know and do them," the Senator ordered.

It was obvious to Dooku that despite his words, Senator Annon had no idea how his defensive and offensive systems worked. There really was no reason why he should, except that he had most likely paid a fortune for them.

Laser cannons fired as the s.h.i.+p bore down on them. The pilot sent them into a steep dive, and the cannonfire missed them by meters.

"They can outmaneuver us," the pilot said to Dooku. "Their s.h.i.+p is smaller and faster."

As if to punctuate his words, suddenly a blast hit the s.h.i.+p, nearly throwing them to the floor.

"What was that?" the Senator screamed.

"Direct hit," the pilot said tersely. "Another one like that and we could be in trouble."

"What are you talking about? We have a triple-armored hull! It can't be penetrated."

"Well, it has," the pilot said.

"This kind of firepower is usually reserved for capital s.h.i.+ps,"

Dooku said. "The attacking craft must be custom-fitted with scaled-down versions. "

Suddenly the pilot leaned over and began to frantically hit the controls. "The energy s.h.i.+eld is malfunctioning!"

Qui-Gon's eyes flickered at his Master. This would make the difference, they knew.

"Then we'd better go on the offensive," Dooku said calmly.

"Senator, I should escort you to the safe room," Eero repeated.

"Now."

The Senator looked pale. His hand fluttered and clutched at his chest. "I hardly think that's necessary - "

A blast suddenly shook the bridge, sending them flying. Dooku held on to the console and managed to stay upright, but the Senator and Eero skidded across the floor. Qui-Gon fell but anch.o.r.ed himself by grabbing the base of the co-pilot's seat.

Already the attacking s.h.i.+p was zooming to the left, ready to inflict another blow. It was nimble, darting closer and retreating, coming at them from all angles, making a tough target. The Senator's s.h.i.+p by contrast was now a lumbering beast. Dooku could see a plume of smoke coming from its underbelly. The intense heat was causing the armor to peel off the s.h.i.+p's surface in strips of gleaming metal.

"We've lost one of our laser cannons," the co-pilot reported.

"You'd better get to that safe room, Senator," Dooku said as another blast shook the s.h.i.+p.

The Senator didn't argue this time. Eero and Senator Annon left, staggering as they moved.

"Have you noticed something unusual, Qui-Gon?" Dooku asked his apprentice.

Qui-Gon nodded. "The s.h.i.+p is firing whenever we drop the particle s.h.i.+eld in order to fire our weapons. That would take incredible reflexes on the part of whoever has the controls. Even an onboard computer couldn't obtain that kind of speed and accuracy. I've never seen anything like it."

Dooku nodded. "Neither have I."

"They've blasted the loading dock bay doors!" the pilot shouted.

"They're going to get on board!"

CHAPTER No.9.

Dooku and Qui-Gon raced down the halls of the s.h.i.+p. When they arrived at the docking bay, the pirate s.h.i.+p had already landed. War droids were rolling down the ramp. It took less than a second for the droids to pinpoint their targets. Blaster fire tore up the ground in front of them and they heard it ping off the walls of the docking bay.

Dooku admired how Qui-Gon did not flinch or hesitate, but kept moving in the same fluid, graceful manner. Qui-Gon had so little of the awkwardness of adolescence. He moved swiftly and easily, his arm swinging with the motion of his lightsaber as he parried the blaster fire.

"If we can prevent the pirates from disembarking, we've got them,"

Dooku said as they moved. "They might decide the prize isn't worth the effort."

Suddenly the droids ejected smoke grenades from their flanks.

Thick, acrid clouds rolled toward them, stinging their eyes. They kept on advancing, their eyes streaming tears.

Then a voice echoed through the thick smoke. "Please..."

It was the girl's voice again. "Stop - please don't shoot. I'm here. I'm standing on the ramp. They made me. Please!" Her begging voice was full of tears and terror. Qui-Gon stopped.

"Keep fighting!" Dooku snapped. "Don't listen!"

But Qui-Gon ran ahead and was swallowed up by the smoke. The fool was going to try to save the girl.

Angrily, Dooku rushed after him, straight into the worst of the cloud. He felt that the voice was a ruse. It had been from the start. Yet Qui-Gon's respect for the living Force would not allow for doubt. If he thought there was a chance that a child was in trouble, he wouldn't hesitate. Curse him and his empathy, Dooku thought, coughing from the smoke.

He took out the droids as he moved, hearing them before he saw them. The smoke thinned. He could see now that droids littered the ground. He stepped over them. Qui-Gon stood on the ramp, alone. Dooku raced up to join him and together they rushed the s.h.i.+p.

It was empty. Dooku strode over to the s.h.i.+p console. A recording rod was resting on the pilot's chair. He activated it.

"Help me, please."

Dooku shut it off.

"I'm sorry, Master." Qui-Gon looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe someone would use a child in jeopardy to get what they wanted.

"Let's go." Dooku vaulted over the pilot's seat and raced down the ramp, hearing Qui-Gon follow behind him.

Something about the situation nagged at Dooku. In the middle of a mission, he never lost his focus, or his faith that he would prevail. Why did he suddenly feel that failure was breathing on his neck as closely and persistently as Qui-Gon's footsteps behind him?

Dooku felt his heart fall when he saw that the safe room door was open. The pirate had worked extraordinarily fast. The gleaming durasteel facing was still glowing red from the blast that had blown it open.

Inside, Eero lay unconscious. His skin was blackened. Qui-Gon bent over him and began to feel for vitals.

"Not now," Dooku said. He turned and raced back out the door, down another corridor that led to the docking bay. Qui-Gon caught up to him with long strides. The s.h.i.+p lurched, and emergency sirens were now wailing continuously. The systems were failing.

They raced back to the loading dock. As they entered, they were just in time to see Senator Blix Annon, his hands bound with laser cuffs, being pushed inside the craft. The pirate was tall and lean, dressed in full-body armor and a plastoid helmet that concealed his face. He turned, even though they'd made no sound.

Accessing the Force, Dooku leaped. He landed on the ramp, lightsaber raised. He felt Qui-Gon land behind him. Blaster fire had already peppered the air, zinging past his ears, close and rapid. The pirate had excellent aim. Dooku had to keep the lightsaber moving in order to deflect the shots, advancing all the while. He had no doubt that he would win this battle. The pirate's eyes gleamed, the green of his iris so intense that Dooku could read it from behind the gray tint of his visor.

A dark green, shot with glints the color of flames. Dooku's mind lurched.

The pirate made a half turn to the left and swung out in a wide arc.

Dooku moved in an instinct so old it was automatic. He stepped away to avoid a blow that did not come. Lorian.

Did he hear a chuckle from underneath the helmet? Dooku wasn't sure. But Lorian took advantage of that split second of hesitation, as he always had been able to, and jumped backward into the s.h.i.+p. The ramp closed rapidly, spilling Dooku onto the floor. He landed next to Qui-Gon and together they watched the s.h.i.+p roar out of the bay doors.

CHAPTER No. 10.

I will not think of this now, Dooku told himself. If I think of Lorian, I will lose control.

The s.h.i.+p was dying. Eero could be dead. The first thing to do was check on him. They ran back to the safe room, where he was struggling to rise.

"Lay back," Qui-Gon said gently. He folded a cloak and placed it beneath Eero's head.

Eero's eyes fluttered. "The Senator?"

"Gone," Dooku said.

"We have to go after them," Eero said, trying to get to his feet.

"We have more immediate problems," Dooku said. "The s.h.i.+p is falling apart. And you don't look so well yourself."

"I'm fine," Eero said. He stood quickly, then immediately crashed to the floor.

"Obviously," Dooku said dryly. "We'll send someone for you. In the meantime, I have a feeling the pilot needs our help."

They could feel the cruiser shudder and list to one side as they ran to the c.o.c.kpit. The pilot was feverishly flipping switches. "I've got the maintenance droid working on the electrical systems, but the sublight is going."

"Where's the nearest port?" Dooku asked, striding to stand behind the pilot's seat.

"I'll check," Qui-Gon offered, moving to the onboard computer. In only a few seconds, he called out, "Voltare s.p.a.ceport." He read out the coordinates. "Master, I can try to work on the sublight mainframe control."

"Do it." Dooku had no patience for the details of technology. He had already recognized that his apprentice was better at repairs than he.

"What can I do?" the pilot asked, his eyes darting nervously to the controls.

"Just keep us flying," Dooku said.

Qui-Gon released a control panel in the floor and jumped down to work on the system controls. "I think I can fuse it," he called. "If we don't push the engines, we might be able to make it."

"Push them? I'll baby them," the pilot muttered.

Qui-Gon vaulted out of the chamber and switched places with the co-pilot. "I'll keep my eye on the warning lights. You just fly," he told the pilot.

With the white-knuckled pilot gripping the controls and the steady presence of Qui-Gon in the co-pilot's chair, the s.h.i.+p finally limped into the Voltare s.p.a.ceport.

Eero was rushed to the med clinic. The other pa.s.sengers and the pilot headed for the s.p.a.ceport cantina.

Dooku and Qui-Gon sat in the c.o.c.kpit. Qui-Gon kept a respectful silence, realizing that his Master needed time to think.

At last, Dooku had a chance to consider what he knew.

Lorian. How could he fall so low? Once a bright Padawan, now a s.p.a.ce pirate, preying on Senators he had once been trained to protect.

Lorian still had Force abilities, which explained the split-second timing of his laser cannon attack. It wasn't as though Dooku could have guessed, but he should have been more alert.

Enough. Jedi did not waste time on what they should have done.

What now? A momentary flame of fury burst in Dooku as he thought of his old friend on his s.h.i.+p, laughing at how he'd outmaneuvered him.

He controlled it. Anger was a waste of time. Action was what he needed.

Because Lorian could not win.

"We should contact the Jedi Council," Qui-Gon said.

Of course they should contact the Council. That was standard procedure. But if they contacted the Council, Dooku would have to tell them that he had no doubt that Lorian Nod was now a s.p.a.ce pirate, and had kidnapped Senator Blix Annon right under his nose. That was something that Dooku could not do.

The Council didn't have to know yet, anyway. What would they do?

Merely tell him to proceed. They wouldn't send another Jedi team at this stage. They would trust that Dooku and Qui-Gon could handle it.

"Master?"

"Yes, Padawan," Dooku said. "We will contact the Jedi Council. All in good time." What he needed to do was find the Senator before anyone knew he was missing. "But it would be better to contact them when we know where we are going. When it comes to a kidnapping, speed is the most important factor. We are in a position to find the Senator. We must act quickly."

Dooku remembered from the data file that the pirate usually waited twenty-four hours before releasing his ransom demands.