Galaxy Of Fear_ Planet Plague Part 4

"And they are allowed to roam at will?" Deevee asked indignantly.

"They seemed pretty harmless," the man replied. "And they're hard to stop. That sticky ooze allows them to climb up walls and hang from ceilings. Even a fall from this height probably didn't kill that one."

Tash shuddered. She imagined the blob splattering onto the forest floor beneath them, then slowly gathering itself back up and making the long climb back up the ziggurat. Deevee was still in a huff. "Why, then, the local imperials should do something about them. It's an outrage."

Again the man studied Tash's reaction as he scoffed, "Imperials.

What do you expect from them?"

"My name's Tash," she said. "This is DV-9, or Deevee for short."

The man shook her hand. "I'm Wedge Antilles. Where are you headed?"

Tash shrugged. "We were just going for a walk around the city.

These pyramids-ziggurats-are pretty impressive."

Wedge nodded. "Listen, how about if I give you a quick walking tour?"

Tash started to reply, "Thanks, but I don't think we-"

"You'll need a guide," Wedge interrupted. "All the bridges between the ziggurats can be confusing. Sometimes I think it would take a Jedi to navigate Mah Dala." The word was like a magnet that drew Tash's attention straight to Wedge.

"You know about the Jedi?" she asked breathlessly.

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 Antilles."

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 anthropologists."

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 blockade 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 broadcasts, pirate activity has gotten so bad that the Empire has sent a fleet of Star Destroyers to deal with the problem."

"We saw them," Tash responded. "But we didn't see any pirate s.h.i.+ps."

Wedge snorted. "No one's ever seen any pirates here. But that doesn't matter to the Empire. They've still ordered all s.h.i.+ps 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 arrived 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 s.h.i.+p 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 officer and you could get me in a lot of trouble. But..."

The fear in his voice made 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."

CHAPTER 7.

"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." Underneath 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 s.p.a.ce pirate save us from that blob?"

"He did say he had been trapped here by the blockade," 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 happened. 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 s.h.i.+'ido uncle had never clearly explained 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.

If that's the case, Tash thought, then he's no uncle of mine.

Tash reached the Infirmary slightly out of breath. The hot Gobindi climate made even the slightest exertion difficult, and her sore arm had become stiff. She touched her bruise.

Something was wrong.

She rolled up her sleeve. The bruise had become a brown lump, and the skin there was dry and rough. Whatever Kavafi had given her had caused some sort of reaction.

Just as one of the turbolift doors opened, Deevee caught up to her, his gyros straining from the effort.

"Tash Arranda!" he scolded as they rode up the lift together. "How do you expect me to function as your caretaker if you continually run off like that!"

"Sorry, Deevee, but we need to make sure Zak is all right."

"I'm quite sure Zak is in good hands," the droid replied. "Dr.

Kavafi is an expert in his field, and after all, Master Hoole would only bring Zak to a first-rate medical facility."

The turbolift door opened, and Tash found herself staring into the face of Dr. Kavafi. His face broke into a warm smile. "Tash, you're back from your walk so soon?"

"Urn, yes. I want to see my brother," she said, slipping past him and starting down the hall.

"Wait!" Kavafi said, catching up to her. "I'm afraid you won't be able to-"

"I want to see him anyway," Tash interrupted. She had been raised to respect adults, but her concern for her brother overwhelmed her.

Besides, it was hard for her to respect someone in an Imperial uniform, even if he was a doctor. She continued her march down the hall.

"Wait!" Kavafi called after her.

Tash reached the door to Zak's medichamber with Kavafi running to catch up with her. "If you will only listen to-"

Tash activated the automatic door and stepped into the room.

The bed was empty. Zak was gone.

CHAPTER 8.

"Where's my brother?" Tash demanded.

Kavafi held out his hands to try to calm Tash. "Now, young lady, I tried to tell you that-"

"What have you done with him?"

"What is going on here?" Uncle Hoole appeared in the doorway.

"They've done something to Zak," Tash said. "They've taken him somewhere. "

"Of course they have," Uncle Hoole replied. "I'm the one who authorized it."

"You know where he is?" Tash said.

"Of course I do."

"Can I see him?" she asked suspiciously.

Dr. Kavafi looked bewildered. "Of course you can see him. But he's at the other end of the hall. This way."

Tash reddened with embarra.s.sment. She had imagined that Zak had been taken away to some chamber of horrors and subjected to bizarre experiments.

Instead Kavafi led her into a sterile white room brilliantly lit with glowpanels. In the center of the room was a large tank filled with greenish liquid. A medical technician in a crisp white uniform monitored the tank, making small adjustments. Inside the tank, Zak floated peacefully. He was hooked up to an air mask that allowed him to breathe while floating in the fluid, but otherwise, he looked very relaxed and alert. He even waved to Tash.

"A bacta tank," Deevee said. "He should heal quickly there."