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.

"Take that boy hostage, Hissa-at once!" Jedgar demanded.

Grand Moff Hissa clutched Ken.

"Let go of me!" the Jedi Prince shouted, as Hissa pressed a laserblaster against the boy's chin. Ken stopped squirming and held very still.

"Good work, Hissa," Jedgar said.

Hearing Ken's shout for help, Luke Skywalker hurriedly pushed two stormtroopers aside and pointed his lightsaber at the grand moff, ready to put an end to Hissa as swiftly as he had destroyed the attacking giant Fefze beetles.

"Drop your weapon, or I'll destroy the boy-now!" Grand Moff Hissa exclaimed.

Luke hesitated. The grand moff tightened his grip on his laserblaster.

"Now, Skywalker!" High Prophet Jedgar demanded, reinforcing Hissa's order.

Beads of sweat ran down Luke's brow as he retracted his lightsaber and dropped the weapon to the ground.

"Very good, Skywalker," Hissa said, gnas.h.i.+ng his pointed teeth. "Now prepare to join your master, Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi, in the world beyond!"

Breathing fast, Ken's mind was spinning with confusion and fear. Locked in Grand Moff Hissa's tight grasp, Ken saw Triclops glancing out from behind a boulder, looking at him intently and nodding. Triclops suddenly turned his head around and stared at Grand Moff Hissa with the eye at the back of his skull. An incredibly strong magnetic force seemed to flow out of Triclops's third eye, as a power beam tugged at Hissa.

Overcome by surprise, the grand moff loosened his grip on Ken. He was yanked off his feet and violently pulled toward Triclops.

Triclops quickly spun around to face Hissa, grabbing the grand moff by the neck and knocking the blaster out of his hand. Hissa tried to bite Triclops with his razor-sharp teeth, but Triclops squeezed with his long fingers, causing Hissa to gasp and choke.

"You won't let a pacifist live in peace," Triclops scolded sternly. "You're forcing me to abandon my principles."

RUMMMMMMMMMBLE!.

The cavern swayed as another tremor struck.

KRAAAAAAAAKK!.

High above them the dam, looming beyond the Valley of Royalty, split under the force of the latest quake. A lake of thick, fuming liquid burst through the cracked dam, flowing and oozing across the valley like a foul-smelling tidal wave.

The rapids raced across the ground, quickly arriving at the hole the zenomach had bored.'

As the gooey, hazardous liquids poured into the hole, Triclops released his grip on Hissa.

The grand moff crumpled onto the ground, and Triclops retreated from his victim. With the eye in the back of his head, Triclops saw that Grand Moff Hissa, now screaming and grasping for help, lay directly in the path of the bubbling, burning liquid.

TSSSSSSSS . . .

Acid flowed over Grand Moff Hissa's legs. Hissa thrashed helplessly, trying to remove himself from the path of the dangerous chemicals. "Ahhhhhhhrrrrrgggh!" the grand moff screamed. "Help, Jedgar, help!"

Hissa tried to prop himself up, but his arms slid right into the toxic chemicals.

"NOOOOOOO, Jedgarrrrr!" he cried at the top of his lungs.

Grand Moff Hissa's arms began to melt. "Don't leave me here to die!" he shouted.

Ken covered his eyes but peeked through his closed fingers to look at Hissa one last time.

There was little left of Hissa's arms and legs, though the grand moff's head, chest, and waist still twisted and writhed on the cavern floor.

High Prophet Jedgar was more concerned about saving his own life than in a.s.sisting what little was left of Grand Moff Hissa. As the toxic liquid spread through the cavern and surged like floodwaters into the tunnels, Jedgar fled, followed by Imperial stormtroopers who were still firing at Luke and Han. The stormtroopers broke ranks and scattered.

Triclops's a.s.sa.s.sin droid was struck by a blast from a stormtrooper's portable laser cannon. His metal parts shattered, hurled everywhere from the cavern ceiling to the craggy floor.

Riding antigravity carts through the tunnels, Luke, Han, Ken, Threepio, Triclops, and the Duro archaeologists finally reached the stairwell, in advance of the deadly flow. The crates with relics were then hastily transported up the tunnel stairwell inside the mountain, all the way to the surface where they were to be stowed aboard the transport s.h.i.+p.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Han said, as he suddenly realized that the transport s.h.i.+p was no longer where they had left it.

"Oh dear, perhaps some Imperials ambushed the s.h.i.+p and took it, with Princess Leia and Chewbacca inside," Threepio exclaimed, waving his arms wildly in dismay.

But the Corellian Transport suddenly came into view through the thick clouds above the mountains. Leia guided the s.h.i.+p back into the valley for a smooth landing, with Chewbacca copiloting.

The moment Luke climbed up the ramp and boarded the s.h.i.+p, Leia hugged her brother. "Luke, you're safe!" she exclaimed. "And so are we, but just barely. An Imperial probe droid flew overhead and spotted us just after you left. We blasted off to take it out of action."

"We'd better get this s.h.i.+p off the ground fast," Han said, as the archaeologists stowed their crates of relics onto the transport s.h.i.+p, "before any Imperials find us and realize we've filled the storage hold with the treasures of Duro."

"Han and I will navigate, Chewie," Princess Leia said. "I think Han still doesn't believe how well I can fly a Corellian Action VI Transport s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p. Shall I show him?"

"Grooooarf!" Chewbacca agreed, tucking his furry hands behind his head and putting his feet up on the console.

Han gave Leia a kiss on the cheek. "Are you ready, copilot?" he asked her. "Go ahead and power up."

As the s.h.i.+p lifted from the ground, it tipped and vibrated from all the weight now aboard.

Never had a Corellian Action VI Transport been so packed, from the cargo hold all the way to the pa.s.senger lounge.

"I want you to know," Triclops said, sitting next to Luke, "that if the day ever comes that I sit upon the Imperial throne as my father did, I'll force the Empire to pay for what it did to the planet Duro. I'll take the Empire apart, brigade by brigade, one mechanized army at a time, until the Dark Side is completely powerless."

"That's a nice dream," Luke said.

"My dreams shall become real," Triclops replied.

"You've helped us so far," Luke said. "Still, you'll have to prove yourself to the Alliance. Mon Mothma will have to keep you under guard, I'm afraid, until she's convinced beyond any doubt that you're not a spy."

But Triclops was no longer listening. All three of his eyes were now closed, and he drifted off, falling into a deep sleep.

A few days later, the misty clouds of Dagobah parted as two s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps came zooming toward the peak of Mount Yoda: the Millennium Falcon, which had been fully repaired at Orbiting s.h.i.+pyard Alpha, and the Corellian Action VI Transport with the treasures of Duro aboard.

At the landing pad the members of the returning mission from Mount Yoda were greeted by Mon Mothma and Ken's personal droid, Chip. As Luke had warned, guards surrounded Triclops and took him in custody for observation. Triclops did not resist. To Luke and Leia's astonishment, they then saw Dustini walking briskly over to them from the main DRAPAC building.