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Hardwired into a columnar data bank, the droid returned to accessing information, while all around them—in a frenzy of clashing colors and commingled smells—scurried mixed-species groups of refugees, pilots, translators, and uniformed officials.

“From what I can ascertain,” Baffle updated a moment later, “Droma’s clanmates are accused of having forged documents of transit that permitted several hundred exiles—including all thirty-seven Ryn who were housed at Facility 17—to depart Ruan aboard a commercial freighter.”

Han ran his hand down his face. Depart! He and Droma had arrived too late. The Ryn were gone, and now Droma was under arrest—just for being a Ryn.

“See if you can get the name of the ship.”

Baffle made adjustments to the hardwire’s retrieval regulator. “The vessel is called the Trevee,” he announced as if reading from a display screen, when in fact the data was going straight to his neural processor. “It has a Nar Shaddaa registry.”

Han groaned, then tightened his lips in negation. Maybe it wasn’t the Tholatin group. All sorts of relief groups were in the legitimate business of providing transport to stranded refugees, and the Trevee might belong to any one of them, despite its Hutt space registry. The Ryn had probably thrown in with a group of desperate exiles, and had resorted to forgery only to secure onward passage.

“Why would Salliche care about a group of refugees traveling on forged documents?” he asked at last. “The whole idea is to get everyone relocated, right?”

Baffle divided his attention between Han and the rapid flow of data. “Even though Salliche Ag has been earnest in its attempts to entice refugees to remain onworld, the company wouldn’t ordinarily demand retribution for such an offense. In this instance, though, the Ryn are accused of conspiracy in addition to forgery. It seems that the captain and crew of the Trevee are themselves suspected of fraud. In recent months, instead of discharging their obligations to provide safe passage to other worlds, they have been known to abandon their passengers at destinations other than those promised.”

Grumbling to himself, Han stormed through a circle on the heavily scuffed floor. Tholatin’s security chief had said that refugees were often marooned on worlds subsequently targeted for attack by the Yuuzhan Vong, which meant that Droma’s clanmates might have flipped themselves inadvertently from the cooker to the heating element.

“See if the Trevee filed a flight plan with Ruan control.”

Baffle set himself to the task. “Yes, here we are,” he said, photoreceptors brightening. “The Trevee launched for Abregado-rae.”

Han’s brows beetled. He could see where Abregadorae, another Core world, might be more desirable than Ruan as a place to be stranded. But in terms of the Yuuzhan Vong, the place had less strategic value than Gyndine or Tynna.

“That’s odd,” Baffle said suddenly.

“What? What’s odd?”

The droid turned away from the column to look at him. “A notation appended to the flight plan states that the Trevee’s actual hyperspace jump was better suited to a destination Rimward of Abregado-rae along the Rimma Trade Route—perhaps to Thyferra or Yag’Dhul.”

Han considered it. Yag’Dhul, tempestuous homeworld of the exoskeletal Givin, made even less sense than Abregado-rae. But Thyferra—the galaxy’s principal source of bacta—clicked as both a tempting destination and a potential target, albeit a well-defended one.

He began to pace. If he left immediately for Thyferra, he stood a good chance of finding Droma’s clanmates long before the Yuuzhan Vong hit the world, but there was no telling what might happen to Droma in his absence. By contrast, remaining on Ruan for Droma’s sake could jeopardize the lives of the thirty-seven missing Ryn.

“Thyferra seems infinitely preferable to Yag’Dhul,” Baffle remarked casually.

Han glanced at him. “I thought you said you’ve been on Ruan since your activation at Fondor.”

“That’s true—to the best of my knowledge. Though I do wonder sometimes if I may have traveled more than I realize.”

Han’s eyes narrowed. “But you