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Karrde cocked his head. “My pets are very well trained. They attack only on my order. Look, Solusar. I had to find you. I couldn’t do it without the interference of those fools, and when I did find you I had to get rid of them. They thought I had an ysalamiri with me, that your Jedi powers would be blocked.”

“But you didn’t bring one.”

“It’s an empty cage.”

“So you turned on them, not knowing if we were really here or not.”

“I know my pets. I was certain you were down here, and I didn’t want to cripple you by actually bringing an ysalamiri.”

“That was quite a risk.”

“I told Luke Skywalker I would take his students off of Yavin Four. If keeping my word requires risk, that’s acceptable.”

Solusar nodded impatiently. “Understood. But how am I to know you’re telling the truth? I know you, yes, and you’ve been on the right side. But a lot of people are joining the Peace Brigade, and you’ve changed coats before, Karrde.”

“So have you. Have you ever wanted to put the old one back on?”

Solusar’s eyes narrowed, then he chopped his head in a single affirmation. “I’ll trust you. What now?”

“Now I suggest we get out of here, before they send reinforcements.”

Unfortunately, Captain Imsatad had not underestimated Karrde as badly as he might have. When they reached the surface, the forest was teeming with Peace Brigaders.

“Perfect,” Kam Solusar muttered, ducking a blaster bolt that vaped a fist-sized hole in the stone near him. “At least before, we were hidden.”

Karrde straightened the front of his outfit and glanced casually at his chrono. “Solusar, I’m injured. Don’t you have any faith in me?”

“Faith is blind, unquestioned belief. What do you think?”

“I think I would cover my ears if I were you.” He raised his voice. “Tionne, children. Cover your ears.”

“Wha—” Solusar began, but was drowned out by what might have been two hands the size of Death Stars clapping.

Karrde grinned with fierce satisfaction as turbolaser fire set the surrounding jungle ablaze. It was good to have a crew he could trust. He stepped from behind cover and, carefully aiming and picking off the few Peace Brigaders who were still paying attention, trotted toward where the Wild Karrde was landing. When the landing ramp came down, Kam Solusar and Tionne shepherded the children on board as Karrde and his crew provided cover fire. In moments, they were all inside.

Karrde was the last aboard, and even as his feet hit the deck, the modified Corellian transport pirouetted and tossed itself at the sky. Through the closing hatch, Karrde saw several enemy ships already on their trail.

He had known it would be a near thing. He almost couldn’t believe they had pulled it off.

Of course, he would never say that aloud.

Humming, he went at a brisk but dignified pace to his bridge.

By the time he got there, the sky was already a deep blue bruise getting blacker by the second.

“Well, gentlebeings,” Karrde said as he took his seat. “What’s the situation?”

H’sishi shot him a harried look from the sensor station. “We did some damage to our watchdogs in orbit, but they’re all still flying. Now we have the ships from the surface to deal with as well.”

“Well. Deal with them.”

“Yes, sir.”

The ship shuddered, and the inertial dampeners whined.

“Opur,” Karrde shouted at one of his security men. “Make certain the children are secured somewhere. I don’t want one hair on their little Jedi heads harmed.”

“Yes, sir,” Opur said, hurrying off.

“Now.” Karrde studied the layout. “They’ve got us penned in, don’t they?”

“Unless we can make the jump to lightspeed.”

“With big Yavin right there?” Karrde mused. “No, not today. I think we’ll punch through the cage instead.” He tapped the console. “Here.”

“That’s their most heavily armed ship,” Shada observed.

“When a pack of vornskrs comes for you, always kick the biggest and meanest one right in the teeth. It will certainly get their attention.”

“I believe we already have their attention.”

“One can never have too much good wine, beautiful women, or attention,” Karrde said. “Go, and keep the throttle open.”

“We won’t get