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Han's eyebrows shot up. "Still in outer orbit, you mean? Any other ships around that weren't cleared for takeoff?"

"Noooo..." Leia said slowly.

"A space mine deliberately planted there? Or a piece of debris?"

Jaina's ears perked up. "We ran into a lot of debris on our way home this time, didn't we, Dad?"

Leia grimaced. "I was afraid of that. The Commissioner of Trade has taken this personally. He says that all the leftover wreckage in orbit over Coruscant has always been an accident waiting to happen. He insists that we give higher priority to plotting safer space lanes. We've mapped out some of the bigger pieces, but I think quite a few chunks escaped our surveys-and we haven't had time to check it. Some of that wreckage has been up there in orbit for decades."

Han pursed his lips. "These accidents are pretty rare, Leia. Let's not overreact."

"According to the Moon Dash's transmissions, they never saw what hit them-and it wasn't on any map. The Commissioner considers this an important safety issue. I have to agree-in the wake of this accident, we need to do something about it."

"How much work would it be to map the orbits of the larger pieces of wreckage?" Han asked.

"Quite a bit. And time-consuming, too." Leia pinched the bridge of her nose as if she had suddenly been assailed by another headache. "I'm not even sure the New Republic has resources to commit to a project like that-"

"Maybe I could help," Jaina interrupted, fixing her interest on an idea that would take her mind off Zekk. "After all, Uncle Luke said we were supposed to choose a study project while we're away from the academy.

Lowie and I could map the debris for you. It sounds like fun."

Jaina looked from the datapad to the computer screen, then at the holographic simulation. "Okay, this is the next trajectory, Lowie."

She stretched, trying to loosen the knotted muscles in her shoulders, then rubbed her bleary eyes, but her vision did not clear. They had been at the task for hours. She couldn't imagine why she had ever thought it would be fun.

The lanky Wookiee carefully programmed the orbit she had indicated, and another glowing streak appeared on the holomap. Jaina groaned. "This may be an important job, but I sure thought it would be more interesting."

Lowie grumbled a reply, and Em Teedee translated. "Master Lowbacca maintains that although plotting swarms of orbital debris never should have seemed an interesting project in the first place-schoolwork is rarely interesting. This job, at least, carries a certain amount of urgency." Lowie growled another comment. "Furthermore, he points out that the project is only approximately twelve percent complete, and he will be most gratified when it is finished."

Jaina sighed wearily and ran her hands through her straight brown hair.

"Well then, she said, "what are we waiting for?"

13

PECKHUM SHIFTED THE strap of the travel duffel to his other shoulder as he trudged away from the Lightning Rod's low-rent docking station, where many smugglers and con artists also parked their ships. It was good to be back in the city, if only because the equipment was in his apartment, which was more than he could say about the facilities aboard the mirror station.

Despite his heavy pack, the grizzled old man slid through the broad streets and narrow alleyways with unconscious ease, muttering to himself as be went. "'You'll just have to make do, Peckhum.' 'We've got procurement problems, Peckhum. 'New equipment is expensive, multitasking units don't grow on starflower vines, Peckhum."' Scratching at his chin stubble with one hand, he continued to rant, as used to talking to himself as he was to talking to Zekk.

He growled. "You'd think they'd at least wait till I got off my ship to tell me the news. 'We tried to reach you, Peckhum, but we couldn't get through.' Serves 'em right, since they haven't fixed my comm system!" He shifted his duffel again. "'Your replacement was reassigned to an additional security detail due to the recent Imperial attack, Peckhum. We need you back