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They had surprised him with their ingenuity. Given virtually no resources or training, they had freed themselves from the avalanche and repaired their ship. But if they thought they could escape from him... then they were much mistaken.

He would never allow them to warn Boman Thul.

If he meant to keep from alerting his quarry to the pursuit, he could not let these others escape with the knowledge they had stolen from his computer banks.

He had immediately discovered their scanning and slicing, of course, and they would have to pay the price. No one could hold that much information about Boba Fett and live.

His gauntleted hands squeezed the controls, centering the battered Rock Dragon in his targeting sights. His weapons powered up to full strength.

The young Jedi Knights had spoiled his ambush plans and warned Han Solo... but Boba Fett was flexible. All good bounty hunters were flexible. He would destroy this small passenger cruiser and cripple the Millennium Falcon as soon as it arrived, then proceed with the next step in his hunt for Boman Thul.

He increased his speed, diving toward the Rock Dragon, then nudged the targeting controls in his weapons systems.

He placed his thumbs over the firing buttons, waiting until exactly the right moment...

And then fired.

Jacen shielded his eyes, waitin for the final blast to come-but just as the bounty hunter took his shot, another ship streaked past at high speed, a clunkylooking freighter cobbled together from dozens of obsolete components.

'The Lightning Rod!" Jaina cried.

Old Peckhum's former ship used a tractor beam to grab the Slave IV and yank it off course, spinning it away just as Fett fired. The deadly laser bolts flew haphazardly into empty space, one of them striking and vaporizing a small asteroid.

"It's Zekk," Jaina said. 'He found us."

The Lightning Rod took advantage of the element of surprise and whirled about, hammering down on Boba Fett's ship, which was still spinning out of control from the tractor beam. Zekk unleashed five rapid laser blasts from the Lightning Rod's newly installed weapons systems-a precaution Peckhum had agreed to only after being shot down by Shadow Academy fighters. The blasts pounded the Slave IV, sending it reeling under the sudden barrage. Knowing that the Rock Dragon had no functional weapons systems, Boba Fett had not been expecting an attack from any direction.

"Oh, thank the maker, we're saaaaved!"

Em Teedee said, his voice slightly slurred from the numerous short circuits he had recently suffered.

Apparently finding himself damaged and possibly even outgunned, Fett turned about, ignited his engines, and flew away into the labyrinth of the asteroid field, where he could hide and do repairs.

"I can't believe it-Zekk came to rescue us!" Jaina said, absolutely elated. 'Jacen, get on the comm system. We've got to talk to him."

But as she watched in dismay, the Lightning Rod roared past them and continued in its flight, pursuing Boba Fett. Zekk kept firing, but the Slave IVs more powerful engines rapidly stretched out the distance.

Still Zekk wouldn't give up. He streaked ahead and was soon lost in the complex orbital paths of the rubble field.

"Where is Zekk going?" Jaina cried. "He'll get himself killed. He may have had the element of surprise, but the Lightning Rod can't seriously fight against Boba Fett once he gets his systems up again."

"I sure hope Zekk comes back for us," Jacen said. "Our life support's out, and we've only got a few hours before it gets very uncomfortable in here. "

Without power, and with only the backup batteries left to run their communications systems and send their automated distress call, the young Jedi Knights sat and waited.

And waited.

All alone in space.

THE ROCK DRAGON drifted powerless in space among the shards of Alderaan.

Jaina bit her lower lip and stared out the front viewport, her mind temporarily numb. Her thoughts seemed as unable to function as the ship's blasted control systems.

"We're dooooomed," Em Teedee said in a warbling,