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"Unfortunately, no," Tenel Ka said, consulting the datapad again.

Lowbacca rumbled a question about the level of technology that might remain on the planet.

"No data on the technology of Kuar's inhabitants either. In fact," Tenel Ka said, holding up a finger to forestall the question Jacen was about to ask,. "other than the legends of the Mandalorian warriors, I have found nothing about the former inhabitants."

Jacen's face fell, then he brightened again.

"What about wildlife? Interesting animal species or plants?"

Tenel Ka shook her head grimly. "These files contain minimal data. Little that is of any use to us--only the ramblings of historical scholars speculating about the original inhabitants, before the Mandalorians swept through. None of the data is current.

Even planetary archaeologists do not place this site on their priority research lists."

"Hey, Em Teedee, do you have any other information about Kuar?"

Jacen asked.

"Dear me, I'm afraid to say there's not much,. really, aside from what Mistress Tenel Ka has already told you. And I have the coordinates, of course." The little droid made a sound like an aggrieved sigh. "I imagine that's not very useful at this point, is it? We're already here."

"We'll be able to speculate all we want about Kuar in a couple of minutes," Jaina said. "We're almost to the atmosphere. Okay, hit it, Lowie."

The young Wookiee flicked a few switches, and the ship nosed down toward the vast sky that spread its thin blanket over the curved surface of Kuar.

Jaina flashed a conspiratorial grin at her brother and Tenel Ka.

"As I always say, show me--don't tell me."

Tenel Ka raised an eyebrow and turned to Jacen. "Does she always say that? I have not heard her say it before."

Jacen merely shrugged. The Rock Dragon dove into the atmosphere.

The magnified views of the distant landscape below alternated between occasional rock formations and various colors of dust Or sand.

It seemed as if the dusts of time had sifted over the entire world.

But excitement had overtaken Jacen, and he was impatient to know more about the mysterious place beneath them. "Hey, what do the readings say?"

he asked.

"Life-forms," Jaina answered succinctly.

"Quite a few, in fact. Definitely non-human--at least the life-forms we're picking up right now."

Lowie gave a thoughtful purr. "Quite right, Master Lowbacca," Em Teedee said.

"There's no telling yet whether the life-forms are sentient or not."

A few thin clouds drifted high in the atmosphere like worn and tattered lace, but they did little to obstruct Jacen's view through the windowport. From this height, the surface seemed relatively flat and featureless.

"What about buildings?" he asked.

Lowie studied the readouts again and woofed a few times. "Most assuredly, Master Lowbacca. 'Those are definitely not natural formations," Em Teedee said. 'Td hardly call them buildings, however.

The structures are certainly old, but there's something odd about them--irregular, as if they're only half there."

"Ruins, perhaps?" Tenel Ka suggested.

"Quite probably," Em Teedee agreed.

"Why don't we just get closer and see?"

Jacen asked impatiently. "That's the best way to find out."

Jaina sighed. "I purposely stayed high, in hopes that we'd spot a city or smugglers encampment, or pick up a beacon of some sort to show us where any inhabited areas might be. I thought it would be the easiest way to figure out where Bornan Thul might have gone. You're right, though--we21

have to go down closer."

Jacen grinned at her, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

She took the Rock Dragon lower until they were skimming just two hundred meters above the surface. In most areas, the vegetation was fairly sparse. Rocky spikes and pillars and mesas jutted up from the landscape.

Occasionally, Jacen saw what looked like a nest of Some sort on one of the outcroppings. The color of the dirt, sand, and rock varied from cream, to saffron, to gray, to pale blue with purplish