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With a gaunt-leted finger he punched a button, and a holographic projection appeared in the air above it.

In his cell, the little alien looked miserable and distraught.

Fonterrat held the holocube as if he found it difficult to speak, though Zekk imagined he had rehearsed his words over and over again before punching the Rv. CORD button.

"They gave me this message cube to speak any last words to my loved ones." A sniveling little laugh escaped Fonterrat.

"Loved ones! If I had any loved ones, I wouldn't have spent my life hopping from one assignment to another for so little pay and so much risk." He moaned softly. "I did not mean to bring this epidemic upon the human colonists of Gammalin--but Nolaa Tarkona did. I see that now. I did not even know my ship carried the plague.

"I gave her two samples of the terrible organism, but I never dreamed she would repay me by planting one on my own ship, in the code-locked chest that held my payment, so that I would spread it to the first human colony I visited. The humans were helpless against the plague. In their efforts to stop it, the colonists incinerated my cargo and burned out the inside of my ship. But it did no good. If Nolaa Tarkona has her way, I fear that annihilating Gain malin will have been merely an exercise. A test case.

"However, I believe she has been foiled, at least for now. I told Bornan Thul, our middleman, the secret of what her cargo held when we made the exchange. I gave him the navicomputer, and he gave me the code to unlock the chest holding the payment the Twi'lek woman gave me in advance."

The image of Fonterrat made a rasping sound that must have been meant as a laugh. "She betrayed me. Now he has disappeared, much to Nolaa's outrage..I hope she never finds him."

Fonterrat swallowed several times, as if looking for more words, then switched off the recording.

"What does that mean?" Zekk said.

"It means Fonterrat could have led me to Bornan Thul, my quarry.

But now he is dead and useless to me." The bounty hunter did not seem to care about the implications of the message, though he did hesitate, perhaps pondering what Nolaa Tarkona's involvement with the deaths on Gammalin might mean.

Without asking, Zekk took the message cube from Fett's gloved hand.

"Mine," he said. "I can use it to prove that I found my bounty, to demonstrate that Fonterrat is dead. The message cube is of no use to you."

Boba Fett stared coldly at him through the visor of his Mandalorian helmet. "The information is of use to me, but I have already heard it.

Take the message cube. I hope our paths do not cross again as competitors."

Fett spun about and began to march out of the brig. At the door, he paused, turning his sinister helmet toward Zekk. "It is against my principles to offer information at no charge, but remember this: Never cross Boba Fett." He checked the blaster pistol at his side. "Follow that advice, and you may survive to become a great bounty hunter."

Zekk stood and watched Boba Fett until he was out of sight. Just to be sure he had left no stone unturned in performing his assignment, Zekk located the burned-out husk of Fonterrat's ship and verified that the cargo had indeed been destroyed. Then he slowly returned to the Lightning Rod.

JACEN WOKE REFRESHED and full of energy, thanks to the comfortable sleeping gear from the Rock Dragon. A noticeable tightness in his arms and legs reminded him of yesterday's strenuous activities: the search along the crater rim, the climb down into the ruins--not to mention being chased by giant combat arachnids!

All in a day's work for a young Jedi Knight, he thought with a smile.

Jacen stretched his muscles and enjoyed the freedom of lying outdoors under the stars on an insulfoam mat that was large enough to sleep a full-grown Wookiee.

Wookiee. With a tingle of alarm he remembered that Lowie and Raaba had still not returned to the Rock Dragon by the time the rest of them had decided to turn in the night before.

The two Wookiees had been inseparable during the evening