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The cargo hatch of one of the tetrahedral holding bays cracked open just enough for a silvery ovoid to lift up on its microrepulsorjets.

Em Teedee rose above the edge of the cargo hauler, then performed a pirouette. His optical sensors glowed as he scanned the grotto.

"I see no one, Mistress Jaina. It seems we're in the clear."

"If we are clear," Tenel Ka said, unseen in the storage bin, "we must move quickly."

The cargo hatch popped entirely open. Jacen and Jaina scrambled out to stand on the stained hull of the ore hauler. They shucked their flexible environment suits and stowed their helmets and suits back in a corner of the storage container.

"Good thing we hid in here," Jacen said, noting the open hatch of the Hapan passenger cruiser.

"I'll bet they gave the Rock Dragon a pretty thorough search."

Raynar clambered out, flushed and panting.

He brushed wrinkles from his drab Jedi jump-suit.

"I don't think Nolaa Tarkona is gullible enough to believe that story about finding the ship in space," he said. "We should get far away from here before they come back to make a more complete search."

"Too late," Jaina said. They heard the thunder of machinery and the sound of approaching feet marching from deep underground catacombs.

"They're going to get the ore hauler prepped and ready to launch again."

The young Jedi scampered across the stone floor of the starship grotto and ducked into a dimly lit side tunnel. Em Teedee bobbed along behind them on his repulsors.

"Well, we did it," Jacen whispered, turning around to clap a congratulatory hand on Tenel Ka's shoulder. "We're here. Now all we have to do is find Lowie."

"Yes," she said. "And now our danger is greater than ever. We are in the lair of the Diversity Alliance, and if they capture us we may not escape with our lives."

NOLAA TARKONA STRODE through the carved rock corridors, brooking no delays as she descended toward the small-craft bay. The Rock Dragon awaited, and she wanted to see it with her own rose-quartz eyes. Dark robes that hid most of her body swirled around her as she walked.

Everyone who caught sight of her determined expression hurried to get out of her way.

Hovrak kept pace beside her, his uniform trim and free of stains. The wolfman took special care to protect the clothing from blood spatters during his violent meals. It was just one of the ways in which he expressed his pride at being her Adjutant Advisor.

"This way, Esteemed Tarkona," he said. "I've chosen one of our Sullustan mechanics to fly the ship to where we can give it a thorough inspection."

"Yes... be very thorough." She frowned.

"Something about the convenient appearance of this craft makes me uneasy."

Without turning, Nolaa scanned the tunnels behind her with the optical sensors embedded in the stump of her severed head-tail. It always paid to remain vigilant for spies or assassins. In the grotto light, her tattooed head-tail twitched, indicating her agitated state.

Nolaa was not nearly as attractive as her half sister Oola, but she had developed power instead of grace. Nolaa had learned to manipulate people.

She achieved her ends through inspired rhetoric.

Her half sister had died because of her beauty, kidnapped by the vile traitor Bib Fortuna and sold to Jabba the Hutt, who had killed her on a whim and fed her to the horrible rancor.

Nolaa had a much more important destiny, though. She would hold the future of entire worlds in her clawed hands. And she would bring about the end of the human race.

She and Hovrak emerged into the rocky chamber of the small-craft bay.

With a whine of low-power engines the Rock Dragon floated in from the nearby starship grotto. Despite a few uncertain stutters and overcompensations at the helm, the pilot seemed to know what he was doing. Nolaa admired the skill of the large-eyed, mousy alien in the cockpit who maneuvered the Hapan craft into the open area of the low-ceilinged chamber. The other spectators stepped back to give Nolaa room.

The passenger cruiser