• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

"Very realistic." He tugged at one of his cheeks to demonstrate.

The guard snuffied and looked doubtful.

"Yes," Jaina said, stepping up beside her brother.

"Nolaa Tarkona's new 'human configuration' disguises.

We developed these to infdtrate human cities and governments. But we're really aliens underneath--aren't we?"

Raynar nodded briskly, as did Tenel Ka. "This is a fact," she said.

The guard grunted another question, but Em Teedee said indignantly, "They most certainly will not remove their disguises for mere gnards!

Indeed! This project is highly classified. I suggest you make yourself useful instead of trying to meddle in affairs that are clearly beyond your comprehension. Go apprehend some fugitive or seal off a toxic gas leak."

The guard's grumbled to each other and continued along their way, muttering their admiration for Nolaa Tarkona's cleverness as they took turns banging open doors.

Jacen touched Tenel Ka's wrist to move her hand away from the hilt of her lightsaber. "Sometimes you don't need Jedi fighting skills to take care of a problem."

"Ah," Tenel Ka said. "Aha. But such tricks may not work unless your opponent is as stupid as those gnards."

Jacen peered down the surrounding corridors.

Alter a few more minutes of running they reached another main intersection, a confluence of catacombs.

Lowie stopped, frowning in distress, and indicated that he had to leave them here.

"Master Lowbacca insists on locating his sister Sirra without delay," Em Teedee said. "I do believe that's quite honorable, though it places us all at greater risk."

Jacen understood that the four humans could not go with Lowie; they had to keep as far away from the alien radicals as they could. Their Wookiee friend regarded each of them fondly.

With words and gestures he reviewed for them the directions he remembered from the computer map of the catacombs. They all found it painful to see Lowbacca leave again, but knew that this time he would come back... with the Rock Dragon, to help them get home.

"We'll meet you outside, Lowie," Jacen called.

"In the mountains."

With a last glance over his shoulder, Lowie sprinted down the long winding tunnel into a whirlpool of shadows.

After less than twenty minutes of cautiously toiling their way up the steep passage Lowie had indicated, a complete and deafening silence fell behind them like a curtain. All the alarms shut off; the emergency was canceled.

"That means they've discovered Lowie's trick," Jacen said.

Nolaa Tarkona's voice came over the intercom.

"There is no poisonous gas spill. What you just heard was a false alarm, triggered by a traitor in our midst." She paused a moment for effect.

"Four human prisoners, important hostages, have just escaped. They must be found. I demand your most diligent efforts in the name of the Diversity Alliance." When Nolaa Tarkona switched off the intercom, her angry voice ended abruptly with the force of an ax chopping through a branch.

"This is trouble," Tenel Ka said.

"We've been in trouble," Jaina countered.

Raynar leaned with a heavy sigh against the corridor's rock wall.

"Nobody's going to fall for our 'human disguise' trick a second time."

Tenel Ka suddenly stood up straight. As always, her hearing and eyesight were sharper than any of the others'. She gripped her lightsaber.

An instant later Jacen sensed the approach of numerous enemies. He drew his weapon, as did his sister. The footsteps were coming closer from a single direction, but the tunnels heading away branched out in many other directions.

"Fighting here will be difficult," Tenel Ka said.

Jacen nodded. "We don't have to make a stand heref he pointed out.

"We can run toward the outside," Raynar suggested.

"It'll buy us some time," Jaina agreed. "Let's move."

Clipping their lightsabers to their belts, they raced along the corridors, zigzagging, turning at random intervals as they headed upward.

Every tunnel seemed to be filled with thundering footsteps and the rumble of armored feet. The hunt was on in every catacomb; Nolaa Tarkona had no intention of