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Raynar pulled himself to his hands and knees in the cargo bay.

He slapped the control switch for the ramp, closing it halfway so that Jaina could climb in. Hovrak's feet dangled over the edge.

Seizing the opportunity, Hovrak finally hauled himself aboard. He released his vicious grip on Jaina with a triumphant glare in his bloodshot animal eyes.

"Lusa, do something!" Raynar yelled.

But the centaur girl was already taking action.

As Hovrak stood up, Lusa reared and kicked him full in the chest, knocking him back onto the ramp. Raynar punched the controls again. The ramp opened wide.

The Lightning Rod soared over a lava-filled crevice. Hovrak, in his slippery suit, slid back down and out into open air. The plummeting wolfman flailed. His protective suit glittered as he dropped for thousands of meters... until he plunged with a puffof bright yellow flame into a sluggish river of molten rock. The lava bubbled and swallowed up the dark stain. In a heartbeat, nothing remained of Hovrak.

Panting and distraught, Jaina crawled farther into the cargo area, and the Lightning Rod's ramp finally hissed shut. Jaina took a deep breath of blessedly cool air and then fell trembling next to Raynar.

The two were battered, sunburned, grime-encrusted messes, but she grinned at the young man from Alderaan, then offered a weak wave to Luke and Zekk in the cockpit.

"How can I help?" the centaur girl asked.

"We could both use a driuk right about now," Jaina gasped.

Raynar looked gratefully up at Lusa. "Cold water?"

"Make it a double," Jaina added.

TOGETHER, THE LIGHTNING Rod and the Rock Dragon sped upward out of Ryloth's atmosphere.

As they flew, pursued now by Diversity Alliance ships, Zekk gained new admiration for Luke Skywalker. Even in an old-fashioned freighter like the Lightning Rod, the Jedi Master's training as a fighter pilot was obvious.

Zekk was glad to witness the legendary skill of the X-wing pilot who had destroyed the first Death Star. Master Skywalker maneuvered the ship, expertly dodging quadlaser fire from their disorganized pursuers, while Zekk answered each attack with a volley of fire from the Lightning Rod's weapons systems.

Zekk longed to leave the weapons controls to tend to Jaina's injuries and reassure himself that she was all right. But that would have to wait until they got away from the Diversity Alliance.

"Hang on back there, we're not out of this yet," Zekk said. He tossed Lusa the Lightning Rod's emergency medkit. The centaur girl was more than competent enough to care for the two patients until they could get to a real medical center.

Luke threw the Lightning Rod into a sideways spin just moments before laser cannon fire exploded behind them.

Beside them, the Rock Dragon pulled into a sharp loop and arced backward.

Seconds later, Zekk saw explosions to the stern of the Lightning Rod on his viewscreens.

Aloud Wookiee bellow and a triumphant warble blasted from the comm system's speakers. Em Teedee's exclamation followed. "Oh, well done, Master Lowbacca, Mistress Sirrakuk!"

Zekk scanned the space around them for Diversity Alliance ships.

"We're all clear!"

Luke nodded. "Thanks for the assistance, Rock Dragon," he said.

"We've got Raynar and Jaina.

Are the others with you?"

"Oh, yes, Master Luke. And more," Em Teedee replied."

"Master Jacen and Mistress Tenel Ka have brought along a guestma Twi'lek gentleman.

They assure us he's a friend... or at least he is no friend of Nolaa Tarkona's."

Luke's eyebrows raised in surprise. "A Twi'Lek?

I'll have to trust their judgment on that. Anyway, it's about time we got this team back together."

A pair of jubilant Wookiee voices roared their agreement.

"I heartily concur, Master Luke," Em Teedee said. In the background, Lowie barked a question.

"Master Lowbacca wishes to inquire whether we should all rendezvous at Yavin 4?

Zekk cast a worried glance back at Jaina and Raynat, assessing their injuries.

Lusa shook her head. "I'm not sure