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The two women sat together in the Chief of State's private office.

Aryn nodded.

"From the way his message was formatted I would guess he already has several people helping him in addition to our son-your children perhaps?"

Leia nodded.

"It sounds like they all found each other."

"He indicated that they need even more help," Aryn said. "But Boman seemed to be concerned about spies and traitors."

Leia smiled grimly.

"Don't worry. We'll send them some trustworthy reinforcements, if I have to hand-pick every member of the team myself. And my husband, General Solo, will lead the mission personally."

THE EMPEROR'S OLD weapons depot was a labyrinth of pressurized domes, tunnels, and sealed chambers where unimaginable mechanisms of death lay stored. Since the isolated asteroid station had, as far as they knew, no large docks or entrance points, the Rock Dragon and the Lightning Rod were forced to dock against separate domes. The cargo hatches sealed against the airlocks, and the seven companions gathered inside the silent, abandoned station. Low rock ceilings and tunnels plated with metal made the confined chambers feel like a prison. Jacen looked all around, sniffing the air, which was none too fresh. Other than the scavenger Fonterrat and Boman Thul, he guessed that no one had set foot here for decades.

Now Thul looked sickened.

"I wish Fonterrat had never stumbled on this place."

Raynar stood close to his father.

"I wish the Emperor had never even thought of making this asteroid into a weapons storehouse."

The older man looked down at him with a sympathetic smile.

"Well, what are we gonna do about it?" Jaina asked. Zekk stood next to her, his face grim.

"We'll destroy the depot, of course. Isn't that why we're here? Nolaa Tarkona's probably on her way already."

"First, we must find where the plague itself is stored," Tenel Ka said.

"Then we can neutralize it."

Jacen nodded vigorously to show that he agreed with the warrior girl. But then, he usually did. Bornan Thul took a step forward, placing himself in the lead.

"Follow me. I found it before, but I couldn't get inside." He swallowed hard. "At the time, there didn't seem much chance Nolaa Tarkona would ever get here. I thought there might be another solution."

"We're here to help you this time," Raynar said consolingly. "We can solve this problem if we work together."

Squaring his shoulders with determination, he marched beside his father through the enclosed corridors. The artificial gravity generators still functioned on the tiny rock in space. The companions passed through a central complex where curved transparisteel domes overhead showed a sprawling view of an endless starfield, studded with the occasional floating mountains of asteroids in space around them. At one time, Jacen knew, Star Destroyers had come here to stock up on weapons. They carried stormtroopers and munitions to oppressed worlds so that the Empire could squeeze its iron fist even tighter. Here in this station, Evir Derricote had tested and stored his most deadly creations, diseases against which no blaster could defend. Derricote had released the Krytos plague on Coruscant just after the capital world had fallen to the Rebels. Because the disease struck only nonhumans, its spread caused a great deal of friction among the member races in the Rebel Alliance.

Now, in a frightening turnabout, it seemed the opposite was about to happen. In order to get her revenge against humans, Nolaa Tarkona wanted to release the ultimate plague-a disease even the Emperor had considered too terrible to use-so she could strike down all of humanity. But the young Jedi Knights would never let that happen. Jacen picked up his pace.

After hesitating at an intersection of corridors, where half-open bulkheads seemed ready to crash down on them, Bornan Thul said, "This way to the central chamber."

He led them through another dome to a large blast-shielded airlock that blocked their way. Though the