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Perhaps she was doomed as well. With her clawed hands shaking, Nolaa Tarkona attempted to work the copilot's controls and take the Rising Star on a heading toward the armada. Raaba knew that the time for a decision was now.

Jaina, Jacen, and Tenel Ka finished setting their last explosives in record time and threw themselves into the cockpit of the Rock Dragon. Em Teedee had just transmitted a message from Lowie, Zekk, and Raynar in the Lightning Rod to inform the other young Jedi Knights that they were on their way, escaping from the asteroid. He also passed along the news about the death of Borran Thul. But they had no time to grieve now. Not in the middle of a battle, with the fate of the plague storehouse at stake. Like a team long accustomed to working together, they flicked switches, sealed airlocks, and programmed courses with deft hands guided by the Force.

"Fifteen seconds," Tenel Ka stated in a firm voice, referring to the amount of time left on the five detonators they had found and been able to set without going any farther into the weapons complex.

"Fifteen seconds? No sweat," Jacen muttered.

"Almost got it." Jaina slapped the repulsorlifts to full.

"Ten, nine..."

Tenel Ka hit the switch to release the Rock Dragon's airtight seal on the depot docking hatch.

"Eight, seven, six..."

"Hang on. This ride's going to be anything but smooth," Jaina shouted.

"Five, four, three..."

The Rock Dragon's engines whined as the Hapan cruiser began to pull away.

"Let's just get away from this place," Jacen said.

"Two... one."

The Rock Dragon lifted fractionally from the pad on which it had rested, then rose higher.

"Zero."

Although the Rock Dragon was no longer touching the ground, the asteroid rocked around them. One of the secondary domes exploded in a hail of transparisteel fragments that momentarily clouded the front viewscreen with a crystalline spray. Something struck the Rock Dragon hard.

"Get those shields up," Jaina barked at her brother, and he scrambled for the controls. None of the companions had had a chance to fasten their crash webbing, and the blow sent them reeling out of their seats.

Struggling with the panels, Jaina yelled, "Help me! We need to get farther away."

Tenel Ka reached out with her mind for Jaina's, felt Jacen's mind join the two of theirs. Together the three minds visualized the asteroid beneath them and placed their combined pressure firmly against it like a springboard and pushed. Suddenly the ship spun clear of the asteroid in open space, halfway to the New Republic fleet.

Jacen said, "Uh-oh," as a familiar ship swung into their field of vision in their front viewports: the Rising Star. Raaba's ship.

With the Bornaryn fleet holding the Diversity Alliance ships at bay, Han Solo's choice was clear.

"Chewie, let's make sure no one else ever gets hold of the deadly stuff down there."

A voice crackled over the comm speakers.

"New Republic fleet, this is Zekk in the Lightning Rod. Once the Rock Dragon is clear, feel free to use the asteroid for target practice."

Han strode to the comm panel.

"We copy, Zekk. You're cleared to come aboard one of the escort frigates.

Red and silver leaders, bring your squadrons after the Falcon. You're with me. We're going in."

Raaba pulled the Rising Star into a backward arc to avoid hitting the Rock Dragon.

"Just shoot them," Nolaa ordered, "then take me to the fleet!" She subsided into a fit of coughing.

Raaba barked a rebuke at her leader. Didn't she know how many people had died already this day? Neither of them could be certain how many plagues they'd each been exposed to in that chamber on the asteroid. If the two of them returned to the fleet now, they might risk killing every loyal member of the Diversity Alliance-and how could killing all the humans help them now?

"Such sentiments are for fools," Nolaa gasped, shuddering as much now with anger as with the chills that racked her body. "In every revolution some must