• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Zekk wondered. Zekk guessed they were being treated far better than the other captive villagers, though their repeated questions about Ynos and the farmers went unanswered.

After hours without explanations, the dark-haired and bearded leader Elis came to them with surprise guests in tow, surrounded by guards from the mountain villages.

"Jaina!" Zekk cried. Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Lowbacca also came with them.

Han Solo leapt to his feet to see his children safely arrived. "You made it through the forest then," Han said. "I was worried about you."

"Had a pretty unpleasant welcoming committee when we got up here to the mining settlements, though," Jaina said. "What do these people think they're doing?"

"They think they can end their war this way," Zekk mumbled.

"You don't understand the type of people we're dealing with," Elis said, his voice a low growl. "The fanners have done heinous things-"

"But those people were under my protection," Han insisted. "I'm from the New Republic. I trusted you to recognize my diplomatic immunity."

"And we are not harming you or your close friends, General Solo," Elis said. "You personally have caused us no damage. Ynos and his murderous farmers have done us great harm, though, and we will not treat them like visiting royalty." A storm seemed to pass across Elis's face, but he brought his emotions under control. "It was only out of courtesy and respect for your position that we did not execute every one of those villagers as they arrived. "

"That's something at least," Han said, considering Elis through narrowed eyes.

"We've seen the cropland where you planted all those burrowing detonators. Those weapons take their toll on innocent people, as well as fighters," Jaina said. "I'd call that an act of terrorism, not a brave military strike."

"There are no innocents in the fanning villages," Elis said. "I don't know what lies they've told you. Ynos tries to make himself appear helpless and pitiable, but he has the blood of hundreds of miners on his hands."

"Ah. Aha. Yet he himself stepped on one of your burrowing detonators,"

Tenel Ka said coldly. "That is how he lost his leg."

"His heart was dead long before that," Elis answered. "For many years we had a booming business here. My mountain workers labored hard to excavate the various ores and crystals from the rich mineral veins. We still sell whatever we find to offworld traders, smugglers, anyone brave enough to come to this world and take the meager riches we have to offer. In exchange, they bring us supplies and equipment and food."

"And weapons, too," Zekk pointed out. "We stopped one of those shipments.

"

"We must protect ourselves," Elis answered, standing at the doorway to the stone chambers. "We have a right to do that, don't we? The fanners won't trade with us anymore. We would starve if it weren't for the smugglers. The fanners once provided us with what we needed, and we did the same for them.

"But because the bloodthirsty rebellion brought its message here to Anobis, beyond where even the Emperor cared to look, everything came crashing down. Anobis could have remained neutral, stayed out of all the fighting, but the farmers had to choose a side. They stopped trading with us. I ask you, what good does politics do any of us, if we're barely managing to survive from day to day?"

He gestured for them to come with him out into the dimly lit tunnels.

"Come, we have something to show you," Elis said. "You need to see this."

Han went first. Zekk took Jaina's hand and followed, with the others close behind. They walked through stone corridors, excavated tunnels that jerked left and right, curving sideways and down as the miners followed veins of precious minerals. As the miners worked the mountains, it looked as though they left open chambers where new families built houses into the sides of the rough walls using rubble and tailings from the mine mortared together.

Finally the group reached a place where temporary support beams were hammered into place. Sealant foam