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By Root 353 0

extremely close by. The words were in Ugnaught dialogue-with which I am of course quite familiar, being fluent in over sixteen forms of communication-" Lowie growled and tapped the floating droid with one finger, as if to remind him that they were in a hurry.

"Ah. Aha. What did the communication say?" Tenel Ka asked.

"Yes, of course, I was coming to that. It was something to this effect: Retrieved the spice. Deal is back on. Meet outside tunnel 83, section 11.

Bring hard credits only."

Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Lowie exchanged concerned glances. Jacen gave a low whistle. "A drug deal, then. For hard cash?"

Tenel Ka quirked an eyebrow at him. "So it would appear."

Lowie gave a thoughtful growl.

"Right," Jacen said. "If that's not suspicious, I don't know what is."

"I sense him moving away," Tenel Ka warned.

"Let's stay with the Ugnaught then," Jacen said, moving up the tunnel and toward the side passageway. "I've got a stronger feeling than ever that this guy knows something about Cojahn's death."

As they followed the Ugnaught through convoluted catacombs to the lower, darker levels of Cloud City, Jacen wondered if the creature had any idea where he was going.

"I think this guy's lost," he muttered quietly to Tenel Ka.

Lowie groaned softly, and Em Teedee translated as the little droid bobbed in front of them on his microrepulsorjets. "We must be quiet.

Stealth is of utmost importance."

After passing through the cluttered, seedier levels of Port Townthe "bad part" of Cloud City-Jacen and his friends needed to use their Jedi skills to the fullest just to keep track of their quarry. They hurried through dimly lit sectors, ducked around junked equipment and debris that had been waiting for centuries to be hauled away and sorted into one of the scrap incinerators.

Each time they thought they had lost the Ugnaught, they managed to glimpse his patchy-furred head once again, just as they were about to give up hope. If the former foreman knew he was being followed, he certainly made no attempt to elude or avoid them.

After they hurried past a group of Ishi Tibs huddled in a corner placing bets on some sort of combat insects, they saw the small apelike creature turn sharply to the left.

"Where did he go?" Jacen asked.

Lowie grunted, extending a tuffed arm to point at a small chute opening.

Without hesitation, Tenel Ka sprinted ahead and scrambled into the chute.

Jacen and Lowbacca followed. "Oh, my!" Em Teedee said. "Are you certain these passages are safe enough to use for transportation?"

"The Ugnaughts use them," Tenel Ka said. "They live in these tunnel warrens."

As they proceeded, the light around them grew red and warm. Lowie sniffed, using his Wookiee nose to follow the scent. They ducked low and took shortcuts through passageways that seemed no larger than air shafts.

Em Teedee hovered next to the big ginger-furred Wookiee, who had considerable difficulty fitting into the cramped spaces while remaining quiet and secretive. Somehow, they managed to stay on the Ugnaught's trail as he led them deeper and deeper into Cloud City's interior.

Jacen mentally reviewed what he knew about the Ugnaughts and their culture, how they had come here as slave creatures for a rich and eccentric developer named Ecclessis Figg. Lord Figg had promised them their freedom if they would help him to complete his impossible dream of building a city in the clouds.

Now, Ugnaughts were among the most respected inhabitants of the huge metropolis in Bespin's skies. The creatures filled important positions in all strata of society, from city politicians and bureaucrats to salvage engineers on the hot conveyor lines.

This Ugnaught had been an engineer, the chief construction foreman on SkyCenter Galleria, before Cojahn had fired him for "certain irregularities." So what had he been doing back at the amusement facility?

And where was he going now?

The Ugnaught scuttled along without a backward glance, seemingly without noticing the young Jedi Knights following him. In the cramped tunnels and halls they heard few other creatures moving