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Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 13_ Trouble on Cloud City - Kevin J. Anderson [42]

By Root 370 0
Jaina said.

"Found out what's going on here in Cloud City."

"Ah, we found out a few more things, too," Jacen said. "And I discovered exactly what happened to Cojahn on that balcony."

Tenel Ka couldn't cover her gasp of surprise. Lowie growled.

Lando's interest was obviously piqued. "Looks like we've all got some talking to do."

Anja seemed unaccountably disturbed. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Jacen a shaky smile. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Hey, never underestimate a Jedi," he said.

As they sat together sipping hot broth drinks in a quiet cantina that overlooked the thranta practice for the upcoming sky rodeo, they all shared their separate stories.

Lando, Jaina, and Zekk recounted what they had learned from Figrin D'an and his band about how Black Sun was trying to infiltrate the workings of Cloud City. Tenel Ka, with additions from Lowie, told of the assassin attack after they had followed the fired Ugnaught construction boss, while Jacen described his rescue by M'kim the thranta rider, and how M'kim had seen a visored man with algae-green hair murder Cojahn... an angry, ruthless man who was almost certainly Czethros himself.

"But you can't prove it's Czethros," Anja said. "It's a big galaxy.

There are plenty of other people with moss-green hair."

"And the laser visor?" Jaina asked skeptically.

"Certainly not enough evidence to convict anyone," Anja said firmly.

"I prefer solid proof myself, instead of hearsay from an 'eyewitness' who was flying around with the setting sun in his eyes. If M'kim was so close that he could make out the facial features of the person who allegedly boosted Cojahn over the side of the balcony, how come he wasn't close enough to catch the man as he fell?"

"I already explained that," Jacen said. "There were storms-" Lando raised a hand for peace. "It's easy enough to determine whether or not Czethros was here. I still have my old BaronAdministrator access codes. Let's just find a nice quiet business area, and we can check Cloud City's central computer banks. Lowie, I think you might help me with that."

The young Wookiee chuffed in agreement and nodded his shaggy head.

"We can check the records. Everyone coming in or out of Cloud City has to leave some sort of passport information. Docking records, passenger manifests, tariff documents. It'll be quite a search......

"Czethros is kind of hard to miss," Zekk said.

Lowie stood up from the table, his ginger fur bristling, the dark streak prominent on his forehead. Em Teedee said, "If I can be of any help, I would most gladly offer the assistance of my circuits."

"Thanks, Em Teedee," Lando said. "Let's see what Lowbacca can find first.

"

As the other young Jedi Knights gathered around the computer terminals, Lowie bounced through the public records databases, scanning for the name Czethros. The search ultimately turned up nothing.

"See, he never came here," Anja said. "Your thranta rider made a mistake.

"

"I thought you told us we were gullible," Zekk answered. "Any man who's got that many connections and is involved in illegal activities would know how to hide his tracks."

Next, Lowie looked through docking records, credit receipts, list of purchases made and transmissions sent. It was a monumental task and required all of the Wookiee's concentration as well as the full access given to him by Lando's high-level security codes.

"Sure glad you were Baron-Administrator," Jaina said. "We would've hit a dead end right away if you hadn't opened some of those passworded files."

"We may still hit a dead end," Lando said. "Just a lot farther along the way."

Anja watched, arms crossed over her chest, still skeptical. She had so obviously been relieved, even overjoyed, to see that Jacen still lived.... Now, perhaps out of embarrassment, she hid behind a haughty mask.

Lowie's golden eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stared at the images that flickered by from docking bay holocams. He plugged Em Teedee in to help him monitor the data. Some of the video snapshots stuttered and wavered.

Em Teedee suddenly

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