Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 13_ Trouble on Cloud City - Kevin J. Anderson [46]
Zekk peered into the darkened shaft. "He certainly was in a hurry to leave."
"Maybe he knows something we don't," Jaina said, looking around with wy apprehension. Cautiously she drew her lightsaber and ignited it. The blaze of violet rippled and flickered against the naked structural metal of the tall entertainment machinery. "Just to be safe," she explained, though she knew its brilliant glow might draw attention to their hiding place. Anja made no move to draw her own antique Jedi weapon.
Suddenly all the garish glowpanels overhead winked out, plunging the enclosed construction area into deep shadows that were alleviated only by the glow of Jaina's weapon and by scores of tiny emergency lights that reminded her of the phosfleas the Wookiees used in their forest cities on Kashyyyk.
"Great," Zekk said. "Now I've got a bad feeling about this, too."
Two doors opened up on either side of the construction area and in the blaze of light from the exterior corridors, Jaina could see burly silhouettes of heavily armed men wearing padded bodysuits. The ominous figures stepped forward.
Lando heaved a sigh of relief. "Ah, those are uniformed Wing Guards," he said. "Man, are we glad to see you!"
Then, in unison, the guards opened fire-directly at them.
"Look out!" Jaina tackled Lando to the ground, while Zekk moved fast enough of his own accord, dropping and rolling under a low girder.
Anja staggered back and fumbled for her lightsaber. Deadly blaster bolts ricocheted and sponged from girders, sending out sparks with every impact.
"Get down," Jaina warned the older girl, deflecting one of the bolts with her weapon.
"Seal the other exits!" one of the traitorous Wing Guards said.
"Hey, you're supposed to be the good guys!" Lando bellowed.
"What are you doing?" More blaster fire cut off further discussion.
"It was a setup," Zekk said through gritted teeth. "We were lured here.
These must be hit men, paid off by Black Sun."
Lando grumbled, "There's something rotten in Cloud City."
They ducked into the shadows, taking shelter behind crates. "At least we've got plenty of places to hide," Jaina said.
"They didn't think very well before they planned this ambush," Anja said, crouching beside her.
Lando shook his head and frowned. "Maybe not, but if they've got the exits covered, we have no place else to go. They can take their time."
They heard the marching of booted feet as more turncoat security forces entered the construction area and barricaded the doors. Jaina wiped perspiration from her hand and gripped her lightsaber more securely, ready for hand-to-hand battle.
"Maybe we could climb up," Zekk suggested, "find some way out the top to a higher level."
Jaina looked up toward the nest of girders and hover-scaffolding, trying to scout out an escape hatch-but she suddenly realized that the thick building frames were moving, as if alive. She saw the flickering shadow of a humanoid shape as something scuttled down, crawling like an insect.
"More of those chameleon creatures!" Jaina said, remembering the murderous henchmen that had attacked them in the docking bay on Ord Mantell. Though foiled in their assassination attempt, the chameleon creatures had stolen the evidence of the space mines that had nearly destroyed the Millennium Falcon. Jaina drew a deep breath as it hit her: even that must have been part of a complicated Black Sun plot.
"Now I know what Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Lowie felt like when the assassinscornered them down in Port Town," Jaina said. "This time we get all the excitement while they attend their little meeting."
"Well," Lando said. "With these traitorous Wing Guards here, I don't believe anything is as it seems. I hope they're safe."
Another volley of blaster bolts erupted, and Lando ducked as sparks flew overhead. The deadly chameleon creatures scrambled closer, surrounding their prey, closing the trap.
"Right now, let's just worry about ourselves,"