Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 14_ Crisis at Crystal Reef - Kevin J. Anderson [7]
They all agreed, and the Jedi Master left them alone to discuss the details.
"At least we've got the Rock Dragon," Jaina said. "She's a good fast ship."
"But how do we find her? We can hardly go running from system to system with a large holograph asking,"Have you seen this girl?"
Jacen pointed out.
Lowie gave a long grumble. "Master Lowbacca suggests that perhaps we could consult with some of the guardian forces stationed in orbit around this moon."
"They might have tracked the Lightning Rod's initial vector," Jaina agreed.
Zekk shrugged. "I'll take any lead we can get."
Within five minutes the companions all stood in the comm center.
On half of the screen, a weary-eyed officer who was obviously off-duty rubbed a hand over his eyes. The other half of the screen displayed a starmap.
"I'm sorry," the shift officer said, "we tried to scan the ship's navicomputer before it went into hyperspace, but the most we were able to determine was that the Lightning Rod was heading for one of the systems in this sector. It still covers hundreds of planets, though."
Glowing white lines appeared around a segment of space in the starmap.
"I've got a team on it."
"Hey, thanks," Jacen said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "You've been a big help." The portion of the screen that held the officer's face went blank, leaving only the starmap.
Tenel Ka's cool gray eyes narrowed suddenly, as if something important had just occurred to her. "Jacen, my friend, what joke did Anja attempt to make yesterday when you sensed she was going through withdrawal?"
He shrugged. "I can't remember her exact words. Something about Kessel, but I don't see what that has to do-oh! " Jaina said, "Under stress, it's not unusual for people to joke about what's really on their minds."
"Zekk also mentioned the spice mines," Tenel Ka pointed out.
"Perhaps because of Anja's addiction, or because of her joke."
A slow grin spread across Zekk's face. He pointed toward the starmap still covering half the screen. "And Kessel just happens to be right in the middle of that sector."
After years of running the spice mines of Kessel, Chief Administrator Nien Nunb finally thought that the place felt like the warrens of home.
The dim winding tunnels with their cool rock walls seemed much like the crowded burrows that honeycombed the crust of Sullust, where mousy-faced, large-eyed Sullustan families preferred to live together.
Nien Nunb often went back home to visit his family, whenever he could spare himself here.
The spice mines had once been a feared place, an Imperial prison planet and work camp. But over a decade ago Lando Calrissian had purchased the mines, setting up his friend and copilot Nien Nunb as their administrator. Together, they had turned the once-dreaded mines into a productive industrial facility that held few of the grim connotations that Kessel formerly had. They'd found a way to turn it into a true credit-making enterprise.
By choosing alien species who were comfortable underground, who preferred living in tunnels and in darkness, Nien Nunb had made the place an efficient working environment. Spice production had increased greatly in the past ten years. Nien Nunb and his old friend Lando liked to joke that the mines were one of Calrissian's few ventures that actually turned a profit, although the initial investment for extensive revamping and new equipment had cost an emperor's ransom.
In his younger years, Nien Nunb had led a life of adventure, tagging along with Lando on smuggling runs, breaking through Imperial blockades and delivering much-needed supplies to restricted planets. In the Millennium Falcon, borrowed from Han Solo, Nien Nunb had served as copilot when Lando made his desperate run to destroy the second Death Star. Nervous by nature, Nien Nunb had been certain they would die in the attempt... but somehow the Falcon had survived, and Lando had gone on to