Ch. 17 Escape

   Jacen, Tahiri, Zekk, and Lowbacca collapsed onto the floor as a grutchin flew off the ceiling where it had been hiding and pinned them down. Their lightsabers flew out of their hands and rolled uselessly away.

      Lania sneered to Jag, "And now, you will die, Fel." She raised her amphistaff and then stabbed downward, when suddenly, a purple lightsaber blade intercepted the blow and saved Jag's life. Lania looked up and saw Jaina glaring angrily at her. "No, Lania," she said. "Now you die."

   Lania sneered, "Oh, so now the pathetic hero comes to the rescue to save her one true love, huh? Well so be it, Jedi." Lania leaped into the air, landed on a catwalk above, and started releasing thud bugs and razor bugs. Jaina easily flicked them aside with her lightsaber. Lania's thugs rushed forward to attack Jaina. Lania screeched, "No, you idiots! You have to hold back Comet Squadron!!!" But because of her thugs' stupidity, the damage had already been done.

    The members of Comet Squadron kicked, punched, and lunged at the thugs from behind and held them down long enough to reach for the blasters and end the fight. At the realization that Jaina hadn't really joined the enemy and that his squadron was free, Jag felt his charisma and will to survive flood back into him. He lifted himself from the floor with a grin, walked right up to Jaina, and kissed her. "What was that for?" asked Jaina. Jag grinned again replied, "That was for being so darn smart and beautiful." Jaina kissed Jag and replied, "And that was for being you." Then she tossed her lightsaber at the stunned grutchin, killing it and freeing her brother, Lowie, Tahiri, and Zekk. Just then, the Galactic Alliance troops, which had been pinned down by several enemies, rushed into the docking bay.

     Lania screamed and was about to toss more projectiles down at Jaina, when the docking bay suddenly shook violently and the lights deactivated. Now, the only sources of light were the five lightsaber blades. The bombardment's started," gasped Jacen. "We have to reach Ben!"

***

    The Jade Shadow landed, just as the ion cannons and turbolasers of the Chimaera and Errant Venture opened fire on the base. Vix gasped, "Saba…" "This one knows, Vix. This one is sure the others will be alright," whispered Saba. But Vix could sense the uncertainty and fear in her master. Vix's father, Kyle Katarn, put a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Don't worry, Vix. They'll escape. Somehow." he said. Vix tried her best to smile and replied, "Thanks, Dad."

    "Well what are we gonna do about it?" demanded Kyp. "I know," replied Kyle. He motioned Saba to let him sit in the pilot's seat. She did and Kyle typed in a comm number. "If Corran can't get them to stop, I know who can," he said. "Who are you calling, Dad?" asked Vix. Kyle looked over at her and replied, "The Chief of State."

***

    Nom Anor grinned as Dr. Flathern opened his cell door. "Your coralskipper has been prepared," she said. Nom Anor walked out his cell and held out his palm to the doctor. She put a small, organic blade into his outstretched hand and said, "And here is your coufee."

    The doctor had been employed at Maw Installation for almost twenty years, yet somehow, Lania Xarti had been able to convince her to join her plot. She had been ordered to funnel the information of Jaina Solo's forced servitude to Lania to the disgraced former executor, just to remind her that Lania could stretch her influence anywhere when Jaina interviewed Nom Anor earlier. Apparently, Solo's department of the Defense Force had received hints about Lania's plot and she had had to pretend she knew nothing about it and interview Nom Anor here at Maw Installation. Finally, Lania had ordered Dr. Flathern to release him so he could join their plot.

     As Nom Anor gazed silently at the mad doctor, deep in thought, she said, "I have just received word that Lania's base in under attack." She went on to relate the number of Galactic Alliance and P'weck ships present at the battle and said that Nom Anor must come with her. But Nom Anor realized that Lania and her organization were hopeless and within a few seconds, came up with his own strategy.

     He stabbed Flathern with his coufee. She grunted in pain and collapsed dead onto the floor. Nom Anor rushed to the room where she kept her personal files. After reading them, he knew he had a full-proof plan for surivival. A little while later, he entered his coralskipper with a disk containing all of Flathern's files and fled.