Chapter 3
"Don't say I didn't warn you, kid," grumbled Han as the burly Whiphid guards shoved him to his knees before the gleaming marble throne.
"You could have told me it was a problem with an old girlfriend and not an Imperial thing," Luke hissed, sinking to his own knees before his own guards could force him there.
Chewie just rolled his eyes in a gesture that suggested to Luke that he'd been through this before.
The chamber Luke now found himself and his friends in was large enough to contain his entire old house in Anchorhead and more opulent than anything he'd ever seen in his entire life. The walls weren't metal or ferrocrete here – the owner had the luxury of real wood, red-brown with a fine grain and carved with fantastic beasts and mighty warriors and gods from the mythology of many worlds. Instead of glowrods or glowpanels, crystal chandeliers illuminated the chamber, and the floor beneath Luke's knees was not metal or stone, but thick transparisteel through which the waters and sea life of Zeltros' oceans were visible. Before the three adventurers, upon a dais of golden wood carved into a giant sunburst, sat a red marble throne padded with white nexu fur.
It was upon this throne that the source of Han's reluctance to return to Zeltros sat, gazing upon them with the leisurely gaze of a krayt dragon trying to decide which of three young bantha calves it was going to devour first. She had the deep blue skin, glossy black hair, and intense ruby eyes of her kind, the Chiss, and her sleek gown of rich emerald-green satin accentuated her unusual skin tone all the more. Her thick hair fell in a straight curtain down to her hips, a silver fillet keeping it from falling into her eyes. Silver arm bands and rings gleamed in the light provided by the chandeliers, and a pearl the size of an egg hung in a pendant at her throat. The knee-high slit in her dress revealed a jet-black boot encasing her slim leg, a boot from which the barest hint of a vibroblade's hilt could be seen.
"You've got a lot of nerve to come back here, Solo," she said with an arched eyebrow.
"C'mon, Kaliska," Han replied with a smile, obviously trying to lay on as much charm as he could. "No hard feelings..."
She turned toward Luke, and she must have noticed the puzzled look on his face. "Do you know who I am, young man?"
"Can't say that I do," replied Luke.
She smiled. "Honest, this one. It's a rare trait anymore." She bowed her head. "Let me properly introduce myself, then. Kaliska. Head of the Nexu's Claw."
"The what?" repeated Luke.
"This sector's biggest crime syndicate," Han put in. "And about the only one that hasn't been swallowed up by Black Sun."
She nodded at the smuggler. "He's perfectly correct. For once."
"Kaliska, look, I'm sorry things didn't work out between us..." began Han.
"You're always sorry," she replied, leaning back in her throne. "Just like you're sorry that you lost that shipment of Jabba's, or that you got yourself expelled from the Academy, or that your little blunder on Ord Mantell got half the capitol blown up..."
Now that was a story Luke hadn't heard yet – apart from something about "a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell."
"And I'm sure you're extremely sorry you got your little friend here into this entire mess," she went on, gesturing at Luke with a slender hand. "Poor kid, getting captured by a crime lord at this young age..."
"I've been through worse," Luke replied.
"Oh?" She smiled. "You know, your friend here is pretty cute, Han. What's his name?"
"Look, Kaliska, why don't you let us go?" suggested Han. "Let bygones be bygones and all that... we broke up years ago, after all, and the kid has nothing to do with this..."
She offered him a predatory grin. "I don't forget easy, Han. And it's kind of hard to forget when a guy drops you like a shipment of spice around an Imperial convoy and runs off with a Twi'lek strumpet..."
"She was a police officer, and she was arresting me!" Han protested.
"Rather attractive for a police officer," she noted.
"Look," sighed Han, "if you have issues to work out with me, fine, but at least let Luke go..."
"Luke?" She fixed Luke with a surprised stare. "Your name is Luke?"
Han swore under his breath.
"Luke Skywalker," she smiled, her eyes shining. "The Rebel who blew the Death Star to oblivion. You're a lot cuter than the wanted holos show, you know."
Luke sucked in his breath, feeling his guts churn. "Then you're going to turn me in for the reward?"
"Now why would I do that?" she asked. "I have no love for the Empire. Besides, I like you. You have spunk." She motioned to the guards, who immediately hauled the two men to their feet and stripped them of their cuffs. "Let's have a chat, shall we? Someone bring in drinks..."
Luke rubbed his wrists to restore circulation, then gratefully accepted the glass a droid offered him.
"So tell me your story," Kaliska requested. "What brings you to Zeltros? And how did you end up in this scoundrel's company?"
"That last thing's a long story," Luke replied. "Let's just say I owe him my life."
"I'm sorry, kid," she replied, her voice and face sincere but her eyes dancing.
He laughed. "As for the first... we're looking for someone named Kolton Nova."
She nodded. "I know OF him, but I don't know him personally. Old Zabrak man, owns a small pet store on one of the big islands down south. Pays us so much every month in exchange for my big-game hunters keeping an eye out for exotic critters for him to sell. Strange fellow, from what I hear. Never leaves his home, has to have a neighbor do his shopping..."
Luke smiled a little. Obi-wan had been described as an eccentric by the natives of Tatooine. How many Jedi were in hiding and masquerading as "crazy old men?"
"What business does the Rebellion have with a pet store owner?" asked Kaliska.
"The kid thinks the old man's a Jedi," Han replied. "And that Vader's after him."
She arched an eyebrow. "Jedi? I wouldn't be surprised, Nova's crazy enough to be one... but Vader being after him?"
"You know Vader's gone missing, right?" asked Luke.
She nodded. "A relief, if you ask me..."
"The Rebel Alliance wants to ensure that, wherever he is, he's no threat to us. So we've been sent to locate him and see what he's up to."
"Well, he's not here, I can tell you that much," she replied.
"He's not?" asked Luke. "Are you sure?"
"Sweetheart, my information network is the best in the sector, except maybe the Bothan Spynet," she replied. "If he came to Zeltros, I'd know. Trust me."
Luke and Han exchanged a grim look. Had they come here for nothing? Had they pursued the wrong Kolton Nova? Or had they somehow managed to beat the Dark Lord here... and could expect him soon?
"Let's see this Nova guy," Han said at last. "He might know a little more of what's going on."
Kaliska gestured for them to leave. "Go then. Don't want the old man hurt. Besides, I'm always eager to see someone pull the Empire down a peg, even if it's a loser and a hotshot kid."
"Thank you, ma'am," Luke told her gratefully, bowing.
"You were always a sucker for a cute face," Han grinned.
Kaliska's ruby eyes narrowed. "Watch it, pirate. Don't make me keep you behind for my guards to practice their martial arts on. Which, by the way, I'll let them do if I catch your face in this sector again."
"And you have a good day too," Han muttered.
Break...
"So when were you planning on telling me you had an old girlfriend on Zeltros?"
"Look, we broke up years ago," Han shot back. "Not something I like to talk about. It was kind of messy."
"I'll bet dating a crime lord is messy."
"She wasn't a crime lord at the time."
Zeltros' continents mostly consisted of rocky desert, but the islands were pleasant and tropical, so most of the population – and all the tourists – kept to the many archipelagos that peppered the seas. And even those that braved the mainland, such as Kaliska, stayed close to the shore. Luke could understand that – the sight of all that water was amazing, almost overpowering.
At the moment Han, Luke, and Chewie were walking down a side street in a small island town, supposedly where the elusive Kolton Nova they were seeking resided. For the most part their presence was ignored – the locals had more important things to do than gawk at tourists. Children giggled and roughhoused in the streets, and a gang of teenagers engaged in an impromptu smashball game in a vacant lot. An old run-down street-cleaning droid whirred by, coughing out clouds of oily smoke as it trundled past. Seabirds squealed and circled overhead, and from the nearby coast the buzz of a luxury waterspeeder could be heard.
"This is the address," Han muttered, pointing to a small ferrocrete building in bad need of a new paint job. The name of the establishment – Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tails – was declared in fading green paint over the doorway; otherwise there was nothing to indicate this place was anything special.
Luke frowned. Strange. Something about this building set off an alarm in him...
The door opened, and a figure in a stained gray jumpsuit stepped outside to regard them. Looking to be around sixty years old, he had a bald scalp ringed with short hooked horns and piercing gold eyes. A fine pattern of tattoos decorated his face, starting at his temples and curving across his cheekbones. He walked with a definite limp, leaning on a cane for support, but otherwise he appeared to be in excellent health for his age. And when he saw the two Rebels standing outside his shop, he gave a wide grin.
"Come in, come in!" he urged. "Don't get many customers this time of the year..."
Han stepped forward at once. Luke hung back, still unsure. Kolton himself didn't seem to wish them harm, but something about his shop still made him uncomfortable. Could this be a trap...
Chewie turned and barked inquiringly at Luke.
"Coming," he said at last, keeping his hand near his pocket just in case. If Kolton proved to be a danger, at least he would have his lightsaber...
They entered a large room that smelled strongly of animal, and barks, squawks, hisses, and shrieks assaulted his ears from all sides. Cages and tanks lined the walls, exhibiting a variety of creatures from all corners of the galaxy. Some of them Luke recognized – though he wondered why in the galaxy anyone would want a baby womp rat or a Yavin stinger lizard for a pet – but others he couldn't have identified to save his life.
"What can I get you gentlemen today?" asked Kolton. "One of you shopping for a girlfriend? Or you looking for a guard animal of some sort? I have massif pups, just in from Geonosis. If you start young and train them well, you can't ask for a better companion..."
Han wasted no time getting to the point. "We're looking for Kolton Nova."
"You're looking at him. Something I can help you with?"
Luke stared into a large saltwater tank, where two colorful reptiles were circling idly. "What are these?"
"Common sea lizards, native to these parts," Kolton replied. "Great dancers, thrive best in large aquariums. Fifty credits for the pair – they don't do well separately..."
"Actually, I didn't come for a pet," Luke replied, tearing his gaze away from the tank. "I came to talk to you. My name is Luke Skywalker, and I..."
Kolton cut him off with a raised hand. "Maybe it's best if we talk in the back, son."
The shop owner moved to a floor-to-ceiling cage containing several large birds with blue, green, and violet feathers, opened the door, and stepped inside. Once there, he slid a feeder to the side and pressed a button, and a hidden door slid aside to admit him. Luke and Han grinned at Kolton's inventiveness as they ducked inside the cage, careful not to let the birds escape, and followed him in, Chewie close behind.
The minute Luke entered the room, he felt his stomach drop. There were more animals in here, uncaged this time, as well as strange machinery and queer artifacts of all kinds. That wasn't what disturbed him, however – what disturbed him was that the Force was nonexistent in this room. He should have been able to feel Han and Chewie's presence, not to mention Kolton's, but their Force signatures didn't seem to exist. This room was a void in the fabric of the Force, a hidden pocket.
He backed toward the door, but it was already shut and locked.
"Relax, boy," Kolton laughed. "I'm not about to hurt the son of a fellow Jedi."
His jaw dropped. "You knew my father?"
"Not personally, no. But what Jedi didn't know about Anakin Skywalker?"
Stunned, Luke sank into a chair. Kolton, noting his shock, turned to a nearby cooking reactor and poured a cup of caf, handing it to the young Jedi. Luke accepted it and sipped, still slightly dazed by what Kolton had said.
"So you're the Jedi Vader's after," Han noted, seating himself at a table where a device consisting mainly of an energy pack and an oversized satellite dish rested.
"Vader's after me?" inquired Kolton as easily as one might ask about today's weather forecast. "That's news." He poured a second cup for Han, then turned to the Wookie. "Anything for you?"
Chewie shook his head.
"All right then." He nodded at the device Han was sitting by. "You like? Anti-Jedi factions have been working on that for years. By the time they finally perfected it, though, Order 66 had been issued and the need for it became moot. That's the only working prototype that still exists."
"Don't tell me – it keeps Jedi from using the Force," Luke guessed.
"Sort of," Kolton replied. "What it does is creates a field of energy that distorts other energy fields and emissions – the Force, shields, communication lines, even blaster bolts to a slight extent. You could use the Force with that thing activated; it just wouldn't do exactly what you told it to do. You'd likely hurt yourself as well instead of an enemy."
"How far does its range extend?" asked Luke, curiosity overcoming his alarm for a minute.
"Not far, just a block or so," Kolton replied. He gestured around the room. "I've collected a lot of things over the years that block or nullify the Force. Not that I like cutting myself off from it, mind... but the more I can safeguard myself from Vader until he's put out of power, the better."
"He's gone missing," Han replied. "Vanished while looking for you, I guess."
"I find that hard to believe," Kolton said doubtfully. "Vader's a tough one to kill."
Luke found his gaze attracted to a small potted tree next to his chair. "This plant repels the Force?"
"No, son, look in the branches," Kolton replied. "Ysalamiri, a breeding pair. Those are the things that can repel the Force. They're friendly, you can pet them."
Luke spotted one of the creatures, a beast resembling a furred lizard that nuzzled his hand gratefully when he reached out to stroke it. "Master Nova, you said you knew my father."
"I only met him face-to-face once or twice," Kolton corrected. "But he was a legend. And I saw his handiwork at the Battle of Geonosis. Great fighter."
"What can you tell me about him?"
"Kid, this isn't going to get us closer to finding Vader," Han told him.
Kolton ignored Han. "A little headstrong, but a great pilot and warrior. Had a big heart, too. Loved kids." He cocked his head at Luke. "You look a lot like him, you know."
Luke smiled at that... but the smile quickly faded. "Vader killed him. Obi-wan told me that Vader betrayed and murdered him."
That caught Kolton off guard. "Obi-wan lives?"
"He did... but Vader killed him almost three years ago. He taught me about the Force... but I never finished my training."
Kolton shook his head sadly. "I wish I could train you, son, but it's too dangerous. If you want my advice, wait until Vader and the Emperor are put out of power. Then it'll be safe."
An idea struck Luke. "Master Nova, why don't you come back to the Alliance with us? You'd be safe there. And the Alliance can use what you know about the Force – and how to deflect it – to fight Vader and the Emperor..."
He shook his head again, this time as a negative gesture. "You two have a mission to complete. Having me along will just jeopardize things. But I would be obliged if you let the Alliance know I"m willing to help them. They can send for me later, when you're not on a sensitive assignment."
Luke nodded. "I'll tell them."
"Now for Vader," Kolton went on. "I have no idea where he could be, so I can't help you there. What I can do, however, is send you with a little help." He walked over to a countertop and picked up a small cage containing three pale-skinned lizards, each no longer than a man's hand and staring out at the world with wide, bright green eyes.
"Lizards are supposed to help us?" asked Han skeptically.
"These will," Kolton replied, grinning. "Jabesh rock lizards. They act like black holes – if someone Force-sensitive is around, they'll draw off his Force powers and absorb them. Later, if they're attacked by a predator, they'll blast the accumulated Force energy at their attacker to confuse and frighten them off."
Luke took the cage from Kolton. "What am I supposed to do with these?"
"Keep them with you," he replied. "Yes, they WILL take some of the edge off of your Force use, so you'll have to work harder to draw on it. But they'll also serve to dampen your presence in the Force, so Vader won't be able to tell you're coming by Force signature alone. What they WON'T do is grant you immunity from his own powers, so be careful."
Luke stared into the cage, and three pairs of green eyes regarded him curiously. "Where do you get all these creatures, anyhow?"
"Most come from my contacts in the Nexu's Claw," he admitted. "But the rock lizards I collected personally from Jabesh..."
That caught his attention. "You've been to Jabesh?"
"A few months ago, yes. Took the ysalamiri with me for protection. Why do you ask?"
Despite the presence of so many Force-nullifying creatures and objects in the room, Luke couldn't help but have a strong suspicion... "He's on Jabesh!"
"How can you be sure, Luke..." Han began.
"He must have found out Kolton Nova went to Jabesh! He went there trying to find him or some clue that he was there, but instead he got stranded there!" The more he talked, the more certain he felt.
"And if he happened to be somewhere where there were a lot of those lizards..." Han realized.
"The more lizards there are in the vicinity, the harder it is for a Force-user to use the Force," Kolton added. "A large enough population of them, and even Vader would be helpless."
A loud crash forced all their gazes to the door. The animals in the shop were in an uproar, their cries almost drowning out the tinny voices that could only be stormtroopers...
We led them right to him, Luke realized. We led the Empire right to Kolton Nova...
"Get out," ordered Kolton calmly. "Take the back door. Stick to the alleys until you're sure you're not being followed, then fly to Jabesh as fast as you can. I'll keep them distracted."
"Master Nova..." began Luke.
"Don't worry about me," Kolton replied, no trace of fear on his features. "You're more valuable than I am, Luke Skywalker. Get back to the Alliance. They need you." He pulled a lightsaber from a pocket of his jumpsuit and activated it, an emerald green blade hissing forth. "May the Force be with you."
"I'm not leaving..."
"Luke!" shouted Han. "You're no good to the Rebellion dead!"
Reluctantly Luke abandoned Kolton and ran for the back door. They'd barely shut the door before they heard an explosion, the hiss of an energy blade... and blaster fire.
Luke, Han, and Chewie had no time to mourn Kolton Nova's death. They wound through the empty streets, toward the Falcon... and Jabesh.