The Lost Ones

15

Jaina spread her hands in confusion as Peckhum began to describe some of the places where Zekk might have gone. They could spend months combing the underworld of Coruscant, even years, and still never find the dark-haired boy—especially if Zekk didn’t want to be found.

“Hang on a second,” she interrupted. “Aren’t you going to be with us during the search?”

Peckhum shook his head. “New emergency schedule, thanks to that Imperial attack on the Adamant. I have to go right back up to the mirror station tomorrow. Thing is, I’m not sure how to keep the systems running without some major repairs. Now even my comm units are down. Fat lot of good I’d be if Coruscant Central calls a red alert. I sure wish I’d gotten that replacement multitasking unit Zekk promised.”

Jaina felt a wash of indignant defensiveness on the young man’s behalf. “You know Zekk would’ve brought it to you if he could.”

Peckhum looked back at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “I won’t argue with that,” he said, “but I can’t keep my mirror station running unless something gets fixed—pronto.”

Lowie spoke through Em Teedee as the three other companions sat restlessly in the open area of Han and Leia’s living quarters. “Oh, indeed,” the miniature translating droid said. “That’s a fine idea.” Em Teedee’s tinny voice caused the other young Jedi Knights to sit up straighter and look at Lowie. “Why, it doesn’t even sound very dangerous.”

“What doesn’t?” Jaina asked.

“Master Lowbacca suggests that perhaps he and you, Mistress Jaina, along with his uncle Chewbacca—if we can convince him—might accompany Master Peckhum up to his mirror station to see if we can effect temporary repairs.”

“That’s a kind offer,” Peckhum said, “but I don’t see how much you could do without a new central multitasking unit.”

Jacen snorted. “I can’t remember the last time Jaina wasn’t able to whip up some kind of solution. She could probably fix the whole place using nothing but her imagination.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jaina growled at her brother. Then, knowing what Zekk would have done, she sighed in resignation and smiled at Peckhum. “He’s right, you know. I’m sure we can repair enough subsystems to keep you going until we find Zekk. So what are we waiting for?”

“But why should you want to do that?” Peckhum asked.

“You need the help, don’t you?” Jaina asked, momentarily confused. She didn’t want to admit that Zekk was the real reason she was doing this. “Besides,” she rushed on, “we’ve been having trouble mapping debris paths in certain areas. Maybe we’ll get a better perspective from orbit. Meanwhile, Jacen, Tenel Ka, Anakin, and Threepio can keep searching for Zekk down here in the places you suggest.”

“All right,” Peckhum said. “You’ve got me convinced, but will your parents agree to it?”

Lowie growled a comment. “Master Lowbacca is confident that he can use his powers of persuasion to convince his uncle Chewbacca to accompany us into orbit,” Em Teedee said.

Jaina’s eyes lit with confident enthusiasm. “If you can do that, Lowie, just leave my parents to me.”

Jacen half-closed his eyes, reached out with the Force, and listened for any sign of Zekk in the deserted building. But he heard only the hollow echo of their footsteps as he and Tenel Ka walked through the gloomy corridor.

He clicked on his comlink. “Hey Anakin—it’s Jacen.”

“Go ahead,” his younger brother answered, transmitting from another building.

“Heading into section seven on the map. Nothing to report so far.”

“Okay,” Anakin said. In the background, Jacen heard Threepio say in a dismayed voice, “I certainly hope we can locate Master Zekk soon. I’m sure I would much rather be at home than inspecting such … unsavory places!”

“I hope we find him soon, too,” Jacen said, then clicked off and followed Tenel Ka down the empty hall on the seventy-ninth level of the crumbling building.

The floor was littered with old cartons, canisters, bits of plasteel, and other items too broken-down to be scavenged. Some dry leaves were scattered about as well—though how leaves had come to be in this building, nearly a kilometer below the upper greenhouse levels, Jacen had no idea.

A thin, icy breeze whistled through a crack in the wall, skittering the dead leaves across the floor. The breeze did nothing to dispel the odors of mildew and decay that hung around the old structure, but it did send a chill of apprehension up Jacen’s spine. He let his eyes fall half closed again in concentration as he walked slowly along.

Suddenly, something light and warm touched his arm. Jacen’s eyes flew open. Tenel Ka’s hand rested on the sleeve of his jumpsuit. “I thought you might stumble,” she said, pointing at a small pile of rubble ahead of them, where part of the ceiling had given way. In these old buildings, nothing was repaired unless someone planned to use the space. Floors and ceilings were no exception. If she hadn’t stopped him, Jacen would have fallen on his face.

“Thanks,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Nice to know you really care.”

Tenel Ka blinked once. She stood still beside him, not rising to the bait—or perhaps not noticing it. “It is simpler to prevent an accident than to carry an injured companion.”

That wasn’t the response Jacen had been hoping for. “Well, hey, I’m glad you didn’t have to strain any muscles,” he said, kicking at the rocky debris with the toe of one boot and sending a cloud of dust into the air.

“It is not a question of strain.” Tenel Ka coughed, but her voice remained detached and gruff. “I could lift you easily, should the need arise.” She stepped around the rubble. “But I saw no need.”

Jacen followed her, wondering why he always managed to make an idiot of himself in front of the calmly competent Tenel Ka. He grimaced. At least if he had twisted an ankle, he might have had the compensating pleasure of Tenel Ka’s arm around him to help him out….

Jacen shoved the surprising mental image aside, realizing that Tenel Ka would probably be aghast if she knew the turn his thoughts had taken. Besides, the only thing he should be thinking about right now was finding Zekk.

Using a map on their datapad, they tried to be methodical in their search, concentrating on buildings where old Peckhum said Zekk most often did his scavenging. Walking from one end of the building to another, each of them would reach out with Jedi senses, trying to find their friend, looking for any sign that he had been there.

Once they were convinced Zekk was not close, Jacen and Tenel Ka would take the stairs, a turbolift, or a chute-slide a few floors down, and begin a search of the next level. If they again found no trace of Zekk, they would move to the next likely location, using the aerial catwalks that bridged the gaps between buildings. Many of these walkways had not been repaired for hundreds of years, and they creaked as the two young Jedi crossed them.

Anakin and Threepio were doing the same in other buildings. Jacen’s younger brother was absolutely delighted to have a break from the golden droid’s daily tutoring.

As the day wore on, Jacen grew tired. The longer they spent in the murky lower reaches, the more uncomfortable he grew. A sense of urgency stabbed like a needle at the back of his mind. Zekk had been missing for days, and they had to find him—soon. Before long, it would be too late for the dark-haired boy. He wasn’t really sure why, but he knew that it was true.

They searched dozens of buildings and crossed as many walkways, but found no clues. The deeper they descended, though, the more signs of life they found. Low life.

Creatures scuttled past them to hide in every shadowy corner. When corridors were too narrow for them to walk side by side, the two young Jedi took turns leading. Jacen watched Tenel Ka in the light of her glowrod as she headed down another cramped stairwell into the inky darkness. Her reddish-gold braids bounced slightly as she made her quiet descent.

At one point Tenel Ka faltered, then regained her footing and continued her smooth pace. “Broken stair,” she said, turning to point out the rough area. “Be careful.”

Just then a dark fluttering shape rose up behind Tenel Ka with a keening shriek. Instinctively, she whirled and lashed out at the thing, dropping her glowrod in the process—but the more Tenel Ka batted at the creature, the more frantically it shrieked and flapped about her head.

As soon as Jacen understood what was happening, he reacted. “Hold still!” he said, moving toward the squealing creature, which had managed to tangle itself in Tenel Ka’s long braids. “It’s probably scared of the light.”

Tenel Ka instantly held still, though he knew it must have gone against her instincts. Jacen’s thoughts reached out toward the struggling creature, sending soothing messages to it. Gradually, the winged rodent grew calmer and allowed Jacen to touch it. Careful not to make any startling movements, he gently disentangled its claws from Tenel Ka’s hair. Then, still crooning reassurances to the agitated beast, he set it behind himself in the stairwell and backed away.

He picked up the fallen glowrod and returned it to Tenel Ka. “Hey, are you all right?” She nodded curtly, and Jacen suspected that she was embarrassed at having been unable to handle a small flying rodent without his assistance.

As they resumed their search, he tried to get her mind off the incident. “So, do you know why the bantha crossed the Dune Sea?”

“No,” she said.

“To get to the other side!” He laughed out loud.

“Ah,” Tenel Ka said, without even stopping to look at him. “Aha.”

He had expected her to be more subdued after the encounter with the winged rodent, but she continued at her usual pace. Jacen began to wonder if anything could penetrate her cool confidence. Though part of him admired her fortitude, another part wished that she had been more impressed by the way he’d gallantly come to her rescue.

At the next walkway, it was Jacen’s turn to go first. The rickety bridgework was littered with the usual debris of rocks and plasteel. It creaked when he stepped out onto it, high above the ground.

“Be careful,” Tenel Ka said from behind him—completely unnecessarily, as far as he was concerned.

“I think we’re getting close to that old crashed shuttle,” he said, choosing to ignore her remark. “I’m pretty sure it’s just on the other—”

The walkway shuddered beneath him, and his heart gave a lurch as metal support struts sheared away with a shrieking noise. He grabbed the rusty rail.

“Hold still!” Tenel Ka called, but it was too late.

With a sound of popping bolts and twisting plasteel, the walkway sagged downward, split in the middle. As if in slow motion, Jacen watched large chunks fall away as the bridge floor beneath his feet tilted at a crazy angle.

A whizzing sounded in his ears, followed by a soft clank. He felt himself slide toward the deadly gap and he grasped the railing, but the corroded metal broke away in his hand. He yelled for help, reaching back for anything to hold on to—and felt a strong arm wrap around his waist, then found himself being swept forward. Almost before he realized what had happened, Tenel Ka had swung both of them across the chasm on her fibercord rope and deposited them onto a sturdy metal stairway on the opposite side.

With a creaking groan of protest, the remainder of the bridge gave way behind them and fell in ominous, eerie silence into the deep blackness below.

It wasn’t until Tenel Ka released him that Jacen realized they had been clinging together for dear life. After what they had just been through, the metal stairway where Tenel Ka had anchored her rope seemed none too safe to Jacen. Nevertheless, the two young Jedi Knights stood in silence for a moment longer, staring down into the bottomless gap between the buildings.

“I guess we make a good team—always rescuing each other,” Jacen said at last. “Thanks.” Without waiting for an answer, he turned and climbed down a few steps to a building entrance. Once inside, he sank to the floor in relief, reveling in its comparative solidity.

Tenel Ka lowered herself shakily beside him. In the dim light, her face looked troubled and serious. “I was afraid I might lose a friend.”

You almost did, thought Jacen ruefully. But instead he said, “Hey, I’m not that easy to get rid of.”

Although she did not smile, Tenel Ka’s mood lightened. “This is a fact.”

They came upon the crashed shuttle less than ten minutes after they resumed their search. When they saw it, they both spoke at once.

“Zekk’s been here,” Jacen said.

“Something is wrong,” Tenel Ka said. Hearing her, Jacen realized that something was indeed wrong. Tenel Ka noticed his hesitation, and stepped forward. “It is my turn to go first. You may wait here, if you prefer.”

“Not on your life,” he shot back. “After all, I’ve got to stay close to you—just in case you need me to rescue you again.”

“Ah,” she said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Aha.” She entered the shuttle, and Jacen heard her say, “It is all right. No one here.”

Following her inside, Jacen saw that while the shuttle was unoccupied, someone had been there recently, picking out the remaining salvageable items. Tangles of wire and cable snaked across the dusty deck plates. Stripped bolts and broken fasteners lay strewn about. Several access panels gaped open, showing empty spaces that had once housed the shuttle’s vital equipment.

“Looks like Zekk may have been scavenging here after all,” Jacen said. “That’s a good sign.”

“Perhaps,” Tenel Ka said, lifting a finger to trace the frighteningly familiar symbol that was etched with crude strokes into one of the access panels. “Or perhaps not.”

Jacen looked at the fresh scratches that formed a triangle surrounding a cross—the threatening symbol of the Lost Ones gang. Jacen swallowed hard.

“Well,” he said, “I guess we know where to look next.”