Dark Nest_ The Joiner King Part 6

"Will this one like it?"

The Duros nodded. "Everyone likes membrosia."

"Then I'll have the same," Luke said, pa.s.sing his mug over.

The Duros studied Luke's face for a moment, clearly struggling to place it in some context other than a pair of well-worn flight utilities.

"I'm just a pilot," Luke said, reinforcing the Force illusion he was using to disguise himself. "A thirsty pilot."

"Sure."

The Duros turned to the nearest dispenser and filled both mugs with a thick amber liquid, then returned the cups. Luke pulled a ten-credit voucher from his pocket, but the Duros waved it off.

"n.o.body pays here."

"n.o.body payz?" Saba echoed. "This one doesn't believe you."

A hint of indignation permeated the Force, then the Duros shrugged and looked back to the Verpine musicians.

Saba studied him for a moment, then glanced at Luke. "This one is tired. She will find a seat."

She took a sip from her mug, then started to work her way deeper into the cantina. The Duros looked as though he wished Luke would join her, but Luke remained where he was, pouring camaraderie and goodwill into the Force. The Duros' aloofness did not melt until Saba raised a storm of angry jabbering by taking an empty seat in front of an Ewok.

"This should be interesting." The Duros grinned. "That little Ewok has a death mark in ten systems."

"You don't say." Luke took a sip of membrosia. It was sweet and thick and potent, warming him from his toes to his ear tips. He allowed himself a moment to savor the sense of well-being that came with the intoxicating heat, then asked the Duros, "Have you been here long?"

"Too long," the Duros said. "Turns out Lizil doesn't use processing chips, and now I can't get a cargo out."

"Is that a common problem?"

"Common, but not a problem." The Duros waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the membrosia dispensers. "Everything's free, and you can stay as long as you want."

"Very generous," Luke said. "What's the catch?"

"Isn't one," the Duros said. "Except you get used to it, and then you don't want to leave."

"That sounds like a catch to me," Luke said.

"Depends on how you look at it," the Duros admitted. "Especially if you have obligations at home."

"Why don't you just take your chips back to the known galaxy?" Luke asked. "With so many manufacturing worlds destroyed by the war, the Galactic Alliance is desperate for processing chips."

"Too dangerous." The Duros c.o.c.ked his big head toward Luke. "You wouldn't want some kriffing bounty hunter to catch you with these particular chips."

"Ah," Luke said. Lando and Tendra had put up a million-credit reward for a load of specialized processing chips that had been hijacked on its way to Tendrando Arms' new rehab-droid factory. "That makes sense."

"Void-breathing right it does," the Duros said. "Already had five Jedi come through on my tail. That's when I decided to dump the load."

Luke tried not to wince at the loss of the vital chips. "You're sure the Jedi were looking for you?"

"Who else would they be looking for?" The Duros shook his head, then said, "I knew Calrissian had pull with the Jedi, but who'd have guessed it was that strong?"

"Not me," Luke answered. He stepped closer to the Duros and lowered his voice. "Were they fairly young? A couple of humans with a Barabel and a Wookiee?"

"And a Twi'lek." The Duros' voice grew suspicious, and he began to ease away from Luke. "How'd you know?"

"I've got a little problem of my own with them," Luke said. "And I don't want to find them waiting at my next stop. Know where they went?"

The Duros watched the Verpine band for a moment, no doubt trying to find a way to work an angle for himself. Luke poured a little more goodwill into the Force, and finally the Duros shook his head.

"Sorry," he said. "You'd need to ask Lizil."

Before Luke could ask how to find Lizil, he realized someone new was coming up behind him. The person seemed both to have her own presence in the Force and to be a part of the larger, diffuse essence that permeated the entire asteroid colony. He turned to find a striking Falleen female approaching, her scaly skin almost as green as a male's.

She acknowledged Luke with a polite nod, then stopped before the Duros.

"Tarnis, we have a cargo for you," she said.

The Duros took a sip of membrosia and tried to appear calm. "To where? "

"The Horoh nest," the Falleen answered. "You'll be given a load to take home, of course."

Tarnis's eyes grew round-at least by Duros standards. "Done."

When the Duros did not instantly start for the exit, the Falleen said, "It requires immediate departure. Lizil is already loading the Starsong."

"No problem." Tarnis placed his mug on the floor. "I'll just gather my crew-"

"We're gathering them now." The Falleen started toward the exit.

"They'll meet you in the hangar."

"Right behind you," Tarnis said. He started after the Falleen, shaking his head in amazement. "Finally!"

Seeing that he had been forgotten in the excitement, Luke used the Force to slow the Duros down, then cleared his throat.

"Oh, yeah." Tarnis took the Falleen's arm and gestured toward Luke.

"This fellow wants to talk. I can find my own way to the hangar."

The Falleen barely slowed. "We're very busy." She glanced over her shoulder, but avoided Luke's eyes. "Enjoy the hospitality of the nest."

When Luke reached out to probe her feelings, he experienced a deep sense of worry. Her scales rippled in alarm; then an enormous, murky presence rose inside her mind and pushed him out so forcibly that he stumbled into a membrosia dispenser.

As Tarnis and the Falleen walked out the exit, Mara peered around the corner, checking to be certain the surprise she had felt was nothing to be alarmed about. Luke smiled and turned around to display the new membrosia stain on the back of his utilities, then watched intently as Tarnis and the Falleen disappeared down the corridor.

Once the pair were far enough ahead that she would not be noticed following, Mara took Ben's hand and started down the corridor, talking as though they were just a mother and son returning to their vessel.

Luke worked his way to the cantina center and sat on a bench next to a pair of Is.h.i.+ Tib. He remained quiet for a few moments, pretending to listen to the music but actually reaching out in the Force to search for eavesdropping devices. He was not quite certain what had happened over at the membrosia dispensers, but he felt certain that the Falleen's arrival had been no coincidence. Lizil-whoever that was-had not wanted Tarnis to talk about Jaina and the others.

After a few minutes, Luke finally felt confident that he could ask his questions in peace. He began to pour out feelings of comradery and goodwill, and it wasn't long before the nearest Is.h.i.+ Tib turned toward him.

"My name is Zelara." She pointed at her companion, who swiveled her eyestalks around and gently clacked her beak. "This is Lyari. She likes you."

Luke smiled back. "Thank you."

Zelara batted the lids of her yellow eyes. "I like you."

"That's very nice." He eased off the good feelings, then said, "Actually, I'm looking for some friends-"

"We'll be your friends," Lyari said. She came around to Luke's other side, then slipped her stubby hand through the crook of his arm.

Her breath smelled heavily of membrosia. "I've never felt this way about a human before."

"Me, either." Zelara took Luke's other arm. "But this one is cute, even with the recessed eyes."

"Ladies, that's just the membrosia talking." Luke sensed Mara already returning to the cantina. She did not feel angry or frightened, but she was frustrated; she had lost the Duros and his escort. "I'm looking for a group of young travelers who came through here. There would've been at least two humans, a Twi'lek, a Barabel-"

"And a Wookiee?" Lyari asked.

"Then you've seen them," Luke said.

Lyari opened her beak in a sort of smile. "Maybe."

"Maybe not," Zelara added. She began to tug at the chest closures on Luke's utilities. "Let us have a look inside, and we'll tell you."

Luke caught her hand. "It probably wouldn't be a good idea for us to-"

"Come on, bright boy." Lyari reached for closures a little farther down. "Give us a chance."

"No." Luke put enough Force behind the word to prevent Lyari from ripping open his utilities. "That would never work."

"Why not?" Zelara demanded.

"Because I have lips and you have beaks, for starters."

Zelara spread her eyestalks. "You'd be surprised what a girl can do with her beak."

"Let me show you," Lyari said. She caught Luke's nose in her beak and gave it a tug.

"Ouch!" Luke reached up and freed his nose. Other people were starting to look in their direction, and that was exactly what he didn't want. "Please, ladies. Just tell me what you know about my friends."

Zelara ripped his chest closures open, revealing Luke's unders.h.i.+rt.

"First you show, then-"

Mara's astonishment hit Luke like a Force hammer, and he failed to hear the rest of Zelara's comment. He turned toward the exit and saw Mara swinging her hand down to cover their son's eyes.

"Who's that?" Lyari asked, following his gaze.

"My wife."

"Wife?" the Is.h.i.+ Tib repeated in unison. They jumped to their feet, Zelara crying, "You didn't tell us you were mated!"

"And he's got a fry, too!" Lyari exclaimed.

The outburst caused the Verpine musicians to fumble over a string of notes, and several annoyed patrons turned to suggest that Luke and the Is.h.i.+ Tib take their personal lives to a quiet corner.

Mara rolled her eyes, then shook her head and dragged a very reluctant Ben around the corner.

Luke sent her a feeling of rea.s.surance, trying to make sure she knew there was a good explanation. He received an impression of amused doubtfulness in reply, then he heard Saba sissing from across the room and realized he might never live this one down. He shook his head in disgust, then closed his utilities and looked up at the Is.h.i.+ Tib.

"Will you please sit?"

Zelara put a hand on her hip. "I don't think so."

"You just forget about us, you double-sp.a.w.ner." Lyari shooed him toward the exit. "You'd better go catch your mate and that little fry."

"As soon as you answer me." Luke grabbed both Is.h.i.+ Tib by their wrists and pulled them down. "When did you see my friends? The Wookiee and the Barabel and the others?"

"When they were here," Zelara answered coolly.

"Which was?" Luke put the Force behind his question, pressuring her to answer.

"I don't know." Zelara turned to Lyari. "When was that?"

"Who can remember? They only stayed a day."

Luke started to pressure Lyari to think back, then realized that someone else was approaching. As with the Falleen who had led Tarnis away, the newcomer appeared to have a double presence in the Force, except that the individual essence felt much more menacing and powerful than had the Falleen's. Luke turned and, when he saw a blocky shadow with red eyes and white fangs approaching, nearly reached for his lightsaber.

The Defel watched Luke's hand until it dropped back to his side, then turned to the Is.h.i.+ Tib. "The nest has secured a barrel of fresh Tibrin salts," he rasped. "We are preparing an immersion tank now."

"For us?" Zelara gasped.

"Where?" Lyari demanded.

The Defel offered a shadow-furred arm to each of them. "We'll escort you."

"First, answer my question," Luke said, putting the weight of the Force behind his command.

Lyari started to stop and look back, but the Defel pulled her forward.

"Come, ladies." His eyes flared red. "The immersion tank is growing cool."

The same murky presence Luke had felt before rose against him. It was not a Force attack, merely an enormous exertion of will. Had he wanted to, Luke could have found another way to maintain his hold, but that would have meant drawing even more of the mysterious ent.i.ty's attention to himself than he already had.

Besides, Saba was on her way over, a furry little Ewok at her side.