Star Wars - 214 - Jedi Prince 05 - Queen of the Empire (3 page)

Ken had made quite a few discoveries about Triclops from the master Jedi computer in the Jedi Library-information that Ken felt was important for Luke and the Alliance to understand. The droids of the Lost City had never permitted Ken to see all their secret files on Triclops. But the information Ken had seen convinced him that the Empire kept Triclops alive for a very specific reason-otherwise Triclops would have been executed by those who were loyal to the Dark Side long ago.

"When Triclops is awake, he never remembers his evil dreams," Ken explained. "As you now know, Triclops talks in his sleep. And his dreams are the reason the Empire has kept him alive all these years, rather than sentencing him to death."

"What exactly do you know about his dreams?" Luke asked.

"All I know," Ken said, "is that sometimes Triclops dreams up plans for new weapons and deadly war machines. He gives the specifications in his sleep, and the Empire manufactures them. Triclops doesn’t even know he invents anything at all, let alone what he invents. He’s like two people living inside the same body-part of him good and well-intentioned; the other part an evil and dangerous genius inventor."

Triclops, who had wild white hair and scars on his temples from all the electroshock therapy the Empire had given him, tossed in his sleep and began speaking again. Luke, Ken, and Chewbacca listened carefully to his every word.

"It won’t work unless you use . . . a powerful miniunit that’s much more than a stun projectile," Triclops said in a low, distant voice. "It should have a laser power equal to

. . . equal to the Atgar 1.4, capable of functioning at all temperatures. Controlled by an active sensor package and . . . and a tactical display with extended range. Variable sensor rate 55, blast radius of 20-plus, v-150 ionization. Then the eyes will work." That was all Triclops said as his fitful dream ended.

Luke studied Triclops’s message, and at daybreak he and Ken shared the message with Fugo in the Project Decoy lab on Sublevel D-13.

When the Chadra-Fan scientist heard the words "Atgar 1.4," his two hearts started beating rapidly.

And when Fugo heard that Triclops had said, "Variable sensor rate 55 with a blast radius of 20-plus," he gasped, and his large ears flapped excitedly.

"It’s a feat of mind reading that’s absolutely impossible!" Fugo explained to Luke and Ken. "Either that, or we have a serious security leak here at DRAPAC. How could Triclops, whom I have never even met, know that just yesterday I modified our Princess Leia Human Replica Droid to give her eyes a laser power equal to an Atgar 1.4 Imperial Antivehicle Laser Cannon? And how could he know," Fugo continued, "that the reason Fandar was wounded was because we built the droid’s eyes with the wrong sensor rate and incorrect blast radius?"

"Remarkable," Luke Skywalker said, shaking his head in amazement.

"The sensor rate we needed was 55 exactly what Triclops said," Fugo continued, "and the 20-plus blast radius with a v-150 ionization is probably correct as well. I will test that information immediately."

"Perhaps Triclops has mind-reading powers that are similar to Jedi abilities," Ken concluded.

"Or perhaps his sleeping mind is so powerful," Luke speculated, "that he can mind read the thoughts and military secrets of everyone working here at Mount Yoda. And if that’s true, he could prove very dangerous indeed."

On Chad the last of the storm clouds departed, and the planet’s nine glowing moons lit up the heavens in splendor. Chief Chan examined Fandar and announced that his heart transplant operation was a success. However, Fandar would have to remain on Chad for the foreseeable future, in order to continue his recovery at the Chadra-Fan Hospital. Under these circumstances, there was no reason for Han, Leia, See-Threepio, and Artoo-Detoo to delay their departure any further. After having spent two days on Chad already, the four emissaries of the Alliance bid the Chadra-Fan farewell and reboarded the Millennium Falcon. Once they were all seated inside the navigation room of the spaceship and prepared for takeoff, copilot Princess Leia said, "Next stop, Dagobah!"

"Wrong," Han said. "Next stop, Hologram Fun World!" Thrilling images of the most spectacular space station in the galaxy filled Leia’s mind-a fun park where hologram experiences seemed to make every wish come true.

"We can’t go to Hologram Fun World, Han," Leia protested. "We’ve got work to do for SPIN

back at Mount Yoda. We don’t have time to waste."

"Who said we were going to waste time?" Han said. And then, just like that, he blurted out, "We’re going to elope!"

"Wha . . . what?" Princess Leia stammered.

"Well, uhm, it’s just that, uhm . . ."

"Are you asking me to marry you, Han?" Leia asked.

"I guess you could look at it that way, if you want," Han replied. "I mean, that’s what it usually means to elope, doesn’t it? To fly off somewhere in a hurry and get, and get, you know . . ."

Leia was speechless.

Han gave a deep sigh and continued, "Don’t act as if this comes as such a big shock, okay? I told you when you saved my life that all my plans for us were almost crushed by those rocks. That just started me thinking, I guess."

"Thinking about me?" Leia asked.

"Thinking about the fact that I’m not getting any younger, and that if I ever want any pip-squeak Solo kids running around my sky house tugging at my boots, well, it just wouldn’t seem right unless you were their mother." Han gazed into her eyes. "Does that make any sense?"

"Perfect sense," she answered.

As Han took Princess Leia in his arms to kiss her, Threepio glanced away in the opposite direction. "Gracious!" the droid exclaimed. "Why do humans get so sentimental-it simply boggles my brain circuits!"

Threepio covered his eye sensors with his metal hands so he wouldn’t have to look, but he did peek every few moments to see if Han and Leia were done embracing. As a protocol droid, a specialist in droid-human relations, Threepio knew he should be able to tolerate it when humans became affectionate. But still, to Threepio, kissing seemed a silly and unnecessary act.

"Do you have any objections to our getting married, Princess?" Han asked. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Of course I don’t have any objections," she said, "except-" As Leia stopped in midsentence, Han glanced at her suspiciously. "Except what?"

"I always dreamed of a big wedding, and wearing a beautiful white wedding dress with a long train. I imagined Luke would be there to give me away, and all our friends would join us in dancing, and there would be a huge feast, and-"

"Why it’d take months to plan a wedding like that," Han said with a slight frown. "Who knows what could happen to us between now and then? Besides, we can always have a party with our friends later on. We could celebrate our getting hitched when we have more time." Leia’s eyes brightened. "You know, come to think of it, it might actually be thrilling to elope. Nobody would ever expect it of us!"

Han smiled. "What do you droids say?" he asked.

"Tzoooooch!" Artoo beeped. "Dweeeboo bzoooch!"

"Artoo says it’s a fine idea. Besides, he’s always wanted to see Hologram Fun World," Threepio translated. "As for me, I agree, you two should get married. It’s about time. I mean .. . I’ve never been to a space station amusement park before-they say there’s a first time for everything!"

Han smiled and gave Princess Leia a wink. Little did she know that right under the navigation console was a small drawer that contained a sparkling ring Han planned to give her-an ancient ring that belonged to a Corellian princess long, long ago. It was given to Han by a Duro archaeologist named Dustangle on Han’s last mission from Mount Yoda. Little did he think at the time that he would have the nerve to use it. Soon they would be at Hologram Fun World together. The amusement park was located inside a dome that floated in a helium gas cloud near the Zabian star system. There, they could live every fantasy they had ever had, from waterskiing off the edge of a thousand-foot waterfall, to surfboarding on a river of burning lava.

The Millennium Falcon left Chad and its nine moons far behind as Han shifted his spaceship into hyperdrive and set out for the one place in the galaxy where anything could happen-and almost always did!

CHAPTER 4

Hologram Fun World

Cloud City on the planet Bespin was usually a blur of tourist activities-skysailing, sightseeing in cloud cars, gambling in casinos, dancing, and dining in fine floating restaurants. But high in the clouds, the city that used to be the galaxy’s favorite night spot was strangely quiet.

Zorba the Hutt, who had replaced Lando Calrissian as Governor of Cloud City after defeating Lando in a card game of sabacc, had just returned to Cloud City from a voyage to the planet Tatooine. Zorba was reclining for an afternoon snooze in the penthouse suite inside his Holiday Towers Hotel and Casino, when suddenly the intercom on his desk made a loud noise.

BZZZZZZZ!

"Who dares disturb my afternoon nap?" Zorba snarled.

"It’s Checksum, the audit droid, and my assistant," came the reply. "We have an appointment."

The Hutt suddenly recalled that he did have a very important appointment with a group of hotel business droids to receive his monthly accounting. Zorba permitted his droid guests to enter, then shut off his intercom so he wouldn’t be disturbed.

"Losses to the Holiday Towers Hotel and Casino for this past month equal 18,545,372 credits," Checksum said, "including losses from empty hotel rooms, and unsold restaurant food."

"That’s outrageous!" Zorba fumed, pounding his right fist into his left hand. "My hotel and casino has always turned a profit before. Why has business gone bad here in Cloud City?"

"For the answer to that question," Checksum said, "I refer you to Debit-101, our audit droid specialist in business strategies. Debit, your analysis?"

"Certainly," the business analyst droid replied. "It appears Cloud City faces terrible competition from Hologram Fun World. Our studies show that most tourists would prefer to experience hologram adventures," Debit-101 continued, "rather than to risk losing credits gambling in Cloud City casinos. Another reason perhaps-Hologram Fun World doesn’t have a bad crime problem like you have here in Cloud City."

Zorba scowled, getting so mad that he struck Debit-101 with his stubby right arm. He then pounded Checksum with his left fist, sending both droids clattering to the floor. An hour later, Zorba called before him all the best bounty hunters in Cloud City.

"You will come with me to Hologram Fun World to terrorize the guests, rob the banks, take entertainers as hostages, and destroy the hologram rides," Zorba the Hutt announced. "By the time we’re done with Hologram Fun World, a tourist would be a fool to even think of taking a vacation there."

Confident that he had figured out the way to increase business back in Cloud City once again, Zorba took off in his wheezing old spaceship, the Zorba Express. The bounty hunters, led by Tibor the Barabel, flew in an armada of spaceships close behind. Han Solo pointed to the glowing, transparent dome floating in the center of a blue cloud of helium gas. "Feast your eyes on Hologram Fun World," he said, "where a few short hours from now we’ll become husband and wife."

"I beg your pardon," Leia replied. "You mean, ’where a few short hours from now we’ll become bride and groom.’"

"Same difference," Han insisted.

"Hardly," Leia replied. "Husband and wife implies that the masculine gender belongs in first position, whereas bride and groom-"

"Fine, all right, no problem," Han interrupted with a smile, "if ’bride and groom’ makes the princess happy, then have it your way. Like they say, ’ladies first’ and all that."

"Exactly," Leia said, smiling.

From her seat in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, Princess Leia gazed at the glittering yellow-green dome, surrounded by waves of rippling color. They were fast approaching. "It’s too bad Ken’s not here with us," she said. "I’m sure he would have a great time."

"Luke would love Hologram Fun World too," Han replied. "He’s always wanted to go hover-skiing down the side of an exploding volcano."

"I certainly hope they’ve got a well-equipped Droid Repair Shop there," Threepio interjected. "It was quite distressing that the one back on Chad was closed due to storm damage."

"Hologram Fun World has the best service center for droids in this part of the galaxy," Han replied.

"BzEEEt GliiiiipzEEp!" Artoo tooted.

"Yes, Artoo, we were fortunate indeed that the hangar mechanic was able to temporarily readjust your circuits," Threepio responded impatiently. Han decelerated the Falcon, coasting slowly toward their destination. As they descended, they passed a gigantic neon sign that greeted visitors with the words: A WORLD OF DREAMS

COME TRUE!

Inside the dome. Leia could see fantastic fireworks exploding high above the rides and attractions, bursting in showers of brilliant sparks.

Leia stared at the winding slide ramps for the ride called Exploding Stars-an adventure that simulated a voyage through bursting white-hot supernovas. She saw the tall, twisting spires above the alien theaters and interplanetary opera houses. And in the center of the attractions Leia noticed the shining administration building, reflecting all the surrounding action like a gigantic mirror.

Upon making their arrival at the docking station, the Falcon landed.

"Princess, what do you say we take our honeymoon at Enchanted Lagoon?" Han asked. "They have a hologram flower grotto with flowers from every planet east of Endor and west of Tatooine."

"Sounds like I’d probably start sneezing with all that pollen," Leia replied.

"No, the flowers at Enchanted Lagoon are just holograms-three-dimensional, totally lifelike images of flowers from other worlds. You can sniff them and touch them, but it’s all just an illusion for the senses. There isn’t a real flower growing within twelve million miles of this theme park."

As Leia and Han and the droids hurried down the Falcon’s exit ramp, incredible sights and sounds bombarded their eyes and ears: the dazzling fireworks high above at the top of the yellow dome, and thrilling music that boomed from 1,138 THX Ultrasound Speakers.