Star Wars - 214 - Jedi Prince 05 - Queen of the Empire (6 page)

"Take them alive!" Hissa screamed, as he retreated. Hissa used his mechanized hover-chair to dodge the laserfire flying around the chamber. But not all the grand moffs were able to successfully avoid being targets. One of Tibor’s blasts struck Grand Moff Muzzer in the right leg.

Stormtrooper reinforcements came pouring in from every direction, armed with force pikes-long poles topped with power tips used to stun an enemy. As the stormtroopers began to gain the advantage, Grand Moff Hissa maneuvered his hover-chair to the nearby supply cabinet. He reached for a projectile launcher with a fully armed four-cannister magazine. Aiming directly at the cockpit of the Zorba Express, Hissa began firing a round of projectiles that contained smoke, gas, and chemical agents. The cockpit quickly filled with lung irritants. As Zorba and Tibor began coughing and choking, they were overpowered by charging stormtroopers who jabbed them with the force pikes. Tibor tumbled to the floor of the chamber, unconscious. He was quickly taken away to the prisoner bay area near the flight crew stations.

Zorba’s stubby hands were chained together as his coughing fit continued. His yellow, reptilian eyes were unable to shed tears, but they became red, glassy, and moist. The stormtroopers forced Zorba to squirm his huge body down a ramp, prodded every wiggle of the way by force pikes.

Grand Moff Thistleborn attached the chain connecting Zorba’s wrists to a hoist, while Grand Moff Muzzer, despite his wounded leg, managed to walk over to the lever used to raise the hoist high above the floor.

"You grand moffs think you can break old Zorba!" the Hutt shouted. The chain then pulled his sluglike body up into the air by his wrists and let him dangle. "Curse you all!

A-haw-haw-haw . . . !"

Grand Moff Hissa maneuvered his hover-chair over to the Zorba Express. He set his chair down inside and glanced around. An irritating smell burned his nostrils. It wasn’t the coughing gas from the projectile launcher-it was the smell of frozen carbonite.

"I want every inch of the Zorba Express searched from its Telgorn flight computers to its rear bulk storage compartments!" Hissa shouted.

Several stormtroopers ran immediately up the ramp and entered the Zorba Express. They began their search at the front of the navigation room.

Soon they located a storage door that was suspiciously disguised as part of the hull of the ship. Hissa’s strong metal hands pushed away the power coupler that was hiding the door’s latch. Inhaling sharply and then holding his breath, he pried with all his strength and pulled the door open.

Behind the door, encased in frozen carbonite, was Trioculus. Hissa gasped.

"Our Dark Lord!" Hissa exclaimed, his eyes bulging in disbelief. A series of images rushed through Hissa’s mind all at once-Trioculus as Supreme Slavelord of Kessel working thousands of slaves to death in the spice mines . . . Trioculus trying to electrocute Luke Skywalker inside the Whaladon hunting submarine . . . Trioculus scheming to bomb the Rebel Alliance Senate . . . and Trioculus burning the rain forests of Yavin as he searched for the Jedi Prince, Ken, whom he was determined to destroy at any cost.

"But . . . how is it possible that Trioculus still exists?" Grand Moff Hissa wondered.

"Kadann destroyed the carbonite block with fiery neutron beams." From outside the Zorba Express, Hissa could hear the Hutt’s laughter. "A-haw-haw-haw . . .

!" Zorba taunted the grand moffs. "Did you really think I’d be stupid enough to put the real carbonite block that contained Trioculus on display in the Cloud City Museum? Kadann destroyed nothing but a statue of your so-called ’Dark Lord.’ I tricked him good-tricked you all!"

"You continue searching the ship!" Grand Moff Hissa ordered several stormtroopers. To another group of stormtroopers he snapped, "Remove this block of carbonite and take it to the power modulator. Then send a low-level current from the modulator to the carbonite and melt it, setting Trioculus free!"

The heavy carbonite block was carried from the Zorba Express and melted at once, thawing Trioculus from his state of suspended animation. Slowly Trioculus emerged from the carbonization in which he had been frozen, a mindless state in which his lifeless body remained more dead than alive.

The three-eyed tyrant took one breath, then another, grimacing and gritting his teeth as though each inhalation wracked him with pain. As Hissa remained at his side, Trioculus’s breaths slowly began to flow more naturally, and the agony of his first moments of release from the carbonite faded.

Trioculus blinked and cleared his three eyes of the last bits of carbonite. "Hisssssa?" he gasped, as he slowly regained his sight.

"Yes, my Dark Lordship. It is I!"

"What’s happened to you, Hissa?"

"I lost my arms and legs in what you might call an industrial accident, your Lordship," the grand moff explained. "But don’t fret about me. All that matters now is that you’re alive-and that you can bring Kadann under control again and lead the Empire to new dark and glorious victories against the Rebel Alliance!"

"What has Kadann done?" Trioculus asked. "He’s remained loyal to me, has he not? He gave me his dark blessing and accepted me as ruler of the Empire."

"That is correct, Trioculus," Grand Moff Hissa replied. "But while you were frozen in carbonite, Kadann took back his dark blessing and declared himself to be the new Imperial ruler."

"Curse him, then," Trioculus declared, "and may the cosmic radiation of the Null Zone bake his brain."

"The Prophets of the Dark Side can no longer be trusted," Hissa continued. "A prophet named Jedgar left me for dead in a puddle of toxic slime." Leading the way in his hover-chair, Grand Moff Hissa took Trioculus on a tour of the Moffship. As they proceeded through a corridor filled with weapons systems, Trioculus recounted the times he had employed the different weapons to slaughter helpless humans and aliens-the antiorbital ion cannon that had blasted many tourist spaceships that had accidently strayed into Imperial restricted zones . . . the turbolaser that had mowed down thousands of protesting slaves during the slave rebellion on Kessel . . . the C-136

"Grandfather Gun" Trioculus had used to blow up a dam and flood troublesome settlers in the Grand Kessel River Valley .. .

As Trioculus recounted his merciless murders of days gone by, the sound of laughter and taunts echoed throughout the Moffship.

"That’s Zorba the Hutt carrying on like a fool," Grand Moff Hissa explained. "Perhaps you can make him understand that his situation is no laughing matter. We grand moffs have tried, but he only laughs more."

Grand Moff Hissa took Trioculus through the Moffship, until they were face-to-face with Zorba the Hutt, who was still hanging by his wrists.

"Zorba!" Trioculus exclaimed, staring into the reddened eyes of his old enemy. "You’ll regret the day you decided to freeze me in carbonite! I should chop your carcass up into little pieces and feed you to hungry Fefze beetles!"

"If you do that," Zorba said, "then you’ll never see Princess Leia alive again."

"What do you know about Princess Leia?" Trioculus demanded.

"I’m the only one in the galaxy who knows where she is," Zorba replied. "I was planning to execute her at the Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine. But seeing as how you’re such a dear old friend, if you free me from these chains and spare my life, I might decide to tell you where she is and let you have her."

The very mention of Princess Leia’s name quickened Trioculus’s breath. Trioculus longed to make Leia appreciate the ways of darkness and evil. And when the princess understood and respected the power of the Dark Side, then Trioculus would take her as his bride!

"Let the Hutt down at once," Trioculus declared.

"But my Dark Lordship-" Grand Moff Muzzer protested.

"At once, I said," Trioculus thundered.

Grand Moff Muzzer lowered the hoist, and Zorba’s body settled down solidly on the floor.

"Unchain his hands!" Trioculus demanded.

The order was quickly obeyed.

"Now then, Zorba," Trioculus said with a slight glimmer of a smile. "I’ve kept up my end of our bargain. You’re unchained. Now tell me where I can find Princess Leia-or you’ll still end up as a snack for Fefze beetles after all!"

"Patience," Zorba said. "You don’t have to look very far. Princess Leia is much closer than you would dare hope."

At that, Zorba squirmed up the ramp to his spaceship. Trioculus followed right behind him.

"This way," Zorba declared. "If your stormtroopers had been clever enough, they would have found her already."

Zorba opened the door to the cargo bay. Trioculus’s evil heart skipped a beat as his eyes beheld the golden cage-with Princess Leia trapped inside.

The cage was moved at once to Grand Moff Hissa’s private quarters aboard the Moffship. Trioculus remained by her side, alone with the woman he loved. Leia gave Trioculus the silent treatment, as the three-eyed slavelord sat beside her cage, reminding the princess how well she had been treated the last time he had captured her-back on the Imperial Factory Barge on the planet Bespin.

"The most powerful man in the galaxy, Master of the Dark Side and ruler of the Galactic Empire, commands that you accept his fond affection," Trioculus addressed her. "Will you renounce the Rebel Alliance and give me your hand in marriage, Princess Leia?"

"Sorry to spoil your demented plans, Trioculus," Princess Leia replied with a sneer. "But I’ve already accepted a marriage proposal from Han Solo."

"Han Solo!" Trioculus repeated with a grimace. "The Rebel Corellian cargo pilot? Do you think for one moment that he can offer you what I can? Will he grant you starships to command? Planets to rule?"

"Kadann seems to think that he rules the Empire, Trioculus," Leia snapped. "The Prophets of the Dark Side say you’re a has-been. Word is out that you’re nothing but a fake and a fraud who lied about being the son of Emperor Palpatine."

"My dispute with the Prophets of the Dark Side is none of your affair," Trioculus replied.

"Your attitude, Princess, must really undergo a drastic change, if you ever hope to get out of that cage." The tyrant paused for a moment to think. "How would you enjoy watching Zorba the Hutt tossed into the Mouth of Sarlacc? Would it thrill you?"

"Do with Zorba as you like," Leia said.

"I gave my word to Zorba that I would free him," Trioculus declared. "But if you would like him dead, Leia, I would gladly make him suffer the fate he planned for you. Wouldn’t the thrill of revenge delight you?"

"The Empire blew up my home planet of Alderaan," Leia replied, clutching the bars of her cage. "The Empire snuffs out freedom and liberty wherever it exists. They murder the brave soldiers of the Alliance, who fight to bring back the laws and justice of the Old Republic. If you’re really the ruler of the Empire as you claim, Trioculus, then you’re a thousand times more of an enemy to me than Zorba the Hutt."

"So, you still refuse to accept me, and you continue to scorn my affection and noble intentions toward you," Trioculus said, narrowing all three of his eyes.

"I scorn everything about you!" Leia replied. "Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you burned the rain forests of Yavin Four, Trioculus-all because you wanted to find the entrance to the Lost City of the Jedi and destroy our Jedi Prince, a mere boy!"

"Perhaps you’d prefer that I turn you back over to Zorba then, my Princess," Trioculus said, letting his smile dissolve into a wicked sneer. "What would you have to say to that?" But Leia said nothing.

"Your answer is yes, then? You choose to be with Zorba, rather than with me? Quickly-speak, or you shall seal your fate forever!"

Leia knew she had to buy time. Surely Han had figured out what happened to her by now. But would SPIN send a rescue mission? Or would her own Jedi powers have to aid her somehow in finding a means to escape? Everything Leia had tried to do failed her so far-including the Jedi mind-clouding technique, which had no effect upon Trioculus at all.

"Don’t give me over to Zorba," she said through clenched teeth.

"So," Trioculus said smoothly, clasping his hands together, "I’m making progress with you then. You prefer my charming company to the company of that slobbering slug, Zorba." Trioculus departed, leaving Princess Leia in her golden cage. He then returned to the large chamber where stormtroopers stood guard over Zorba the Hutt. Trioculus turned to Grand Moff Hissa. "Make preparations for my wedding, Hissa," he ordered. "Find the Dark Book of Imperial Justice, and I’ll show you the passage that you’re to read at the ceremony. We’ll hold the wedding here in the Moffship, just as soon as we’ve sent Zorba the Hutt to his doom. He’s to be swallowed by the Mouth of Sarlacc, as planned!"

"You gave me your word, Trioculus!" Zorba stormed.

"I only keep my word to those who have never betrayed me," Trioculus replied. "I’m surprised you didn’t know that, Zorba. In the short time you have remaining, perhaps you’ll come to regret that you froze me in carbonite." Trioculus turned to Grand Moff Dunhausen. "Tell the pilots at the command console to descend to Tatooine," he commanded.

"Our destination is the Great Pit of Carkoon, beyond the Dune Sea." Zorba merely chortled. He then spit in Trioculus’s direction, spraying the nearby stormtroopers with the saliva of a fearless old Hutt.

CHAPTER 8

The Imperial Wedding

In a scorched desert region on Tatooine, the Mouth of Sarlacc swallowed its latest meal-an elephantlike Bantha beast and a Tusken Raider.

Riding the Bantha, the sand creature had come foolishly close to the edge of the Great Pit of Carkoon to satisfy his curiosity. He had heard the legends of the huge and awesome mouth at the bottom of the pit-a mouth that devoured every living creature that had the misfortune to stumble into it.

But the Tusken Raider hadn’t planned on his Bantha stepping on a prickly cacta bush-or that his Bantha would leap to free himself from the thick thorns and tumble into the pit, headfirst.

While the Mouth of Sarlacc gobbled its noontime meal beneath the heat of Tatooine’s blistering twin suns, the Moffship slowly descended from the sky. No one on board the Moffship observed the Millennium Falcon as it approached. The Falcon flew within a narrow zone, staying in the ship’s blind spot, undetected by the Novaldex deflector shield at the Moffship’s rear. Then the Falcon attached itself to the ship’s upper access hatch and rode piggyback.