eyes closed.
“I need to hail Ar-Six,” Jaden said. He’d left his droid aboard his modified Z-95 in-system.
Khedryn handed him the ship-to-ship and Jaden input the frequency. The droid’s beep of acknowledgment carried over the channel. The sound brought Jaden enormous comfort. Prior to meeting Khedryn and Marr, R-6 had been his sole companion for months.
“Good to hear you, too, Ar-Six,” Jaden said.
Without further ado, R-6 exploded into droidspeak, unleashing a rapid series of whoops, beeps, and whistles.
“Slow down, Ar-Six,” Jaden said.
“Something wrong?” Khedryn asked.
Jaden had trouble with droidspeak during the best of times, but he’d caught the note of alarm in R-6’s tone and something about an attack. As a matter of routine, R-6 would monitor holo and radio transmissions planetside.
“Start over,” Jaden said, and put the droid on speaker. “But go slower.”
R-6 began again, and Khedryn and Marr watched Jaden as he listened.
“The medical facility on Fhost has been attacked,” Jaden said.
“Users,” Khedryn said, shaking his head. “Happens a few times per year. They get together in a gang and—”
“Repeat, Ar-Six,” Jaden said, and the droid did so. “Are you sure that’s what the report said?”
The droid beeped an affirmative.
Jaden looked to Khedryn and Marr. “Reports say that one of the attackers used a lightsaber. A red lightsaber.”
A long moment of silence passed.
“Couldn’t be,” Khedryn said.
“The timing is right,” Marr said. “They could be sick after so long in isolation. Maybe they need medical supplies?”
“Ar-Six is getting this in real time,” Jaden said. “So there’s one sure way to find out.”
“Heading for Farpoint Medical Center,” Khedryn said, and wheeled Junker to starboard. “You’re a magnet for this stuff, Jaden. Marr, I hope you know what you signed on for.”
“Keep monitoring planetary authorities, Ar-Six,” Jaden said, and the droid beeped an affirmative.
“There isn’t much in the way of official security, Jedi,” Khedryn said. “Reegas and those like him run Farpoint. The authorities are just thugs with uniforms. After the mess you left in The Hole, I doubt they’ll even show up at the facility when they hear the word ‘lightsaber.’ ” To Marr, he said, “Chewstim?”
Marr pulled the pack from his pocket, offered Khedryn a wedge.
“Better stow that caf,” Khedryn said, nodding at the mugs.
Jaden and Marr scooped up the half-full mugs, dumped the contents, and packed them away.
Junker burned through the atmosphere, flames licking the ship’s side. They completed reentry and burst through the cloud cover, and Fhost appeared below them. Farpoint looked like a darkened thumbprint on the planet’s beige surface.
“Anything new, Ar-Six?” Jaden asked.
The droid beeped a negative.
“Maybe you ought to bring that droid aboard Junker, Jaden,” Khedryn said.
Jaden stared at him, dumbfounded. Even Marr looked surprised.
“What?” Jaden said. “I thought you don’t let droids aboard Junker.”
“You seem fond of him, so maybe he’s better than most. Besides, I need someone to talk to when you two are off training. I feel like I’m flying a tomb. Too blasted quiet in here. That droid seems chatty, if nothing else.”
“I see,” Jaden said, smiling.
“Maybe time for some other changes, too,” Khedryn said. “You don’t seem inclined to run away from things, which is too bad, since it’s a habit that’s served me well for thirty years. So maybe we ought to arm Junker with something other than a tractor beam.”
Jaden knew better than to push. “Whatever you think is best. She’s your ship.”
“Darn right she is,” Khedryn said. He pointed down out of the transparisteel canopy. “There’s the facility.”
The medical center’s ten stories had once been part of the bridge tower of the crashed ship that formed the bones of Farpoint. As the tallest building in Farpoint, it looked like a victory pennon planted in the city center. The doors of its rooftop landing pad lay wide open, a medical supply ship visible on the deck.
Jaden saw three swoops circling the exterior of the building at various altitudes, their sirens flashing orange.
“They’re not going in,” Jaden said.
“Told you,” Khedryn said. “They’ll let internal security handle it, then come in to clean up when it’s over.”
“Security can’t handle even one of those clones.”
“We don’t know that it’s the clones.”
R-6’s droidspeak carried over the comm. Jaden nodded, listening.
“Reports from inside say they’re heading up the stairs,” he translated. “The lifts were damaged in some kind of explosion. There are a lot of dead and wounded.”
“At least they’re in a hospital,” Khedryn said, then winced at his bad joke. “Not funny. Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Coming in. Where should I set down?”
“If they’re taking the stairs, they’re going up.”
“The supply