'I'm sorry, Master.' Qui-Gon looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe someone would use a child in jeopardy to get what they wanted.
'Let's go.' Dooku vaulted over the pilot's seat and raced down the ramp, hearing Qui-Gon follow behind him.
Something about the situation nagged at Dooku. In the middle of a mission, he never lost his focus, or his faith that he would prevail.
Why did he suddenly feel that failure was breathing on his neck as closely and persistently as Qui-Gon's footsteps behind him?
Dooku felt his heart fall when he saw that the safe room door was open. The pirate had worked extraordinarily fast. The gleaming durasteel facing was still glowing red from the blast that had blown it open.
Inside, Eero lay unconscious. His skin was blackened. Qui-Gon bent over him and began to feel for vitals.
'Not now,' Dooku said. He turned and raced back out the door, down another corridor that led to the docking bay. Qui-Gon caught up to him with long strides. The ship lurched, and emergency sirens were now wailing continuously. The systems were failing.
They raced back to the loading dock. As they entered, they were just in time to see Senator Blix Annon, his hands bound with laser cuffs, being pushed inside the craft. The pirate was tall and lean, dressed in full-body armor and a plastoid helmet that concealed his face. He turned, even though they'd made no sound.
Accessing the Force, Dooku leaped. He landed on the ramp, lightsaber raised. He felt Qui-Gon land behind him. Blaster fire had already peppered the air, zinging past his ears, close and rapid. The pirate had excellent aim. Dooku had to keep the lightsaber moving in order to deflect the shots, advancing all the while. He had no doubt that he would win this battle. The pirate's eyes gleamed, the green of his iris so intense that Dooku could read it from behind the gray tint of his visor.
A dark green, shot with glints the color of flames. Dooku's mind lurched.
The pirate made a half turn to the left and swung out in a wide arc.
Dooku moved in an instinct so old it was automatic. He stepped away to avoid a blow that did not come. Lorian.
Did he hear a chuckle from underneath the helmet? Dooku wasn't sure.
But Lorian took advantage of that split second of hesitation, as he always had been able to, and jumped backward into the ship. The ramp closed rapidly, spilling Dooku onto the floor. He landed next to Qui-Gon and together they watched the ship roar out of the bay doors.
Chapter 10
I will not think of this now, Dooku told himself. If I think of Lorian, I will lose control.
The ship was dying. Eero could be dead. The first thing to do was check on him. They ran back to the safe room, where he was struggling to rise.
'Lay back,' Qui-Gon said gently. He folded a cloak and placed it beneath Eero's head.
Eero's eyes fluttered. 'The Senator?'
'Gone,' Dooku said.
'We have to go after them,' Eero said, trying to get to his feet.
'We have more immediate problems,' Dooku said. 'The ship is falling apart. And you don't look so well yourself.'
'I'm fine,' Eero said. He stood quickly, then immediately crashed to the floor.
'Obviously,' Dooku said dryly. 'We'll send someone for you. In the meantime, I have a feeling the pilot needs our help.'
They could feel the cruiser shudder and list to one side as they ran to the cockpit. The pilot was feverishly flipping switches. 'I've got the maintenance droid working on the electrical systems, but the sublight is going.'
'Where's the nearest port?' Dooku asked, striding to stand behind the pilot's seat.
'I'll check,' Qui-Gon offered, moving to the onboard computer. In only a few seconds, he called out, 'Voltare spaceport.' He read out the coordinates. 'Master, I can try to work on the sublight mainframe control.'
'Do it.' Dooku had no patience for the details of technology. He had already recognized that his apprentice was better at repairs than he.
'What can I do?' the pilot asked, his eyes darting nervously to the controls.
'Just keep us flying,' Dooku said.
Qui-Gon released a control panel in the floor and jumped down to work on the system controls. 'I think I can fuse it,' he called. 'If we don't push the engines, we might be able to make it.'
'Push them? I'll baby them,' the pilot muttered.
Qui-Gon vaulted out of the chamber and switched places with the co-pilot. 'I'll keep my eye on the warning lights. You just fly,' he told the pilot.
With the white-knuckled pilot gripping the controls and the steady presence of Qui-Gon in the co-pilot's chair, the ship finally limped into the Voltare spaceport.
Eero was rushed to the med clinic. The other passengers and the pilot headed for the spaceport
