Upcoming Projects and Stories

This is a list of stories I'm working on, hope to work on soon, and am developing ideas for. Keep in mind that this list can and will change depending on what I'm interested in at any given time and what else is going on in my life.

Currently Working On:

Match Game 1973-1982
Novels/Novellas

Richard Dawson: Spy Blank

Charles Nelson Reilly: Star Blank
Charles Nelson Reilly: Fairy Tale Blank

Coming Up Next:

Match Game 1973-1983
Novels/Novellas

Brett Somers: Beauty & the Blank

Richard Dawson: Wild Wild Blank

Charles Nelson Reilly: Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Blank

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Novels/Novellas

Resistance Kids: The Last Good Cop (Alternative Universe - 1950's) - Rey is the first student at Luke's new police school, but he's wondering if he should give up teaching after the destruction of his previous school. Meanwhile, the First Order Gang is back on the street, including Ben Solo, and they're gunning for blood. Then Poe's beloved sports car blows to bits in front of his eyes, and Hank vanishes and his business is ransacked.

Troop Beverly Hills (Alternative Universe - 1980's Comedy) - Leia Ortez-Solo is one of LA's best criminal defense attorneys, but her home life is a mess. Her husband, race-car driver and car repair shop chain owner Harry Solo, is threatening divorce. Her son Ben just got out of jail for arson and armed robbery. On a suggestion from her best friend, romance novelist and amateur astrologist Amilyn Holdo, she takes a position as the head of her niece Rey's Wilderness Girls troop. No one else has been able to figure out what to do with this motley assortment of rich girls and tough tomboys who aren't into the usual cookie-selling and craft-making. Good thing Leia isn't, either. She's determined to show everyone - including Edgar Snoke, the militant head of the First Order Troop - that it takes all kinds to make a Wilderness Girl, whether she lives in the wilds, or the wilds of Beverly Hills.

Hello Leia! (Alternative Universe - Musical-Inspired) - Leia Solo-Levi is the best-known matchmaker in New York City in 1907.  She's hired by her ex-husband Harold Solo to find a match for their son Benjamin, who can't make up his mind between the severe police chief's daughter and anarchic son of one of New York's richest men. What she wants is to re-marry her husband, but he has his eyes on a woman in town. Meanwhile, she engineers a meeting between Harold's clerks Poe and Finn and two cute girls in Manhattan, Rey and Rose. They all come together at Harmonia Gardens, the restaurant owned by Leia's brother Luke, for a most memorable evening. 

Rey Fantasy Novel - Rachelle "Rey" Ridley works for a junk shop in Jakku, Arizona. She's good with plants and has coaxed a small garden to grow in her tiny backyard. She's quite surprised when a beautiful pony, then a young man, fall out of the sky and ask for her help. They're Finn and BeeBee, of the Kingdom of Alderaan. They're on the run from the evil Warlock Snoke, who has imprisoned Queen Leia behind a magic mirror. Her husband King Han and his manservant Chewbacca have simply vanished, and her brother, the flower mage Luke, has fled the land. Leia's greatest warrior, Poe of the Tiger Lillies, was captured and supposedly killed by the evil, magic-and-beauty-hating Kylo Ren.

Rey follows Finn and BeeBee to Alderaan, which has been stripped of the magical gemstone flowers that gave it the magic that kept it beautiful. With the help of outspoken Jannah of the Marigolds, sweet and chatty Kaydel of the Bluebells, and shy Rose of the Red Roses, Rey discovers the power within herself...and that friendship and giving others a second chance may be the greatest powers of all.

Remember WENN
Novels/Novellas

Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN (Alternative Universe Fantasy/Fairy Tale) - Even when Elizabeth and the others leave Port Harbor, looking for the Emerald Talisman, trouble follows. Lady Gloria Redmond has no desire to even discuss the magic that caused her so much grief. There's also the evil candy witch Pavla Nemcova, who has both Jeff Singer and Sir Victor Comstock in her grasp, to contend with.

In Development: 

Star Wars Original Trilogy
Novels/Novellas

Han Solo, Private Eye (Alternative Universe 1940's Mystery/Thriller) - Han Solo is a private detective with a squalid apartment in one of the shadier parts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1947. He's a bit surprised when rich dame Leia Ortez comes to him to find out who murdered her adopted parents Bail and Breha Ortez. Han, Leia, and Han's big partner Chuck go from the Wharf to Society Hill in order to flush out the corruption at the very top of the City of Brotherly Love...and flush out a not-so-brotherly killer.

Western (Alternative Universe Western Adventure) - It's 1867 in the untamed plains of Coruscant, Idaho. Former homesteader Luke Walters longs to be a sheriff, like his late daddy Anthony was before him. He may get his chance at an apprenticeship when the current sheriff, Ol' Ben MacKenner, deputizes him to help rescue rancher's daughter Leia Ortez from the bandits who have raided and burned her home. They also get more dubious assistance from Harry Solo, a shady gunrunner, and his partner, Native American warrior Chewbacca.

Remember WENN 
Novels/Novellas

Captain Victor, Man of Power (Alternative Universe Superhero/Action) - Set directly after the first season episode "There But Before Grace." Tired of dealing with (and being run all over by) sponsors and confused about his feelings for Betty and Grace Cavendish, Victor Comstock imagines himself as one of those new superheroes that have become popular with the kids, Jeff as his sidekick, Betty as the new girl reporter on the block, C.J as a scientist, Ceila as the daughter of a missing scientist and Victor's other sidekick, Hilary as a snooty actress-turned-society-reporter, Mackie as their boss, and Grace as a Dragon Lady-type villaness.

The Best Radio Christmas Pageant Ever - A kind of "missing scene" story set during the early first season. Victor wants to present the story of the Nativity on the airwaves, but the kids starring in the show are unruly, Hilary wants a bigger role, the sponsor is turning the show into a commercial, and Ceila will have nothing to do with it. And there's reports of a major snowstorm heading for Pittsburgh...

On the Edge of the Precipice Series

The Fox and the Falcon - Betty finds herself head over heels involved in espionage when the true leader of the spy ring becomes known...and Victor Comstock returns with startling news...

Remember WENN Fairy Tale Series

Hilary's Story: Beauty and the Beast - Wrap-around segments set day after fourth-season episode "You've Met Your Match." Story based around third and fourth season. Angry at Scott and Jeff for their behavior the night before and in the past few months in general, Betty and Hilary concoct the story of two sisters who discover that the beastly owner and manager of a dilapidated theater may not be what they appear on the outside...or even inside...

Mr. Eldridge and Gertie's Story: The Man Who Minded the House - Set after and based around the fourth season episode "Work Shift." Mr. Eldridge recalls the story of how a man and a woman (him and Gertie) learn that the grass isn't always greener in someone else's work area when he takes over her household duties and she works in the fields.

Needs Work/On Hold: 

Star Wars Original Trilogy
Novels/Novellas

The Rebel League Battles the Freeze Machine - The freezing winter of 1979 sees Han, Leia, Luke, and the rest of the League now hiding in an abandoned ski resort. After Vader and his Empire manages to find them there, Harris, Leia, Chewbacca the dog, and Charlie take the long slow path down the Hoth Mountains to the glittering Bespin District, where Harris' friend Lamont Carrington runs the glamorous Cloud City Club. Meanwhile, Luke has gone to the swampy red-light district Dagobah with Rudy, where he'll learn the ways of the Jedi Knights from the former head of the order Yoda. But Vader is determined to bring his son and his powers to him, and he'll do anything - including use his friends as bait - to get him.

Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Novels/Novellas

The Road to Coruscant (Mid 20th Century Alternative Universe) - Ben Kenobi and Anakin Walker are singers taking their vaudeville act on the road. Anakin is forever coming up with moneymaking schemes that get them into a few little problems with the law, to the annoyance of Martin Windu, their long-suffering manager. They have no problems romancing the ladies, either...until they encounter beautiful, elegant dancer Patricia Amidala. Patricia, a genuine noblewoman, is in a heap of trouble with the nasty Count Dooku and Lord Palpatine. Anakin says it's up to them to get her out of it. Ben...wishes they could just go home to Los Angeles, but Anakin is his best friend, so he does it anyway.

Fairy and Folk Tales

Swan Lake

Star Wars Original Trilogy

The Music Han
Guys and Dolls

Star Wars Anthology Series

Heist Story (Alternative Universe - Solo: A Star Wars Story) - In 1965, Henry Solomon grows up on the mean streets of Chicago as a poor pickpocket for a local mob. He's hoping to eventually make enough money to marry his girl Clara and head out west. He manages to get out via the Navy, but Clara remains behind. Now going under the name Hank Solo, he finds himself in Vietnam without a paddle, at least until he's helped to go AWOL by a gruff old Russian named Charrel. He's recruited by a gang to take a big armored car job, but it goes wrong, landing them on the wrong side of the big Vegas mob the Crimson Dawn. They hire smooth gambler Lance Caliss and his gorgeous vintage Falcon car to take them across the Vegas desert to the Kessel Iron Works, and then make the infamous run on the Kessel Highway to take down Dryden Vos at his Twin Blades Casino and Hotel. 

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Novels/Novellas

1920's Melodrama (Alternative Universe - Roaring 20's Action/Adventure) - Rowena "Rey" Knight has traveled all the way from England to work with the great Luke Waterson, the most decorated and popular reporter to ever have written for the Hosnia City Daily Star. But when she arrives, Hosnia is under siege from the First Order Company, a criminal organization that uses a legitimate business as a front for everything from bootlegging to kidnapping to gambling. Luke Waterson has gone into hiding behind his desk at the Daily Star. His sister, Leia Waterson-Solomon, is the town's mayor, but she and her task force, including bush pilot Poe Damerez, can't hold out much longer against Arlington Snoke and his protege Kylo Ren. The arrival of Rey and former First Order Company worker Finn Finnegan may be what Leia needs to turn the tide. 

1980's Nightclub Story (Alternative Universe - Action/Comedy) - It's 1981. Poe Damerez, with money provided by his boss, Galactic Records owner and president Leia Wallace, has just bought the former Rebel Alliance nightclub in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, just a few minutes outside of Philadelphia. He's hoping to reopen it as a dance club and music showplace...and that his first act will be no less than Leia and the Falcons. The Falcons started as a jazz trio after World War II, before adding two more members and moving on to becoming a pioneering rock and folk group.

Poe has several headaches from the get-go. First of all, while Leia is all for playing a one-time-only gig, none of her former band mates agree. Harry "Han Solo" Shaw, the manager and saxophonist, is now a manager for several low-level groups who is known for his shady activities. Guitarist and dancer Luke "Skywalker" Wallace is living in retirement in Philadelphia and has no desire to rejoin the music business. Laurence "Lando" Craydon has vanished all together. There's also Leia's business partner Amilyn Holdo, who is wary of the entire scheme. Not to mention, the First Order Company is after the land to build a shopping center...and their vice-president Kylo Ren has his own reasons for not wanting the Rebel Alliance Club rise again.

Singin' In the Rain 
Newsies
Sequel to Tales of the Gold Wookie
Police Academy

Remember WENN

Maltese Falcon Film Noir Spoof II (Alternative Universe Film Noir/Mystery) - Wrap-around set during the late third or early fourth seasons. Hilary and Scott give two different sides of the tale of a dame who may or may not have gotten a private eye involved with smuggling and murder.

Ceila Short Story - Missing scene set during the first season episode "A Capitol Idea." Ceila says good-bye to the station after she's hired by the guy who wanted her to promote Blondie cartoons.

Fairy Tale Series

Jeff's Story - Aladdin and His Magic Lamp
C.J's Story - Jack and the Beanstalk
Victor's Story - King Arthur
Ceila's Story - Goldielocks and the Three Bears
Mackie's Story
Eugenia and Mr. Foley's Story

Original Children's Short Stories

Stories based after childhood memories, including:

Painting someone else's fence.
Little kids running through other people's yards when Mom and Dad aren't looking.
Beach frolics - walking home from the beach as a child

Introduction - The Rebel League and the Death Ray

I was inspired to write this one by several behind-the-scenes photos I've found of the Original Trilogy...and because this was the world the Original Trilogy was released into, and in a way, created. This was also the world of my early childhood – disco, glittering nightclubs, slinky pantsuits, Charlie's Angels in no bras, guys in powder-blue leisure suits, huge boxy cars in shades of orange and brown, gowns based on the 30's or the pioneer era – and I guess I just wanted to get some fond memories out.

This was also inspired by the recent wave of superhero movies. I'm taking inspiration from the superhero and science fiction made between 1977 and 1992 - sometimes wacky, sometimes cheesy, sometimes dark, always fun!

This was originally supposed to be novel-length, but I decided it would be easier to write in parts. Look for part 2, The Rebel League and the Freeze Machine, coming soon!

The Rebel League and the Death Ray, Part 1

Rated: PG-13

Pairing: Han/Leia, Luke/Mara

Coruscant City, May 1977. On that balmy night, one would look up into the sky and see neither a bird nor a plane, but what appeared to be a random streak of light. Had they looked close enough, they would have seen that the fire surrounded a diminutive, very human, and extremely female figure. Three little girls sitting on a fire escape by a tenement point upwards. The children know. The girls especially know that, where evil lurks, where injustice occurs, you will see that streak. You will know her flame, and you will feel the wrath of Force Girl.

She sped away from the thick plume of smoke at the Erso Shipyards as fast as her flame could carry her. Thank goodness she'd managed to get out just before that crazy new death ray of Vader's blew the entire area sky-high. She was the only one. The rest of her Rebel League team had still been dealing with Vader and The Director – whom she was pretty sure was really snobbish lawyer Orson Krenshaw – when she took off.

“Hello?” The figure, clad in a skin-tight, fireproof white suit with hood with red trim and a mask in the shape of flame, checks her wrist watch. Like all of her accessories, it was made from khyber, a powerful crystal that is only found n the hills outside of Tatoonie County. “Force Girl? Are you there? I can't get the Huntress or El Rio on my radar, and neither can Fulcrum. We heard about the Death Ray and what happened to the Erso Shipyards.”

“M...White Queen? I'm sort of busy here. I just got the tapes from The Huntress. Vader's on my tail.”

“I know, Force Girl. Get them to The Negotiator as soon as you possibly can. Fulcrum told me he owns a comic book shop on Kirby Street in Tatoonie.” The voice of the White Queen was known to every operative of the Rebel League. It was she who gave them their commands, who ran the operation. Very few had ever seen her; even fewer whispered her name. There was a bit of a rueful grin in her voice as she went on. “Don't forget, your Uncle Bail wants you back at Aldera Hills in time for supper. He gets worried about you when you're on patrol, Leia.”

Force Girl – known to those outside the League as Leia Ortega – chuckled. “I'll be fine, Your Majesty. He's the one who trained me for this! I know what I'm doing.”

“Watch out for Vader.” The White Queen's soft voice grew more serious. “He's already cut down at least six of our best agents. He's said to be invincible.”

Leia snorted. “I can deal with him. Tell Uncle Bail I'll be home by 6.”

“All right.” She added gently, “be careful. May the light be with you, my Leia.”

“And you. Over and out.” She tapped the device and saw it blink off just in time. A long plume of scorching red-gold fire nearly slammed right into her side. The glint of shiny, fireproof armor nearly blinded her. More figures, these wearing sleek white and black armor with silver jet packs and round helmets that obscured their faces, sped past her. Every single one had a light gun or a rifle. She dodged two particle light guns and two that shot water.

“Stay on her!” Vader hissed through the grill of his helmet. “Don't let her escape with those plans!”

Leia smirked under her own hood. “You'll have to catch me first, Father of Death!”

She had no sooner arrived at the city than the mountaintop less than four blocks away opened with a great roar. A thin beam of green light shot out from the mountain, hitting the scrapyard with such a tremendous impact, it broke her concentration and nearly knocked her out of the sky. Another, only slightly less powerful beam of jagged red fire nearly clipped her shoulder. “We know you have the tape, Force Girl!”

“Try again, Fire Breath!” Leia raised her hand and let loose with her own fire beam...one that was a lot stronger than she'd planned. She actually burned the top of a tree. “Damn it!” Controlling her powers was something she was still working on. She was lucky she hadn't burnt down half the city yet. She tried again, melting the jet packs of two Shadow Men and sending them down in Yavin Park before ducking into the trees.

Yavin Park was the name of both the wide-open community park alongside the Naboo River and the aging apartment buildings and eclectic collection of bookstores, coffee shops, and New Age collectives that bordered it. The area was mostly made up of artists, musicians, and poets who found the area conductive to their creativity and college students from near-by Coruscant University who were there for the cheap rents and the local dive bars and delis that sold mile-high sandwiches.

Leia landed the alley between the oldest building on the block and the row behind it. It was the same mellow old brick as the other buildings on the row, housing a tiny coffee shop, a popular deli that sold the thickest sub sandwiches in town, and a book store. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she flung the back door open and darted up the creaky old stairs, down the hall, and into the nearest bathroom. “Rudy! Rudy, I need you!”

Rudolph “Rudy” Detonski's short body was, as usual, under the sink. “Rich Girl” by Daryl Hall and John Oates blared on the transistor radio that sat on the top of the toilet. “Did it get stopped up again, Rudy?” she asked, shaking her head. “Oh, hi Charlie,” she added to Charles “Charlie” Thompson, the thin young man with the pinched face and cloud of dark brown hair who was handing a set of stubby fingers a wrench. “I thought you'd be at the office today.”

“Councilwoman Mothma gave me the afternoon off,” Charlie explained in his clipped British accent. “She was supposed to be having a meeting with Mayor Palpatine, Chief Vedder, and the rest of the city council, but it seems that the Mayor and Vedder are stuck in traffic and will be running a little late.” He frowned nervously, which was really his default expression. “Pardon me for asking, but...what are you doing here? And in costume, too! What if someone finds you?” He shuddered. “What if...Vader...finds you?”

“I'll be gone before they get ideas.” She dropped the white leather bag in Rudy's small and wet hands the moment he emerged from under the sink. “I need you to take this to The Negotiator. The White Queen says he runs a comics shop on Kirby Street in Tatoonie. You and Charlie are pretty much the only members of the League he's not on to.”

Rudy made a face. “That podunk town? What would one of the greatest Golden Age superheroes be doing running a comics shop in that place?” He was a study in contrasts to his taller friend. Short well under the average, his sharp blue eyes and silvery hair gave him the look of a dwarfish robot. His old blue and white tie dyed t-shirt and jeans were covered in grease stains.

“Probably hiding, I imagine,” Charlie sniffed. “Where better for a legend to lay low than in a 'podunk town,' as you call it?”

Leia winced and hastily pulled her hood back over the two buns on either side of her head. “I have to get going. Vader's after me. It won't take him long to figure out where I went.” There was a thunk and the hiss of jet fuel and Vader's raspy breathing. “That's him. I'll draw his fire. You two get going!”

“Eh, I'm done with this, anyway.” Rudy wrapped up the tape in the bag and shoved the bag into his tool case. “I think it's about time we got moving, before Vader realizes what this is and what really goes on here.”

“You mean...he's here?” Charlie's face went from slightly yellowish to white as a ghost. “Vader? The Father of Death? Who has burned every building in town that belonged to an owner that wouldn't pay service to his master, has been known to burn or throttle anyone he doesn't like? That Vader?”

Rudy grabbed his hand. “Aw, he not that bad, Charlie. We can handle him.” He turned to Leia. “I think we'd all better get out of here. If he finds the entrance to the secret rooms on the second floor, we're all toast.”

“I'll be on the roof.” Leia gave them both a quick hug. “May the Light be with you both!”

To Leia's relief, the only people on the roof were Vader's boys. The Shadow Men were basically lackeys, existing to do the heavy work of keeping the Empire's brand of twisted order. They could be easily distracted. She closed her eyes and focused hard on the fire burning in her hands. Her fire could be molded, like melted plastic. When it was as close as she could get to the shape of a human, she threw it in the direction of the men in the white vinyl suits and heavy helmets.

The moment they shot at the light, she blazed into action, melting the jet packs on two before making her way to the edge of the roof. As she looked down, she could see Rudy and Charlie running for their lives towards Rudy's ancient motor scooter. It was pretty much the only vehicle that his short legs could reach the pedals on. He tossed the bag in Charlie's arms, climbed on, took the controls, and grabbed his friend beside him.

The moment they took off down Siegel Avenue, Leia put out her arms and focused on lifting into the air. Her ears were so filled with the familiar rush of heat, she forgot one of the first things Uncle Bail had taught her – always be alert. Don't turn your back on your enemy for a second.

Water suddenly came pouring down over her body, dousing her flame before she could barely get started. “What in the...” She didn't have a chance to find out who attacked her. A puff of yellowish smoke hit her from behind, surrounding her before she could flee. “Sleeping...fumes...” Her eyes were lowering; legs that normally obeyed her were turning into jelly. “Must...resist...” She tried to push out one more flame, but all she got was a small spark before her legs went out from under her and her world went dark.

A metal fist slamming across her head brought her back to life. Her eyes stared into the plastic and metal abyss of a black soul...if, in fact, Vader had a soul. Which Leia suspected he didn't. “Darth Vader,” she snapped. “Father of Death. Only you could be so bold. You're lucky the cops didn't arrest you for using that insane killer ray of yours to destroy the Erso Shipyards.”

“The Empire has no fear of the police, Force Girl.” His voice rumbled like the detonation of an atom bomb. “You, on the other hand, stole something from us. I want it back. I know you're going to turn it over to that group of traitors you belong to.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Leia gave him her best nasty glare, the one that sent every other intern at Councilwoman Mothma's office running for the hills. “I work alone. The smoke from the Erso Shipyards was hard to miss. I followed it and went to help the others there.”

“Don't lie to me, girl!” Vader shook his thickly gloved finger in her face. “You are part of the Rebel League and a traitor!” He turned to his men. “Take her to the water cages at Mufasar. She'll be more willing to talk if she's powerless.” His rumble became more than a little annoyed. “I know that all too well.”

Leia kept her chin high as she struggled. She wasn't going to tell Vader what he wanted to know. That would put everyone in the entire city...and maybe the entire world...in danger. The Negotiator was their only hope. He'd once been one of the greatest super heroes in Coruscant, but people barely spoke of him outside of comic books and rumors nowadays. As two of the Shadow Soldiers bound her with khyber chains made to inhibit her powers, she internally wished for Rudy and Charlie to get very, very far away.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Even as the Soldiers carried her off towards the former Mufasar Iron Works, Rudy and Charlie were two blocks away. Rudy kicked angrily at his motorbike. Charlie sighed and crossed his arms.

“I told you to fill it with gas this morning!” The slender translator wailed. “Why do I ever listen to you? This is worse than the time you dragged me into the middle of that battle between the Jedi League and General Grevious' cyborg army at the old Fawcett Arena! They even thought I was one of the cyborgs! Do I look like a cyborg to you?”

His best friend rolled his eyes. “No. I told you not to stand there when Jedi were falling all around you. You can't shoot for beans.”

Charlie sniffed. “I did shoot the gun, didn't I?”

“Yeah. I think you might have taken out two footballs and popcorn vendor.” Rudy's blue eyes searched furtively around the road. “There has to be some way we can get to Tatoonie fast, before Vader or those idiots he calls his boys figure out where the tapes went to.”

“How?” Charlie's high tenor got whinier with every syllable. “Neither of us own a car, they discontinued the trolley line years ago, the bus won't be here for another half-hour, and we're nowhere near the train station or airport!”

“Hello there.” Rudy smirked and stuffed the tapes under his grease-smeared shirt. “I think we have our ride.” He dragged Charlie to an ancient brown delivery van with the words “Lars Furniture” scrawled across it in mustard-yellow.

“But...” Charlie didn't have the chance to protest. Rudy leaped in the passenger side and yanked him behind him.

The Rebel League and the Death Ray, Part 2

Luke Skylander turned up “Blinded By the Light” as he climbed into the front seat of the van. He swore he heard voices behind him as he was finishing out his dog-eared copy of Revenge of the Sith Knights #2. He nearly jumped a mile as a short man leaped into the passenger's seat, followed by a much taller and thinner fellow with a sallow horse-like face.

“Kid, we need your help.” The shorter man clutched a slightly singed white bag. “This is big, kid. We have to get this to the Negotiator. We were told he runs a comics shop on Kirby Street in Tatoonie.”

The young man's eyes widened. “I know that shop! Old Ben MacKenner owns it. I bought all my Jedi Knights comics from there. Which,” he added in annoyance as he tugged at a couple of what Rudy thought were magazines under him, “you are sitting on! They don't make those anymore!”

“Jedi Knights?” Rudy lifted himself enough for the blond kid to retrieve his precious comics. “You're into that, kid? Aren't you a little old for that? Besides,” he added with a cough, “that series ended twenty years ago.”

“I know guys who are older than me who read comics, and Mr. MacKenner is ancient.” Luke made a face. “Look, I have to take the van back to my uncle's. I just finished the last furniture haul of the day. After I give it to him, I'll take you to Mr. MacKenner's.”

The taller man put up a hand. “We meant no offense, lad, and we appreciate the ride.” He pulled what appeared to be a battered notebook covered in scrawls from under his behind. “By the way, my name is Charles Thompson, but most people refer to me as Charlie. You may do the same.”

“Yeah, blondie.” Rudy shook his hand while they waited for a red light. “Rudolph Detonski. Call me Rudy. It's a lot easier to say and makes me sound less like a reindeer.”

Luke gave them his sunny smile. “Luke Skylander.”

Rudy raised an eyebrow. “Any relation to Anthony Skylander?”

“He was my father.” The sunny smile dropped. “He died in a knife fight right after he came home from the Korean War, or so my uncle says. I never knew him.”

“That name,” Charlie began as he rubbed his long chin, “sounds oddly familiar...”

Rudy elbowed him. “That's because we were in his unit, remember? Snips called him Skyguy, but we usually called him Tony. He was a great guy,” he added, too quickly, “and one of my best buddies.”

“You're going to have to tell me all about him later.” Luke turned onto a dusty street lined with slightly wilted palms and mellow brick and stucco shops. “Uncle Owen and Aunt Bertha won't talk about my parents. They say my mother died giving birth to me. I didn't know her, either. I don't even have any pictures.”

“You're a lot like him,” Rudy decided. “Same wavy blond hair and blue eyes. Your smile is more like your mother's, though. She was...she was one of the good ones. Smart, gorgeous, sweet as a honeysuckle.”

Two college textbooks on engineering and a heavy book on piloting an airplane were wedged under the passenger seat. “You're attending university, I see, young Luke.” Charlie smiled approvingly. “Good for you. Have you decided on your major yet?”

Luke sighed. “Not really.” He hadn't entirely decided what he wanted to do with his life. He loved building, sure...but he also loved fantasy. If he wasn't tinkering with his uncle's van or his ancient 1950's Cadillac (it was the only thing at the used car lot he could afford), his nose was deep in the latest issue of X-Men or Justice League or Spider Man or science fiction novels with titles like The Hostage of Zir or Moonstar Odyssey. Someday, he wanted to write his own comics...or at the very least, he wanted to fly, either as a cargo pilot or in the army. If he couldn't fly a plane, he'd repair them. Anything to get him in the air!

He pulled in alongside the boxy brick building and waved to the grizzled man in the shapeless coveralls coming out of the shop. “Uncle Owen! I got the money you wanted from Mr. Carter. He was really weird about it. Sometimes, I swear that man is from Mars or something.” He handed him the purse with his uncle's half of the day's take.

“That man is always making excuses.” He frowned as he flung open the passenger side door...and two bodies tumbled out. “What in the hell is this?”

Rudy, having less leg, managed to get untangled first.”Uh, yeah, hi, Owen.” He gave the man his friendliest smile. “Long time, no see. Didn't realize this was your nephew. He's a good kid. He was nice enough to give us a ride.”

“Detonski.” Owen glared at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you were with those nutjobs back in Coruscant.” He turned his angry face on Luke. “And what are you doing picking up hitchhikers?”

“With all due respect, sir,” Charlie tried to explain, “it was really our faults. We needed a ride and jumped into the nearest car. It was quite wrong of us.”

Luke shrugged. “I didn't mind driving them. No harm done.”

“Gentlemen,” Charlie went on in his most fastidious accent, “we don't have the time for argument. We're hardly hitchhikers. It's of the utmost importance that we find a comics shop on Kirby Street and talk to its owner.”

“I know that shop!” Luke's grin almost split his face. “I can drive you there. Ben's kind of like a hermit, but...”

Owen rolled his eyes. “Have you been wasting your money on comics again? I've told you to focus on your studies. The Negotiator is just a character, not some hero. Real heroes don't hide behind masks and swords.”

“Uncle Owen,” Luke started, “I am focusing on my studies! Comics are just a way for me to relax, that's all.” He stuck his chin in the air. “And The Negotiator and the Hero Without Fear are real heroes, Uncle. In the comics, they saved thousands of lives during World War II and the Korean War.”

“So you say.” His uncle waved his hand in his face. “I want you to stay away from that shop. MacKenner is just a crazy old man, and the Negotiator is a fake character from a dumb kid's book. I don't want you in that part of town. There's drug deals that go on there. You could get shot, or mugged, or murdered. That's where your father...where he died.”

Luke's eyes shined. “Do you think Ben might have known my father?”

“Just forget about it.” Owen made a face. “Let these two take the bus down there, if they want to get killed.”

“We don't have time for that!” Charlie wailed. “This is of the utmost importance to national security, sir! People's lives may be in danger!”

While they were arguing, Rudy had edged over to the van. Luke turned around, just in time to see him jump into the driver's side. “Hey!” He ran over, just in time to see the van swing away from the curb and head down Palm and around the corner.

“What's he doing?” Charlie screeched. “He doesn't know where he's going!”

“Plus, he just stole my van!” Owen added angrily.

“All my Jedi Knights comic books were in there!” Luke added in a near-whine.

Owen turned his glare to Luke. “How did he manage to do that, boy?”

His nephew's tanned cheeks turned scarlet. “I may have left the keys in there when the guys fell out.”

“Mr. Skylander,” Charlie went on hastily, “if I may apologize for my companion, Rudy has always been a bit of a problem. Even I can't understand his logic at times. I think it might be his age.”

“We may be able to follow him in my car,” Luke insisted. “Just let me change and get a few things.” Luke rushed upstairs to the apartment as Charlie settled down next to the counter in the well-stocked shop.

On the way out, he nearly ran into Aunt Bertha in the kitchen. Her fingers moved deftly across her bamboo cutting board as she chopped onions and boiled bow-tie pasta for her spring pasta salad. Luke's mouth watered as he pulled on his jacket and snitched two Crunchy Jumble Cookies with chocolate chips and Rice Krispies.

“Luke,” she said without looking over her shoulder, “if you're going to snitch from the cookie jar, give two to your uncle, too. He needs the energy as much as you. He still has two chairs and a side table to work on tonight.”

“I won't forget.” He hoped he didn't see him snitch a third one and stick it in his pocket. “Aunt Bertha,” he added quickly as he swallowed his cookie, “what would you say to me moving out on my own? Almost everyone I know has their own place. I'm the only one still at home.”

“I'd say it's about time.” She turned around to him in her plaid shirt and blue jacket, smiling warmly. “You've grown up so fast. I remember when I held you in my arms for the first time. My heart just melted. And now...college. I'm so proud of you, Luke.” She warmly ruffled his hair...but her smile fell. “The one you have to convince is Owen. He had hopes that you'd stay and take over the shop. He only let you go to college to begin with for the business courses.”

“Hey!” Luke tried desperately to smooth down his already-messy golden mane. “Aunt Bertha, why won't he let that go? I'm not interested in business. I want to build things, fly planes. I could join the Air Force. I just turned 19 in April. I'm of age.”

Bertha sighed. “We'll talk to him about it later, all right? You just be careful out there.” She raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing out there, anyway?”

“Driving a few friends across town.” He started backing away before he had to explain anything else. “I'll see you later! Won't be long!” The older woman just shook his head as he bumped into the counter and stumbled out the back door.

When he emerged downstairs twenty minutes later, he sported an old plaid shirt over a Howard the Duck t-shirt, bell-bottom jeans, and sneakers. A set of keys jangled in his fingers. “Uncle Owen, I already told Aunt Bertha where I was going. I'm going to take the Caddy. I'll be back as soon as we find Mr. Detonski.”

“You do that, boy.” Owen sighed. “You know I worry about you, Luke. You and Bertha are all the family I have left since my father died. I know all the crazy stuff you do with Biggs Darkman. I'm well aware of how you got the dent in the Caddy.”

“I'll be all right, Uncle Owen.” Luke climbed into the slightly dented 1957 Cadillac on the curb with a sigh. “I won't be racing anyone for a long time. Brian joined the army. He's at the Naboo Air Force Base. He might as well be on another planet.”

“I've told you, studies first. You're going to make something of yourself, Luke.” Owen poked his head in as he turned the motor. “I want you back in a half-hour or less.”

The engine starting nearly drowned out Luke's sigh. “All right, Uncle Owen.”

“I'm sorry about all this,” Charlie started again as the Caddy swung down Palm towards Ditko Avenue and around a shadowy corner to Atlas Boulevard. “We do need to find the Negotiator, but not by taking other people's property.”

“It's my fault. I shouldn't have left the keys in the car.” Kirby Street, with its older brick buildings filled with dingy stores and trash-strewn lots, came into view. Luke saw the back-end of a familiar brown van. “There he is! If I can get there in time, we might be able to cut him off.”

Luke swung the Caddy just as the van turned down an alley lined with metal trash cans between a Mexican grocery store and a gift shop that, from their window, mainly dealt in toys of a sexual nature. He leaped out, followed by Charlie, as Rudy got out of the van.

“Where do you think you're going?” The younger man with the thick blond hair glared at him. “My uncle's livid about you stealing my van.”

“Look, shorty, I have to get to the Negotiator.” Rudy waved the bag. “It's important!”

“I'm sorry,” Luke began, “but he's a character in the Jedi Knights comics. He doesn't exist.”

“He might not,” squawked Charlie, “but those men out there do!” He pointed to the nine young men in frayed jeans and dirty jackets with “Tusken Raiders” spelled out on the back, sporting what looked like ancient goggles and masks they probably stole from Fury Army Supply Store on the next block. They carried knives in their pockets and baseball bats over their shoulders.

Rudy groaned. “Great. Of all the times to have left my tools in the van!”

“Now, hold on fellas,” Luke started, putting up his hands. “We don't want any trouble.”

“You're in our turf now, shrimp.” The tallest and the strongest took a swing at him with his bat. “Get lost.”

Luke barely managed to duck away, grabbing the top of a trash can and throwing it at one of the men. It did knock him the ground, but two more jumped at him. “Well,” he admitted sheepishly to Rudy, “it always worked for Captain America.”

“Yeah, shorty,” Rudy grumbled as he ducked under one of their legs, “but you ain't Cap. Right now, anyway.” He kicked one man in the rear, barely missing the knife coming at him.

Charlie was hidden behind two trash cans. “Oh, hurt them! Don't let them get near me! I'm too young and handsome to die!”

“Ehh, they wouldn't want your skinny ass anyway, you coward.” Rudy flung over two trash cans onto them before one grabbed him by his collar and shoved him into the wall.

Luke had found an old mop in the trash and was trying to use it a weapon. This was everything he'd dreamed of, fighting crime and cleaning up the city...but it was harder than it looked! The punk moved fast. He managed to sweep his leg under Luke, knocking him to the concrete and breaking the mop in two.

“Say uncle, dickhead.” The gang leader was just about to stab him when what sounded like a voice through a megaphone blared through the alley, accompanied by a cop siren.

“All right!” The crisp English accent growled. “Tusken Raiders, you are under arrest! Come out with your hands up!”

“Shit!” The tallest jumped away. “The cops!” He stumbled away from Luke, nearly tripping over one of his men. “Let's get the hell out of here!”

Luke was still seeing stars when a hand reached behind his back. “Careful there, lad. You've had a busy day. You're fortunate to be in one piece.” Old Ben MacKenner, clad in tan slacks and a long, shapeless brown sweater that looked more like an old robe or cape, helped him to his feet. Deep blue eyes stared intently from under silvery brows and silver hair.

“Ben?” The youth leaned against the van, rubbing his head and squinting. “Boy, am I glad to see you. We could have been killed!”

“The Jutland District is not to be traveled lightly.” Ben joined Luke on the hood of the van. “What brings you out here, lad? I'm not expecting the new Avengers and Ms. Marvel titles for another three days.”

Rudy emerged from the wall, rubbing his own back. “It was my fault, Negotiator. I sort-of swiped Owen's van. I've got a message for you from Force Girl and the White Queen.”

“Negotiator?” Luke's eyes widened, and his mouth nearly hit the van. “You? You're the Negotiator? But Uncle Owen said he doesn't exist!”

“He doesn't. Well, not anymore.” Ben sighed and put his arm around Luke. “I think we'd better discuss this inside. The Raiders will run when they hear a police siren, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers.”

A pair of wide amber eyes poked out from behind the trash cans. “Is it safe to come out now?”

“Yes, Charlie.” Rudy made a face. “You can stop being a coward now. The Negotiator scared all the nasty gang members away.”

Charlie emerged from the cans, brushing the banana peels and old newspapers off his yellow plaid shirt. “Mr. MacKenner! What brings you to this god-awful spot?”

Ben sighed. “We'll explain that inside.”

The Rebel League and the Death Ray, Part 3

Luke stepped into the interior of one of his favorite places. Every inch of the long, cramped room was covered in crates and boxes of comics. There were reprints, titles dating back to before the war. The racks on the walls were lined with the latest titles. Ben had everything. Horror and mystery comics by Gold Key, romance, Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge. He was tempted to see if there was a reprint of his favorite Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic, The Golden Helmet, around.

Charlie wandered to the back end, where several battered recliners and tables were set up for people to read. “If you don't mind, I'd like to relax for a while. All this rushing about has frankly left me exhausted.”

“Sure. Go ahead.” The young man shrugged as he browsed through one of the boxes. The voices of Ben and Rudy looking for Ben's old tape player behind his ratty plywood counter vaguely reached his ears. He was about to pull out one of the Donald Duck comics when something familiar caught his eye.

“The Jedi Knights.” He read the faded blue ink script on the paper tabs between comic collections. “I can't believe it! This must be the whole run.” Ben watched as the young man flipped excitedly through the contents, reading each title as he dropped it on the crate next to him. “The Hero Without Fear? He's my favorite! And the Purple Warrior! Oh, and Aalaya Secura, the Mistress of the Blade, and Yoda, the Grand Master. And there's even the one about little Caleb, who could turn into Captain Incredible. And the Negotiator...”

Ben smiled at Luke's enthusiasm. “I see you're a great fan of my work.”

That brought him up from the crate, clutching a ratty copy of Whiz-Bang Stories #11. “You wrote these? You're the creator of the Jedi Knights?”

“Actually, we all worked on them.” Ben sighed. “They're...about our exploits. We wrote them during and after World War II.”

That brought him behind the counter. He dropped his stack on the Formica top, then pulled up a chair. “You fought in World War II? And who's 'we?' The rest of your team?”

Rudy threw an arm around Ben. It barely reached his back. “We both did, shorty. In fact, we all did. Charlie was barely more n' your age then.”

His friend made a face. “Please don't remind me. I was traumatized enough with being involved with the war as it was.”

“I haven't used the name 'Negotiator' since before you were born, Luke.” The floor under Ben creaked as he leaned back in his chair. “Luke,” he added softly, “your father Anthony...he was the Hero With No Fear.”

“You're kidding.” Luke's jaw nearly dislocated from dropping so far. “My father wasn't a superhero. He was a foreman at the Mufasar Iron Works.”

Ben's breath drew in a bit at the mention of the Iron Works, but he just sounded annoyed when he continued. “That's Owen talking. His only powers are being stubborn as a brick and making quality furniture. He didn't hold with your father's ideals, or his abilities, for that matter. He wanted him to stay home and weld chair legs together, not run around and help the innocent.”

“I wish I'd known him.” Luke scooted closer as Rudy fiddled with Ben's tape player.

“He was the best friend I ever had, and an incredible partner.” The old man pulled a crate into his lap. “His powers were fire-based, mainly. He could create fire with just his hands, could blow it, could burn or heal anything in his path, depending on how hot he made the flame.”

An older Jedi Knights comic landed in Luke's lap. “There. Whiz Bang Comics, #3. That's where your father made his first appearance, when he was only 9.” The older man chuckled. “He was my sidekick then. Blazing Boy. We first called him Blazing Man when he came of age, but when that name was taken, he became the Hero With No Fear.”

“This is just...so much.” Luke paged through the comics, with Charlie peering over his shoulder. “I never dreamed that all of this was real.”

“Not only is it real, but you have those powers too, Luke.” Ben went to the back of the store, moving two crates and a box of back issues of The Fantastic Four. “I have something here. I wanted to give it to you when you were old enough, but your uncle said no. He feared it would distract you from your studies.”

Luke's eyes widened at the beautiful blue-bladed sword Ben pulled out of an old leather case. “Where did you get that? I know that sword. That's Blue Fire, the Hero With No Fear's Khyber Crystal blade. He slew Count Dooku of SITH and helped liberate Ryloth, France with that sword!”

“Well, this is one of them, anyway. He had the habit of losing them or breaking them. It's the last one he had, before...” Ben's voice caught in his throat as he handed it to Luke. “Well, my boy, go on. Give it a try.”

The moment Luke's hand touched the silver handle, he felt a...a jolt. Like something warm inside him, something long dormant, was finally awakening from a long slumber. Warm air and soft blue light circled his hands, eventually flowing over his body. To his shock, a blue light blew across the room like a tornado, sending boxes of comics flying and every single item on the counter and shelves onto the floor.

Charlie dove under the nearest table. “It's a tornado! Take cover!”

“No, it's...it's just me.” Luke's eyes were as big as blue porcelain saucers. He lifted the blue sword to the one sun beam coming from the dusty window in the back of the store. The moment the light hit the sword, it blasted into the counter, burning a substantial chunk of plywood and metal.

He jumped back from the beam in horror. “I'm sorry, Ben! Really, I am! My uncle should have a table at the shop that'll replace the counter, or I can make one...”

Charlie's lanky frame quivered under the table. “Is it safe to come out now?”

“Yeah, brave boy.” Rudy scooted over to retrieve his friend. “The light's gone.”

He scurried from under the table as fast as his long legs could carry him. “How did you do that, Luke? I didn't see you do anything like that before!”

“I didn't know I could do that!” Luke wailed, nearly falling into a chair. “This is so incredible.”

“Perhaps it's time we listened to that tape,” Ben insisted, “before something else happens with anyone's powers.” Rudy gave him a thumbs-up and hit the orange play button on the grimy cassette player. “I've been wondering what brought you here, besides buying comics.”

Luke put the sword aside and sat down next to Ben at the remains of the counter, avoiding the the smoking bits. “I'm wondering the same thing. They mentioned the message was really top-secret, like something out of a James Bond movie or something.”

“James Bond?” Rudy muttered. “More like Wonder Woman, shorty.”

The voice that spoke from the turning reels was the rich, warm contralto of a young woman. “General Kenobi,” she said with some urgency, “you served in my uncle Bail Ortega's unit with distinction during World War II. Now he calls on you for an equally desperate challenge. You must see to it that the plans for Vader's new Death Star weapon is delivered safely to my uncle at his mansion in Aldera Hills. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Negotiator. You're my only hope.”

“She has a beautiful voice.” Luke sat listening rapturously, his eyes never leaving the player. “She should be on the stage.”

“She's Force Girl.” Ben ejected the tape as it ran out. “A member of the Rebel League. You may have heard a bit about them.”

“The Rebel League?” Luke nearly fell out of his chair. “I've heard about them! They're the only people who fight against that Darth Vader character who attacked members of Coruscant City's council and destroyed and ransacked a lot of major tech and computer programming labs in Hosnia. Some of my friends say they've been personally rescued by them. Uncle Owen says they're meddlers, but I think they're brave. Vader would have caused a lot more damage if it wasn't for them.”

“No kidding.” Rudy patted the bag on his side. “The plans are right here on tape. They have some of those new, up-to-date computers with the square floppy discs insteada those big hard drive boxes. You wouldn't believe how many secrets you can store on these babies.”

The old man handed Luke the sword. “You'll learn the ways of the Force powers, lad. My abilities are mainly mental, and if you're anything like your father, you probably picked up a bit of telekinesis as well. I'll tell you more about it on the way to Aldera Hills.”

“Aldera Hills? That's all the way uptown!” Luke stood, checking his watch. “I've got to get home. I'm late enough as it is. I'll never hear the end of this from Uncle Owen.”

“I need your help, Luke. Force Girl and the Rebel League need your help.” Ben nodded at the tape. “I'm getting too old for this sort of thing.”

“Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead Township,” Luke eventually admitted. “You can get a bus there to Aldera Hills, or wherever you're going.”

Ben just sighed. “I know you're worried about your uncle. You have family. You do what you feel is right.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

They'd barely gotten on the road in the Corvette when Luke heard the sirens and pulled aside. Three cop cars and a fire truck sped by them. “What's going on here?” Charlie asked nervously. “It looks more like a chase scene from a film than a day in a small town!”

“Fire. There must be. I wonder what's burning down?” Luke poked his head out the window as he turned his car onto Kirby Street. “I hope they're all right. Some of these buildings are pretty old. I know they don't have sprinkler systems.”

Ben's eyes widened as he poked his head out the front passenger side. “Luke, that smoke looks like it's coming from Palm Street! Which block do you and your aunt and uncle live on?”

“Shit!” Luke stepped on the gas, sending the car skidding around the curb and racing across Simon Boulevard. “If the fire spreads to the shop, it'll go up like a matchstick. Uncle Owen keeps a ton of flammable woodworking stuff down there, including most of the wood and furniture.”

Luke figured he was lucky that he didn't get a ticket, but at that point, he didn't care. Uncle Owen may have been stubborn and Aunt Bertha thought he was her little boy, but they were the closest things he had to real parents. The Caddy sped by a garbage truck manned by a couple of short guys in mud brown jumpsuits and three snazzy white Corvette Stingrays filled with men in white and black suits before nearly flying onto Palm Street.

He managed to wedge between two cop cars and a fire truck as he pulled up next to the shop. A thick plume of gray smoke wafted out of the roof as the local volunteer firefighter squad battled the flames that licked the windows. Luke shoved his way out of the car and pushed between people, looking for his aunt and uncle.

Aunt Bertha was sitting on a gurney, wrapped in a slightly ratty blue and green calico quilt. She held Uncle Owen's hand...but his squint would never look into her brown orbs again. Red blotches stood out from under the thin sheet, and his skin had the pasty look of newly-mixed whitewash paint.

“Aunt Bertha!” He stumbled into her arms. “Are you all right? What happened? Who did this to Uncle Owen?”

“Luke!” Bertha held him as hard as she could. “Thank god you're alive!” Her cherubic face was smeared with soot, but all Luke cared about was she was warm and alive. “I don't care what Owen thought of Ben. I'm glad you went to him.” Luke let her hold him as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

“They came two minutes after you left.”

He gulped back a sob in his aunt's arms. “Who? Who came?”

“The Shadow Men. Some people call them the Shadow Warriors. The Empire's men. I've seen their pictures in the papers.” She squeezed Owen's hand. “He told me to hide in the basement. I took the back way out as soon as I heard the shots. They were asking him about two men and a bag of tapes...”

“Aunt Bertha,” Luke took her by the shoulders, “we know about the tapes. They're in our hands. We're going to get them to the Rebel League. That's all I can tell you.”

The older woman gently chuckled, shaking her head. “Luke, I do read the papers. I watch the nightly news. I know all about Vader and his Empire. I know they want to take over the City. Owen liked to think he was shielding you and me from the world, but I knew better. No one can hide forever.”

“What are you going to do?” Tears burst in a flood down Luke's tanned cheeks. “Where will you go?”

“I have friends on the other side of town. I'll stay with them until things are settled.” Her smile was shaky. “I'm stronger than I look.” It fell the moment her eyes returned to her husband's form. “He would have wanted you to be happy, Luke. I think he would have understood eventually about you wanting to move out. About how you had to fly.”

Luke gave her one last hug. “I'll find who did this, Aunt Bertha. I'll find who ordered Uncle Owen killed, and I'll help Ben get those tapes into the right hands.” He thought of telling her about his powers right then and there, but a police officer tapped her on her shoulder to get a statement. She gave her nephew a kiss on his cheek and let the officer lead her away.

He was about to return to Ben when a towering young woman pushed her way over to him. “Hello? Mr. Lars?” Her scarlet tresses fell in flowing waves down her back, pulled back with simple clips. She wore a dark teal spring suit with black accents that brought out the emerald green in her eyes. Cherry-red lips hovered over a microphone tagged with a Channel 11 block. “My name is Mara Jadeson. I'd like to have a few words with you about the fire.”

“I'm sorry,” Luke muttered, pulling back. “First of all, my last name is Skylander, not Lars. I was his nephew. Second, I wasn't here when it happened. I was...visiting a friend.” He tried to ignore the hot flame rising in his cheeks and his heart thumping in time with “Undercover Angel” blasting from the pizza parlor across the street. “I don't know what happened here. Only what my aunt says.”

“I already talked to Mrs. Lars. She told me men in white and black suits shot her husband and burned her home.” Her pale aquiline nose sniffed. “I doubt that. She must have seen something else in all the smoke. It was probably one of those gangs that hang out down on Kirby and Simon.”

“No!” Luke glared at her. “My aunt wouldn't lie. If she saw Imperials killing my uncle, then I believe her. Besides, the gangs wouldn't have anything to do with us.”

Her crimson lips turned up in a smirk. “Maybe that uncle of yours owed them money.”

“Uncle Owen wasn't like that!” His heart was pounding so hard, he was sure she could hear it over the noise from the fire trucks and the music. “He owed the usual mortgage on the shop, but nothing worse than that. What are you doing here, anyway? Why don't you go chase an ambulance or something?”

She waved the microphone under his nose. “Is that all you have to say for the audience, Mr. Skylander?”

“Yes.” He wished he could blow her off the face of the planet. He settled for touching her microphone and letting a sunbeam fry it. She let out a shriek as the crackling energy caused it to smoke and dropped it, blowing on her fingers. “Now, go chase a real story and stop bothering decent, normal people!” He finally shoved away from her, wiping fiercely at his watery eyes. He didn't think she was cute at all. He did NOT. She was a meddling busybody with no respect for people who just suffered a huge loss.

Ben made his way through the crowd to the sobbing youth. “There's nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You might have been shot or burned to death, too, and those tapes would be in Vader's hands.”

The boy wiped his stinging red-rimmed eyes fiercely with the back of his hand. “Teach me everything you know about these powers, Ben. I want to be as great of a hero as my father.”

Maybe it was his imagination, but he swore Ben winced at the mention of his father being a great hero. “We're going to have to be more wary of women like Mara Jadeson. Not only is she one of the lead anchors on the Channel 11 Nightly News, but she's also Mayor Stephan Palpatine's ward and right-hand woman. Anything she finds out eventually returns to him.”

Rudy whistled, his blue eyes shining. “Too bad you pissed her off, shorty. She's cute.”

“She is not cute!” Luke flushed even redder. “She thought Uncle Owen owed someone money!”

“We'll deal with her later.” Ben lead Luke to the car. “Right now, we're going to talk to a young man who's done some work for me in the past. He owes me a favor. He may be able to help us.”

Charlie easily kept up with him, thanks to his long, skinny legs in their mustardy plaid bell-bottoms. “I' sure anyone you know would be a good, solid, trustworthy gentleman.”

The older man chuckled. “I'm not sure I'd call him that. He usually hangs out at the Mos Eisley Cantina on Kane Avenue.”

The Rebel League and the Death Ray, Part 4

As it turned out, the Cantina was two streets down from Ben's shop. It was Tatoonie's red-light district, or the closest thing it had to one. Every building was a relic from a hundred years before, with faded bricks and peeling paint. The neon signs advertising cheap bars, liquor stores, girlie clubs, and pawn shops sizzled as they blinked over the pimps, hustlers, and punks on the streets.

“Mos Eisley District.” Ben moved his wallet to his front pocket as he emerged from the passenger's side. “You will never find a more wretched hide of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”

Luke wrinkled his nose at the dilapidated corner bar with the slightly tattered green awnings. “Are you really sure we'll find your friend here?”

“Most of the men here are willing to be hired for certain...side jobs, for a price.” He put a hand on Luke's shoulder. “Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough.”

The boy lifted his chin proudly. “I'm ready for anything.”

“We're not.” Charlie grabbed Rudy by his collar. “There's no way we're going into that awful place. It looks terribly seedy. Why, the whole building could fall down around our ears at any minute!”

“I agree.” Ben nodded. “Stay and look after the car. And lock yourselves in. You saw what happened with the Tusken Raiders earlier. There's worse things on the streets than them.”

Charlie gulped. “I can see your point, sir. We'll lock the doors tight and only open them to you and Luke/” He had to drag a protesting Rudy away before the other two headed into the heavy black-lacquered wooden door.

The narrow room was so smoky, Luke had to swat a puff away before he could see much besides outlines. A couple of bald guys in rusty black suits played “It's Only Rock and Roll” by the Rolling Stones. The furnishings mainly consisted of a scarred bar with cracked olive-green vinyl stools and matching booths whose seats were pitted with burns and permanent marker graffiti. The customers crowded at the bar were even scarier than the ones outside. Every single one was easily bigger than Luke both ways, clad in greasy jean jackets, battered leather jackets, or loose tank tops that showed off hairy chests. The few women were even tougher than the men, or sitting in their laps.

Luke was surprised to see a big furry mutt of a dog go bounding into Ben and nearly land him on the floor. He petted the creature and whispered at where its ears probably were. It was fascinating, how Ben appeared to almost be able to communicate with it. The dog whined and pointed a paw at the booth in the back.

Luke had just ordered a Brown Derby Beer when he was jostled by a little man on the stool next to him. The fellow had a head as bald as the guys on the stage and bug eyes that looked like they were about to fall out of his head. The youth suspected he'd just been in the bathroom with some pretty interesting drugs, maybe heroin. “My friend doesn't like you.” He indicated the man next to him, a frizzy-haired gentleman with a nose that looked like Jack Nicholson's in Chinatown after the thugs got through with him. “I don't like you, either. We're wanted criminals, pal. You'd best keep your mind on that little pansy drink of yours.”

It was suddenly getting a little too close in here for Luke. “I'm sorry.” He shrank away as best he could.

“That's not good enough.” The little man was starting to resemble a frog, complete with a long, sticky tongue that kept licking his lips. “You're gonna be dead, brat.”

Ben suddenly appeared from nowhere with the dog by his side. “This little one isn't worth the trouble. Let me buy you a whiskey...”

Everything happened so quickly. Luke jumped away the moment the frog man whipped out a gun. Before he could use it, Ben had a khyber sword of his own out. A neon blue glow briefly lit up the room before the man stumbled out, screaming over a bloody hand.

Luke stumbled into Ben in horror. “What happened? Ben...Ben, how did you...”

“That's one of the things I'll be teaching you.” He narrowed his eyes and whipped his head to take in the rest of the crowd. “Anyone else want trouble?” Luke had never seen people back away from someone so fast.

“This is Chewbacca.” Ben stroked the huge dog's soft fur. “His owner may be able to help us get to Aldera Hills undetected.”

The dog's owner sat in the shadowy corner bar. Battered cowboy boots were propped up on the tables. “Damn, Ben.” His slightly nasal drawl reeked of the Midwestern Rust Belt. “I thought you only kept that little rock stick around to scare off burglars. Where'd you learn how to do that, the Lord of the Rings books?” The man was tall and handsome, with messy auburn hair, almond-shaped hazel eyes that twinkled in amusement, and a small, sardonic smile. His collarless white button-down shirt was open half-way down, revealing considerable chest hair. A black cotton vest lead to a belt with a buckle larger than his head and a pair of dirty blue jeans.

“I've studied that all my life, Harris.” Ben swiped at his leg. “And please get your feet off the table. It's uncivilized.”

“Who wants to be civilized?” The man smirked at Luke, but he did remove his feet.. “Harris Arietta, kid.” He patted the dog under the table. “And this is Chewbacca. I've been told you guys need my...particular expertise...to get across town.”

“I know you still have that van of yours...and all the equipment in it.” Ben leaned across the table. “We need to get to Aldera Hills, the mansion of Bail and Breha Ortega in the Aldera Heights district.”

“That fancy part of town?” Harris raised an eyebrow as he slugged back a shot of bourbon. “Can't you just take a bus?”

Ben sighed. “Let's just say we'd like to avoid any entanglements with Vader and his Empire. Besides, neither the bus nor the train would be fast enough. This must be done as quickly and discreetly as possible.”

The springs in the ancient booth creaked as Harris leaned back. “That's the real trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you extra this time, Ben. I want ten thousand. In advance.”

“Ten thousand?” Luke snapped. “We could buy our own fast car for that!”

Harris directed that little smirk at him. “But I'll bet it wouldn't have the kind of gear my Millennium Falcon has.” Chewbacca growled from under the table. His owner gave him half of his hamburger.

“It's good enough!” Luke started to stand, but Ben pulled him back down. “We don't have to stay and listen to this!”

Ben patted his shoulder before returning to Harris. “We can pay you three thousand now,” he insisted. “Plus another four thousand when we reach Aldera Hills. The Ortegas are one of the wealthiest families in the city. Bail is a district attorney, and his wife is one of the queens of city society.”

“Seven thousand, huh?” Harris' brows furrowed as he appeared to think it over. “All right. You boys got yourselves a driver. Meet me at the parking lot of the Quality Hotel a couple of blocks down the street in about an hour.” Chewbacca whined under the table and pawed his owner's leg. “Looks like someone's taking an interest in your handy work there, old man.” Harris nodded at the men in white jumpsuits and helmets who were asking people at the bars questions.

Chewie climbed onto the booth as Luke and Ben hurried off. “Seven thousand? Just to help them get across town? Ben must be really desperate. This could really save our necks, boy.” Chewbacca looked up, his ears flattening. He growled as another figure, this one in a cheap pale green leisure suit, took Ben's place in the booth.

“Well, hello there, Arietta,” the man sneered, his short black pistol trained on Harris. “You know the boss wants that money, and he wanted it last week. And what Jake Hunter wants, he gets. Or you and that furry mountain down there get a long walk off a short pier at Endor Amusements.”

“I have the money, Greenie. Or I will, once I take a couple of guys across town.” Harris reached into his pocket for his own gun. “Tell Jake...”

“Jake's through with you and your mouth.” Greenie's fluffy red curls bobbed with every word. All his freckles stood out on his long and slightly greenish face. “He has no use for guys who don't bring in their deliveries on time.”

Harris made a face. “Even I get stopped by the cops every now and then. Do you think I had a choice about dumping the coke?”

“Tell that to Jake.” Greenie smirked. “He may only take that rusting hulk you call a van.”

The man in the cowboy boots narrowed his eyes. “Over my dead body.”

“That's the idea.” Greenie waved the gun, snuffling that long, straight nose of his. “I've been waiting for a long time to do this.”

Harris grinned. “Yeah, I'll bet you have.”

It was too dark for anyone to see what happened clearly after the guns went off and Chewie let out a howl. Later, when the Shadow Men asked the bar patrons who killed whom, some would say Harris shot Greenie first. Others claimed Greenie shot first, but missed Harris.

At any rate, Harris was the only one who walked out. He settled his straw cowboy hat on his head and tossed a few coins to the bartender. “Sorry about the mess.” No one got near him or Chewbacca as they sauntered to the street together.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Are you sure about this?” Luke asked Ben as they walked out of the Coruscant Savings Bank on the other side of town. “That's your life savings!”

The older man sighed as they returned to Luke's car. “Everyone has two or three mortgages nowadays, Luke. It'll be enough.”

“I'd sell my car, but it's not in the best shape, and my aunt uses it, too.” Luke made a face. “How well do you know this Harris person? Is his van really that fast?”

Ben shrugged. “He claims it is. I've never seen it. He usually parked it in the lot in back of the shop when he built my display racks.” He tucked the folded envelope with the check in his pocket. “I don't really know that much about him. He didn't talk much when he was working for me.”

The Quality Hotel was just two steps above a flophouse. Harris was leaning over the hood of the most dilapidated Volkswagon van Luke had ever seen. The words “Millennium Falcon” were spray-painted in silver and red across the dirty white sides. “What a piece of junk!” Luke whined. “And we're going to Aldera Hills in that?”

Harris shut the hood, giving him that little smirk. “You'd be surprised, kid. She can do up to 110 on the open highway. I once did the Kessel Run in less than three minutes in this baby.” He tugged open the side door, then opened the passenger door and let the dog in. “We're a little rushed, so if everyone would just get a move on.” He shook his head as Rudy made for the passenger door. “Sorry, short stuff. Chewie's my co-pilot. He gets shotgun.”

Rudy started to protest, but a laser shot at his feet ended his complaints quickly. Five Shadow Men in gleaming black and white armor landed near the van, their shining outfits a glaring contrast to the rusted van. Even as they took more shots at the back, Harris got the engine going, and the car roared to life and out of the parking lot.

They didn't get further than the Siegal Expressway before Harris caught sight of three white and black Corvette Stingrays, shooting laser bullets that nearly melted his tires. “Our passengers must be hotter than I thought,” he muttered as Chewie whined in the red upholstered seat next to him. “I'm gonna try to lose 'em. Hold on, boy.”

“Why don't you outrun them?” Luke complained as he popped his head through the tattered curtain that separated the front seats from the back area. “I thought you said this thing was fast!”

“Watch your mouth, boy, or I'm dumping you right here.” Harris shoved open a panel in the front...revealing a series of blinking knobs, dials, and computer screens that were far more sophisticated than the kind of equipment normally found in a VW bus. “We'll be fine once I get the turbo engines warmed up. Besides, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. We'll lose 'em.”

A flick of a switch, and black goop spewed onto the highway behind them. Two of the Stingrays managed to avoid it, but one took it too fast and wound up spinning into two cars and a guard rail. Harris just barely avoided another car as he turned off the Expressway, trying to lead them away from busy roads and onto side streets.

“Ohhhh!” Charlie's yellowish face was now a shade of pea-green more commonly seen in canned pea soup. “Please don't take the turns so quickly! My stomach can't handle the rattling! I get motion sickness easily!”

Harris rolled his eyes. “There's a bucket under the sink if he needs to use it. Just hold on back there.”

He winced as one of the Stingrays slammed into their backside. “Oh damn!” Luke peered out a window. “They're riding our tail! That's a nasty dent on that...”

“Probably no worse than all the other dents it has.” Harris yanked at a lever. The bumper suddenly jumped out on metal arms, shoving the Thunderbird off the road. It careened through a park and ended up in a duck pond, covered with weeds and droppings from angry fowl.

Chewie howled as the last Thunderbird shoved into the side of the van, sending everyone and everything the back to the floor. Harris growled, quickly checking one of the blinking screens. Then the light for the engine flashed, and the engine made a roar that sounded more like Godzilla eating Tokyo.

“Darn it! Think I bruised my elbow pretty good...” Luke was rubbing his arm as he popped his head in again. “What's that flashing?”

Harris slapped his pointed finger. “The Turbo engine is ready to go. Tell everyone to get strapped in back there.”

He'd just managed to get his seat belt on when the bus blasted forward! It swept across Landis Lane and through the Harvey Acres Mall parking lot, scaring more than a few shoppers. Even the Stingrays couldn't keep up with them. It was finally left far behind as Harris swung back on the Siegal Expressway.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Leia was getting very tired of sitting. She'd been tied to the soaking-wet chair in the otherwise-empty room for nearly two hours now. Water occasionally sprayed over her in a soft mist from the old sprinkler system. Other than her and the sprinklers, the room was empty. They were at a factory, probably one of the abandoned hulks in the Mimban district, if the view of corroded pipes and crumbling brick she could see out the windows was any indication. Attempts to use her powers had lead her nowhere. Water flooded the room up to her ankles, probably coming from the near-by Hosnia River.

“Dr. Tarkin.” She snarled as the skeletal older man in the gray suit strutted in, followed by Vader in his shiny black suit and mask. “Or should I call you The Doctor of Death? I'd long suspected you were holding Vader's leash. Should have recognized that smell of formaldahyde the moment they dropped me in here. What poor slob have you been experimenting on this time?”

The thin older doctor took her round cheeks between his fingers. “Isn't she charming, Vader? She always was. It's too bad she's going to be caught in a little...accident...with the sprinkler valves here.”

Leia narrowed her eyes. “You can do what you want, both of you. You can't intimidate every single business in town. The tighter you hold, the more businesses will slip through your fingers.”

“Perhaps.” The two men turned to the cracked windows with a panoramic view of the valley. “Since you're reluctant to tell us where the tapes are hidden, we're going to do another practice of our magnificent new Death Star ray in the valley area. Say, around Aldera Hills?”

“No!” Leia nearly shouted. “It's a residential area! People live there! You can't...”

Tarkin glared at her. “You would prefer a less high-profile target, Force Girl? Then tell me where those tapes are.”

“Dantoonie,” she muttered, looking at the floor, anywhere but at Tarkin. “They're in Dantoonie, off Claremont Drive.”

The older man pulled back, sneering at Vader. “See? She can be reasonable.” He turned to the man in the gray jumpsuit behind him. “You may fire when ready.”

Leia's jaw nearly hit the floor. “WHAT?!”

“Dantoonie is too far out of range to make an effective show.” He yanked Leia by the hair. “We'll show the rest of Coruscant what happens when you go against the Empire.”

“No!” Leia struggled wildly. Her seat tipped over, and she landed on the floor with a crash. “You can't! Come back here, you bastard!”

Vader's low hiss was almost drowned out by the sizzle of the green light flashing in the window in front of her. “After Aldera Hills is gone, I want you to flood this room and terminate her.” He ignored her shrieks and continued struggles on the floor. “We have no more need of her.”

Her breathing was ragged and angry as she continued to flail on the floor. No sooner had Vader left than the sprinklers turned on full-force. She screamed and cursed Vader's name as he locked the heavy iron door behind him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The engines slowed to regular speed as he turned off the Expressway and onto the winding roads around Naboo Mountains. “You can forget all your troubles with those Imperial assholes,” Harris called from the driver's seat. “The last place they'd look for us are the Naboo boonies. I told you I'd outrun them.”

There was no reply from the back. Luke was practicing his sword work in the cramped living area, between the hand-made kitchen table and the trunk that held most of Harris' few possessions. Chewie had climbed around back after they entered Naboo and was now playing tug on an old rag with Rudy. Charlie watched the local news from Harris' tiny portable TV on the table. Mara Jadeson could be heard in the background, interviewing Coruscant police chief Darren Vedder about the recent attacks by the Rebel League.

“Don't everyone thank me at once,” the carpenter muttered. “Anyway, we should be at Aldera Hills in about a half-hour.”

No one paid attention to him. “Do be careful, Rudy!” Charlie fretted. “That creature is bigger than you are!”

“What? Him?” Rudy smirked as he yanked at the toy. “Nahh, he's a big ol' puppy dog. Ain't ya, boy?”

Chewbacca apparently did not like being called a puppy. He let out a fierce growl and tugged so hard at the rag, it tore suddenly, sending Rudy head over heels into the back of the table.

“Let it go,” Harris admonished. “It's not wise to upset a wookie dog.”

“Sir,” Charlie complained, “he's only a dog. No one worries about upsetting humans in that manner.”

Harris smirked. “Yeah, well, most humans don't tear off arms and use them for teething when they're upset. Wookies can do that.

Charlie coughed. “I see your point. I suggest you let the dog win this game, Rudy.”

His friend made a face. “Eh, I've had enough of this game, anyway.” The little man rubbed his rear as Chewbacca gave him a snort and climbed onto one of the benches for a nap.

The other two turned their attention to the sword duel going on. “Tell me more about these powers,” Luke asked as he deflected chewed-up balls Ben threw at him. “How do they work, anyway? No one was ever clear on that in the comics. They just seemed to...happen.”

“Focus, Luke. That's how they work.” Ben put out his own hand. “You must call your own resources, just like you did in the comics shop. Call the force deep within you.” He focused on the ball, making it raise into the air. Luke tried attacking it, only for it to bounce on the floor and smack him in the rear, making him jump.

Harris laughed from the driver's seat. “Oh, come on, Ben. Those comics of yours are just comics. Hokey powers ain't nothing compared to a real weapon by your side.”

“You don't really believe in much of anything, do you?” Luke insisted as he rubbed his backside.

“Kid,” the carpenter claimed, “I've been from one end of this globe to the other. I've seen a lot of strange shit. But I've never seen anything to make me believe that a guy can be Superman or Captain Marvel or whatever. There's no all powerful group controllin' my destiny. It's all a lot of kiddie stuff. This ain't Shazam or The Secret of Isis.”

Ben ignored Harris, bringing over a battered motorcycle helmet from the trunk in the back. “Let's try something different. You must learn to act on instinct.”

He plopped the helmet down on Luke's head. “Aw Ben,” Luke whined, “I can barely see with the visor down! How am I going to fight?”

“Luke, your eyes can deceive you.” Ben tossed another chewed tennis ball. “Don't trust them.”

Rudy and Charlie managed to squeeze in next to Chewie at the table as Luke attacked another ball. The blue light seemed to flow with his movements this time, bouncing the ball into the wall several times before splitting it in half.

“See?” Ben encouraged him as he tugged the helmet off. “You can do it.”

Harris snorted as he returned his gaze to the road. “I call that luck.”

“In my experience,” Ben insisted sagely, “there's no such thing as luck.”

“Look,” Harris smirked, “it's one thing to go up against a tennis ball. Goin' up against a livin', breathin' person is somethin' else again, old man.”

Luke joined Ben as he settled on the trunk. “You know, I could almost see the ball. I know I felt the light. It was like it was almost a part of me.”

“That's good, Luke. You've taken your first step into a larger world.” Ben's smile was instantly replaced by a wide eyed, worried stare. Luke gasped and rubbed at his chest, too. “Luke, did you feel it? It was like...a whole home...a family...crying out in terror...”

The wide-eyed college student nodded in horror. “They're all gone. Died in an instant. It was horrible!”

“You want to see horrible?” Harris stepped on the gas. “Take a look out the windows!”

Even as they all rushed to see, a green laser blasted out of the mountaintop near the Mufasar Iron Works and touched down in the valley, probably somewhere in Naboo. Somewhere entirely too close to where they were heading.

“What the hell was that?” Harris' jaw was nearly on the floor.

Charlie's brown eyes were wide as the traffic light they flew through. “I could ask the same thing. It looked like something from out of a science fiction program!”

“Or what we saw destroy the Erso Shipyards,” Rudy added angrily. “Old Metal Pants is at it again.”

Aldera Hills, one of the most historic mansions in Coruscant City, had been purchased and restored by Senator Bail Ortega and his wife Breha nearly 30 years before, when Ortega won his first big case as a district attorney. It was patterned after the lavish mansions of Los Angeles in the 20's and 30's, and after the mansions in Bail's native Mexico City. Luke once read that it employed more than 100 people to keep running and had at least 60 rooms and extensive gardens.

By the time Harris swung through the charred iron gate, there was nothing left of the house. Rubble and twisted iron stood where graceful arches and elaborate stucco work had once greeted guests. The Coruscant Fire Department was doing their best to put out the remaining blazes and keep it from spreading to the other mansions in the area. The few survivors stumbled into quilts or leaned dazedly against fire trucks and police cars.

“What happened?” Charlie gasped, nearly in tears. “Who could have done such a thing?”

“Vader.” Ben joined him at the window. “Destroyed by the Empire.”

“How could they do that?” Harris scratched his head. “It would take more firepower than even I could cobble together in a month. I've never seen anything like that outside of Logan's Run.”

Even as they were trying to figure out what to do next, the Channel 11 news van pulled up alongside them. “Well, well.” Mara Jadeson, looking as elegant as someone who just rushed halfway across town could manage, “look who's here. You seem to enjoy being around fires, Skylander.”

“And you enjoy being a nuisance.” Luke glared at her. “Go away. These people don't need your meddling. They have enough problems.”

“I have no intention of missing the story of the year.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “What are you doing here? I wasn't aware you were friends with the Ortegas.”

Harris leaned out the window and gave her his usual lazy smirk. “Look, doll, why don't you go cover some fashion show and lay the hell off the kid? He's had a rough day. So have these people, for that matter, if their home is currently in ten thousand pieces on the ground.”

“Shove it, asshole.” Her green eyes flicked from Harris to Ben. “MacKenner. My my, fancy seeing you here. Senator Ortega was an old friend of yours from the war, if what my guardian said is any indication. Care to make any comments, like, oh, why you happen to be here now, just after that laser obliterated this place?”

Ben's smile was a bit easier. “Oh, just paying our respects, young lady.”

“Why don't you try findin' Darth Vader?” Rudy yelled out the window. “You're a reporter. You hear things. You know damn well he's the one behind this.”

“Him?” She snorted. “He's just a myth. I don't chase myths. I chase realities.”

“That laser seemed awfully real,” Luke snapped, waving his hand at the remains of Aldera Hills. “Look at what it did to them!”

That was when another gleaming white and black Stingray sped past them, nearly side-swiping the Falcon on its way. “Hey!” Harris slammed on the horn. “Watch where you're going, asshole!” he screamed out the window.

“Harris,” Luke tugged on his shirt, “that was one of the cars that chased us on the way here! What are they doing all the way out here?”

“Don't know.” He started backing away from the gate. “But we're gonna find out.”

Rudy jutted a finger at Mara Jadeson as she watched from her van. “What about the red-head?”

“Let her find out on her own,” Harris grumbled as he pulled about two cars behind the Stingray, staying a respectable distance.

“You may as well let him go,” Ben insisted. The Stingray had just turned off Aldera Boulevard and onto Moore Road, down towards the Mimban industrial district. “It's too far out of range.”

“Not for long.” Harris shoved at the gas, making the car jump ahead. They wound their way down the valley, past crumbling row houses marked with colorful graffiti and ancient rusting factories that hadn't belched smoke in twenty years. The car finally pulled into the collapsing gates of an old Victorian heap of bricks and smashed glass.

Ben's voice rose. “The Mufasar Iron Works. He would hole up here.”

“He who?” The van slowed as Harris looked over his shoulder. “What do you mean, he? Do you know who owns this junk pile?”

“Yeah, I can take a wild guess, too.” Rudy wrinkled his nose. “Theatrical. Just his style. He always was a drama queen.”

Harris looked over his shoulder at the others. “Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?”

Three Shadow Men in gleaming white and black jumpsuits stopped them at the door. “Where are you going in this pile of rust?”

“Building A, Level 6 C.” The carpenter tried to give them his most innocent smile. “Maybe you could give us a hand. I'm kind of new here. Was just hired last week.”

The moment the first man leaned into the driver's side, Harris flung open the visor and hit him square in the face. He fell against a pile of metal pipes, unconscious. The other two were lifted bodily and flung into another pile of old tires.

Ben stepped out first. “We need to get inside, before these three sound the alarm.”

“Yeah.” Harris was already starting to strip off the first man's jumpsuit. “And I know how to do it. Luke, Charlie, get jumpsuits on the other two guys. Ben, there's wire in the trunk you can use to tie up these jerks.”

Rudy helped Harris get the other man's boots off. “Phew!” He pinched his nose. “Whatever you do, don't smell their feet. Hot vinyl and old socks do not mix.”

“We're not here to criticize their fashion sense.” The carpenter grinned as he plopped the helmet on his head. His voice sounded eerie from behind the grille. “This is how we're gonna get inside.”