Zorba the Hutt's Revenge by Paul Davids, Hollace Davids

sarcastically, handing the boy a bun through the bars of his cell. Ken’s stomach was still groaning with hunger. He munched on the bun as the three-eyed Imperial ruler asked Tibor to depart, so he could talk to the prisoner alone, in private. Tibor left as requested.
    To foil spies and secret listening devices, Trioculus activated a small sound-wave scrambler he carried in his pocket. It would assure that no one else would hear what they were saying.
    Ken yawned once more, feeling tired again. "Why did you want to find me?" Ken asked.
    "Why, to become your protector, of course," Trioculus replied. "So you could leave the droids who raised you and be free."
    Ken’s eyelids felt weighted down, dragging him once again into sleep. What had Trioculus just said, he wondered? Things were becoming foggy. Uhmm-something about wanting to become Ken’s protector .. .
    "You-you don’t care about me," Ken declared, struggling to remain awake. "You’re a liar. I know why you’ve been looking for me. You want to destroy me because I know too much!"
    "What do you think you know that I would care about?" Trioculus asked in a cagey tone.
    "I know that you got to be ruler of the Empire by pretending you’re Emperor Palpatine’s son. But you’re not. You’re an impostor! I even know what you did to the Emperor’s real son, Triclops. And that he’s still alive!"
    All three of Trioculus’s eyes widened in alarm. "Such an imagination for a boy your age. You have a head full of absurd fantasies."
    "You know I’m telling the truth. And if you try to hurt me, I’ll escape and tell everything I know about you!"
    "Who would you tell?" Trioculus asked.
    "Kadann, the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side," Ken said.
    "Nothing escapes Kadann’s attention," Trioculus said. "I sincerely doubt you could tell him anything he hasn’t already foreseen in his prophecies."
    "Then I’ll tell all your enemies in the Empire! If they ever find out the truth about you, they’ll assassinate you!"
    Trioculus understood at once that this Jedi Prince would have to be destroyed, at any cost. If some of his enemies, who didn’t know any better, were to find out the truth, they would begin a search for the Emperor’s real son, and try to put that insane madman in power.
    Trioculus had to stop that from happening. Palpatine’s real son, Triclops, was too dangerous and destructive for even the Empire to tolerate. Trioculus and the Central Committee of Grand Moffs knew all too well that Triclops was incurably insane and a terrible threat. They had managed to imprison and hide him in Imperial insane asylums. But they knew it would be unwise to destroy him, because Triclops often betrayed himself. In his mad dreams, he had come up with many ideas that had proved useful to the Empire. His ideas-and inventions-had been essential to them for building certain weapons and machines of destruction.
    "You’re a young boy with strong opinions and dangerous ideas," Trioculus said, his voice suddenly becoming very gruff. "We shall meet again, Jedi Prince Ken. Very soon!" Trioculus went back to see Zorba the Hutt at once.
    "I want that boy," Trioculus said. "What is your price?" Zorba gave a slobbering smile and chuckled. "I want just two things." Trioculus clenched his fists. "Name them."
    "Number one," said Zorba. "I want you to close down your factory barge here. Your smokestacks cause braze."
    "A little braze never harmed anyone," Trioculus insisted.
    "Hah!" Zorba exclaimed. "Hutts can’t stand braze, and neither can tourists." Zorba wagged his fat tongue at Trioculus scoldingly. "Business in the casinos is down-way down-even though we’re offering bigger jackpots than ever! Braze is driving our customers away-no one wants to come to Cloud City and breathe your foul smoke!"
    "And the second thing?" said Trioculus, giving no hint of what his response would be to the first demand.
    "Princess Leia. I know you have her. She murdered my son, Jabba, and she will pay with her