by Timothy Zahn
"Is it?" Jinzler asked her pointedly. "Is it really?"
"Yes," Luke put in firmly. "And bringing up anyone's failures—anyone's—isn't going to accomplish anything. Let's concentrate on finding these people and seeing what we can do for them, all right?"
"Of course," Jinzler muttered. "I'm sorry. I'm just—"
"Something's coming," the stormtrooper beside Fel cut in, swinging his BlasTech toward a half-crushed equipment crawl space branching off the corridor to their right.
The other three stormtroopers were at his side in an instant, spreading themselves into a defensive semicircle between the crawlspace and the rest of the party, their weapons leveled at the opening. "Steady," Fel warned. "If there's going to be shooting, we don't want to be the ones to start it."
Soft but steady footsteps could be heard now. Mara drew her lightsaber but didn't ignite it, stretching out to the Force. There didn't seem to be any presence that direction that she could detect. "Probably a droid," she said.
"What kind of walking droid could fit through that opening?" Fel objected.
A few seconds later he got his answer as a low-slung, badly dented box about half a meter long and a few centimeters high rolled into view on battered treads. "A walking droid with a bad limp?" Luke suggested as one of the treads gave a soft thunk that sounded exactly like a footstep. "What is that, a floor cleaner?"
"Probably does floors and small-object retrieval," Fel said, stepping back as the droid rolled past his feet toward a pile of shattered plastic insulation, leaving faint tread marks in the dust as it went. "Part of the main cleaning system, I'd guess."
"I see," Luke said, looking over at Mara.
She nodded back. Given the layer of dust on everything, it seemed unlikely that their group had shown up just as the cleaner was starting its monthly or yearly run. It was far more likely that the droid had been equipped with a holocam and comlink and sent to check out the intruders.
Either as an observer, or as a decoy.
She shifted her attention away from the droid, searching the corridor ahead. There was too much debris to see very far, but it looked like the passageway widened a short way ahead. A perfect place for an ambush. She caught Luke's eye and nodded toward it; he nodded back and slipped past her into the corridor.
"It is truly amazing," Bearsh said, shaking his head in wonderment as they watched the cleaner droid extend a pair of slender arms and begin sorting through pieces of the insulation. "So that is a droid. And it runs all by itself?"
One of the stormtroopers looked over at Luke as he disappeared behind a section of hanging ceiling material, the armored chest lifting slightly as he took a breath to speak. Mara shook her head in warning; his helmet dipped slightly in acknowledgment and he remained silent. "This one's probably connected to a central housekeeping computer," Jinzler told the Geroon. "Small units like this don't have the logic capacity to run completely on their own."
"I see," Bearsh said. "But there are those that do, correct?"
"All sorts," Jinzler confirmed. "Everything from protocol droids to astromech droids to medical droids."
"And battle droids and droidekas?" one of the other Geroons asked. "Did they also run independently?"
"Some of the later versions could," Jinzler said. "But again, most of them were run off a central computer system."
"A terrifying weapon," Bearsh murmured.
"Not really," Fel said. "The whole droid army concept is pretty well outmoded these days, at least in the Empire of the Hand. How about in the New Republic, Ambassador?"
"A few systems still use droidekas," Jinzler said. "Mostly smaller colonies on undeveloped worlds in Wild Space where people need perimeter guards at night to protect against native predators."
Bearsh shivered. "Such awesome power in your hands. Yet you make no use of it?"
"We're not in the conquering business anymore, Steward," Jinzler reminded him.
"Besides, power's only one part of the equation for good soldiers," Fel said. "The problem with battle droids was that they were really pretty stupid..."
Mara felt the urgent touch of her husband's mind. Leaving Fel to his lecture, she slipped quietly down the corridor.
Luke was standing just inside the wide area she'd spotted earlier. "What've we got?" she murmured.
He pointed at a stack of flat gray boxes along the left-hand bulkhead. "Looks a little too neat for random debris," he murmured back. "Booby trap?"
Mara ran through the Jedi sensory-enhancement techniques and took a slow, careful breath. The subtle background smells of the ship suddenly jumped into full focus: dust, plastic, metal, rust, a general odor of age. She took another breath, sorting through them all.
And this time she caught the faint but unmistakable tang of explosives.
"If it's not, it's a terrific imitation of one," she confirmed, letting the odors fade into the background again. "Remote-triggered, you think?"
"You're the demolitions expert in the family," he reminded her. "They can't have it on timer, though, and I can't see anyone wasting a droid to come in and set them off."
"Me, neither," Mara agreed. "I presume we're not stupid enough to just rush the stack?"
"I don't even think we're stupid enough to get anywhere near it," Luke said. "Let's back up a bit and see if we can find another route."
"I don't know," Mara said doubtfully, looking around at the devastation. "There's enough damage here in the central corridor. The other, smaller passageways are likely to be even worse."
"Only until we get through the weapon and shield sections," Luke said. "The rest of the ship may be in better shape. Actually, this is one of four central corridors through this part of the ship. They run parallel to each other on opposite sides of the centerline, collapsing down to two main corridors as you get closer to the bow."
"Really," Mara said, frowning. "Since when do you know so much about Dreadnaughts?"
"Since Han and I had a running battle with a bunch of Imperials aboard the Katana," Luke told her dryly, "You learn a lot about a ship's architecture when you're dodging blaster bolts. Come on, let's go tell the others."
Fel had finished his lecture by the time they rejoined the group. "There you are," Drask said, his eyes flashing. "Where did you go?"
"Just scouting ahead," Luke assured him. "Looks like we're going to have to cross to one of the other corridors."
Drask's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Luke looked over at the housekeeper droid, still picking through the rubble. "There's a booby trap in there," he said. "I'd just as soon not have to take the time to disarm it. There's another cross-corridor we can use about ten meters ahead that'll get us back to this one."
"There is a trap?" Bearsh gasped. "But why would anyone wish to hurt us? We have come to honor them."
"Yes, but they don't know that," Luke said. "All we can do is try to avoid trouble until we can explain it to them."
"Until then, we must make certain such a meeting does in fact take place," Drask said grimly, pulling out a comlink.
"Wait a minute," Fel said. "What are you doing?"
"Summoning an escort," Drask said. "This is no longer a matter for diplomats."
"We have an escort," Fel countered. "Trust me: the Five-Oh-First can handle things."
"That is not sufficient," Drask insisted. "Even if they are as good as you claim, they cannot adequately protect us all. We require a stronger force."
"That might not be a good idea, General," Luke warned. "If the inhabitants are monitoring our progress, a show of that much force might be taken as a threat."
"He's right," Formbi said, not sounding particularly happy about it. "Leave the warriors in reserve for now, General Drask. We'll retreat and use the route Master Skywalker suggests."
"I disagree completely," Drask growled. But he put the comlink away without further argument. "Very well, Master Skywalker. Lead the way."
* * *
The side corridors Luke had chosen weren't any e
asier to navigate than the main corridor had been. There was less actual debris lying around underfoot, but the state of the bulkheads and ceiling more than made up for it. Many of the bulkheads had buckled, twisting wall plates out at crazy angles into the corridor, many of them broken and sharp-edged. Something in here must have exploded during the battle, Mara decided as the group eased gingerly past the rubble.
It took them more than an hour to pick their way through that first 150 meters. They saw two more droids in that time, both of them housekeeping types, both of them eliciting words of amazement from the Geroons. It was clear, at least to Mara, that someone was indeed watching their progress.
But there were no other booby traps, at least none that they were able to detect. Certainly nothing went off in the confining spaces. Perhaps, as Luke had hoped, whoever was monitoring the droids had gotten the message that their visitors had no ill intentions toward them.
Or else they were simply preparing a more memorable reception farther in.
As expected, once they were past the main turbolaser batteries the damage began to drop off considerably. Fifty meters after that, it became no worse than a sort of dusty clutter. "What is this place?" Bearsh asked as they passed through a large room lined with consoles and monitor displays.
"This is the fleet tactical room," Fel said. "In a battle, this is where this ship would coordinate combat with the rest of its companion ships."
"The Vagaari must have had rooms like this aboard their vessels," one of the other Geroons said. "Larger even than this, perhaps. They had huge fleets."
"Yes," Bearsh agreed, a shiver running through him. "They darkened the sky when they passed through the air of our world."
"This appears to be in a workable state," Drask commented, stepping over to one of the consoles for a closer look. "Would this be a place Mitth'raw'nuruodo might have deliberately spared?"
"It's possible," Fel said. "The six Dreadnaughts were presumably coordinated directly from the primary command ship, without any need for this room to even be crewed."
"Unless this is the command ship," Jinzler reminded him.
"And of course, we don't know whether any of these consoles actually works," Mara added, frowning as she stretched out to the Force. There seemed to be a flicker of a presence lurking somewhere ahead of them. But the sensation came and went, as if the person was appearing and then disappearing. Someone only half conscious, perhaps?
"Might be worth trying to start them up," Luke suggested, throwing a glance at Mara. So he'd caught the tentative contact, too. "What do you think, Commander?"
Fel's forehead furrowed briefly, then cleared as he caught on. "Sure, why not?" he agreed with false enthusiasm. "In fact, it might be easier to find records back here than it would on the command deck. That console you're looking at, General—let's see if we can get it started."
Drask stepped back and gestured toward the board. "Go ahead."
"Right," Fel said, pulling out the chair and sitting down. "Let's see now..." Tentatively, he keyed a few switches. The console beeped twice, and a few of its indicators came reluctantly to life. "Okay. Let's try this..."
Luke, Mara noted, was already gone. She waited until the entire group was watching Fel, then slipped out after him.
He was waiting for her just outside the tactical room. "You felt her, too?" he asked quietly.
Her? Mara's mind flashed back to Jinzler's story about his sister. "I felt something, but it kept coming and going," she said. "You think it's a woman?"
"A girl, actually," he said. "Too young to be Lorana. Sorry."
"Well, it was a long shot," Mara conceded, trying not to feel too disappointed. "Let's see if we can find her before we're missed."
"Too late," a voice murmured darkly from behind her.
She glanced at Luke, caught his grimace. "Hello, General," she said as she turned around.
Drask was standing alone in the corridor, his posture stiff. "You must think we are fools," he bit out. "You and Commander Fel both. Do you really think the Chiss can be so easily deceived in the same way twice?"
"Forgive us," Luke said, bowing to him. "We were merely concerned for your safety."
"I do not need my safely guarded," Drask countered. "I do not know how you humans do such things, but Chiss leaders do not merely sit behind the young warriors and watch them fight."
"I understand," Luke said. "Perhaps I misspoke. I meant we were concerned for the Aristocra's safety."
"Better," Drask rumbled. "But be advised: this is still a Chiss vessel, and you will not again move ahead of me."
"Understood," Luke said. "Again, our apologies."
"Very well." Drask glanced back over his shoulder. "Then let us continue before the others notice our absence."
They had gone perhaps ten meters when the wisp of sensation again touched Mara's mind. Luke had been right: it was definitely female. "She's just ahead," she warned Luke, peering at the equipment and occasional piles of debris as she tried to pin down the girl's location. Five meters ahead, the corridor opened into a large room with its door frozen partially open, and she could see more of the same type of consoles as they'd found in the tactical room.
"She must be in the sensor room," Luke said, pointing toward the frozen door. "You want to hang back while General Drask and I check it out?"
Mara bit back a retort. Obviously, Luke was being diplomatic. "Sounds good," she said. Stepping to the side, she planted her back against the corridor wall. Luke and Drask continued forward, the general's hand resting on the charric belted at his waist. They stepped to the sensor room door and Luke ducked down and started to ease his way beneath it—
"Are you Jedi?" a soft voice asked from behind Mara.
Mara spun around, old combat reflexes flaring as her hand automatically went to her lightsaber. The girl standing quietly in the corridor was no older than ten, plainly but neatly dressed, her dark auburn hair glistening in the light. She was looking at Mara with bright, unblinking blue eyes.
Standing in the corridor behind Mara. How in blazes had she managed that?
Mara found her voice. "Yes, we are," she told the girl. "We're here to help you."
"Oh," the girl said. For a moment she seemed to study Mara, an uncertain look on her face. Then she shifted her gaze to Drask and Luke, eyeing her in turn as they stood together by the sensor room door. "And a Blue One," she went on. "Are you here to hurt us?"
"No one will hurt you," Drask assured her. "As the Jedi said, we are here to help."
"Oh," the girl said, her voice completely matter-of-fact. "Well, you can tell him that." She gestured to an alcove just behind her. "He's waiting for you."
"We'll look forward to seeing him," Luke said, wondering who she was talking about. The survivors' leader, perhaps? "What's your name?"
"I'm Evlyn," she said. "Will you follow me, please?"
"We must first alert the others of our group," Drask added, pulling out his comlink.
"They'll be all right," Evlyn assured him as she stepped into the alcove. "They'll be brought through right behind us."
She touched a control. The wall blocking the far end of the alcove slid smoothly up into the ceiling, revealing a short corridor with another door at the far end. "Come on," she invited, stepping inside and heading for the door in the opposite wall.
Mara frowned. Aside from the door at the far end and another one midway along the left-hand wall, the corridor was completely bare. A security transit, perhaps, with hidden sensors that would allow whoever was beyond to get a close look at prospective visitors?
Possibly. It could also be another booby trap.
Still, unless the rest of the survivors were prepared to sacrifice the girl, it ought to be safe enough. Provided, of course, she and the others got inside with the girl before she disappeared through the far door.
Again, Luke's thoughts were mirroring hers. "Mara, you and the general had better stay here," he said as he stepped into the corridor behind Evlyn, taking l
ong strides as he tried to catch up without looking too obvious about it. "He can call back and alert the rest of the party."
"No," Drask insisted, brushing past Luke in turn and striding into the corridor ahead of him. "You do not go ahead alone."
Evlyn had reached the far end and was reaching for a small control panel set into the wall beside the door. Mara hesitated, stretching out to the Force, trying to reach back to Formbi's group behind them. There was no fear or sudden surprise back there that she could detect.
Abruptly, she made up her mind. If this whole thing was legitimate, it wouldn't hurt to be separated from the others for a few minutes, especially with Fel and the 501st there to guard them. If it was a trap, two Jedi always had a better chance than one. "We can call them on the way," she decided, stepping in behind Drask.
She was just in time. Even as she ducked beneath the door, it slid down behind her. "Hurry," Evlyn said, beckoning them forward. Mara took a long step to catch up to Luke—
She caught the warning flicker an instant before it happened. But it was too late. Even as she and Luke grabbed for their lightsabers, two doors abruptly slammed down from the ceiling, one in front of Drask, the other behind Mara, cutting the corridor into thirds and trapping them in the center section.
With a lurch, the floor dropped out from under them.
CHAPTER 12
"Jedi!" Drask bellowed, making the word a curse. "Do something!"
But for that first terrifying second there was nothing either of them could do. Luke fought for balance, feeling Mara's chagrin mixing with his own. The room kept falling, far faster than the planetoid's own weak gravity could possibly have pulled it. Too late, now, he realized they'd been decoyed into a disguised turbolift car.
Then, so unexpectedly and abruptly that he nearly fell over, the car braked to a halt.
"Good day, Jedi." The disembodied voice came from the control panel beside the side door. "Good day, Blue One."
"We are called Chiss," Drask corrected the voice tartly.
"Ah," the voice said. "Good day, then, Chiss. I'm Jorad Pressor, Guardian of the People."
