Star Wars - The Han Solo Adventures - Han Solo at Stars End

by Brian Daley

  All right, Han ordered, put a floor plan of this joint up, level by level, on the screen, starting with Hirkens amusement park.

  A floor plan of the dome, complete with the garden and amphitheater, lit the readout. The next two levels below it proved to be filled with the Vieeprexs osten-tatious personal quarters. The one after that confused Hah. Max, whatre those subdivisions? Offices?

  It doesnt say here, the computer answered. The property books list medical equipment, holo-recording gear, surgical servos, operating tables, things like that.

  A thought struck Hah. Max, whats Hirkens title?

  His official corporate job-slot, I mean.

  Vice-President in charge of Corporate Security, it says.

  Han nodded grimly. Keep digging; were in the right place. Thats no clinic up there, its an interroga-tion center, probably Hirkens idea of a rec room. Whats on the next floor down?

  Nothing for humans. The next level is three floors high, Captain. Just heavy machinery; theres an indnstrial-capaeity power hookup there, and an air lock. See, heres the floor plan and a power-routing schematic.

  Max showed it. Han leaned closer to the screen, studying the myriad lines. One, marked in a different color and located near the elevators, attracted his at-tention. He asked the computer what it was.

  Its a security viewer, Captain. Theres a surveil-lance system in parts of the tower. Ill p atch in.

  The screen flickered, then resolved into the bright-ness of a visual image. Hah stared. Hed found the lost ones.

  The room was filled, stack upon stack, with stasis booths. Inside each, a prisoner was frozen in time, stopped between one instant and the next by the booths level-entropy field. That explained why there were no prisoner facilities, no arrangements for hand-ling crowds of captive entities, and only a minimal guard complement on duty. Hitken had all his victims suspended in time; theyd require little in the way of formal accommodations. The Security Viceprex need take prisoners out only when he chose to question them, then pop them back into stasis when he was done. So he robbed his prisoners of their very lives, taking away every part of their existence except inter-rogation.

  There must be thousands of them, Han breathed. Hitken can move them in and out of that air lock like freight. Power consumption up there must be terrific. Max, wheres their plant?

  Were sitting on it, Max answered, though that anthropomorphism couldnt really apply to him. He filled the screen with a basic diagram of the tower. Hah whistled softly. Beneath Stars End was a power-generating plant large enough to service a battle for-tress, or a capital-class warship.

  And here are the primary defense designs, Max added. There were force fields on all sides of the tower, and one overhead, ready to spring into exist-ence instantly. Stars End itself was, as Han had al-ready noticed, made of enhanced-bonding armor plate. According to specs, it was equipped with an anticon-cussion field as well, so that no amount of high explo-sives could damage its occupants. The Authority had spared no expense to make its security arrangements complete.

  But that helped only if the enemy were outside, and Han was as inside as he could get. Is there a prisoner roster?

  Got it! They had it filed Transient Persons.

  Han swore under his breath at bureaucratic euphe-misms. Okay, is Chewies name on it?

  There was the briefest of pauses. No, Captain. But I found Atuarres mate! And Jessas fatheft He flashed two more images on the screen, arrest mug-shots. Atuarres mates coloring was redder than hers, it turned out, and Docs grizzled features hadnt changed. And heres Rekkons nephew, Max added. The mug was of a young black face with broad, strong lines that promised a resemblance to the boys uncle.

  Jackpot! Max squealed a moment later, a very uncomputerish exclamation. Chewbaecas big hairy face flashed on the readout. He hadnt been in a very good mood for the mugshot; he was disheveled, but his snarl promised death to the photographer. The Wook-iees eyes looked glassy, and Han assumed that the Espos had tranquilized him as soon as theyd taken him.

  Is he okay? Han demanded. Max put up the ar-rest record. No, Chewbacca hadnt been badly injured, but three officers had been killed in apprehending him, the forms said. He hadnt given a name, which explained why it had been diScult for Max to locate him. The list of charges nearly ran off the screen, with a final, ominous, handwritten notation at the bottom listing time of scheduled interrogation. Hah glanced at a wall clock; it was no more than hours before Chewbacca was due to enter Viceprex Hirkens torture mill.

  Max, were up against it. We have to do something right now; rm not going to let them take Chewies mind apart. Can we deactivate defensive systems?

  The computer replied Sorry, Captain. All the pri-maries are controlled through that belt unit Hirken carries.

  What about secondaries?

  Max sounded dubious. I can get to the standby, but how will you deactivate the Viceprexs belt unit?

  I dnnno; hows he wired up? There must be ancil-lary equipment; the damn box is too small to be self-contained and still control this whole tower.

  Max gave the answer. Receptor circuitry ran

  through Stars End, built into the walls on each level

  Show me the top-level circuitry diagrams. Hah studied them carefully, memorizing points of reference --doors, elevators, and support girders.

  Okay, Max, now I want you to cut into the second-ary control systems and rearrange power-flow priori-ties. When the secondaries cut in, I want that umbrella shield, the deflector direcfiy overhead, to start load-shedding its power back to the plant, but I want you to prejudice the systems safeguards, so that they notice the deflector droppage but not the feed-back.

  Captain Solo, thatll start an overload spiral. You could blow the whole tower up.

  Only if I get to Hirkens primaries, Han said, half to himself, half to Max. Get crackin.

  High above, Viceprex Hirken had realized that he was being played for a fool.

  As fascinated as hed been by Atuarres dance, hed recoLmized in a fundamental, ever-suspicious part of his mind that he was being diverted. What he desired was to see mechanized combat. This dance artistry, though pretty enough, was no substitute.

  He stood, fingering a button on his belt unit. Lights

  came up, and Pakka stopped playing. Atuarre looked

  around her, as if awakening from a dream. What-

  Enough of this, Hirken decreed. Uul-Rha-Shan, his reptilian gunman, stood at his side, hoping for the order to slay. But instead, Hirken said, Ive seen enough, Trianii. Youre clearly stalling. You think me an imbecile? Then he motioned to Bollux. You ri-diculous excuses for entertainers brought this obsolete droid to me purely as a fraud, never planning to give me value for my money. Youd hoped to plead me-chanical failure and get me to reimburse you for your trip, or even reward you for your efforts. Isnt that so?

  Her quiet No, Viceprex was ignored.

  Hirken was not convinced. Prepare that droid for combat, and bring out my Mark X, he ordered the techs and Espos around him.

  Atuarre drew herself up, enraged, and siraid for Bollux. But she could see Hitken was adamant, and she had her cub to think of. Furthermore she could do Han and her mate little good here. With your per-mission, Excellency, I will return to my ship. On-board the Falcon, at least, more options would be available.

  Hirken waved her away, preoccupied with his Exe-cutioner, laughing his humorless laugh. Go, go. And if you see that worthless liar of a Marksman of yours, youd be wise to take him with you. And dont think I wont lodge a complaint. Ill have your Guild member-ship revoked.

  She glanced to where Bollux was being ushered

  down to the arena, helpless to aid him. Lord Hirken,

  surely this is illegal. That is our droid-

  Brought here to defraud me, he finished for her, but Ill have my value from it. Now leave, if youre going to, or watch if you wish. He wagged a finger, and an Espo sergeant barked an order. Tall, stern guards fell in, one to either side of the two Trianii.

  Atuar
re couldnt restrain her hiss. She grabbed Pak-kas paw and stormed toward the elevator, the cub bouncing along behind. Uul-Rha-Shans dry laugh was like a stab of hatred.

  Down in the computer center, the readout screen, which had been showing a small part of the modifica-tion Blue Max was making, went blank for a moment. Max? You all right? Han asked worriedly. Captain Solo, theyre activating that combat ma-chine, the Mark X. Theyre putting it in with Bolluxl Even as the computer-probe spoke, the rapid-fire images of the Mark-X Executioners engineering de-tails replaced one another on the screen. Maxs voice was filled with alarm. The Mark Xs controls and power are independent of this system; I cant touch itl Captain, we have to get back upstairs right now. Bollux needs me!

  What about Atuarre?

  Theyre summoning an elevator and notifying se-curity that shes leaving. Weve got to get up there!

  Han was shaking his head, unmindful that Maxs photoreceptor was off. Sorry, Max, therere too many other things I need to do here. Besides, we couldnt help Bollux now.

  The readout went blank and the photoreceptor came on. Blue Maxs voice trembled. Captain Solo, Im not doing anything else for you until you take me to Bollux. I can help him.

  Han struck the probe, not gently, with the heel of his hand. Get back to work, Max. Im serious. For an-swer, Max withdrew his adapter from the network. Han, infuriated, snatched the little computer up and held it high overhead.

  Do what I told you, or Ill leave you here in pieces!

  Maxs reply was somber. Go ahead, then, Captain. Bollux would do whatever he had to if I were in trou-ble.

  Hah paused in the midst of dashing the computer to the floor. It occurred to him that Maxs concern for his friend was no different from Halls own for Chew-bacca. He lowered the probe, looking at it as if for the first time. Ill be damned. You sure you can help Bollux?

  Just get me there, Captain; youll seel I hope. Which car was going to the dome? Max told him and he set out for the elevators at once, slinging the probe over his shoulder. When he got there, he removed the security badge and punched for a downward ride. The wrong car stopped; he let it wait and go on, and punched the descent button again.

  He lucked out. The car containing Atuarre, Pakka, and their two guards had stopped a number of times on its way down. She saw Han and pulled her cub off the car with her. The Espos had to hurry to avoid be-ing left behind.

  Han took the two Trianii aside a pace or two, but the Espos made it plain that they were keeping an eye on all three.

  We were going to the ship, Atuarre told him in

  low tones. I didnt know what else to do. Solo-

  Captain, Hirken is putting BoUux in with that Execu-

  tioner machine of hisl

  I know. Max has some kind of angle on that. He saw one of the Espos speaking on a tom-link. Listen, the lost ones are here, thousands of cm. Max rigged the tower; Hirkenll have to let everybody go if he wants to keep breathing. Go get the ship ready. If I can just get my hands on a blaster, the fix is in, sister.

  Captain, I meant to tell you, Max interrupted. I

  was rechecking the figures. I think you should

  know-

  Not now, Max? Han pulled Atuarre and Pakka back toward the elevator, hitting both the up and the down buttons. One of the Espos fell in with the Tri-anti again, but the other stationed himseft with Han, explaining, The Viceprex says its all right for you to come up. You can take home whats left of your droid after the fight.

  The techs and Espos hurried Bollux down into the arena as the transparisteel slabs raised from their hid-den slots in the floor. Hirken knew now that this was no gladiator droid, and so gave the command that Bollux be equipped with a blast shield, to make things more interesting. The shield, an oblong of dura-armor plate fitted with grips, weighed down the old droids long arm as he tried to adjust to what was happening.

  Bollux knew he would never escape so many armed men. He had known many humans in his long years of function and could recognize hatred by now. That was what he saw on the Viceprexs face. But Bollux had come through a number of seemingly terminal situations and had no intention of being demolished now ff he could avoid it.

  A door panel slid up in the far wall forming one are of the arena. There was a squeal of drive wheels, the rattling of treads. The Mark-X Executioner rolled out into the light.

  It was half again as tall as Bollux and far broader, though it moved on two thick caterpillar tracks in-stead of legs. From the treads and support housing rose a thick trunk, armored in gray alloy plate. The Exe-cutioners many arms were folded close to it now, in-active, each one furnished with a different weapon.

  Bollux employed a trick he had learned from one of his first human owners, and simply omitted from com-putations the logical conclusion that his destruction was now a high order of probability. Among humans, he knew, this tactic was called ignoring certain death. Bollux thought of it as excluding counterproductive data. Hed been doing it for a long time now, which was why he was still functional.

  The Executioners cranial turret swung, its sensors locking in on the droid. The Mark X was the latest word in combat automata, an extremely successful, highly specialized killing machine. It could have zeroed in on the unarmed, general-purpose labor droid and vaporized him fight then and there, but was, naturally, programmed to give its owner a more enjoyable show than that. The Executioner was also a machine with a purpose.

  The Mark X began rolling, moving with quick pre-cision, maneuvering toward Bollux. The droid backed away clumsily, contending with the unfamiliar task of holding and manipulating his blast shield. The Execu-tioner circled, studying Bollux from all sides, gauging his reactions, while the droid watched from behind his shield.

  Commencet called Viceprex Hirken through the arenas amplifiers. The Mark X, voice-keyed to him, changed to attack mode. It came directly to bear on BoUux, rushing at him at top speed. The droid dodged one way, then another, but his efforts were all antici-pated by the Executioner. It compensated for his every move, rumbling to crush him under its treads.

  Cancell rasped Hirken over the amplifiers. The Mark X stopped just short of Bollux, allowing the old droid to totter awkwardly back from it.

  Resume! ordered the Vieeprex. The Executioner cranked into motion again; selecting another destruc-tive option from its arsenal. Servos hummed and a weapon arm came up, its end supporting a flame pro-jector. Bollux saw it and brought his shield up just in time.

  A gush of fire arced from the nozzle of the flame gun, splashing against the walls of the arena, throwing a burning stream across BoUuxs shield. The Mark X brought the nozzle of its weapon back for another pass at low angle, to cut the droids legs out from under him. BoUux barely managed to crash clumsily to his knees and ground his shield before flame washed across it, making puddles of fire on the floor around him. The Mark X was rolling again, preparing for a clearer shot, when Hirken canceled that mode, too.

  Bollux struggled to his feet, using the shield for lev-erage. He could feel his interual mechanisms over-heating, his bearings especially. His gyro-balance circuitry hadnt been built with this sort of constant punishment in mind.

  Then the Mark X was coming in again. Bollux ig-nored the inevitable, making his sluggish parts re-spond, moving with some mechanical equivalent of pain, but still functional.

  Han came out of the elevator at a run. The Espos there, aware that the Viceprex wished him to see the spectacle, let him pass.

  He skidded to a stop at the top row of the little amphitheater. Hitken was seated below with his wife and subordinates, cheering theft champion and laugh-ing at the ludicrous Bollux as the Executioner raised another weapon arm. This one was provided with a bracket of fiechette-missile pods.

  Bollux saw it, too, and used a trick, or, as he thought of it, a last variable. Crouching, still holding his shield, he loosed the heavy-duty suspension in his legs and jumped out of the Mark Xs cross hairs like some giant red insect. Miniature missiles exploded against the clear arena walls in a cloud,
filling the amphitheater with crashing eruptions in spite of the sound-suppression system out in the seating area.

  Hirken and his people roared their frustration. Hah flung hunself down the steps to the arena, three at a time. Bollux had landed badly; the strain on his mechanisms was becoming insuperable. The Vieeprex changed his combat-automatons programming once more.

  The Executioner retracted its missile-arm. Articu-lated catch-cables extended from ports in its sides, like metallic tentacles, and two circular saws swung out, their arms locking into position. The sawblades spun, creating a peculiar sound, the molecules of their cut-ting edges vibrating in a way that would shear through metal as easily as through air. The Mark X moved toward Bollux, its cables weaving, for a terminal em-brace.

  Hirken spied Han reaching the arenas edge. Fraudl Now, watch a true combat-automaton at workV He shook with gruesome laughter, all the af-fected charms of corporate board rooms stripped from him now. His wife and subordinates followed suit duti-fully.

  Hah ignored them and held up the computer. Max, tell himl Blue Max sent burst-signals at top volume, concentrated pulses of information. Bollux turned his red photoreceptors to home in on the probe. He lis-tened for a moment, then returned his attention to the onrushing Mark X. Hall, knowing it was crazy, still found himself holding his breath.

  As the Executioner bore down on him, BoHux made no move to avoid it or raise his shield. The Execu-tioner recognized that as only logical. The droid had no hope. Questing catch-cables spread wide to seize Bollux; circular saws swung close.

  Bollux hefted his shield and threw it at the Mark X. Cables and cutters changed course; the shield was easily intercepted, caught, and sliced to pieces. But in the moments reprieve, Bollux had thrown himself, stiffiymwith a huge metallic bong---down between the crushing treads of the Executioner.

  The combat-automaton ground to a halt, but not in time. Bollux, lying beneath it, fastened one hand to its undercarriage and locked his servo-grip there. The other hand reached in among the components of the Mark X, ripping at its cooling circuitry.