Star Wars_ Darksaber - Kevin J. Anderson [41]
He examined the floor and inspected the wall. His optical sensors were drawn to a small ventilation intake for the huge intake fans that circulated supercooled air to the deep levels of the Information Center. The cover plate stood ajar, but it was far too small for any intelligent creature to have come through. Could the Imperial Information Center be inhabited by some sort of large rodent?
Artoo shrilled in alarm, and Threepio strutted over to a screen where the astromech droid had begun replaying archival video records from the security monitoring cameras. Threepio saw from the date on the images that the footage had been taken while Durga’s entourage met with the Chief of State in the reception halls far above. Because no security breach had been recorded down here in the Imperial Information Center, though, no one had bothered to do more than a cursory scan on them.
Artoo manipulated the images, enhancing and enlarging them, massaging out shadows by playing virtual light into the images.
“Why, I recognize those!” Threepio said. Just at the edge of the frame, motion gave away three of the furry, multiarmed Taurill scampering out of the ventilation ducts and up to the unmanned computer consoles.
“Whatever are they doing?” Threepio said. “How could they possibly have gotten down here? We rounded them all up, didn’t we?”
Artoo chittered, then froze another image that showed the Taurill deliberately punching commands into a keypad.
“This is most suspicious,” Threepio said.
The droids watched as the three Taurill completed their command strings and copied a file into a data cylinder, which they secreted in their own fur; then they dashed back to the ventilation shafts.
“It would appear that they’ve copied something from our records. What could they possibly want?” Threepio said. At Artoo’s warbled reply, he added, “Of course I’d like you to find out! Why else would 1 have brought you along, you silly whistling trash can?”
Artoo replayed the images slowly, noting the Taurill command strings, then input them himself. The pass-worded files scrolled onto the screen, immediately recognizable. In fact, Artoo had once carried the complex blueprints inside himself.
Threepio wailed, “We must warn Mistress Leia immediately!” He ran toward the turbolift doors, shrilling an alarm. Artoo rolled after him. The assassin droids snapped to attention and trained their weapons on them.
“Summon Chief of State Organa Solo!” Threepio said. “This is an emergency. The fate of the entire galaxy is at stake.”
The assassin droids were not impressed, and Threepio increased the volume in his vocal circuits. “Don’t you understand? The plans to the Death Star have been stolen!”
HOTH ASTEROID BELT
CHAPTER 13
When Durga the Hutt returned to the asteroid belt in triumph, Bevel Lemelisk was summoned to the bottom-most deck of the Orko SkyMine ship, where Durga sat in the observation blister to stare out at the stars. Lemelisk entered the chamber accompanied by two Gamorrean guards, who shoved him into Durga’s presence with a grunt, then stomped off to other duties.
Durga lay on inflated cushions. A music synthesizer warbled odd, discordant notes in a grating yet hypnotic background melody. Pink and blue smoke wafted like jagged fingers back and forth as the air exchangers alternated on either side of the room. The smoke had an acrid incense smell, a mild narcotic that affected Hutts but did nothing more than burn Lemelisk’s human nostrils.
Durga’s deep laugh boomed out. “Lemelisk, you’re here!”
From another chair General Sulamar stood and straightened his uniform, brushing his knuckles across the jingling placards of medals on his chest. “We’ve been waiting for you, Lemelisk,” he said.
Durga turned to glare at the Imperial. “You wait on my pleasure, General,” the