Star Wars_ Darth Bane 02_ Rule of Two - Drew Karpyshyn [113]
Located beside the navigator in the rear of the vessel, the fourth member of the crew, Master Farfalla, provided support for the pilot, gunner, and navigator. He called up astronav charts, engine readings, weapons status, scanner reports, and anything else the others needed to do their jobs.
Johun was seated up front in the cockpit with Raskta and Sarro, occupying the passenger’s chair behind the pilot. Until they reached Tython, his only job was to stay out of everyone else’s way.
Using the long-abandoned hyperspace route indicated on the datacard they’d discovered in the Archives, the Justice Crusader had penetrated the Deep Core. Master Raskta had expressed her concern at the start of the voyage: According to current records the hyperspace lanes they were traversing had been known to momentarily collapse without warning. A ship traveling anywhere along the hyperspace corridor during the nanosecond before it re-formed would be lost forever. Combined with the other dangers of the Deep Core—including wandering black holes that would rip a vessel apart, even in hyperspace—the instability of the route had led to it falling into disuse and finally being forgotten for well over a thousand years.
Worror had calculated the risk of a hyperspace collapse during their journey at just over 2 percent—more than high enough to make Johun breathe a sigh of relief when they emerged unscathed a few thousand kilometers away from their destination.
“Weapons primed and ready,” Sarro’s voice told everyone over the intercom. “Any friends we have to worry about?”
“Nothing in orbit,” Farfalla reported. “Looks like we’re clean.”
“I’m taking us in,” Raskta told them. “See if you can find anything.”
“Picking up an ion trail,” Farfalla said as they neared the planet’s atmosphere. “Looks like we’re right behind them.”
“Locking on to the ion trail … locked on.” Even over the crackle of an intercom, Worror’s deep voice resonated through the ship.
“Engaging autopilot,” Raskta said. “Let’s see where this takes us. Sarro, keep your trigger finger ready.”
The autopilot dropped them down into Tython’s atmosphere, and for several seconds the only thing Johun could see through the cockpit viewport was a wall of gray cloud. When they broke free their destination was immediately obvious.
“I think I know where we’re headed,” Sarro mumbled.
Below them was a flat, empty field virtually devoid of life. A dark fortress was visible on the horizon, the only significant structure in sight.
“Picking up two small vessels on the ground,” Farfalla told them as they drew nearer. “Nobody outside, though.”
They were close enough now that Johun could make out two melted towers rising up on either side of the stronghold’s front face.
“Reading life-forms inside the building,” Farfalla noted. “Looks like … three.”
“Only three?” Sarro mumbled, sounding disappointed. “This might be too easy.”
“Don’t count on that,” Farfalla warned him as Raskta brought the Justice Crusader in for a landing.
Zannah was trying to concentrate, gathering her mental energies for the coming battle. She was distracted, however, by her Master’s own preparations.
Darth Bane was prowling back and forth like an angry rancor, his lightsaber already drawn. She could feel the dark side building inside him, fueled by his rage—his never-ending hatred of the Jedi; his resentment toward Darovit for exposing them; his anger at her for leading the Jedi here to Tython. At any moment she expected to see the bloodlust of the orbalisks unleashed, but Bane kept his fury in check, saving it for the coming battle.
Her Master had led them back inside the stronghold to a large, open room