Star Wars_ Death Star - Michael Reaves [147]
“Or going splat on it,” the other suggested. This brought grim chuckles from both. Uli found the humor a little hard to appreciate.
“All the good it’ll do ’em,” the first officer said. “Lord Vader’s out there with his elites—those Rebel scum are dead men flying.”
“Let’s take a lift down to Three-A,” his partner suggested. “We can cut through Hydroponics and—”
The wall exploded.
Later Uli realized that it had to have been another bomb, or crash, on the surface just “above” them. At the time all he knew was that several nearby panels had erupted in a shower of sparks and shrapnel, causing panic among the nearby people. And in the smoke and general confusion, Uli found himself separated from his captors.
There were many different deities worshipped on many different worlds, all supposedly capable of miracles. Uli had no idea which of them, if any, might have been responsible for this one, but he wasn’t taking the time to question it, that was for sure.
Better let them know I’m coming, he thought. He pulled his comlink from a pocket as he ran through the panicked crowd, fumbled it, and saw it vanish into the stampeding chaos.
According to his chrono he had less than fifteen minutes to reach the rendezvous point. No time to even think about looking for the comlink. He ran faster.
69
STORAGE ROOM 3181, DEATH STAR
Teela tapped the access code into the pad next to the door, which slid up to reveal the others, all dressed in medical transport grays. She wondered briefly how they’d ever found a size big enough for Rodo, and then Vil practically knocked her over when he hugged her. “Where have you been? I was worried sick! Get changed—hurry!”
The room had no other compartments, and this was hardly the time for modesty anyway. Teela stripped and quickly donned a set of pale gray coveralls. There were medical insignia on the sleeves and breast.
As she dressed, she looked at the others, doing a head count. Vil, Memah, Ratua, Rodo, Nova …
“We’re light two people,” she said.
“We’ve noticed,” Ratua said. “We haven’t heard from either the doc or the old man.”
Teela pulled her comlink and was about to input Uli’s code when the room’s access panel whooshed up again. Uli, red-faced and breathing hard, entered.
“Cutting it kind of close, aren’t we, Doc?” Nova asked.
Uli gave him a strange look, almost as if he blamed the sarge for his tardiness. But all he said was, “I’ve got to listen to the advice I give my patients, and exercise.”
Teela’s comlink cheeped. She thumbed it. “Riten?”
“You made it to the rendezvous?”
“I’m getting dressed now.”
“The others?”
“They’re all here. Except for you.”
“Good, good. You have less than ten minutes to get from there to the ship.”
“Where are you?”
A slight hesitation. “In my office.”
“What?” Teela looked about, saw that the others were as shocked as she was. “But—you can’t—”
“I’m afraid there has been a glitch in the plan,” Riten’s voice said. “My faithful droid was a bit clumsy in its research, and as a result, it won’t be able to fulfill its part. Somebody has to be here to vet the call from the man who will open the door for you. That would be me.”
“Can’t you take the call on your comlink?”
“Alas, no. My droid set it up, and I’m not technically skilled enough with hard- and firmwire to jigger what it did. It doesn’t matter. I did a check on that possibility you brought up, and I think you’re right, Teela. If that happens, no one will be coming for me. If it doesn’t happen, well, I’ve had a long and enjoyable ride. No regrets.”
“Atour—”
“No, no, not now. You don’t have time. Get moving. Have a good life, child. Now go—all of you.”
He shut off the link from his end.
Nobody moved or spoke for a few seconds.
“Can’t we go back for him?” Teela asked, fighting back tears. She knew the answer, of course, even before Memah said, “There’s no time. All we can do is make sure his sacrifice isn’t in vain.”
“She’s right,” Rodo said. “Let’s go.”
Vil opened the door, and they moved into the corridor. “I really hope somebody knows where we’re going,”