Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [143]
R2-D2 tweedled sharply.
C-3PO looked back toward R2-D2. “Well, why didn’t you tell us?” he demanded. “Don’t you think they would want to know you already have the bunker open?”
“Open?”
Han snatched the datapad off Leia’s equipment belt. The display contained a three-dimensional schematic labeled DETENTION CENTER 81 LEVELS 1910–1915. The rescue team’s locations were not depicted, but with two red dots indicating the breaches in the outer wall, their position was pretty easy to estimate. It appeared that Squad Solo, at least, had reached a bulkhead about a quarter of the way across the building. On the other side of the wall was a huge, multi-level atrium ringed with access balconies serving the detention corridors on each level. In the center of the atrium stood the storage bunker to which C-3PO had referred, a large freestanding vault with hatches high on its walls. From the schematic, at least, there appeared to be no easy way of accessing the hatches.
Han showed the display to his companions, then activated his throat mike. “Squad Saav’etu, do you guys have the schematic on your datapad yet?”
“Affirmative,” came Yaqeel’s raspy-voiced reply. “We’re just inside the security door, waiting for the signal.”
“Artoo has the hatches on that vault open,” Han reported. “He thinks that’s where Valin and Jysella are being held.”
R2-D2 gave an affirmative chirp, then added a tweedle.
“Artoo notes that both Horns are indeed listed on the bunker inventory,” C-3PO reported. As he spoke, R2-D2 continued to tweedle. “He’s trying to deactivate the neutralizer field so he can use the tracking bugs to confirm their exact location. Unfortunately, Xyn is arguing about the proper protocols.”
“Keep trying,” Han said to R2-D2. “And while you’re at it, maybe Xyn can tell us if there are any guards on—”
“There are,” Jaina said. “About fifty, coming in from all sides.”
“Fifty … is that all? They must be trying to make this easy.” Han had been living with Jedi too long to bother asking how Jaina knew the number of guards or whether she was sure. He simply raised three fingers, then asked Yaqeel, “Ready, Squad Saav’etu?”
When Yaqeel responded with a comm click, Han lowered all three fingers.
“Go!”
Jaina waved her hand to the side, and the human-sized rectangle she and Leia had cut from the security door popped free and went tumbling down the length of the balcony. A chorus of startled voices cried out in alarm, then the dull thung of durasteel on plastoid rang out from around the corner. In the next instant, the open doorway erupted into a storm of flashing bolts, and the lightsabers of both Solo women snapped to life.
“Going right, Mom!” Jaina called.
“Going left!” Leia confirmed.
They stepped through the door together, their blades weaving baskets of color as they batted blaster bolts back toward their sources. Zekk went next, moving forward to deflect fire from two squads of guards positioned high above in the corners on the opposite side of the atrium.
“Han, grenades!” Zekk called back through the door. “Three-second fuses.”
Han let his repeating blaster dangle by its sling and pulled a stun grenade off his equipment vest. He quickly set the timer, then tried not to shake as he moved into throwing position on the other side of the door. Surrounded as he was by three very experienced Jedi Knights, he knew there wasn’t much chance of a bolt getting through—but there were dozens of bolts coming their way every second, and not even Leia was perfect. Seeing that Zekk was taking fire from two different directions, Han positioned himself a little to the side and tossed the first grenade over the rail.
“Zekk, yours!”
Zekk switched to a single-handed grip and pivoted sideways, allowing half a dozen bolts to slip past his twirling blade as he pointed at the grenade. He flicked his finger toward the opposite side of the atrium, and the grenade flew into the corner on the right and exploded