Star Wars_ Rebel Force 05_ Trapped - Alex Wheeler [25]
lunged for his throat.
CHAPTER NINE
The thunder of stormtrooper boots was growing louder, closer. Han dragged Leia around the corner, but the corridor dead-ended a few meters away. No cover, no escape. They pressed themselves against the wall, held their breath, and hoped.
A phalanx of stormtroopers stomped down the hallway, feet rising and falling in unison. As they swept past, Han whispered into the comlink, cupping his hands around it to block the noise. "A little more warning next time?"
"It's all clear now," Luke's voice assured him. "You have a straight shot to the records room. Two guards at the door, and you're in. Easy."
"Sure, easy for you," Han muttered. "You're not the one in here making friends with the boys in white."
"What's that?"
"Nothing, kid. In and out. We'll get those blueprints to you faster than a neek." Han glowered at the comlink. Bad enough he was infiltrating an Imperial administrative center with only the kid's help to guide him through. Even worse that Leia had insisted on coming, too. Which meant that if there was trouble—make that when there was trouble—
he couldn't just save his own neck. He'd have to save hers, too. It was his responsibility.
Except none of this is my responsibility, he thought irritably. So what am I doing here?
Div had agreed to go along with Ferus's plan, but he'd demanded something in return: a Rebel attack on Belazura's Imperial garrison. The garrison was the center of Imperial power on the planet, but it was also a valuable strategic asset for the Empire. At the heart of the Inner Rim, it gave them a perfect base to control the surrounding planetary systems.
Dark rumors swirled about the weaponry housed there. Belazura was packed with Imperial factories and arms manufactures, and several of the latest prototypes were said to be stored in the garrison. It was one of the reasons the citizens of Belazura were thoroughly cowed by their Imperial rulers. And one of the reasons it had long sat toward the top of the Rebels' target list.
The garrison was built on the spot where Div's entire family had died.
So Han understood why Div wanted it gone. He knew why the Rebels had decided to go along with Div and plan a strike. He was less clear about why he'd agreed to go along, much less volunteered for this recon mission. The garrison's blueprints were considered so valuable that they weren't stored in the computer system. Instead, only one hard copy existed, and it was housed in the basement of the Imperial administration center. Leia had appointed herself the one to retrieve it.
So here he was, by her side.
Han wasn't a big fan of whys. It didn't matter why he was here. All that mattered was getting in, getting the blueprints, and getting out. Both of them.
"Luke says go now," he told Leia. R2-D2 had managed to tap into the security systems. He'd disabled the security alerts and holocams. Now Luke could see what was happening inside the building, but he was the only one. Luke was monitoring from beyond the perimeter, guiding them through safely. Supposedly.
Han and Leia ran soundlessly down the corridor, turning right at the third corner. And as promised, only two stormtroopers stood guarding the door. They fumbled with their blasters as Han and Leia appeared in the hallway.
But Han was faster. Laserfire burst from his blaster, and the stormtrooper on the right went down. The other dropped at nearly the same instant. Leia pocketed her smoking blaster pistol. Han shook his head in appreciation. The princess might have an attitude—
but she also had perfect aim.
"Ready?" Leia asked, preparing the detonite charge that would blow open the locked door.
Han nodded and raised his blaster. There were no security holocams in the basement records room, which meant they were going in blind. He was ready, all right. Ready for anything.
Except for the door exploding out toward them before Leia even had a chance to plant the charge. Han and Leia flew backward, slamming hard into the wall. Their blasters clattered out of their