Star Wars_ Splinter of the Mind's Eye - Alan Dean Foster [44]
Kee picked up the entire desk and communications console and brought it down on the terrified trooper behind it. The other guard finally unlimbered his heavy weapon. He was taking aim on the nearest rampaging Yuzzem.
“Kee, look out!” Luke yelled, even as he and Leia were charging around the corner and across the alcove. A bolt of energy ionized the air above the Yuzzem and then exploded against the far wall. Luke dropped the guard with one burst from his pistol.
By then the Princess had reached the double doors and was trying the manual release frantically. “It’s no good, Luke! It’s got to be activated remotely. From that, probably.” She pointed to the demolished desk.
Luke looked around, started fumbling at the body of the soldier he’d shot. There were several smooth, hand-sized canisters attached to the man’s waist and he was carefully removing them.
Taking action of his own, Hin yanked the helmet off the man he had killed. Placing it over his fist, he began punching at the transparent doors. Despite the Yuzzem’s enormous strength, the fragile-looking material refused to crack.
“That won’t work, Hin,” Luke finally informed him, hurrying up alongside. “Security material … you’d never break through. Get behind the corner. You too, Princess.”
She didn’t argue with him. Together with the two Yuzzem she rushed to take cover around the bend from which they’d attacked.
Luke twisted the dial set on top of the canister, flipped the small cylinder over and adjusted a matching dial set on the bottom. After placing it at the junction of the double doors, he ran to join his companions. Several seconds passed.
The blast gave the feeling that lightning had struck just behind them. Green fire flared around the corner, faded instantly to acrid smoke. When they peered around the wall, they saw that both doors and a portion of the building’s foundation had vanished.
“They’ve improved those things,” Luke observed professionally. The Princess didn’t wait for the smoke to dissipate. She was already picking her way toward freedom through the steaming rubble. Hin and Kee followed close behind.
A shot passed over Luke’s head and he ducked, hesitated. Leia had reached the gaping hole where the doorway had been. She paused, looked back and waved anxiously. “Come on, Luke!”
But Luke was busy. Kneeling on the floor while bolts continued to strike around him, he activated the remaining three canisters he’d taken. One energy bolt struck dangerously close, making him blink. Rapidly, he rolled each canister down the hallway, then rose and ran madly after his companions.
Grammel and the mass of troops behind him pulled up short as the canisters came rolling and bouncing innocently toward them. The corridor cleared with inhuman speed.
Luke passed through the blown doorway, counting out loud to himself. When he got to six, he threw himself to the ground and placed both arms over his face. Three titanic explosions erupted inside the temple, sending shards of both modern metal and ancient stone whoo-whooing over his head.
When the debris finally stopped falling, he scrambled to his feet and ran on. Leia and the Yuzzem left their concealing trees and rushed to meet him.
“Nothing broken,” Luke assured them in response to the unvoiced question. He brushed mud and plastic splinters from his coveralls. “I feel filthy all over, though.”
“Funny,” said the Princess tightly, “that’s the feeling I got whenever Grammel looked at me.” She gestured behind him. “They won’t be chasing us for a couple of minutes, anyway.”
Luke turned. The entire entrance of the temple had collapsed. Smoke and flame were issuing from cracks in the walls and roof. Sirens and alarms were beginning to sound from the town.
Moving at a fast trot, with the Yuzzem hurrying to keep pace with the two humans, they rushed off in the direction specified by Halla. Eventually they encountered the stream, hurried on