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“There’re two ways out of here that might be open,” Max announced, and flashed the positions on the screen. The two paths, picked out on the level’s layout, both led back to the gallery where the lift and drop chute banks were located. One route was on their floor, the other on the floor above.

Security alarms began clanging and warbling in the corridors. The room’s equipment blazed with ripples of light as every circuit reacted to Max’s prompting. Then, suddenly, the room became dim, except for light from the window-wall. The Center’s automatics had shut down main power sources in response to the supposed emergency. Alarms continued to sound, running on reserves.

“Illumination in the corridors will be very low, on standby power,” Rekkon told the others as they gathered by the door. “We may be able to slip by.” He carefully set Blue Max back into his emplacement. As his plastron swung shut, Bollux, followed by Rekkon, joined the rest of them at the door.

“If I may suggest,” said the ’droid, “I would, perhaps, attract less suspicion than any other individual here. I could walk well in advance of you others, in case there are Security Policemen present.”

“That makes sense,” Atuarre said. “Espos won’t waste time and power shooting a ’droid. They’ll halt him, though, and that will warn us off from any traps.”

The door slid up, and Bollux started off down the corridor, preceded by the noise of his stiff suspension. The others followed after—Rekkon and Han in the lead, with Torm behind. Atuarre and Pakka came next, and Chewbacca brought up the rear, his bowcaster cocked and ready. The Wookiee was watching the conspirators as well as rear-guarding. With the possibility of a traitor in the group, he and Han trusted no one, not even Rekkon. The first wrong move on the part of any of them would be the Wookiee’s signal to shoot.

They came to a turn. Bollux went around first, but as the others approached it, they heard:

“Halt! You, ’droid, get over here!”

Han, peeking cautiously around the corner, spied a contingent of heavily armed Espos clustered around Bollux. He picked up bits of the conversation, mostly questions about whether the ’droid had seen anyone else. Bollux put up a front of supreme ignorance and lethargic circuitry. Beyond the gathered Espos, the corridor opened onto the chute gallery, but it might just as well have been on the other side of the Corporate Sector.

“It’s no good this way,” Han said.

“Then it’s the more desperate route for us,” Rekkon replied. “Follow me.” They went back the way they had come, at a trot. As they rounded the next corridor, the footfalls of the Espo detachment drifted to them. They hadn’t gone far when they heard another squad approaching from the opposite direction.

“Nearest stairwell,” Han instructed Rekkon, who led them a few meters more, then ducked through a door. “Keep it as quiet as you can,” Han whispered in the semidarkness of the emergency-lighted stairwell. “Up one floor, and we’ll make our way to the balcony overlooking the chutes.” Of course, Chewbacca, for all his bulk, moved quietly, as did the sinuous Atuarre and her cub. Rekkon, too, seemed used to running with stealthy efficiency. That left only Han and Torm to guard their steps, both laboring to keep the noise of their movements to a minimum.

When they reached the second floor of that level, they found it empty. Blue Max’s flurry of crazy alerts had drawn the security forces away from their contingency posts. The fugitives raced along the corridors as through a hall of mirrors, keeping close to the walls.

They came to the balcony overlooking the gallery. Crouching low, they edged up to its railing. Han risked a quick peek over the top, then drew his head down again. “They’re setting up a crew-served blaster down by the chutes,” he told them. “There’re three Espos working it. Chewie and I will fix that up; the rest of you get set to jump. Chewie?”

The Wookiee rumbled softly, his finger tightening on the bowcaster.