Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 01_ Jedi Search - Kevin J. Anderson [90]
The tractor beam lifted the shuttle into the Gorgon’s bay and hauled it over to an isolated landing area. As the shuttle came to rest, Han heard faint groaning and ticking sounds, like a chorus of mechanical sighs of relief from the battered ship. Armed stormtroopers hustled into position, running in regimented columns that showed they were still well drilled, still highly trained. They carried old-model blasters held at the ready.
“We’d better see what they want,” Han said. “Any bright ideas?”
“Only dim ones,” Kyp answered with a shake of his dark head.
Han sighed in resignation. “Let’s go out together. Hands up and move very slowly.”
Chewbacca grumbled that he had no particular aversion to dying while fighting, if they were going to be executed anyway.
“We don’t know that,” Han said. “Let’s go.”
Chewbacca, the most intimidating, took the central position while Han and the smaller form of Kyp Durron flanked him. They walked out and surrendered. The stormtroopers instantly directed their weapons toward the three. Han wondered how he could have earned himself such an unrelenting streak of bad luck.
At a signal for attention the back ranks of stormtroopers snapped erect, shouldering their weapons, while the front ranks held unwavering aim at the prisoners. Han watched as doors at the rear of the landing bay slid open and a tall woman strode through, accompanied by a bodyguard on each side.
She had a slender build and precise movements. She wore an olive-gray jumpsuit and black gloves. She marched forward, paying little attention to those around her, as if the troops were mere fixtures. She fastened her gaze on the prisoners.
Her most striking feature was a full head of hair that billowed around her shoulders and disappeared to some unknown length down her back. Her hair was the color of hot copper and seemed to crackle with an electric life of its own. Her eyes were green and piercing, like turbolaser bolts.
She walked straight toward them. Han saw the insignia at her collar and was taken aback to recognize the rank of a full admiral. Han had attended the Imperial academy himself when he was young and knew that a woman reaching the rank of admiral was unheard of. Emperor Palpatine had had a well-known prejudice against nonhumans, but he sustained more subtle discrimination against women, rarely promoting even those who passed the rigorous tests. For this woman to have the rank of full admiral—especially of a small fleet of Imperial-class Star Destroyers—was remarkable. Han put himself immediately on guard; this was no person to be trifled with.
She stopped at the foot of the ramp and looked stiffly up at them. Her features were as finely carved and as cold and rigid as a statue’s. Her lips barely moved as she spoke.
“I am Admiral Daala, in charge of the fleet guarding Maw Installation.” She flashed her green glance to each of them in turn. “You three are in a lot of trouble.”
18
Luke and Artoo had little to do as Lando Calrissian piloted the Lady Luck toward Kessel. A nebulous haze of escaping atmosphere surrounded the potato-shaped rock, while the jagged garrison moon rode in its close orbit.
“Welcome to the garden spot of the galaxy,” Lando said.
Luke thought of his home planet of Tatooine, the Dune Sea, the Great Pit of Carkoon, the Jundland Wastes. “I’ve seen worse,” he said. Artoo bleeped in agreement.
Lando leaned closer to the viewports. “Yeah, well don’t make any hasty judgments. We haven’t looked at this place up close yet.” He opened a comm channel. If Kessel had a good tracking network, the station should have pinpointed the Lady Luck the moment they came out of hyperspace. “Hello, Kessel! Is anybody listening? I’m looking for someone named Moruth Doole. I’ve got a business proposition for him. Please respond.”
“Who is this?” a startled-sounding voice broke in. “Identify yourself.”
“Name’s Tymmo, and if you want any other information, have Doole ask me himself.