Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [187]
With both hands, Skywalker swung his lightsaber.
Kueller dodged, cursing his suddenly slow body. He needed just a moment to do the recognition. He held the remote up to his eye, hit the scan function, and a beam of light stabbed him as it identified his retina.
“Luke!” Leia shouted. “He’s got a new weapon!”
But Skywalker said nothing. He was moving as slowly as Kueller, coming forward, holding his lightsaber as if it were made of steel instead of light.
The remote shut off the scan light and a tiny panel went up, revealing the number pad. A five-number sequence for all of them. Very simple, Brakiss had said, to destroy them all. It was the small units that were hard. Kueller had to specify the unit-batch numbers. This one would be easy.
He stepped out of the light as he punched in the first number.
Leia was shouting.
Skywalker was moving.
Neither of them would reach him.
He punched in the second, and the third, wishing the dizziness would go away.
Leia raised her hand.
A white creature appeared behind Luke.
Kueller punched in the fourth number, and then the fifth.
The remote beeped its acceptance, and relayed the commands all over the galaxy.
Fifty-four
Artoo bleeped again, this time with force.
“Nooooooo,” Threepio said, his eyes hidden.
A loud, long, sustained crash made him bring his hands down. Astromech droids were breaking through the one-way glass. It coated Brakiss. He was screaming and pulling glass shards from his hair. The scrambler was on the floor. Droids were converging on him, and without hesitating, he turned and ran through a side door. Droids followed, as his screams echoed through the hallway.
Artoo beeped in satisfaction, then went to the computer array and jacked in.
Threepio went around the deactivated astromech droid, and watched Artoo’s jack rotate. “Whatever are you doing?”
Artoo bleebled.
“How can you deactivate so many detonators from such a distance?” Threepio said. “Delusions of grandeur, that’s what you have. Delusions. We have to get out of here before Brakiss comes back. We have to find Master Cole.”
Artoo blapped at him, shushing him.
Threepio watched.
Then Artoo squealed.
“What? What?”
Artoo screamed, and Threepio waved his hands in distress. “What do you mean they’re being activated? Every new droid will explode! We’ll die here a thousand times over. They’ll never even find pieces of us!”
Artoo whistled, then bleeped commands.
“What panel? How can I push a command button if I don’t even know what panel?” Still, Threepio hurried over to the computer panel, looking for the small button that Artoo had described.
Artoo shrilled his response as Threepio found the button. Artoo would send the deactivation code, but Threepio had to press the emergency frequency. It would, they hoped, intercept any other message. It would prevent explosions from happening.
Artoo’s jack stopped rotating. As he pulled the jack from the socket, he bleeped.
Now.
Threepio jammed his golden finger on the button once, twice, three times.
Nothing happened.
Artoo was staring at a display screen.
Threepio looked up.
Artoo started rocking back and forth. Then he shrilled a victory cry.
“We did it?” Threepio said.
Artoo bleeped happily.
“We really did it!” Threepio put his arm around his small friend. “We’re saved! Oh, Artoo, you’re a genius!”
Artoo burbled modestly.
“Well, I’m a genius too. After all, I did help you. I did listen to you, and you couldn’t have done it alone. Why, if Master Cole and I hadn’t come here—” Threepio interrupted himself. “Oh, dear. Master Cole! He’s missing! We have to find him, Artoo, before something dreadful happens to him.”
Artoo moaned softly.
“Oh, dear,” Threepio said. “I suppose that means it already has.”
Leia couldn’t feel Luke anymore. It was as if his personality completely disappeared, even though she could still see