Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [60]
He stood on the platform and scoured the room, hoping to see a new X-wing. There was only the model in its pristine booth. And since he was working late, he was the only person in the area. The maintenance droids were in the main X-wing assembly area. He hadn’t seen any Kloperians, and all the humans had gone off-shift.
Except him.
He hoped.
“Can you stand guard for me, Artoo?”
The little droid beeped twice in a rather offended tone, although how Cole knew the droid was offended was something he didn’t want to examine. The beep code was something they had worked out that afternoon, almost unconsciously. Clearly the little droid was used to working with people.
“Okay. Let’s go, then.”
Cole got them both off the platform and headed toward the new X-wing. He turned back once to check on Artoo and saw the little droid pick up a few more tools, ones that Cole had forgotten he would need. No wonder Skywalker had been upset about leaving the little creature behind. He was valuable.
“Hurry!” Cole hissed.
He went to the display area and punched in the code to open the door. The computer asked his reason for entry. He typed some gobbledygook about a uniform malfunction on all the new X-wings, and the computer let the door slide open. His hands were shaking. He didn’t know how long it would take before the guards or some of the supervisors would show up.
If they did, he would just explain the nature of the problem, show them the devices, and hope beyond hope that no one on Coruscant was involved with the remains of the Empire.
Because chances were, that was who would respond to his computer notation first.
Cole slid into the cockpit of the new X-wing. These X-wings were configured a little differently from the older model, the T-65C-A2. In the new model, the T-65D-A1, the new computer system could be reached from the cockpit itself, giving the pilot more maneuverability—and more options—while in space.
Still, it wasn’t built for doing maintenance. In fact, the computer was difficult to work on in any position. Cole wedged himself into a corner of the cockpit and detached the light pins. His hands were shaking. He had never done anything he was forbidden to do before.
At least, not on Coruscant. On Tatooine he had occasionally worked on fighters he wasn’t supposed to work on, trying to see how they operated. But on Tatooine, he had been learning, and his supervisors had known that. Here he was investigating the very people who had hired him.
The computer panel fell off into his hands. He peered behind it at circuitry more sophisticated than any he had ever seen in an X-wing. Artoo leaned in as best his cylindrical body would allow. A light came on. Cole looked up. Artoo was shining a light attached to his head into the opening behind the computer.
“Thanks,” Cole said.
He squinted and looked through the circuitry, careful not to touch anything. For a moment, he thought he would find nothing.
The white and silvery Imperial insignia winked in the light. Cole leaned his head against the metal lip of the computer. These X-wings were designed to blow. Each and every one of them. He didn’t want to think about all the ships he had reconditioned, all the X-wings already flying through space, floating bombs, waiting for the pilot to hit the wrong lever, push the wrong button.
He peered up at the little droid. Artoo shut off his light. “Can you find out quickly how many X-wing accidents have happened after ships left Coruscant?” Cole asked.
Artoo beeped an affirmative.
“Let’s do it, then,” Cole said. He grabbed the edge of the computer, about to replace it, when he heard something crunch.
Artoo eased down onto his wheels. The droid beeped softly, and the sound felt like a warning.
The hair on the back of Cole’s neck rose.
“So the notification was right,” a deep male voice said. “We have a saboteur. Show yourself.”
Artoo moaned. Cole set the edge of the computer down carefully, leaning it