Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 03_ The Lost Ones - Kevin J. Anderson [41]
Drawn by the spectacular view of space and the planet, Lowbacca went toward the observation dome. He grasped a cold metal pipe that thrust out from the curved wall and bent down to look, at the huge ball of Coruscant. High clouds masked the daylight side of the planet, while the darkened hemisphere gleamed with millions upon millions of city lights that sparkled like colorful jewels in the night.
Lowie had seen planets from space before, but somehow it had never struck him how intimate the setting was. Here, high above the world, he felt a part of the universe and apart from it, a piece of the cosmos and an observer at the same time. It was strange to have such a perspective, and it made the galaxy seem both small and immensely large at the same time.
"Don't just stare, Lowie," Jaina urged. "We've got work to do. Our first priority should be to get those communication systems up and running."
Chewbacca roared his agreement, clapping a strong hand on his nephew's hairy shoulder.
Peckhum seemed to be working hard to keep his attention on the routine aboard the station, rather than letting his thoughts wander to Zekk.
"I really appreciate what you're all doing," he said.
"Happy to help," Jaina offered as she knelt down to poke around in some control panels.
"Lowie, you're good with computers. Give me a hand here."
"Oh, absolutely," Em Teedee said. "Master Lowbacca is exceedingly talented when it comes to electronic systems." Lowie growled a response, and the miniature translating droid answered, "Of course they already know that. I was simply reminding them."
"Could you please work on the comm systems first? When I try to transmit, all I can really manage is static," Peckhum said, hovering behind them as he pointed out problems.
Jaina's forehead furrowed with concentration. "Sounds like the power transmission is still working, but the voice synthesis encoders aren't doing their jobs."
With everyone standing around, the area was far too cramped to let Chewbacca push his way in, so the older Wookiee hung back and waited.
Lowie suspected his uncle was amused to watch the two young professionals working so hard. Perhaps it reminded him of the way he and Han had worked together, fixing things again and again.
"Well," Jaina said, scratching her cheek and leaving a smear of grime from the corroded control panels, "I expect that by the end of today we'll have these comm systems up and running." She smiled brightly at Peckhum, and Lowie rumbled his agreement. "Just a stopgap measure, you understand, but they'll work."
Peckhum shrugged. "Better than what I've got now. I still wish we had that central multitasking unit," he said dejectedly. "Almost as much as I wish we knew what happened to Zekk."
"I'm sure he's all right," Jaina said, but Lowie knew that she was sure of no such thing.
As Jaina tinkered, Chewbacca went to a different part of the station and roared a suggestion. Lowie readily agreed. Since it was getting toward time for midday meal, it seemed a very good idea to get the mirror station's food processing units up and running. Lowie's appetite was already large, and his mouth watered as he thought of the excellent dishes they could create, even from the meager ration supplies on board.
Em Teedee tsked. "Really, Lowbacca! There you go again-always thinking with your stomach."
Chewbacca roared an annoyed challenge, and Em Teedee's voice became thinner, less emphatic. "You Wookiees," the miniaturized translating droid said in quiet exasperation, "you're all alike."
17
JACEN HAD GOTTEN distracted so many times during their scavenger hunt for the hawkbat egg with Zekk that he would never have been able to retrace his steps through the labyrinth of Coruscant's lower levels. Tenel Ka,