Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 08_ Diversity Alliance - Kevin J. Anderson [17]
"But what happened to the rest of the merchant fleet then?" Tyko asked.
Em Teedee made a sound as if he were clearing his throat. "Ahem. If you would allow me, sir, I'd like to access the Tradewyn's Computers. I believe I might be able to rectify the situation."
"Direct access to the Tradewyn's computers?"
Tyko's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"I've had quite a bit of experience with droids, and I know how susceptible they are to programming glitches. How can I be sure this droid is trustworthy?"
"Programming glitches? Indeed!" Em Teedee huffed at the same moment Lowie let out a roar of offended pride.
Tyko backed away, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Very well, very well, be my guest. Just don't tell Aryn I gave you access. " In a matter of minutes the Wookiee and Jaina had Em Teedee hooked up to the flagship's bridge computer system.
As he scanned, Em Teedee began making cryptic comments. "Ah, yes.... I see.... Oh, indeed.... Fascinating!"
Jaina listened, biting her lower lip. Finally she could wait no longer.
"Mind sharing your insights with us, Em Teedee?"
"Why of course, Mistress Jaina," the little droid said. "How' remiss of me. It's just that this machine is so marvelously intelligent, and I--"
Lowie gave an impatient bark.
"Cut to the chase," Jaina said.
"Go on, droid--tell us what happened," Tyko added imperiously.
"Well," Em Teedee began in a defensive voice, "I should think it is intuitively obvious by now. Officer Kusk had the navigational link to all of the fleet's computers.
He sent the rest of,them false jump coordinates."
"So," Tyko said, "that transmission burst security picked up a few minutes before our last hyperspace jump must have been Kusk sending the true coordinates to his brother the bounty hunter."
"That seems highly likely, sir," Em Teedee agreed. Lowie was interested to see Tyko's attitude change subtly at this indirect praise from the miniaturized translating droid.
"A simple and elegant plan," Tyko said.
"Excellent work, droid. Can you plot us a route to where the rest of the fleet is now?"
"Of course, sir. Nothing simpler," Em Teedee said. "I have become quite adept at establishing rapport with starship navicomputers."
Uncle Tyko gave a decisive nod. "Very well, do that." He paused for a moment.
"Oh, and, er... Em Teedee, is it?'When you've finished, can you work out an algorithm for randomizing our hyperspace jumps so that no one will be able to broadcast our coordinates ahead of time?"
"It would be my greatest pleasure, sir," Em Teedee replied with pride.
Apparently satisfied, Tyko retreated to consult with the ship's security staff while other crew members went to call Aryn Dro Thul back to the bridge. Lowie gave Em Teedee a congratulatory pat.
"Who says one can't find any trustworthy help these days?
Hmmmph!" the little droid said.
Even if official ceremonies with the Thul family were boring, Jacen thought, meals were not. Their group sat under a soundproof, gravity-controlled dome in a vast room with glossy yellow walls. They all lounged on cushioned benches that surrounded the low toroidal meal table.
In the open center of the table, a food carousel turned slowly to display every kind of fruit, meat, bread, vegetable, sweet, and delicacy Jacen could imagine. At the very center of the carousel bubbled a fountain filled with effervescent blue ossberry ale. Above the soundproof dome, a dozen low-gravity dancers tumbled and pirouetted through the air in the yellow room. But even such a large and wonderful ship as the Tradewyn must have seemed like a cage to Aryn and Raynar at the moment, Jacen supposed.
"Mother," Raynar said suddenly, "tell me what you know about Father's disappearance. I've never gotten anything but secondhand reports so far."
Jacen snagged a cluster of orange berries from the food carousel and listened carefully. Aryn pressed her hands tightly together in her lap, and her lively, intelligent face