Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 11_ The Emperor's Plague - Kevin J. Anderson [23]
"Well, Master Lowbacca, it does no good to wait," Em Teedee scolded.
"It's high time we went inside and plant the detonators. The others are counting on us."
Lowie growled something, and Em Teedee huffed.
"I am not being impatient. Just because I'm a droid and can't get a plague doesn't mean I don't understand the dangers. I can well imagine computer viruses, you know." Rather than endure more of the droid's talk, Lowie worked the airlock controls, assisted by Em Teedee's rapport with the computer systems. The air within the pressurized chamber was kept sterile, and backup systems and fail-safes prevented any possible leaks.
Lowie stepped inside, his fur bristling with apprehension. The metal floor felt cold against his feet, and the air smelled harsh and disinfected. He looked around at the tubes and spheres of deadly solution and planned his strategy. He left the pressure door open behind him, not relishing the prospect of being trapped inside the lethal chamber.
Then he cautiously walked in among the towering cylindrical tanks. He moved slowly, carefully, until he finally snapped himself out of his daze and removed the thermal detonators from his pack. He was a Jedi Knight, and he had a threat to wipe out. He placed his first set of heat explosives under the largest of the bubbling tanks in the center of the room; then he spiralled outward, ducking down, moving like a machine as he planted one detonator after another.
He didn't want to think about the swarming virus behind the thin walls of transparisteel. He didn't want to smell the reprocessed air. He just wanted to be out of here and destroy it all behind him. As he planted another set of detonators, though, he noticed a marking near the base of the tube labeling the solution inside-KRYTOS PLAGUE, MULTIPLE SPECIES, SLOW-ACTING.
Lowie stiffened, recognizing this disease that had harmed so many aliens, including Wookiees, just after the fall of the Empire. So... this plague storehouse held far more than just the human-killing plague after all!
Lowie now turned his attention to the other tanks and vials, inspecting their labels. The colored solutions contained numerous deadly agents.
Label after label made his blood run cold. GAMORREAN, SLOW - ACTING.
QUARREN, FAST-ACTING. WOOKIEE, SLOW-ACTING. TWI'LEK/CALAMARIAN, VARIABLE
VIRULENCE.
Lowie realized that if Nolaa Tarkona got her hands on all of this, not only could she destroy humans, but she could also threaten every other race in the galaxy! The leader of the Diversity Alliance could assert her power over any species in a way that even the Emperor had not dared to do. Lowie planted his remaining detonators as fast as he could, then rigged up a central explosive controller, which he placed near the main containers in the middle of the room. He would be very glad to get out of this place.
Not even he was safe in here.
After the other young Jedi Knights went on their way, Raynar stayed beside his father inside the munitions bunker. Zekk put his hands on his hips and looked up at the remaining explosives, blasters, and detonators.
"Still plenty left here to cause quite a bit of destruction," he said.
Boman Thul went to work opening cases and linking detonators, preparing to trigger the remaining explosives.
"If we set off all these," Thul said, "we'll put this entire asteroid into a spin."
"I'd rather not be here when that happens," Raynar said.
His father looked down at him with an understanding smile.
"We won't be, Raynar," he said. "I'll make sure you get out of here safely."
Borran Thul worked hard to arrange boxes, linking up blast points for sympathetic explosions. His son dutifully opened more cases, while Zekk moved from one to another, making connections, checking timers, and setting the stage for the biggest explosion he could imagine.
"If Jaina can find enough structural weak points to