Book 14 - Crisis at Crystal Reef by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta

Author:Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta [Anderson, Kevin J. & Moesta, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction
ISBN: 9780425165195
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 1998-12-01T08:00:00+00:00

“Only I could have brought this about.” He smiled around at his confederates. “And you, my trusted colleagues, will be there to see it all happen. I’ve planned everything down to the last second. Nothing begins until we send our signal, because any resistance to our plan at any of the key points in my network could bring everything crashing down around us.”

His fiery cyber-eye glared around at his followers as he continued.

“And anyone responsible for the slightest hitch in my plan will pay with his life.”

“Good work, Em Teedee.” Jaina shivered as she grinned over at Lowie.

“Well, we know where he is now.”

Lowie rumbled thoughtfully.

“No, Master Lowbacca,” Em Teedee said in a tiny voice. “I’m afraid Master Nien Nunb did not grant me authorization to access any of the primary security systems.” The translator droid gave a mechanical sigh. “Of twenty possible clearance levels, I’m afraid I’ve been granted only two. These levels are designated for infrastructure operations.”

“And what does infrastructure operations include?” Jaina prompted.

The little droid made an embarrassed sound, as if he was clearing his throat. “The er, janitorial functions, it would seem.”

Lowie’s lips peeled back from his Wookiee fangs in a feral grin.

Jaina’s eyebrows raised, and she looked at her friend. Her imagination sparked with quite a few interesting ideas. “I think we can work with that. Don’t you?”

Lowie gave a gleeful bark and began issuing orders to Em Teedee at a rapid rate as he punched in commands at the terminal. “Ah, yes. I see.” Em Teedee passed the commands on through the appropriate allthorization filters. “Oh my, that would be most unpleasant.”

Within minutes, an alarm shrieked through the administrative levels.

In the tiny image onscreen, fire-retardant systems sprang to life all around Czethros, spewing protective foam from hidden valves in the walls and ceilings. The bubbly mixture squirted across his visor and into his moss-green hair.

“Shut that thing off!” the tiny image of Czethros snapped.

Half a dozen foam-covered lackeys sprang to do his bidding. Jaina chuckled. It took several minutes for the confusion to die down and the alarms to be turned off, but Jaina and Lowie were ready.

Under Jaina’s direction, Em Teedee methodically accessed each of the refresher units-and reversed the sewage containment systems. Jaina and Lowie did not have to wait long for results. In less than two minutes, Second Administrator Kymn, covered in disgusting glop, came running into the office where Czethros and his people were still cleaning up the fire-retardant mess. His eyes looked slightly wild, as if something had just happened to him that lay outside the scope of his imagination.

“Sir, we have a problem,” he announced. Around him, other henchmen’s noses began wrinkling in distaste. Kymn lowered his voice, leaned toward Czethros, and began whispering, his arms gesticulating to emphasize his point. Czethros grabbed the five men closest to him, rattled off a string of orders, and propelled them bodily from the room along with Administrator Kymn.

Jaina and Lowie shook with laughter. At the moment, Jaina hardly noticed the chill.

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