Book 3 - Tyrant's Test by Michael P. Kube-Mcdowell

Author:Michael P. Kube-Mcdowell [Kube-Mcdowell, Michael P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Star Wars, Fiction, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780553572759
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 1996-12-02T08:00:00+00:00

Lando Calrissian cursed under his breath as he dragged himself through the narrow inner passage toward where Artoo indicated Lobot could be found.

The cyborg had stubbornly refused to return to where the droids were waiting, forcing Lando to shed his contact suit and come in after him. But the passages were twisty and claustrophobic, and it was difficult to find enough elbow room and enough purchase on the surface for fingertips and toes to keep him moving. The maze would have been impassable in gravity, at least for a human.

“Lobot!” he called ahead. “How about a little help?”

“You sound close by,” was the faraway-sounding answer. “Just keep coming.”

“What are you doing in here? Are you stuck and too embarrassed to admit it?”

“I am occupied.”

“Occupied with what?” When he was answered with what seemed a pointed silence, Lando changed the subject. “You know we jumped out.”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t by any chance have anything to do with that?”

“No.”

One more toe-push brought Lando to a point where two passages merged into one. “The jump didn’t sound good,” he said, pausing there. “Lot of shaking and rattling we haven’t heard before.”

“There was much damage.”

Lando started again in the direction of the voice. “Yeah, I saw some of it. Are you feeling all right, pal?”

“Fine.”

“Really? I gotta tell you, you sound a little flat.”

“I am occupied.”

“That again,” said Lando. “Well, if everything’s all right, it would have been nice if you’d answered the messages Artoo sent to you for me. You could have saved me what’s turning into a long and annoying climb.”

“Impossible.”

“What’s impossible?”

There was a long silence.

“Lobot?”

“Impossible to reply. The channel was in use.”

Lobot’s voice was at last starting to promise that Lando might see him around one more twisting turn. “If there’s some reason why I shouldn’t come up there, maybe you could tell me now.”

“No reason. Come ahead. You are close now.”

“You said that once before.”

“I was not listening with my ears.”

“Of course,” said Lando. “I make that mistake all the time.” Pausing, he pulled the cutting blaster from the slash pocket of his flight suit and slipped the stay loop over his wrist.

“You will not need that,” said Lobot.

Lando’s head jerked up. There was still no sign of Lobot in the passage ahead. “You spying on me, buddy?”

Again, Lobot did not answer right away. “We are aware of you.”

Drawing a deep breath, Lando reached out and pressed his palms against the inside of the passage, resuming his awkward floating crawl with new determination. “You’ll have to pardon me for intruding—I thought you were alone in here,” he called as he scrambled along. “I hope I can count on you to make the introductions.”

“Yes. A little farther, Lando.”

Ahead, the passage turned sharply, hiding what lay beyond. Lando let the blaster come into his hand before going around the bend. Then he wedged himself into the passage, using one foot to press his back against the wall, as he deciphered what he was seeing.

The next section of passage had a gentle curve that limited his view to twenty meters or so.

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