Shadows Of The Empire (Steve Perry) by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2012-03-10T13:35:53+00:00

21

The safe house was a clever setup, Luke saw. What looked like a row of old storage units and run-down office space in an industrial park turned out to be something else behind the facade. Past a security checkpoint with a trio of large armed guards was a modern complex of interconnected units, bright and gleaming with the latest computer and electronic gear, plus a bunch of technicians to operate it. Most of them were Bothans, but there were several other aliens at work.

It was a smart camouflage. From outside, you’d never expect to find all this.

“This way,” Melan said.

Luke followed the Bothan spymaster down a gleaming corridor to a room with yet another armed guard posted at the door. Melan showed an ID, and they were admitted.

Inside the room were half a dozen Bothan techs. One of them tended leads plugged into jacks in the computer Melan had collected; others sat at consoles tapping keyboards or using voxax controls. Information danced in the air as holographic images formed and re-formed.

“There’s not much to see, I’m afraid,” Melan said. “Unless you’re an expert in this, the information looks to be pretty much a jumble of numbers and letters.”

Luke nodded. “What do they mean?” He waved at one of the screens.

“Got me,” Melan said. “I’m a spymaster. What I know about programming you could inscribe on a microdiode lead with a dull sword.”

Luke smiled. “Hey, hey, hey!” one of the Bothan techs said. “Look at this, boys! Scan sector Tarp-Hard-Xenon.” Luke heard the tap of keys, the commands of voxaxes.

“Wow!” said one of the other techs.

“Oh, sister,” said another. “I can’t believe it!”

“What?” Luke said. “What is it?”

Before anybody could say, the door exploded inward and somebody came in shooting.

Leia smiled at Guri, who was once again seated across from where she herself sat at the desk in their suite. But the smile was to cover her puzzlement.

According to the computer screen inset into the desk and the scanner that fed it, Guri was not human.

What she was, the scanner program could not say.

“Care for some refreshment?” Leia asked.

“Tea would be fine.”

“Threepio, fix two cups of the special tea blend, would you, please?”

Leia turned back from the droid and flashed her smile at Guri again. She caught the computer screen peripherally as she glanced at Black Sun’s representative. According to the scanner, Guri’s skin was around ten standard years old.

Wasn’t that interesting?

“I trust your business went well?”

“It did.”

It would be no trouble to keep her talking for a few minutes, until the “special blend” tea Threepio was preparing did its job. The sleeping potion he was instilling into Guri’s cup would put her out harmlessly for a couple of hours, during which time Leia and the others could make a closer examination of Guri’s person and effects. This was the plan they’d agreed upon if the scan didn’t check out the way it should. After a couple of hours, Guri would awaken and-if the potion worked as it was supposed to work-not remember having fallen asleep.

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