Star Wars - Two-Edged Sword by Karen Traviss

Author:Karen Traviss [Traviss, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Palpatine remained at the end of the passageway that ran the length of a Lambda’s, starboard side. He had projected a shimmering field in front of him, a silent statement that he would not participate in the fight.

“I have confidence in you, Lord Vader.”

That trick no longer works on me, master.

“And I have confidence in my men.” Vader could see from the tight control on Lekauf ‘s face that he was now far from inspired by the Emperor. For once, here was someone that he didn’t appear able to imbue with the desire to please him, Lekauf seemed to feel what Vader felt. It was unsettling tо see that in an ordinary man.

Pepin stood with a hydrospanner in his hand, ready to shut down the shuttles drives and generator. Lekauf positioned the six clones on either side of the hatch with flamethrowers and blasters ready.

Vader stood back. What they needed was not so much his fighting skills as his ability to prevent the Dark Jedi from using the Force. They almost certainly had a danger sense as acute as his; and seven of them together could reach out from behind that hatch and thwart Pepin or any of the clones.

He took a breath and centered himself shutting out almost everything around him until he was aware of only the living beings in the shuttle. He could feel Lekauf and his men. He could feel Pepin at the power controls. And he could feel the seven vortices of dark energy behind the bulkhead in the forward section as if the durasteel wasn’t between them at all.

There was a click and whirr of blasters charging and a faint hiss as three of the clones adjusted the pressure in their flamethrowers.

“Ready when you are sir,” said Lekauf.

Vader concentrated on Pepin and enveloped him in a Force shield.

“Pepin - now!”

Vader felt a sense of focus from behind the hatch, and as seven minds seemed to sense the threat and reached out, Pepin cut the generator and the shuttle was plunged into darkness, except for the shimmering red blade of his lightsaber. He raised his left hand, knowing exactly where the weakest point of the hatch was, and sent a massive Force push that swept the two halves of the hatch doors apart.

For a moment, frozen in time, Vader saw a forest of red lightsaber shafts exactly like his own. He punched a Force shockwave into the cockpit just as his field of vision erupted in hot yellow light and the loud whoomp of flame filled the ruptured compartment ahead of them, fire licking across bulkheads and darting into the cockpit hatchway.

He could see inside now. He heard screams. Three lightsabers had disappeared, appearing to merge with the flames. Fierce gold reflections danced on white armor. But three shafts of energy continued to glow, and he could see three of Cuis’s clones enveloped in Force shields of their own, managing to hold off the flamethrower assault.

The stormtrooper plates and bodysuit were fire-resistant, and Lekaufs men

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