Star Wars: Temptation of the Force (The High Republic) (Star Wars: The High Republic) by Tessa Gratton

Author:Tessa Gratton [Gratton, Tessa]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2024-06-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Naboo, Inside the Occlusion Zone

Cair San Tekka dashed directly for the great library five floors down from the private dining room. He stumbled more than he ran, given the bruises up and down his body, his lightheadedness, and some leftover disorientation.

The hallways were wide and not very full. He could hear Nihil yelling, and maybe—maybe—that roll of thunder was the start of a battle far across the great lake at Theed. He paused, but heard nothing else except for his pulse and harsh breathing. His ribs ached. He pressed against them and kept going.

A San Tekka attendant saw Cair and widened his eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Cair demanded. “I told you all to go!”

“We didn’t listen, sir, some of us, at least.” The man lifted his whole posture with dignity. “This is our home.”

Cair gaped but didn’t have time to do anything but react. “Does that mean Ino’olo is in the compound still?”

“I believe so, but I don’t know where.”

“All right.” Cair nudged the man on. “Tell anybody you see to stay out of the Nihil’s way. The Republic is here. Now isn’t the time to get hurt with heroics.”

“Yes, sir, but, sir…” The slightly older man frowned. “Aren’t you…where are you going?”

“Heroics,” Cair said with a hysterical laugh as he took off again.

The sound of blasterfire startled him, but it was clearly coming from a different level of the compound. He burst into the library, shoving the door open with his shoulder, to find it trashed. Books and treasures collected over generations thrown around, shelves pushed over, and somebody had apparently set fire to one of the reading sofas several days ago. The blackened furniture stank but didn’t smolder anymore, thanks to the puddles under the little carved feet.

Cair pushed through the waste, hoping it could all be salvaged, and reached the old-style hearth. He slammed his fist on the marble pineseed carved into the glittering granite, and the carving shifted. For a moment nothing happened. Cair heard the telltale whine of fighters screaming past outside.

The hearth shuddered then, and a panel next to it opened up in the wooden wall. Cair dove through. He hit his sore wrist stump against the lighting panel, and the tunnel flickered to blue-white life.

Cair took the narrow stairs as fast as he could, spiraling down and down. When he reached the landing, it opened up into a relatively small, hidden storage room.

But Cair grinned in satisfaction. This part of the library collection was dedicated to one thing: weapons.

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