Tales from the Empire: Star Wars Legends (Star Wars - Legends) by Peter Schweighofer

Author:Peter Schweighofer [Schweighofer, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780307796431
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2011-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

Getting past the docking bay was a lot easier than I’d expected. Haslam, doing a perfect imitation of an Imperial officer—clipped speech, formal stance and all—identified himself as one Lieutenant Grallant, operating number 13398247, and us as smugglers and possible Rebel sympathizers. The base commander, who looked as if he’d heard it all one too many times before, waved us tiredly back toward the passage I figured had to lead to the holding area.

We filed down the gray hallway, ending up in a large bay with cell-lined hallways branching off at regular intervals. The central computer bank was inhabited by four stormtroopers holding blaster rifles at least as big as the ones Enkhet and Gowan wielded, and a crisply pressed officer type wearing captain’s insignia who looked a whole lot more alert than his commander. The officer glanced up as we came in, and the troopers all shifted slightly to aim their rifles not precisely at us but definitely in our direction. I suddenly found it harder to breathe. Part of my brain was seriously considering saying “Count me out, thanks, I don’t want to play anymore,” turning around and walking back to the ship. Since this would have ruined Haslam’s pretty scenario, and I was too frozen to move anyway, I kept still and silent.

Haslam repeated the name-rank-and-operating number business for the officer, who (thank the skies) didn’t seem inclined to be challenging. Instead, he helpfully fired up the computer and assigned the three of us cell numbers. Prisoner processing apparently took place inside the cells, rather than in the open area—to reduce the incidence of breaks, I guessed. Since a break was precisely what we had planned, I didn’t find this information encouraging.

Enkhet pressed the muzzle of his blaster into my back, pushing me forward. Captain Whoever stepped forward to help get us hardened criminals into cells for processing. Haslam stopped him with an upraised hand.

“I’m going to have to ask you and your men to leave for a few minutes.”

“What?” the captain asked blankly.

“I need you and your men to leave the area temporarily.” Haslam spoke even more quietly, with an air of complicity. “I’m with Intelligence. We suspect these prisoners have had access to top-secret information about the movements of various Rebel cells. It’s not that we don’t trust a loyal Imperial officer, but the presence of these prisoners here has to be kept absolutely top secret until interrogation is complete. I’m sure you understand.”

“Does Commander Caton know about this?”

“No, and it’s important to the war effort that no one knows just now. I can’t tell you any more. I shouldn’t even have said this much. The reason I brought them here is because I know the reputation of this base’s officers and men. There’s no more secure place in the galaxy.”

“I understand,” the captain said gravely, and motioned the troopers to follow him out the door. Evidently flattery went a long way.

“I’ll also have to disable the security cameras temporarily. Just until they’re processed, you understand.

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