Star Wars: Darksaber by Kevin J. Anderson

Author:Kevin J. Anderson
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Tags: Science fiction, Non-Classifiable, Space Opera, Fiction
ISBN: 9780553840117
Publisher: Bantam Books
Published: 1996-10-01T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 29 - NAR SHADDAA

The Taurill Overmind did not pause, did not rest. So many of the little interchangeable bodies swarmed over the zero-gravity construction site that work progressed at a relentless pace.

Bevel Lemelisk was ecstatic to see that in only two days the busy creatures had managed to disassemble their erroneous work, erasing the mistakes and rebuilding the entire faulty section of the Darksaber.

Lemelisk watched the efforts and prayed that the Taurill did not make an even worse mistake that might somehow escape his scrutiny.

At one time during the worst setback, when much of the superstructure remained dismantled, General Sulamar had stepped up behind him on the Orko SkyMine ship with a startling click of his bootheels. The baby-faced general stared out the observation windows. "Good work, Engineer," he said grudgingly, as if Lemelisk had been waiting for such praise. "Carry on."

Lemelisk had rolled his eyes and gone to find something to eat. Somehow, he had forgotten to eat lunch again....

He chose the dead hours during the designated sleep period to continue his work with the three-dimensional crystal-lattice puzzle. It amused him with a challenge that stretched him almost-but not quite-to the limit of his mental abilities. When he had reached the critical point, focusing his entire world upon the problem and adjusting the parameters ever so delicately-he was interrupted, again.

The crystal puzzle sparkled down to random shards as Lemelisk flew into a rage at the Gamorrean guard. The brute let the insults bounce off his thick greenish skin and grunted only one word: Durga.

Lemelisk quashed his annoyance and followed the Gamorrean down the corridor to the communications center. Durga had sent a private message to him, knowing full well that it was the middle of the sleep period-but then, the Hutt had never shown much courtesy to others.

The guard left Lemelisk alone to face the flat screen projection of Durga the Hutt. Durga could have used the holoprojector, which transmitted a small three-dimensional image-but the Hutt did not like the 3-D system, because it made his enormous body look diminutive. He wanted the flatscreen, which projected his sloping, birthmarked face as a large and dominating visage. The speakers amplified his voice to a thunderous bellow.

"Lemelisk," Durga said. "I know Sulamar is on his rest period, so I can speak to you without his interference. Those computer cores he obtained have arrived on Nar Shaddaa. I want you to come to the Smugglers' Moon personally and check them out. No telling what sort of garbage he's found for us. You must inspect them."

"But-I can't leave the construction site, not now!" Lemelisk said.

"Why?" Durga demanded. "Have there been problems?"

"No, no," Lemelisk answered, holding his hands up. He hoped Durga couldn't see the sudden film of cold sweat that sprang out on his skin.

"Uh, everything's going smoothly. The Taurill are hard workers, and very fast."

"Good. I'm sending a ship to get you. You will make no contact with me.

Just come to Nar Shaddaa and do your work. I am still trapped in an unpleasant diplomatic matter here.

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