"Emanations Of Darkness (Patricia Jackson)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jackson Patricia)

Star Wars


Online sequel to Tales from the Empire: The Final Exit

Emanations of Darkness

by Patricia A. Jackson


upload: 13.II.2006

An aggravated grinding noise accompanied the hiss of a depressurizing
seal as the ramp of the Prodigal detached itself from the freighter's hull. A
week's worth of sand and micro-debris contaminated the external servomotors,
causing the main access ramp to stop and restart in manic fits. The unpleasant
grinding grew to a crescendo of scraping noises, not unlike the shaving of
sharpened metal against metal. Deke Holman grit his teeth, imagining the
damage being done to the inner workings of the ramp's lift system. Blast
scoring from the torpedo hit that caused the damage to the YT-1300 was evident
along the inside paneling and along the edges of the ramp itself. The Socorran
shook his head sadly, surveying the damage.

Beside him, Captain Fable Astin willed her racing heart to be quiet,
purging the rush of fear and rage that threatened to overwhelm her senses. A
thick mane of fiery auburn hair fell over the tapered shoulders of her flight
jacket, framing her pale, troubled face. Haunted green eyes peered from
beneath the shadows of auburn bangs, glaring into the blinding white light of
the expansive docking bay before them. Tall and wiry, she started down the
ramp, even before it completely lowered, and jumped down to the deck. Her boot
heels echoed against the docking plate floor with uncommon authority. Barely
containing her fury, she made a quick survey of the docking bay. Despite
several years as a Rebel Intelligence officer, she had never been inside the
bay of a functioning Imperial Star Destroyer.

"Easy, Capt'n," Deke whispered in Socorran. "This is a nice visit,
remember? If we make nasty with the locals here, we may never get those
hostages back." He stepped down to the deck beside her, holding his hands up
to show his willingness to comply. Around them, armed with blast rifles, no
less than a hundred stormtroopers aimed their weapons at them, fingers poised
on the triggers. Nervously, Deke watched Fable's hands. It was not the heavy
blaster slung low at her thigh that worried him, but rather the cylindrical
object dangling from her holster belt. His commando leader had a temper as
fiery as her red tresses. And in the heat of the moment, she was known for
igniting the pulsating white shaft of the lightsaber, and letting the archaic
weapon do all the talking for her.

"Can you believe it?" Fable whispered, her breathing strained. "The
Empire is crumbling to dust in all corners of the galaxy, and you'd never know
it looking at this." She eyed the well-maintained rack of TIE fighters,