Alliances (Star Wars: Thrawn, #2)(93)

“Find the prisoners,” Vader’s voice came through Kimmund’s headset.

“Yes, Lord Vader,” Kimmund said, rising from his crouch and looking around. Off to his right, tucked away behind another wall of rusting machinery, were a handful of hot spots. Keeping one eye on the battle, making sure the rest of his squad was doing their job of laying down cover fire, he headed toward the hot spot, beckoning to Viq and Elebe to join him as he passed them. He motioned them to head to the far side of the hiding place, waited until they were in position, then stepped around his side.

And felt his eyes widen. Crouched down on their haunches in defensive positions, their lightning guns pointed in opposite directions to cover both approaches, were a pair of Grysks. Sitting hunched together between them, their faces rigid with fear and horror, were the prisoners.

Five young Chiss girls.

Chiss? Children?

A tiny corner of Kimmund’s mind noted that it would have been nice for Vader to have at least given them a bit of warning. But First Legion stormtroopers didn’t let something as simple as the unexpected deflect them from their battle plan. “Don’t shoot!” he called, stopping and raising his E-11 to point at the ceiling. “Don’t shoot!”

The Grysk facing him swung his lightning gun onto the target. The enemy facing the other way glanced reflexively over his shoulder in response to the sudden shout.

Neither had time to do anything else before Viq and Elebe appeared around the opposite corner and coolly put a single shot each into each Grysk’s skull.

“It’s all right,” Kimmund said, keeping his E-11 pointed away from the children as he hurried toward them. They were gazing up at him, their blue-skinned faces pinched with fear, their glowing red eyes narrowed, their bodies flinching back against the machinery behind them. One of them, perhaps braver than the others, lifted a tentative finger to point at something across from them.

Kimmund looked that direction, feeling his stomach tighten. Nestled beneath an overhang of old machinery were more familiar devices: eight hibernation tubes like the ones Vader and Thrawn had retrieved from Batuu. Three seemed to be active, which probably explained why there were five children still sitting here instead of the eight prisoners Vader had said might be present.

“Do you have them?” Vader’s voice came through his helmet speaker.

“Yes, my lord,” Kimmund confirmed. “Five Chiss children. There may be three more in hibernation chambers.”

“Good,” Vader said. There was no hint of surprise in his voice, Kimmund noted. At least he’d known what they’d come here for. “Prepare them for travel,” Vader ordered. “Are the courtyard defenses you detected on our approach still active?”

“I believe so, my lord,” Kimmund said, shaking away the questions and getting his mind back to the tactical situation. “But now that we’re inside, we should be able to take them out from behind.”

“Do so, Commander,” Vader said. “When you have secured the courtyard, summon the Darkhawk to meet us there. I do not wish to bring Admiral Thrawn’s prizes out through the underground passages.”

“Understood, my lord,” Kimmund said. “Drav?”

“On it, Commander,” Sergeant Drav said briskly. “We’ll have you clear to fly in ten minutes, my lord.”

Kimmund motioned to Viq and Elebe. “Go and assist,” he said. He watched them go, then stepped closer to the children and dropped down onto one knee. “Don’t be afraid,” he said.

No response. Probably didn’t understand a word of Basic.

Still, Thrawn would be able to talk to them. Once they were aboard the Chimaera the children could be told they were no longer Grysk prisoners.

In the meantime, he’d been ordered to make them ready for travel. “Come on,” he said, standing up and motioning back over his shoulder. He looked around, hunting for a safe place to put them in case the battle for the courtyard spilled back in here.

And felt his lips compress. Off to the side, well away from where the Grysks had set up for battle, was a large conveyer belt flanked by various pieces of assembly equipment. On the belt, in varying stages of construction, were five more of the gravity projectors the Grysks had used to close off the Batuu hyperlane.

It was a project the Grysks had clearly put a lot of time and effort into, equipment they would presumably be hesitant to damage. Ergo, a good place to put someone you didn’t want them to shoot at.

“Come on,” he said, beckoning to the girls and heading toward the conveyer belt. It was, he decided, going to take a lot more cargo capacity than the Darkhawk to get all this back to the Chimaera.

But that was all right. Once Vader and the rest of the stormtroopers cleared out the courtyard’s defenses, they would have all the time in the world.



* * *



—

“Two ships breaking to the sides,” Weapons Officer Pyrondi called. “Attempting to flank.”

“Order Squadrons Three and Five to intercept,” Thrawn said. The flanking ships do not go through the web, but maneuver around it for their attack. Possible conclusions: The web cannot be easily breached, or cannot be shut down in individual sections, or is being kept in place for additional purposes. The Grysks are likely keeping their options open while testing Imperial resolve, hoping to yet escape with their prize.