[Black Fleet Crisis(46)
“I won’t disagree, ” said Proi. “I’m glad it’s over. “
The droid team of SM-3 and SM-4 found what was left of the power and propulsion decks of theGnisnal , a jungle of scorched and twisted durasteel yawning open to space.
“The explosion was internal, all right, ” Norda Proi said after studying the side-by-side images sent back by the droids. “Looks like a failure of the primary transfer coupling for the solar ionization reactor. Which is about as foolproof a piece of equipment as there is aboard a Star Destroyer. “
“Sabotage? “
“Or plain bad luck, ” said Proi. “Whatever happened, it dropped the hyperspace motivator right down the pipe into the reactor core. The secondary explosion broke her back and carried away just about everything below the twenty-sixth deck. Poor sods wouldn’t have had any warning at all. Concussion alone probably killed most everyone on the upper decks. “
Proi switched to the signal from SM-5 and SM-6, which were slowly making their way to the bridge.
“Ensign, what would the normal ship’s complement be for the intact portion of theGnisnal ? “
“One moment, sir, ” said the rating, leaning over his console. “At battle stations, approximately twelve thousand. At normal watch stations, approximately seven thousand, four hundred. “
“Too many to take home, ” said Oolas.
Norda Proi shook his head. “Chances are half the crew or more was comprised of conscripts, most of them from what are now New Republic worlds, ” he said. “I’ll put in a request to have a fleet transport diverted here to take the overflow. “
The primary operator for SM-1 sat beside data analysis droid DA-1 at a console inSteadfast’s forward hold. Together they monitored in real time the steady stream of images and sensor data from insideGnisnal .
A few steps away sat the operator for SM-2 and his analysis droid, performing the same tasks in parallel.
The primary task for the droids and their operators was to inventory the ship’s hangars, which had been located forward of the reactor, and its gun batteries, which
ordinarily bristled from
every face of
the wedge-shaped main hull. But enough of the ship was missing that that task was well ahead of schedule. Both droids were already well aft, in the sections below the Star Destroyer’s superstructure.
Gnisnal’shull was intact there, and the droids moved through the outer corridors on the port side without difficulty or obstruction. But when they turned down an inner corridor leading to the aft emplacements, alarms began sounding at both consoles.
“Ambient light detected, ” DA-1 announced. But it was obvious to both operators without interpretation-the corridor ahead was brightly lit by its own overhead lights.
Immediately, the operator paged theSteadfast’s bridge. “Lieutenant Proi, this is Makki on Number One. Sir, the lights are on in Corridor R, Level Ninety. There’s still power aboard. ” The operator’s voice was shadowed by concern.
“Interesting, ” said Oolas, glancing at the range marker on the navigation display.
“Redundant systems, ” Proi said, frowning, calling a three-view plan of the ship to his display. “That section is served by the Number Four power cell, backed up by the Number Eight. I guess one of them’s still working. Give the Imps credit, they built those babies to last. “
“Should I have the helmsman put a little more distance between us and the wreck? ” Oolas’s upper tentacles wrapped themselves protectively around his thin neck as he spoke, showing his nervousness.
“No, ” Proi said. He frowned, seemingly lost in thought. “That’s combat lighting, not emergency lighting. You know-as quickly as this ship went bad, there’s a chance they didn’t have time to initiate a purge-Makki, you there? “
“Yes, sir. “
“Any signs of movement? Any vibration or hot spots in the bulkheads? “
“No, sir. “
“Then I want you to check something for me, ” he said. “Send the droid up to Level Ninety-six, Corridor Q.”
“What’s there? ” asked Oolas.
Norda Proi shook his head. “Wait. I’m superstitious about wishing out loud. “
With its twin following, SM-1 entered a turbolift shaft and began rising toward Level Ninety-six. Oolas watched anxiously, while Proi watched with silent anticipation.
When the first droid had cleared the shaft, they saw an abandoned guardpost by a set of open blast doors. Thousands of jagged, glittery fragments drifted in the air like snow.
“The viewports on this level must have imploded after the explosion, ” said Oolas.