[Last Of The Jedi] - 06(29)

Chapter Seventeen


Ferus didn’t know what to expect when he, Flame, and Trever arrived at the Residence Tower. The landing platform on level two hundred was empty of stormtroopers. He parked the airspeeder and was able to enter the tower without a problem. Obviously the Empire’s forces were not expecting a rescue attempt. Why should they? The Samarians were now convinced that the Roshans were their enemies.

Ferus walked out into the small lobby. There was a datascreen set into the wall by the central reception area. He keyed in the Roshan delegation and the screen flashed a room number ten stories above.

Ferus accessed the turbolift and they jumped on. They exited on the two hundred and tenth floor. Ferus silently moved toward the corner that would give him a vantage point into the hall. He quickly ducked back. The door to the Roshan suite was being patrolled by six Prowler 1000 droids and several dwarf spider droids.

He quickly explained the situation to Flame and Trever. “It won’t be a problem,” he said. “I can take them down. But they’ll send a signal back, and reinforcements will be sent.”

Flame patted her blaster. “We’ll be ready.”

Ferus turned to Trever. “Do you have any of your smoke grenades?”

“I happen to have a couple right here,” Trever said, reaching into his utility belt.

“Save them for now. We’ll need a way out of here. Okay, as soon as I take care of the droids, follow me.”

Ferus activated his lightsaber. Flame’s eyes grew wide.

“Did I mention he once trained to be a Jedi?” Trever asked.

Ferus charged into the hallway. The prowler droids immediately darted toward him like a flock of angry birds. He leaped up, slashing the first one into smoking bits, then reversed and took out two more. Meanwhile the spider droids sent blaster fire his way. He deflected, it back to one, which burst into flame. He took out the other spider droid and casually sliced the last prowler in two with a backward swipe as he strode to the door.

He heard Flame’s soft voice from down the hall. “No, Trever. You didn’t mention it.”

Ferus opened the door.

Robbyn Sark and the rest of the delegation stood in the middle of the room, blasters in their hands. All of them were pointed at him. Obviously they had heard the commotion in the hallway.

“We do not recognize your authority,” Robbyn Sark said. “We will not subject ourselves to arrest.”

“I’m not here to arrest you,” Ferus said, deactivating his lightsaber and clipping it back to his belt. “I’m here to take you home.”

Trever ran in. “We’ve got trouble. Stormtroopers entering the building and more spider droids. That didn’t take long.”

“We’ve got to get to the landing platform. We can’t take the turbolift,” Ferus said. “We’ll take the stairs.”

“There are no stairs,” Robbyn Sark said.

“We’ll have to chance the turbolift, then. Or …” Ferus strode to the windows. “We could launch a liquid cable, but we’ll be spotted. They can pick us off if they have the range. And they do.”

“There might be another way,” Robbyn Sark said. “The utility lift. It’s used for linens and room-service trays. It won’t fit all of us at once, but it will hold a few of us at a time.”

“Good idea.” Ferus turned to Trever. “Set off some smoke grenades in all the turbolift banks. Fast.”

“I’m on it.” Trever took off.

Robbyn Sark led them to the utility turbolift. It was a small, squat lift where droids bundled laundry and delivered room-service trays. There was enough room for three at a time, if they crouched and squeezed.

“I’ll go down with the first load,” Ferus said. “Just in case there’s trouble. Can you stay here and help the rest of the Roshans?” he asked Flame.

“I won’t leave them,” she promised.

Robbyn Sark and another delegation member entered, bending over and fitting their bodies into the space. Ferus followed, squeezing in next to them. He hit the sensor for the two-hundredth floor. As they descended, the first fire alarms began to ring. “Don’t worry, it’s just the smoke grenades,” he told them. “They’ll have to evacuate the building — or at least part of it. We can use that as cover for our escape.”

“We’ll have to get to our ship,” Robbyn Sark said. “No doubt it will be heavily guarded.”

“I’ve already found you a ride,” Ferus said. “And I’ve seen her flying skills. She’ll get you back to Rosha.”

“Why are you doing this?” Robbyn Sark asked.