Behind her she could sense Ry-Gaul moving. She knew he was positioning himself to flank her.
But they were too far away, and too late. Keets was overpowered by the stormtroopers. Lune was wrenched away. The boy didn’t make a sound.
It was Astri, on her knees, whose wailing cry of anguish split the air as Lune disappeared into the crowded sky.
Chapter Seventeen
Ferus waited by the garden wall. It didn’t take long until three shapes materialized out of the darkness. Roan, Trever, and Amie.
“You took your time finding me again,” he told Trever. He squeezed the boy’s shoulders, glad to see him looking so well.
“You’re the one who keeps disappearing.” Trever felt better, just seeing Ferus once more. He couldn’t believe he had suspected him. One suspicion had led to another until his mind was crammed full of doubt. He didn’t know how it had started, but he was glad it was over.
“This door,” Ferus said, leading the way.
As soon as they were inside, Ferus took them to the central office where he’d seen Moff Tarkin. Then he pointed out the scientist’s meeting rooms and labs.
“I’ll take the labs,” Amie said.
“I’m going to check out the computer in the hangar,” Trever said. “Flight records might tell us something.”
“I’ll try the main computer,” Roan said. “Come on, Ferus.”
It was like old times. Ferus and Roan hit the keyboards under pressure, trying to track down secrets. Once it had been from dishonest multisystem corporations, and now it was from an empire they were certain was choking the life and heart of the galaxy.
“I’m going to key in Despayre and see what I get,” Roan said. “After you mentioned it, I researched it but didn’t find much. Outer Rim planet, in the Horuz system, a penal colony … a curious lack of real information.”
“I’m going to take a look at Tarkin’s files, see if I can access anything,” Ferus said.
For long seconds there was only the clicking of keys and buttons.
Suddenly, Roan whistled. Ferus knew that whistle. Roan was busy whipping out his datapad.
“That probably has a safety wipe on it,” Ferus warned. “If you try to download information, it will erase itself.”
“Disabled it. Don’t you remember how very good I am at this?” Roan grinned as he flipped through the data. “This is interesting. … I’ve got a memo from Tarkin to the factory manager telling him to bypass normal safeguards for any workers. We can release this information and bust a big smoking hole in their “we’re here for the betterment of Bellassa’ spacejunk.”
Ferus returned his attention to his own search. “Weapons delivery system,” he said. “That’s what they must be working on. I’ve got orders for high-functioning engineering droids…. Whoa a shipment of Loquasin and Titroxinate.” He paused. “Some of these memos have been forwarded to ZA.”
“Friend of yours?”
“There’s only one ZA. Jenna Zan Arbor. Galactic criminal and all-around vicious rival.”
“Sounds like they’re working on weapons here as well as infrastructure. That’s totally against what they said.”
“With false labels … it’s all undercover.”
Just then Amie entered. “We’ve got about four more minutes,” she said. “I’m finding out some strange stuff. It’s not so much what they’re working on as the scale of it. Like they’re planning to take over an entire planet and redo its infrastructure or something …”
“Take a look at this,” Ferus said, tilting the data-screen toward her.
She read it swiftly. “This is similar to some of the methods they’ve used on torture victims, Roan included,” she said. “Totally against the regulations the Senate passed generations ago.”
“The Emperor doesn’t believe in following regulations,” Roan said. “He lets the Senate pass them and then ignores them. It’s a convenient version of democracy.”
“And it’s all for the good of the galaxy, remember?” Ferus said. “We’d better get out of here. Time’s up. I think we have enough. Where’s Trever?”
“Late, as usual,” Roan said, shutting down the computer. “Let’s meet him at the door.”
Running now, with the sense of the chrono ticking the time away, they reached the exit door, but no one was there.
Roan let out an exasperated sound. They had less than a minute now. Where was Trever?
Chapter Eighteen
Trever didn’t learn anything on the hangar computer. He wasn’t a whiz like Roan. He’d picked up a couple of hacking techniques from Ferus, but he wasn’t a mastermind.