Soldier for the Empire (16 page)

The stairs ended in front of a metal door. Kyle touched the access panel, fired his weapon through the quickly growing gap, and saw two troopers backpedal and fall.

The agent felt nothing in particular as they died and realized how numbing the violence had become. Shoot, kill, shoot, kill, always wondering if it would be his turn to die. The helmets made it easier somehow, since with the exception of the officers and commandos, his enemies died faceless, more like targets than people.

Another flight of stairs presented itself followed by another door. Kyle hated the doors by now, stupid metal things behind which danger inevitably lurked, and through which he must pass. How many more would he have to endure? How many more could he possibly survive?

The door opened, Kyle moved through, and felt his pulse quicken. He saw banks of electronics, tables covered with light circuits, and acres of raised flooring. He was close now, extremely close, and the excitement started to build.

An officer turned, saw Kyle, and died. A commando spun, attempted to run, and took a bolt through the back. Two troopers, one tall, one short, came at the run. Kyle targeted the tall one first, put him down, and switched to number two. His aim was only a hair off, but that was sufficient. The glossy white armor did what it was supposed to and bounced the bolt away. Kyle tripped, sprawled on the floor, and felt, rather than saw the energy beam sizzle through the spot where he'd been.

The next shot, more luck than skill, caught the trooper square in the midsection and knocked him over.

Shaken by the close call, Kyle scrambled to his feet, and stumbled forward. The grid-style ceiling stretched away, monitors hung like overripe fruit, and that . . . What the heck was that? It looked like a globe. Only somehow transparent.

As Kyle drew closer he realized that the apparition was a three dimensional depiction of the very thing he'd come for - the Imperial Death Star - as it would look when finally completed. A sure sign that his objective was within reach.

The air grew thicker now, as if evil had substance. It seemed to push him back. Kyle reached for the Force, found where it pulsed, and reentered the flow. It carried him through the holo and into the hall beyond.

The troopers seemed in a hurry to throw themselves in front of his blaster bolts and crumpled to the floor.

An officer appeared from behind a console, ran forward as if to intercept him. Kyle fired a carefully aimed shot. He caught little more than a glimpse of Odom's face as he fell, hoped the footage would look believable, and stepped over the half-conscious body.

Odom watched his friend's boots walk away, wondered if he'd done the right thing, and knew that even though he hadn't fired a shot, his hands were red with blood. Lives had been taken, and lives had been saved. How would the scales tip? Only time would tell. The thought brought comfort even as the pain from his wound pulled him into darkness.

Kyle circled the large U-shaped desk, found the switch where Odom had promised it would be, and flipped it on. He heard a motor whine, watched the wall start to rise, and saw what he had come for. The red-, green-, and gold-colored memory matrix had the look of an overstuffed T hanging suspended in U-shaped arms. The wall behind it was gold in color and bore delta-shaped patterns. Kyle vaulted onto the intervening table, dashed forward, and jumped down as the lights began to pulsate. His boots thumped against the floor and momentum carried him forward.

His fingers tingled as he reached through the force field, secured a grip on the matrix, and pulled it free. The module felt warm against his chest. He had it! The matrix was his! If he could fight his way out, if Jan was waiting for him, and if they could escape.

Though larger than he might have wished, the matrix weighed next to nothing, and Kyle had little difficulty carrying it. The assault rifle was a problem, though. So he dropped it and pulled his blaster.

The door was obvious. Kyle hit the control panel, stood to one side, waited as a commando stepped forward, and shot him in the temple. Troopers opened fire and a console exploded. The agent dropped to the floor, stuck his arm around the doorjamb, and fired where he "felt" they ought to be. They were, and after checking around the corner, he entered the room.

The lift was cylindrical in shape, clearly marked. Kyle hit the switch, waited for the door to open, and was relieved when no one shot at him.

Motors whined as the lift carried him upward and he thumbed the Comlink Jan had provided. "Can you read me, Jan?"

The comlink hissed and crackled. Interference? Or something else? What if Jan had been intercepted? Shot down short of the research complex, or worse yet, taken prisoner? What would they do to her? Those questions and more tortured Kyle as the lift jerked to a halt.

There were almost sure to be troopers outside, so Kyle put a fresh power pak in his blaster before he opened the door. The trick was to reduce the opposition before he left the safety of the turbolift.

The doors opened to reveal an immense courtyard, a star- studded sky, and more troopers than he cared to count. The Crow was nowhere to be seen. Kyle felt a bitter sense of disappointment, resolved to take as many of the Imperials with him as he could, and opened fire.

A trooper fell, quickly followed by another, and still another, but there were more. Kyle slapped a fresh power pak into the butt of his pistol and aimed the weapon at the memory matrix. Maybe there was a backup. And maybe there wasn't. The least he could do was fry the one in hand. He was about to fire when he heard a rumble. The comlink was in his pocket so the sound was muffled. "Kyle? Do you read me?"

Kyle felt a sudden and almost overwhelming sense of joy. It was Jan! And she was alive! "Loud and clear, Jan what kept you, anyway?"

Repulsors flared and stormtroopers scattered as the Crow drifted in over the roof. Jan triggered a burst in the general direction of some commandos and lowered the belly ramp. "Nothing much - had a few errands to run, that's all. Did you get what we came for?"

Kyle dashed across the open courtyard, thundered up the ramp, and stuck his head into the cockpit. "Yes, I did. Let's get out of here."

Jan nodded, pushed the ship off the roof, and nosed away. Windows shattered as the Crow broke the sound barrier. Thunder rolled across the land, and a spark streaked across the sky and vanished over the horizon. A blow had been struck. But the darkness continued to gather.