"The New Rebellion (Kristine Rusch)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

"Listen, toothpick brain," Han said. "The roof's about to cave in. I
would rather take my chances with whatever's out there than die with you in
here." "I wouldn't," the Oodoc said.
"Then you don't have to go." Han shoved him aside and blasted the lock on
the door. The ricochet caught the Oodoc in its spiny back. It growled and
lunged for Han as the door swung open.
A tide of seamy creatures flowed into the corridors beyond, gathering Han
and sweeping him away from the Oodoc. He pulled free, reached the turbolift by
himself, scanned for Jarril, and didn't see him. The lift stopped a level
below the surface and Han went up the stairs two at a time, braced for the
next blast, which seemed to take forever in coming.
The crowd reached the doors, bursting through them. The screaming and
shouting stopped when people reached the surface.
Han reached the top and stopped so suddenly that the Gotal behind him
slammed into his back. The Gotal shoved him as it pushed away, then it, too,
stopped and looked up, its double-cone-shaped head pointing toward the sky.
Han stepped away from the entrance, his mouth dry.
Coruscant looked the same. Nothing had touched the city. Nothing at all.
The sunlight was bright, blinding, and warm. The afternoon was as
beautiful as it had been when he went below.
"It couldn'ta been underground, could it?" asked one of the gamblers from
the Crystal Jewel, a man who looked vaguely familiar.
Han shook his head. "Something happened somewhere." "Not from above," the
Gotal said. "If it had come from above, we'd see the effects." "We'd be
ducking and running, hoping nothing else hits the city," the gambler said.
Han put a hand up to shade his eyes as he looked for movement. Finally he
saw it: a contingent of guards and medical personnel heading toward the
Imperial Palace.
The palace.
The children.
Leia.
He took off after the guards at top speed, nearly mowing down that nek
battle dog, which was scampering away from its master. Han dodged in and out
of building columns, through streets, always keeping the guards and medical
staff in sight.
It was the medical personnel who worried him.
People had been hurt.
They avoided the main entrance to the palace and instead ran along its
side. He felt a moment of relief until he realized where they were going.
The Senate Hall.
His breath was coming in sharp gasps. A stitch had formed in his side. He
was in shape, but it had been a long time since he had run at top speed
anywhere. And he had been going at top speed for a long time now.
No more blasts.
Odd. Very odd.
He rounded the corner and the sight before him made him run harder.
Senators were scattered across the lawn, covered with dirt and several
different colors of blood. A black ichor trailed from the senator from Nyny.
All three of his heads were tilted backward. If he wasn't dead, he was close.
Mon Mothma was bent over another senator, talking carefully. Han stopped