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

that they too would return someday.
But none of them had left in the same spectacular manner as Brakiss.
Brakiss was one of the handful of Imperials who had tried to infiltrate the
Jedi Academy. Unlike the others, Brakiss had a true talent for the Force. Luke
decided to see if he could keep Brakiss away from the dark side.
The training went well. Brakiss softened, and Luke thought it time to
give him the equivalent of the dark cave on Dagobah. Luke sent Brakiss on a
journey in which Brakiss had to face himself. Brakiss emerged, terrified and
angry. He left Yavin 4 and went back to the Empire.
Luke knew that one day he would see Brakiss again.
He had feared it would be like this.
"Master Luke! Master Luke! Oh, thank heavens we found you!" 3PO's voice
cut through Luke's reverie. Luke glanced over his shoulder. 3PO stood in the
door with R2 at his side. They started to come in.
"No!" Luke said. "It's too unstable in here. Meet me outside." "But
Master Luke-" "I'll be right there, 3PO." "I hope so," 3PO said. He walked
away from the door. R2 bleeped at Luke and then followed 3PO. It had to be
something serious, then. R2 sounded distressed.
Luke stood. He got no more of Brakiss than that initial sensory
impression. And it bothered him. He wasn't used to such superficial feelings.
But all he had felt around this blast had been strange.
He climbed out. One of the workers in the outer corridor looked at him.
"Those your droids, Master Skywalker?" Luke nodded.
"They seemed agitated." Luke smiled. "3PO always seems agitated. I'm sure
it's nothing." He continued outside. 3PO and R2 stood on the dirt-covered
lawn. They were facing the door. 3PO turned and said something to R2 when Luke
appeared.
"What's so important?" Luke asked.
"Master Luke, R2 and I had a dreadful experience in the maintenance bays.
R2 insisted that we go down there and we were taken prisoner by this horrible
Kloperian who seemed to have no idea who we were. I wouldn't have brought this
to you, sir, but R2 insisted. He said you needed to know-" "What were you
doing in the maintenance bays? Those are off-limits to all but specialized
droids." "R2 insisted," 3PO said. "He's been behaving quite badly. In fact,
the language he used in front of the Kloperian-well, it made my gears freeze
if you get my meaning, sir. And-" "R2?" Luke asked.
R2 bleebled, then a compartment opened near his base and a small tube arm
emerged. Luke held out his hand, and R2 dropped several tiny chips into it.
He crouched and examined them. "These are the X-wing's memory chips." R2
moaned, a mournful sound.
"The X-wing is in pieces, sir. If I had known that R2 was going to steal
parts-" "In pieces?" Luke said. He closed his fist around the chips. The X-
wing and R2 had been flying together so long that their memories were linked.
They had their own special language. The X-wing was as much of a person as a
ship could be. "Who authorized this?" "Why, I thought you did." "I authorized
routine maintenance." Luke stood. "This would have to happen the moment I need
the X-wing. How bad is the damage?" 3PO said, "There is no actual damage." R2
beeped and squawked.
"Aside from the pieces," 3PO said.
Luke's grasp on the chips was tight. "It sounds more like they're