"Survivors Quest (Timothy Zahn)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

There was a second of apparent indecision. Then, around the room, the
blasters fell quiet. "Very good," Mara said. "What's part two?"
Huxley's lip twisted. "Drop your weapons," he growled, opening his hand
and letting his own blaster fall to the floor. "You hear me? Drop 'em."
There was another brief pause, then a dull clatter as the others followed
suit. Mara stretched out with the Force, but she could sense no duplicity.
Huxley had caved completely, and his gang knew better than to try to second-
guess his decisions. Keeping her blaster pressed under his chin, she got to
her feet, hauling Huxley up with her. She gave each of the half-sullen, half-
terrified gang members a quick look, just to make it clear what rash heroics
would cost, then turned to the man in black as he walked up to her. "So didn't
you see that droideka before Huxley lifted it up here?" she asked.
"Oh, I saw it," Luke Skywalker acknowledged, closing down his lightsaber
but keeping it ready in his hand.
"And?"
Luke shrugged. "I was curious to see whether it still worked. Did it?"
"We didn't get a complete field test," Mara said. "It didn't look very
mobile, and I'd guess its tracking is on manual instead of automatic. But it
probably fires just fine."
"Fired," Luke corrected. "It's going to need a little reworking."
"That's okay," Mara assured him, sliding her sleeve gun back into its
concealed holster. "Huxley's people will have some time on their hands."
She gave Huxley a push away from her, letting go of his shirt. He
staggered slightly but managed to maintain his balance. "Here's the deal.
Before I leave, I'll credit twenty thousand to your account. Not because
Karrde owes you anything at all, but simply as a thanks for your years of
service to his organization."
"Karrde's a little softhearted that way," Luke added.
"Yes, he is," Mara agreed. "I, on the other hand, am not. You'll take it,
you'll be happy with it, and you will never even think about making trouble
for any of us again. Clear?"
Huxley had the look of a man chewing droid parts, but he nodded. "Clear,"
he muttered.
"Good." Mara turned to Sinker and held out her hand. "My lightsaber,
please?"
Bracing himself, Sinker walked toward her, the lightsaber still humming
in his grasp. He offered it to her at arm's length; taking it, she closed down
the blade and hung it back on her belt. "Thank you," she said.
Across the room, the door slid open, and a young man darted in. He got
two steps before everything seemed to register, and he faltered to a confused
halt. "Uh... Chief?" he called, looking at Huxley.
"This better be important, Fisk," Huxley warned.
"Uh..." Fisk looked around uncertainly. "It's?I just got a signal in for
someone named Mara. It was from?"
"It was from Talon Karrde," Luke cut in. "He wants Mara to contact him
aboard the Errant Venture as soon as possible at?" He narrowed his eyes as he
gazed across the room at the boy. "?in the Domgrin system."
Fisk's mouth was hanging slightly open. "Uh... yeah," he breathed.
"That's right."
"Yes," Luke said, almost offhandedly. "Oh, and it came in under the