Part 41 (1/2)

”A test,” she said. ”My master pits himself against the deadliest opponents he can find. There is no man who is my equal in hand-to-hand combat. Except perhaps, if the stories are true, a Jedi Knight.”

”This building is going to blow to pieces in three minutes,” he said.

”And you want to play games?”

”It won't take that long. Are you afraid to die, Skywalker?”

Yes, of course he was-But then, in a moment, he realized that he really wasn't. The Force was with him. Whatever happened, happened.

She leaped at him-She was impossibly fast. On his own, he'd never have dodged, but he was permeated with the Force.

He stepped to his right and kicked at her as she flew past. Hit her on the hip and knocked her sideways, but not off her feet.

”Good,” she said.

Glad she thought so. She was supernaturally fast, and it was only by holding to the Force that he could begin to match her.

She circled, looked for an opening-”Luke-!”

Leia's scream distracted him. He flicked his gaze toward the sound of her voice, saw her and the others turn to look at him-It was enough for Guri.

She took a long, sliding step and punched-Luke backpedaled, but even so, her fist hit him in the belly hard.

”Oooff!”

She followed up with an elbow, but he dived away, rolled and turned, came up with his hands lifted as she darted after him - He lost contact with the Force. He was on his own - She slapped him next to the ear and he went down, dazed. If he didn't do something fast, she was going to kill him!

The Force. Let it work for you, Luke.

Luke heard Ben's voice calling as if from a great distance, echoing across time and s.p.a.ce. Yes. He managed a breath as Guri raised her hand, formed now into a blade instead of a fist, a grin of triumph lighting her features-When he blew out his air, he blew his fear out with it.

He had to trust the Force completely-Guri slowed, as if she were suddenly mired in thickened time. He saw her hand descending, saw it moving to smash him, but it was so incredibly slow, why, he could easily just roll aside and stand, before she ever reached him...

He did so. He felt as if he were moving at normal, speed, though there was a crackling feeling to his motion, a sound like a strong wind whistling about his ears.

He came up, pivoted, thrust his open palm against the descending chop, shoved it aside. He used his left leg, a sweep that caught Guri behind the right ankle. Her feet left the floor, still moving in slow motion, and she fell, floated down, hit flat on her back...

Time speeded up.

Leia's yell still echoed down the corridor.

Guri hit the floor. He had never heard anybody fall that hard; it was a thump that shook him where he stood.

It stunned her.

Luke pulled his lightsaber, ignited it. This droid was deadly, too dangerous to remain in existence. He lifted the blade. Lying on her back, stunned, she managed to smile. ”You won fairly,” she said. ”Go ahead.”

She would have finished you.

Time stalled again, stretched like plastic melting in a hot fire...

Luke lowered the blade. Shut it off. ”Come with us. We can have you reprogrammed.”

She sat up. ”No. If they can find a way around my brainblock, if somehow my memory is downloaded, it will be fatal for me-and my master. We have much to answer for. Better to kill me now.”

”It's not your fault,” he said. ”You didn't program yourself.”

”I am what I am, Jedi. I don't think there can be any salvation for me.”

”Luke! Come on!”

He shook his head. ”There's been enough killing,” he said. ”I'm not adding to it today.” He nodded at her once, turned and ran.

Leia watched Luke click his lightsaber off, say something to the downed Guri, then turn and jog toward them.

She had lost track of the time, but it had to be getting close.

The five of them made it outside to the landing pad.

There was no sign of the Millennium Falcon.

Xizor's personal s.h.i.+p, the Virago, was on the top level. Since it was always kept fueled and ready to go, it needed no preparation. He reached the s.h.i.+p. With the sounds of the emergency warning system braying over and over, he was somewhat surprised to see the s.h.i.+p guards still in place, albeit they were very nervous.

”The building is going to blow up,” he said, as if talking about the weather. ”Take one of the airspeeders and get away. You have two minutes to get clear.”

The guards bowed and hurried away. Perhaps the failure of one was not the failure of all. These two guards would keep their jobs when this was done, maybe even get promoted. So rare to find loyalty these days.

He hurried onto the Virago and closed the hatch. It would take a minute to bring all the systems online. Thirty seconds later he would be five kilometers away - the Virago was one of the fastest s.h.i.+ps on the planet.

He settled into the control seat, waved his hand over the computer sensors, and watched the screens light up. He would fly to his skyhook.

He had his own navy stationed in and around the s.p.a.ce station, several corvettes, a few frigates, hundreds of rebuilt surplus fight-ers. He a.s.sumed those responsible for destroying his castle had a s.h.i.+p standing by to rescue them.

By the time that s.h.i.+p made it into orbit, his navy would be waiting.

”All systems go,” the Virago's computer said.

Good. He reached for the lift controls. More than a minute left.

He paused for a second, looked through the viewscreen at his castle. It was too bad about its destruction. He had spent many good years here, and he would miss it. But he would rebuild, a bigger, better, more majestic place.

Until he could take over the Emperor's castle.

He touched the lift controls. The Virago rose smoothly from the pad and away into the bright suns.h.i.+ne.

He was a few hundred meters away, clear enough to be safe, when he saw a beat-up Corellian freighter coming at him. The s.h.i.+p seemed to be out of control; it corkscrewed on its horizontal axis, pitched and yawed.

Xizor cursed, hit his emergency boosters, and turned. The Virago jagged to port, then jumped as if kicked by a giant boot.

The incoming s.h.i.+p barely missed him.