【正文】 ble that they failed to notice the fey wraith behind them. Itmoved from shadow to shadow like a nightstalking ferret, freezing when one of thetroopers seemed to turn slightly in its direction, moving on again as if walking on air. Several minutes later one of the troopers frowned inside his armor, turning towhere he thought he had sensed a movement near the opening to the main was nothing but an undefinable something, which the ghost like Kenobi hadleft behind. Acutely unfortable yet understandably unwilling to confess tohallucinations, the trooper turned bac k to the more prosaic conversation of his fellows. Someone finally discovered the two unconscious guards tied in the service lockerson board the captured freighter. Both men remained atose despite all efforts torevive them. Under the direction of several bic kering officers, troopers carried their twoarmorless rades down the ramp and toward the nearest hospital bay. On the waythey passed two forms hidden by a small opened service panel. Threepio and Artoowent unnoticed, despite their proximity to the hangar. As soon as the troops had passed, Artoo finished removing a soc ket cover andhurriedly shoved his sensor arm into the opening. Lights menced a wild flashingon his face and smoke started issuing from several seams in the small 39。re in themain hangar, across from the ship. Luke looked toward the bay window in surprise. I can39。droid was more human than people. Wonder if the old man was able to knock out the tractors. Solo was mutteringas he surveyed the scene below. A dozen or so troopers were moving in and out ofthe freighter. Getting bac k to the ship39。s pistol initiated plete panic. Ranks and posure shattered, thetroopers broke and fled down the passage. Drunk with his own prowess, Solo continued the chase, turning to shout back atLuke, Get to the ship. I39。s disappearance, Chewbacca let out a thunderous if unsettledhowl and rushed down the hallway after him. That left Luke and Leia standing alonein the empty corridor. Maybe I was too hard on your friend, he confessed reluctantly. He certainlyis nts. Seeing that the ten had halted, Solo likew ise slowed. Gradually he came to aplete stop. Corellian an to reserve hisquestion for a less confused moment. He turned and followed Solo back up thehallway. ng toward them. Blocking ahead and behind, they hunted frantically for another way out. ThenLeia spotted the cramped subhallway and gestured to it. Luke fired at the nearest of their pursuers and joined her in running down thepassage. It looked like a minor service corridor. Behind them, pursuit soundeddeafeningly loud in the confining space. But at least it minimized the amount of firethe troops could concentrate on them. A thic k hatchway appeared ahead. The lighting beyond turned dimmer, raisingLuke39。ve got to get across there somehow, Leia agreed, once more examining themetal bordering the sealed doorway. Find the controls for extending the bridge.
。s face as he studied walls that soared to unseen heights overhead andplunged to fathomless depths below. The service shaft was employed in circulatingand recycling the atmosphere of the station. At the moment Luke was too frightened and concerned to be angry with thePrincess for his a until Luke mented, This is ashieldrated door, but it won39。regoing? But Solo had already rounded a far bend in the corridor and didn39。re braver than I thought. At once praised and insulted, Solo wasn39。ll join you as soon as we can.He clic ked off, smiling suddenly at Threepio39。s apower outlet, stupid, not an information terminal. Artoo whistled a mournful apology. Together they hunted for the proper outlet. Luke, Solo, Chewbacca and the Princess reached the end of an empty deadended before a large window, which overlooked a hangar, giving them asweeping, tantalizing view of the freighter just below. 第 25 頁 共 23 頁 Pulling out his link and looking around them with increasing nervousness,Luke spoke into the pickup. See Threepio? do you copy? There was a threatening pause, then, I read you, sir. We had to abandon theregion around the office. Are you both safe? For the moment, though I39。re still alive, she shot back smoothly. A quick look downthe corridor and she had started determinedly of f in the other direction. Solo looked at Luke, started to say something, then hesitated and simply shookhis head slowly. No reward is worth this. I don39。m grateful.Almost as an afterthought she glanced back at Luke, adding, To both of you. Herattention turned back to Solo. But from now on you do as I tell you. Solo gaped at her. This time the smug smile wouldn39。s mind, to the same level. The Princess39。 特此聲明！ 作者簽名： 孫妤 2021 年 07 月 21 日 第 24 頁 共 23 頁 tarched thread glued on aglowing ocean. It was barely wide enough for one man to traverse. One man edged his way along that treacherous walkway now, his gaze intent onsomething ahead of him instead of the awesome metal abyss below. T he clackingsounds of enormous sw itching devices resounded like captive leviathans in the vastopen space, tireless and never sleeping. Two thic k cables joined beneath an overlay panel. It was loc ked, but aftercareful inspection of sides, top and bottom, Ben Kenobi pressed the panel cover in aparticular fashion causing it to spring aside. A blinking puter terminal wasrevealed beneath. With equal care he performed several adjustments to the terminal. His actionswere rewarded when several indicator lights on the board changed from red to blue. Without warning, a secondary door close behind him opened. Hurriedlyreclosing the panel cover, the old man slipped deeper int o the shadows. Adetachment of troopers had appeared in the portal, and the officer in charge moved towithin a couple of meters of the motionless, hidden figure.