Skywalker's Legacy, page 20
Chapter Three
Han, Leia, and Corran were just sitting down to dinner when they heard the explosion. It seemed to come from the north end of their complex. Han stood up and drew his blaster in the same motion, then gestured for Corran to stay with Leia. "Security, what was that?" Han asked the floating 'droid which appeared from the next room.
"Perimeter breach in sector two," the 'droid replied. Sector two was the docking port. "I have already notified the local authorities. Assistance should arrive in an estimated time of twelve minutes."
Han nodded. All he had to do was keep Leia safe for twelve minutes. "Security, close the blast doors between sectors two and three, and sectors three and four."
"Acknowledged," the security 'droid reported. "Blast doors between sectors two and three, and sectors three and four are closing."
Han spoke over the 'droid's response. "Corran, take Leia to the basement while I check it out. The vault's the safest place. Stay with her, and shoot anybody that comes near you." Then he added, as an afterthought, "Except me." The basement was reinforced with plasticrete and shielded to boot. It would take a lot of firepower to get through that, and they'd have to know where to find her first. The security system was programmed to give false life-form readings at various locations within the residence.
Corran nodded and motioned for Leia.
"Han " Leia said.
"Don't worry," her husband assured her. "I'll join you in a couple minutes. I just want to find out how many of 'em there are and what kind of weapons they're carrying. Security, you're with me."
The little spherical 'droid floated beside Han dutifully. Leia didn't argue any further but went with Corran towards the cellar.
"Can you get me a visual on the docking port?" Han asked, trotting towards the docking port.
"Negative," the 'droid replied. "All video systems in sector two are inoperative. Unknown cause."
"Do you have a count on the number of intruders?"
"Negative. All systems malfunctioning in sector two."
"Do you have any other security breaches?"
"Negative. Sector two is the only sector off-line. All other sectors report normal."
"Good. Have they breached the blast-doors to sector three yet?" Han had been keeping the blast doors between the docking port and the main complex closed since the kids left. They wouldn't be using the docking port, and it was one more barrier between Leia and the outside world.
"Negative. Intruders appear to be contained in sector two."
Maybe Han was due for a break. Maybe they weren't expecting this level of security. Twelve minutes no, eleven and a half minutes now, and they'd be home free. He entered the library, sector five in the security 'droid's lingo, and saw that the blast door between the library and the family room was still open. "What the Hell close the blast door between sectors four and five!" He thought he'd given that order once already.
The security 'droid hummed unconcerned. "Blast doors between sectors four and five are closed.
"No, they're not! Look at them! They're wide open! Close the goddam blast-doors!"
Slowly, the doors slid down. Han ducked under them into sector four, the family room. He wondered what was wrong with the 'droid. The thing must have a malfunction in it somewhere. The last thing he wanted right now was a malfunctioning security 'droid.
"Blast doors between sectors four and five confirmed closed."
Han looked behind him, at the doors that had just closed, then ahead at the ones between the family room and the game room. "Status of sector three?"
"Sector Three secure," the 'droid replied.
"Open the blast doors between sectors three and four!"
"Acknowledged. Opening blast doors between sectors three and four."
Nothing happened.
Han ignored the security 'droid and went to the manual controls. The control panel was keyed so that if the wrong code were entered more than two times in a row, it would lock out. Trying to by-pass the number pad or hot-wire it would also lock it out. But the number pad was also programmed to reset after five minutes if no additional attempts were made to get past it. Han had put that in just in case one of the kids had accidentally locked themselves out.
He punched in the code, and the blast doors between the game room and the gym slowly slid open. As soon as they were open enough to duck through, he was under them and running across the gym. The blast doors between the gym and the docking port were closed, thank the Deities. But he was expecting to hear noise from the docking port, sounds of attack. All he heard was silence.
"What the Hell " he muttered. He put his hands on the blast door. The shielding would reflect most of the energy from a blaster or other weapon, but there should still be a trace of residual heat.
The door was cool to the touch.
Han punched in the code, moved to the wall beside the door with his blaster at the ready, and the door began to rise upwards.
He expected, at the very least, flashes of light from blaster energy to appear under the door as it was opened, but there was nothing.
Then the door was fully open, but there was still nothing. Han risked a peak around the wall. The docking port looked absolutely peaceful.
Suddenly the whole house rumbled and shook with a vibration so intense that it could only have been made by a caliber of energy weapon Han had only seen on the Death Star, or on Imperial Star Destroyers, and the last Star Destroyer had been destroyed before Rupert was born.
"Leia " Han whispered. He whirled and took off at a dead run towards the basement, but was stopped by the blast-doors between the library and the family room, which he had had the security 'droid close behind him on his way to the docking port.
The hum by his left ear told him that the security 'droid was still with him.
"Open the never mind!" Han went to the manual control and punched in the code.
Nothing happened.
"Emergency security measures in effect," the 'droid beside him said. "Standard codes temporarily overridden. Local authorities have been notified of emergency situation. Assistance should arrive in approximately twelve minutes."
Twelve minutes again. Not ten or nine, which was what Han had clocked mentally from the previous warning. That's when Han knew that the security 'droid had been compromised, and that there was no help on the way. "Override all emergency measures. Shut down all security systems. Code one-zero-alpha-two-niner."
"Override malfunction," the security 'droid responded.
Without any further hesitation, Han aimed his blaster at the security 'droid and pulled the trigger. But the thing was shielded, and programmed to fight back. Han saw the weapons array start to swivel around towards him and took off running back towards the docking port. His blaster wasn't enough to damage the 'droid, but he knew where there was a weapon powerful enough to do the job.
For once, Han was glad that his kids had a tendency to leave their toys and whatnot out instead of putting them away. As he ran across the gym, he picked up balls and threw them at the 'droid, turned on Rupert's pitching machine, Poul's remote-control toy X-wing, and Lucy's exercise machines. The security 'droid was kept momentarily busy blasting balls and machines, and Han was able to dash to the docking port. He dived and rolled under the belly of his three-seat fighter just as a bolt of energy hit the skin of the ship right behind where he had been.
Fortunately, the canopy was open. Han jumped up onto the footholds, vaulted into the canopy, turned on the switch to charge the guns, and ducked as a bolt of energy whizzed by overhead, barely missing him. Even before they were fully charged, he fired, sweeping the docking port. Without the ship's engines on, the batteries would drain, but he didn't care. He blasted the security 'droid to smithereens and grunted with satisfaction.
But Leia was still in trouble.
Without bothering to power-down the guns, Han jumped out of the fighter and ran back across the gym to the closed blast-doors. The gym, like the docking port, now looked like a war had taken place there. It would cost a pretty-penny to repair the damage, but Han's mind was on Leia.
A blinking light showed Han that the door was in reset mode. "Come on, come on," he muttered. He resisted the temptation to blast the controls, knowing that it would only trap him in this end of the complex, when he wanted to be in the basement.
Finally, the light stopped blinking, and Han punched in the code. The door slid open. Han ducked under it and ran for the basement.
He took the steps two at a time, but even before he reached the bottom, he could see the gaping hole in the plasticrete, still smoldering.
"Leia! Corran!" he yelled.
There was no answer.
Han went to the vault, the most protected part of the whole house. Leia used it mostly for wine storage, and to keep a few odd important document files. The door was hot to his touch. There was a blaster and a lightsaber, still activated, lying on the floor, but no sign of either Leia or Corran.
There was something wet on the floor. Han touched his fingertips to it and looked at his hand. Blood. He didn't know whose. Then something white, a chip of something white caught his eye, and he picked it up. Han recognized the substance. It was armor, of the style Imperial storm troopers had once worn, but of its wearer, there was no sign. Apparently they had picked up their dead or wounded.
Han sunk to his knees. The blaster marks in the plasticrete behind him, revealing the shielded walls beyond, was testimony to the fight Leia and Corran had put up, which judging by the number of marks had been considerable.
It hadn't been enough, though.
Leia and Corran were gone.