Star Wars: Heir to the Sith (Part 3)

Chapter 10: "Then we can carry out Lord Vader's command."

Neerada checked her handiwork once more. It was a simple demolition arrangement, designed to sabotage the power distribution to the magnetic conductors that allowed the weapons platforms to move around the ring. If she was successful, then it would stop them from being moved at all - that meant that there would only be one platform for the Reaver to contend with, as well as the smaller turrets on the control tower itself.

Those were acceptable risks, she told herself.

The Assayer was satisfied she had done enough. Her explosions would cover any back up taking over, and would also cripple the magnetic lines on which the maintenance cars travelled. They would have to fly a repair team out of the tower to get there once her sabotage started.

She checked the explosives once more. They weren't set up to do structural damage, but just to take out a few sensitive systems that could be repaired within a few short hours.

And she had even planned for that. A final explosive, that would be left undetonated, would wait for any inspection team who might arrive to assess the damage. Its explosion, and the resulting deaths of the initial team would buy her a few more hours of the platforms being kept out of the fight.

She checked the countdown again, suppressing a frisson of excitement as she climbed the ladder back to the pressure hatch above which her maintenance car waited.

Three hours and twenty five minutes remained.

Now, she just had to get back to the control tower. She lifted the hatch, at the same time requesting a station update from P-2.

The parasite droid reported back instantly, its reply spelled out for her inside the eyepiece of her helm.

Station preparing for scheduled flare. All gunnery platforms to move down to the southern apex to avoid radiation damage within five minutes. Power is being transferred to ray shielding of all station areas beyond the ring.

"Beyond the ring?" she queried, climbing through the hatch and then up into the maintenance car. "P-2, am I in danger out here?"

She ordered the car to start on its return journey back up toward the control tower, feeling the seconds pass as P-2 assessed her request. Above her, growing larger as she approached, the first gunnery platform was spinning around to situate itself on her side of the ring, for the other face would shortly be receiving a massive blast of radiation.

She watched as the approaching gunnery platform folded together, the half that was protecting the rear side of the ring slotting neatly above the turrets that guarded the opposite side of the ring. Now as one unit, they started moving down the ring face, toward her.

On this side of the ring you will be safe from the radiation, P-2's report came through. However, it is not uncommon for secondary radiation waves to reach your area and roll over the ring's surface. Such radiation is orders of magnitude weaker than the pulse given off by the neutron stars, but it would still be lethal to you.

"What are the chances of any waves rolling over?" she asked, aware that she had fewer than three minutes to get back to the tower.

Reports indicate that such waves will travel across the surface 91 times out of a hundred. The chances that you would survive any of them are zero.

Neerada felt unease grow inside of her. She felt too vulnerable out here.

The huge gunnery platform drew near as it gained speed on its journey south, to hide it from the imminent pulse. Neerada followed the track of her car upward, to where the approaching gunnery platform was fast descending.