Halt's Peril Read Free Page B

the kickboxer, timing her momentum to his second kick and slamming her stiffened forearm against the sensitive tendon just below the bunched muscle of his calf.

    The jolt of impact was not nearly as hard as shed expected. Too late, Jaina recognized the double feint. The Hapans third, powerful kick caught her off balance and sent her flying.

    Jaina hit the rounded wall and rolled down. She came up on one knee, too cold and too angry to feel the pain that would certainly come later. The kickboxer advanced, sweeping one stiffened leg up high for a powerful downward chop.

    Instinctively Jaina threw out one hand toward her attacker. Dark lightning flared from her fingertips. Jagged, eerily dancing tendrils caught the Hapan, lifted him, and then hurled him across the tunnel.

    Once before Jaina had unleashed Force lightning. This time it came more easily - - but once summoned, it was harder to dispel. Streaks of dark energy edged with searing blue-violet shadows poured from her, pinning the writhing, struggling man against the tunnel wall.

    She was dimly aware of another power falling like a shadow on her dark and brilliant rage. The lighting ended with an abrupt, audible sizzle as Kyp seized her wrist. He spun her around to face him.

    For a moment she simply stared at the Jedi Master, stunned at her own actions and not at all sure whether they would meet with condemnation or approval.

    Kyp broke off first. She tracked his gaze up at the ceiling, and noticed the faint hiss com-ing from dozens of small round openings.

    "The flash set off the sensors," he said curtly. "Lets get him out."

    They hauled the dazed Hapan to his feet and started toward the hatch. A wall of durasteel suddenly slammed down into their path, sealing off the tunnel. Jaina spun in time to see a similar wall fall behind them. The hiss rose in volume, and suddenly a stream of cold, acrid-smelling fluid poured from the valves.

    A swift flood of coolant pourec; ir.to the locked-off tunnel, knocking Jaina's feet from •under her and sending her spinning down into the churning fluid. She went under briefly and came up spitting out a mouthful of the bitter stuff.

    Something seized her foot and yanked her under again. Jaina flailed about until her hand gazed some metallic hold on the rounded wall. She seized it and struggled to pull away from her attacker. She hauled herself upward, found another handhold. Up she went, rising toward the ceiling by slow, painful centimeters. The coolant numbed her, and her lungs ached and burned. Her struggle ceased abruptly, and she shot upward. Her head broke the surface, and for a few moments all she could do was gasp in air and cling to her cold metal perch.

    Jaina looked around for Kyp. Hed found a similar handhold. To her surprise, his free arm was looped under the Hapan's chin, keeping him afloat in a rescuers hold. Shed assumed that the big man had been trying to pull her under, but realized at a glance that he was in condition to continue his attack.

    The coolant level continued its swift rise, and the powerful spray coming from above made breathing difficult and speech impossible. Jaina slanted a glance toward the ceiling.

    The fluid would soon reach the top. If they didn't find a way out soon, they'd drown.

    Kyp caught her eye and looked pointedly toward her left-- toward the unseen force that had tried to pull her under. Jaina noted the vortex rising to the surface, spreading toward them. A drainage tunnel, most likely.

    The Jedi Master let go, deliberately releasing himself and his charge into the powerful spiral. Jaina took a long, deep breath and followed.

    Down she fell, whirling through the cold and darkness. Her tumbling descent slowed as the wall narrowed, and then diffused light rushed toward her through the tumbling water.

    Silhouetted against it were the dark, tumbling shapes of Kyp and their prisoner. Then, suddenly, both men stopped.

    Jaina continued to hurtle forward. She made out the regular