As the princess kept watch, Major Derlin turned to acknowledge a Rebel lieutenant reporting in. "All patrols are now in except Solo and Skywalker, sir." The major looked over at Princess Leia. "Your Highness," he said, his voice weighty with regret, "nothing more can be done tonight. The temperature is dropping fast. The shield doors must be closed. I’m sorry." Derlin waited a moment, then addressed the lieutenant. "Close the doors." The Rebel officer turned to carry out Derlin’s order and immediately the chamber of ice seemed to drop even more in temperature as the mournful Wookiee howled his grief.
! l8 ]3 B" Z1 w' S# { K- P' C "The speeders should be ready in the morning," the major said to Leia./ Y$ Q7 b9 {# C+ F! d: E
"They’ll make the search easier." Not really expecting an affirmative reply, Leia asked, "Is there any chance of their surviving until the morning?" "Slim," Major Derlin answered with grim honesty. "But yes, there’s a chance." In response to the major’s words, Artoo began to operate the miniature computers inside his barrel-like metal body, taking only moments to juggle numerous sets of mathematical computations, and climaxing his figurings with a series of triumphant beeps.
# n! t9 X0 ^4 Z5 m8 q "Ma’am," Threepio interpreted, "Artoo says the chances against survival are seven hundred twenty-five to one." Then, tilting toward the shorter robot, the protocol droid grumbled, "Actually, I don’t think we needed to know that." No one responded to Threepio’s translation. For several prolonged moments there was a solemn silence, broken only by the echoing clang of metal slamming against metal: the huge doors of the Rebel base were closed for the night. It was as if some heartless deity had officially severed the assembled group from the two men out on the ice plains and had, with a metallic bang, announced their deaths. n/ {% C) Y# E5 w* S9 t0 }9 q
Chewbacca led out another suffering howl.
4 H1 Q {( m6 y# }# K And a silent prayer, often spoken on an erstwhile world called Alderaan, crept into Leia’s thoughts. |