Star Wars - 210 - Jedi Prince 01 - The Glove of Darth Vader by Paul Davids, Hollace Davids Read Free Book Online Page A

you’re doing, Master Luke," said Threepio in a whining voice. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you-"
    Admiral Ackbar pushed hard on the overdrive booster, making their Calamarian minisub go at maximum speed.
    FAZHOOOOM!
    Their sub lurched forward in the water, then the power suddenly failed. It was totally dark.
    "I tried to accelerate faster than we can go, triggering a systems shutdown," said Ackbar.
    "Threepio, reach up and put your hand on the emergency control lever just above your head. And yank hard."
    Threepio did as he was told. The backup generator turned on, and an emergency steering unit popped out of the ceiling, practically landing in Threepio’s lap.
    "Just push up on that red knob, Threepio," Ackbar continued.
    "Pushing as instructed," said Threepio. "Oh, dear."
    "Now just hold it steady and steer us on a straight course. The main pilot control should automatically switch on again in about one minute."
    "But I haven’t the faintest idea how to pilot this thing," Threepio protested.
    "It’s easy, even a housekeeping droid could do it," said Ackbar. "Just hold that red knob steady."
    Threepio tried his best, but the Calamarian minisub tilted on its side, then flipped upside down and plunged straight for the bottom. Then, just seconds before it was about to smash on some rocks, he pulled it out of its nosedive.
    "Bzeeech! Chnooooch!" beeped Artoo frantically.
    "Well, you try to steer it, then, if you think you’re so smart," said Threepio. "Hmmph.
    ’Even a housekeeping droid could do it’!"
    At that moment the main pilot control switched back on and Admiral Ackbar took over once again.
    "If I could make a suggestion, Master Luke," said Threepio, "I really think we ought to head back. We can return to see the sights down here some other time."
    "Zgoonukooo!" squealed Artoo.
    "Yikes!" shouted Threepio. "A giant squid!" He was right. Luke glanced out the front porthole and saw a squid larger than any he could ever have imagined. It had long, writhing, twisting tentacles with big, grotesque suction cups. The squid jetted through the water just overhead and passed them. Suddenly the Whaladon-hunting submarine created another whirlpool, which churned like an angry tornado, going right toward the squid.
    FWISHHHHH!
    The squid was caught in the whirlpool, but then so was the Calamarian minisub! Around and around they spun, tumbling and falling as they felt the whirlpool sucking them through the opening of a storage chamber right along with the giant squid.
    "Oh, nooooo!" shouted Threepio. "Master Luke, we’re dooooomed!" No one aboard the Whaladon-hunting submarine even realized that the Calamarian minisub had been sucked into the hold along with the giant squid.
    The crew members were more concerned with a game that had just begun, a gambling game known as sabacc. Sabacc was a card game that had become very popular in the casinos of Cloud City on Bespin, and now it was played by both humans and aliens on dozens of planets. A few Aqualish with big tusks began the game, and soon they were joined by others, as they crouched in the main corridor not far from the decompression chamber. But the game wasn’t going smoothly. The Aqualish began growling and pushing, calling each other cheaters and opening their mouths, flashing their teeth and tusks, even spitting at one another.
    Trioculus, whose body had just returned to its normal pressure, came out of the decompression chamber. With his black uniform properly in place again, he turned his attention to the glove of Darth Vader.
    The droid Emdee had cleaned away the grime and then brought the black glove back to his master, whose right hand trembled as he reached for it. Trioculus put the glove on slowly, regally, like a king setting a crown on his head. An image of Darth Vader flashed into Trioculus’s mind, and at that instant the evil of Vader seemed to pour through him like a sudden surge of power from the Dark Side.
    "It fits your hand perfectly, your lordship,"