Trapped Read Online Free PDF

Soresh hadn’t been afraid. X-7 would not have hurt him. It was the prime directive of his programming: His commander’s life was supreme. Soresh could only imagine how much pain defying his orders must be causing X-7. Attempting to injure his master? The pain would have been unbearable.
    And perhaps it was better this way. The information Soresh had provided would send X-7 on a fruitless chase across the galaxy. He would find no answers to his questions; no answers could be found. All participants in Project Omega had their former identities completely wiped from the system, and had their faces surgically altered to ensure no awkward encounters with people from their past. X-7 was chasing a ghost. And when he realized that, he would eventually return to the fold, to his commander, to Soresh. He would be repaired. And if that didn’t work, he would be terminated.
    It was hardly the most pressing of problems.
    Soresh’s comlink buzzed. He drew in a sharp breath. It was an incoming transmission from Lord Vader.
    Now he was afraid. Soresh told himself that Darth Vader couldn’t have heard about X-7’s misbehavior. But if he had—if word had leaked out—it could put the future of Project Omega in jeopardy. And if Vader was taking a personal interest for some reason...well, everyone knew what happened to those who found themselves on Vader’s bad side. And it seemed all he had were bad sides.
    Soresh gathered his nerve. It galled him that Vader could do this to him, make him cower and tremble.
    But then, he was a cowardly man. He’d always known this about himself, detested it until he recognized it for what it was: a sign of his intelligence. Cowards were simply people who knew how to survive. It was the fools with no fear who died prematurely.
    Vader’s time was coming.
    Soresh promised himself that. Then he took the call.
    â€œYes, Lord Vader?” he said in as even a voice as he could muster.
    For several long moments, there was nothing but the sound of Vader’s labored breathing. When he finally spoke, his voice filled the room. The lights even seemed to dim in deference to Lord Vader’s dark presence.
    â€œI am displeased,” Vader said.
    Soresh shuddered, imagining the thing behind that black mask focusing its rage on him. Everyone knew that it was unwise to speculate on what kind of monster lay beneath Vader’s elaborate armor. But everyone had their suspicions.
    Their nightmares.
    â€œLord Vader, I assure you, it’s just a momentary malfunction, nothing to trouble yourself about, and certainly Project Omega can continue as—”
    â€œSilence!” Vader said. “Your pointless project means nothing to me.”
    Soresh knew enough not to speak.
    â€œThe Rebel pilot,” Vader said, an ominous note of warning in his voice. “The one responsible for blowing up the Death Star. You are to stop your pursuit of him.”
    No one knew of his secret plan to hunt down Luke Skywalker. No one but X-7, and malfunction or not, he’d never go crying to Vader. “What makes you think—”
    â€œConsider your next words very carefully ,” Vader advised.
    Soresh had heard rumors of Vader’s power. It was said he could suffocate a man with a thought, from across the room. It was said that his powers extended across the reach of space, that he could strike a man down wherever he stood. Of course, they were just rumors.
    Probably.
    â€œThe Emperor has made it a top priority to hunt down that pilot,” Soresh said. He was determined to prove himself to the Emperor and gain the respect he deserved. But he wasn’t intending to do it by going head to head with Vader. He’d watched his colleagues make that stupid mistake again and again. None of them had survived the attempt. “As a loyal servant of the Empire, I of course hope to do whatever I can to further the Emperor’s goals.”
    Beneath the words lay his