【自译】星战小说《达斯·普雷格斯》第一章（1）(4)

两个西斯都在此环境下配备了防护装置，成套的防护服保护他们免受足以使人被烧伤的高温和有毒的空气。这个洞穴由大量交错杂生的巨型晶体构成，看起来就像舞台魔术师将发出微光的长矛从各种方向刺进一个魔术箱。不久前的一场地震使陆块倾斜，使得原先充满富了含矿物质的水的迷宫洞穴变得空空如也，但使水沸腾了数百万年的岩浆仍将潮湿的空气升到极高的温度，即使是泰尼布勒斯和普雷格斯也无法在没有任何措施的情况下忍受那样的高温。近旁有一个矮胖的探测机器人负责监测采矿用探测器的工作进展，而探针则在深井底部采集一条丰富的科托西斯矿石矿脉的样本。一种传说中的矿石。有人称之为“它”——因为它的稀少，但更多的是因为它具有削弱绝地光剑的能力。因此，绝地武士团不遗余力地限制矿石的开采与提炼。就算这种金属还谈不上是绝地的毁灭者，那也能算是一种威胁，一种对他们的不可匹敌的武器的威名的挑战。
It was to Tenebrous's credit that the Sith had learned of Bal'demnic's rich lodes before the Jedi, who by means of an agreement with the Republic Senate had first claim to all discoveries, as they had with Adegan crystals and Force-sensitive younglings of all species. But Tenebrous and the generations of Sith Masters who had preceded him were privy to covert data gleaned by vast networks of informants the Senate and the Jedi knew nothing about, including mining survey teams and weapons manufacturers.
令泰尼布勒斯称赞的是，西斯早在绝地之前就获悉了巴尔登尼克丰富的资源，这凭借于一份绝地与共和国参议院达成的对发现的事物具有知情权的协议，例如阿德加水晶和各种族的力敏幼徒们。但是，在泰尼布勒斯及其之前的几代西斯尊主们都通过藏在议会中的线人脉络对这些秘密情报了如指掌，而绝地对此几乎一无所知，包括矿石勘测队和武器生产商。
"Based on the data I am receiving," the treddroid intoned, "eighty-two percent of the ore is capable of being purified into weapons-grade cortosis shield."