Star Wars_ Cloak of Deception - James Luceno [12]
Obi-Wan glanced at the heads-up display, but found no pulsing bezel.
“Master, I’ve lost them.”
“Focus on where you want to go, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said in a calm voice. “Forget the display screen, and let the Force guide you.”
Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment, then, following his instincts, adjusted their course. Glancing at the display, he saw Cohl’s pod ahead of them, off to starboard.
“I see them, Master. They’re angling for the top of the centersphere.”
“Captain Cohl was never one to remain long in the herd.”
Obi-Wan fired the pod’s attitude jets to adjust course and soon saw the reassuring blinking of the bezel.
The centersphere filled the display screens linked to the pod’s nose vidcams, revealing level after level of what Obi-Wan knew had once been conference rooms and living spaces for the ship’s crew, before the Trade Federation had turned to droid labor. They were almost to the crown of the centersphere when a lone starfighter streaked across one of the display screens, dual laser cannons loosing bursts at some unseen target.
“A Nebula Front CloakShape,” Qui-Gon said in mild surprise.
A sturdy, low-profile starfighter with downsloping wings, CloakShapes had been designed for atmospheric combat. But the terrorist group had retrofitted this one with rear-mounted maneuvering fins and a strap-on hyperdrive.
“But what are they firing at?” Obi-Wan asked. “Cohl’s pilots must have destroyed the Revenue’s starfighters by now.”
“I suspect we’ll know soon enough, Padawan. In the meantime, stay focused on the matter at hand.”
Obi-Wan bristled slightly at the mild reprimand, but it was deserved. He had a habit of looking forward, as opposed to staying in the moment, as Qui-Gon preferred—of attending to what the Jedi called the living Force.
Well above the bald crown of the centersphere and the boxy scanners that topped the freighter’s command tower, Cohl’s pod was gathering speed and, with bold maneuvers, was emerging from the cloud of pods within which it had hidden. In danger of falling too far behind, Obi-Wan called on the drives for added power.
By the time they were coming around the top curve of the centersphere, Obi-Wan had greatly reduced the distance between the two pods. He was preparing to follow Cohl into space when another starfighter—a modified Z-95 Headhunter—flashed into view on the display screens and exploded.
“The battle continues,” Qui-Gon said.
Emerged from the embrace of the arms, the two Jedi saw the source of the return fire. Floating like a ring above Dorvalla’s nightside was a second freighter, engulfed in blossoms of fire sown by the Nebula Front ships.
“Trade Federation reinforcements,” Obi-Wan said.
“That freighter could complicate matters,” Qui-Gon mused.
“But surely we have Cohl this time.”
“Cohl is a sly one, Obi-Wan. He would have anticipated this. He doesn’t make a move without a contingency plan.”
“But, Master, without his support ships—”
“Expect nothing,” Qui-Gon interrupted. “Simply stay your course.”
Inside the equally cramped quarters of the terrorists’ pod, Cohl’s band of eight carried out their preassigned tasks.
“Outer and inner hatches sealed, Captain,” Boiny reported from his wedge of space at the curved instrument console. “All systems nominal.”
“Prepare to convert from repulsorlift to fusial propulsion,” Cohl said, snugging his seat harness.
“Preparing to convert,” Rella relayed.
“Comm is enabled,” another said. “Switching to priority frequency.”
“Clear space, Captain. Passing the thousand-meter mark from the centersphere.”
“Easy does it,” Cohl said, aware of a certain tension in the recirculating air. “We’ll maintain a low profile until ten thousand meters. Then we go for broke.”
Rella cast him an approving