Star Wars_ Darksaber - Kevin J. Anderson [141]
The Millennium Falcon shot out of hyperspace, broadcasting an announcement that Luke Skywalker had returned. They plunged toward the jewel-green moon around the orange gas planet … and nearly rammed into the Super Star Destroyer Knight Hammer.
“Whoa!” Han cried.
Chewbacca roared and grabbed the controls, sending the Falcon whizzing up and around, past the kilometers-long Super Star Destroyer.
“What the—” Han said. “It’s not my fault!”
The Knight Hammer continued to fire upon the jungle moon, but as soon as Han arrived, a few stray turbolaser blasts sliced across space toward them. “Chewie, take evasive!” Han said, but the Wookiee copilot was already one step ahead of him.
“Han,” Leia snapped, “stop transmitting your identification signals. You’re drawing their attention.”
“Uh, right,” Han said with a sheepish look, and slapped at the comm system, switching off the beacon.
A transmission burst across their speakers, crackling at a high volume because of the power behind the Super Star Destroyer. “This is Admiral Daala, commander of the Knight Hammer. You will surrender immediately or be destroyed.”
Han groaned. Chewbacca roared. Artoo squealed a shrill note of alarm. “Admiral Daala! Oh, my!” Threepio said.
Han toggled the communication system. “Daala, you are such a pain,” he said, then snapped it off, dodging another burst of turbolaser bolts by flying in a figure eight past the Star Destroyer’s targeting locks.
“Han, stop showing off,” Leia said.
A cloud of TIE fighters spilled out of the fore hangar decks of the Super Star Destroyer, swirling toward the Falcon. “Shields up!” Han said, and Chewbacca grunted in acknowledgment. Han turned back to Luke. “Sheesh, you go away for a few days, and the whole place falls apart.”
Chewbacca roared.
“Uh, Han,” Leia said, pointing. “Han!”
Two TIE fighters screamed toward them, their laser cannon shots ricocheting off the full-power shields in front of the Falcon. Han punched his own laser cannons, clipped one of the TIE fighters and sent it reeling out of control. The other screamed by without damage.
“Can we transmit a signal to the New Republic? Sound the alarm?” Leia shouted. “We’ve got to get the whole fleet here.”
Chewbacca flicked the comm system and groaned. Han looked over at the panels. “She’s doing what? That takes a lot of power.”
Threepio said, “I believe Admiral Daala is successfully jamming all distress signals.”
“Terrific,” Leia said.
“Go to the gunwale,” Han said.
“I’ll take it,” Luke responded.
“I’ll get in the other one,” Leia said.
“You?” Luke asked.
She shrugged. “I’ve been practicing.” She ran.
Luke climbed into the gunner’s seat and shouted to Han. “Daala’s got more ships than we can possibly handle. Don’t stick around to fight them. Just get down to the moon.” Luke fired the laser cannons, and from below Leia shot and hit another TIE fighter.
“You sure we wouldn’t be better off just hopping back into hyperspace?” Han said in a low voice.
Callista stood behind him, gripping the back of Han’s chair. “The Jedi academy is under attack,” she said, knowing exactly the turmoil going through Luke’s mind. “We have to help. We need to do whatever we can.”
“All right,” Han said. “Chewie, full forward shields. Punch it. We’re gonna make a straight line.”
The Millennium Falcon soared beneath the immense Knight Hammer. A flurry of TIE fighters blocked their way, flying in a tight formation as they shot a constant pattern of blasts. Han streaked toward them at full speed. Chewbacca roared in alarm.
“Oh, but, sir—” Threepio cried.
“I see ’em,” Han said. “They’ll move.”
The TIE fighters held their position, still firing. The Falcon’s forward shields began to weaken, but Han plunged onward, right down their throats. Luke and Leia in their respective gunwales continued shooting, taking out TIE fighters.
“Ummm, please get out of the way?” Han muttered.
At the last possible moment the TIE fighters scrambled aside