Star Wars_ Darksaber - Kevin J. Anderson [159]
Daala clasped her leather-gloved hands in front of her and nodded. “Very well,” she said. “By that time we’ll be finished here—but it’s good to know all those ships weren’t destroyed.” She forced herself not to show her immense relief at avoiding yet another disastrous failure. It felt so good to be victorious at last!
Daala leaned closer to the bridge window and slapped one fist into her open palm. “So let’s redouble our efforts and be celebrating our victory by the time the vice admiral gets here!” She drew a deep breath, swelling with pride and satisfaction. At last, Grand Moff Tarkin would have been pleased with how she had redeemed herself. She had done everything right this time, and the Rebels would pay in blood.
At that moment, the rear portion of the Super Star Destroyer exploded, tearing out all the Knight Hammer’s engine systems.
It took seconds for the shockwave to travel through the kilometers of armored metal and sealed bulkheads. The bridge tower shuddered with the blow. Power went out, leaving the command station bathed in red emergency lights. Daala was thrown to the floor.
The Victory-class Star Destroyers continued to pursue the Rebel Star Cruiser. The bolts of their turbolaser fire showered fireworks across the Knight Hammer’s bow. For a moment they didn’t realize what had happened—and neither did Daala.
“What was that?” she shouted. “Status report. I want power back on—now!”
Several members of her bridge crew lay stunned or unconscious from the explosion, and one had been crushed to death under a toppled tactical station. Alarms continued pounding.
The fresh-faced lieutenant hauled himself up to a station that was not his own and valiantly punched up a summary in the bloody glow of emergency lights. His face looked stricken with horror.
“Admiral, there have been numerous massive explosions in the engine compartments! Source—rear TIE bomber bays 14 and 17. The inner engine walls have been breached, and all our propulsion chambers are wrecked. We’re on fire. The rearmost third of the Knight Hammer has been sealed off by automatic emergency systems. Life support … has failed.”
He paused, taking a deep breath, but he had not finished his litany. “Outer hull breaches reported in decks 293, 181, and 75. Massive loss of containment. Toxic and radioactive wastes pouring into the habitable decks. Our rear bomber bays are all ruined.”
Each phrase seemed like a slap to Daala. “How could this happen?” she demanded.
The lieutenant stared at her, mouth open, eyes glassy. “Unknown, Admiral. It seems impossible.”
But Daala knew the only answer—direct sabotage. Such widespread destruction could not have been accidental.
Several of the Victory-class Star Destroyers broke off their pursuit of Ackbar’s ship. The comm system squawked. “Knight Hammer, Knight Hammer—please respond!” She recognized the voice of one of the Victory commanders, though she couldn’t place his name in her sudden shock. “Admiral Daala, your ship is in flames. From out here it’s—it looks hopeless, Admiral.”
She lurched to the communication station. “Where is Colonel Cronus?” she said. “We need him to double his efforts. We may require rescue assistance.”
The commander’s voice cracked. “Colonel Cronus’s flagship was destroyed in the Rebel attack, Admiral. I believe—I’m not certain who is now in command—”
“I am in command!” Daala snapped, but then she slumped backward as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Pellaeon wouldn’t be here for days. Cronus was dead. The Knight Hammer had been severely damaged.
Everything had changed in a matter of minutes.
She whirled, shouting to anyone on the bridge. “How long until repairs? When can we get our engines up and running again?”
One of the engineers gaped at her, appalled. Blood dripped down his cheek from a small cut near his temple. “Admiral, you don’t understand! Our engines are gone. It will take months to refit. We have no hope of repair. None. Everything