Star Wars_ Episode VI_ Return of the Jedi - James Kahn [63]
Down in the bowels of the Death Star, Commander Jerjerrod gave an order. It was with mixed feelings that he issued the command, because it meant the final destruction of the Rebel insurrectionists—which meant an end to the state of war, which Jerjerrod cherished above all things. But second to ongoing war itself Jerjerrod loved total annihilation; so while tempered with regret, this order was not entirely without thrill.
At Jerjerrod’s instruction, a controller pulled a switch, which ignited a blinking panel. Two hooded Imperial soldiers pushed a series of burtons. A thick beam of light slowly pulsed from a long, heavily blockaded shaft. On the outer surface of the completed half of the Death Star, a giant laser dish began to glow.
Luke watched in impotent horror, as the unbelievably huge laser beam radiated out from the muzzle of the Death Star. It touched—for only an instant—one of the Rebel Star Cruisers that was surging in the midst of the heaviest fighting. And in the next instant, the Star Cruiser was vaporized. Blown to dust. Returned to its most elemental particles, in a single burst of light.
In the numbing grip of despair, with the hollowest of voids devouring his heart, Luke’s eyes, alone, glinted—for he saw, again, his lightsaber, lying unattended on the throne. And in this bleak and livid moment, the dark side was much with him.
8
ADMIRAL Ackbar stood on the bridge in stunned disbelief, looking out the observation window at the place where, a moment before, the Rebel Star Cruiser Liberty had just been engaged in a furious long-range battle. Now, there was nothing. Only empty space, powdered with a fine dust that sparkled in the light of more distant explosions. Ackbar stared in silence.
Around him, confusion was rampant. Flustered controllers were still trying to contact the Liberty, while fleet captains ran from screen to port, shouting, directing, misdirecting.
An aide handed Ackbar the comlink. General Calrissian’s voice was coming through.
“Home-one, this is Gold Leader. That blast came from the Death Star! Repeat, the Death Star is operational!”
“We saw it,” Ackbar answered wearily. “All craft prepare to retreat.”
“I’m not going to give up and run!” Lando shouted back. He’d come a long way to be in this game.
“We have no choice, General Calrissian. Our cruisers can’t repel firepower of that magnitude!”
“You won’t get a second chance at this, Admiral. Han will have that shield down—we’ve got to give him more time. Head for those Star Destroyers.”
Ackbar looked around him. A huge charge of flak rumbled the ship, painting a brief, waxen light over the window. Calrissian was right: there would be no second chance. It was now, or it was the end.
He turned to his First Star captain. “Move the fleet forward.”
“Yes, sir.” The man paused. “Sir, we don’t stand much of a chance against those Star Destroyers. They out-gun us, and they’re more heavily armored.”
“I know,” Ackbar said softly.
The captain left. An aide approached.
“Forward ships have made contact with the Imperial fleet, sir.”
“Concentrate your fire on their power generators. If we can knock out their shields, our fighters might stand a chance against them.”
The ship was rocked by another explosion—a laserbolt hit to one of the aft gyrostabilizers.
“Intensify auxiliary shields!” someone yelled.
The pitch of the battle augmented another notch.
Beyond the window of the throne room, the Rebel fleet was being decimated in the soundless vacuum of space, while inside, the only sound was the Emperor’s thready cackle. Luke continued his spiral into desperation as the Death Star laser beam incinerated ship after ship.
The Emperor hissed. “Your fleet is lost—and your friends on the Endor Moon will not survive …” He pushed a comlink button on the arm of his throne and spoke into it with relish. “Commander Jerjerrod, should the Rebels manage to blow up the shield generator, you will turn this battle station