Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 01_ Outcast - Aaron Allston [119]
“Us too what, sir?”
Han decreased altitude, bringing the Falcon down to less than thirty meters above the surface. Range to the shaft closed to one kilometer, half, one-quarter—
Han nodded at Leia, then brought up the repulsors and fired the reverse thrusters at power. The ship's rapid deceleration threw all four of them forward. They slammed into their restraints harder than they should have, Leia's reversal of the inertial compensator causing it to do just the opposite of what it ws supposed to. Instead of cushioning their deceleration, easing the effects of delta vee, the compensators increased those effects.
The energy spider flew off the cockpit as though it were a winged insect, arcing down to the dusty ground. It hit, rolling, kicking up a tremendous cloud of dust as it went, its legs thrashing. Then it rolled to a stop and righted itself, turning toward the Falcon.
It wasn't unhurt; at least two of its legs were clearly broken, dangling uselessly. But it was obviously capable of continuing the fight.
“Falcon, Rogue. I have two missiles left, and I have a shot.”
Han indicated, by gesture, for Leia to return the inertial compensator to normal mode. He set the Falcon on a slow climb, traveling backward while continuing to face the spider. “Negative on that, old buddy. Just let it go.”
“Understood.”
The energy spider trotted forward a few meters. The sparkles beneath its glassy skin were bright now, sometimes eye-hurtingly intense. It peered up at the Millennium Falcon and rocked back and forth, seeming to gauge the leap. But it must have concluded that the distance was too great.
It turned and, with one last look back, scrambled the two hundred meters to the lip of the shaft. Then it was over the edge and gone into the darkness.
Allana's voice was surprised. “You didn't kill it.”
Han felt very tired and unexpectedly relieved. “That's right.”
“Why?”
“It was just hungry, sweetie. And, yeah, it wouldn't have been a good thing for it to get us, because it would have killed us … but the spider's not evil. That's just its nature.” He turned the Falcon around, orienting toward the muster point for the operation.
“You don't hate it anymore?”
“I guess not. Or Kessel, either. Come on up and sit in my lap. You can have your hands on the controls and help me with the landing.”
JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT
THE RAID ON THE PRISON WAS ONE OF THE LEADING STORIES ON THE holonews the next day.
Recordings taken by security holocams in the prison and all around the building offered inconclusive visual information. One intruder, dressed as a routine worker, was identified as Jedi Seff Hellin. Two black-clad, masked intruders remained unidentified. The three of them had managed to penetrate the lower levels of the prison, though whether they were a team or rivals was not yet determined.
Their evident objective was the rescue of Jedi Valin Horn. They managed to enter and leave the prison without taking life or doing permanent harm to any of the guards on duty, and failed in their efforts to free Horn. Outside the prison, mercenary units assigned to the Chief of State's office, having already identified Seff Hellin as a Jedi, captured him. But Hellin had immediately been rescued by two more confederates, both women, one probably a Jedi, who escaped with him. A high-speed pursuit ensued. The last sight security officers had had of the situation was of the black-clad intruders in a stolen security speeder working their way toward Hellin's two female confederates.
That was the story as the press understood it. It wasn't a lot of information for a press corps voracious for information. But in interviews on the steps of the Jedi Temple, Master Kenth Hamner, demonstrating dignity and poise, denied the involvement of the Jedi Temple in these crimes.
On the day after the raid, Captain Oric Harfard, now point man for Alliance Security-Jedi