Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [175]
By the time the cannon fire stopped a second later, both Skywalkers had their lightsabers in hand. Luke sprang up first, igniting his blade and crossing the last fifty meters to the Shadow in a series of one-legged Force bounds. Ben was a step behind, covering their backs and trying not to look as he passed over the charred remains of their guards.
The Shadow was already rising off her struts when they jumped onto the boarding ramp. Ben had to use the Force to stick himself to its surface as Vestara swung the vessel around and streaked away from the island. His father took him by the arm and pulled him the rest of the way aboard, then let out a sigh of relief and hit the control pad to seal the hatch.
“That’s twice,” Luke observed.
Ben nodded, knowing that his father was referring to the number of times Vestara had saved their lives, then smiled. “She can deny it all she likes,” he said. “But she’s absolutely fallen for me.”
Before Luke could object, Vestara’s voice came over the intercom.
“How about a little help up here?” she said. “I don’t know the passcodes—and there’s some noob on the comm who wants to talk to Master Skywalker now.”
“On our way,” Luke replied.
He started to wag a cautionary finger at Ben, then simply sighed and led the way forward.
They reached the flight deck just as the Shadow was slipping free of the atmosphere. Space to their starboard was laced with the colored streaks and blossoming fireballs of a starship battle. A quick glance at the copilot’s tactical display revealed that the Jedi had the fight well in hand; half a dozen Sith frigates were already blinking red for DISABLED, and the rest were turning to withdraw. To port, silhouetted against the silvery glow of the moon Drewwa, was the bright red wedge of an old Imperial II Star Destroyer.
“Stang!” Ben gasped. “That looks like the Errant Venture!”
“It is,” Vestara confirmed. “And he’s threatening to blast us back to atoms unless I put your father on the comm now.”
Vestara thumbed a toggle on the control yoke, and the familiar voice of Lando Calrissian came over the cockpit speakers.
“Luke, old buddy, that had better be you,” he said. “Booster is firing up his turbolaser batteries.”
“It’s me.” Luke slipped into the copilot’s seat and transmitted an authentication code, then asked, “What in the blazes are you doing here?”
“Hosting a sabacc tournament,” Lando replied. “And when you come aboard, you’re not going to believe who’s winning.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to tell us now.” Luke motioned Ben toward the navigator’s seat, then added in a meaningful tone, “Abeloth’s still out there, and we have to stay on her trail.”
“Are you spacesick?”
As Lando spoke, Ben slipped into the navigator’s seat and brought up the tactical display, then initiated a search for Ship’s profile.
“From the intercepts we’ve been hearing, you’ve had a rough few weeks,” Lando continued. “It sounds like you both need some quality time in a bacta tank.”
“We do,” Luke said. “But we can’t lose Abeloth, and right now that means I have to stay on her trail. She’s been trying to recruit Force-users to guard her, and if that happens …”
Luke let the statement trail off, and Lando filled in the rest. “Right … she’ll make the Yuuzhan Vong look like a bunch of second-rate party crashers. But you’ve got backup now. Stay in touch, and we’ll catch up.”
“Thanks,” Luke said.
Ship’s designator code appeared on the tactical display. It was just swinging around the far side of Almania. As soon as Ship escaped the planet’s gravity well, it would jump to hyperspace. Ben leaned across the flight deck and pointed at his father’s tactical display.
“Listen, we’ve got a fix on Ship,” Luke said. “We’re going