Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [8]
SO WE ARE NOT BEING ATTACKED BY SITH?
“Apparently not,” Jaina said, feeling relieved. A Sith frigate would have been a problem. But three shuttle-loads of pirates? That, she could handle. “It looks like someone is trying to board us.”
The display returned to tactical scale, and Rowdy added a designator label beneath the large vessel, still hanging back at the top of the screen. AND THIS DAMORIAN S18 LIGHT FREIGHTER IS THE MOTHER SHIP?
“That’s right,” Jaina said. “Classic pirate tactics—get close and send over some fast shuttles.”
THEN THIS IS GOING TO BE MORE FUN THAN WE THOUGHT, Rowdy reported. A DAMORIAN S18 IS LARGE ENOUGH TO CARRY SIX BDY SKIFFS.
“Now you tell me.”
Just because an S18 could carry six skiffs didn’t mean it was, but Jaina had to assume the worst. She continued toward the approaching vessels, trying to think of a way to take out six shuttles and a mother ship with only four shadow bombs, and quickly realized there wasn’t one. Those pirates were no idiots. The three shuttles were staying at least a kilo-meter apart—well beyond the blast radius of a shadow bomb—and they were approaching in a staggered line.
“Rowdy, arm bomb three,” she said, designating number three because bomb racks one and two were empty. She continued to close on the lead shuttle until the tiny flicker of its efflux tail had stretched into a blue dagger as long as her arm, then ordered, “Activate our transceiver and open a hailing channel.”
A bleep of protest sounded over the cockpit speaker, and Jaina glanced down to find a message on the display. A STEALTHX EMITTING COMM WAVES IS NO LONGER A STEALTHX. IT IS JUST A POORLY ARMED, LIGHTLY ARMORED X-WING SAYING COME GET ME.
“We’re required to issue a warning before opening fire,” Jaina said. Her target was just visible to the naked eye, a tiny durasteel box with a wedge-shaped head, being pushed along by an efflux tail as long as a cannon barrel. “And you know how I feel about breaking the law.”
THERE IS AN EXCEPTION FOR CLEAR INTENT, Rowdy pointed out.
“Better safe than sorry,” Jaina said. “Besides, I want them thinking about us, not the Rockhound. Do I have that channel yet?”
An affirming twoweet filled the cockpit and the transceiver touch pad on Jaina’s control stick turned green.
I UNDERSTAND, Rowdy scrolled. YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THIS MISSION INTERESTING. COUNT ME IN.
“Glad you approve,” Jaina said, wondering if the droid might be getting a little too brave. “Launch bomb three.”
She felt a soft bump beneath her seat as a charge of compressed air pushed the shadow bomb out of the torpedo tube. Reaching out in the Force, she began to guide the bomb toward its target, then placed her thumb over the transceiver touch pad.
“Attention, BDY crew skiffs: Turn away now,” she transmitted. “This will be your only warning.”
During the two full seconds of silence that followed, the lead skiff swelled to the size of a bantha outside Jaina’s cockpit. She could see the flexible ring of a telescoping air lock affixed to the hull at the front of the passenger cabin, the band of the transparent viewport stretched across its wedge-shaped bow … and the flattened dome of a weapons turret, swinging its laser cannons in her direction.
A gravelly female voice came over the cockpit speaker. “Turn away or what, Jedi Solo? We know—”
The transmission dissolved into a stream of static as the shadow bomb detonated. Lacking any real shielding or armor, the shuttle’s crew cabin simply vanished into the silver flash of the initial explosion. The stern and bow spun away trailing bright beads of superheated metal; then the StealthX’s blast-tinting darkened, and all Jaina could see was a ball of white fire dead ahead. She pulled the stick back and rolled away, pointing