Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 08_ Ascension - Christie Golden [70]
“One, two, three!” cried Allana, and bolted for the meter-high, narrow door that admitted the waitdroids into the kitchen. The Squibs were hard on her heels.
“Amelia!” It was Han’s voice, full of fear and anger. Allana’s heart lurched but she ignored him, running full speed. Sligh squeaked once as blasterfire burned the duracrete a few centimeters from his feet. Allana didn’t slow to see if she had miscalculated the height and width of the entrance, merely kept running until she was halfway inside the tiny corridor, then stopped, catching her breath. One of the Squibs charged into her, nearly knocking her down.
“Why are we stopping?” Emala demanded.
“Quiet,” hissed Allana. “I want to hear if they’re inside the restaurant, too!”
Grasping the potentially lifesaving logic of the comment, the Squibs fell silent at once. All of them strained to listen. There was shouting and fear in the kitchen, the banging of pots as they fell to the floor, and the whining whir of alarmed droids. But there was no sound of blasterfire. Then the voices grew distant.
“There’s a door to outside,” Allana said. “Come on!”
They hurried through the rest of the corridor. Allana nearly fell when she slipped on a puddle of spilled sauce, but Emala caught her. Straight ahead, through the kitchen and past the dropped crockery, was the outline of a door.
Allana didn’t need to point. The Squibs saw it, too, and as one, three blue rodents and one little human girl raced for freedom.
“What in blazes did that girl do?” bellowed Han to his wife, leaning out and firing, then ducking back as a retaliatory bolt scorched the duracrete pot.
Leia started to answer when she was interrupted by the barely audible chirp of her comm.
“Grandma?”
“Honey, where are you?”
“I’m at the spaceport.”
A chunk of duracrete blew off and Leia ducked. “The Squibs still with you?”
“We’re all here. I’m on Zekk’s ship.”
Leia and Han stared at each other for a full second until another round of attacks got Han’s attention.
“It’s okay,” Allana assured her. “I’ve noticed Zekk and Taryn hanging around before. And this time, the hat didn’t disguise her at all. I know what his ship looks like and I used the Force to unlock it. We’re here and safe and waiting for you.”
“Well, that makes things easier,” Leia said, both to Han and to Allana. “Sit tight, honey. We’re on our way.” She clicked off the comlink.
“I can’t believe she figured it out,” Han said.
“I can,” Leia said. “She’s a Solo.”
Han gave her a crooked grin before he leaned out to fire again. Leia clicked the com. “Zekk? Allana made you and Taryn and she’s in your ship.”
“What?” came Zekk’s voice, astonished. She knew where he was—a few dozen meters away, he and Taryn holding off some of the … soldiers? Hired thugs? Leia had no idea, but knew who would.
“Draw off the ones firing on you, then double back to the spaceport. We’ll do the same.”
“Okay.”
Leia glanced over at the restaurant. She’d seen Allana go through the waitdroid-and-child-and-Squib-sized doorway, but she was willing to bet her granddaughter had found a more normal-sized back door. It was their best shot.
Leia heard some of the blasterfire moving away. Zekk and Taryn were luring them off. It was time. She and Han had been in so many situations like this she didn’t even need to tell him what she planned.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Always, sweetheart.”
She gave him her blaster pistol. Han rose, a pistol in each hand, and began firing in earnest. At that same instant, Leia shoved her left hand forward. Two of their attackers went flying. She raised her right hand, and the melted metal table rose. As hard as she could, Leia Force-hurled the table toward the center cluster of those firing upon them.
The table crashed down and the rain of blasterfire paused. Leia turned and raced for the restaurant entrance, with Han right behind her.
“Why can we never just sit down and have a decent meal anywhere in the galaxy?” Han complained as he caught up to her.
Leia glanced around at the spilled food, broken plates, and damaged cookware as she headed