Star Wars_ Rebel Force 2_ Hostage - Alex Wheeler [3]
"Oh dear, my circuits simply can't take much more of this," C-3PO cried, as the ship shook beneath him. "At least the situation can't become any more dire."
Han slammed a fist against the control panel "Don't you know better than to jinx us with—" A blaring alarm drowned out the rest of his words, and the air thickened with a foul gray smoke. "What was that?" C-3PO cried.
Han groaned. " That was the situation about to get more dire. A lot more."
CHAPTER THREE
Chewie's panicked bark came through the comlink.
"What'd he say?" Luke asked, feeling a little green around the edges as the ship swayed and bucked beneath him.
Han ignored him because he was busy keeping the ship from getting blown to bits.
Without thinking, Luke clenched his hand around the hilt of his lightsaber. Not that this was the kind of danger he could take on with the laser sword, but reaching for it had become instinctual. The Jedi weapon usually made him feel stronger, ready to meet whatever challenge lay ahead.
Now it just made him feel useless. Luke could neither fly the ship nor repair it, and although Leia was pale with tension, she'd made it clear she didn't need his help either. He could do nothing but watch.
"Chewbacca says the shields are at ten percent power," C-3PO translated. "And that—
oh dear. And that one more big hit and we're finished!"
"Then we'll just have to make sure we don't hit anything, won't we?" Han said through gritted teeth.
The Millennium Falcon rocketed up in a nearly ninety-degree climb, shooting past one pitted asteroid, then squeezing through the narrow gap between two more, with meters to spare.
"Watch out!" Leia cried.
" Watching," Han muttered. "Now strap in and keep quiet unless you want to fly this bird yourself!"
A string of chirps and beeps came through the comlink.
C-3PO tapped Han's shoulder. "Excuse me, captain, I hate to trouble you with additional bad news, but if you have a moment I feel I should relay—"
Han groaned. "Spit it out, you rusty circuit brain!"
"The deflector shields are down," C-3PO reported.
The ship shook with such force it felt like it was going to fly apart. And that's if they were lucky: At this speed, without deflectors, even a fist-sized rock could punch through a porthole and depressurize the ship. If it hit the engines, or the laser cannons…
Luke told himself he was overreacting. Surely if things were that bad, Han would let them know it was time to panic.
"Get your vac suits on!" Han shouted. "Initiate emergency procedures."
Time to panic. Luke jumped out of the co-pilot seat, then froze. "Han—"
"No time to chat, kid," Han snapped. " Go. "
"But Han—"
Han whipped the ship hard to port. "Even the Jedi can't breathe in a vacuum, kid.
Trust me. Get your suit."
Luke grimaced. Did Han have to be so stubborn, even at a time like this? He was laser-focused on the tiny pocket of space just ahead. It may have been the only way to steer the Falcon on its narrow path to safety. But it meant he was missing the big picture.
"Han," Luke said firmly. " Look. "
The path ahead of them was almost entirely clear. The debris field lay behind them.
Delaya hovered in the distance, a globe of bluish-violet gleaming in the light of the sun.
Han's face stretched into a crooked grin. "See? Nothing to worry about."
But Luke's relief lasted only a moment. Leia was staring blankly through the side port at the receding debris. It had to be hard, seeing everything she'd lost. Luke searched himself for the right words, something that would help. But he had nothing.
An awkward silence settled over the cockpit.
Finally, Han cleared his throat. "Princess, we'll be landing in about fifteen minutes.
Unless you want some time…"
She jerked her head away from the window and glared at him. "More time? I think we've wasted quite enough time on your flyboy stunts. Let's get to work."
Tobin Elad slipped into his cabin, shut the door behind him,