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He went down on one knee beside his friend. “Listen to me, Tedris,” he said softly. “You’re not gonna die, though you won’t be real comfy for a while. I want you to know something. I didn’t do it. Okay? Just remember that, later on. And you know something, Tedris? You’re too nice a guy to stay in this lousy, massacre-happy Imperial Navy. Take my advice and get out while you can.”

With that, Han stunned Tedris, then stepped over his friend’s unconscious form. Hastily he dragged Bjalin into one of the other lifepods, making sure the hatch wasn’t fastened, so there was no way he could accidentally be ejected.

Then he ducked through the hatch of the lifepod he’d rewired. Moments later he was ejected into space. He’d rigged the lifepod so it would look like an accidental ejection. Not surprising, under the circumstances. After all, the Destiny had just been through a battle …

He worried for a while that the Imps might retrieve his pod, but they did not. Han figured that Greelanx’s murder was occupying everyone’s attention.

Chewie picked him up an hour later, as he drifted, still puzzling over what had happened to Greelanx.

The Wookiee scooped Han’s stolen lifepod into the Bria’s cargo bay, whining and growling that they had to get out of here, fast, there were recon TIE fighters prowling around.

Han agreed. Hastily he and Chewie headed for the bridge. They were halfway there when they heard the WHUMP! Seconds later another followed, this one so strong it knocked both of them to the deck.

“Chewie, we’re under fire!” Han yelled. “Get to the gun mount!”

Han hastily slipped into the pilot’s seat, saw two recon TIEs circling back for a second pass—and then he saw the blinking red light on his control board. “Chewie! Reactor overload! They hit us right in that weak shield! We’ve gotta abandon ship!”

Leaping up, he ran to the gun turret, then grabbed the Wookiee and began dragging him out. Chewbacca shook his head, arguing, but Han screamed, “Run, you big oaf! This ship is gonna blow!”

When they reached the cargo deck again, the Wookiee was hesitant about crawling into the Imperial lifepod, but Han insisted. “Don’t you get it, Chewie? The Bria is finished! This is our only chance! Now get inside and put on this respirator mask!”

Once Chewie was safely inside, Han hastily donned a spacesuit, then opened the cargo-bay doors wide.

WHUMP! WHUMP-WHUMP!

Give up, Han thought at the TIEs as he attached an anti-grav unit to the lifepod, then floated it over to the cargo door. We’re doomed anyhow … Tapping on the viewport, he gestured out what he planned. Chewie, now wearing the respirator, nodded.

Then, in one smooth motion, Han slid the pod toward the opening, just as Chewie popped the hatch and yanked him inside.

The entire sequence took maybe six seconds. Not enough time for explosive decompression to rupture tough Wookiee hide. A second later the hatch was closed and dogged, and atmosphere was again filling the pod.

The pod had barely cleared the cargo-bay doors when the Bria blew up.

The concussion knocked the little lifepod spinning. Han braced himself, half expecting one of the TIEs to attack them, but as he’d hoped, their escape was covered by the explosion.

The lifepod was very, very cramped. Han managed to get his helmet off, then he and Chewie just crouched there, almost in each other’s arms, and stared at each other, then back at the flaming debris that had been their ship.

“Lando isn’t gonna like this,” Han said ruefully. The Bria had been a cranky, temperamental ship, but he’d kind of gotten used to her.

Chewie growled softly in Wookiee. Han looked at him and shrugged. “What do we do now? Your guess is as good as mine, pal. This is an inhabited system, so the lifepod controls ought to soft-land us somewhere near where we can get a transport …”

Chewie whined. “Oh, you mean what will we do for a ship?” Han sighed. “That’s a real good question, pal …”

He’s dead, Teroenza thought in disbelief, looking at the message from Nal Hutta. It worked. I can’t believe Aruk’s really gone!

For just a moment