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When the shuttle landed in one of the Installation’s asteroids and the stormtroopers disembarked, Qwi led Han, Kyp, and Chewbacca away from the rocky hangar through a tunnel high enough to allow the movement of ships. “This way,” she said.

Han did not recognize where she was taking them. “Aren’t we going back to your lab, Doc?”

Qwi froze in midstep before turning to him. “No, never again.” Then she moved on.

When they reached a tall metal doorway guarded by two stormtroopers standing at attention, Qwi took out her badge again, flashing the imprinted holograms in the light. The stormtroopers straightened to attention.

“Open up for me,” Qwi said.

“Yes, Dr. Xux,” the head guard said. “Your badge, please?”

She handed him her badge with a barely controlled smile. Han began to grow uneasy. These guards recognized Qwi by sight, and she seemed more comfortable now than she had been during other parts of their escape. Was this some kind of treachery? But to what purpose? He and Kyp turned toward each other, but the stormtrooper helmets kept their expressions unreadable.

“The Wookiee is here to do heavy maintenance on the engines—a complete coolant overhaul before tomorrow’s deployment of the fleet,” Qwi said. “These two guards are specially trained to prevent him from acting up. This Wookiee has caused some damage before, and we can’t afford delays.” Han tried not to cringe. Qwi was talking too quickly, letting her nervousness show through.

“Just give me the proper authorizations,” the guard said. “You know the routine.” He slid her badge through a scanner to log Qwi in, then handed it back to her. The stormtrooper seemed unconcerned, as if glad to be posted here rather than in the middle of frantic preparations for deployment.

Qwi went to the door’s data terminal and punched up a request, then she handed him the hardcopy printout of Admiral Daala’s permission again. Han wondered how many times she was going to use the same piece of paper!

“There, you’ll see the approved work request for the Wookiee with a notation for special handlers. It’s been authorized by Tol Sivron himself.”

The guard shrugged. “As usual. Let me scan the service numbers of these two troopers. Then you’re free to go in.” He entered Han’s and Kyp’s numbers, then worked the door controls.

The great steelcrete doors ground to each side, revealing a hangar lit by levitating globes of light. Overhead, wide rectangular skylights let in the eerie glow of swirling gases around the Maw. Qwi stepped inside the chamber, and her whole demeanor changed, as if she had suddenly turned breathless. Han, Kyp, and Chewbacca followed.

The guard worked his controls, and the doors slid closed, sealing them inside. Qwi visibly relaxed.

Han stared up at a ship like none he had ever seen before. Smaller than the Millennium Falcon, this craft was oblong and faceted, like a long shard of crystal. Its own repulsorlifts kept it upright, with an actual ladder leading to the open hatch. Defensive lasers bristled from the corners of its facets.

The armor plating was multicolored and shimmering, like a constantly changing pool of oil and molten metal. At the lower vertex hung the oddly fuzzy torus of an immensely powerful resonance-torpedo transmitter. Though not much larger than a fighter craft, the Sun Crusher hummed with deadly potential.

“We’re going to steal that?” Han cried.

“Of course,” Qwi Xux said. “It’s the greatest weapon ever devised, and I’ve spent eight years of my life designing it. You didn’t expect me to leave it here for Admiral Daala, did you?”

26

The Millennium Falcon’s subspace engines flared white hot as the ship blasted away from Kessel’s garrison moon. A swarm of fighters streamed after it, peppering space with multicolored blaster fire. Large capital ships began to nose into the Falcon’s flight-path like sleeping giants roused by stinging insects.

Lando Calrissian did his best to dodge the concentrated blaster fire. “The sublight engines are still optimal. Either Han’s been maintaining her with