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“We must find some way to capture them. Mobilize the other Star Destroyers. We’ll try to blockade them, cut off their escape. Release enough small fighters to overwhelm them.”

She fixed Kratas with her gaze. Her hair seemed to rise by itself, as if threatening to become a garrote for his throat. “Make certain you understand this, Commander. I don’t care how many losses we take, we cannot forfeit the Sun Crusher. That one weapon is worth more to me than all six TIE fighter squadrons onboard this Star Destroyer. Retrieve it at all costs.”

Three Star Destroyers closed in behind the stolen Sun Crusher.

“Didn’t take them long to figure something was up,” Han said.

Clouds of TIE fighters spewed out of the launching bays of the Manticore and the Gorgon, swarming toward them in formations so dense that Han could not see through them. Flashing, splattering laser bolts struck like pelting raindrops on the viewscreen.

“I always wanted to see if I could fly blindfolded,” Han said.

“What are they doing? Trying to smother us or just confuse us?” Qwi said.

The Sun Crusher, undamaged, rocked left and right from the pummeling of blaster strikes. “No, but they can wipe out our external weaponry—in fact, they already have,” Han said, checking the readouts. “Every one of our lasers is offline.”

“We just have to outrun them then,” Kyp said.

Another Star Destroyer, the Basilisk, unleashed its squadrons of TIE fighters in wave after wave out of the launching bay.

“Those ships are going to clog space so we can’t even move!” Han wrenched the Sun Crusher’s controls, trying to dodge but just squeezing his eyes shut most of the time. “Whoever heard of a traffic jam in the middle of a black hole cluster?”

Kyp grabbed his shoulder. “Watch out, Han.”

The fourth and last Star Destroyer reared up between them and the outside universe, blocking their passage. The Hydra lanced out with its enormous turbolaser cannons, aiming concentrated firepower at the single small ship. The remaining three Star Destroyers pressed in from behind to cut off their escape through the maze of the black hole cluster.

“Now what?” Kyp asked. The great arrowhead shape of the Hydra filled space in front of them.

“Qwi, you said this armor could take anything, didn’t you?” Han asked.

“Everything I could test it with.”

“All right, hold on. Time to accelerate for whatever this fancy toy is worth.” He jammed the control levers back. The sudden force shoved the four escapees back into their seats as the Sun Crusher surged forward, straight toward the Hydra.

The huge battleship grew larger and larger, filling their entire field of view, and still expanding. Great green turbolaser bolts shot out at them, but the cannons could not refocus their aimpoints fast enough to compensate for the ship streaking directly at them.

“Han, what are you doing?” Kyp cried.

“Trust me,” Han said. “Or actually, trust her.” He nodded toward Qwi. “If she messed up her test measurements, we’re all going to be one big organic pancake!”

The Hydra’s trapezoidal bridge tower rushed toward them, directly in their path. One suicidal TIE fighter rammed into the Sun Crusher to deflect its course, but merely exploded upon hitting the invincible quantum armor. Han had no trouble compensating for the error in trajectory.

“Look out!” Qwi yelled.

Details of the bridge tower filled their view now as they screamed toward the Imperial battleship. Han could actually see the windows of the bridge, the tiny figures of the command crew, some of them paralyzed in horror, others fleeing madly.

“Han!” Qwi and Kyp screamed in unison. Chewbacca gave a wordless roar.

“Right down their throat!” Han said.

The armored Sun Crusher tore through the Hydra’s control bridge like a bullet. Flying debris sprayed in their wake. The ship shot out the other side, shredding the superstructure on its way out.

The impact, the inferno, and a sound like a thousand gongs knocked them into a temporary stupor. Han finally whooped. “We made it!” Behind them the great battleship erupted