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“You’re crazy!” Qwi said.

“Don’t thank me yet, Doc,” Han said.

Burning, out of control, the decapitated Hydra wheeled backward, drifting helplessly toward the gravitational trap of one of the black holes. A flurry of escape pods shot out of the crew decks, but the low-power lifeboat engines could not generate sufficient acceleration to take them free of the black holes, and their trajectories began to spiral in.

The lower decks and the immense hyperdrive engines of the doomed Star Destroyer began to explode as it toppled into the unstable trap of the Maw cluster. Clouds of belching flames stretched out and elongated, mingling with the swirling gas as the Hydra began its infinite plunge into the singularity.

“We’re not home free by a long shot,” Han said as he soared into the soup of ionized gas. “Okay, Kyp,” he said. “Now it’s your turn to take the controls. Get us out of here.”

Moments later the other three Star Destroyers rallied behind them in howling pursuit.

28

On the Gorgon’s bridge, Admiral Daala watched in horror as the Hydra crumpled into destruction, its command bridge blown apart from the impact of the Sun Crusher. The battleship’s only survivors would be the fighters in the six TIE squadrons; otherwise, all hands would be lost.

Though her expression was carved in ice, hot tears burned unshed in Daala’s eyes. Thousands of people crashed to their deaths as the Hydra fell like a great slain dragon into the black whirlpool.

Glinting with its maddening invincibility, the Sun Crusher streaked through the wreckage, arrowing for the outer wall of the Maw.

“After them!” Daala snapped. “Full pursuit.”

Failure crashed down on her like an anvil. She had been hiding in the Maw for too long, drilling her troops, putting them through practice exercises and dress rehearsals—but that had not been enough. In her first actual battle Daala had lost a quarter of her command—against four escaped prisoners!

Grand Moff Tarkin would have struck her sharply across the face and relieved her of her rank. Daala’s cheeks stung with the imaginary blow. “They will regret the day they ever unleashed us!” she whispered.

But without the Sun Crusher, her plans to spread havoc among the New Republic would fall apart. She took a deep, sharp breath. No time to panic now. Think fast. Make decisions. Salvage the situation.

The communications dais shimmered, and an image of Tol Sivron appeared. The transmission flickered with staticky disruptions caused by the laser blasts flashing around them. “Admiral Daala! If you intend to deploy your fleet, I insist that you take the scientists of Maw Installation with you.”

Not bothering to turn and look at the image of the Twi’lek, Daala continued to watch the Hydra’s fiery death. She thought of all the run-ins she’d had with the administrator—Sivron’s incompetence, his delays, his excuses, his insistence on reports and tests ad nauseum. “You’re on your own, Tol Sivron. It is time we do our duty as Imperial soldiers.”

Tol Sivron flicked his head-tails straight out behind him in agitation. “Are you just going to leave us undefended? What about the orders Grand Moff Tarkin gave you? You are supposed to protect us! At least leave one of your Star Destroyers behind.”

Daala shook her head, making coppery hair stream around her. “Tarkin is dead, and I’m making all the decisions now. I need every ounce of firepower to deal a fatal blow to the New Republic.”

“Admiral Daala, I must insist—”

Daala yanked out the blaster pistol at her hip and pointed it at Sivron’s image on the communications dais. If the Twi’lek had been on the bridge in person, she would have killed him; but she would not destroy valuable equipment in a fit of anger. Keeping the blaster pointed directly into Tol Sivron’s image, as if to threaten him, she strode forward. “Request denied, Director Sivron,” Daala said, then disconnected the dais. She turned back to watch her fleet, undisturbed.

“Commander Kratas, we are going to leave the Maw in pursuit of the Sun Crusher. Recall all TIE fighter squadrons, now!”

Kratas