Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 01_ Jedi Search - Kevin J. Anderson [74]
“I hate to go back there,” Han said. Chewbacca roared a comment, and Han nodded. “Yeah, I hate even worse to be blasted.”
“Do you know Skynxnex?” Kyp asked, regaining his breath.
“We’re old buddies,” Han said. “That’s why he wants to kill us.”
The floating car rushed through the half-open metal gate just as the door from the muster room melted open, spilling a wedge of light into the tunnel.
“They’re only going to be a minute behind us,” Han said. With his infrared goggles he could see the pilot controls now—but none of the coordinates meant anything to him. The only exit he knew of was back through the muster room. “Any ideas, Kyp?”
“It’s an automated course,” Kyp said. “If I had time to think and get my bearings, I might be able to figure out something.”
“We don’t have that luxury right now.”
The great metal door did not close behind them after they passed through. Wind whipped past their ears as Han kept his finger on the accelerator button. From behind they heard shouts, other people climbing into waiting mine cars. Han leaned over the controls, but the repulsorlifts could go only so fast.
Unable to see, and without any knowledge of the labyrinth of underground tunnels, Han did not dare fly the car manually. He would have to hope he could get far enough ahead so that Skynxnex could not follow … but then what? They would be lost in the cold, dark maze. How many other multilegged monsters waited for them in the shadows?
The sound of another mine car came roaring up behind them. Han had three cars linked together, hauling three riders with only one engine. If Skynxnex and the others took one car each, they would travel faster. They would be in blaster range within moments.
“Solo!” Skynxnex bellowed.
“Hold on!” Kyp said.
Han instinctively braced himself as the computer guidance system yanked them to the left-hand fork in an unseen tunnel, then plunged them steeply downward. Before Han could wonder if they had lost their pursuers, he heard the echoing whine of repulsorlift vehicles soaring down the tunnel after them.
“I’m open to suggestions,” Han said. He looked behind them with his infrared goggles and saw the glowing target of Skynxnex and two other piloted vehicles. In the cold darkness his own body heat would be just as apparent to the pursuers.
Chewbacca held on to Kyp, pushing him down to safety in the second car. The Wookiee reached behind him, fumbling with the catch to the empty third car. Skynxnex and the two guards closed the gap. With a growl at the pursuers, Chewbacca decoupled the magnetic bearing from the third car.
Suddenly released, the empty car swung out behind them, dropping toward the ground. Skynxnex cried out as he swerved up to avoid a collision. The other two guards both curved to the left, battering into each other, but somehow all three pursuers kept their balance. They roared after Han.
“Nice try, Chewie,” Han said.
Skynxnex pulled out his modified double-blaster, powered it on, and aimed. When he fired, the two barrels sent their beams out at slight intersecting angles to each other. A short distance beyond the muzzle, the two beams coalesced and phased, forming a staccato series of bursts, each one containing a brief impulse of power ten times that of a single blaster beam. Though the weapon looked impressive, it was almost impossible to aim, and most other users—even hardened criminals—had dropped them in favor of more reliable weapons.
The phased double beam poured out, striking the ceiling of the tunnel ahead of Han. The explosion of heat and light blinded him through the infrared goggles. Somehow Kyp reacted with molten speed and yanked the floating car sideways. Miraculously, they swerved around the debris that fell from above, struck only by the patter of small pebbles.
“Everybody okay?” Han said.
Chewbacca grunted. “So far,” Kyp said.
Han turned to look