Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 02_ Dark Apprentice - Kevin J. Anderson [21]
“Gunners,” Daala shouted through the intercom, “target to disable only! We must take the ship.”
“Here it comes!” said the lieutenant.
Daala spun to stare at the black emptiness of space, at the stars hanging motionless in complex patterns. A ripple appeared, like a scratch on black-painted glass, and a midsized ship broke through into normal space and hung at a preprogrammed halt for navigational recalibration.
Daala smiled, trying to imagine the expression on the captain’s face as he suddenly found himself blockaded by three Imperial-class Star Destroyers.
“A Corellian Corvette, Admiral,” Kratas said, as if Daala could not identify it herself. She glanced at the distinctive hammerhead shape of the bridge section and the bank of twelve enormous hyperdrive and sublight rocket motors glowing blue-white with exhaust. “They’re the most common galactic transports. Might just be merchants.”
“What does that matter?” Daala said. “Prepare to fire. Let’s test the Basilisk’s repaired turbolaser batteries.”
“Admiral, the captain of the Corvette is signaling us,” the comm officer called.
“Ignore it. Basilisk, open fire. Two surgical shots. Take out the rear hyperdrive units.”
Daala watched, feeling the electric thrill of command, Two blinding green arrows lanced out. The first bolt spattered and diffused against the Corvette’s increased shields, but the second blast punched through the weakened area and crippled the rocket engines. The Corvette rocked in space, then slowly spun like a dead rodent on a wire. Red-yellow glow diffused from a ruptured power core.
The three Star Destroyers loomed over the crippled ship.
“The Corvette’s captain is signaling surrender,” the comm officer said.
Daala felt a brief twinge of disappointment but brought it under control. She could not allow herself to make stupid mistakes. She had already been overeager in pursuing Han Solo and the stolen Sun Crusher—and that zealousness had caused her to lose the Hydra.
Commander Kratas stepped behind her, lowering his voice. “What if this ship is not part of the Rebel Alliance? Many smugglers also use Corellian Corvettes.”
“A point well-taken,” Daala said. Long ago Tarkin had impressed upon her that a good commander always listened to the opinions and suggestions of her trusted officers. “If the captain has connections with a smuggling network rather than the Rebellion, then perhaps we can put him to work for us. We could hire some spies, saboteurs.”
Kratas nodded at the suggestion.
“Engage a tractor beam,” Daala said. “Open the lower-bay doors, and we’ll draw the Corvette into our hangar.”
Daala toggled the narrow-beam comm system by her station, and an image of an Imperial Army general rose from the holo dais. His form flickered blue at the fringes from transmission distortion. Daala bent over the image, like a giant contemplating a toy. “General Odosk, prepare your boarding party. Have you briefed your troops?”
“Yes, Admiral,” came the filtered voice. “We know what to do.”
Daala whisked his image into thin sparkles of static. It would be fitting to let survivors from the Hydra be the boarding party of their first captured ship.
The crippled Corvette, still leaking thermal emissions from its breached power core, rose on invisible strings of the Gorgon’s tractor beam. The lower bay of the Star Destroyer slid open like the jaws of an enormous carnivore.
The comm officer spoke again. “Admiral, the captain of the Corvette continues to ask for instructions. She sounds rather distraught.”
Daala snapped around. “She? The Corvette has a female captain?”
“It’s a female voice, Admiral.”
Daala tapped her fingers together, pondering the new information. Women seemed to have a much easier time at gaining command in the Rebel Alliance—but the extra burden of brutal struggle had made Daala stronger.
“Keep her in suspense.”
“Capture complete, Admiral,” Commander Kratas said. “The Corvette offered no resistance.