Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 03_ Champions of the Force - Kevin J. Anderson [109]
“Perhaps that would be a good reason to stay away from the Sun Crusher, sir,” the stormtrooper pointed out.
“Nonsense! How would that look on the report?” Sivron said, leaning forward. “You have your orders, Captain.”
The equatorial propulsion units powered up and nudged the massive skeletal craft to greater speed as it pursued the flitting superweapon.
“Fire whenever you have a target,” Sivron said.
The Death Star picked up speed, and the tiny Sun Crusher slowed down, as if taunting them.
The gases grew hot in the outer shell of the Maw as they approached one of the bottomless singularities. The Sun Crusher danced back and forth, shooting its tiny lasers, destroying minor struts here and there, causing insignificant damage. The Death Star had to fight against the gravity of the nearby black hole.
“What’s the matter?” Tol Sivron said to the gunners over the intercom. “Are you waiting to read the serial numbers on his engine parts?”
The Death Star shot again. Its green beam tore through the outer wisps of the cluster, firing point-blank at the Sun Crusher—but the laser curved to the left, tugged by the mighty force of the black hole. The green beam spiraled like a ball bearing falling into a drain.
“You missed! How could you miss?” Tol Sivron ranted. “Captain, give me those flight controls. I’m going to pilot the Death Star myself. I’m tired of your incompetence.”
All of the Division Leaders suddenly looked at Tol Sivron, aghast. The stormtrooper captain turned slowly in his chair. “Are you sure that’s wise, Director? You don’t have the experience—”
Sivron crossed his arms over his chest. “I have read the procedure and I’ve watched what you’re doing. I know everything I need to know. Give me the controls right now. That’s a managerial directive!”
Sivron grinned with anticipation as he began to issue commands directing the Death Star. “Now we’ll finish this properly,” he said.
Just like a pet floozam on a leash, thought Kyp as he flew toward the black hole. The Death Star followed his every move.
He reversed course and arrowed back toward the prototype, increasing speed and calling up his weapons controls. The maze of metal girders and cross braces spun below him—and he launched his last resonance torpedo. The blazing cloud of plasma chewed through the outer layers of the prototype as it plowed ever-widening circles of destruction.
The last shot would make them panic. It wouldn’t cripple the Death Star entirely, but merely crippling the prototype would never be enough. He had to go for the full victory.
As the chain reaction initiated by his last torpedo petered out, Kyp sped over the metallic horizon of the Death Star and raced for the Maw’s nearest black hole.
Kyp used his onboard tactical systems to estimate the exact position of the event horizon, the point from which no ship, however powerful, could ever escape. He came closer and closer—and the Death Star howled after him.
Han shouted into the comm systems, “Kyp, Kyp Durron! Answer me. Don’t go so close. Watch out!”
But he received no reply.
Death Star and Sun Crusher were locked in mortal combat, paying no heed to outside distractions. The Death Star prototype orbited close to the black hole. The Sun Crusher danced from side to side, hammering with tiny laser blasts.
“I think I know what he’s doing,” Han said with deep uneasiness. “The prototype has greater mass and a much larger volume. If Kyp can lure it near the point of no return …”
“Without getting sucked down himself,” Lando said.
“That’s the catch, isn’t it?” Han answered.
The Death Star fired again, and the superlaser beam curved around, bent even more severely in the deep gravity well; but this time the gunner had compensated. The blurred fringes of the beam actually struck the Sun Crusher and knocked it spinning out of control.
Any other ship would have been vaporized instantly, but the quantum armor plating protected