Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 03_ Champions of the Force - Kevin J. Anderson [97]
Seven TIE fighters broke away from the main attack and circled back to head off Chewbacca’s squadron. But the Wookiees unleashed a smoking volley from the assault shuttle’s heavy blaster cannons. Stunted old Nawruun and several other Wookiees sat in the gunner seats and fired relentlessly.
A web of blaster bolts spewed from the shuttles, clipping four of the attacking TIE fighters. Two others veered wildly away from the sudden firepower and careened into the side of the Gorgon. The lone survivor of the attack group peeled off and fled to get reinforcements.
Chewbacca grunted in satisfaction.
The assault shuttles hammered the Star Destroyer’s turbolaser batteries as they streaked back and forth, launching their store of concussion missiles. With the smoldering eruptions of hull plates and exploding weapons systems, the Gorgon was defenseless on one side.
“Oh, well done, Chewbacca!” Threepio cried. “You did it.”
Chewbacca purred in satisfaction. Loud, triumphant roars came from the back of the assault shuttle and the gunner bay. But as TIE reinforcements arrowed toward them, Threepio decided it was time to cease the frivolity.
“Excuse me, sir,” he said, “but hadn’t we better retreat now?”
Like a master pilot Kyp Durron brought the Sun Crusher into a berth on one of the planetoids. He maneuvered the thorn-shaped ship through the blast doors and into the bay.
Luke let the young man pilot as he himself worked the communications systems, transmitting to the escort frigate and then to the Installation operations center.
“Wedge, are you there? Are you all right? Tell me what’s going on. This is Luke.”
A response came over the comm, accompanied by a cacophony of alarms and shouted orders, status reports, and the background rumble of direct hits from the Star Destroyer.
“Luke, you’re alive! What are you doing here?”
He realized that Wedge had been inside the Maw cluster since before the defeat of Exar Kun. “We brought the Sun Crusher here to destroy it. But it looks like you’re having problems of your own.”
“I’d need a few hours to tell you everything that’s happened since this operation started,” Wedge said. His voice was harried. “Are you safe?”
“We’re fine for now, Wedge. We’re landing in one of your maintenance bays.”
“Good. I can sure use whatever help you can offer.”
After Kyp secured the Sun Crusher, he popped open the hatch, and the two of them clambered down the metal ladder. They set off at a brisk jog through the curving corridors that tunneled through the dead rock. The rhythmic pounding of Daala’s repeated blasts echoed through the tunnels.
The two of them spilled into the operations center, trying to make sense of the frenzy of preparations Wedge had underway.
Wedge Antilles ran forward to embrace his friend. Both men clapped each other on the back. “I’m so glad you’re back with us,” Wedge said in a voice filled with unasked questions. Then he flashed a distrustful glance at Kyp Durron, who stood contritely on the threshold. “What’s he doing here?”
Beside him Qwi Xux also saw him and gasped, taking a step backward.
“I’m sorry,” Kyp said quietly.
Luke looked sternly at Wedge. “Kyp is here to help us, Wedge. He has returned from the dark side, and I’ve made my peace with him. If you still hold a grudge, then take it up with him once this is all over.”
Wedge looked to Qwi, and her gentle narrow face tightened before she nodded briefly.
“Kyp came here to destroy the Sun Crusher as a form of penance, but now—” Luke gripped his apprentice’s shoulder. “Now we are two Jedi offering our services in this fight.”
Wedge called to one of the other commandos. “Give me a status update now,” he said.
The tactical crew rattled off a list of starfighters