Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 03_ Champions of the Force - Kevin J. Anderson [98]
Wedge looked relieved. “If only we can keep damaging Daala faster than she can damage us.” He shook his head.
“Where’s Han?” Luke asked. Kyp perked up, eagerly awaiting the answer.
Wedge frowned. “What do you mean?” Luke explained about the prototype and how Han, Lando, and Mara Jade had last been seen inside its superstructure.
Wedge shook his head. “The Sun Crusher and the Gorgon are already here—now you’re telling me the Death Star is coming back?” He blinked in disbelief before starting to snap out orders to the tactical team. “You heard what Luke said! Looks like we’ve got another surprise coming our way.”
It didn’t seem possible, but everyone managed to bustle a little faster. Luke stared through the broad skylights of the operations center. He sensed it before he saw it.
Through the flaring lights of battle overhead and the muffled din of repeated explosions, the armillary sphere of the Death Star prototype emerged through the pastel glow of the Maw and entered the fray.
36
The Millennium Falcon’s landing claw clung to the Death Star’s superstructure as the skeletal sphere lurched into motion again and careened through the black hole cluster.
Han, Mara, and Lando sat strapped into their swiveling seats, gritting their teeth from gravity’s onslaught. The Falcon held on, but the prototype bucked from the enormous tidal pulls.
Once the rough passage was over, Han scanned the diagnostics. “Got to do something about these hyperdrives,” he said. “If we fly fast enough, we could just blow the reactor core and run. But the way the Falcon’s limping along, we’d never get away in time.”
Han turned his seat to look at Lando and Mara. He wiped dark hair away from his eyes. “And even if we did get away in time, we’d never make it back through the Maw cluster without top-notch maneuverability.”
“Not to mention we don’t know the way out,” Mara said. “My Jedi instincts aren’t strong enough for a job like that.”
“Uh, now, that’s another good point …,” Han admitted.
“But Han,” Lando said, “we’ve got to do something. If the Death Star’s come back to Maw Installation, it’s bound to be up to no good.”
“Yeah,” Han said, nodding grimly. “Chewie is in here with the rest of the occupation force. I won’t just leave him if he’s in trouble.”
Mara pulled herself to her feet. “So it’s obvious,” she said. “We’ve got to deactivate that superlaser.” She shrugged. “As long as we’re here.”
“But the hyperdrive engines—” Han began.
“You’ve got environment suits, don’t you?” she said. “A light freighter like the Falcon ought to have at least a couple for emergency repairs.”
“Yesss,” Han said, drawing out the word, still unable to guess what Mara had in mind. “I’ve got two suits: one for me and one for Chewie.”
“Good,” Mara said, cracking her knuckles. “Calrissian and I will go out and plant timed detonators on the reactor core. You work on the hyperdrive engines. The timers will let us get out of the superstructure before they blow.”
Lando’s mouth dropped open. “You want me—?”
Her eyes challenged him. “Got any better ideas?”
He shrugged and grinned. “Why, no. I’d be honored to escort you, Mara.”
Lando sneezed as he tugged on the huge padded suit. “This whole thing smells like Wookiee hair,” he said. “Did Chewbacca exercise in this thing and put it away wet?”
The sleeves were enormous, and his feet swam in the Wookiee-sized boots. He tugged the bulky fabric around his waist, fold upon fold, and then used the adjustment straps to cinch it tighter around him. He felt as if he were walking inside a giant inflated mattress.
“We’ve got a job to do, Calrissian,” Mara said. “Quit complaining or I’ll do it myself.”
“No,” Lando said. “I want to help you. Really.”
“Here.” Mara held out a case of the timed detonators. “Carry these.”
Lando looked down at them and swallowed. “Thanks.”
Han gave a hollow grunt of pain as he bumped his head on something down in the repair crawl space.