Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 08_ Edge of Victory 01_ Conquest - J. Gregory Keyes [99]
In theory, a Jedi could use the Force effortlessly, without tiring. In practice, it seldom went that way.
Anakin and Tahiri had gone beyond their limits, and now their strength was ebbing.
The ship wobbled and molten fire dripped from its ruined weapon, but it was still there, and there were plenty more where it came from.
Still, Anakin gripped Tahiri’s hand. “Together,” he said.
The air above them shrieked and strobed, and sharp lines of red light carved into the Yuuzhan Vong ship as if it were a root vegetable. A too-bright-to-watch ball of flame followed close after, striking the craft in its already bleeding wound, and then the Yuuzhan Vong ship was a corpse hurtling to the ground. Anakin looked up, mouth open.
Another ship was descending, a ship made of metal and ceramic, not living coral.
It was Remis Vehn’s battered transport, and it was the most beautiful thing Anakin had ever seen.
It dropped on repulsorlifts, and the hatch swung open.
Qorl stuck his head out. “What are you waiting for?” the old man shouted. “Come aboard.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Talon Karrde followed the pinpoint on the long-range scanner with a raptor gaze.
Still, he was fully aware when Kam Solusar came silently up behind him.
“What is it?” the Jedi asked.
“Long-range sensors tell us some sort of transport just broke the atmosphere of Yavin Four,” Karrde told him.
“Only moments ago, I felt an incredible surge in the Force,” Solusar said. “I’m sure Anakin was involved, and I think Tahiri, as well.”
“Can you feel them now? Are they on that transport?”
“I think they must be,” Solusar replied.
Karrde shook his head. “Not good enough. If I commit that deeply into Yuuzhan Vong territory, there is every chance not a single ship in my fleet will come back out. I need to know. What if it’s just a Peace Brigader or two who’ve been hiding on the far side of Yavin?”
“It’s Anakin,” Solusar replied.
Karrde let his shoulders relax. “Well. That’s better. As long as you sound certain,” he said. “Fine.”
He turned to his crew. “This looks like what we’ve been waiting for, people. Our mission has changed. Up until now we’ve just been surviving, picking off strays. From what I gather, the Yuuzhan Vong have been using us for target practice and to thin the stupid from their gene pool.
“They’ll behave differently when we push to intercept the ship out there. They’ll probably hit us with everything they’ve got, and we’ll be in a position to get hit. We can forget backup from the New Republic; we’re on our own. If there are any doubts about this course of action, I need to hear them now.”
Silence, as he swept his gaze around the bridge and the screens depicting the captains of his other ships.
“When have we ever not been with you, Captain?” Shada asked from the Idiot’s Array.
A chorus of cheers punctuated Shada’s remark.
Karrde’s chest tightened with pride. “All right, people,” he said. “Let’s go to work.”
A series of bleeps and whistles greeted Anakin as he came aboard the transport.
“Hey, Fiver,” he said. “I’m glad to see you, too.”
“Get back to work, you lazy little droid,” Vehn snapped over his shoulder from the pilot’s seat. “And you, hotshot, pick a cannon. Let’s see if we can shake this crud.”
“I’d feel better at the controls,” Anakin said, watching Yavin 4 dwindle to starboard.
“After what you did to her last time?” Vehn said. “No, thanks. No vapin’ thanks at all.”
“Your ship,” Anakin said.
“Ramming right it is.”
Anakin looked over the pilot’s shoulder at the screen. “Nice lead,” he remarked.
“Yeah. Those Vong ships take longer to pull out of an atmosphere. Out here they’re gaining, though.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Fly real fast until we get away.”
“That’s it?”
“Hey, I’m improvising. You gonna complain about me saving your butt?”
“No,” Anakin said, “I was thinking about thanking you. Now I’m not so sure.