Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 11_ Dark Journey - Elaine Cunningham [104]
But she kicked at a parked repulsorsled, just in case she was.
TWENTY-FIVE
Harrar’s priestship and its military escort approached the Hapes Cluster, following the reports of sightings of their stolen frigate.
“There,” Khalee Lah said, stabbing at the living map with a taloned finger.
Tiny, luminous creatures moved slowly across the screen, marking the place where the yammosk had discerned the signature of the stolen ship. There was a definite pattern. The thief was venturing farther out of Hapan space each time. The next foray would take her directly into the priestship’s path.
The warrior glanced at Harrar, his split lips stretched in a leer of anticipation. “The warmaster will have his Jeedai sacrifice. We hunt,” he snapped at the crew. “Summon every ship within communication range that has engaged this would-be Trickster. She has hidden long enough in the shadow of Yun-Harla. Soon those who whisper words of heresy will see this infidel for the pitiful creature she is!”
As the crew hurried to do Khalee Lah’s bidding, Harrar settled down in an observation seat and prepared to watch the battle. A now familiar prickle edged down his spine as he prepared to confront the Jeedai.
Khalee Lah took the command chair. His long, knobby finger caressed the nodes as he gathered information. “The Ksstarr is approaching.”
The priest glanced toward his commander. “Alone?”
“With an escort.” The warrior’s sneer was visible beneath the hood. “One small ship.”
A strange wave of disappointment swept through Harrar. He had expected better from Jaina Solo. “Capture them both.”
When Kyp emerged from hyperspace, his controls immediately began to flash warnings. The programmed hyperspace jump had brought him directly between two flanks of Yuuzhan Vong ships. Immediately all the lights began to converge on his location. Soon they’d be in visual range, and they would know that he wasn’t flying the stolen Yuuzhan Vong frigate. More, they’d know that there was no Trickster—except for the one who’d sent an X-wing up to project the stolen ship’s unique signal.
“Planned this a bit tight, didn’t you, Jaina?” he murmured. A sharp jolt hit Kyp’s fighter, and sensors flared out a low-shield warning signal. One of the ships was using its dovin basal to strip off his shields.
Kyp boosted up the inertial compensator, expanding the protection this system gave to ship and pilot several meters and moving it out beyond the ship’s normal shields—a trick invented by Gavin Darklighter early in the war. Even as he did, he realized that this was no solution. Gavin had not been flying alone.
Two coralskippers closed in, and again Kyp felt the tug and pull of the gravity beams. He dialed down the inertial compensator. Too much stress, and it could pull the ship apart from the inside.
A second X-wing exploded out of the darkness of space. A blue flash burst from it, and the big ship dissolved in a bright flare. The coralskippers released their hold on Kyp’s fighter and circled around to deal with this new threat. His comm crackled.
“Get out of there, Kyp,” Jaina warned.
“And leave you alone? I don’t think so.”
“Turn off the gravitic transmitter—lower left console, yellow dial. Find a ship about the Trickster’s size. Strafe it. I’ll be right behind you.”
A faint smile curved Kyp’s lips. He glanced at the screen and selected a target, then relayed its coordinates to Jaina.
The two X-wings swept toward the frigate analog. Kyp leaned on the splinter-shot trigger. Hundreds of underpowered bolts sprayed the coral ship. A small black hole swallowed most of them, but many of the small lasers found a mark.
So, too, did some of the small concussion missiles Jaina fired.
“The seed’s been planted,” Jaina said. “Let’s go.”
Kyp turned his X-wing into a rolling turn and then shot off toward the mists. The stars stretched into lines, echoing the smile that spread over his face.
The seed