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He pulled the hood back and stared at her, as if he didn’t trust his ears to decode this message without further data. As he studied her, horror dawned in his green eyes. Even Lowbacca looked at her strangely. A burst of laserfire erupted from the Hapan ship, cutting off any reply either Jedi might have made.

Jaina cast her eyes toward the cockpit ceiling. “All right, then, I’ve got another idea. Move over.”

He quickly yielded the pilot’s seat. Jaina tugged on the hood and coaxed the dovin basal to abandon shielding in favor of exerting a slow, steady pull. The ship jarred and shuddered as the Hapan ship’s fire found its mark.

Alema Rar leaned over Jaina’s shoulder and peered at the approaching ship. “You’ve got it in a lock, but with no escape pod or vac suits, how are we going to get to Tenel Ka?”

“She’s coming to us,” Jaina announced, her eyes fixed firmly on the Hapan ship. “Brace!”

The Twi’lek promptly dropped to the floor, her lekku twitching with apprehension. The cargo ship slowed as it neared the Trickster, but the impact was still enough to rock the frigate and send a shower of black coral dust cascading over the console. Alema rose to her feet, sneezing violently and repeatedly.

“After this war is over, I’m taking a vacation on Mon Calamari,” she announced as she wiped her streaming eyes.

“Sounds nice,” Zekk said absently, his concerned gaze still fixed on the young pilot.

“I’m going to find the largest coral reef on that world,” Alema concluded grimly, “and then I’m going to blow it up.”

“Hold that thought,” Jaina suggested.

She mentally ordered the ship to breach the other vessel. On the wall just behind the cockpit, a viscous substance, similar in appearance to the Yuuzhan Vong’s blorash jelly, seeped from the coral and outlined an oval portal. Foul steam began to rise as the solvent worked its way through the living hull.

The Wookiee padded over to observe. He leapt back as a neat two-meter chunk of coral tipped into the corridor. The smoldering edges were now as smooth as transparisteel. Yellow goo still seeped from the ship’s walls and was swiftly eating through the ceramic and metal hull of the captured freighter. The melted substance hardened quickly, forming a solid, airtight bond between the two ships.

Once the steam subsided, Lowbacca poked experimentally at the portal. Roaring in satisfaction, he spun to one side and delivered a solid kick.

The “door” went in and fell hard, taking down two humans in red uniforms. Lowbacca strode over them, igniting his bronze lightsaber as he went. The other Jedi spilled through the portal, falling in on either side of the Wookiee.

A double ping sounded as blaster bolts greeted them. Tenel Ka’s turquoise blade picked off both of them before her “rescuers” could respond.

Jaina pushed forward, stepping over the prone forms of three red-clad mercenaries as she took in the battle. At least six humans were sprawled on the floor, some of them moaning softly. One of these stirred and tried to push himself up onto his hands and knees. Lowbacca planted a furry foot on the man’s rump with a force that sent him skidding facedown across the polished floor. His head struck a metal cabinet with a satisfying thunk.

Tenel Ka strode past the Wookiee without a glance, moving toward the last two men standing—tall, blond men in red uniforms and in fighting trim.

One of them tossed aside an empty blaster and pulled a stun baton from his weapons belt. The other fell into the ready stance of a Hapan kickboxer.

Jaina held out one hand to hold the others back. “Let her handle this. I’ve got a feeling she needs it. Sorry, Alema.”

The Twi’lek woman shrugged and stood down.

Tenel Ka brought her lightsaber into high guard position, and then switched it off. She tossed the weapon to Tahiri without looking back. The young Jedi deftly caught it, and her lips moved as she murmured silent encouragement.

The kickboxer spun toward Tenel Ka, delivering two quick, feinting jabs and then snapping a high kick to her head. She leaned and slapped aside the kick with the metal