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“Belay that,” Jag told him. “The others will go ahead with Shawnkyr. We two will stay behind to practice maneuvers.”

An amused beep came from the astromech droid, but Kyp was too astounded to respond. Practice maneuvers? Exactly who and what did this kid think he was, and more important, to whom should Kyp send his body?

“Vanguard Three?” the commander prompted.

“Acknowledged,” Kyp said through gritted teeth.

He watched the other four ships disappear into the blackness of hyperspace. Six ships total, half the number he himself had commanded, and all of them reduced to skulking around the Hapes Cluster watching for signs of an invasion that, in Kyp’s opinion, was a foregone conclusion.

“You think our efforts here are wasted,” Jag observed.

“Let’s just say that I’m accustomed to a more proactive approach. Hello,” he said abruptly, glancing down at flashing sensors. “What have we got, Zero-One?”

SEVEN SMALL CRAFT. ALL ARE ARMING WEAPONS.

“Looks like today was worth waking up for after all. Let’s strike up an acquaintance.” Without bothering to defer to his “commander,” Kyp accelerated and swept toward the small fleet.

As he neared, he made out the distinctive wasp shape of the ships, the single dark viewport that from the side resembled an insect’s eye. The triangular wings were folded down close to the crescent hull for sublight flight, lowered from the upright V they assumed in atmosphere. In either flying condition, these ships could be deadly foes.

“Hornet Interceptors,” Jag observed. “Quite likely the same fighters that scattered when we approached Lieutenant Solo’s captured pirate ship.”

A sardonic smile tugged at one corner of Kyp’s mouth, and his irritation changed to interest. Of course they were the same ships—the Hornets weren’t equipped with hyperdrives, and their base ship was sitting on the Hapan docks with a two-meter hole burned into its hull.

It would appear that the starched and polished Chiss commander had brought him out on a hunting expedition. This had possibilities.

A bolt of greenish light streaked toward Kyp. He dodged the missile and returned fire.

The agile Hornet rolled aside and came back with a second attack. Two more ships circled around behind Kyp as he and his first opponent dipped and spun in a deadly dance. He grimaced as a laser bolt exploded against his shields.

Even with the Force guiding him, Kyp was hard-pressed to match several faster, more agile ships. “Zero-One, get a lock on the forward ship’s maneuvering jet.”

Icons flashed onto the targeting screen and zoomed into tight focus. When the droid beeped a confirmation, Kyp fired.

A blue laser bolt leapt toward the Hornet, skimming past the hull and slipping just under the deflector-shield projector. A brief spark announced the hit, and the Hornet listed heavily to one side.

Kyp spun away and came back at the damaged ship from above. He fired several laser streams at the ship’s insectoid head. The first few shots took out the Hornet’s shields. With half its maneuvering capability gone, the ship presented an easy target, and the pilot knew it.

The cockpit broke away as the pilot evacuated. The Hornet tumbled slowly away, as dead as the decapitated insect it resembled. Kyp pulled his X-wing into a sharp, rising circle, coming completely around and firing as he swooped down toward the remaining Hornets.

His attack sheared through one of the folded wings, and another ship went into a spiral. Kyp juked sharply to avoid return fire from one of the two surviving Interceptors.

With one hand he kept a steady barrage of laserfire pummeling the nearest ship, focusing on the Hornet’s starboard power generator. He sighted down the riveted joints where two curved segments met in the center of the ship. Still working the laser cannon, he launched a proton torpedo and then reached out with the Force.

The Hornet rolled sharply to port to evade—just as Kyp nudged the torpedo’s flight slightly aside. The missile struck the ship dead center and shattered the segment’s joinery.