Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Dark Tide 01_ Onslaught - Michael A. Stackpole [114]
If the Vong screamed—and Corran decided he never would have—the sounds of snarling slashrats fighting over his body drowned it out completely.
With a smile on his face, Corran pushed himself back as best he could from the killballs that were feasting on the Yuuzhan Vong warriors. With his last memory of his son, he had recalled how Valin had made the garnants attack Ganner, so he had reached out with the Force to summon the slashrats for a Yuuzhan Vong meal. The snarling, growling packs of slashrats showed how effective that strategy had been.
Corran laughed to himself and laid his head down. Of course, now I’m dessert. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes before the creeping numbness would rob him of the ability to do even so simple a task. For a moment he wondered if he would fade from existence upon death, as had other Jedi, robbing the slashrats of their meal. No matter. The others are safe and away. My work here is done.
Before the numbness consumed him completely, he felt himself floating. He would have smiled if he could have. So this is it. This is what it is like to die a Jedi and fade into nothingness. Though he gave no external sign, his spirit felt buoyed, and Corran Horn passed into black oblivion a happy man.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
A whistle from Catch prompted Gavin to check his secondary monitor. The shuttle Impervious was moving forward, into the battle over the ground army. While the shuttle had powerful shields and weapons, it was much safer and more effective hanging back with the other ships, pouring fire into the ground troopers.
Gavin keyed his comm unit. “Impervious, this is Rogue Lead. What are you doing?”
Senator A’Kla’s voice came back through the comm channel all serene. “Master Skywalker has a task for us, Colonel. Here he is.”
“Gavin, I need two of you to make a run on the large lead vehicle down there. I need four torps, all coming in at the same flank. We’ll give you the telemetry.” The Jedi’s voice betrayed a hint of excitement. “Can you do it?”
“As ordered, Jedi One.” Gavin punched a button, bringing his squadron’s tactical frequency into the channel. “Sticks, on me. A Jedi wants us to shoot a spread at the big lead vehicle out there.”
“I copy, Lead, coming in on your vector now.”
“Capture the telemetry data from Impervious and use it to shoot.”
“As ordered, Lead.” Jaina’s voice rose a bit. “Going to drill a range.”
Gavin smiled to himself. You and me both, Sticks. “Two and Twelve, keep the last skips off us.”
Double clicks from comm units confirmed that their wingmen had heard the order and would comply with it. Gavin kicked his X-wing up onto the port S-foils, then dove and leveled out a hundred meters over the battlefield. Lines of plasma bolts stretched out toward him, but they came slowly enough that he was able to dance his fighter between them.
He dropped the aiming reticle over the slow-moving vehicle, then flipped a switch that turned control of the torpedoes’ flight data to the Impervious. He kept his fighter pointed on target, then hit the trigger. Two proton torpedoes jetted away on azure fire, and another two came from his port. All four headed in on target.
Catch reported a gravitic anomaly, somewhat larger than most, had positioned itself to intercept the missiles. Gavin narrowed his eyes, waiting for the blast. I hope you know what you’re doing, Luke.
Leia stalked through the refugees, occasionally glancing up to see Danni and Lando as they wove their way through groups. Once Leia discerned the people who were actually exuding terror, she told them to move toward the perimeter of the holding area. The knot of refugees slowly shrank, and Leia could feel tension beginning to intensify in the area. Those who are left behind know we’re searching for something, and they hope it isn’t them.
Lando had gotten a step ahead of Danni when the young woman gasped. She pointed at an older woman and a