Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Dark Tide 02_ Ruin - Michael A. Stackpole [35]
The freighter started to turn to port as the jagged hull there began to drag in the atmosphere. Corran fought it and tried to get the ship oriented on a simple flight path, then hit a switch that cut the power on the Hope’s engines. The whole craft lurched, then twisted as the atmosphere battered it.
“Everyone stand by. This won’t be fun or pretty.” Corran hit some switches on his console. “Ganner, blow the charges, now!”
The Force gathered behind Jacen and focused itself on the explosives. The first one blew easily and vanished from Jacen’s screen. Without waiting for the second, the young Jedi hit a button on his console, lighting off the other explosives in a rippling sequence that shattered the aft hull.
Corran hit a switch, and the connectors holding Best Chance inside Lost Hope all released. The smaller ship tumbled free of the shell that had brought it into the atmosphere. Corran made no attempt to direct its flight or stabilize it, he just let it twist like any other piece of debris. As the ship came around, Jacen managed to look through the viewports and catch a glimpse of the Hope’s fiery descent to Garqi.
The altimeter built into Jacen’s console scrolled off the meters to the planet’s surface dizzyingly fast. Six kilometers shrank swiftly to four, then three and two. Jacen recalled a single klick being their margin of safety and sought any sense of anxiety from Corran as the small ship plunged past that barrier.
He got none, which brought a smile to his face. He could easily imagine his father sitting in the pilot’s chair, waiting and waiting to bring the ship to full power, pushing safety margins that he considered overly generous. Jacen didn’t necessarily think this willingness to undertake risks was part and parcel of being a Corellian as much as it was an artifact of the Rebellion. Pilots then had had to do outrageous things to win the freedom of everyone in the galaxy. For them, prudence gave way to efficacy.
Five hundred and seven meters above Garqi’s rain forest–covered surface, Corran boosted full power to the repulsorlift coils. This marginally slowed their descent but didn’t prevent the ship from plunging into the trees, shearing off limbs, splintering wood, and scattering a colorful cloud of birds. The Best Chance crashed down through the upper canopy and through the midlevel before the repulsorlift coils met enough resistance in the planet’s mass to bounce the Chance back up.
Corran let the small ship hang there in the air as the purple leaves and gnarled branches strewn over the forward viewport began to shrivel and smolder against the hot hull. “Everyone okay?”
“I’m good.” Jacen glanced back at the others as they all reported in unharmed.
The small ship’s comm speakers crackled. “This is Flight Command Ralroost recalling all fighters. Evac countdown has commenced.”
“Rogue Eleven here. We have a freighter down.”
“We’re aware of that, Eleven. The ship broke up. No life signs.”
Jacen felt a shiver run down his spine. Jaina’s X-wing’s sensors would be too weak to pick up life signs at this great a range, so she had to believe he was dead. Just for a heartbeat he wanted to open himself up in the Force so she’d know he lived, but he stopped himself.
Corran turned and nodded to him. “I know it’s tough, Jacen, but she’ll be told the truth once the ’Roost pulls out.”
Jacen shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that to her before—to anyone before.”
“It would be great if you never had to do it again, either, but there are times when a little cruelty now saves more a lot later. It’s an unfortunate part of growing up.” Corran gave him a smile.
“I copy.” Jacen hit a button on his console and punched up a specific frequency. “I have a locator beacon on our contact frequency. Heading two-one-nine.”
Corran ruddered the ship around on that heading and