Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [158]
“I guess I’m your prisoner again,” he said. “What do you plan to do with me?”
No one answered him. Luke smiled at them. “Have you ever met a Jedi Master before?”
They stared at him. He used his good foot to leap across the grate, and hit the lever with his bad ankle, forcing the lever back despite the pain. As he did so, he used all his strength to pull the blasters toward him. A huge wind blew up and yanked them toward him. It sapped him, made him weak. He wondered vaguely if the same thing had happened to Vader when he had made the same move in Cloud City.
Then the grate fell open with a bang, nearly knocking over two of the guards. The blasters skidded near Luke’s feet. The guards were clinging to the walls, the floor, even the edges of the grate to avoid being swept away by the wind that Luke had created.
He bent over to pick up the blasters as something large and fuzzy and white floated past his vision. The Thernbee had jumped out of its cell. Luke let the wind die. The moment the guards landed on their feet, they were screaming and running away.
Luke grinned at the Thernbee. The creature’s eyes twinkled.
“We got them that time,” Luke said. He gathered up all eleven blasters, and found various ways to hook them to his clothing. “But I have a hunch that, from now on, things aren’t going to be that easy.”
Forty-three
The TIE fighters arrived first, zooming by with their characteristic whine. Or at least that was how Wedge imagined them.
He was standing in his command center watching the TIE fighters on three different sets of tactical computers. In the space around him, he could see small blips that probably were the Star Destroyers, but he couldn’t see the fighters. He wouldn’t be able to unless they were right over him.
Man, he missed fighting.
“Blue Squadron has reached the TIE fighters, sir,” said Ginbotham.
“Let’s monitor this,” Wedge said.
Instantly the crackle of the poor communications systems in the A-wings filled the command center.
“… Overhead Blue Leader.”
“Copy Blue Five.”
“… sending more fighters. I can’t believe all these ships!”
“Keep to the pattern, Blue Ten.”
Wedge stared at the screen, fists clenched. He wanted to be holding the joystick, issuing the orders to attack the TIE fighters. Instead, he was coordinating. He hated it.
“… Green Eight, watch your back.”
“I see him.”
“Move three point one, Green Eight. I’ll get him.”
“Copy.”
“I’ve got him. I—”
Static.
The blip on the screen that marked Green Six was gone. There were suddenly dozens of TIE fighters all around.
“They’re going to get slaughtered out there,” Sela said. “We need reinforcements.”
“Not yet,” Wedge said. “We don’t know how many ships they have.”
“They can’t have a lot. We never heard about the Empire storing that many ships.”
Her comment bothered him. All around, the voices continued.
“… lost tactical, Yellow Leader. Am returning to base.”
“Copy, Yellow Two.”
“Green Leader, eight more TIE fighters bearing five point three.”
“I’ve got them …”
Two TIE blips disappeared off his map, followed by three of his own ships. Wedge frowned.
“… beneath you, Blue Eight. I’ll get him.”
“It’s too late—”
The voice disappeared in a scream that ended in more static.
“… bearing down one point eight. I count six more launching.”
“Copy, Blue Leader.”
“I got him! I got him! I—”
More blips disappearing. Wedge looked at the pattern. Typical Imperial fight squadron. TIE’s deployed in an ancient pattern. One he hadn’t seen since the battle for the Death Star.
I destroyed the people of Pydyr without using anything as crude as a Death Star or a Star Destroyer.
Six more blips exploded on the screen as his squads hit TIE fighters.
“… I’m going for the launching area. Watch my back …”
And Wedge had seen the notice for Imperial junk. All sorts of weaponry being sold, no matter the condition, for a lot of money.
“… entire Green Squad. Take as many TIE fighters