Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [177]
Chewie growled the end of the countdown.
Han watched the targeting computer.
“You’re going to miss the shot!” Mara yelled.
Han ignored her, his concentration great. The lines on the computer converged into a single point and he issued a burst of fire from the cannon. Then he shoved the targeting computer away. The shots went along the tractor beam and sank into the open hangar bay. There was a muffled explosion, enough to rattle the entire Star Destroyer.
“That’s the best we get,” Han said. “Let’s take advantage of their surprise and—”
Then the Star Destroyer exploded into a thousand pieces. Light and sparks flew everywhere and debris pelted the Falcon.
“Chewie! Get us out of here!”
The TIE’s were moving out of the debris field too. Han slipped out of the gunport and into the cockpit, yelling a victory cry all the way.
“You didn’t do it, Solo,” Mara said. She pointed at the space yacht streaking overhead. “Better say thank you!”
Han slapped his hand on the console. “Karrde! Thought you were leaving!”
“I hate missing a good fight, Solo.” Karrde’s voice came over the speakers in crackles. “Go to the planet. I’ll cover you.”
“He doesn’t make that offer every day,” Mara said.
“And he doesn’t have to make it twice.” Han slipped into the pilot’s seat. “Found Leia yet?”
“Nope,” Mara said. “We’ll have to go on feeling.”
“I thought the ysalamiri are interfering with your Force sense.”
She shrugged. “Let’s hope they aren’t.”
Eeeeooo-whit!
The droid in the lead had seen him.
“Artoo!” Threepio yelled. “Artoo-Detoo, is that you?”
The lead gladiator droid shook him. “I told you to shut up.”
“I would, sir, if I thought you still had control, but I daresay you’re in for a spot of trouble.”
The gladiator droid swiveled his head. His henchmen, the ones who had gone to investigate, were being crushed against the wall, their guns still trapped in their stomachs, as hundreds of astromech units rolled past.
“Artoo!” Threepio yelled.
“Send for backup,” the gladiator droid said to the droid nearest him. “And hurry. The rest of you—fire!”
Laser cannons went off, and shots reverberated all over the corridor. Droid screams filled the air. Smoke rose as components burned. But the little astromech droids continued moving forward.
“Artoo!” Threepio screamed. He could no longer see Artoo in the sudden haze of smoke. “Artoo-Detoo, where are you?”
“One more word,” the lead gladiator droid said, “and I will use this scrambler.”
Threepio had had quite enough of threats. “No, you won’t!” he said, and wrenched himself backward as the gladiator droid fired the scrambler. Its shot hit the other gladiator droid holding Threepio. That droid screamed and glowed neon green, a beacon in the haze. Threepio’s right arm was free. He yanked his left loose and disappeared into the fog.
Shots ricocheted around him. The gladiator droids flared like flames in the smoke. Threepio shoved several from behind, making them lose their balance and fall forward.
“Artoo!” he continued to yell as he headed in the direction where he had last seen the astromech droids. “Artoo!”
Eeeeooo-whit!
The whistle came from his left, from a corridor that matched the one he had just come through. It might be a trap, or it might be Artoo.
He hurried into that corridor, arms raised. The gladiator droids were still shooting into smoke that seemed horribly unnatural. No matter how many astromech droids got shot, there wouldn’t be that much smoke.
Unless …
Unless something was burning.
“Oh, dear,” Threepio muttered. “Oh, dear. Why is it that everything always gets worse?”
More blaster shots ricocheted around him. The air was full of smoke and screams, but the screams no longer came from astromech droids. The screams came from gladiator droids being hit by ricochets.
Eeeeooo-whit!
Threepio made it into the corridor, and there Artoo was waiting for him. The little