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The Hig turned back to his screen, and shots went off at the Star Cruiser, narrowly missing, as before. A TIE fighter got nicked in the ricochet and fell, twisting, away from the Tatooine.

“Wedge? Wedge?” General Ceousa’s voice came over the communicator. “Wedge, are you still there?”

“Present and accounted for, General.”

“You’re firing at the Calamari.”

“Sorry, General, just doing my duty.”

“Wedge, are you all right?”

“Fire again, soldier, and this time aim at both ships.” Wedge had clasped his hands behind his back, trying to hide his glee. It was working. The TIE fighters had actually stopped firing on the Wild Karrde and on the Calamari. It was the Star Destroyers that concerned him more.

The shots went out on all sides, hitting two TIE fighters and bouncing off the Wild Karrde’s deflector shields.

“I told you not to hit the ships,” Wedge said.

“Sorry, sir,” Ginbotham said. “Precision shooting is for A-wings.”

“Missing a target the size of a moon shouldn’t be difficult, Ginbotham.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Fire again.”

“Wedge!” Ceousa’s voice echoed over the speakers. “Wedge!”

“I’m here, General. Forgive me, but President Organa Solo put me in charge of this mission.”

“I’m well aware of that, Wedge, but you’re firing on our people.”

“Am I, General? Am I really?” Wedge ran a hand over his throat, severing all communications. That was all the hint he would give Ceousa. Either the general trusted him or he didn’t. It didn’t matter. The next few moments would decide everything.

The Star Destroyers came closer.

“I have them in range, sir,” Ginbotham said.

“I have the targets set up for the Star Destroyers, sir. If you’ll allow me to—”

“No, soldier. I want you to fire on both the Wild Karrde and the Calamari again.”

“Sir—”

“And this time, when you miss, take out a TIE fighter on one of the ricochets. They’re beginning to look like they want to fight again.”

“Yes, sir.” Ginbotham seemed subdued. The shots went out. Wedge watched, clutching his hands together. The first shot hit a TIE fighter’s solar panel, ricocheted off, and hit another fighter. The Wild Karrde swerved away, and headed toward the Calamari.

At that moment, the Star Destroyers started for Wedge. The TIE fighters continued to trail the Wild Karrde and Calamari.

“We can’t defeat two Star Destroyers on our own,” Sela said.

“I know,” Wedge said. He hoped they wouldn’t have to.

Fifty

Almania looked deserted. Han emerged from the Falcon with his blaster in one hand, and the ysalamiri in the other. He hated the things. They reminded him of Corellian grass snakes, except they were big, they were furry, and they had claws.

No one had told him about the claws.

They also weighed a lot. Their nutrient cages, made with frames of pipes to support and nourish the creatures, weighed even more. Mara had kept her distance. Both Han and Chewie had agreed to allow her to stay far behind them—far enough so that she wasn’t caught in the ysalamiri’s anti-Force bubble.

But Han wished she were closer. He should have known better than to rely on her Force abilities when she had been so close to ysalamiri. Obviously she had been wrong. Leia couldn’t be nearby. This place was deserted.

He had landed the Falcon in a wide plaza. Around him were towers, most of them partially destroyed. Rubble everywhere. No bodies, though. For that he was grateful.

Then he heard rocks tumble beside him. He and Chewbacca whirled at the same time. The ysalamiri cages swung out and back, nearly making Han lose his balance.

The tower’s main door had been smashed open, and the door’s frame had collapsed. Something white and ghostly moved in the doorway.

“Great,” Han said. “Just great. Not only does she fail to find Leia, she leads us to a ghost.”

Chewbacca growled softly. Han squinted. Chewie was right. That wasn’t a ghost. Something was alive in there. He pulled out his blaster and moved forward.

Then a woman yelled in the distance.

Han raised his head as his heart jumped. That wasn’t Mara. That was Leia.

“Through the alley,