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Out of torpedoes, Wedge shifted over to lasers and started searching for more TIEs. And if there aren’t any more of them, I guess I’ll just have to get in close with the Lusankya and light it up as much as I can.

“Yes, Madam Director, I understand.” Erisi shivered as the echoes of Isard’s voice died in her ears. When she’d spotted the shuttle coming up she had harbored a hope that it was Vorru, but Isard’s mocking voice dashed that dream to pieces. Erisi switched her comm unit over to her squadron’s tactical frequency. “Elite Leader to squadron. We have a new mission: protect the Lambda-class shuttle Thyfonian. We are to cover it until it gets clear and can go to lightspeed.”

“Six here, Lead. That means we’ll be left behind.”

“Negative, Six. The Lusankya is going to be following Thyfonian out and will pick us up.”

“I copy, Lead.”

“Twelve here, Lead. We have four X-wings coming up fast.”

“I copy, Twelve.” Erisi shook her head. Only four? That’s a mistake you’ll rue, Wedge Antilles. “Keep your formations tight and help each other out. These pilots will be good, but we can be better. Don’t lose your heads and you won’t lose your lives.”

• • •

Captain Drysso laughed victoriously. As nearly as he could determine his Lusankya had been hit by over a hundred and fifty proton torpedoes and concussion missiles, but it had lost scarcely thirty-five percent of its combat ability. Maneuvering was hampered and shield power was falling sharply, but the Lusankya still outgunned its opposition. And the freighters have the survival rate of tauntauns on Tatooine.

Lieutenant Waroen called out to him. “Captain, the Freedom is coming back into the fight.”

“Guns, let him have everything!”

“As ordered, Captain.”

The Lusankya fired its starboard weapons at the Imperial Star Destroyer, mauling it mercilessly. Turbolasers crushed the shields while ion cannon beams skittered over the Freedom’s hull. Concussion missiles peppered the smaller ship, opening huge holes in the hull. Explosions racked the Freedom, spraying debris in all directions.

Yet even before the Lusankya’s attack left the Freedom adrift in space, the Imperial Star Destroyer blasted back at the Super Star Destroyer. Turbolasers drilled through the dorsal shields and stabbed fire deep into the Lusankya’s heart. Blue ion lightning capered and danced over the hull, teasing fireballs to life in its wake. The Lusankya shook with the violence of those explosions and others.

Drysso shouted at his staff. “Damage reports!”

Waroen was first. “Ventral shields, down; dorsal shields, down; bow shields, down; starboard and port shields, down.”

“You mean to tell me I only have aft shields?”

Another explosion shook the ship. “Not anymore, sir.”

“Captain,” yelled his communications officer, “I have a priority message from Director Isard. She’s ordering us out of here. We’re to follow the shuttle.”

“What?”

“That was the message, sir. She said you should get out of here before you get killed.”

“Killed!” Drysso’s laugh quieted the bridge. “Killed? We are winning here. The Freedom is dead. Freighters are dying. That War Cruiser is next and we’ve weathered the worst those X-wings can throw at us. We have won! She can run if she wants, but the Lusankya stays here. If she wants to abandon Thyferra, I will take her place and reap what she has sown.”

The crew stared at him, gape-mouthed and silent for a moment, then a cheer spread through the bridge, beginning at Lieutenant Waroen’s station and building around through the crew. For a handful of heartbeats Drysso thought they were cheering him, but those nearest the viewport stared past him, prompting Drysso to turn.

Out there, hovering off the Lusankya’s port bow, was the Virulence.

Drysso clapped his hands. “It’s the Virulence and they have our TIE squadrons. Order Virulence to deploy its fighters! Now nothing stands between us and total victory!”

40

Three squadrons of fighters poured from the Virulence and entered the fray.