Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 07_ Shards of Alderaan - Kevin J. Anderson [37]
With Em Teedee wired into the main controls, Jaina and Lowie worked outside to reconfigure the ship's weaponry, routing the power through the remaining engine.
The Rock Dragon carried a respectable supply of parts for emergency repairs, but no spare engines. The starboard drive was a total loss, providing only a few minor components and connections they could use in their repairs. Biting her lower lip, Jaina refused to give in to despair.
She would just have to be resourceful.
Jacen and Tenel Ka offered their assistance, and followed instructions from the two mechanically inclined Jedi trainees. It reminded Jaina of the efforts the companions had made when fixing Qorl's crashed TIE
fighter in the jungles-but this time their labors were not just for their amusement. They needed to repair the Rock Dragon for their very survival.
"Hey," Jacen said, trying to lighten the mood, 'what did the new animal trainer say after his first day of working with a team of vicious battle dogs? " He paused a beat. "This job is a pain in the nek!"
He looked around, waiting for a response.
'Uh... get it? They're called nek battle dogs, you see, and-oh, never mind."
As the hours passed and the four friends worked together without complaint, Jacen and Lowie grew more and more convinced that they had escaped their enemy, that the hiding place in the crater cave had been a superb choice. Jaina did not share their optimism.. She felt a growing dread that every passing minute brought their pursuer closer to discovering them....
"I guess that's the best we can do," she finally said, slamming shut the clumsily repaired access panel. She hoped the engines and power sources would hold together long enough to haul the ship away.
Lowie grumbled a comment, but without Em Teedee they couldn't get an exact translation.
Jacen offered, "I think he said this ship isn't going to withstand too much bouncing around." The Wookiee chuffed and nodded.
"This is a fact," Tenel Ka said, 'but Hapan technology is often sturdier than it might look." 'Well, what are we waiting for?" Jaina said with a sigh, taking a final glance at their uncertain repairs.
They climbed back inside the Rock Dragon, subdued. All four of them knew the gamble they had decided to take.
Seated in the pilot's chair, Jaina powered up the systems with nervous fingers. The engines thrummed, vibrating with power, stuttering and popping, but the output held.
Jaina bit her lower lip and sensed the flow through the engines, the pulse through the ship.
The Rock Dragon trembled, humming unsteadily. The ship felt sick to Jaina, not up to its normal peak levels. But it would fly, and that was all they needed.
She glanced over at Lowbacca. He smoothed down the dark streak of fur on his forehead, then nodded at'her. Lowie activated the repulsorlifts, and the ship raised up off the rocky floor in the low gravity.
"All systems go," Jaina said.
"All right!" Jacen cheered. "We're on our way."
Tenel Ka sat gripping the edge of her seat with her hand, leaning slightly toward Jacen. The ship moved forward, approaching the narrow passageway through the rocks.
Still wired into the console, Em Teedee said, "I can confirm that our escape path lies directly through that opening. I must say that this ship has superb sensors. In fact, I can even detect-oh, dear!" Before the translating droid could sound an alarm, as Jaina gently maneuvered the Rock Dragon through the narrow passageway toward open space, the silhouette of the enemy ship appeared at the mouth of the cave. Its laser cannons already glowed brightly.
"He's found us!" Jacen cried just as the other ship opened fire.
Wrenching the controls, Jaina hoped to reverse their engines and evade the blast, but this time their enemy did not target theRock Dragon itself. Instead, its powerfullasers pulverized the unstable roof of