Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 12_ Return to Ord Mantell - Kevin J. Anderson [11]
Han stubbornly resisted most of his daughter's attempts to recalibrate the systems, but she won out eventually, after demonstrating to him that the ship really would be safer and would fly more precisely.
????? 't quite manage to conceal his proud smile.
????? inally, when the time had come for their exhibition run through the space course, Jaina signaled for her brothers to join them in the ship.
In less than a minute, Jacen and Anakin were fastening themselves in with crash restraints as Jaina sealed the boarding ramp and Han powered up the repulsor engines. From the Falcon's cockpit, Han informed the Derby officials they were ready.
"Hang on, kids," Han said. He was clearly not comfortable to be the center of so much attention as Grand Marshal of the Blockade Runners Derby, but he was also just cocky enough to want to show off for all the spectators.
"It's just a little practice trip," Jacen said. "No big deal." Both Jaina and Han turned to look at him with mischievous glints in their eyes.
"We might have to execute a few fast turns," Jaina said.
"Just to make it more realistic," Han added.
" 'Execute,' " Jacen said. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that."
Anakin gave his brother a teasing look. "Nervous?"
"Don't worry, we've got everything under control," Jaina assured her twin.
Together, she and her father worked the Falcon's systems, moving like an experienced team. Jaina could sense what her father intended to do, and she realized she might indeed have the makings of a great copilot.
"Hey, where does a full-grown bantha sit?" Jacen asked.
Jaina groaned and rolled her eyes, but Anakin played along. He answered in a serious voice, as if this topic had been of a lifelong concern to him. "I've always wondered about that-where does a fullgrown bantha sit?"
Jacen chortled. "Anywhere he wants to!"
Jaina reached behind her seat to give her twin a good-natured swat as the comm speakers crackled to life.
"This is Ord Mantell docking control to Millennium Falcon," a voice announced. "We are ready for you to begin."
"We're coming," Han said as the Falcon drifted up through the rooftop hatches. The bright sunlight in Ord Mantell's open sky splashed across the hull, gleaming through the cockpit windowports.
As Jaina's eyes adjusted, she saw that the blocky, drab buildings were now festooned with colorful banners. Bobbing repulsorspheres floated in the air, trailing narrow metallic streamers. Rainbow-hued tassels, like levitating balls of tangled ribbon, flitted about in flocks.
Jacen cried out with delight. "Hey, they're alive! I've heard of them-Ord Mantellian flutterplumes."
Jaina could see that the tiny ribbons were indeed alive, drifting like clusters of colorful worms in the air.
The voice over the cockpit speakers grew louder, as if shouting to millions of other listeners. "The Ninety-Third Annual Blockade Runners Derby is about to begin! Please welcome the Millennium Falcon, piloted by General Han Solo, three-time winner of the Derby!"
The cheers drifting up from the rooftops below sounded like a distant avalanche. Small one-person fliers drew close to the Falcon, shoving holocams to the viewports and taking pictures as the ship cruised along.
Han grinned and waved at the nearest HoloNet news reporter.
"Didn't expect such a big send-off," Jaina muttered.
Han grinned at her. "Guess we'd better give them a show worth watching."
He punched the sublight engines, and a blue-white glow flared from the rear of the Millennium Falcon, pushing them forward.
They arrowed up into the sky, leaving the holocams and the crowds behind.
Their journey would be broadcast, though, by remote observer cams planted in buoys all along the route to record the race.
Jaina called up the course diagram and displayed it in three