• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

The Falcon moved slowly, its deflector shields placing pressure on the dirt. As the deflectors ruffled the soil, one of the burrowing detonators exploded directly beneath them, rocking the craft from side to side.

Jaina and Anakin looked at their father.

"Not to worry," Han said. "This ship can handle a lot more than that.

" They flew in a straight line as Anakin marked the pattern of their flight on a holochart he called up. Three more detonators exploded.

Clouds of suspended dust and smoke looked like phantom trees growing from the barren field.

"Ah, looks like our reinforcements have arrived," Han said.

Jaina looked into the sky to see the fleeting shape of another ship-a familiar ship. The Hapan passenger cruiser circled low, coming in to pace them. "But-we left the Rock Dragon on Ord Mantell."

Han shrugged. "I asked somebody to pick it up for us." He toggled the conim switch. "Hey, Kyp. That you, kid?"

"You bet," Kyp Dutton said. "With Streen-and I brought some more assistants from the Jedi academy, in case you could use an extra hand."

"Or hoof," another voice broke in.

"Is that Lusa?" Jaina asked, suddenly recognizing the voice of the centaur girl who had come to Yavin 4 after escaping from the Diversity Alliance.

"Yes, we've got Lusa here, and young Raynar, another friend of yours,"

Kyp continued. The young man from the Bomaryn trading fleet greeted them.

"Looks like we're going to have quite a reunion tonight," Kyp said.

"But for now, we've got some land mines to clear."

"Hey, I'm just a good pilot who happens to be here on a diplomatic mission," Han Solo said. "I'm trusting all of you to use your Jedi powers to make sure we do a thorough job."

The two ships parted and began to crisscross the vast acreage that had once been cropland. It was clear that the fields of Anobis could grow food enough to feed all its inhabitants, once the land was made safe again.

The rumble of repeated land-mine detonations sounded like rapid gunshots in the empty sky. The Rock Dragon and the Millennium Falcon continued without pause. Their deflector shields pushed down on the fertile ground, at the same time smoothing out many of the jagged holes and pits left from earlier explosions.

"Never thought we'd be using our spaceships to harvest bombs," Jaina said.

Han smiled at her. "The Falcon's good for just about anything," he said."

'Course I prefer to give her more glamorous duties."

Both ships left their comm systems open. Jaina chattered with Raynar and the centaur girl Lusa, catching up on news as they continued their work.

Toward the end of the afternoon, Lowie and Tenel Ka emerged from the dense forest and waved up at the ships crisscrossing the air.

"Looks like they're finished," Jaina said. "But I have the feeling we just did the easier parts of the job. We can go home once these weapons are cleaned up. But the people of Anobis still have to come to terms with all their hatreds and prejudices. They've got a long history to overcome."

Han looked at his daughter. Another burrowing detonator exploded behind them, but he didn't even seem to notice. "The rest is going to be up to them," he said. "Sure, your mom'll send in some New Republic peacekeepers and inspection teams, but these people have to determine in their own hearts whether this war will ever end."

"That was hard work. I'm starved," Jaina said. She collapsed onto a wooden bench beside her brother and looked appreciatively at the feast being laid out by both miners and farmers on long shady tables in the fading afternoon sunlight at the foot of the mountains.

"You're hungry?" Jacen said. "Hey, what about us? Zekk and Anja and I weren't just sitting on a ship and flying around all day, you know.

There was nothing between us and those explosives except for the Force and our lightsabers."

"Lowbacca and I were also in considerable danger afoot," Tenel Ka pointed out.

Jaina grinned good-naturedly. "Guess you're probably even him grier than I am then, huh?"

The one-armed