Now Han was worried. To draw three Masters away when the Jedi were already spread too thin, the problem had to be serious.
“All right, kid,” Han said. The dark streak at the end of the fog channel had grown sharp enough to identify as a yorik coral spire. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“Nothing.”
Han remained silent, and finally Kyp asked, “Did I mention the Chiss?”
To Leia’s credit, she did not look away from the forward viewport-but she did lose her concentration. The fog came rolling back into the channel ahead of the Falcon, and Han lost sight of the spire. He jerked back on the throttles… then felt a sudden stab of neck pain as something slammed the ship forward. A cacophony of damage alarms erupted from the control console. Han’s gaze flew to the status lights of the most critical systems.
“What was that?” Nhor asked from behind him. “Did we crash?”
“Not exactly,” Han answered. Over the comm, he said, “Stand by, kid. We’re a little distracted here.”
“Copy.” Kyp sounded relieved to have a few moments to formulate his explanation. “Take your time.”
Once Han had confirmed that all vital components
were
still operational, he called up the view from the stern vidcam and saw nothing but static.
“Something hit us from behind.”
“The mapping skiff?” Leia asked.
“It was following us,” Han said. “I hate that.”
“Oh, dear,” C-3PO said. “I hope there aren’t any casualties!”
“It would serve them right,” Han growled. He activated the intercom and ordered Leia’s Noghri bodyguards, Cakhmaim and Meewalh, into the cannon turrets. “Don’t shoot anything. Just tell me what you see back there.”
Han glanced over at Leia and saw by the tension in her lips that she had heard every word of the conversation between him and Kyp. He closed the intercom, then returned to his comm mike.
“Okay, kid. Tell us about the Chiss.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds.” Kyp told them about Aristocra Tswek’s visit and Cal Omas’s “suggestion” that Luke handle the matter personally, and then said, “Master Skywalker knew you’d be worried, so he asked Cilghal to fill you in when you asked for the Maltorian dossier. I really wasn’t-“
The Falcon shuddered, and another damage alarm sounded. Cakhmaim reported that, despite its damage, the mapping skiff was firing at them.
“Then shoot back!” Han ordered. “Kyp, you’ll have to-“
“Standing by,” Kyp acknowledged. “Be careful.”
“I’ve got a better idea.” Han pushed the throttles forward and accelerated into the fog, then asked Leia, “Can you do that fog thing again?”
“Yes,” Leia said. A low rumble reverberated through the Falcon as Meewalh and Cakhmaim unleashed the big laser cannons. “But why not climb out of here and fight where we can see?”
Han allowed himself a sly grin. “Didn’t you see that spire up ahead?”
“I saw it,” Leia said. A smile as sly as Han’s came to her lips. “I like the way you think, flyboy.”
“How does he think?” Nhor asked. “What are we doing?”
“You’ll see,” Han said. “Just hold on.”
Leia turned her attention back to the fog, and soon the verdant finger of a vine-covered spire could be seen jutting up at the end of the channel. If Han did not break until the last second, the mapping skiff following them would have no time to avoid a crash.
Nhor finally saw what they were planning.
“No!” He shrieked the word with both mouths. “You mustn’t! Tell your gunners to stop firing!”
“Stop firing?” Han repeated. The spire was as wide as his hand now, and he was beginning to see dark patches of coral showing through the curtains of vine. “Are you crazy? They’re shooting at us.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Nhor’s voice remained shrill with panic. “My people could never inhabit a planet won through murder.”
“It’s not murder,” Han objected. “They started this. We’re just defending ourselves.”
“There is a difference between defending and killing,” Nhor said.
Han began to grow impatient. “Look, if that’s the way you feel, the Ithorians are never going to find a planet.” The spire had grown as large as his arm; another five seconds, and the mapping skiff wouldn’t have a chance. “In this galaxy, you’ve got to fight for what you need.”
“My people believe there has been too much fighting already.” Nhor paused, then said, “This isn’t your choice to make, Captain Solo. If you kill our rivals, the Ithorians will not come anyway.”