[Dark Nest] - 3(103)

Before venturing out into the tempest of energy erupting just beyond the Defender’s shields, the starfighters were using the shelter of her expansive belly to form up by squadrons. Han simply dropped the Falcon’s nose and dived, leaving Leia-whose turret happened to be facing aft-staring up into the flashing madness of the battle above. The sky was at once black with smoke and descending dartships and dappled with the blue brilliance of blossoming turbolaser strikes, and already the flaming hulks of two Chiss Star Destroyers were plummeting groundward in an uncontrolled gyre.

The Falcon suddenly veered out from under the battle, and Han announced, “Got ‘em.”

Leia checked her targeting display and saw that the Falcon was about five kilometers above a pair of Chiss defoliators and closing rapidly. The defoliator escorts were badly out of position, bunched up in front of the two craft as they fired at unseen targets that Leia assumed to be Jaina and Zekk. She could feel them through the battle-meld, grim and determined, driven by Raynar’s Will and still focused on destroying the defoliators. She could also feel Alema-close by and just as determined.

Leia spun her turret around and touched Jaina and Zekk in the Force, urging them not to sacrifice themselves. Help was on the way. All they had to do was drop back into the clouds and wait.

But Alema Rar had never been patient. She continued to pour impatience into the meld, demanding that Jaina and Zekk keep attacking. Raynar’s Will continued to weigh on the two Jedi Knights, and they began to exchange cannon bolts with the escorts.

Then the blinding dots of two torpedo detonations flared about three kilometers ahead the Falcon, and when the static cleared from Leia’s targeting display, the trailing defoliator was gone.

“Han, get us there now!” Leia ordered over the intercom.

“Sure.” The Falcon accelerated, and long tongues of flame began to lick past the turret canopy. “What’s a little entry burn?”

By the time the second set of torpedoes detonated, they were close enough to see the thick cloud of clawcraft swarming around Jaina and Zekk’s StealthXs-and to see how clumsily both craft were handling as they dived for the clouds. Even if Leia had not been able to feel it through the Force, she would have known just by looking that her daughter and Zekk were in desperate straits.

And there was no sign of Alema going to help them. The Twi’lek had vanished from the battle-meld as soon as she destroyed the

second defoliator, and now she was doing nothing to help her decoys.

“Anybody see what happened to Alema?” Leia asked. “I’d like to send a few cannon bolts her way.”

The Falcon shuddered as Saba opened up with the belly cannons. “Sssorry! This one misssed,” she hissed. “She was on my side, diving for the cloudz.”

“It looks like she’s going after something,” Han said. “And so are the Chiss.”

Leia checked her targeting display and saw that eight clawcraft had entered a power dive, chasing something big and slow with an erratic flight pattern. “What is it?”

“A wing!” Juan was silent for a moment, then added, “With two huge bombs attached to it!”

Leia had a sinking feeling. “How close are they to the battle zone?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Han said. “This time, my daughter comes first. What do I care if her creepy friends get wiped-“

“Han!” Leia swung her turret around and began to pour laser bolts toward the clawcraft harassing Jaina and Zekk. “You do know StealthXs can eavesdrop on intercom transmissions at this range?”

“They can?”

“The StealthX’z primary mission is spying,” Saba reminded him. She opened fire, too, and some of the clawcraft began to disperse and come after the Falcon. “But maybe they’re not listening.”

“Who cares?” Han asked. “Jaina knows I’m just worried about her.”

“She also knowz that you know she can take care of herself,” Saba said. “And that you would never let the Chisz rupture one of those parasite bombz. Even a few eggz might be enough to kill her friendz’ species.”

Han sighed. “You’re saying we have to recover that wing, aren’t you?”

“I’m afraid so,” Leia said. The cold ache of disappointment in her stomach was only partially relieved by the feelings of encouragement and approval coming from Jaina and Zekk through the meld. “But nothing says you can’t edge a little closer on the way past. Saba and I would enjoy some target practice.”

The Falcon rolled into a dive so steep that it sent all the unstowed equipment and supplies flying around the interior of the cabin and holds. Leia ignored the crashing and banging and continued to fire. She also ignored the clawcraft now pouring cannon bolts after the Falcon. Instead, she used the Force to target the craft that continued to harass her daughter and Zekk, far below.