[Dark Nest] - 3(71)
“Han?” Leia’s voice was brittle with fear. “You know what I was saying about aggravating the situation?”
“Yeah?”
“Forget it,” she said. “They’re already mad.”
“Yesssszz.” Saba’s hiss had an air of thoughtfulness. “Master Skywalker did not know how far the situation has deteriorated.”
“Thanks for your opinions,” Han grumbled. “Now could someone get back there and disconnect the number four vector plate? We’re handling like a one-winged manta right now!”
“Mantaz can fly with one wing?” Saba gasped.
“No, Master,” Leia explained. “That’s the point.” “Oh.” Saba jumped up and tapped Tarfang on the shoulder, then started toward the back of the flight deck. “Why did you not say it was so bad?”
A jolt ran through the Falcon as they took another hit, and Han saw on the tactical display that the clawcraft were beginning to close the distance more rapidly.
“Jae, how long before we’re in the clouds?”
“We won’t reach them,” Juun announced immediately.
“What are you talking about?” Han demanded. “Of course we’ll reach them!”
Juun shook his head. “I’ve done the calculations. By the time we decelerate to enter the atmosphere-“
“Who says we’re decelerating?” Han demanded.
Juun’s voice grew even more nasal. “We’re not going to decelerate?”
“Captain Solo never decelerates in these situations,” C-3P0 reported. “He seems to enjoy seeing how close we can come to crashing without actually doing so. I can’t tell you the number of times that we have been statistically doomed, only to escape at the last possible mo-“
Another boom reverberated from the control panel speaker, announcing the destruction of a second clawcraft.
“You see?” C-3P0 continued. “But I am pleased to report that our odds of survival have increased by three one-thousandths of a percent.”
The boom had barely died away before the hailing channel grew active again.
“Captain Solo, that is quite enough!” The voice this time was male … and very familiar. “Come to a dead stop at once!”
“Sorry-someone’s shooting at us.” Han continued to corkscrew toward Tenupe, which was now so large that its cloud-blanketed face filled the entire forward viewport. “Is that you, Jag?”
“It is,” Jagged Fel confirmed. “And I will not tolerate any more casualties.”
“Then I advise you to order Zark Leader to stop pursuit,” Leia retorted.
“I am Zark Leader,” Jagged replied coolly. “And I am not at liberty to end this pursuit. If you do not stop immediately, there is only one way this can end.”
“You’re a squadron leader now?” Han asked, ignoring Fel’s threats. “What’d you do to get busted down that far?”
“Nothing.” The cockpit speaker crackled with Jagged’s indignation. “My rank remains intact. Bring the Falcon to a-“
“You’re the same rank?” Leia broke in. “Are you telling me a commander is leading this squadron?”
“Captain, actually,” Jagged replied.
“Captain?” Han began to feel sick to his stomach.
The
Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet used the naval system of ranks, so captain was a command-grade rank-the equivalent of colonel in terms of Galactic Alliance ground forces-and Han could think of only one reason a command officer would fly a patrol mission. “You’re here because of us! You knew we were coming!”
“I should have thought that was obvious, Captain Solo,” Jagged said.
Han did not respond. He was too busy trying to bring the Falcon out of her spin … and silently promising a painful death to whoever had betrayed them to the Chiss. Only a handful of people outside the Jedi order had known of the Solos’ destination, so it would not be difficult to track down the spy and put a blaster bolt through his head.
“But now that you understand,” Jagged continued, “perhaps you see how hopeless your situation really is.”
“Hopeless?” Han scoffed. “I’m not even worried!”
He shoved throttles one through three past the overload stops. The Falcon began to spiral even more wildly, and a slight tremble returned to the yoke.
“Han,” Leia said.
“Yeah?”
“I’m a little bit worried.”
“Rel-l-lax.” The yoke was vibrating so hard in Han’s hands that it made his teeth chatter. “Those are rain clouds down there.”
“So?”