[Legacy Of The Force] - 04(74)
Two X-wings from the main hangars came alongside, matching speed and vector. Wedge was startled-they hadn’t appeared on his sensor screen until they were a few hundred meters away, but as they drifted into visual range, he saw why. They were StealthX craft, their surfaces looking dark and oddly mottled because of the sensor-defeating coatings they wore.
Wedge changed his comm frequency to a general military hailing range. He thought he knew the answer, but asked anyway: “Who’ve we got there?”
“Hello, Wedge.”
“Luke. I take it your talk with the colonel was cut short. Mara’s your wing, correct?”
“Yes. Going to deal with Errant Venture’s pursuit?”
“Just until the Venture can jump to a safe zone.”
“Makes sense. You do realize that you’re attacking your own allies, don’t you?”
“No one trying to blow up the old man who became my benefactor when I was orphaned is my ally, Luke. By the way, you’re now Ganner Three, and Mara’s Ganner Four.”
There was a short pause. “For Ganner Rhysode?” Luke asked. Rhysode, a Jedi Knight, had died on Coruscant during the Yuuzhan Vong war, fighting-and killing-more enemy warriors in personal combat than perhaps any other combatant in the war.
“Can you think of a better name for someone fighting a delaying action?”
“No. Who’s Ganner Two? Corran?”
Corran’s voice was crisp across the comm channel. “Hello, boss.”
CORELLIAN SPACE
Jacen’s shuttle was on the verge of entering hyperspace and jumping toward the Anakin Solo’s position, just outside the star system on the most direct trajectory toward Coruscant, when he received a new message from the Star Destroyer, relaying Admiral Limpan’s request for assistance at Centerpoint Station. Jacen authorized the change in plans, quickly plotted a new jump for Centerpoint, and launched into hyperspace shortly afterward.
When he dropped from hyperspace, the Centerpoint engagement was spread out before him. In the background was the station itself, the ugly, cylindrical, kilometers-long mass of it. Nearer were the Galactic Alliance Mon Calamari heavy carrier Blue Diver and two sturdy-looking Carrack-class gunships. Compared with the curved, organic-looking Mon Cal vessel, the Carracks looked antiquated and impossibly primitive, like thick guard batons slightly larger at either end than in the middle. Blue Diver was exchanging turbolaser and ion cannon fire with the newcomers, and, curiously, it looked as though any of its turbolasers that could not be brought to bear on the gunships were being used to strafe Centerpoint. Surrounding the three capital ships were tiny glimmers and streaks of light, evidence of starfighter action taking place all around them.
Jacen stayed well back-the light laser cannon on his shuttle would not add much firepower to the Alliance forces, and he might not be able to detach himself from a skirmish when he needed to.
His sensor screen blipped with the arrival of a new force and showed him the blue triangle of the Anakin Solo, just arrived from hyperspace, racing toward the engagement. It heeled over, taking an intercept course that should bring him alongside the Anakin before it reached the engagement and allow him to get aboard before the Anakin had to open up with its weapons batteries-assuming that enemy starfighters didn’t rush to engage.
He was in luck, though. None of the enemy forces at the station disengaged to meet the Anakin, and Jacen reached the Command Salon within minutes.
There Commander Twizzl, commanding officer of the Anakin Solo, greeted him with a simple nod. A big silver-haired man who looked as though he should be appearing on holocasts advertising exercise equipment and proteinboosted foods, he spoke with a Coruscanti accent that had been diminished by decades of service spent among many species and social classes. “We’re preparing to bring the long-range lasers to bear against the gunships.”
“Belay that,” Jacen said. “Use them to reinforce Blue Diver’s fire against the station.”
Twizzl scowled. “Kill more enemy troops rather than preserve the lives of our own? Colonel, that’s a bad choice tinder these circumstances.”
“It’s our only choice. Can’t you see what’s going on? Admiral Limpan wouldn’t have ordered the attack on the station if she weren’t sure that the enemy forces could drive us out of the system. And if we are driven out, and leave an intact Centerpoint Station behind…”
“Yes, Colonel.” Twizzl didn’t sound convinced, but turned to the weapons officer. “Take a new target: Centerpoint Station. Continuous fire. Inflict as much damage as possible.” His voice was grudging.