[Legacy Of The Force] - 03(120)

A warning light flashed inside the air lock chamber, and the hatch hissed open a moment later. Jaina and the others-Zekk, Ben, and a Twi’lek stranger-emerged in the typical post-EV rush to free themselves of their claustrophobia-inducing emergency suits, pulling off gloves and opening closure rings. Han’s heart soared at seeing Jaina-and his gut clenched because now she was in just as much danger as he and Leia were.

Once Jaina’s visor was raised, she turned to Han and opened the bulky arms of her evac suit to embrace him. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but whatever it is…”

“I love you too, kid,” Han said, raising a hand to stop her. “But the hugs will have to wait. We’ve got a pressure leak.”

Jaina’s eyes dropped to the sling hanging in front of Han’s chest, and her expression switched from relief to understanding, “How bad have we been hit?”

“Don’t know yet,” Han said. He turned back to the control panel and tapped the keypad, calling up a ship-wide damage report. “But it can’t be that bad. We’ve still got…”

Han was interrupted when a hand appeared between him and the display panel. It took his eyes a second to focus, but when they did, he saw that the hand was holding a pair of Jedi wrist-restraints.

“What the frizz?” Han turned, running his gaze up an evac-suited arm to his nephew’s face.

“I’m really sorry, Uncle Han,” Ben said. “But you’re under arrest.”

“Arrest?” Han frowned at the boy, trying to decide whether he should explode in laughter or anger. “Kid, you’ve got one lousy sense of timing.”

“It goes with the company he keeps,” Jaina said. She turned on Ben with fire in her eyes. “Put those away before I…”

“It’s okay, Jaina.” Zekk reached over Ben’s shoulder and gently pushed the boy’s hand down. “I’ve got this.”

To Han’s amazement, Jaina merely nodded and turned back to the control panel, perfectly content to let Zekk take charge of Ben while she focused on the pressure leak. Clearly, something had changed between the two of them-she was acting like she actually respected him.

“But there’s a Search and Detain Warrant out on them,” Ben protested. “We’ve got to arrest them!”

“You’re training to become a Jedi, Ben,” Zekk said. “That means you’re supposed to use your own best judgment in these situations.”

“I am,” Ben insisted.

“I hope you don’t really believe that.” Zekk pulled his hand back, then said, “Put those away. We’ll talk about this later.”

Finding himself in no position to argue, Ben obediently returned the restraints to a utility pocket inside his evac suit, then scowled up at Han. “Nothing personal, Uncle Han-but I’m still bringing you in.”

“Whatever you say, kid,” Han answered. “Let’s just get through this first.”

Han turned away from Ben.

“I don’t know, Dad,” Jaina said. “This leak might be more than we can handle.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Han said. “Back in the Corporate Sector, Chewbacca and I used to get banged up this bad every week.”

“Not this bad.”

Jaina pointed to the damage schematic she had brought up on the control panel display screen, and Han’s heart dropped into his gut. The upper cannon turret was gone-along with a substantial portion of the surrounding hull armor-and the lower turret was spread open like a flower blossom, clearly blown apart from the inside. The access tunnel that connected them was red, indicating a total pressure loss, and the surrounding compartments were quickly shading to pink.

Jaina must have sensed Han’s shock, because she asked, “Cakhmaim and Meewalh were in the turrets?”

“Yeah-firing the laser cannons.” Han’s insides were knotting with sorrow; given the damage he had seen in the schematic, the only thing left of the two Noghri were

the places they would always hold in the Solos’ hearts. “I owe whoever’s commanding that Star Destroyer a detonite sandwich.”

“A Star Destroyer fired on you?” Ben asked. His lightsaber was hanging from a utility loop on his evac suit, but Zekk was being careful to remain at his side anyway. “What’d you do to deserve that?”

“Saved you,” Han said sourly. “We can always throw you back, if you think it was a bad idea.”

“We’ll take care of Ben later.” Jaina took Han’s arm and started forward. “Right now we need to get you and Mom into evac suits.”