Reading Online Novel

[Legacy Of The Force] - 03(124)



“Han?” Even over the intercom, Leia’s voice sounded as though it was cracking. “You still there?”

” ‘Course I am.” He started forward, sealing the bulkhead behind him. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy.”

“Nothing’s easy with you, flyboy.” Leia’s tone was joking, but a little forced and frightened. “I just wanted to let you know we’re ready to jump.”

Another shock wave slammed into the Falcon, bouncing Han off the wall and eliciting a metallic screech of pain from the old ship. He gulped down a deep breath thinking it might be his last, then was amazed to still be in once piece when he reached the corridor’s forward bulkhead.

“What are you waiting for?” He punched a safety override code into the control panel, then felt a blast of pressure as the hatch irised open. “The sooner we jump, the better.”

“What about poor Lady Morwan?” C-3PO asked. “She’s still locked in the forward hold!”

“And safer than we are,” Han replied, stepping through the bulkhead.

He closed the hatch behind him and hurried across the main cabin into the flight deck access corridor. The jump alarm chimed-sounding higher-pitched than usual in the thin air-then the lights dimmed and an alarming purr rose from the engine compartments in the back of the ship. The Falcon began to chug and slow, and Leia’s voice rolled down the corridor, cursing and yelling like an Aqualish spice smuggler on a bad day.

Han leaned close to the wall. “Come on, old girl,” he whispered. “You’re not ready for the scrap heap yet, are you?”

The purring intensified into a high-pitched whine, then the lights came back up, and Han was nearly knocked off his feet again as the Falcon leapt into a hard acceleration.

He smiled and gave the bulkhead an affectionate pat.

“Me, neither.”

He sealed the bulkhead, then made his way to the flight deck, where the engine whine had grown so high that it was no longer audible to human ears. The Falcon’s shuddering had settled into a teeth-tickling vibration, and C-3PO was at the navigator’s station checking their jump coordinates. Leia was in the pilot’s seat, with nothing ahead but dark, empty freedom.

Han went to her side and saw by her glassy eyes that there was no need to tell her about events in back. She had probably sensed Meewalh and Cakhmaim’s deaths through the Force, and Jaina would have commed her to clear the escape pod launches. As for Ben and Jacen and the Anakin Solo, there would be time enough to tell her about that later … and if there wasn’t, it would be just as well if she never knew.

Han leaned down. “It’ll be okay.” He kissed her cheek, then slipped into the copilot’s seat. “You’ve still got me.”

Leia let out a shocked snort, then smiled and looked over. “I guess so.” She reached across and squeezed his arm. “You’ll do.”

The hyperdrive finally kicked in, and the stars stretched to lines one more time.