He heard, but paid no attention to, the acknowledgment from the bridge. He took no mind of the confusion in the officer’s voice as the man reported progress with the tractor beams-which turned into no progress, as the weapons officers’ switchover to the tractor system gave the Falcon precious moments in which to pull away from the Anakin Solo. Yes, I once fired on the Falcon from this very ship. But my daughter was not aboard her then. He could feel her, Allana’s shining presence, growing ever more distant, and each moment of separation felt like another needle being hammered into his heart.
Finally it came, the report he dreaded, the one he could not forestall no matter how strongly, lovingly, hopelessly he reached out to his daughter through the Force. “Sir, I’m sorry to report that the Millennium Falcon has entered hyperspace.”
His legs failed him and he sank to the deck plates, kneeling in his pain and sudden grief.
CENTERPOINT STATION, FIRE-CONTROL CHAMBER
Vibro looked over the controls before him. Everything was ready. All it took was a finger on the button.
The shouts from outside were more annoying than ever. “We’ve got relief coming!”
“They’re making another push. Hold tight, hold tight!” And as ever, there were screams, more numerous now, getting closer.
The Corellians were losing. This chamber would fall to the Coruscanti. The station would fall to them.
But it would be too late. They wouldn’t be able to call themselves Coruscanti anymore.
He hissed to get the other technician’s attention. She was looking behind them, toward the door, something like fear on her face, but now she glanced Vibro’s way.
He smiled at her. “Hey. Watch this.”
He hit the button.
The crew and passengers of the Millennium Falcon, outbound, with their escort of Rakehell X-wings, felt something hammer the freighter. It was like a laser shot getting through the shields, but no ship was pursuing them, and the Falcon’s rear surfaces lit up with light from behind. Proximity alarms in the cockpit howled.
Han, in the copilot’s seat, his expression suggesting he would never again in his life allow a situation in which he sat there, flicked the cockpit monitor over to show the rear holocam view.
Centerpoint Station was a glowing ball, a perfect sphere of light perhaps five hundred kilometers in diameter. As Han watched, the sphere contracted almost instantly.
Leaving nothing behind in the volume it had occupied.
Everything that had been there was gone-Corellian ships, Alliance ships, Commenori ships. … and Centerpoint Station itself.
The Anakin Solo, safely beyond the boundary of that momentary sphere, seemed unharmed, as did every ship and starfighter in its vicinity.
Han gulped. “Was that… . was that…”
Kyle, in the rear seat beside C-3PO, offered a pained grunt. “That was a massive loss of life. A cessation in the Force. Whatever was there no longer exists.”
“Jaina? Kyp?”
Jag checked his sensor board. “Jaina’s on our flank. And the Broadside was even farther away than we were. Their transceiver reports them intact.”
Han sagged in relief. Maybe it was better that he didn’t fly right now.
ABOARD THE ANAKIN SOLO
Caedus walked onto the bridge.
His cloak should have been swirling around him. It wasn’t. Why? Oh, yes. He’d given it away. It had betrayed him.
The bridge had changed. There was extensive damage.
There were bodies everywhere, and medics working on them, carrying them out.
He nodded. He remembered that, too. There had been a fight.
The officers began shooting questions at him the moment he appeared. “Orders, sir.”
“Sir, the Confederation forces outnumber us. They’re stronger than our forces.”
“Sir, Admiral Niathal is standing by on holocomm. She wants to talk to you at once.” Allana.
He marched forward to his viewports but couldn’t see through them. While he stood there wondering at their sudden opacity, he began answering questions. “Recall our squadrons. Set course for home. We’re leaving. Tell Admiral Niathal there’s been a problem.”
Minutes passed. A sound he had been hearing-distant booms that made the bridge shake-gradually became less frequent, finally dying out altogether.
Yet still he could not see the stars, and Allana did not return.
But a question formed in his mind, a question of his own. He turned to face what remained of his bridge crew. “How did they come aboard my ship? Luke Skywalker and those with him?”
The officers looked among themselves, then Lieutenant Tebut, at the security station, stood. The right sleeve of her tunic was scorched and she had a cut across her neck, not deep enough to be dangerous. “Sir, we were approached by General Celchu’s shuttle, which was being fired upon by several X-wings. We allowed the shuttle to land. As it turned out, this was a ruse. The Jedi were aboard the shuttle, and General Celchu was in one of the X-wings, trying to destroy the shuttle. General Celchu is in the medical ward, recovering from a stun bolt.”