“Yes, sir.” There was pain in Syal’s voice. Then her X-wing, too, banked, following her father’s outbound course. … leaving Tycho alone, staring into the scores of turbolaser batteries and ion cannons of the Anakin Solo.
He closed in on the Reveille’s tail, discouraging the Anakin Solo’s gunners from firing on him. It only discouraged the ones who were sensible, or who actually cared if the Reveille made it. The hotshots continued firing, their blasts coming ever closer, until Tycho could barely see through his canopy because of the bright flashes just beyond. His cockpit rattled constantly from energy scraping at the periphery of his shields.
But ahead was the Anakin Solo’s underside, the belly doors that led to its hangar bay open just wide enough for a shuttle to enter.
Suddenly the incoming fire ceased. He was too close for the gunners to target.
Ahead, the Reveille rose toward the hangar entrance and reduced speed. Tycho decelerated as well, but not as much, and overshot the shuttle, his X-wing’s underside missing the shuttle’s top hull by three meters or less.
Tycho hit the Anakin Solo’s atmosphere containment shield fast enough that the sudden return of friction set off heat warning alarms. He could feel the impact decelerate him further, and the atmosphere catching his S-foils nearly spun him out of control. He wrestled with his control yoke and arced over hundreds of meters of bare hangar floor.
At the end of a ballistic arc, he fired his repulsors and came down to a jarring landing that would, under other circumstances, have been mortifying. He popped his canopy and rose, turning to see the Reveille rise into the hangar, then descend toward its own landing.
Tycho keyed his personal comlink. “This is General Celchu. Put me through to the bridge.”
A high-pitched, musical Rodian’s voice answered, “Welcome aboard, General…”
“Be advised, I am not aboard the Reveille.” A half-squadron of Alliance security agents rushed toward his X-wing. He raised his hands and kept talking. “The Reveille is crewed by an intrusion team of Jedi and saboteurs. I’m in the snubfighter, transponder designation Rake Three.”
“Um. … I’ll put you through to Lieutenant Tebut.”
Tycho gritted his teeth at both the delay and the unpleasantness of the duty he was performing. But that was it-duty. Duty meant he had to alert his chain of command that insurgents, including his best friend’s wife, were aboard. Duty meant he had to do his best to prevent the destruction of Centerpoint-destruction that he privately welcomed, as it would remove one of the galaxy’s most destructive and illused forces from the playing field.
Abruptly smoke began pouring out of the Reveille’s thrusters. It was far too thick, too voluminous, to be the result of an engine fire. It flowed rapidly in all directions, engulfing the security team and mechanics moving toward the shuttle.
It reached the rear edge of the security team guarding Tycho before any of them noticed. Then one waved and shouted. All turned to look.
All but one. Overly tense, startled by the shout, the guard fired. The shot hit Tycho in the center of the chest, frying his comlink.
Tycho went down, dropping once more into his pilot’s seat.
Chaptaer 33
“Blast it.” Over Syal’s helmet speakers, Wedge sounded aggrieved. “He’s going to get himself …” But Syal saw, as Wedge must, Tycho’s X-wing threading its way through the barrage of turbolaser fire with the ease of an airspeeder dodging repulsorlift lane markers. A moment later the X-wing and the shuttle were out of sight, swallowed by the Star Destroyer.
“All right. Rakehell Leader to squadron. Form up on me. It’s time to annoy another shuttle. Four, you’re at your own discretion.”
“I’ll stick with you, Leader. My Alliance duties are done for the moment.”
“Good.” Wedge banked toward the distant Centerpoint Station, and the Rakehells followed.
CORELLIA, CORONET, COMMAND BUNKER, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
The hologram of General Phennir swam into resolution before Minister Teppler, who adjusted a knob on the desk beside him; Phennir was suddenly of normal height. “General, we don’t have time to fence. Centerpoint Station is under attack. The enemy appear to be trying to board and assume control. Where are the nearest Confederation forces you could send to aid us?”
“We have a few ships near Corellian space, mostly doing reconnaissance. Nearest beyond that will be at Commenor.” Phennir frowned. “But as I told .
… Prime Minister Koyan, Corellia can fend for herself while he remains obstinate.”
Teppler nodded. “I suspect that Koyan will not remain … obstinate much longer. Have your forces standing by to jump into our system.”