THE HUTT GAMBI(109)
Greelanx frowned. His instincts, honed after decades in the Imperial Navy, made him wonder if this could be some kind of a trick. “Full sensor scan!” he snapped. “Yes, sir!”
Moments later the sensor operator displayed the results of his check.
Greelanx studied it. The Hutts must have held these mercenaries in reserve, then launched them in desperation, he decided.
Greelanx cleared his throat. “Commander Jelon, instruct the wedge and our fighters to execute a one-hundred-and-ten-degree turn, Y axis, and engage the newcomers. When they have completed their maneuver, they may fire at will!”
Mako Spince let out a yell of triumph as he watched the phantom fleet appear, and saw the Imperial ships begin their turn. “Yes! They’re fallin’ for it!” He keyed his comm. “Captain Renthal!”
“I see it,” she said tersely. “I didn’t believe it would work until now, but I gotta admit … I’m attacking, full speed!”
“Go get ‘em!”
As Mako had requested, Han Solo had stayed back, behind the other smugglers, as they wove their way out of the debris during the retreat.
Once past the limb of Nar Shaddaa, Han had ordered them to swing wide, and get out of the debris. That way Greelanx would have a clear view of the fleeing smugglers, and would continue his pursuit, straight into their trap.
When Han finally emerged from the shell of debris, he found himself actually trailing the Imperial fleet. He could see them ahead of him, and considered trying to loop around them at top speed, so he could take part in the attack that was planned at the IP coordinates.
Ahead of him, he spotted a pair of vessels on his sensors, and was surprised when he checked their vessel IDs and found that the wayward pair was Salla and Lando in Rimrunner and the Falcon.
Han wondered if one of them had taken a bad hit and needed help.
Activating his comm, he said, “Defender Central, this is Han. Come in, Mako.”
Mako’s voice was clearer, now that Han was out of the debris field.
“Mako here, Han. The Imps have almost reached the IP point.”
“I’ve got Salla and Lando on my sensors, and we’re all behind the Imp fleet, Mako.”
“Yeah, I asked ‘em to take it easy, figuring you might need some help if you ran into any stray skirmish vessels,” Mako said. “Okay, so they’re all right?” “Far as I know.”
“Patch me through to them, will you?”
“Sure.”
In order to keep the frequencies as clear as possible, all communications had been routed through Mako, except for designated pairs like Lando and Salla. Moments later Han heard Lando’s voice.
“Han, old buddy!”
“Lando, I’m behind you, wondering how to get past the Imp fleet so I can get back into the action.”
“Salla and I were just wondering the same thing. I don’t want to miss out on the chance to score some more hits on those Imp skirmish ships.
Salla and I got quite a few of them,” Lando said proudly.
“Three Guardian-class light cruisers,” Salla interjected.
“Hey, congratulations!”
“Master.” Vuffi Raa’s precise tones were unmistakable. “Would you like me to swing us around so we can fly back to the action with Captain Solo?”
“Yeah, Vuffi Raa, why don’t you do that? Oh, and … don’t call me master.”
“Yes, Master.”
Han was now close enough to his friends that he could see them in the distance as they peeled off and swooped back to join him. Han chuckled.
“Where in the galaxy did you pick up that droid, Lando?”
“Long story.”
Moments later the three vessels were flying together. Han was fiercely glad to find out his friends were okay. It felt good, all of them flying together, united against the Imperials.
Han keyed his comm again. “So, guys, how are we gonna get past the fleet, back to the IP?”
Suddenly Chewie, who had abandoned his useless gun turret and come up to serve as copilot and to man the Bria’s bow guns, growled urgently and gestured at the sensors.
Han looked, and saw the wedge of pursuing capital ships slow, then begin to execute a ponderous turn, all the while remaining in perfect formation.
“Go, Xaverri!” he shouted, then he keyed his comm.
“Hey, Lando, Salla! Check your forward sensors!”
The Imperial ships were just out of visual range by now. Han found himself wishing fiercely that he could catch up to them, do some more damage.
“They can see it!” Lando said. “Why can’t we?”
“Because we’re behind it,” Han said. “It all has to do with the angle of the light rays. Complicated, but trust me. The Imps are seeing a big fleet comin’ straight at them!”