THE HUTT GAMBI(110)
The Imperial fleet continued to execute their turn. I hate being stuck back here, out of the action! Han thought.
Suddenly, seeing the direction in which the fleet was turning, Han had an idea. He keyed his comm. “Lando, Salla! We’re close enough to the wedge to be able to do a two-second hyperspace microjump right into the middle of the illusion. If we alter our approach vector slightly just before the jump, we’ll wind up on the right approach path to come roaring in with those phantoms, firin’! Let’s give Xaverri’s fleet some real teeth!”
“Han!” Salla protested. “We’re right in the middle of a gravity well, in case you haven’t noticed!”
“We’re close enough to where the two bodies balance each other out,” Han insisted. “We can do it, guys! C’mon! Follow me!”
He altered his flight vector slightly, and was pleased to note that Rimrunner and the Falcon followed him.
“Okay, we’re all set!” Han said tensely. “Now for the microjump!”
“Hey, Han, that illusion is only going to be good for another couple of minutes!” Lando protested. “We can’t possibly get a course out of the navicomputers in time!”
“I got it covered,” Han said. “You just order that fancy little droid of yours to compute our microjump and put the three of us right in the forefront of that fleet. He can dump the figures into our navicomputers over the comm. Can’t you, Vuffi Raa?”
“I am a class two droid, of course I can make such an elementary calculation,” Vuffi Raa said, sounding affronted at having his abilities questioned. “But, Captain Solo, I must point out that what you are suggesting presents a considerable risk.” From the way the little droid spoke, Han could picture it wringing its tentacles at the very idea.
“Lando, c’mon! Order him to do it!”
Han could hear Lando sigh even over the comm, “All right, you crazy Corellian. Vuffi Raa, you mechanical mastermind, do what Han says!”
Moments later Vuffi Raa said, in a subdued voice, “Course laid in.”
“Punch it!” Han yelled, suiting his actions to his words. The stars striated around him for a brief second, then he found himself racing straight at the Imperial fleet!
He glanced from one side to the other, saw that Lando and Salla were still in formation with him. And, behind them and to either side of them, stretched Xaverri’s illusion. Han could see it now, and even though he’d been prepared for something big, he was impressed.
“All right!” he yelled. “Thanks, Vuffi Raa!”
As the phantom fleet drew nearer the Imperial wedge, the big capital ships began blasting away. Han realized immediately that there was a huge advantage to being part of an illusion. With this many ships to shoot at, chances were pretty good that none of the three solid vessels would be targeted.
Nevertheless, he prepared quickly for evasive. “Jarik, you ready, kid?” he called.
“Ready, Han!”
“Chewie, you ready with those twin lasers?”
“Hrrrrrmnnnnnnn!”
Han chose a target—the leftmost Dreadnaught, which was the one closest to him. “I’m going after that Dreadnaught dead ahead,” he said over the comm.
He glanced at the vessel ID. “The Peacekeeper.”
“We’ll stay with you,” Lando said. “We can cover each other.”
“Great!” Han was having the time of his life. “Ain’t this fun, guys?”
“Han, what are you planning to do?” Salla inquired apprehensively.
“Oh, I just thought I might zip by the Peacekeeper’s bridge and wave at the captain,” Han said with cheery good humor. “Just a friendly little visit …”
“Han!” Saila protested. “I’d rather we all lived through this!”
“Crazy Corellian …” Lando muttered.
“Hey,” Han said. “What are you worryin’ about? It’s me!”
Captain Reldo Dovlis, in command of the Imperial Dreadnaught Peacekeeper, shook his head in disgust. “Cease fire!” he snapped.
“It’s not real. It can’t be. Our shots haven’t taken out a single ship. And none of their shots have done us the slightest bit of harm.
We’re just wasting our fire and our time.”
His sensor operator looked up. “Sensors still indicate that what we are seeing is real, sir.”
“Sensors are lying, then,” Dovlis snarled. He studied the tactical array, and saw a number of ships heading for Peacekeeper’s stern, coming fast.
“Vessels approaching from the rear,” he said. “Turn to bring our forward turbolaser battery to bear on them. Lock in weapons. Prepare to fire on my order.”