Chewbacca growled again, gestured out the viewport. The terminator line was coming up over the horizon now, a fuzzy strip of twilight between day and night; and there, fading through to the darkness beyond was what looked like an irregular patch of pale green. “I see it,” Leia nodded. “You suppose that’s all that’s left?”
The Wookiee shrugged, offered the obvious suggestion. “Yes, I suppose that would be the simplest way to find out,” Leia agreed. “I really don’t know if I want to ask him, though. Let’s wait until we’re closer and can see more of-“
She felt Chewbacca go stiff beside her a split second before his bellow split the air and left her ears ringing. “What-?”
And then she saw it, and her stomach knotted abruptly with shock.
There, just coming over the curve of the planet, was an Imperial Star Destroyer.
They’d been betrayed.
“No,” she breathed, staring out at the huge arrowhead shape. No mistake-it was a Star Destroyer, all right. “No. I can’t believe Khabaralth would do this.
The last words were spoken to empty air; and with a second shock, she realized that Chewbacca was no longer beside her. Spinning around, she saw a flash of brown as he vanished down the corridor leading to the cockpit.
“No!” she shouted, pushing away from the bulkhead and taking off after him as fast as she could run. “Chewie, no!”
The order was a waste of air, and she knew it. The Wookiee had murder in his heart, and he would get to Khabarakh even if he had to tear down the cockpit door with his bare hands.
The first clang sounded as she was halfway down the corridor; the second came as she rounded the slight curve and came within sight of the door. Chewbacca was raising his massive fists for a third blow—
When to Leia’s amazement, the door slid open.
Chewbacca seemed surprised, too, but he didn’t dwell on it long.
He was through the door before it was completely open, charging into the cockpit with a ululating Wookiee battle yell. “Chewie!” Leia shouted again, diving through herself.
Just in time to see Khabakakh, seated at the pilot’s station, throw up his right arm and somehow send Chewbacca spinning past him to crash with a roar into the underside of the control board.
Leia skidded to a halt, not quite believing what she’d just seen.
“Khabarakh-“
“I did not call them,” the Noghri said, half turning to face her. “I did not betray my word of honor.”
Chewbacca thundered his disbelief as he fought to scramble to his feet in the cramped space. “You must stop him,” Khabarakh shouted over the Wookiee’s roar. “Must keep him quiet. I must give the recognition signal or all will be lost.”
Leia looked past him at the distant Star Destroyer, her teeth clenched hard together. Betrayal:but if Thabaraich had planned a betrayal, why had he let Chewbacca come along? Whatever that fighting technique was he’d used to deflect Chewbacca’s first mad rush, it wasn’t likely to work a second time.
She focused again on Khabarakh’s face; on those dark eyes, protruding jaw, and needle-sharp teeth. He was watching her, ignoring the threat of the enraged Wookiee behind him, his hand poised ready over the comm switch. A beep sounded from the board, and his hand twitched toward the switch before stopping again. The board beeped again- “I have not betrayed you, Lady Vader,” Khabarakh repeated, a note of urgency in his voice. “You must believe me.”
Leia braced herself. “Chewie, be quiet,” she said. “Chewie? Chewie, be quiet.”
The Wookiee ignored the order Finally back on his feet, he roared his war cry again and lunged for Thabaraldi’s throat. The Noghri took the charge head-on this time, grabbing Chewbacca’s huge wrists in his wiry hands and holding on for all he was worth.
It wasn’t enough. Slowly but steadily, Khabarakh’s arms were bent steadily backwards as Chewbacca forced his way forward. “Chewie, I said stop,” Leia tried again. “Use your head-if he was planning a trap, don’t you think he’d have timed it for when we were asleep or something?”
Chewbacca spit out a growl, his hands continuing their unwavering advance. “But if he doesn’t check in, they’ll know something’s wrong,” she countered. “That’s a sure way to bring them down on us.”
“The Lady Vader speaks truth,” Khabarakh said, his voice taut with the strain of holding back Chewbacca’s hands. “I have not betrayed you, but if I give no recognition signal you will be betrayed.”
“He’s right,” Leia said. “If they come to investigate, we lose by default. Come on, Chewie, it’s our only hope.”