Part 43 (1/2)
He swung the Falcon into a wide turn.
”There seems to be a slight problem, my prince,” the commander said.
Xizor, watching the flashes of weapons and exploding s.h.i.+ps from his deck, frowned. ”So I noticed. Why are your s.h.i.+ps blowing up, Commander?”
”A squadron of X-wing fighters has joined the fray. No more than a dozen of them. It will merely... delay the inevitable.”
”Are you certain, Commander?”
”We still outnumber them twenty to one, Highness. And our frigates are standing by in case they get past the corvettes and fighters. They cannot escape.”
”Hope that you are right, Commander.”
Luke did a belly-twisting power dive at almost a ninety-degree angle to their path. A trio of fighters stayed with him, firing all the while. He was glad to see the Rogues on the one hand; on the other hand, they were losing the fight. With all the civilian traffic around, the wheelworlds and skyhooks, the power sats, the communications switching platforms and who knew what else, the s.p.a.ce around Coruscant was any-thing but pure vacuum.
The comm hummed with conversations: ”I got 'em, Luke,” Wedge said.
”No, let me,” Dash said.
Another attacker blew up off the port side.
”That one was mine,” Leia said. ”You figured out who these guys are?”
”Not yet,” Luke said.
”Bet you a credit they're Xizor's.”
Luke and Lando exchanged glances. Of course, that made sense.
Not that it made any difference-”Two coming in at one-fifty!” Lando yelled.
Luke punched it. The Millennium Falcon rocketed away in a steep turn.
”What are you doing up there?” Leia yelled. ”Giving you a perfect setup shot,” Luke yelled back.
Vader stalked the bridge of the Executor. ”How long before we can get around the planet?” he asked. ”A few minutes, my lord,” the nervous commander answered.
”As soon as we come within range, establish communications with the skyhook Falleen's Fist. I will speak with Prince Xizor.”
”Of course, my lord.”
”I think we got problems, buddy,” Dash said. His voice was calm over the comm, but it was also resigned.
Luke nodded. ”Wedge?”
”I'm afraid he's right, Luke. These guys are only soso pilots, but there are a lot of 'em. I figure we're still outnumbered fifteen to one, and there are a couple of frigates who are just sitting there waiting. We don't have room to run, don't have room to maneuver. They're closing in and they don't care if they kill civilian s.h.i.+ps, either.”
”Yeah,” Luke said. He took a deep breath. ”Well, I guess all we can do is take as many of them with us as we can. Unless anybody wants to surrender?”
Both Dash and Wedge laughed. ”That's what I thought. May the Force be with you.”
Luke flew as he had never flown before. He weaved, rolled, stalled, dived, threw power turns that came close to blacking them all out. He was giving it his best and he had the Force helping him, but they were losing.
It would only be a matter of time.
Prince Xizor, we are starting to pick them off. Three of the X-wings have been destroyed or disabled. Our net is closing in. It will be only a matter of time.” Xizor nodded. Finally.
”Coming within range, Lord Vader.”
”Good. Deploy your fighters.”
Leia tracked the incoming fighter, fired, missed, swiveled in the gun seat. The fighter streaked past.
Well. There was another right behind it, and more behind that one. She lined up, fired, saw the lances of energy rake the attacker, saw part of a wing shatter and spew away, saw the wounded fighter spin out of control. There were hundreds of the blasted things, and counting Dash and the Falcon, they were down to what? nine, ten s.h.i.+ps?
It looked as if Xizor was going to win after all.
Luke saw the TIE fighters screaming toward them. A dozen, at least.
Lando said, ”Uh-oh.”
”Yeah, I wondered what was keeping them.” Luke looked at Lando. ”Listen, thanks for everything, Lando. You've been a good friend.”
”I don't want to hear that kind of talk. I still am a good friend.”
Luke nodded, turned back to look at the TIE fighters. There was nowhere to go; s.p.a.ce was thick with s.h.i.+ps; it was like trying to fly through a hailstorm without being hit. He took a deep breath-Saw the TIEs flash past. Watched them take out two of the unmarked attackers.
”Huh?” Lando said.
”Luke,” came Leia's voice over the comlink, ”I just saw-”
”I know, I know. What's going on?”
Aizor heard the panic in his commander's voice: ”Highness, we're being attacked by the Imperial Navy!”
Next to him, a communications tech waved frantically. Xizor fixed the man with a baleful stare. ”This better be good, your life hangs in the balance.”
”It-It's Lord Vader. He wants to speak to you.”
Vader! He should have known!
”Put him on.”
Vader's image swirled into being in front of him. Xizor went on the offensive immediately: ”Lord Vader! Why is the Navy attacking my s.h.i.+ps?”
There was a pause; then Vader said, ”Because the s.h.i.+ps, under your orders, are engaging in criminal activity.”
”Nonsense! My s.h.i.+ps are trying to stop a Rebel traitor who destroyed my castle!”
There came another pause. ”You have two standard minutes to recall your vessels,” Vader said. ”And to offer yourself into my custody.”