Part 2 (2/2)
Fire rippled along the New Hope's port side as a squadron of Imperial TIE bombers fought their way through Rebel defenses and launched their proton torpedoes. The deflector s.h.i.+elds had gone down ten minutes before - so some of them were bound to get through. Leia Organa Solo felt the hull shudder, met Mothma's gaze, and knew what she was thinking.
The Dreadnaught's best days were behind it. Last stationed over Churba, where it had served as a war museum, the s.h.i.+p had been a symbol of imperial dominance. A symbol that Rebel forces had stolen and towed away. The victory was largely psychological, but a hull is a hull, and the Rebels needed hulls. That being the case, the Dreadnaught underwent a complete overhaul, was rechristened the New Hope, and hurriedly pressed into service.
Still, that being said, the Hope was no match for newer vessels half her size and served as a mobile HQ. She'd been in orbit around Milagro for a couple of months now, where she had provided the Rebel command structure with a s.p.a.ce-going platform. That's why both women knew the Dreadnaught wouldn't stand a chance against a Star Destroyer, wondered why the Imperial s.h.i.+p hadn't closed with them, and were thankful it hadn't.
TIE bombers were one thing, but the ma.s.sive weapons the Destroyer could bring to bear were something else. Not that they were about to say anything in front of the bridge crew. Morale was high, and they wanted to keep it that way. Damage reports continued to flood in.
”Turbolaser battery fourteen took a direct hit...”
”We have a pressure leak in compartment A-Forty-three... ”
”The port sensor array is gone... along with escape pods sixty through sixty-nine...”
The bridge crew, under the somewhat stoic command of a Mon Calamari named Captain Tola, acknowledged the reports and a.s.signed appropriate resources to deal with them. Mon Mothma, her hair still damp from a hastily interrupted shower, looked composed as usual.
A silver pin secured her robe, which hung in orderly folds.
”Any news from General Solo?”
Leia knew the question was rhetorical but answered anyway.
”No, all three squadrons should be on the far side of Milagro by now, preparing to slingshot around.”
Mon Mothma nodded absently. There was so much to consider. The first of the three squadrons belonged to the Hope and consisted consisted of crack pilots in nearly new X-wing starfighters. Squadrons two and three were something else again.
The pilots, many of whom were still recovering from wounds received earlier, had been recruited off the hospital s.h.i.+p Mercy and ferried down to Milagro's surface.
Once there they were a.s.signed a mishmash of of old Y-wings, reconditioned X-wings, and, miracle of all miracles, two B-wings, just cleared for battle. It was these forces, under the command of General Han Solo, that would decide the battle.
If they could find the Star Destroyer from which the TIE bombers had been launched, and if they could neutralize it. Adding to the urgent need for a Rebel victory was the fact that a Battle Group had been dispatched six days before.
A force that could return victorious or badly mauled and in need of support. All of which raised another question: Had the Imperials known the New Hope was vulnerable? And if so, how? Had a probe droid stumbled across their hiding place?
Had the Imperials planted a spy in the Rebel command structure?
Mon Mothma sighed. The possibilities were endless... and explained why she rarely got enough sleep. A familiar voice came over one of the s.h.i.+p-to-s.h.i.+p comm channels.
”Solo here... we're approaching the North Pole and about to break the planetary horizon. Give us the latest.”
A powerful computer had been used to a.n.a.lyze Imperial attack vectors, comm traffic, and exit paths. And it was that information, combined with stats on the TIE bombers' power plants and fuel consumption, that would provide the Rebel attack force with the Star Destroyer's probable location.
Or so they hoped, since the best way to prevent the capital s.h.i.+p from launching TIEs or engaging the New Hope directly, was to take her out or, failing that, to chase her away. The Rebel starfighters broke the planetary horizon, received the information they needed, and altered course.
”Got it,” the the voice confirmed. ”Keep my dinner warm. Over.”
Leia smiled, knew the comment was directed to her, and remembered and remembered the meal she and Han had nearly shared. There had been wine, candles, and the possibility of... A hand touched Leia's arm. She turned, reached out to steady the comm tech as the Dreadnaught took another hit, and smiled rea.s.suringly.
”Yes?”
”A comm call for you, ma'am,” the young man stuttered, ”from your brother.”
Leia frowned.
”From Luke? Are you sure?”
”Yes, ma'am,” the tech nodded emphatically. ”He's on on frequency six - channel four.”
Luke Skywalker had left the Dreadnaught two weeks earlier, first to carry out a mission of his own, then to check on Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors. After obtaining plans that enabled the Alliance to destroy the Imperial Death Star, the agents had taken on a new mission: the search for the Valley of the Jedi. A mission Skywalker considered important and hoped would succeed. Now he had returned - and at the worst possible time.
Leia hurried to a console and the holo of Luke Skywalker's face. He wore a helmet and flight suit.
”Luke! Turn back! We're under attack!”
”No kidding,” the Jedi said dryly. ”We noticed. A pair of TIE fighters jumped us as we left hypers.p.a.ce. We nailed 'em, but it looks like there are more up ahead.”
” 'WeT'”The Moldy Crow is off my starboard wing. Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors send their best.”
”Break it off,” Leia urged. ”There are too many of them between you and us. Han and three squadrons of starfighters are looking for the Imperial Destroyer now.”
”Too late,” Skywalker said laconically. ”We found it... or they found us! She's a Destroyer all right, Imperial cla.s.s by the look of her, with bow damage. I see plenty of escorts... thirty, maybe more. Could be worse, though, since at least half appear to to be transports.”
”What was that?” Mon Mothma demanded, appearing at Leia's side. ”Did Luke say 'damaged'?”
”I sure did,” Skywalker answered. ”I see major damage to the Destroyer's bow - as if something hit her or she hit it. Han can home on my transponder while we give her something to think about.”
Mon Mothma brought her fist down on the console. A stylus jumped in response.
”That's it! That's why the Destroyer didn't come after us - she's damaged! She dropped into this system looking for a place to hide and found us waiting for her! Captain Tola! Inform General Solo and prepare to break orbit. ” If Tola was upset by he gave no sign of it.
Orders were given, the Dreadnaught broke orbit, and the counterattack began. The Hope lurched as an Imperial pilot lost control of his fighter and slammed into the hull. The explosion destroyed cooling stack three and burned itself out.
The lights flickered, steadied, and held. Mon Mothma looked at Leia. ”It's going to be close.”
The younger woman nodded, felt her fingernails bite into the palms of her hands, and fought to maintain her composure. ”Yes, very close indeed.”
The Moldy Crow did a wing over as Jan Ors fought to stay on Luke Skywalker's tail. The Jedi Knight's X-wing was smaller, faster, and a good deal more maneuverable than the Corellian-built s.h.i.+p. Originally designed to carry small but critical cargoes to asteroid miners and orbital s.p.a.ce stations, the Crow had served many purposes since then, many of which weren't exactly legal. That being the case, she could deliver a fair turn of speed and carried more armament than most s.h.i.+ps her size.
Something for which Jan was thankful - given Luke Skywalker's seemingly suicidal decision to engage what looked like half the Imperial Navy.
”Here they come!”
The transmission seemed somewhat unnecessary, given the number of targets that filled her view screen. Jan resisted the temptation to duck as coherent energy blipped over the Crow's hull and began the endless journey into s.p.a.ce. Skywalker fired in in return and had the satisfaction of seeing one enemy s.h.i.+p explode and another tumble out of control tumble out of control as Jan added the weight of her weapons to his.
Kyle Katarn sat in the co-pilot's seat, wished he had something to do, and ground his teeth in frustration. The Crow was his s.h.i.+p, but Jan had been at the controls when the fight started, and there was no acceptable way to usurp her position. Not that such a move would made much sense since she was the better pilot.
All of which left Kyle helpless... or did it? Unlike most Jedi, who serve an apprentices.h.i.+p under a Master, Kyle had been forced to work on his talents on his own, or almost on his own, since he did receive occasional guidance from the now-disembodied Jedi known as Rahn.
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