right?”
Tenel Ka considered the hull-crumple behind the hatch and, realizing that it looked more like collision damage than a missile strike, saw what Han was saying.
“You’re suggesting the Sith used the Force to open the air lock?” She glanced at the identification strip at the bottom of the display and saw that the image was coming to them from the battle cam of Volgh Leader. “I must agree. Trista, instruct Volgh Leader to open fire on Sharmok seven-eighteen’s ion drives immediately.”
Tenel Ka felt the Force shudder with the shock of her companions, but the precision of the command left no opportunity to question its wisdom. Han gave her a quick, tight-lipped nod, and Trista spoke into her throat-mike, relaying the order. The Solusars merely exchanged a wide-eyed glance—no doubt checking with each other to see if either thought Tenel might be overreacting.
“But what if there are still academy students aboard?” Allana objected. “They could be killed!”
“That’s why Volgh Leader is targeting the ion drives.” Han took Allana by the shoulders and pulled her close. “If that Sharmok is being flown by Sith, no way can we let her get near the flagship. So we’re going to disable her and send a boarding party to take control.” He looked back to Tenel Ka. “Right, Your Majesty?”
“Correct.” Tenel Ka smiled a silent thanks to Han, then checked the tactical display to find the Battle Dragon closest to the transport. “Trista, have the
Daphoros
execute a tractor beam capture of Sharmok seven-eighteen as soon as the engines have been disabled, then send a boarding company to retake—”
“If I may, Your Majesty,” Kam said, interrupting as politely as possible. “Given the Sith involvement, it might be wise for me to take some Jedi along.”
“Excellent point, Master Solusar,” Tenel Ka said, feeling a pang of regret that she could not join the Jedi Knights going to fight the Sith. “Trista, inform the
Daphoros
that Master Solusar will be joining the boarding company as its commander. And suggest to the Lady Commander that she send her best assault team on this mission.”
As Tenel Ka spoke, she kept one eye on the tactical display, watching as Volgh Leader and her wingmate came in for their attack run. Rather than dropping back behind the target and risking an engine detonation by firing directly up the thrust nozzles, the Miy’tils were swinging in from the flank. For a moment, as the Sharmok continued toward the
Dragon Queen II
without altering her vector, Tenel Ka began to think Han might be wrong, that perhaps 718 had merely lost her Hapan crew and was now being piloted by some terrified Jedi apprentice.
But half a second before the Miy’tils opened fire, the transport’s designator symbol jerked left as the pilot took evasive action. The firstMiy’til symbol flashed white as the starfighter opened fire, then shot past without a hit. The wingmate opened fire in the next heartbeat, and the Sharmok’s color changed to yellow, for “damaged.” Sighing in relief, Tenel Ka switched her attention to the visual display and saw only whirling stars as Volgh Leader wheeled back around toward the target.
“Report,” Tenel Ka ordered. “Did they disable the engines?”
“Patience, Majesty,” Trista said. “They need time to evaluate.”
Taking her cousin’s gentle chide in stride
—someone
had to keep her humble, after all—Tenel Ka fixed her gaze on the visual display, hardly daring to breathe as stars whirled past. Finally, the Sharmok’s ion tail drifted into view, flickering and flashing as her sublight drives flamed out. By the time the entire stern appeared, the last engine had stopped, and the image showed only a trio of red-hot exhaust nozzles.
Tenel Ka let her breath out—and the screen went white with a detonation flash. She felt a terrible ripping in the Force and heard her Jedi companions gasping in shock—then she heard a small, frightened cry and knew
Tenel Ka considered the hull-crumple behind the hatch and, realizing that it looked more like collision damage than a missile strike, saw what Han was saying.
“You’re suggesting the Sith used the Force to open the air lock?” She glanced at the identification strip at the bottom of the display and saw that the image was coming to them from the battle cam of Volgh Leader. “I must agree. Trista, instruct Volgh Leader to open fire on Sharmok seven-eighteen’s ion drives immediately.”
Tenel Ka felt the Force shudder with the shock of her companions, but the precision of the command left no opportunity to question its wisdom. Han gave her a quick, tight-lipped nod, and Trista spoke into her throat-mike, relaying the order. The Solusars merely exchanged a wide-eyed glance—no doubt checking with each other to see if either thought Tenel might be overreacting.
“But what if there are still academy students aboard?” Allana objected. “They could be killed!”
“That’s why Volgh Leader is targeting the ion drives.” Han took Allana by the shoulders and pulled her close. “If that Sharmok is being flown by Sith, no way can we let her get near the flagship. So we’re going to disable her and send a boarding party to take control.” He looked back to Tenel Ka. “Right, Your Majesty?”
“Correct.” Tenel Ka smiled a silent thanks to Han, then checked the tactical display to find the Battle Dragon closest to the transport. “Trista, have the
Daphoros
execute a tractor beam capture of Sharmok seven-eighteen as soon as the engines have been disabled, then send a boarding company to retake—”
“If I may, Your Majesty,” Kam said, interrupting as politely as possible. “Given the Sith involvement, it might be wise for me to take some Jedi along.”
“Excellent point, Master Solusar,” Tenel Ka said, feeling a pang of regret that she could not join the Jedi Knights going to fight the Sith. “Trista, inform the
Daphoros
that Master Solusar will be joining the boarding company as its commander. And suggest to the Lady Commander that she send her best assault team on this mission.”
As Tenel Ka spoke, she kept one eye on the tactical display, watching as Volgh Leader and her wingmate came in for their attack run. Rather than dropping back behind the target and risking an engine detonation by firing directly up the thrust nozzles, the Miy’tils were swinging in from the flank. For a moment, as the Sharmok continued toward the
Dragon Queen II
without altering her vector, Tenel Ka began to think Han might be wrong, that perhaps 718 had merely lost her Hapan crew and was now being piloted by some terrified Jedi apprentice.
But half a second before the Miy’tils opened fire, the transport’s designator symbol jerked left as the pilot took evasive action. The firstMiy’til symbol flashed white as the starfighter opened fire, then shot past without a hit. The wingmate opened fire in the next heartbeat, and the Sharmok’s color changed to yellow, for “damaged.” Sighing in relief, Tenel Ka switched her attention to the visual display and saw only whirling stars as Volgh Leader wheeled back around toward the target.
“Report,” Tenel Ka ordered. “Did they disable the engines?”
“Patience, Majesty,” Trista said. “They need time to evaluate.”
Taking her cousin’s gentle chide in stride
—someone
had to keep her humble, after all—Tenel Ka fixed her gaze on the visual display, hardly daring to breathe as stars whirled past. Finally, the Sharmok’s ion tail drifted into view, flickering and flashing as her sublight drives flamed out. By the time the entire stern appeared, the last engine had stopped, and the image showed only a trio of red-hot exhaust nozzles.
Tenel Ka let her breath out—and the screen went white with a detonation flash. She felt a terrible ripping in the Force and heard her Jedi companions gasping in shock—then she heard a small, frightened cry and knew
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