Han took off at a dead run toward the Millennium Falcon’s dock. Scarlet kept close beside him, huffing and puffing. Baasen coughed and lumbered, staring up at the sky, gape-mouthed at the destruction falling from on high, the R3 droid trailing along and burbling to itself in distress.
Han reached the door to the dock and slammed through it. The Falcon sat in her berth, untouched by the incoming fire. Han thought again of mystical energy fields and said a quiet thank-you to whoever or whatever might be looking out for them.
At the bottom of the crew ramp, Leia was strapping a belt around her waist, a heavy blaster hanging on her hip. She’d changed out of her diplomatic gown into brown pants and a white shirt.
“Oh, good,” she said. “Now I don’t have to go looking for you.”
“Looking for us?” Han said. “Listen here, Princess. I got the data, escaped the attack, and got Scarlet back to the ship just fine.”
“Awww,” Scarlet said, “you’re my hero. We should leave now.”
Another blast rocked the building, and the metal girders of the dock creaked with the shock.
“Yeah,” Han said. “That’s a really good idea.”
Scarlet ran up the ramp, with Baasen and his droid close behind. When they were gone, Leia put her hand on Han’s arm and said, “Thank you.”
Han looked for the mockery in it, and didn’t find any. “You’re welcome. Now let’s all get off this planet while there still is one.”
He ran inside the ship, straight into a Wookiee hug. Chewbacca growled at him reproachfully.
“Missed you, too, buddy. Let’s get her off the ground.”
Chewbacca had the ship warmed up and ready. It was a matter of seconds before they were strapped in and climbing through the burning air.
“Put all power to the forward deflectors until we get out of the atmosphere,” Han said. “Then angle the rear deflectors until we make the jump.”
Chewbacca howled at him.
“Why don’t we have rear deflectors? I told you to fix that!”
The Wookiee growled back.
“Yes, I know there was time pressure. But you have to—”
Chewbacca barked at him once.
“Okay, okay, buddy. I hear you. Except now we have to fly through an Imperial blockade while somehow not getting shot in the backside.”
Leia, sitting in the chair behind him, leaned forward and said, “What? No rear deflectors? You really should have fixed that.”
“No time,” Han said, not looking at Chewbacca. “He was busy!”
“What can we do to help?” Baasen asked. He and Sunnim were holding on to the hatchway into the cockpit.
“Well,” Han said, angling the Falcon’s flight path up through a gap in the bombardment, “I can keep us away from the heavies, mostly. They’re more interested in blowing Kiamurr into dust. But once we get out of the atmosphere, TIE fighters are going to be swarming all the ships that’re leaving.”
“Sounds right,” Baasen said. “Nice to have lots of company for that. One ship of many, so to speak.”
“Right. So I just need you guys to keep the TIEs off us long enough to make the jump. Keep them from getting a clean shot on our hindquarters.”
“The Falcon’s got those turrets,” Baasen said.
“Right again. You boys know how to use them?”
“Believe we can work it out,” Baasen said with a grin.
“Great, then get in there. The plan is—”
“Kill everything?” Sunnim said.
“Got it in one.”
ENERGY BOLTS STREAKED ACROSS the stars. Han felt the ship resisting under his control, rising and falling as the shields bled energy into thrust. The freighters, fighters, and tugs boiling up from the planetary surface mixed with the Imperial fighters, swirling and dancing like snowflakes in a blizzard. The tactical computer flickered and stuttered, unable to keep track of all the different points of motion.
“We’ve got a wave at your two,” Leia warned.
Han looked over. Four TIE fighters in tight formation spun down from the nearest of the Destroyers, dogging an ancient cruiser as it struggled up from Kiamurr’s burning exosphere. Han angled the Falcon to keep them in front of him, protecting the unshielded rear of the ship.
“Baasen?”
“Solo!”
“Let’s see if we can help that cruiser out.”
“How long until we’re clear to jump?” Scarlet shouted from the lounge.
“We’re not clear to turn around out here,” Han shouted back. “We’ll try getting to the other side where we can find some space.” Us and everyone else trying to get off that poor rock.
The Falcon screamed and shuddered. Chewbacca howled in protest and rage.
“What did he say?” Baasen called from the turret.
“He said shoot them before they shoot us!” Han shouted back.
“Thank him for the pointer.”
The Bothan’s despairing wail came from the lower turret.
“Could someone see what’s wrong with Sunnim?” Han snapped.
“I’m on it,” Scarlet said, heading out.
The blasts from the Falcon reached the attacking TIE fighters, and two of them peeled off, screaming toward Han like predators falling upon prey. He pulled the ship down, whipping it to spin around them as they passed, keeping his forward shields toward them. A stream of blasterfire poured from the turrets, brushing against one of the TIE’s solar arrays and turning the little ship into a ball of ions and fire. Far above, the triangular body of a Star Destroyer loomed. Wide, glowing bolts fell from the Destroyer’s belly toward the planet, shearing away mountains and vaporizing seas.
“He’s coming around, Han,” Leia said. “Han? He’s coming around. Han!”
Almost too late, he saw which of the dozens of ships before him she was talking about, and he yanked the controls to compensate. The Falcon groaned under the strain. The lower turret spat out fire, and the attacker died.
“All right, everyone hold on,” Han called over his shoulder. “I’m getting us out of here.”
He took the tactical computer down. It was too swamped to be useful anyway. With the engines at full, he angled the ship up, through the wide swirl of enemies, his sights on the stars beyond them.
“Han, old friend?” Baasen called, his voice tight and nervous. “What is it you’re planning here?”
“Just keep shooting,” Han said through clenched teeth. The Falcon rose through the barrage of energy bolts and debris. The Imperial Destroyer grew larger, swelling until it almost filled the screen. Chewbacca groaned.