Vision of the future

And then, to starboard and portside, he saw the other two Diamalan ships turn ponderously toward the departing Ishori war cruiser and begin to give chase. A moment later, he felt the slight tug of acceleration as the Industrious Thoughts followed suit.

'We will keep them silent until the Drev'starn shield generator is repaired,' Miatamia said, rejoining Lando. 'But when that is done, they will be free to leave if they wish.'

'Good enough,' Lando said. 'You're just bringing the three ships?' Miatamia gazed out the viewport. 'I have suggested to the captain that all Diamalan ships also be summoned to our side.'

'Just in case I'm right after all?'

The Senator's ears twitched. 'As I have said to you before, the unanticipated may sometimes happen,' he said evenly. 'The Diamala believe in being prepared for such an eventuality.'

* * *

'Hang on,' Han gritted, throwing the Falcon hard over first to starboard and then to port. No good; the tractor beam still had a solid grip on them. Reaching to the weapons board, he shifted the aim of the upper quad laser, now firing continuously toward the Star Destroyer. Like the swivel maneuver, all the firepower was doing no good, either.

'The portside stabilizer is flickering again,' Elegos announced, peering at the monitor displays.

'You may do serious damage to it if you continue this way.'

Han bit back a curse. Yes, he might blow the stabilizers. He might also burn out a section of the sublight drive, or melt the quads, or even crack the hull.

But he had no choice but to do whatever was necessary to get clear, even if he had to tear the life out of the Falcon to do it. A cloaked Star Destroyer meant an ambush... and the last thing an ambushing Imperial would want would be to leave witnesses behind.

Elegos, though, hadn't figured that one out yet. 'Perhaps we should attempt to surrender,' the Caamasi suggested.

'Yeah?' Han grunted. 'Why?'

'To prevent our destruction, of course,' Elegos said. 'Besides, Carib and his group seem to have already done that.'

'What do you mean?' Han asked, frowning as he searched the sky. Preoccupied with his own part of the fight, he'd completely lost track of the Action II.

'I mean they aren't struggling against the tractor beam,' Elegos explained, pointing out the viewport.

He was right. There was Carib's freighter, a little to starboard and considerably closer to the dark hull than the Falcon was. Making no attempt at all to escape.

But that didn't make sense. Surely Carib knew even better than he did that there was going to be no such thing as surrender here. Had he and the others already been killed?

Or had their newly professed allegiance to Leia and the New Republic never been anything more than a trick?

'Solo?' a voice crackled out from the speaker. 'This is Carib. Get ready.'

'Get ready for what?'

'What do you think?' Carib retorted. 'And look; if we don't make it, I want you to see to it that our families are taken care of. Deal?'

Han threw a frown at Elegos. What in space—?

'We have a deal,' Elegos called toward the comm, looking as puzzled as Han felt but apparently willing to play along. 'Don't worry.'

'All right. It's been nice knowing you.'

The comm clicked off. Han stared out at the freighter, a sudden premonition sending a chill up his back—

And then, all at once, the Action II exploded.