'And you should evacuate,' Obi-Wan said. They exchanged a grin, and Obi-Wan raced out the door. The corridor was now crowded with the inhabitants of the BioCruiser. Some were carrying belongings, some were panicked, some were just bewildered. Over the speaker system, he could hear Andra's calm voice.
'Panic will delay us. Watch out for your neighbor. Proceed to the loading bays. We have room for all. Safety is our first concern. Help your neighbor.'
Obi-Wan dashed through the crowd, heading for the bridge. When he burst in, Kad was sitting at the main controls.
'Do you know how to fly this?' Obi-Wan asked him.
'Yes.' Kad's face was taut. 'I sent the others to the escape liners. I will not leave the ship.'
'The tech readout room is still operational. Rhe Pabs has agreed to remain.'
'Good.' Kad's eyes searched the skies outside the wraparound cockpit window. 'Your Jedi are doing well. Two Offworld ships are down.'
Obi-Wan saw Anakin's starfighter zooming in and taking aim at an Offworld battleship whose guns were blazing at the BioCruiser. The BioCruiser staggered from an explosion. Anakin dived, proton torpedoes firing. Another Offworld ship suddenly peeled off from its attack on the BioCruiser and swiveled its gunports toward Anakin's ship.
'I hope your Jedi has eyes in the back of his head,' Kad murmured.
Obi-Wan hoped so, too.
In many ways, Anakin felt most comfortable alone in the pilot seat of a starship. There was just him and the ship and the infinite ways he could maneuver. Although it was recognized at theJediTemplethat he had gifts as a pilot, he did not get much of a chance to fly. That was why he was so frustrated to learn that if only he could turn backtime, he could have been one of Clee Rhara's pilots in the training program.
He knew the Offworld ship was behind him. He did not have to look. But he did not take evasive action. Not yet. He knew the ship would wait until he was out of range of the attacking Offworld ship. They would not want the wreckage of Anakin's ship to spiral into its neighbor.
At the very last second, he pushed the ship, screaming, to the right, then climbed straight up, flipped over, and came upside down toward the ship at his rear.
'Didn't expect that, did you?' he shouted as he fired his proton torpedoes. The Offworld ship disintegrated into a shower of fire and light. Anakin felt his blood rise with the sight. He knew he should not feel triumph, but he did. He was outgunned by the power of the Offworld ships, but he would never be outmaneuvered.
Garen's voice came over the comm unit. 'Two ships heading for the escape liners. I'll take the one on the left.'
'Copy that.' Anakin dived. The controls felt warm in his hands, even though he knew they weren't. A ship felt alive to him, an organic creature he controlled. He had felt that way since the first day he'd put his hands on the controls of an airship, back when he was a young slave boy with a cantankerous Podracer on Tatooine.
He saw Garen ahead now in his sight line. Garen swung to his left, and Anakin swung farther to the right. Four Offworld ships were bearing down on the escape liners. He could clearly see theBroken Circlelogo on their wings.
Anakin reached out to the Force. He felt at one with the engines. The will of the ship was entwined with his. He even felt entwined with Garen.
The two pushed their engines to the maximum. They zigzagged their way toward the larger ships. The ships saw them coming and turned their barrage of firepower on the two agile starfighters.
'Time to climb,' Anakin muttered, easing the controls. The ship zoomed upward and he reversed direction, avoiding a blast to his starboard engine. He somersaulted and came at one ship from a sideways angle, blasting his torpedoes. He peppered the wing with fire, and then he got lucky. One of the blasts hit the fuel tank. The ship went up in a whoosh, sending shock waves toward him. His starfighter danced on the vibrations.
'Good show!' Garen called through the comm unit. 'Let's get number two in a pincer movement.'
'Copy that. Ready or not…' Anakin dived to the left while Garen dived to the right. Torpedoes blasting, they caught the second ship between them. The ship spiraled out, its engines dead.
Anakin was already heading for the third ship. While he'd been engaged, the third ship had managed to damage the wing of the rescue liner. Anakin came at the Offworld ship from above, dropping at top speed as though he would crash into the bridge. At this angle, the ship's guns could not reach him. It swerved, and he followed. When he had a clear shot, he went for the left engine. Torpedoes blasted, and the engine blew. Limping, the Offworld attack ship headed back to the Offworld cruiser.
Garen had taken care of the last ship. Anakin looked around. The sky was empty of Offworld ships.
'I just spoke to Obi-Wan,' Garen said. 'He and Kad are staying aboard the BioCruiser. Kad wants to make it to Tentrix. The guidance system blew. They need us to escort them.'
Anakin could tell by Garen's terse wording that the ship was in deep trouble. He could see it: The ship was listing to one side, and great plumes of smoke were rising from the engines. The BioCruiser was a death trap. The last thing Anakin wanted to do was stay out here while his Master was marooned on a failing vessel. He wanted to be by his Master's side.
But he was a Jedi. He was learning that it meant doing things opposite to his nature. He turned the ship to the right and followed Garen.
'I'm getting a reading that the secondary power cell system is going,' Rhe Pabs said. His voice was calm, but Obi-Wan and Kad exchanged a glance. If the secondary power cell system went, the ship would go into catastrophic failure. They would not have time to get to an escape pod.
'Rhe Pabs, it's time for you to go,' Kad said, his voice even.
'No sir, I think I'll stick it out here.'
Kad gave a sigh of exasperation. 'All right, then. Keep us posted.' He turned to Obi-Wan. 'I'm going to
