Star Wars: The Jedi Academy Trilogy: Dark Apprentice by Kevin J. Anderson

Author:Kevin J. Anderson
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Tags: Solo, Leia, Science fiction, Space Opera, Star Wars fiction, Princess (Fictitious character), General, Luke (Fictitious character), American, Adventure, Han (Fictitious character), Skywalker, Fiction
ISBN: 9780553297997
Publisher: Bantam Books
Published: 1994-06-01T07:00:00+00:00

* * *

Leia piloted Ackbar's open-canopied wavespeeder as they rushed over the oceans of Calamari. The sky was still a congealed soup of dark clouds, but the previous day's storm had run out of energy. The wind remained fresh and cool, tossing droplets of salty spray into theirthe faces--but Leia could not stop smiling with relief just to know that Ackbar had agreed to come to Coruscant with her, if only to speak with Mon Mothma.

She and Cilghal would take him back to Foamwander City, where he could turn over his seismic data to other Calamarian scientists. Sitting in the backseat of the wavespeeder, Ackbar seemed deeply troubled and unsure of himself.

The lumpy hemisphere of the Calamarian city looked like a gunmetal-gray island. Other small seaskimmers drifted in and out, gathering up nets and dashing back to access openings.

Ackbar sat up stiffly. "Listen!"

Over the rushing noise of the wind and waves, Leia heard the sharp tones of an all-hands alarm. She grabbed the comm unit, punching buttons for Foamwander City control. "This is wavespeeder seventeen-oh-onestseven. What is the cause of the alarm?"

Before Leia could receive an answer, a curtain of brilliant light sliced through the clouds, slashing the ocean surface near the floating city. Geysers of suddenly vaporized water plumed into the air with a whoop.

"Those are turbolasers!" Leia said.

Ackbar gripped the side of his seat. "We're being fired on from orbit."

"Wave doors are closing," said a maddeningly calm Calamarian voice through the speaker system. "All citizens take shelter immediately.

Repeat, wave doors are closing."

Most of the other sea vehicles had disappeared inside the various openings around the hull of Foamwander City. Those who could not make it to the doors abandoned their craft and dived overboard to swim down to submerged entryways.

Many wave doors had already clamped shut like diagonal mouths. Leia aimed for one of the remaining openings and punched the wavespeeder's accelerator. The lurch pressed all three of them back against their padded seats.

Overhead, like a flock of razor-winged carrion birds, came an entire squadron of TIE fighters and TIE bombers. They swooped down in a steep descent with a roaring howl of their Twin Ion Engines.

The TIE bombers released glowing energy packets that exploded in the sea, sending out shock waves and foam and spray. TIE fighters roared over Foamwander City, strafing with their laser cannons. Lances of green light etched smoldering damage into the city shell.

One of the shock waves tossed a wall of water at Leia's wavespeeder. She fought for control but did not slow down, keeping her eyes fixed on the closing wave doors. If they didn't make it through the gap, they would be helpless out on the water, ready targets for the Imperial bombardment.

Ackbar said, "We left a squadron of B-wing fighters to defend the orbiting shipyards. Where are they? I have to learn what's happening up there. "

Cilghal maintained a quiet, steady voice. "Perhaps they are otherwise occupied."

"Hang on!" Leia said, and fired emergency thrusters.

The wavespeeder lifted another meter above the surface of the ocean as it flew in a last-ditch effort to get through the closing gap.

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