Suddenly, green laserfire streaked past Han’s turret and pounded at the Falcon’s deflector shields. Han swung the cannons to sight the enemy ship. It was an old Mu-2 long-range shuttle with a pair of fire-linked forward laser cannons.
Han adjusted the cannon’s targeting computer and aimed at the incoming shuttle.
Han squeezed the cannon’s triggers, launching red laserbolts at the Mu-2 shuttle. The first three bolts sailed past his target, but the fourth made a bright burst as it impacted against the shuttle’s deflector shield. Han exclaimed, “Har”
The shuttle veered away from the Falcon. Han was about to fire again when he heard Chewbacca bark from the comlink. Han replied, “A transmission from Smurdap? Patch it through.”
A few seconds passed, and then Han heard Smurdap’s voice. “That’s quite a ship,” Smurdap said. “For ‘barbers,’ you’re very well-armed!”
“If you pull over,” Han replied, “the Wookiee and I will be happy to give you a free clip.”
“I bet you would,” Smurdap said. “Let’s stop kidding around. You can’t escape the Fornax System, not with a disabled hyperdrive. Give me the shimmersilk gown and your cargo, and I’ll unlock the circuit-jammer.”
Han laughed. “I don’t bargain with sleemos who sabotage my ship.”
“If you don’t deal with me,” Smurdap said, “you’ll have to deal with my reinforcements.”
Han thought, What reinforcements? And then he saw the approaching starfighters.
Six drone starfighters raced away from Fornax Station, heading straight for the Falcon. Chewbacca saw them, too, and wailed over the comm.
Furious, Han fired his cannons at Smurdap’s shuttle. As Smurdap took evasive action, Han scrambled out of the turret and raced back to the cockpit.
“Hey, Chewie!” Han said as he practically fell into the pilot’s seat. “Ready for that tour of the Fire Rings?”
Chewbacca shook his head and howled.
The six drone starfighters looked nearly identical. Each was a sleek projectile, little more than an unshielded laser cannon with maneuverable wings and a droid brain. All raced across space like deadly darts, heading straight for the Millennium Falcon.
Han steered the Falcon toward the brightly ringed planet, and then he gunned the sublight engine. “We may not be able to reach lightspeed, Chewie,” he said, “but we can still give those drones a good race!”
Chewbacca shook his head again and let out a pleading whimper.
“Sorry, Chewie,” Han replied. “I can’t say I know any pilot who’s flown through the Five Fire Rings of Fornax and survived. But I can’t see any other way to shake those drones.”
The Falcon’s comm was still on, transmitting Han and Chewbacca’s conversation to Chief Smurdap’s shuttle. Smurdap said, “You’re bluffing.”
Han laughed. “You want what’s on our ship, Smurdap? Come and get it!” Then he flicked off the comm unit and said, “Don’t worry, Chewie. I know what I’m doing.”
Han glanced at a sensor scope. The drone starfighters were coming in fast.
The lead drone fighter fired at the Falcon. Laserfire pounded at the freighter’s aft deflector shield. Chewbacca barked with alarm.
Han answered, “Divert power from the forward deflector shield to the sublight engine!”
The Wookiee’s massive hands darted over the controls, pressing buttons and flipping switches. The Falcon shuddered, then suddenly lurched forward. Han and Chewbacca felt their bodies press back against their seats as the Falcon increased speed.
The drone fighters accelerated, too. The lead drone fired again.
“Buckle up tight, Chewie,” Han said as he secured his own safety belt. “This is gonna hurt!” He heard Chewbacca’s belt snap into place, then threw a switch to make the Falcon rapidly decrease speed.
Trailing behind the Falcon, the lead drone and a second fighter were still traveling at high velocity. Neither fighter was able to slow down or escape a collision. Both struck and shattered against the freighter’s rear deflector shields. The Falcon bounced at the impact, but her shields held.
“Ha!” Han shouted as he gunned the sublight engine and zoomed off, still on course for the rings of Fornax.
As the Falcon closed in on Fornax’s outermost ring, Han activated the comm unit and said, “Did you see that, Smurdap? You just lost two starfighters. Want to call the rest off, or lose them all in the Fire Rings?!”
“I still say you’re bluffing!” Smurdap’s voice crackled over the comm. “Your ship is too large to make it through the rings.”
“Have it your way,” Han said. He switched off the comm and guided the Falcon into a steep dive. “Divert power to forward shields, Chewie! We’re goin’ in!”
Chewbacca groaned as he followed Han’s command. And then the Falcon plunged into the brilliant ring.
The four remaining drone fighters angled after the Falcon. Han ignored his scopes and kept his eyes forward. He swung the Falcon over and past the wide, curving belt of hot, gaseous plasma.
Chewbacca yelped as the Falcon dipped below what appeared to be a wall of blazing dust. In the next instant, four distinct explosions sounded from outside.
“There go the drones,” Han said. “Without deflector shields, they never stood a chance in this heat!”
Han pulled back on the controls, and the Falcon lifted out of the rings. “Now, we deal with Smurdap,” he said. “But we do it my way.”
He made an adjustment to the Falcon’s radio transceiver, and then switched on the comm. Chewbacca guessed what Han was about to do, and found himself grinning.
“Hey, Smurdap!” Han said into the comm. “Still want the dress that you stole from the margravine of Vena?”
After a brief silence, Smurdap responded from his shuttle, “You know I want it!”
“Swell,” Han said. “All you have to do is apologize to me and my furry friend for trying to frame us for your dirty work.”
“Is that all?” Smurdap answered. “Fine! I’m very, very sorry I tried to blame you and the Wookiee for stealing the shimmersilk gown. Now, how do you propose you hand it over to me?”
Han said, “I suggest we both fly back to Fornax Station. Did you hear all that, Flight Control?”
Much to Smurdap’s surprise, the voice of Fornax Station’s flight controller replied, “Loud and clear, Close Shave. The new security chief will be very eager to listen to Smurdap’s confession!”
Over the comm, Smurdap stammered, “You… I… he… he’s lying!”
“Tell it to the margravine!” Han replied from the Falcon. “And before you get any ideas about making a run for it, you should know that Chewie and I have our cannons trained on your ship!”
Chewbacca roared into the comm.
“Sure, Chewie,” Han said. “If Smurdap tries to escape on the way back to Fornax Station, I’ll let you do the shooting!”
“Margravine Abominelle of Vena will see you now,” said the margravine’s protocol droid.
“Thanks,” Han said. “C’mon, Chewie.” Chewbacca followed Han into the margravine’s suite on Fornax Station. Inside, they found the margravine holding the gown. She looked at them and said, “Your ship has been repaired?”
“Yup,” Han said. “And Chief Smurdap has been arrested. We were just about to leave.”
The margravine tossed the gown into a corner and declared, “The wedding is off!”
Han and Chewbacca looked at the priceless dress on the floor, then lifted their eyes to the margravine. Han said, “That’s too bad. Chewie and I went to a lot of trouble to get your gown back.”
The margravine smiled and fixed Han with her gaze. “Do you know why I called off the wedding?” Before Han could answer, she announced, “I have fallen in love… with someone else!”
“Oh,” Han said. “That’s nice. I mean, too bad for the other guy, but—”
“He is like no one else I have ever met,” the margravine interrupted. Her arm darted out and she seized Han’s hand i
n her own.
Han looked at the margravine’s hand and politely shook it, “I’m sure he’s a very special fellow. But see, Chewie here, he was wondering if maybe there, uh, might be a reward for the gown?”
The margravine’s eyes went wide. She yanked her hand back. And then her face flushed with rage and she began to scream.
Han winced and put his hands over his ears. Chewbacca grabbed his friend and hauled him out of the suite.
* * *
“What was with that lady?” Han said after they returned to the Millennium Falcon. “All I did was mention a reward! I tell ya, I’m sorry for the guy she fell in love with!”
Chewbacca rolled his eyes.
“Say ‘so long’ to Fornax Station,” Han said. “All set for the jump back to Tatooine?”
Chewbacca nodded, and then barked a question.
“Sure, the hyperdrive’s working!” Han said. “Watch this!”
An instant later, the Falcon vanished into hyperspace.
11.6.18.15.14.5-1
Star Wars - Adventures in Hyperspace 001 - Fire Ring Race Page 3
