{"product_id":"the-unifying-force-star-wars-legends-isbn-9780345428530","title":"The Unifying Force: Star Wars Legends","description":"\u003cb\u003eAt long last, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling series that launched the \u003ci\u003eStar Wars\u003c\/i\u003e saga into the next generation and into thrilling new territory reaches its spectacular finale. Side by side, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, their children, and their comrades in the Galactic Alliance rally for their last stand against the enemy that threatens not only the galaxy, but the Force itself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eThe Galactic Alliance’s hard-won success in countering the Yuuzhan Vong onslaught has proven all too brief—and the tide has turned once more to the invaders’ advantage. Having overcome the sabotage strategies of the Jedi and their allies, the marauding aliens have pushed deeper into the galaxy and subjugated more worlds in their ruthless quest for domination. Coruscant has been remade into a Yuuzhan Vong stronghold. The remnants of the resistance are struggling to form a united front. Luke, Mara, and Jacen are missing in action. Clearly the stage is set for endgame. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, as Han and Leia receive the chilling news that hundreds of high-ranking Galactic Alliance prisoners face slaughter in a sacrifice to the enemy’s bloodthirsty gods, Luke and his team try desperately to convince the living world of Zonama Sekot to join the Jedi’s final campaign against the Yuuzhan Vong. Yet even as they speak, a lone space station is all that stands between Alliance headquarters on Mon Calamari . . . and wave after wave of ferocious enemy forces waging their most decisive assault.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the same time, the Jedi’s alliances throughout the galaxy are being tested—and the chances of victory jeopardized—by rogue factions determined to deploy the lethal weapon that will exterminate the Yuuzhan Vong . . . and perhaps countless other species. And among the Yuuzhan Vong themselves, the threat of revolt has reached a boiling point—as the oppressed underclass and powerful officials alike fear their Supreme Overlord’s mad actions will provoke the wrath of the gods.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUltimately, for both the forces of invasion and resistance, too much has been sacrificed —and too much is at stake—to ever turn back. And now, nothing can stand in the way of seizing victory . . . or facing annihilation.\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Luceno \u003c\/b\u003eis the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of the \u003ci\u003eStar Wars\u003c\/i\u003e novels \u003ci\u003eMillennium Falcon, Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, Cloak of Deception, Labyrinth of Evil,\u003c\/i\u003e as well as the New Jedi Order novels \u003ci\u003eAgents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse, The Unifying Force, \u003c\/i\u003eand the eBook \u003ci\u003eDarth Maul: Saboteur\u003c\/i\u003e. He is also the author of the fantasy novel \u003ci\u003eHunt for the Mayan Looking-Glass\u003c\/i\u003e, available as an eBook. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with his wife and youngest child.\u003c\/p\u003e“Cakhmaim’s getting to be a pretty good shot,” Han said over the sound of the reciprocating quad laser cannon. “Remind me to up his pay—or at least promote him.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeia glanced at him from the copilot’s chair. “From bodyguard to\u003cbr\u003ewhat—butler?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan pictured the Noghri in formal attire, setting meals in front of\u003cbr\u003eHan and Leia in the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003c\/i\u003e’s forward cabin. His upper lip curled in\u003cbr\u003edelight, and he laughed shortly. “Maybe we should see how he does\u003cbr\u003ewith the rest of these skips.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe YT-1300 was just coming out of her long turn, with Selvaris’s\u003cbr\u003edouble suns off to starboard and an active volcano dominating the forward\u003cbr\u003eview. Below, green-capped, sheer-sided islands reached up into\u003cbr\u003ethe planet’s deep blue sky, and the aquamarine sea seemed to go on\u003cbr\u003eforever. Two coralskippers were still glued to the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003c\/i\u003e’s tail, chopping\u003cbr\u003eat it and holding position through all the insane turns and evasions,\u003cbr\u003ebut so far the deflector shields were holding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis large hands gripped on the control yoke, Han glanced at the\u003cbr\u003econsole’s locator display, where only one bezel was pulsing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Where’d the other swoop go?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“We lost it,” Leia said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan leaned toward the viewport to survey the undulating sea.\u003cbr\u003e“How could we lose—”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“No, I mean it’s gone. One of the coralskippers took it out.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan’s eyes blazed. “Why, that—which one of ’em?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore Leia could answer, two plasma missiles streaked past the\u003cbr\u003ecockpit, bright as meteors and barely missing the starboard mandible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Does it matter?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan shook his head. “Where’s the other swoop?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeia studied the locator display, then called up a map from the\u003cbr\u003eterrain sensor, which showed everything from the mouth of the\u003cbr\u003eestuary clear to the volcano. Her left forefinger tapped the screen.\u003cbr\u003e“Far side of that island.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Any skips after it?”\u003cbr\u003eA loud explosion buffeted the \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003efrom behind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“We seem to be the popular target,” Leia said. “Just the way you\u003cbr\u003elike it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan narrowed his eyes. “You bet I do.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetermined to lure their pair of pursuers away from the swoop, he\u003cbr\u003ethrew the freighter into a sudden ascent. When they had climbed\u003cbr\u003ehalfway to the stars, he dropped the ship into a stomach-churning\u003cbr\u003ecorkscrew. Pulling out sharply, he twisted the ship through a looping\u003cbr\u003erollover, emerging from the combo headed in the opposite direction,\u003cbr\u003ewith the two coralskippers in front of him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe grinned at Leia. “Now who’s in charge?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe blew out her breath. “Was there ever any doubt?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan focused his attention on the two enemy craft. Over the long\u003cbr\u003eyears, Yuuzhan Vong pilots faced with impossible odds had surrendered\u003cbr\u003esome of the suicidal resolve they had displayed during the early\u003cbr\u003edays of the war. Maybe word had come down from Supreme Overlord\u003cbr\u003eShimrra or someone that discretion really was the better part of valor.\u003cbr\u003eWhatever the case, the pilots of the two skips Han was stalkling apparently\u003cbr\u003esaw some advantage to fleeing rather than reengaging the ship\u003cbr\u003etheir plasma missiles had failed to bring down. But Han wasn’t content\u003cbr\u003eto send them home with their tails tucked between their legs—\u003cbr\u003eespecially not after they had killed an unarmed swoop pilot he had\u003cbr\u003ecome halfway across the galaxy to rescue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Cakhmaim, listen up,” he said into his headset mike. “I’ll fire the\u003cbr\u003ebelly gun from here. We’ll put ’em in the Money Lane and be done\u003cbr\u003ewith them.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMoney Lane \u003c\/i\u003ewas Han’s term for the area where the quad lasers’\u003cbr\u003efiring fields overlapped. In emergency situations, both cannons could\u003cbr\u003ebe fired from the cockpit, but the present situation didn’t call for that.\u003cbr\u003eWhat’s more, Han wanted to give Cakhmaim the chance to hone his\u003cbr\u003efiring technique. All Han and Leia had to do was help line up the\u003cbr\u003eshots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the way the coralskippers reacted to the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003c\/i\u003e’s sudden\u003cbr\u003eturnabout, Han could almost believe that the enemy pilots had been\u003cbr\u003eeavesdropping on his communication with the Noghri. The first\u003cbr\u003eskip—the more battered of the pair, showing charred blotches and\u003cbr\u003edeep pockmarks—poured on all speed, separating from his wingmate\u003cbr\u003eat a sharp angle. Smaller and faster, and seemingly helmed by a better\u003cbr\u003epilot, the second skip shed velocity in an attempt to trick the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003einto coming across his vector.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat was the skip that had taken out the swoop, Han decided,\u003cbr\u003esentencing the pilot to be the first to feel the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003c\/i\u003e’s wrath.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeia guessed as much, and immediately plotted an intercept\u003cbr\u003ecourse.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExposed, the skip pilot went evasive, moving into the gunsights\u003cbr\u003eand out again, but with mounting panic as the \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003esettled calmly\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003einto kill position. The dorsal laser cannon was programmed to fire\u003cbr\u003ethree-beam bursts that, all these years later, still had the ability to\u003cbr\u003eoutwit the dovin basals of the older, perhaps more dim-witted coralskippers.\u003cbr\u003eWhile the enemy craft was quick to deploy a gravitic anomaly\u003cbr\u003ethat engulfed the first and second beams, the third got through,\u003cbr\u003eblowing a huge chunk of yorik coral from the vessel’s fantail. Han\u003cbr\u003etweaked the yoke to place the skip in the Money Lane, and his left\u003cbr\u003ehand tightened on the trigger of the belly gun’s remote firing mechanism.\u003cbr\u003eSustained bursts from the twin cannons whittled the skip to\u003cbr\u003ehalf its size; then it blew, throwing pieces of coral wreckage in every\u003cbr\u003edirection.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“That’s for the swoop pilot,” Han said soberly. He turned his\u003cbr\u003eattention to the second skip, which, desperate to avoid a similar fate,\u003cbr\u003ewas jinking and juking all over the sky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eZipping through the showering remains of the first kill, the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003equickened up and pounced on the wildly maneuvering skip from\u003cbr\u003eabove. The targeting reticle went red, and a target-lock tone filled the\u003cbr\u003ecockpit. Again the quad lasers rallied, catching the vessel with burst\u003cbr\u003eafter burst until it disappeared in a nimbus of coral dust and whitehot\u003cbr\u003egas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan and Leia hooted. “Nice shooting, Cakhmaim!” he said into\u003cbr\u003ethe headset. “Score two more for the good guys.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeia watched him for a moment. “Happy now?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInstead of replying, Han pushed the yoke away from him, dropping\u003cbr\u003ethe \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003eto within meters of the surging waves. “Where’s the\u003cbr\u003eswoop?” he asked finally.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeia was ready with the answer. “Come around sixty degrees, and\u003cbr\u003eit should be right in front of us.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan adjusted course, and the swoop came into view, streaking\u003cbr\u003eover the surface, bearing two seriously dissimilar riders. In pursuit,\u003cbr\u003eand just visible beneath the surface, moved an enormous olive-drab\u003cbr\u003etriangle, trailing what appeared to be a lengthy tail.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan’s jaw dropped.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What is that thing?” Leia said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Threepio, get in here!” Han yelled, without taking his eyes from\u003cbr\u003ethe creature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eC-3PO staggered into the cockpit, clamping his hands on the\u003cbr\u003ehigh-backed navigator’s chair to keep from being thrown off balance,\u003cbr\u003eas had too often happened.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan raised his right hand to the viewport and pointed. “What is\u003cbr\u003ethat?” he asked, enunciating every word.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Oh, my,” the droid began. “I believe that what we’re looking at\u003cbr\u003eis a kind of boat creature. The Yuuzhan Vong term for it is \u003ci\u003evangaak\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003cbr\u003ewhich derives from the verb ‘to submerge.’ Although in this case the\u003cbr\u003everb has been modified to suggest—”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Skip the language lesson and just tell me how to kill it!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Well, I would suggest targeting the flat dome, clearly visible on\u003cbr\u003eits dorsal surface.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A head shot.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Precisely. A head shot.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Han,” Leia interrupted. “Four more coralskippers headed our\u003cbr\u003eway.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan manipulated levers on the console, and the \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003eaccelerated.\u003cbr\u003e“We gotta work fast. Threepio, tell Meewalh to activate the\u003cbr\u003emanual release for the landing ramp. I’ll be there in a flash.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeia watched him undo the clasps of the crash webbing. “I take it\u003cbr\u003eyou’re not planning to land.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe kissed her on the cheek as he stood up. “Not if I can help it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe swoop fought to maintain an altitude of eight meters, but\u003cbr\u003ethat was enough to keep it from the snapping jaws of the Yuuzhan\u003cbr\u003eVong vangaak that had almost snagged it on surfacing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThorsh might have opted to head inland if the Yuuzhan Vong\u003cbr\u003esearch parties and their snarling beasts hadn’t reached the marshy\u003cbr\u003eshore. Worse, four specks in the northern sky were almost certainly\u003cbr\u003ecoralskippers, soaring in to reinforce the pair the YT-1300 was chasing.\u003cbr\u003eInstead, the Jenet had the swoop aimed for deeper water, out\u003cbr\u003etoward the volcano, where the waves mounded to a height of ten\u003cbr\u003emeters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThorsh and his rider could feel the sting of the saline spray on\u003cbr\u003etheir scratched and bruised faces and hands. Behind them, the vangaak\u003cbr\u003ewas rapidly closing the gap, but if it had weapons other than tor-\u003cbr\u003epedo analogs it wasn’t bringing them to bear. An unsettling vociferation\u003cbr\u003efrom the Bith broke Thorsh’s concentration.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The vangaak’s gone! It submerged!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThorsh didn’t know whether to worry or celebrate. The vangaak\u003cbr\u003eput a quick end to his indecision. Breaching the surface in front of the\u003cbr\u003eswoop, the dull olive triangle spiked straight up out of the waves,\u003cbr\u003eventing seawater from blowholes on its dorsal side, and opening its\u003cbr\u003etooth-filled mouth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThorsh demanded all he could from the swoop, climbing at\u003cbr\u003emaximum boost, but there was no escaping the reach of the creature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe heard a surprised scream, then felt his flight jacket rip away.\u003cbr\u003eLightened, the swoop ascended at greater speed, only to stall. Thorsh\u003cbr\u003ethrew a distraught glance over his shoulder. The Bith was pinned\u003cbr\u003ebetween the vangaak’s teeth, mouth wide in a silent scream, black eyes\u003cbr\u003edull, Thorsh’s jacket still clutched in his dexterous hands. But there\u003cbr\u003ewasn’t time for despair or anger. The repulsorlift came back to life,\u003cbr\u003eand Thorsh veered away, even as he was falling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA roar battered his eardrums, and suddenly the YT-1300 was practically\u003cbr\u003ealongside him, skimming the waves not fifty meters away. The\u003cbr\u003equartet of coralskippers began firing from extreme range, their plasma\u003cbr\u003eprojectiles cutting scalding trails through the whitecapped crests.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe old freighter’s landing ramp was lowered from the starboard\u003cbr\u003edocking arm. It was clear what the ship’s pilots had in mind. They\u003cbr\u003ewere expecting him to come alongside and hurl himself onto the\u003cbr\u003enarrow incline. But Thorsh faltered. He knew the limitations of the\u003cbr\u003eswoop, and—more important—his own. With the coralskippers approaching\u003cbr\u003eand the vangaak submerged who-knew-where beneath the\u003cbr\u003ewaves, it was unlikely that he could even reach the freighter in time.\u003cbr\u003eAdditionally—and despite what were obviously military-grade de-\u003cbr\u003eflector shields—the freighter was being forced to make slight vertical\u003cbr\u003eand horizontal adjustments, which only decreased Thorsh’s chances of\u003cbr\u003eclambering aboard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis grimace disappeared, and in its place came a look of sharp\u003cbr\u003eattentiveness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs sole bearer of the secret intelligence contained in the holo-\u003cbr\u003ewafer, he had to give it his best try. Tightening his grip, he banked for\u003cbr\u003ethe sanctuary of the matte-black ship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCrouched at the top of the extended ramp, Han peered down at\u003cbr\u003ethe rushing water not twenty meters below. Wind and salt spray\u003cbr\u003ehowled through the opening, blowing his hair every which way and\u003cbr\u003emaking it difficult for him to keep his eyes open.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Captain Solo,” C-3PO said from the ring corridor. “Princess\u003cbr\u003eLeia wishes you to know that the swoop is approaching. Apparently\u003cbr\u003ethe pilot feels confident that he can complete the transfer to \u003ci\u003eMillennium\u003cbr\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003ewithout suffering too much internal damage or . . . perishing\u003cbr\u003ein the attempt.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan threw the droid a wide-eyed look. “Perishing?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Certainly the odds are against him. If he were piloting a speeder\u003cbr\u003ebike, perhaps. But swoops are notorious for going out of control at\u003cbr\u003ethe slightest provocation!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan nodded grimly. A former swoop racer, he knew that C-3PO\u003cbr\u003ewas right. Taking in the situation now, he wondered if even he could\u003cbr\u003emake the jump.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I’m going to the bottom!” he shouted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eC-3PO canted his golden head. “Sir?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan made a downward motion. “The bottom of the ramp.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sir, I have a bad feeling . . .”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe wind drowned out the rest of the droid’s words. Han crabbed\u003cbr\u003edown to the base of the ramp, where he could hear the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003c\/i\u003e’s belly\u003cbr\u003eturret slicing through the agitated peaks of the waves. A distinctive\u003cbr\u003ethrobbing sound captured his attention. The swoop was beginning to\u003cbr\u003eangle for the ramp. The pilot—a Jenet, of all species—took his right\u003cbr\u003ehand off the handgrips just long enough to signal Han with a wave.\u003cbr\u003eConsidering that even that slight movement sent the swoop into a\u003cbr\u003ewobble, there was simply no way the Jenet would be able to let go\u003cbr\u003ecompletely—especially not with the \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003eadding to the turbulence\u003cbr\u003eof the sea itself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan reconsidered, then swung around to C-3PO.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Threepio, tell Leia we’re going with Plan B!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe droid raised his hands to his head in distress. “Captain Solo,\u003cbr\u003ejust the sound of that makes me worry!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan raised his forefinger. “Just tell Leia, Threepio. She’ll\u003cbr\u003eunderstand.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Plan B?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“That was precisely my reaction,” C-3PO said in an agitated\u003cbr\u003evoice. “But does anyone ever listen to my concerns?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Don’t worry, Threepio, I’m sure Han knows what he’s doing.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“That is hardly a comforting thought, Princess.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeia swung back to the console and allowed her eyes to roam over\u003cbr\u003ethe instruments. \u003ci\u003ePlan B, \u003c\/i\u003eshe mused. \u003ci\u003eWhat can Han have in mind? \u003c\/i\u003eShe\u003cbr\u003eplaced him squarely in her thoughts, then smiled in sudden revelation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOf course \u003c\/i\u003e. . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer hands slid switches while she studied the displays. Then she\u003cbr\u003esat away from the console in contemplation. Yes, she decided at last,\u003cbr\u003eshe supposed it could be done—though it would mean relying largely\u003cbr\u003eon the attitude and braking thrusters, and hoping that they didn’t stall\u003cbr\u003eor fail.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe looked over her shoulder at C-3PO, who had evidently followed\u003cbr\u003eher every move and manipulation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Tell Han I’ve got everything worked out.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Oh, dear,” the droid said, turning and exiting the cockpit. “Oh,\u003cbr\u003edear.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe four coralskippers were closing fast, lobbing plasma missiles\u003cbr\u003einto the blustery stretch of water between the swoop and the freighter.\u003cbr\u003eThorsh dipped his head instinctively as one fireball plunged into the\u003cbr\u003ewaves not ten meters away. The ferocity of the impact geysered superheated\u003cbr\u003ewater high into the air, and sent the swoop into a sustained\u003cbr\u003ewobble.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe freighter held to its course regardless, its top gunner keeping\u003cbr\u003ethe coralskippers at bay with bursts of laserfire. A human male was\u003cbr\u003ecrouched at the base of the landing ramp, his left arm wrapped around\u003cbr\u003eone of the telescoping hydraulic struts, and the fingers of his right\u003cbr\u003ehand making a gesture that on some worlds implied craziness on the\u003cbr\u003epart of its recipient. Just now, the twirling gesture meant something\u003cbr\u003eelse entirely—though craziness was still a large part of it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThorsh swallowed hard, just thinking about what the pilots were\u003cbr\u003eabout to attempt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe human waved and scurried back up the ramp.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDecelerating slightly, Thorsh fell in behind the freighter, giving it\u003cbr\u003ewide berth. Above the strained throbbing of the swoop’s repulsorlift,\u003cbr\u003ehe heard the sudden reverberation of the YT-1300’s retro- and attitude\u003cbr\u003ethrusters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, scarcely surrendering momentum, the freighter began to\u003cbr\u003erotate ninety degrees to starboard, bringing the boarding ramp almost\u003cbr\u003edirectly in front of the tottering swoop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Take the jump!” Han said, mostly to himself. “Now!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe was back in the pilot’s chair, his hands tight on the control\u003cbr\u003eyoke, while Leia feathered the thrusters, cheating the \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003ethrough\u003cbr\u003eits quarter turn. Flying sideways, Han could see the coralskippers that\u003cbr\u003ehad a second earlier been “behind” the ship, as well as the swoop,\u003cbr\u003ewhich was flying just off the blunt tip of the starboard docking arm.\u003cbr\u003eHoping to minimize the chances of the pilot’s overshooting his mark\u003cbr\u003eand smashing headlong into the bulkhead at the top of the ramp, Han\u003cbr\u003eadjusted the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003c\/i\u003e’s forward speed to match that of the swoop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“He’s accelerating!” Leia said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Threepio! Meewalh!” Han yelled over his right shoulder. “Our\u003cbr\u003eguest’s coming aboard!” Glancing out the right side of the viewport,\u003cbr\u003ehe saw the Jenet leap the swoop toward the ramp—the \u003ci\u003eFalcon\u003c\/i\u003e’s\u003cbr\u003enarrow but open mouth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Now!” he told Leia.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeftly she fed power to the attitude thrusters, allowing the ship to\u003cbr\u003ecomplete a full clockwise rotation, even as a series of crashing sounds\u003cbr\u003ewere echoing their way into the cockpit from the ring corridor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan winced and scrunched his shoulders with each \u003ci\u003eclang! \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ecrash!\u003c\/i\u003e, mentally assessing the damage, but keeping his fingers crossed\u003cbr\u003ethat the Jenet pilot was faring better than the interior of the docking\u003cbr\u003earm.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo sooner did the ramp telltale on the console flash red—\u003cbr\u003eindicating that docking arm had sealed tight—than Han yanked back\u003cbr\u003eon the control yoke, and the \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003eclawed its way into Selvaris’s open\u003cbr\u003esky, dodging volleys of molten fire from pursuing coralskippers. The\u003cbr\u003equad laser replied with packets of cohesive light, brilliant green even\u003cbr\u003eagainst the backdrop of the heaving sea.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Captain Solo, he’s alive!” C-3PO called with dramatic relief.\u003cbr\u003e“We’re all alive!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExhaling slowly, Han sank back into the seat, but without lifting\u003cbr\u003ehis hands from the yoke. The coralskippers were already lagging behind\u003cbr\u003ewhen the \u003ci\u003eFalcon \u003c\/i\u003erocketed over the summit of the volcano,\u003cbr\u003estraight through dense clouds of gritty smoke, climbing rapidly on a\u003cbr\u003ecolumn of blue energy. The ship was halfway to starlight when the\u003cbr\u003eshaken Jenet appeared at the cockpit hatchway, one bare arm drapped\u003cbr\u003eover Meewalh’s shoulders, the other around C-3PO’s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“You must have a hard head,” Han said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGrinning faintly, Leia looked at her husband. “He’s not the only\u003cbr\u003eone.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHan glanced at her in false chagrin, then nodded his chin to the\u003cbr\u003efemale Noghri. “Take our guest to the forward cabin and provide him\u003cbr\u003ewith whatever he needs.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I’ll get the medpac,” Leia said, leaving her chair. She set her\u003cbr\u003eheadset on the console and looked at Han again. “Well, you did it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e“We,” \u003c\/i\u003eHan amended. Casually, he stretched out his arms. “You\u003cbr\u003eknow, you’re never too old for this sort of thing.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“You haven’t outgrown it, that’s for sure.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe studied her. “What, you have?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe placed her right hand on his cheek. “You’re a danger to yourself\u003cbr\u003eand everyone around you. But I do love you, Han.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe smiled broadly as Leia hurried from the cockpit.The New York Times bestseller The explosive conclusion to the New Jedi Order series!","brand":"Random House Worlds","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302720524517,"sku":"NP9780345428530","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780345428530.jpg?v=1767741997","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-unifying-force-star-wars-legends-isbn-9780345428530","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}