Luke pulls up hard and loops straight back at the TIEs. The Imperials scatter as if surprised by the boldness of the maneuver, but not before Luke locks his targeting computer onto the center fighter. He triggers his laser cannons and four blue streaks converge on the Imperial. The fighter erupts into a dirty yellow fireball.
The remaining TIEs jump back into the X-wing’s tail zone, though they leave a larger reaction cushion than their missing comrade had. They resume firing too, their shots streaking past alarmingly close to the canopy. Luke can only hope that turning back into Gideon’s cover was wise. If the prospector misses again, the Imperials might just pummel his fighter into space litter.
Gideon’s box shaped scow appears ahead, little larger than a thumbnail from this distance. Luke orders Artoo to divert 75% of the shield power to the aft. He might have to weather a beating before he reaches Gideon’s range.
The Rebel pilot positions his X-wing between the TIEs and Gideon’s scow. With luck, he can block their view of the lumbering ship. If the Imperial pilots are so intent on hammering his tail, that they don’t monitor their flight computers, Gideon just might surprise them.
Two fireclouds burst open above the canopy, jolting the ship so hard that Luke’s ears pop. Artoo immediately issues a damage report. The on-board systems ionization reactor suffered a crack in its thermal shielding; the Droid has dampened its power output to 60%.
“Then you’d better shut off the subspace radio, the entire sensor system, and -” Luke hesitates, knowing this is a desperate maneuver, “the targeting computer.”
The Droid lets an alarmed warble escape.
“Don’t worry,” Luke says with more confidence than he feels. “I can handle weapons targeting.”
Artoo proceeds without further comment, but Luke knows he must be straining his logic circuits to obey. Two more fiery clouds shake the X-wing as TIE laser cannons continue pounding his shields.
Gideon’s scow is now the size of a fist. Luke estimates he has reached the prospector’s maximum range. He wishes he could call Gideon on the radio, but that would mean shutting down some other system. And, at the moment, he needs every one of them. He must trust Gideon to guess his plan.
Four TIE shots explode directly ahead. As the X-wing passes through the fading salvo, concussion waves bounce it around like a bubble-raft on a stormy sea. The vidscreen blinks several times, then falls blank.
“We’ve got a short-circuit on the interface,” Luke says. “See what you can do with it.”
Artoo beeps once in response.
Gideon’s Rockcan is the size of a man’s head. Luke pushes the X-wing into a twisting dive aimed beneath the scow. The scow’s turbo-laser battery glows red as it energizes. Without his vidscreen, Luke cannot see the TIEs’ reactions, but he can imagine the pilots’ faces when they notice those shining cannon rods. If Gideon can only hit something!
The X-wing shoots beneath the Rockcan like a frightened Bantha kid running for the security of it’s mother’s belly made. Luke swings the fighter around just in time to see a line of fireballs erupt before the TIEs.
The scow’s salvo eclipses the stars, 24 Tredway, even Sil’Lume itself for a full three seconds. By the time the glare dies away, nothing remains of the TIE fighters except two expanding balls of red-hot shards.
Luke brings his X-wing even with Gideon’s cockpit. Behind the controls, Gideon sits with a great smile stretched across his beard from one ear to the other. Sidney slumps in the co-pilot’s seat, his ears flattened against his head and his muzzle a mask of horror and guilt. He cannot seem to bring himself to meet Luke’s gaze.
Gideon raises his hand in a thumbs-up sign, then points at the Tredway asteroid. At first, Luke cannot find the assault shuttle. Finally, he notices a firepoint setting down close to the glowing disc at the boulder’s center. Luke nods, then accelerates toward the asteroid.