The old freighter sling shot around the oblong asteroid with only centimeters to spare, dodging the laser blasts fired at its bow.
"Blast, I thought we had him that time!" Said the gunner to Obi Wan's left. He could feel the frustration radiating off the young cadet, but he paid it no mind. The lad was young and competitive, eager to prove himself. No doubt one day he would get the chance, but from the looks of it, that day was not today. The pilot of the old Corellian freighter they were pursuing was skilled. Indeed, that was an understatement. He was one of the best pilots Obi Wan had ever seen.
"Jedi Kenobi, we are dispatching four Y wing fighters to rendezvous at sector 148 as per your request. But, sir, I respectively disagree with this maneuver. The ship is clearly headed towards the Core along the Parlemian Trade route. Perhaps to the Hapes Cluster or Taanab. The Y wings will be going in completely the wrong direction." The Bothan Commander, unlike the cadet was cool and collected. He had many years experience and it showed; both in his crisp military stature and the white streaks that ran through his jet black hair. By all accounts he was right. The smugglers did seem to be going straight towards the Core. Obi Wan took a moment to quiet his mind and opened himself to the Force.
Immediately, the ship's bridge took on an entirely new appearance. Colors filled the air: the yellow orange rays of the gunners frustration, the flashes of red fear from the pilots as they did their best to evade the rocks on the edge of the Roche Asteroid Field, the solid gray of Commander Jensen's resolve. Then there was the calming blue of Obi Wan, he saw himself as if looking down from above. He went deeper, reaching out across empty space towards the fleeing ship as it rolled and dived. As he grazed its hall a rush of thoughts ran through his mind, like memories one thought were long forgotten. It was a modified Corellian YG-4210 starship, built 130 years before in the shipyards of Fondor. The builders were diligent and careful, they loved their craft and it payed off. Almost a century and half later it was pulling tight maneuvers it was never designed to make. Dents and scorch marks marred its outer surface, new wounds to match the old scars. Obi Wan continued, extending himself past the hall and the cargo. There in the cockpit, burning white hot, like a sun in the force; the elusive pilot, no more than a boy of twelve standard years. Obi Wan brushed against his consciousness, not wanting to reveal his presence. The reaction was instinctual and automatic. The pilot spontaneously closed in on himself, an implosion so sudden that it forced Obi Wan back, returning him to the bridge where his body was waiting; staring through the transparsteel windows. The lad was quick, he'd give him that, but just before his retreat Obi Wan caught a glimpse of the pilot's destination. A single image blazed in his mind: two harsh suns beating down on a barren dessert.
"Jedi Kenobi?" Commander Jensen was standing behind him, an inquisitive look on his face. "Are you sure you want the Y wings in sector 148."
"You look, but you do not see Commander. The freighter is bound for the far Outer Rim. They would not risk taking the main hyperspace lanes, it will likely travel the back routes via Nal Hutta." Obi Wan's tone was clam and even. If his response was not to the Commander's liking, Jensen didn't show it. He merely nodded curtly and relayed the command.
A sharp beeping turned into a solid tone as the targeting computer locked onto the fleeing starship. The gunner beside Obi Wan shouted triumphantly. "I got him now." Brilliant red turbolaser blasts erupted from the cannons and streaked towards the smugglers.
The Corellian freighter reacted even before the shots were fired. Banking hard, as if about to turn, it dived sharply between three large asteroids, circling around the nearest one in a downward helix. The turbolasers collided with the asteroid, vaporizing rock and shattering the orb into a shower of debris. Meanwhile, the freighter's three large engines could be seen passing underneath its pursuer on a ninety degree trajectory.
Red sirens blared on the bridge as the dust and particulates collided with the ships shields. Obi Wan was not concerned. The Republic Nebula Enforcer's had excellent shields, otherwise they would have never considered a pursuit into the outskirts of the asteroid field. Still the ship was far larger than the smugglers and less maneuverable. They couldn't continue this charade much longer.
"Hold your fire, we don't want to cause any trouble with the Verpine!" Commander Jensen yelled. The Verpine were insectoid natives of the Roche Asteroid Fields, inhabiting the interior of the larger planetoids using artificial environments. They had begrudgingly allowed the Republic forces to enter the field in pursuit of the smugglers. With a hive mind, they considered each rock important, regardless of how small and would not take kindly to their destruction. "Sharp to port. It seems you were right Jed Kenobi. There last stunt sent them right into the arms of the Y wings. They won't escape us this time." His confidence was palpable.
But as he said this, Obi Wan felt a twinge in the Force. "I wouldn't be so sure, Commander. The Force is strong with this one. Tell your Y wing pilots to prepare themselves."
In the distance, Obi Wan could just make out the glimmer of the Y wings yellow and silver halls. But it was still too far to make out their characteristic 'Y' shape. The smuggler's ship was careening right towards them.
"Lieutenant Brigs, prepare the tractor beam. As soon as our fighters take down their shields, I want you to lock on and reel them in." Jensen was an excellent commander, he exuded authority and his crew respected him. He might even make a good general some day, Obi Wan thought to himself.
"Commander, the Corellian class freighter is approaching our blockade. As of now it shows no signs of slowing. In fact, it has increased its speed to point one. It looks like it is preparing to jump to hyperspace." Ensign Vy's voice rang out through the silence as the crew waited, holding their breath.
As the freighter entered within the Y wing's range, they converged opening fire. Only the ship was no longer there. It had rolled into a high speed corkscrew, putting it off to the right of all four Y wings. Two banked in order to continue pursuit, while the others needed to change direction completely, costing them precious seconds. Red lasers flared against the freighter's aft shields as it ducked and dodged. Regardless of how good the pilot was, Obi Wan knew the century old vessel he was flying was only so maneuverable. Soon they would break through its shields.
As if reading his mind, Ensign Vy called out, "Their shields are down to 30%, but they are nearly out of Roche Field's gravity well. They should be able to make the jump to hyperspace within moments."
"Ensign Krea, convert all nonessential power to our engines. I want that ship stopped!" Obi Wan didn't need the force to hear the conviction in Commander Jensen's words, his entire being was focused on capturing the smuggling vessel. Obi Wan reminded himself that this wasn't the first time these ships had slipped through their fingers. Indeed, over the past standard year over three hundred smuggling ships had evaded Republic forces on main trade routes. That is, before they realized they were utilizing the asteroid field as cover. Sure not every ship made it through. The Verpine discovered about a quarter of the ship's wreckage among the treacherous space rocks. Clearly, the danger was not enough to dissuade them. Something big was happening and it was Obi Wan's directive to determine exactly what.
"Their shields just fell, Sir."
"Lieutenant Brigs, the tractor beam!" Commander Jensen cried.
"I am locked on." Said Lt. Brigs, as a drop of sweat fell from his brow. Relief evident in his voice.
Then, suddenly, the ship which they had been pursuing for so long, disappeared right in front of them. A look of surprise flashed across Commander Jensen's face. But just as soon as it had arrived he had regained his composure. "Lieutenant Brigs, report! he said starkly."
"I... I... don't know what happened. I had locked on, how could they jump to hyperspace?" Brigs was in shock.
"Commander, if my analysis is correct the second their shields went down they evacuated their cargo bays. The tractor beam sensors mistook it for the ship and attached to the cargo instead, allowing them to escape." Ensign Vy has made an apt assessment, Obi Wan thought, the maneuver most have been timed perfectly. In fact it was hard to believe such a thing was possible even for a computer. But then, Obi Wan had seen more mysterious things in his travels.
Lt. Brigs faced the commander, head down in defeat. "I take full responsibility, Commander."
"Don't be too hard on yourself Lieutenant. I doubt even Jedi Kenobi could have predicted they would be smart enough to exploit a design flaw in our sensors. At least we didn't come out of this completely empty handed. Let's bring in the cargo and see what we are dealing with." No doubt this is why Commander Jensen was so respected by his troops. He was always impeccably fair. A trait that seemed to be growing less common in the military ranks these days.
"There is no need to wait Commander. You will find nothing of value in the cargo. It was intended only as a distraction." Obi Wan explained. He had sensed as much through the force as he probed the ship.
"Then why would they go through all the trouble of evading our forces, if they had nothing to hide?"
"Because they did have something to hide. Their navigation records. They went through great pains to make sure those did not fall into our hands. No doubt they would have self-destructed the ship if they had been caught." Obi Wan replied. "The real question you should be asking, is why would a smuggling ship with nothing on it be bound for the Outer Rim? .... Commander, I would like you to prepare a shuttle for me."
"Where do you intend to go, Jedi Kenobi?" Commander Jensen asked, perplexed.
"I thought it was obvious, Commander. I am headed to Tatooine." Said Obi Wan with a sly grin.
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