He took out another Skyhawk with a blast from the ventral laser, only for the cannon to be obliterated by the lead Vector. Pan thudded a meaty fist down on the console. Damn their eyes, whoever that Jedi was, they deserved a fiery death—which he would be more than happy to provide.

Another charge dropped into the clouds. Indeera reached out with the Force, trying to nudge the shell as it whistled down, shifting its course so it would splash into the lake. At least that was the plan. She would have no way of knowing if she’d succeeded until it plunged beneath the water. In the meantime, she would have to be content with making a difference up here.

Indeera turned her Vector on its head, streaking across the battle cruiser’s undercarriage. One of the ship’s three bomb bays lay straight ahead. Indeera could only imagine the Nihil at work, preparing another barrage. They would be disappointed. Indeera raked the dreadnaught’s belly, the last few bolts finding their way through the open doors.

Flames gouted from the bay as the bombs detonated in their cradles, the shock wave buffeting Indeera’s Vector as she dropped into a sharp turn to stop herself from being immolated in the blast.

The Elegencia shook violently as a chain reaction ripped through the lower decks. Pan swore, yelling for a damage report. It came back better than the quake had suggested, although there were numerous fires raging down below.

“They’ll pay for that,” he bellowed, spittle spraying from his thick lips. “Release the scav droids. Gut them like fish!”

The first wave came out of nowhere, swarming out of hatches that sprang open along the cruiser’s long keel. Hundreds of scav droids, manipulator arms grasping, dropping into the atmosphere like locusts. A Skyhawk was the first to fall prey to the robotic scavengers, laser cutters slicing through the starfighter’s thin canopy. The small craft went into a spin, taking out another Skyhawk in the process. Only one of the Republic starfighters remained, and there was little the Vectors could do, the Jedi just as vulnerable to the droids’ advance.

Burryaga mewed over the comm as Nib’s Vector all but disappeared under a mob of the metallic scavengers, although his Master responded to the crisis with customary grit.

“Steady yourself, Padawan. It’ll take more than a few scavvers to send me packing.”

Indeera felt a flutter in the Force as Nib used the energy field to strip the droids from her hull, although the Vector’s thin skin showed numerous scars where the droids had already started to mine it for parts.

Burry barked happily, but the celebrations were premature. A laser blast shot down from the main Nihil cruiser, slicing through Nib’s already damaged wing. Her Vector went into a tailspin, falling away.

“Looks like I’m out,” Nib said, her canopy popping as she bailed out. “See you on the ground.”