Bomb planted

The Falcon raced back out along the Death Star’s equator. Its sublight engines flared white-hot behind it.

The surviving spacetrooper managed to reach the ring of detonators. He worked meticulously but rapidly, disconnecting each one, using the built-in laser welder in his suit to remove the explosives. He tossed each one, still blinking, into the open space.

He succeeded in disarming six of the seven detonators. He was standing right above the last one, prying it up, when it exploded beneath him.

(...)

Then, without warning, a bright flower of orange and white erupted from the power core at the center of the Death Star, a small explosion. An instant later, flying in the opposite direction, the Millennium Falcon blasted out of the superstructure, gaining speed.
With a warm melting sensation of relief and triumph, he knew that Han Solo had survived! Now Kyp could strike the crippled Death Star with no second thoughts. And then he would go after Daala.

He powered up his targeting and weapons systems. With Jedi senses Kyp could feel the power surging beneath him in the toroidal torpedo generator—energy sufficient to crack open stars.

For one last time, he had to use it.

---

The explosion in the power core sent the entire Death Star reeling off its axis. The lone spacetrooper attempting to disarm the detonators was hurled backward, already torn to shreds of plasteel armor and incinerated bone.

The detonator had ripped open a gash in the cylindrical core, splitting the armored plating wide and spraying a jet of radioactive fire.

Tol Sivron’s head-tails stretched out straight with outrage. “I ordered those two spacetroopers to stop the sabotage!” He whirled to the Devaronian “Division Leader. “Yemm, record their service numbers and make a special disciplinary notation in their files!”

He tapped his claws on the chair arm and finally remembered to say, “Oh, and give me a damage assessment.”

Doxin ran to the status console and pulled up a visual. “From what I know of the blueprints, Director, there appears to be a relatively insignificant breach in the power core. We can repair it before radiation levels get too high. It’s a good thing no more than one of those detonators blew, though. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to contain it.”

The stormtrooper captain was on his feet, chattering orders into his radio helmet. “I’ve already sent a full squadron of troopers down to suit up, sir. I have instructed them that their personal safety is forfeit.”

***

Champions of the Force Chapter 36-37