by Troy Denning
Mara decided to take that as an apology. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“And we’re not going to abandon the Killiks.” Luke glanced up as the Killiks thrummed their approval, then looked to the rest of the strike team. “But I’m worried about you—all of you.”
“You’ve lost your objectivity and you’ve taken sides,” Mara said, sensing what Luke wanted from her. “You’re openly fighting on the Killiks’ side—and that means you have no chance at all of solving the problem.”
“Frankly, you’re half Joiners now,” Luke said. “I think you should to return to Coruscant with us at once. All of you.”
The bitter scent of an alarm pheromone filled the air, and the corridor erupted into such a panicked din of drumming and clacking that Mara’s hand went automatically to her lightsaber— and so did the hands of Leia and Saba. The color drained from Han’s face, and he casually hooked his thumb in his belt above his blaster. But Luke’s hands continued to hang at his sides, and the only sign that he showed of hearing the tumult was the patience he displayed in waiting for it to die down.
When it was possible to hear again, he continued as though he had never been interrupted. “We saw what became of Raynar, and the order just can’t afford to lose any Jedi Knights right now.”
“What about the Killiks?” Tahiri asked. “Without us here, the Chiss will have a free rein to—”
“This one will stay,” Saba said. “Until Master Skywalker can arrange to speak with Aristocra Tswek, she will let the Chisz know the Jedi are still watching.”
“Alone?” Tesar asked.
Saba nodded. “Alone.”
Tesar grinned, then thumped his tail on the floor and bumped skulls with his mother. “Good hunting.”
Mara looked to Jaina. “And the rest of you?”
Jaina exhaled loudly, then looked from the floor to Leia. “You’ve been awfully quiet, Mother.”
“I’m not a Master.”
“I know,” Jaina said. “So what do you think?”
Leia’s brow rose, and she appeared almost as shocked as Mara felt. “You’re asking me what to do?”
“Don’t look so surprised,” Jaina said. “I know how you and Dad feel about the Galactic Alliance. You’re the only ones here who don’t have an agenda.”
“Oh, I have an agenda.” Leia smiled. “Your father and I did come all the way out here to make sure you and Jacen are safe.”
Jaina rolled her eyes. “Like that’s going to happen. Just tell me what you think.”
Leia didn’t even hesitate. “Jaina, I think you’re just making the situation here worse.”
“Worse?” Alema demanded. Her lekku were writhing. “What do you know? You’ve only been here—”
Jaina glanced at the Twi’lek out of the corner of her eye, and Alema fell silent.
“Thank you,” Leia said. “As I was saying, your presence is a provocation to the Chiss. They’re only going to press harder, and you’ll end up starting a war that might have been averted.”
“Averted?” Tahiri asked. “How?”
“I don’t know how—not yet,” Leia admitted. “But I can tell you how it won’t be averted: by destroying Chiss task forces. They’ll just start sending bigger flotillas.”
“They already have.”
Jaina turned to her fellows to discuss the matter—or so Mara thought. Instead, they merely looked at each other for a couple of seconds, then the Killiks suddenly let out a single disappointed boom and began to disperse. Tesar, Jacen, and Tahiri started up the corridor.
“We’ll go,” Tahiri said.
“So will Tekli,” Tesar added.
“That’s half,” Mara said, raising her brow to Jaina and the remaining two. “What about you three?”
“We four,”Jaina corrected. “You forgot to count Lowbacca.”
SIXTEEN
FAR BELOW THE FALCON, the golden expanse of Qoribu’s largest ring swept past, a vast river of sparkling rubble that curved under the purple moon Nrogu and faded into the twilight murkiness of the planet’s dark side. In the distance, just beyond the ghostly green crescent of the moon Zvbo, the first tiny darts of Chiss efflux were tracing a crazy lacework against the star-flecked void.
“We’re coming into visual range now,” Leia reported. “It looks like the search is spreading. I see ion trails to all sides of the ring—some up to thirty degrees above.”
“Wonderful.” Han’s tone was sarcastic. “The Chiss are going to be in a great mood.”
“What leads you to believe that?” Juun asked. He was in the port-side passenger’s seat, annoying Han by constantly peering over his shoulder. Fortunately, Tarfang had been sent back aboard the Shadow, where Tekli would be able to tend to his wounds. “Because they’re having trouble finding survivors from their starship?”
“How’d you guess?” Han’s voice was even more sarcastic.
“Procedure,” Juun answered proudly. “They’ve increased their search radius, and why would Chiss search protocols be any different from our own?”
“You’re one smart Sullustan.”
“Thank you.” Juun beamed. “Coming from Han Solo, that is an enormous compliment.”
“Yeah,” Han said. “Sure.”
He pulled back on the yoke, and the Falcon began to climb away from the ring. Immediately, Leia felt the curiosity of their escorts—Jaina, Saba, Alema, and Zekk—rise in the Force.
“Our StealthXs are wondering what you’re doing,” Leia reported. “To tell the truth, so am I.”
“We don’t have stealth technology,” Han explained. “And as bad as things are going for the Chiss, if they catch us trying to sneak in, they’re liable to blast first and not bother with questions.”
“Like the Talu insertion in the Zsinj campaign,” Juun declared. “The Falcon will act as a decoy while the StealthXs penetrate the enemy’s perimeter.”
“Not really,” Han said.
“No?” Juun sounded crestfallen. “Why not?”
“Because you can’t stuff a Wookiee into a StealthX cargo compartment,” Han said. “So we’re just gonna fly in there and fetch Lowbacca ourselves.”
“And the Chiss are going to permit that?” Juun gasped.
“Sure.” Han glanced over at Leia, then said, “Leia is gonna talk ‘em into it.”
“I am?” Leia waited for Han to elaborate, then finally realized he was counting on her to come up with a plan. “This should be interesting.”
“Very,” Juun said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how you do it.”
“Me, too,” Leia said.
Leia set her doubts aside and reached out to Jaina and the others in the Force, trying to lay out Han’s plan without the benefit of words. Though she had participated in a handful of battle-melds toward the end of the war, she was not very practiced in the sort of empathic broadcasting used to communicate with StealthX pilots, and the sentiments she felt in reply ranged from confusion to concern. Growing more frustrated with each failure, she finally stopped trying and concentrated on two words: Trust me.
The four pilots seemed instantly reassured and spread out behind the Falcon, flying along the dark bands in the ring so their craft would not be silhouetted against the glittering rubble. Leia shook her head, thinking that she needed to spend more time practicing.
The Force filled with encouragement.
“Jaina and the others seem okay with the new plan,” Leia reported. Though Saba was in charge of the Jedi in the StealthXs, Leia’s bond with her daughter was so much stronger that the clearest communication came from her. “I think.”
“Good.” Han leveled off ten kilometers above the planet’s ecliptic and took the Falcon into the gray dusk of its penumbra. “But doesn’t all this seem a little easy to you?”
“Not really,” Leia said. “We still haven’t seen how the Chiss are going to respond, and—”
“Not them,” Han said. “Jaina. She doesn’t give up that easily.”
“I’m sure she just
realized you were right,” Juun offered. “Any daughter would listen to a father of your experience.”
“I’m afraid humans are more complicated than that,” Leia said before Han could respond. Sooner or later, even a Sullustan would recognize the sarcasm in Han’s voice, and she did not want to see Juun crushed again. It had been bad enough when they had shut off the tractor beam and let the XR808g float free. “And Jaina is more complicated than most. She’s as stubborn as her father.”
“Thanks.” Han sounded genuinely proud. “She’s got something up her sleeve, I know it.”
“Probably,” Leia agreed. “But at the moment, all that matters is recovering Lowbacca. After we’ve kept our end of the bargain, we can take her home by force, if necessary.”
“By force?” Han looked down his nose at her. “We haven’t had that option since she was ten. This is Jaina, remember? Sword of the Jedi?”
“I remember,” Leia said. “But I’ll always be her mother. I can still do what needs to be done.”
Han studied her for a moment, then grinned and nodded. “Yeah, Princess, I’ll bet you can.”
“We can,” Leia corrected. She could sense that Han did not entirely agree with her; that now he was the one hiding something up his sleeve. “We’re in this together, nerf herder. This won’t be like the time you left me to deal with that unwashed vent crawler she brought home.”
“Honey, that was Zekk,” Han said.
“I know who it was,” Leia said. “If not for me, Jaina would have ended up living in the undercity with him. It was all I could do to get him into the Jedi academy so she’d stay there.”
“Okay,” Han said. “But Jaina’s not thirteen anymore. She’s older than you were when I met you, and twice as bantha-headed. If she doesn’t want to go—”
“You’re not suggesting we let her stay,” Leia said. “I know you better than that.”
“I’m suggesting we might not have a choice.” Han took a breath, then spoke again in a calmer voice. “I don’t get it, either. Why anyone would risk their neck to save a bunch of overgrown anthills is way beyond me. But Jaina really wants this. I saw it in her eyes when Luke asked her and the others to return home.”
“Saw what?” Leia asked, wondering what Han was up to. This did not sound like the same man who had just flown across half the Unknown Regions to prevent his daughter from becoming a “bughugger.” “Because all I saw was disappointment and defiance.”
“Exactly,” Han said. “She’s not going to give this up. She’s probably never felt anything this pure.”
“You’re not making any sense, Han.”
“Look, Jacen and Jaina were raised on deals,” Han explained. “They grew up watching us struggle to hold the New Republic together, making bargains and playing politics.”
“Because we were the established order,” Leia said, feeling a bit defensive. “It’s more complicated to preserve the status quo than to overthrow it. You write your plans in shades of gray.”
“That’s what I mean,” Han said. “Everything was a compromise for those kids. They never had anything simple to fight for.”
“They had the Dark Jedi and the Diversity Alliance,” Leia countered. “They had the Yuuzhan Vong. That was all pretty clear.”
“And all of it was stuff to fight against,” Han said. “I’m talking about something to fight for, something pure to build. None of these young Jedi Knights has ever had that.”
Leia was beginning to see what Han was driving at. “You mean they didn’t have the Rebellion.”
“Right,” Han said. “The Killiks are peaceful underdogs, minding their own business in neutral territory, and the Chiss are trying to starve them out. I can see how Jaina might think that’s a pretty clear-cut case of the weak needing protection from the strong. Heck, it almost makes me want to fight for them.”
Leia frowned, wondering if her husband was showing the first signs of becoming a Joiner. “But you don’t, do you?”
Han rolled his eyes. “I said almost.” His tone was a little sharp and defensive. “I’m just talking about how Jaina might see tilings.”
“What a relief,” Leia said. “I thought for a minute you were going to say we had to let her and the others stay with the Colony.”
“When black holes shine,” Han scoffed. “What I’m saying is we have to make them think it’s their choice. I don’t want to take that spark away. Jaina finally has the same look in her eye that you did when I rescued you from the Death Star.”
Trying not to read anything into the word did, Leia objected, “You didn’t rescue me.” The debate was an inside joke with them, a way of reliving their past, when their own dreams had been so pure and uncomplicated. “You fell for Darth Vader’s trick and led the Imperials straight to Rebel base at Yavin Four.”
“No,” Han corrected. “I lured the Death Star into the Rebel trap. If not for me, that thing would still be flying around the galaxy.”
“Really?” Juun gasped from the navigator’s seat. “They didn’t mention that in Special Delivery.”
Han blinked slowly, then twisted around in his seat. “Are you still here?”
“Of course,” Juun replied to Han. “A crew member never leaves the flight deck without permission.”
“You’re not a crew member,” Han said.
Outside the forward viewport, Leia noticed a cluster of tiny blue halos beginning to swell in the darkness of Qoribu’s shadow.
She checked the tactical display and found two flights of Chiss starfighters heading their way. “Han!” Leia grabbed Han’s shoulder. “Company!” By the time Han turned around, the halos were large enough to show the spidery silhouette of the clawcraft cockpits and weapons-arms. “Finally.” Han gestured at Leia’s comm microphone. “What are you waiting for? Talk to ‘em.”
In the dream, Lowbacca was down in the Shadow Forest with his uncle Chewbacca, racing along the dark wroshyr branches toward the green wall that was the Well of the Dead. Though the Well’s tangled boundary of foliage was no farther than two hundred meters ahead, the two Wookiees never reached it. They just kept running, tearing through curtains of sloth-moss, jumping the long kkekkrrg rro claws that swung up to slash at their ankles. Every dozen meters, Chewbacca would lay a mighty hand on Lowbacca’s shoulder and rumble encouragement. But the words were never clear, and the only comfort came in the familiarity of his uncle’s heavy touch.
But this time, the touch was not Chewbacca’s. It was just as familiar, but lighter, and on the inside and it did not feel like a Wookiee at all.
It felt like a human. Like a female human.
Jaina.
When did she learn to climb wroshyr trees?
“You’ve what?” the Chiss voice demanded over the comm.
“I repeat,” Leia answered, “we’ve come to assist your search for survivors.”
“Jedi survivors?” the voice asked.
The six clawcraft had taken up escort positions behind the Falcon. With Leia occupied on the comm, Han had barely persuaded the Noghri not to hand-crank the as-yet-unrepaired cannon turrets around to face the starfighters.
“Negative,” Leia replied. “All Jedi are accounted for. We’ve come to assist in the search for Chiss survivors.”
“Really.” The officer sounded disbelieving. “The Chiss Ascendancy has adequate resources in place. You may return to your own base at once.”
Leia took a deep breath. She glanced over at Han and pointed at the throttles, signaling him to be ready to make a break for it, then said, “That’s clearly not true.”
There was a long pause, during which time the Falcon passed by Zvbo’s ghostly crescent and slipped into the full darkness of Qoribu’s umbra.
Finally, the Chiss asked, “Did you just call me a liar, Falcon?”
“We can see the search operation is going poorly,” Leia said. “You’ve expanded your radius to an area your flotilla couldn’t cover properly in a week, and the situation is rapidly growing worse. So please don�
��t insult me by telling us you have the situation under control.”
“Very well.” The officer’s voice turned icy. “Then I will simply instruct you to leave the area at once. Your assistance is not desired.”
Han made a turning motion, but Leia shook her head. She was just getting started. “Negative,” she said. “We’re continuing on to assist.”
“Now you are the one insulting me,” the officer said. “Whatever your interest is here, I doubt it is Chiss casualties. Turn back, or you will be fired upon.”
“I really doubt that,” Leia said. “If you don’t know who flies the Millennium Falcon, I’m sure your superiors do. The Chiss are not going to fire on a former New Republic Chief of State and Luke Skywalker’s twin sister—not over a few moons that aren’t even inside their own territory.”
A flurry of red cannon bolts flashed past and lit the Falcon’s canopy.
“Shouldn’t we ob-b-bey?” Juun stammered. “He s-seems very serious!”
“You’ve got a lot to learn about security patrols,” Han said. “If he had been serious, we’d be sucking vac right now.”
“I see.” Juun’s tone was one of sudden enlightenment. “You have a copy of their procedural manual!”
Han let his chin drop and shook his head.
A moment later, the officer finally grew tired of waiting for Leia’s protest. “That was your only warning. The next time, we fire for effect.”
“Just how many Jedi would you like in this system?” Leia retorted. Her threat was far more empty than the officer’s, since even if there had been enough Jedi Knights to carry it out, Luke would never use the Jedi in retaliation. “This is no longer an unauthorized operation. Master Skywalker has already taken half of our Jedi Knights and started back to the Galactic Alliance. I’m sure your superior wouldn’t want my brother’s report to the Jedi Order and Chief of State Omas to be influenced by another unfortunate incident. Wouldn’t it be better to allow us to assist, as a gesture toward continuing to resolve this thing?”
There was a short silence, then the Chiss asked, “Which Jedi Knights departed with Master Skywalker?”