She nodded. “Yes. They are public figures on Kesh.”
“I can’t imagine any Sith Lord or even Saber being content with a job that doesn’t involve some ego-stroking.”
“They are proud of what they do,” Vestara said.
“And you’re proud of them,” Luke said. It was a statement, not a question.
Vestara hesitated, then nodded. “Yes,” she said. “It is difficult not to be. To have moved so swiftly and so thoroughly.”
“Thank you for not lying,” Luke said, giving her a smile. “I’m sure this is a difficult time for you.” Vestara nodded again, more comfortably this time. “The Lost Tribe makes for dangerous opponents,” Luke went on. “I’ll give them that much. I didn’t enter into this lightly. But I thought it was the swiftest way to end the threat they pose. One planet—one strike by Jedi they think long gone—and we have the most powerful Lost Tribe members killed or in custody.”
“That’s … one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard,” Ben said. “But it makes a really weird kind of sense.”
“I’m glad you approve,” Luke said wryly.
“Still—you might have told someone,” Ben grumbled.
“I did. I told Leia and the Masters. The Masters know about the plan so that they can lead in the Jedi forces the second we’re ready. Leia was informed because, as the only Jedi staying behind, she could report to me anything she discovered.”
“That’s why she didn’t protest when they arrested her,” Ben said. “She went so quietly when Suldar—er, Workan—arrested her because she knew we couldn’t risk anything getting stirred up on Coruscant.”
Luke nodded. “The Sith must not be forced to act prematurely. Innocent beings could be harmed. And we also must make sure we strike when they are at their most vulnerable.”
“You didn’t tell Captain Solo or Jaina?” asked Vestara. “When their wife and mother was arrested? Could you not trust them?”
“Jaina isn’t a Master,” Luke said. “I can’t give her preferential treatment simply because Leia is her mother. And Han—well, Han can’t easily conceal his feelings. Particularly when they regard his family. Any Sith worth the name would pick up on his lack of distress right away, and our advantage would destroyed.”
She smiled a little. “Rather calculated and unfeeling for a Jedi,” she said.
“It was what was necessary for the greater good,” Luke said. “They all understand.”
Ben turned to Vestara. “You know this Workan guy. What motivated him to arrest Leia? And do you think she’s in any real danger?”
“He took Leia to make sure the last Jedi on Coruscant would be safely watched,” Vestara said without hesitation. “And to cement his personal power. To capture and contain such a prize reflects well on him. As for whether he’ll harm her—I don’t think so. Not right away, at least. She’s too important and beloved a personage to openly harm, and any ‘accident’ would be far too suspicious. And she’s a marvelous bargaining chip if it comes to that—a famous political figure, and the sister of Grand Master Luke Skywalker. But she’s not going to be released anytime soon, I can tell you that much.”
“I agree with Vestara on all counts,” Luke said. “Upsetting as it is, we can’t make any attempt to rescue her until we’re ready to move on all the Sith on Coruscant. She’ll be all right.”
“So we’re still going after Ship first?” asked Ben. He might understand his father’s logic, but he clearly didn’t think he had to like it.
“Let me put it to you this way: do you want to handle Ship and Abeloth and the Sith all at the same time?”
“Uh … no,” Ben said.
“So plot a course,” Luke said. “The sooner we’re done with Ship, the sooner we can head home.”
“You let my mom get captured by Sith?”
Luke remained unruffled. “I did,” he told Jaina. “And the Sith have no idea that we knowingly did so.” Calmly, he explained his plan to Jaina. She folded her arms and glared at him while he spoke, but she listened, and as he continued he saw her body posture ease.
“I am sorry Leia got caught in the middle of this,” he said. “But she knows how to handle herself, and I don’t think she’s in any current danger.”
Jaina sighed. “I know. If anyone can deal with this, it’s Mom. I just wished I’d known what kind of a risk she was taking.”
“She knew, and she agreed to stay behind,” Luke said. “There’s an extra benefit—having her as a quote-unquote prisoner is lulling the Sith into a false sense of security. That will work to our advantage.”
“I guess you’re right. How did Dad react when you told him?”
“I haven’t told him about the Sith yet,” Luke said. “You’re safely away from Coruscant. Your father isn’t. I’m sure the Sith are watching him constantly, and the instant Han knows—”
“They’ll know we’re on to them,” Jaina grumbled. “I hate it when you’re right about things like this, Uncle Luke. Did you know that?”
“Trust me, I hate it, too, sometimes,” Luke said.
“So when do we go back and kick some Sith off Coruscant and get Mom out of jail?”
“As soon as we deal with Ship. We have to be able to focus all our attention on each enemy and take them out one at a time. The last thing we need is Abeloth showing up to help the Sith once we begin the attack.”
“Did you not hear that part where I said I hate it when you’re right?”
Luke chuckled. “We won’t waste a moment, I promise. I don’t like the thought of Leia in prison any more than you or your father does. So let’s get to Upekzar and then get back home.”
“That’s the first thing you’ve said that I like,” said Jaina. “You’re improving.”
ABOARD THE MILLENNIUM FALCON
“THAT IS NOT WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR, LUKE,” SAID HAN. “WHAT I want to hear is, I’m bringing back my Jedi and we’re going to bust my sister out of jail.”
“Han, I wish I could say that, but I can’t right now,” said Luke, his holographic face sympathetic. “I know you’re worried about Leia. So am I. But the fact of the matter is, she’s in no immediate danger, and I need to find and stop the Sith and Abeloth. Talk to Wynn, he—”
“I have talked to Wynn!” Han shouted. He felt his hands ball into fists and forced them to relax. “And Padnel. They’re both terribly sorry, but nobody is going to lift a finger without going through committee meetings, debates, presentations, and forms filled out in triplicate!”
Luke spread his hands in a helpless, frustrated gesture. “Then you have to be patient. What do you think Leia would want you to do? This government is fragile and tentative as it is. Just—be patient. Let it find its way to justice at its own pace. You know Dorvan. He’s a stickler for doing the right thing. And Padnel is Leia’s friend.”
“I know,” Han muttered. “But it’s this Senator Suldar I don’t know, and don’t like, and whose head I would like to break open.”
“I understand how you must feel,” Luke said. “That’s what I’d want to do if it were Mara in there. But Leia is in no danger, and if I were you, I’d want to get Amelia to safety as soon as possible.”
Han flinched inwardly. Luke was right. Allana should have been his first priority. Sitting beside him in the copilot’s seat, her legs dangling, she said, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
Which, of course, only emphasized the need for him to get her far away from Coruscant. Sleemos might come for her next.
“You’re right, Luke. I need to take care of my little girl.”
Luke smiled. “That’s the right call, Han. Let me know where the two of you end up, all right? And let me know the second you hear anything about Leia.”
“Will do,” Han said, and thumbed the OFF button. Behind him, the Squibs, who had kept silent on pain of extreme bodily harm, now piped up.
“So where are we going?” asked Emala.
“We’re still sticking with you, right? Because Jag told you to
keep us with you,” warned Grees.
“Good, I was getting bored sitting around this ship all day. I need to stretch my legs!” said Sligh.
“Dad? We’re not really going to leave Mom behind in a prison cell, are we?” Allana looked up at Han with a mixture of worry and indignation. “Because I thought Solos didn’t run from fights.”
“We don’t, honey,” Han said. “But we do get our children to safety. Everybody buckle up.”
“You wish to depart right now, Captain Solo?” said C-3PO, disbelieving. “But we haven’t shut down the safe house properly, nor checked our supplies, nor—” R2 tweedled reprovingly. “Oh, hush, you. Some of us don’t like to leave things in disorder when we leave on trips!”
“Luke’s right,” said Han. “We gotta get Amelia safe.”
“And us, too!” said Sligh. “Let’s go!”
For once, Han didn’t let their piping, cheerily annoying voices get to him. He was a man completely focused on a two-part mission.
One: get Allana to safety.
And two: get his wife the hell out of prison.
OUTSIDE THE OFFICES OF THE CHIEF OF STATE OF THE GALACTIC ALLIANCE
Han was not normally the most patient of men. He was particularly not patient when his family was in jeopardy. But he thought Leia would be proud of how quietly he stood outside the offices of the Chief of State, not bothering anybody, just waiting. Patiently.
Of course, Leia probably wouldn’t approve of why he was waiting—patiently—but that didn’t matter right now.
Through the transparisteel windows, he saw the door to Dorvan’s office open. Wynn looked tired. Han could sympathize. Desha Lor looked up at him and said something Han couldn’t hear, then pointed to where Han was standing outside.
He smiled and waved at them.
Dorvan’s face grew even more tired looking, and he nodded. He picked up his briefcase and started out the door.
“Hello again, Captain Solo,” Dorvan said. “Where’s Amelia?”
“She’s with some friends,” Han said. “Figured I’d get her safely offworld before those barvy members of the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate People Going About Their Business decides an eight-year-old child is a threat.” He gave a cheerful and entirely fake grin.
“I see. I’m afraid I’m rather late for—”
“I’ll walk with you. I mean, I’ve got nothing better to do. It’s not like my wife is going to be around.”
Dorvan was walking while they talked. “Captain Solo, you know both the interim Chief of State and I are friends of Jedi Solo, and we deeply regret—”
“Not yet. You don’t deeply regret anything yet. Trust me.” They stepped in the turbolift together. It started to descend. Han leaned forward and pressed the STOP button, then turned to face Dorvan.
“I’m getting my wife out of prison. She doesn’t belong there, and you know it. She’s done absolutely nothing wrong and has dedicated her entire life to the ideals of the Galactic Alliance. I am not going to sit meekly by and watch them do to her what they did to Tahiri. Now. You’re either going to help me, or I’m going to consider you in my way.”
“Is that a threat, Captain Solo?” Dorvan didn’t bat an eye.
“Only if you don’t help me.”
“I could have you arrested for threatening the Chief of Staff of the Galactic Alliance, you know.”
“But you’re not, are you?”
Dorvan regarded him steadily. His gaze wasn’t cold, but it was appraising, and Han knew he was turning things over in his head, weighing all the options. Finally Dorvan said, “I’m afraid I can’t help you in any official capacity.”
There was no extra emphasis on the word official, but Han got it. Forcing himself not to grin in triumph, he reached and punched a button, and the turbolift continued its descent.
“Well, I had to try. You know that.”
“I do. Thank you for understanding. Ovin and I will do all we can, legally, to release your wife. He’s heading there now, to talk to her. Captain Solo, I really am late for an appointment, but why don’t you accompany me? I’m visiting an old friend.”
Galactic Alliance prison cells represented a distinct improvement over Imperial cells. For one thing, there was no hovering interrogation droid. But in the end, a cell was a cell, a prisoner was a prisoner, and Leia wanted to get out of this cell every bit as much as she had her first one at age nineteen.
Luke had been right, as Luke often was. The Sith had indeed come to Coruscant—but they’d come much faster, or had been here much sooner, than Luke possibly could have anticipated. She couldn’t think of any other reason for the Senate to act as it had—suddenly, maliciously, even precipitously—when the Jedi weren’t even here anymore. Someone wanted to make sure every Jedi was being watched, and someone also wanted to limit civil liberties as quickly as possible.
She wished she could tell Han what was going on, but she had understood Luke’s reasoning. As would Han himself, once he got over his initial angry reaction. Leia didn’t feel threatened.
Yet.
She looked up as she heard someone walking down the hallway, and her heart lifted when she saw who it was.
“Padnel!” Leia got to her feet.
Padnel’s scarred face turned even uglier in anger as he saw the shackles on her hands and feet. He turned to the GAS guard who had accompanied him. “Take those off her this instant!”
“Sir,” said the guard, “she is a Jedi. The subcommittee expressly said that—”
“I’m the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, and I say take them off her!”
“Sir,” said the guard, and Leia actually felt sorry for him, “I am not permitted to do that. It’s legally required that every Jedi held here be confined in such a manner. I’m sorry, sir.” And he was; Leia could sense it.
“It’s all right,” she said, smiling gently. “I’ve been in worse places than this. The manacles don’t hurt, Padnel.”
He frowned even more and waved the guard away. “Sir, I was instructed—”
“Is it legally required for you to stay?” bellowed Padnel.
“Er, no sir, I was just instructed—”
“Then I instruct you to leave me alone with Jedi Solo!”
The guard inclined his head and fairly scurried away. Padnel sighed and turned back to her.
“Leia, I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am about all this,” he said. “I didn’t even know it had happened until I was briefed on it this morning. I came as soon as I could. Are they mistreating you in any way?”
“No, not at all,” Leia assured him. The last thing she wanted was for the decent people who had no choice but to go along with this to be punished. “They’re just doing their jobs. I know you came as soon as you could. I don’t think I have to tell you that the charges are utterly false.”
He growled. “Of course they are! Somebody has made a terrible mistake. If we were back on Klatooine and this happened with the Panthers, I’d have it taken care of in three minutes.”
“Well, that is one of the drawbacks of a legal system,” Leia said, forcing a smile. “But Padnel … I don’t think this is a mistake.”
“Of course it is!”
She shook her head. “A mistake denotes someone doing something incorrectly. I think that my arrest is all unfolding according to someone’s plan. It’s not a ‘mistake’ at all.”
“Leia,” he said, “I’m well aware of why I was elected.” A touch of self-loathing crept into his voice. “I told that to Wynn Dorvan. But I know what’s going on. They’re not going to be able to get anything on you, because there’s nothing to get. They did indeed make a mistake, though it’s not the one you think. They shouldn’t have elected a so-called puppet, because not only will they have to deceive others, they’ll have to deceive me. I don’t know what kind of game they’re playing, but I know they are playing a game. I won’t let it go any farther than this, I promise you. If worse comes to worst, I can always give you a pardon.” Hi
s flews curled back in a sharp-toothed smile. “I’ll simply get in their way for the next couple of months until a proper election can be held. And then this will all be Dorvan’s problem. And he is far better equipped than I to handle it.”
Leia couldn’t argue that point. But she knew Padnel well enough to realize that he had made up his mind. If she started talking about Sith and conspiracies now, he would not listen. The Sith would keep progressively destroying liberties and arresting innocents—and despite Padnel’s words, if they wanted her dead, they would find a way to kill her.
She gave him a gentle smile. We all are who we are, she thought. He has had more asked of him than most. I can only hope that he will open his eyes before worse happens—and that Dorvan is able to do something.
“Wynn Dorvan is a fine man,” she said. “He won’t steer you wrong.” There were more footsteps and an odd tapping sound coming down the hall. It was after visiting hours, and absently Leia wondered who it might be. “I thank you for coming by.”
“Courage, my friend,” Padnel said. “This will all be over soon.” He glanced down the hall and his eyebrows rose. “It looks like you have a rather … oddly dressed friend to see you.”
“Good evening to you, Chief of State Ovin!” came a familiar husky, drawling voice.
Leia’s heart lifted. “Eramuth!” She could see him now, escorted by the same unhappy-looking security guard who had brought Padnel in, and realized that the tap-tapping was from the Bothan’s elegant cane. He carried his familiar black bag, and his hat was tucked under one arm. “Padnel, this is Eramuth Bwua’tu. He is a fine lawyer, and happens to be cousin to Admiral Nek Bwua’tu.”
Padnel extended a hand. Eramuth took it in his gloved one and shook it. “I gather you are here to represent Jedi Solo,” Padnel said. “You’ll be wasting your time. The charges will be dropped. She’s done nothing wrong.”
“Oh, I know she hasn’t. But trust me, no time in the presence of such a distinguished and lovely personage as Jedi Solo is ever wasted,” Eramuth said. “Besides”—and he sobered slightly—“it does me good to take a break from the bedside of my nephew from time to time.”
Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension Page 29
