“Aw-blast, no, Leia. I keep telling you the uniform doesn’t fit me very well, ” he said. “I’m just as bad at following orders from men. I always have been-you know that. Look, I was there. You weren’t. I did it on a hunch. “
“How do you explain General A’baht? “
“Why don’t you ask him? ” Han parried. “But remember this-before he came to Coruscant, General A’baht was the senior military commander of the Dornea. He was accustomed to a greater degree of autonomy than we grant our Fleet commanders. He answered to his own conscience. I happen to think he was tremendously loyal to you-not least in the way he accepted his demotion. You could do a lot worse than to ask him to come back. “
“How can I? I humiliated him in front of his crew, his command. “
“If you think what you did changed how they felt about him, you’ve forgotten the rules of the game, ” Han said. “What you did changed how they felt about you. Give them back their commander. They won’t have anything worse to say about you than they’re already saying. You might even win back a couple of points. “
“What should I say? “
“You don’t have to say anything, not to them. Send the Fifth Fleet back to Farlax under General A’baht’s command, and they’ll get the message, ” Han said. “Leia, only weak leaders never admit to mistakes. Strong leaders don’t need to pretend to be infallible. Just fix this. There are bigger problems to chew on. “
She glanced up at the map of Koornacht, then studied the backs of her hands. “I have Bail Organa’s stubborn pride, ” she said quietly. “It’s hard for me to admit when someone else was more right than I was. “
“If you weren’t headstrong, you wouldn’t be my Leia, ” Han said with a crooked, affectionate grin. “You’re staying on, then? No resignation. “
“I can’t leave this mess for someone else, ” Leia said. “I’m going to have to take the responsibility for it. Nil Spaar wouldn’t have done this if he hadn’t been sure that we would let him. That I would let him. “
“You’re not responsible for his miscalculation. “
“What do you mean? “
“We’re not going to let him. “
“Oh, ” Leia said. “Do you know where General A’baht is? “
“He came back with me in the skiff. He’s probably over in the Fleet dormitories, expecting to be court-martialed. The Fleet Office will know. “
“I’d better go see him, ” she said, gathering her feet under her. “I’ll call on the way over. “
“You’re doing the right thing, ” Han said. “I’ll hang out with the kids till you get back. “
“Thanks. ” She kissed him quickly and started to leave, then stopped and turned back. “Han-“
“What? “
“How could I have been so wrong about Nil Spaar? How could I have sat there for so long, being lied to with smiles, and never have known? I’m a Jedi. I’m supposed to be more perceptive than that. “
“You don’t lean on that talent very hard, ” he said. “From what I can see, you don’t really want to. “
“I guess there’s some truth in that, ” she admitted. “Still, I can’t stop thinking I should have known what he was. “
“I think maybe you saw what you wanted to see, ” Han said gently. “You still believe in the basic goodness and rationality of the people you meet. Not everyone has that handicap. “
Though he likely could have had for the asking one of the suites held for senior officers and guests, General A’baht was billeted in a double in one of the enlisted dormitories. And though he had more than enough right to have it closed, the door to his room was standing open, respecting a tradition that redrew the boundaries of privacy from the first day of training.
A’baht himself was prone on the floor, turned half away from the door, going through a strenuous series of body lifts without so much as a grunt.
“General, ” Leia said. “May I come in? “
The Dornean officer came to his feet smoothly and saluted smartly. “Princess, ” he said. “I am-surprised-to see you. “
Leia closed the door behind her. “I think we need to talk. I received your apology, and offer to resign, on the way over here-“
“Princess, I hope you understand that I am not bargaining to escape the consequences of my actions, ” A’baht said. “I’m willing to stand for court-martial, or resign, or accept demotion to whatever grade you deem fit-whatever you think would be best for the Fleet and the Republic. I do not want to be the cause of any further embarrassment for you, or the Fleet, or Chandrila. “