[Dark Nest] - 1(108)

Alema had no choice but to drop to her haunches. Cakhmaim was all over the Twi’lek, catching her weapons-hand with the sickle and whipping it around, slashing the tendons that controlled her fingers. The lightsaber deactivated and went tumbling away. Cakhmaim brought his club around for a temple strike, but at the last instant must have glimpsed the sorrow in Leia’s face and dropped it below the ear for a knockout blow.

Alema took full advantage of the switch, turning to take the strike on her lekku, then continuing around, bringing the palm of her good hand up under the Noghri’s chin, putting the power of the Force into the blow and driving him off his feet. Cakhmaim’s head hit the underside of the Falcon with a dull clang, then he dropped limply into the smashed marsh grass.

Leia slammed the butt of her lightsaber into Alema’s head, striking to subdue but striking hard. The Twi’lek staggered and looked as though she might pitch forward. Leia cocked her arm to strike again… and felt one of the Twi’lek’s legs catching her across the ankle, swinging through to sweep her off her feet.

Leia landed on the back of her head so hard that, even with the soft ground, her vision began to narrow. She braced a hand by her hip and instantly brought her feet under her, but Alema was already rolling to her feet, facing Leia, her good arm reaching out to call her lightsaber.

Leia reached out in the Force and tried to wrench the weapon away, but her head was spinning, and the lightsaber floated straight into Alema’s hand. With both Noghri lying limp and helpless in the grass, Leia was on her own. She didn’t like her odds. Her ankle was beginning to throb, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand on it.

“Han?”

“Almost… out.”

A frightening darkness came to Alema’s eyes, and she took one step toward Leia. “Put down your weapon, Princess. There’s no need for us to fight. Without coolant…” The Twi’lek stopped midsentence, apparently realizing how she had been tricked, then said, “You have extra coolant.”

Leia shrugged. The gesture felt like it would split her head. “We had to find out.”

“You can still lay down your weapon,” Alema said. “It would be better if you did.”

Leia eyed the unconscious Noghri. If they had failed to take Alema by surprise, it seemed unlikely that Leia could win a lightsaber duel-even if Alema would be fighting with her off hand.

“You’re right about one thing,” Leia said. “There’s no need for us to fight. I’ve been reaching out to Luke in the Force.”

Alema remained where she was, about five steps from Leia - safely out of attack range, but close enough to spring.

“And?”

“And the Masters already know that something happened to Saba,” Leia said. Her vision had returned to normal, but now her head was throbbing worse than her ankle. “They know the Skywalkers might have had a stowaway, too. My guess is they’ll assume the Colony is responsible.”

“You’re lying.”

“You’re a Jedi Knight,” Leia said. “You should know I’m not.”

Alema’s eyes narrowed, and Leia felt the Twi’lek probing her mind, searching for any hint of deceitfulness.

Leia made no attempt to resist. “The Colony’s best chance to win the Masters’ support-its only chance-is for you to go to Ossus now and explain what really happened.”

Alema’s lightsaber crackled to life.

“You won’t win any friends for the Colony that way,” Leia pointed out.

Alema shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter to you?” Leia began to drag the Force into herself, preparing to pull herself to her feet the instant the Twi’lek even looked like she was going to advance. “I thought you sabotaged us because…”

Leia let the sentence trail off, suddenly realizing how badly she had misunderstood the situation. Alema did not know why she had sabotaged the Falcon. She thought she was protecting the Colony when she was actually damaging any chance it had of winning the Masters’ sympathies… and why?

“Luke and Mara! Or… Ben?” Leia’s heart felt like it would burst with rage. “You ungrateful-“

Alema sprang.

Leia activated her lightsaber and blocked the Twi’lek’s first attack, then stretched out with the Force and used it to pull herself to her feet a dozen paces away. Alema started after her, coming fast but under control, and that was when a muffled thud reverberated from inside the Falcon-Han finally dropping out of the hyperdrive access tunnel into the aft service corridor.

Alema glanced up, and Leia had an idea.

“Han, I think she’s figured us out!” Leia screamed into her headset. “She’s looking toward the drive exhaust.”