[Dark Nest] - 1(132)

“I can find ‘em-at least the, uh, heart,” Han said, following Leia’s lead in not mentioning Lomi and Welk by name. “Trust me.”

“Fine.” Luke turned to Chief Omas and added, “But we’ll have to take along a Jedi team large enough to neutralize the nest. The Chiss will be alarmed-and nothing you say is going to reassure them.”

“They’ll be reassured when the Killiks leave Qoribu. I’ll handle them until then-just don’t take too long.” Omas braced his hands on the table and rose. “Speaking of which, I’ll be on my way-“

“Not so fast, Chief,” Han said. “We haven’t told you what this is going to cost.”

“Cost?” Omas looked to Luke, who merely shrugged and directed the Chief back to Han. “Of course, the Galactic Alliance will be more than happy to compensate you for any expenses the Falcon incurred-“

“We’re talking a lot more than that.” Han pointed at Omas’s chair, motioning him back down. “You see, Leia and I had something in mind for that group of planets, and we’re not about to give that up just because you’re afraid of what the Chiss think.”

Omas scowled. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Borao,” Leia said. “We want you to annul RePlanetHab’s claim in favor of ours.”

“You see, we were there first, and they kind of claim-jumped us,” Han said. “It’s been scorching my jets ever since.”

You want me to give you a planet?” Omas gasped. “In the Inner Rim?”

“Not us.” Leia pointed over Omas’s shoulder toward the Ithorians. “Our clients.”

Omas spun in his chair, slowly, and faced the Ithorians-who were looking considerably less glum.

“I see,” he said. “If the decision were mine alone-“

“Han, do you remember the coordinates of the new planet group?” Leia asked. “We were having that trouble with the navicomputer, and I’m not sure we made a backup of-“

“I’ll see what I can do,” Omas said, rising again. “But, you understand, I can’t just do this. The Recovery Act is law-I’ll have to push a special exception through.”

“Then I suggest you hurry,” Corran said, leaning back in his chair. “The Qoribu problem is time-sensitive, and I’m sure the Solos will want this matter resolved before they leave.”

“That’s quite impossible,” Omas said.

When Corran merely shrugged, Omas turned to Kenth-who suddenly seemed far more interested in the training fields outside than in the Chief of State.

Omas sighed, then said, “But I can block RePlanetHab’s claim.” He turned to the Ithorians and added, “It may take a month or it may take ten, but I’ll push this through. By this time next year, you’ll have a planet of your own again. I give you my word as Chief of State.”

“That’s not much,” Han said, also rising. “But it’ll have to do.”

“To the contrary, Captain Solo.” Waoabi started forward, holding out his long-fingered hand to shake Omas’s and accept the promise. “It is more than we have now. Thank you.”

Waoabi’s courtesy should have made Leia feel better, but it did not. Instead, she felt sad and sickened and a little bit soiled by the trade-off she had been forced to make.

Like it or not, she was suddenly back in politics.





THIRTY-ONE


A weight lay across Jaina’s chest, and the inside of one ear was being warmed by a soft, pulsing growl. The dormitory air was filled with a comforting melange of refresher soap and body smells from a dozen different species, but the predominant odor, familiar and musky and strongest, was human.

Male human.

Zekk.

Jaina reached down and felt his arm across her, and his leg a bit lower, then slowly turned her head. Through a lingering fog of membrosia excess, she saw the familiar chiseled features surrounded by a frame of shaggy black hair. Thankfully, he was still clothed.

The previous night came flooding back to her: Unu’s arrival at Jwlio, the Dance of union    , the Taat drifting off into the Harem Cave, the Joiners leaving in twos and threes and fours, her hand in Zekk’s…

Zekk’s green eyes opened, and the smile on his face was replaced by a confused squint. He blinked two or three times, then glanced at the lightly-clothed female body over which he’d draped himself and raised his brow. Jaina sensed a distinct click in the back of his mind. His eyes slid away from hers, and she felt his emotions swinging from disbelief to bewilderment to guilt.

“Well,” Jaina said, hoping to set a casual tone. “Interesting night.”