“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 enougŕ 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.”