Leia motioned the stretcher bearers after Cakhmaim. “Let’s get her to the Falcon.”
“Not zo… fazt,” Saba said. The Killiks paid no attention to her and started across the dance-field after Cakhmaim. “The third azzazzin… we muzt warn Mazter Zkywalker.”
Leia exchanged a concerned look with Han, then said gently, “Saba, the Shadow is gone, remember? We won’t be able to warn them until we reach Galactic Alliance space.”
Jaina appeared alongside the litter with Zekk and Alema.
“Saba, are you sure about the assassins?” Alema asked. “It really doesn’t sound like-“
The inquiry was cut short when the severed arm rose off the stretcher and hit the Twi’lek in the chest.
“Yezz… zure.”
They reached the tunnel leading down to the hangar. Leia sent C-3PO on with the Killiks and Saba, then stopped at the entrance and turned to Jaina.
“How soon can you be ready?”
Jaina’s jaw fell. “Ready?”
“Yeah, to leave,” Han said, coming in on cue. “You can’t have much stuff to pack.”
Jaina continued to look shocked for a moment, then a shadow of her father’s crooked grin came to her lips. “Nice try, guys.”
“Try?” Han managed to sound outraged. “We had a deal!”
“You can’t hold us to that!” Zekk cried.
Jaina raised a silencing hand to him. “Let me handle this, Zekk. I’ve had practice.”
“Jaina,” Leia said sternly, “we did go after Lowie.”
“Don’t try the Desilijic shift on me,” Jaina said. “The terms were that we had to bring him back.”
“Yeah, well, you should have told us your ex-boyfriend was sitting on him,” Han countered. “You held back.”
“Didn’t know,” Jaina said, “and it wouldn’t matter if I did. Lowbacca’s still out there. We’re not going back without him.”
As Jaina folded her arms, the gesture was simultaneously mimicked by the swarm of Killiks that had gathered around them. But Leia was not ready to give up.
“Jaina, you know you’re only making the situation worse,” she said. “The Chiss are escalating things because of your presence.”
“That’s right,” Han said. “And you proved on the rescue mission that your judgment isn’t exactly sound.”
Jaina did a good job of maintaining a neutral expression, but Leia was too adept at reading faces to miss the glimmer of hurt that flashed through their daughter’s eyes.
“Jaina, if you really want to help Lowbacca, you’ll come back with us. ” Leia switched her gaze to all three Jedi. “You know the Chiss are an honorable people. Stop making the situation worse and give us a chance to work this out diplomatically.”
Jaina and Zekk actually dropped their gazes, but Alema was ready with a response. “And while you’re still trying to make contact, they’ll send in a fleet of defoliators to finish what they began.”
Jaina nodded. “Diplomacy is good,” she said. “But it’s better when there’s something to back it up. Go ahead and make contact with the Chiss, but we’re staying.”
“That’s one option,” Leia allowed. “But I’m concerned that you really don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
Jaina’s scowl of confusion was mirrored by the other two Jedi.
“We’re not talking about the Chiss,” Han explained. “You three are in way over your heads here-unless you think Saba really did imagine those assassin bugs?”
Alema’s eyes flashed at the word bugs, but she was the first to shake her head. “They were real.”
“But they weren’t Taat,” Zekk added.
“That’s one of the things we’ll be working on,” Jaina said.
“Until when?” Once again, Leia was unnerved by how easily the trio were finishing each other’s sentences. “Until you become Joiners?”
Jaina and the others shared a glance, then Zekk said, “That depends.”
“On what?” Han asked.
“On how quickly you convince the Chiss to stop,” Alema finished.
“Maybe you’d better hurry back to the Falcon,” Jaina finished. “Especially if Saba is right about where that third assassin went.”
Leia’s stomach grew hollow and worried. Jaina was right about that much, at least. They did not have a lot of time to waste trying to talk the three Jedi into coming home.
And Han knew it, too. He stepped close to Jaina. “Jaina, listen to me- “
“I don’t have to listen, Dad,” Jaina said. “I can feel what you’re thinking.”