[Dark Nest] - 3(22)

“So you’re going to base your decision on the possibility that we’re Joiners?” Tahiri stared at Luke as she asked this, her green eyes as hard and emotionless as olivon. “That’s not like you, Master Skywalker.”

“If you’re asking me to give you the benefit of the doubt, you’re right,” Luke said. “There are many questions about why you betrayed the order, but there are none as to whether you did. You tried to influence my decision by bringing pressure to bear from Madame Thul.”

The three Jedi Knights continued to stare at him, their emotionless eyes neither blinking nor flicking away as they awaited the rest.

“Your actions cast serious doubt on your desire to remain Jedi Knights,” Luke said. “I suggest you go to Dagobah to reflect on the subject.”

“Dagobah?” Tesar rasped. “You are sending us on vacation?”

“On retreat,” Luke corrected. “To meditate on what it means to be a Jedi Knight.”

Tahiri and Lowbacca exchanged glances, then Tahiri asked, “For how long?”

“Until I send for you,” Luke replied. “And if you have any desire at all to remain members of the Jedi order, you will obey me in this. I’ll take any failure-for any reason whatsoever-as your resignation.”





SIX


Leia watched in confusion as Han started down the wall, picking his way through the crowded transaction hangar of the Lizil nest toward the suspicious Sailfish. With Defense Force Intelligence actively searching for the Squibs, the Lizil nest seemed a likely place for the trio to take refuge-and Han clearly intended to use that fact to find Jaina. What Leia did not understand was how-and, if she knew her husband, neither did Han.

Leia instructed C-3P0 and the Noghri to stay with the Swiff, then descended the ramp and started after Han, her feet squeck-squecking in the soft wax that lined the interior of the nest. It took only a few steps before the microgravity, the lack of perspective, and the cloying smell began to unsettle her stomach. She clamped her jaws shut and focused her thoughts on Han, trying to guess what outrageous plan he was developing-and whether it had any chance of working.

A few steps later, Leia caught up to Han and leaned close. “Han, what are you doing?”

“Maybe they’re interested in a Magcannon Max.” Han pointed at the Sailfish, now close enough for a visual inspection. The black box behind the rectenna dish was, indeed, one of Lando’s distinctive LongEye boosters. “It looks like they’re dealers.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Leia hissed. “We can’t let the Squibs know we’re here!”

“Sure we can,” Han said. “They’re not going to tell anybody.”

“They’re not?”

“No way.” Han glanced around, then whispered, “Juun and Tarfang used to work for those furry little backstabbers. And the last thing they want is for me to tell Lizil that it was their employees who helped me and Luke escape Saras on Woteba.”

“You don’t think they’ve already told Raynar?” Leia asked.

“Are you kidding?” Han asked. “These are Squibs. They’d never admit they played a part in anything that went wrong-especially something that fouled up the Dark Nest’s plans.”

Leia raised her brow-and felt the scales of her artificial Falleen face ripple in response. “And since they didn’t admit it right away-“

“It’ll look really bad if we tell the Killiks now,” Han finished.

“That’s what I like about you.”

“Handsome as well as rich?” Han asked.

Leia shook her head. “Resourceful … and just a little bent.”

She gave him a coy smile-then felt a small vibration between her shoulder blades as her disguise reacted to her expression and dispensed a shot of attraction pheromones. A sparkle of lust immediately came to Han’s eyes, and he cast a longing glance back toward the Swiff.

“Easy, boy!” Leia hissed. “Later.”

“Okay.” Even in his Arkanian disguise, Han looked crestfallen. “Will you wear the costume?”

Leia had to resist the temptation to hit him, for they had reached the hangar “floor” and were in full view of dozens of bustling Lizil. They circled around an old Gallofree light transport, then pushed through the small crowd of insects waiting outside the Sailfish.

Leia followed Han to the foot of the boarding ramp, where they stopped in front of two huge Flakax guards. Standing a little taller than a Wookiee, with sharp beak-like proboscises, black chitinous shells, and long ovoid abdomens hanging beneath their thoraxes, the pair made truly intimidating sentries-especially since Flakax who left their homeworlds tended to become psychopaths.