[Han Solo] - 03(106)

Bria explained about her trip to Bespin during the big sabacc tournament. “I was rooting for you,” she said. “When you won, I wanted to—” she recalled herself, blushed, and fell silent.

“Wanted to what?” Han asked, his eyes very intent.

“Oh … I just wished I could break cover and congratulate you,” she said. “By the way, whatever did you do to that Barabel to make her so mad?”

Han looked at her, then his mouth twitched and he burst out laughing.

“You met Shallamar?”

“Not formally,” Bria said, dryly, “but I wound up standing beside her during some of the play after she’d been eliminated. That was one cranky reptiloid, let me tell you.”

Han chuckled, then explained about how he and Shallamar had had a run-in back on Devaron five years ago. “She told me she was going to bite my head off,” Han said. “And she’d have done it, too, if it hadn’t been for Chewie.”

“Devaron? Oh, yes, I remember—” Bria said, and then, at Han’s look, fell silent again.

She bit her lip before the intensity of his gaze. “So it was you that day at the Ylesian revival,” Han said. “I thought I was seem’ things.

I swore off drinkin’ for months after that day.”

Bria nodded. “Yes, that was me, Han. But I couldn’t let you blow my cover. I was in that crowd for a mission.”

“What was that mission?”

She met his eyes steadily. “To assassinate Veratil, the t’landa Til.

You fouled it up, though. Far as I know, Veratil is still alive.

Though probably not for long.”

Han regarded her for a long moment. “You really have done just about anything for the Resistance, haven’t you?”

Bria was distressed by his stare. “Don’t look at me like that, Han!”

she cried. “They’re evil! They deserve to be killed!”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I guess they do,” he said. “But … it’s kinda unnerving, you know?”

She gave him a shaky smile. “Sometimes I unnerve myself.”

When they reached Ord Mantell, Bria met with the Resistance leaders there to explain the mission and its importance. She was elated that, after their meeting, the Resistance promised to dispatch three ships and a hundred troops, plus appropriate support and medical personnel, immediately.

As Han and Bria were preparing to board the Falcon for the trip back to the Rebel deep-space rendezvous, one of the junior officers came up to her with a message flimsy. She scanned it, then looked up at Han.

She gave him a tight smile. “HQ just got a message from Togoria. There’s a small contingent of Togorians who have volunteered to come along.

They want us to pick them up on our way back.”

Han smiled slowly. “Muuurgh and Mrrov?” he guessed.

“It doesn’t say. But it’s a good bet they’re part of the group,” Bria said. “Can we?”

“Sure,” he said, not meeting her eyes. “Togoria’s a pretty world. I wouldn’t mind seeing it again.” Bria looked away, too. It was on a Togorian beach that she and Han had first become close. It was a beautiful world, fraught with memories for both of them.

They didn’t talk much during the trip. Bria found herself so nervous that her stomach was in knots. She wondered how Han felt ….

Han eased the Falcon down onto the landing field bordering Caross, the largest city on Togoria. After completing his post-flight checks and updating his log, he and Bria headed for the landing ramp. A group of Togorians were already heading out to the field, and Han thought he recognized one huge black male with white chest hair and whiskers. And there was a smaller, orange and white female with him.

Bria smiled excitedly. “Muuurgh and Mrrov!”

The humans jogged down the ramp, and reached the ground just in time to be seized and hugged so violently their feet left the ground.

“Muuurgh!” Han shouted, so glad to see his old friend that he wound up thumping the huge felinoid on the chest with his fists while his feet dangled. “How are ya, buddy?”

“Han…” Muuurgh was nearly choked with emotion. Togorians were an emotional people, especially the males. “Han Solo… Muuurgh very happy see Han Solo again. Too long it has been!”

He obviously hasn’t been practicing his Basic, Han thought, amused.

Muuurgh’s Basic had always been rather fractured, but after all this time, it was worse than ever.

“Hey, Muuurgh! Mrrov! It’s great to see you both!”

After their greetings were over, Mrrov explained that there was a contingent of Togorians who’d had run-ins with Ylesia over the years who wanted to be part of the assault. “Six of our people were either enslaved or close to those enslaved there, Han,” Mrrov said. “We wish to have a part in making sure that no other Togorians will ever again be trapped by that terrible place.”