Booster finally sat again and fixed a glare on Corran. “But you didn’t bring my grandchildren.”
Corran folded his arms. “They’re scattered to the four corners of the galaxy on Jedi business. Not my fault.”
“Humpf.” The old man fixed his stare on Mirax. “Your husband still can’t do simple math. You can’t scatter two children to four corners.”
Mirax’s grin grew broader. “Jedi think that everybody can be divided into fractions. Come on, Father. We really need to talk.”
They settled into a private conference room only a few paces from the Flag Hangar. The black gleaming sideboard had been set out with finger foods, alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, and sealed sabacc decks with holographic images of the Errant Venture on the backs of the cards. Most people present settled for the food and alcohol-free beverages, but Myri took a sabacc deck and practiced shuffling, stacking the deck, and palming cards. Leia watched the sophisticated card sharp’s techniques for a few moments before turning her attention to the others.
“So,” Booster said, and pointed at Han and Leia. “Everybody in the galaxy wants to arrest you two. Except the Hapans, some of whom want to investigate you and some of whom just want to kill you. Are you going to get the Venture blown up?”
“What’s the matter?” Han asked, his voice taunting. “No sympathy for someone everybody is chasing?”
Booster snorted. “Good answer.” Leia knew that he’d been a smuggler before she had been born, and had been sought for his crimes by both Corellian Security and the Empire. Corran’s father, CorSec agent Hal Horn, had arrested him, and the man had spent years on the mining prison of Kessel. These days he was reformed, legitimate … about as much as Han Solo. “All right,” Booster continued. “What is this all about?”
“I’m sure you know all the public facts about the Corellia-GA war,” Wedge said. “I’m equally sure you’re running odds.”
Booster nodded. “When your retirement ceremony was broadcast, odds went to thirty-seven to one for total conquest of Corellia, unless the Bothans come in, at which point it goes to fourteen to one for a negotiated conclusion, with the Bothans selling the Corellians out and getting the rancor’s share of the deal.”
Wedge’s face twitched. “Right. Anyway, the public records don’t talk about the fact that there are odd, unexplained variables at work here. The pressures that have brought this war into being are unambiguous, easy to identify. But there’s additional string-pulling going on that is harder to bring into focus.”
“Such as,” Lando said, “efforts by different groups that would take Han and Leia out of the equation. Take the assassinations of the Bothan politicians on Coruscant. If they were done by Corellians to bring the Bothans in, why haven’t those agents also targeted major figures like Cha Niathal to deprive the GA of some of its strategic strengths, or Jacen Solo as revenge for all the Corellian prisoner taking? Things aren’t adding up.”
Wedge said, “My instincts tell me that if you bet on all the forces lining up to keep the Bothans out of the war failing, you’ll make a good return on your bet.”
“Hold on,” Booster said. He spoke to the right arm of his chair. “Log that tip.”
“Logged,” the chair said, its voice that of a female protocol droid.
“And then there’s the whole thing with ghosts appearing and persuading previously rational people to do very bad things,” Leia said. “That strongly suggests a Force-user. A dark-sider, in all likelihood, if the goal is to help war happen.”
“If there is somebody pulling strings,” Han said, “that rodder is probably on Corellia or Coruscant. That’s where most of the puppets are dancing. And I’m talking about people like Cal Omas and Dur Gejjen being puppets.”
“We sort of stowed away on the Antilles-Horn rendezvous with you, Booster,” Leia said. “But on the flight out here”-she glanced at Han-“we came to the conclusion that the Errant Venture would be an incredible resource for gathering information. Park it in the Corellian system, where there are thousands of restless military personnel, provide gambling and entertainments … people get drunk, talk more freely …”
Han added, “And it’s not as though there’d be a big financial loss. Thousands of restless military personnel, like Leia says.”
Booster snorted. “You think I’m so old I don’t notice financial opportunities anymore? Princess, I applied for access to the Corellian exclusion zone the day it was established. The GA has been sitting on my application ever since.”