“It’s not a nation, and I don’t run it. I’m a figurehead when they don’t need me to fight, and a commander in chief when they do.”
“A mercenary for your own people.”
“The irony isn’t lost on me.”
“You’re out of touch. More Mandalorians are heading back home.”
Home. “There aren’t that many. And what’s home?”
“You’ve no idea how many Mando’ade there are, have you? Plenty. Not just your troops and bounty hunters. People who’ve kept their culture alive all across the galaxy. Just like your father was adopted by Jaster Mereel, the culture gets passed on.”
“You know a lot about me.”
“More than you know about yourself, obviously.” Mirta was actually angry. Fett could see the color in her cheeks. Her voice had tightened and raised a pitch. “My dad said a Mand’alor should be like a father to his people.”
“I don’t need a lecture in responsibilities from a kid.”
“Well, your daughter wanted to kill you because you walked out on her and her mother, so I’ll take it that responsibility isn’t your strong suit.”
Fett was used to fear, deference, or awe. He hadn’t seen much defiance in his adult life-not for long, anyway. Mirta didn’t seem to care if he dumped her out of the air lock.
My own kid. I had what Dad wanted so badly, and I threw it away.
“I was sixteen,” he said. “Sintas was eighteen. The only females I knew as a kid were a Kaminoan and a changeling bounty hunter. Doesn’t equip you to be a family man. I tried.”
” Yea h. “
Fett never let himself get angry. To be angry, you had to care; and the only person he had ever cared about was his father.
But this girl had touched a nerve. “Maybe I’d have grown up a nice guy if a Jedi hadn’t cut my dad’s head off in front of me.”
“It’s hard to lose a parent.”
“Where are yours?”
“Dad’s dead.”
“Mother?”
“Haven’t seen her in a while.”
“You’ll grow up as bitter as me, girl.”
“Already have,” said Mirta. “Already have.”
There was nothing more to say. He’d already said too much; and he had to warn Beviin not to mention that they all knew that Ailyn was hunting Han Solo. He laid in a course for Drall and wondered what he would say to Ailyn when he finally caught up with her.
For the first time in his life, he suspected it would be Sorry.
HIGH COUNCIL CHAMBER, JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT.
Luke knew events had reached the point where he could do nothing to pull the Alliance back from confrontation with Corellia; there was only damage limitation. A blockade was the least destructive option.
He had already decided not to press Cal Omas to step back from the brink. He wasn’t even sure that Omas could do that if he wanted to. The Jedi council sat in a grim circle, as it must have done many times in the face of war over the millennia, and seemed to look to him for an answer.
Corran Horn-Corellian, stubborn, unperturbed-was there. At least Jacen had the decency not to round up a senior Jedi Master in his purges.
“I think we’ve exhausted diplomacy,” Luke said.
“A blockade is simply going to rally other worlds to Corellia’s cause,” said Horn. “And don’t think I’m saying that as wish fulfillment because I’m Corellian. I’m just reading the mood like everyone else.”
“Attacking Corellia directly isn’t going to achieve anything different. And letting Corellia have its way is going to encourage every other government to follow suit.”
“Then the only question is to ask what the role of the Jedi council is going to be in this.”
“Same as it’s always been,” said Kyle Katarn. “Looking for a peaceful solution, but ready to fight for the Alliance if called upon.”
Cilghal interrupted. “With respect, Master Skywalker, there is a question we all appear to be unwilling to mention.”
“Which is?”
“The actions of Jacen Solo.”
Luke avoided Mara’s eye. She was sitting to one side, staring intently at her datapad on the table in front of her, and she didn’t use her standing as secretary of the council to ask Cilghal to table the question formally. Mara had never been one for slavish adherence to procedure.
“If you want to raise that, let’s be specific.” Luke fought down a reflex to turn to Mara and say, See? They noticed it, too! He knew perfectly well what he saw. The only reason he wasn’t doing something about it was his own family interests, his own need for peace with Ben and Mara. And that’s not good enough. “I think we’ve all noted the prominence of Jacen in events involving the Corellian community.”