Gejjen waved a calming hand. “Nobody’s making threats, Captain Solo. But we do have some intelligence that suggests her support of the Alliance is straining her relationship with her nobles.”
“We assume that’s why she’s willing to talk,” Lemora added. “Perhaps she’s merely putting on a show to placate them or trying to buy some time, but we can’t afford to ignore the opening.”
“No, of course not,” Leia said. “But Admiral Antilles said you were asking Han to negotiate a coalition. You do understand there’s no chance of that happening, don’t you?”
“If there is any hope, you’re it,” Gejjen replied. “But we don’t need a coalition-and neither does Queen Mother Tenel Ka.”
“If Hapes were to make an open statement of neutrality and withdraw her fleet from Alliance command,” Lemora said, “Corellia’s position would be strengthened both militarily and politically. Other governments might be emboldened enough to support us openly.”
“And Tenel Ka’s nobles would no longer have grounds to challenge her decision-or her throne,” Leia surmised. “Is the threat to her that severe?”
“We hear there are rumblings.” Gejjen leaned forward and deliberately locked gazes with Leia. “It might not be an exaggeration to say that persuading the Queen Mother to assume a favorable stance toward Corellia would be as much a service to her as to us.”
“I see.” Leia studied Gejjen for a moment, then turned to Han. “The prime minister does have a point, dear. We might do Tenel Ka and Corellia a lot of good.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Han looked back to Antilles, who was continuing to study the caf dispenser as though it could help him divine the secret plans of the Galactic Alliance. “But something about this smells like Hurt breath.”
“Fine-you don’t like it, we’ll find someone else.” Willems pointed toward the exit. “Thanks for…”
“Minister Willems,” Gejjen interrupted, “why don’t we hear Captain Solo’s concerns first?” He turned to Han with a lifted brow.
“All this would sound fine, if we were talking about it back on Corellia,” Han said. “What I don’t get is why Wedge had me come all the way out here, just so you three could come all the way out here to ask us to take the assignment.”
To Han’s surprise, Gejjen turned to Antilles. “Perhaps you should explain, Admiral.”
“All right.” Antilles finally looked away from the caf dispenser. “You were already on the way here when the prime minister received Tenel Ka’s message. I had originally intended to ask you to take command of the Home Fleet and prepare to counterattack the blockade.”
“Counterattack?” Han frowned. The Corellian Home Fleet was spread across the system’s five habitable planets, either pinned in their berthings or playing moog-and-rancor with Alliance vessels carrying double their firepower. “Are you spacesick? We’d lose half the fleet just trying to rendezvous.”
Antilles shook his head. “Not likely. We’re almost ready to launch the real attack from here.”
Han frowned, thinking, then demanded, “I was never going to see action?” He didn’t know whether to be angry or hurt. “I was going to be a decoy?”
“Sorry, Han,” Antilles said. “I had to do something.”
“We’ve been getting intelligence intercepts indicating that Alliance High Command is worried about where Admiral Antilles is,” Lemora explained. “I suggested we needed a diversion.”
Leia rested a hand on Han’s arm. “Think of it as a compliment, Han,” she said. “There’s no one else the Alliance would believe crazy enough to try something so risky.”
“Thanks a lot.” As Han said this, he was looking at Antilles. “It’s always good to feel needed,”
“As you obviously are,” Gejjen said quickly. “Admiral Antilles is not happy about losing you to a diplomatic mission.”
“And that’s the reason three of you chased me all the way out here?” Han asked. “To bully Wedge into letting me go?”
“Not entirely,” Lemora admitted. “The Queen Mother didn’t give us long to select an envoy. If you won’t go…”
“I will,” Willems finished.
“It hasn’t come to that yet,” Gejjen said. The look that passed between him and Lemora suggested they both hoped it wouldn’t. “But with strict comm silence being maintained here, we’d have to wait for a messenger to return to Corellia with your decision. It just seemed safer to come out here and talk in person.”