[Legacy Of The Force] - 03(52)

“Yeah.” Han scowled. “It helps move the conversation along.”

Nashtah arched her brow-somehow making even that simple gesture seem menacing.

“Then I suppose my point is this.” The steak made a soft bursting noise as she tightened her grasp, forcing all the juice from it at once. Nashtah looked back to Leia. “Your father was as full of surprises as you are. I suppose I do believe your story.”

“Good.” Leia started to reach for her vitajuice, then caught a glimpse of what was in Nashtah’s glass and thought better of it. “Then I hope you’ll allow us to take you wherever you need to go.”

Nashtah nodded. “Telkur Station.”

“Telkur Station?” Han asked doubtfully. “You expect us to believe a bunch of pirates hired you?”

Nashtah eyed Han coldly. “Did I say we were going to meet my employers?”





Chapter Thirteen


The pincer-shaped silhouettes of a dozen Miy’til starfighters rose above the hill behind Villa Solis, then shot skyward on pillars of blue efflux. Jaina craned her neck, watching in silence as the fighter squadron arced toward a cluster of bright points already drifting across Terephon’s night sky. She estimated the number of points at nearly thirty, and even as she watched they were arranging themselves into the open-diamond formation of a battle fleet deploying for a jump to hyperspace.

“Something’s just not right about that,” she said, still looking at the fleet. Having been denied hangar access by the flight chief, she and Zekk had landed outside the front gate only a short time before. “We’re supposed to be the ones delivering mobilization orders for Tenel Ka. To ready a fleet this fast, Ducha Galney would have had to know about the coup attempt before we left Hapes.”

“Well, her sister is Tenel Ka’s chamberlain.” Zekk was referring to the haughty Lady Galney, who had seemed so convinced in the aftermath of the coup attempt that Jaina’s parents had participated in the attack. “Maybe Lady Galney told the Ducha what happened.”

“How?” Jaina asked. “Terephon is in the Transitory Mists. There’s no HoloNet here, remember?”

Zekk merely grunted and turned to study the spike-topped domes rising above the villa wall. Jaina did not need the Force to tell her that he was less interested in the villa’s simple architecture than in avoiding a conversation with her. During the long and complicated journey from Hapes, he had allowed no more Force contact than was necessary to coordinate their hyperspace jumps, and his only words so far had been about seeing the Ducha.

Jaina grabbed his arm and turned him to look at her. “Look, we’ve got a mission to do. So whatever’s kinking your air hose - get over it!”

Zekk pulled his arm away, but spoke in a mild voice. “I think I am over it.”

“Good,” Jaina said. Then she frowned, realizing that for the first time in years, she had no idea what Zekk meant. “Over what, exactly?”

“Jaina, stop,” Zekk said. “You don’t do coy very well.”

“Coy?” Now Jaina was really confused. She could almost always tell what Zekk was thinking - at least until now. “Zekk, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I really don’t.”

Zekk studied her a moment, then arched his dark brows. “Come on - we’re not that un-Joined.” He shook his head. “You’ve wanted this for years. Stop hiding from it.”

He secured his StealthX and started toward the villa, leaving Jaina alone. She was so accustomed to his blind approval that she could not quite believe he was talking to her as though she were a spoiled little girl. She returned in her mind to the last time things had seemed normal between them, shortly after they had arrived at the Fountain Palace and discovered that her parents were suspected of involvement in the coup attempt.

Zekk had tried to comfort her, suggesting that assassination just was not her parents’ style, and she had snapped at him. He had stalked off to the other side of the room, and though he had continued to defend her parents to Tenet Ka and Prince Isolder, toward her he had remained silent and withdrawn.

“By the Force!” Jaina secured her own StealthX and caught up to him. “Is that what this is about? What I said in the sitting room? I was worried about my parents! You can’t hold that against me.”

“I don’t,” Zekk replied. “I just finally realized what…” He caught himself and softened his tone. “Look, Jaina, I just realized that you’ve been right all along. We’re better as friends than we would ever be as lovers. I know you’ve been saying it for years, but I guess part of me really didn’t believe it until now.”