“No, you’re not being paid.”
Wedge laughed. “Just like the Rebellion days. No, I was going to say, you’ve brought me in for military advice, you’re acquiring personnel and materiel, you have a base of operations and an agenda that involves interacting with two major galactic powers-has it occurred to you that you’re setting up a third government here?”
“No.”
“Well, you are. The Jedi are now a cross-planetary, selfgoverning body, and you’re their Chief of State. You might need to start thinking along those lines.”
“Huh. You want the job?”
“No. If it lands on me, I’ll give it to Booster Terrik. He’ll figure out a way to get us paid.”
ABOARD THE ANAKIN SOLO
Caedus relaxed in his Command Salon, away from the bustle and noise of the bridge, waiting for the exit from Coruscant space and the short hyperspace jump to the rendezvous point with the Corellian task force.
He would have preferred to pass the time in one of two secret rooms near his quarters-Allana’s playroom, or his cramped workshop, where, finally, he was finding the time to build his new lightsaber. It would be a proper lightsaber, with a red blade, the better to announce his new role as Lord of the Sith-though when it would be time to make that declaration, he still did not know.
The monitor before him, showing nothing but stars and tiny, fast-moving dots that constituted traffic inbound toward Coruscant, suddenly switched to the face of Lieutenant Tebut. A dark-haired human woman with a quiet, no-nonsense manner and an imposing air of efficiency, she had, like all officers aboard the Anakin Solo, survived the most intensive security vetting the Guard could conduct. A candidate for promotion to the position of executive officer, she had, with Captain Nevil’s blessing, begun a program of mastering every bridge officer’s duty, and today she was at the communications officer’s station. Caedus approved of both her ambition and her breadth of skills.
“The pilot reports readiness for hyperspace jump, “Tebut reported. “But we’re being hailed by a private yacht identifying itself as Love Commander.”
Caedus grimaced and briefly considered blowing the vehicle out of space. But no, Lando was only nearly useless, and the old gambler’s instinct for self-preservation meant that he often had some helpful information at hand.
Caedus pressed a button so that his next words would also go to Captain Nevil. “All stop.” He released it and looked at the monitor again. “Put her captain through to me.”
He waited just long enough for the picture on his display to change from Tebut’s face before he began talking. “Calrissian, give me one good reason “
But the face that materialized on the display was not that of Lando Calrissian. It was Leia Organa Solo. “Mother.”
Leia gave him a slight smile. It seemed to Caedus to be a very sad one. “Oh, I’m not Mom anymore?”
“Not really, no. What do you need? I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“I need to speak to you.”
“And without Father.” Caedus frowned. “Where is the Falcon?”
“Back on Kashyyyk, putting out fires. Fires you started.”
“Yes. Fires to punish an enemy of the Alliance. As I must point out, you are an enemy of the Alliance. Is there some reason I shouldn’t start a fire in that ridiculous yacht of Lando’s right now?”
“The same reason as before. I need to talk to you.”
“That’s your need, not mine.”
Leia simply stared at him, silent, implacable.
She had to be up to something. Caedus tried to detect what he could of her through the Force. He could sense her, a bright and distinctive presence, alone on the yacht.
Interesting. So Han wasn’t with her; nor were there any strangers present. No assassins who might be targeting him. No Hapans come to retrieve Allana.
Well, he’d simply take her aboard, listen to what she had to say, and then throw her in prison, ending the danger she posed to his administration. Han would come after her, and Caedus could throw Han in prison, too. Suddenly he felt cheered by his mother’s unexpected visit.
He sighed as if giving in. “Very well. Come aboard my personal hangar bay. You’ll be escorted to the Command Salon.”
“Understood.”
Chapter 15
Minutes later, two security guards entered the Command Salon with Leia between them. They presented a ridiculous picture-two tall men in crisp uniforms, their buckles, buttons, visors, and blasters gleaming, flanking a diminutive graying woman in plain Jedi robes.
Still, Caedus didn’t think Leia looked diminished enough. She needed to be in restraints, her lightsaber missing from her belt, her expression crestfallen, her eyes defeated. She needed to be suffering for all her misbehavior since the conflict with Corellia began. Well, reality would match his imagination soon enough.