Syal whistled. “What a relic. If my sister Myri were here, she’d be cutting three-centimeter squares off that thing and selling them as souvenirs. Get your own piece of history. Own a part of the second Death Star.”
General Celchu, relaxing in the copilot’s seat, offered a noncommittal “Ah.”
Syal glanced at him, remembering, too late as usual, that her words might dredge up bad memories. Tycho’s world of Alderaan had been destroyed by the first Death Star-at the precise moment he was in live holocomm contact with his family on that planet. He had been part of the mission to destroy the second Death Star, flying a first-generation A-wing into the gigantic vehicle’s superstructure. Had his skills and reflexes been just a touch less brilliant in those days, his A-wing and his bones might now be lying beneath that wreckage.
She winced. “I’m sorry. Was that stupid of me?”
Absently, he shook his head. “No. But your comment about your sister made me think …”
“Yes?”
“Maybe we could get a cutting torch and pick up a few square meters of it before the shuttle heads back to Coruscant.”
She grinned.
Moments later, following the landing beacon being transmitted to her, she brought the Reveille down to a smooth, wings-up landing near the Millennium Falcon. A quick postflight checklist later, she, Tycho, and their passenger stood at the top of the boarding ramp.
As the ramp lowered, it revealed the face of the uniformed man standing below.
Tycho leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Antilles, you’re off duty.”
“Thank you, sir.” The ramp touched down and she ran down its length, throwing herself into the arms of the man waiting there. “Daddy.”
Luke grinned at, but otherwise ignored, the Antilles reunion and waited for General Celchu to descend.
Tycho came down the ramp accompanied by a man who was decidedly unmilitary-a bit paunchy, black-bearded, dressed in plain black trousers and a shirt printed with the vista of a volcanic world. In fact, it was more than printed; as Luke watched, one of the volcanoes seemed to erupt, silently spewing smoke and lava up from belly level to nearly the height of the man’s collar.
Tycho shook Luke’s hand. “Grand Master Sky walker, allow me to introduce…”
“Doctor Seyah!” Ben trotted up, a hand extended to the black-haired man. “I’m surprised you’re not dead or something.”
Seyah smiled. “Good to see you, Ben. You’ve gotten taller.”
“Good!” Ben turned to his father. “Doctor Seyah is the man who briefed me on Centerpoint Station. He’s a gravitic physicist and spy.”
Seyah shook Luke’s hand in turn. “More successful as a physicist than a spy, I suppose. Which is why I’m here.”
Tycho nodded. “Doctor Seyah is on
Colonel
Solo’s arrest-interrogate-and-execute list. For presumed treason, which I know to be incorrect. I, uh, picked him up just before the GAG goons came for him. He’s been in safe houses since, but it’s hard to keep him out of sight of Solo’s investigators.”
Ben wrinkled his nose. “I can totally see that, considering how he dresses.”
Tycho smiled. “Grand Master, I was hoping we could leave him with you.”
Luke snorted, amused. “At least you have the courtesy to identify your spies when you try to place them with us.”
Deadpan, Tycho nodded. “Galactic Alliance Intelligence. We’re the courteous alternative.”
Luke stepped aside and gestured for the newcomers to precede him. “Let’s get you some food and caf. Then we can talk.”
Wedge decided that the group Luke led through the Death Star wreckage was a mob, and it was perhaps the most dangerous mob within five hundred light-years. Following him and Luke were Han and Leia, Jaina and Zekk, Syal, Tycho, Saba Sebatyne and Corran Horn, Ben, and Kyle Katarn, who trailed the pack but otherwise seemed to be moving well.
Luke chose a shady spot beneath an overhang of Death Star hull. He spread out his cloak on the bare dirt there and sat, gesturing for Han and Leia to join him. The others sat on Jedi cloaks or the bare ground.
Without preamble, Luke began. “I’ve had a brief talk with General Celchu here, and I’m going to go over some points he made and some other details that have come up recently. Together we’re going to make some decisions about a course of action.” Wedge saw Saba Sebatyne nod approvingly.
Luke gestured at Tycho. “The general came here to make an official request by the GA government that the Jedi
Order return to the Galactic Alliance fold, as is our sworn duty.”
Wedge grinned. “Five credits says the invitation came only from Admiral Niathal, and that Colonel Solo had no part in it.”