THE PARADISE SNARE(103)

“But, Dad, you don’t know—” Pavik began.

“Yes, I do,” Tharen said. “I’ve been in my study, and the door was open.

I’ve been listening to this entire disgraceful scene, and I’m telling you, Pavik, you’re not calling security.”

“But, Renn …” Sera Tharen began. Her husband turned to her, his glance scathing.

“Sera, I’m tired of you trying to use our daughter as a pawn to further your social ambitions. You’re most of the reason she ran away last year.

So stop it. Do you understand me?”

“Renn!” Sera Tharen gasped. “How dare you speak to me like that?”

“Because I’m angry, Sera, angry clear through,” Bria’s father snarled.

“How can you be so blind? You don’t understand the danger our daughter was in on Ylesia! Look!”

Seizing Bria’s hand, her father dragged her over to stand before her mother. Taking her hands, he thrust them out before his wife’s eyes.

“Look, Sera! See her hands? See these scars? Those people mistreated Bria, they made her a slave. She might have died, Sera, if not for Han. I’m grateful to him, even if you don’t have the common decency to realize that! He’s a good kid, and I say that Bria could do far worse.”

“But—” she whispered, wringing her hands and beginning to cry. “Oh, Bria, your poor hands, darling …”

“Not one more word, Sera. I forbid it.”

Sera Tharen subsided into her chair, weeping softly.

Renn Tharen whirled around to confront his son. “Pavik, you’ve become as judgmental and class-conscious as your mother. I’m tired of you, too.”

Renn glared at the young man. “You’re talking about a man who risked his life to save Bria from slavery. Bria’s right about him applying to the Imperial Academy. Han Solo is a decent guy. He reminds me of myself when I was his age. There are some incidents in my past I’m not proud of, either.

He deserves a chance, not jail. He deserves our thanks, not a call to CorSec.”

When Renn Tharen stopped speaking, silence reigned. Then, with a sobbing gasp, Bria ran to her father and threw her arms around him.

“Thank you, Dad!”

Han had walked the entire length of the Tharen estate, and was on his way back when he saw someone coming down the path toward him. It was Bria, and she carried a good-sized bag slung over her shoulder. Han saw her expression and stopped. “What is it?”

“Come on,” she said. “Before we’re missed. We’re getting out of here.

I don’t trust Pavik not to make that call to security behind Daddy’s back.”

Han turned back toward the transport station. “You sneaked out?”

“I left them a note,” she said defensively. “Did you get the money transferred to Coruscant?”

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Han said.

They walked for a few minutes in silence, then Bria said, “Someday, I’d like to know all the truth. I hate surprises of this sort, Han.”

He sighed. “I should have told you. I will tell you. Everything. I promise. I’m just not in the habit of trusting anyone.”

“I can tell,” she said grimly.

“Nice of your dad to stick up for me.”

“Daddy says you remind him of himself, when he was a young pilot.” She smiled faintly. “I gather he led a rather checkered existence for a few years, out on the Rim.”

Han nodded and, cautiously, reached for her pack. “I’m really sorry about this. Let me carry it?”

She sighed and surrendered her bag. “Okay. It was probably a bad idea to come here, anyway.” After a moment she reached over and took his hand.

“Now it’s just the two of us again.”

Han nodded. “That’s the way I like it, sweetheart.”





14


Down and Out on Coruscant The trip to Coruscant was uneventful. True to his promise, Han related his history to Bria, in unvarnished detail.

It bothered him to have to admit many of the things he’d done in the past, but he took his promise to her seriously, and he was as honest as he could be.

At first, Han worried that Bria might be repelled by all of the things he’d done during his checkered past, but she reassured him, saying that she loved him more, now that she knew the truth.

The five-day voyage to Coruscant was a long one. Han was beginning to suffer from boredom by the time the passenger liner docked at one of the massive space stations that serviced the huge Imperial cityworld.

From the space station, the passengers were told, they’d be shuttled down to the spaceport in small ships. Han was surprised to discover that there was almost no place on the giant world where the natural ground could be seen or touched.