THE PARADISE SNARE(121)
She’d ruffle up his hair so he’d look attractively “scruffy.”
Han smiled faintly at the idea. I made it, Dewlanna, he told her image silently. Look at me. You’re my family, my only family, so it’s right that you be here today, even if you’re only in my memory …
And Bria …
Face it, Solo, you still care. You still watch for her, and listen for the sound of her step, her voice. You need to get over this, man . .
.
Han shook his head, as though he could dismiss Bria’s image as easily as he’d summoned Dewlanna’s. But he was taking Bria aboard the Imperator, as surely as if she were here, walking beside him. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t forget her.
Another of Dewlanna’s old Wookiee proverbs surfaced in his mind: “To have a good memory is to be both blessed and cursed …”
How right you are, Dewlanna, Han thought.
He shifted his weight, and stabbing pain in his right leg reminded him of the fight the night before last. Han blew out his breath. He’s dead, Dewlanna, he thought. Your killer is dead. You can rest easier, knowing that, I’ll bet…
An Imperial officer was making his way through the crowd, now. As he passed Han, the Lieutenant paused and looked at him sharply. “Your name, Cadet?”
Han snapped to attention. “Cadet Han Solo, sir!”
“You forget how to salute, Cadet Solo?”
“No, sir!” Han said, and gave the man his best salute.
The officer gazed at Han’s face. “Cadet Solo, what happened to your face?”
For a moment Han was tempted to say he walked into a door, but he decided that the truth was probably the best answer. “Sir, I got in a fight.”
“Really? I could never have told,” the lieutenant said, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice. “What was the fight about, Cadet Solo?”
Han thought fast. “My opponent insulted the Imperial Navy, sir.”
After all, it was true.
The lieutenant raised an eyebrow. “Really, Cadet? That was most ˇ .
.
unwise … of him. Did you give him a good thrashing for his disrespect, Cadet Solo?”
Han remembered just in time not to nod. “I did, sir. I assure the lieutenant that he will never say anything insulting about the Imperial forces again, sir.”
“Very good, Cadet Solo.” The lieutenant smiled faintly and walked on, to the head of the group.
Han breathed a long, slow sigh of relief. Made it through that one!
An amplified voice echoed across the landing fields. A noncommissioned officer was standing beside the lieutenant, giving orders. “Imperial cadets! Assemble in ranks!”
There was general confusion for a second, then the lines of cadets formed into ranks. “We will board the transport ship in rows. No talking, and pick up your feet.”
Silence fell. Han was in Row 4. He stood as straight as he could, looking neither left nor right, waiting for his orders to move. From somewhere, the martial theme of the Imperial Navy began playing in the backgroundˇ “Row one! March!” “Row two! March!” “Row three!
March!”
Excitement coursed through Han, singing in his blood. This is it.
What I’ve waited for all my life …
“Row four! March!” bawled the noncom.
Han right-faced smartly and followed the man ahead of him toward the Imperator. As he marched, he allowed himself a faint smile.
Today it begins, he thought. My real life begins.
He imagined Dewlanna’s and Bria’s faces. They were smiling, too. His feet were on the ramp. Han took a deep breath, the kind of breath that a newborn might draw in order to give its first cry, its first shout of, I’m here! Listen to me, I’m ALIVE!
Han Solo felt new, as though he’d just been born. The dark past tumbled off his shoulders, and only the bright future lay ahead.
He marched forward into it eagerly, and did not look back.