[Thrawn Trilogy] - 02(45)

The Commander is being notified,” Sena cut him off. “He decide.”

“But-“

“That’s all, Council-Aide,” she cut him off again, her voice suddenly hard. “Join the others at the lift shaft. You’ll accompany me on my ship.”

Breil’lya threw one last unreadable look at Han, then silently left the room.

“Who’s this Commander of yours?” Han asked.

“I can’t tell you that.” Sena studied him a moment. “Don’t worry, though. Despite what Breil’lya said, we’re not enemies of the New Republic. At least, not at the moment.”

“Oh,” Han said. “Great.”

There was the sound of footsteps from the hallway outside. A few seconds later, accompanied by two young men with holstered blasters, Luke stepped into the room.

“Han,” Luke greeted his friend, giving Sena a quick once-over.

`You all right?”

“I’m fine,” Han assured him. “Like I said, a little misunderstanding. The lady here-Sena-” He paused expectantly.

“Let’s just leave it at Sena for now,” she said.

“Ah,” Han said. He’d hoped to get her last name, but clearly she wasn’t’ in the habit of giving it out. “Anyway, Sena thought I was an Imperial spy. And speaking of Imperials-“

“I know,” Luke nodded.

“Lando’s gone up to see if he can clear our ships from the landing record.”

“He won’t be able to,” Han shook his head. “Not in time. And they’re bound to pull the landing list.”

Luke nodded agreement. “Then we’d better get up there.”

“Unless you’d all rather come with us,” Sena offered. “There’s plenty of room on our ship, and it’s hidden away where they won’t find it.”

“Thanks, but no,” Han said. He wasn’t about to go off with these people until he knew a lot more about them. Whose side they were on, for starters. “Lando won’t want to leave his ship.”

“And I need to get my droid back,” Luke added.

Irenez slipped back into the room. “Everyone’s on their way down, and the ship’s being prepped,” she told Sena. “And I got through to the Commander.” She handed the tall woman a data pad.

Sena glanced at it, nodded and turned back to Han. “There’s a service shaft near here that opens up into the west edge of the landing area,” she told him. “I doubt the Imperials know about it; it’s not on any of the standard city maps. Irenez will guide you up there and give you what help she can.”

“That’s really not necessary,” Han told her.

Sena held up the data pad. “The Commander has instructed me to give you whatever aid you require,” she said firmly. “I’d appreciate it if you’d allow me to carry out my orders.”

Han looked at Luke, raised his eyebrows. Luke shrugged slightly in return: if there was treachery in the offer, his Jedi senses weren’t picking it up. “Fine, she can tag along,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“Good luck,” Sena said, and disappeared out the door.

Irenez gestured to the door after her. “This way, gentlemen.”

The service shaft was a combination stairway and liftcar tube set into the outer city wall, its entrance almost invisible against the swirling pattern of that section of the mural. The liftcar itself was nowhere to be seen-probably, Han decided, still ferrying Sena’s group to wherever it was they’d stashed their ship. With Irenez in the lead, they started up the stairs.

It was only three levels up to the landing area. But three levels in a city with Ilic’s high-ceilinged layout translated into a lot of stairs. The first level ran to fifty-three steps; after that, Han stopped counting. By the time they slipped through another disguised door into the landing area and took cover behind a massive diagnostic analyzer, his legs were beginning to tremble with fatigue. Irenez, in contrast, wasn’t even breathing hard.

“Now what?” Luke asked, looking cautiously around the analyzer. He hasn’t breathing hard, either.

“Let’s find Lando,” Han said, pulling out his comlink and thumbing his call. “Lando?”

“Right here,” the other’s whispered voice came back instantly.

“Where are you?”

“West end of the landing area, about twenty meters from Luke’s X-wing. How about you?”

“About ninety degrees away from you toward the south,” Lando answered. “I’m behind a stack of shipping boxes. There’s a stormtrooper standing guard about five meters away, so I’m sort of stuck here.”