“All that we needed,” the maitrakh said. “Food and medicine and tools came at once. Later, when the strange rain began to kill our crops, he sent the metal droids to begin cleaning the poison from our land.”
Leia winced, freshly aware of her twins’ vulnerability. But the analysis kit had found no trace of anything toxic in the air as they approached the village, and Chewbacca and Khabarakh had done similar tests on the soil. Whatever it was that had been in the rain, the decon droids had done a good job of getting rid of it. “And still nothing will grow outside the cleaned land?”
“Only the kholm-grass,” the maitrakh said. “It is a poor plant, of no use as food. But it alone can grow now, and even it no longer smells as it once did.”
Which explained the uniform brown color that she and Chewbaca had seen from space. Somehow, that particular plant had adapted to the toxic soil. “Did any of the animals survive?” she asked.
“Some did. Those who could eat the kholm-grass, and those which in turn ate them. But they are few.”
The maitrakh lifted her head, as if looking in her mind’s eye toward the distant hills. “This place was never rich with life, Lady Vader. Perhaps that was why the clans had chosen it as a truce ground. But even in so desolate a place’ there were still animals and plants without count. They are gone now.”
She straightened up, visibly putting the memory behind her. “The Lord Vader helped us in other ways, as well. He sent attendants to teach our sons and daughters the ways and customs of the Empire. He issued new orders to allow all clans to share the Clean Land, though for all clans to live beside one another this way had never happened since the beginning.” She gestured around her. “And he sent mighty flying craft into the desolation, to find and bring to us our clan dukhas.”
She turned her dark eyes to gaze at Leia. “We have an honorable peace, Lady Vader. Whatever the cost, we pay it gladly.”
Across the room, the children had apparently finished their lesson and were getting to their feet. One of them spoke to Threepio, making a sort of truncated version of their facedown bow. The droid replied, and the whole group turned and headed for the door, where two adults awaited them. “Break time?” Leia asked.
“The clan lessons are over for today,” the maitrakh said. “The children must now begin their share of the work of the village. Later, in the evening, they will have the lessons which will equip them to someday serve the Empire.”
Leia shook her head. “It’s not right,” she told the maitrakh as the children filed out of the dukha. “No people should have to sell their children in return for life.”
The maitraich gave a long hiss. “It is the debt we owe,” she said. “How else shall we pay it?”
Leia squeezed her thumb and forefinger together. How else, indeed? Clearly, the Empire was quite happy with the bargain it had made; and having seen the Noghri commandos in action, she could well understand its satisfaction. They wouldn’t be interested in letting the Noghri buy out of their debt in any other way. And if the Noghri themselves considered their service to be a debt of honor to their saviors:”I don’t know,” she had to concede.
A movement to the side caught her attention: Khabarakh, still sitting on the floor across the room, had fallen over onto his side, with Chewbacca’s hand engulfing his wrist. It looked like fighting, except that Chewbacca’s sense didn’t indicate anger. “What are they doing over there?” she asked.
“Your Wookiee has asked my thirdson to instruct him in our fighting methods,” the maitrakh answered, pride again touching her voice. “Wookiees have great strength, but no knowledge of the subtlety of combat.”
It was probably not an assessment the Wookiees themselves would have agreed with. But Leia had to admit that Chewbacca, at least, had always seemed to rely mainly on brute force and bowcaster accuracy. “I’m surprised he was willing to have Khabarakh teach him,” she said. “He’s never really trusted him.”
“Perhaps it is that same distrust that whets his interest,” the maitrakh said dryly.
Leia had to smile. “Perhaps.”
For a minute they watched in silence as Khabarakh showed Chewbacca two more wrist and arm locks. They seemed to be variants of techniques Leia had learned in her youth on Alderaan, and she shivered once at the thought of those moves with Wookee muscle behind them. “You understand the cycle of our life now, Lady Vader,” the maitrakh said quietly. “You must realize that we still hang by spider silk. Even now we do not have enough clean land to grow sufficient food. We must continue to buy from the Empire.”