[Thrawn Trilogy] - 02(89)

“So he pulled you out of the Alliance and started his own private War against the Empire,” Lando said. “Did you know any of this, Han?”

“Never heard a whisper,” Han shook his head.

“I’m not surprised,” Sena said. “Would you have advertised a defection by someone of the Senator’s stature? Especially in the middle of a war?”

“Probably not,” Han conceded. “I suppose the only surprise is that more groups didn’t back out like you did. Mon Mothma can be pretty overbearing when she wants to be.”

“There wasn’t any doubt as to who was in charge during the war, either,” Lando added dryly. “I once saw her make Admiral Ackbar and General Madine both back down on one of their pet projects when she decided she didn’t like it.”

Han looked at Sena, a sudden thought striking him.

“Is that why you’ve cut back your raids against the Empire? So that you’d be ready to move against Mon Mothma if she turned the New Republic into a dictatorship?”

“That’s it exactly,” Sena said. “We moved here to Peregrine’s Nest just under three years ago, suspended all operations except materiel raids, and started working up tactical contingency plans. And settled in to wait for the Senator’s triumphal vindication.” Her cheek twitched again. “And we’ve been waiting ever since.”

Han looked out the window at the camp passing by outside, a hollow sense of loss filling him. The legendary Senator Bel Iblis : waiting for a return to power that would never come. “It’s not going to happen,” he told Sena quietly.

“I know that.” She hesitated. “Down deep, so does the Senator.”

“Except that he can’t swallow his pride long enough to go to Mon Mothma and ask to be let back in.” Han nodded. “So he gets you to ask us-“

“The Senator had nothing to do with this,” Sena cut him off sharply. “He doesn’t even know I’m talking to you. This is on my responsibility alone.”

Han drew back a little. “Sure,” he said. “Okay.”

Sena shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.

“It’s okay,” Han said, feeling some sympathetic ache of his own. She could have all the good intentions and logic in the galaxy on her side, but this probably still looked and felt to her like betrayal. A stray memory clicked: the expression on Luke’s face, just before the battle off Yavin with the first Death Star. When he’d thought Han was going to run off and abandon them :

“Han,” Lando said quietly.

Han looked over at his friend, shaking off the memory. Lando raised his eyebrows slightly in reminder : “We’ll make you a deal, Sena,” Han said, turning back to her. “We’ll talk to Mon Mothma about the Senator. You talk to us about the Katana fleet.”

Sena’s face went rigid. “The Katana fleet?”

“Where your six Dreadnaughts came from,” Lando said. “Don’t bother denying it-I got a good look at that repeater display,you’ve got up over the bar in the headquarters lounge.

Sena took a deep breath. “No. I can’t tell you anything about that.”

“Why not?” Lando asked. “We’re all about to be allies again, remember?”

An unpleasant tingle ran up Han’s back. “Unless you’ve already promised the fleet to Fey’lya.”

“We’ve promised Fey’lya nothing,” Sena said flatly. “Not that he hasn’t asked for it.”

Han grimaced. “So he is trying for a coup.”

“Not at all,” Sena shook her head. “Fey’lya wouldn’t know what to do with a military coup if you gift wrapped it and handed it to him on a drinks tray. You have to understand that Bothans think in terms of political and persuasive influence, not military power. The typical Bothan’s goal is to go through life getting more and more people to listen to what he has to say. Fey’lya thinks that being the one to bring the Senator back into the New Republic will be a large step in that direction.”

“Especially if Ackbar isn’t around to oppose him?” Han asked.

Sena nodded. “Yes, that’s unfortunately another typical Bothan move. A Bothan leader who stumbles is invariably jumped on by all those who want to take over his position. In the distant past the attacks were literal-fought with knives and usually death. Now, it’s been modified to more of a verbal assassination. Progress, I suppose.”

“Ackbar’s not a Bothan,” Lando pointed out.

“The technique is easily adapted to other races.