"No, she couldn"t," Luke said. "I a.s.sume you"ve been briefed on the nanotech environmental defense agents of the Utegetu Nebula?"
"Of course," Formbi smirked.
"Then you"ll be rea.s.sured to know that as of our last report, Jedi teams have seeded more than half of the Colony"s planets with the appropriate nanotech agents," Luke said. "Before we"re done, that number will be as close to a hundred percent as our knowledge of Colony territory can make it."
"The Killiks won"t be able to reconst.i.tute the Colony," Leia said. "If they start to overpopulate, their own worlds will bring the nest down to a manageable level."
"You might say it"s a failsafe," Han said. "It worked like a charm on Woteba."
"So you say," Formbi replied. "But I doubt your guarantees will be satisfactory to the ruling houses."
"They"re going to have to be, Aristocra." Pellaeon spoke in a gruff, sharp voice that carried a subtle but definite threat. "The Galactic Alliance is ready to wash its hands of this matter, and our fleet will be returning to our own territory as soon as possible."
"You"ll find no argument from us," Formbi said. "The Ascendancy never wanted you involved in the first place."
Pellaeon"s voice grew even more steely. "Perhaps, but we need to deal with current realities. The war is over as of now, Aristocra. The Killiks have no reason to restart it, and very soon they"ll lack the capacity to do so. Therefore, the Ascendancy has no reason to restart it, either."
"We Chiss are accustomed to formulating our own policies," Formbi sneered.
"We know that, Aristocra," Leia said. "But you know that those policies affect your relations with the Alliance-and the Galactic Alliance is not in the habit of tolerating aggressors and warmongers. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact."
"Take a lesson from the bugs and don"t hold a grudge," Han added. "They went home a week ago. You do the same, and we"ll all be happy."
"The Chiss are not interested in what makes you happy, Captain Solo," Formbi fumed. He paused, swallowing a bit of his anger. "But we are beings who value peace above all else-and we are willing to take one more risk to achieve it."
Leia breathed an inward sigh of relief, and Pellaeon smiled beneath his mustache. That was nearly the exact statement that Bwua"tu predicted the Chiss would make-just prior to naming their terms.
"We"re very glad to hear that, Aristocra," Leia said.
"Don"t be," Formbi growled. "You haven"t heard our terms."
"I a.s.sume you"re prepared to remedy that situation," Pellaeon said, perhaps a bit too smugly.
"Of course," Formbi retorted. "The Chiss will agree to your terms, provided the Alliance will promise to come to our aid in the event of another unprovoked Killik attack."
Pellaeon frowned, pretending to consider a request that everyone in the briefing room already knew he was going to grant.
After a suitable pause, he nodded. "Very well. Done."
Formbi"s eyes widened just enough to betray his surprise. "You agree? Just like that?"
"Why shouldn"t we?" Pellaeon asked. "We"re the ones who are promising there will be no Killik attacks."
Formbi frowned. "So you are," he agreed. "But this is a formal treaty. Don"t you need authorization from Chief Omas?"
Pellaeon smiled broadly. "My dear Aristocra, I came with that authorization," he said. "There is nothing the Galactic Alliance desires more than a close relationship with the Ascendancy. You"re welcome to send a team of diplomats back with the fleet when we leave, if you"d like to get started on the formal doc.u.ments."
Formbi looked vaguely uncomfortable, like a sabacc player who just realized he should have called a bluff. "I"m afraid that will have to wait. We didn"t bring any diplomats along on this campaign. We were under the impression we were going to war."
Pellaeon chuckled. "Well, war can be unpredictable."
"More so every day, it seems," Formbi said. "You may a.s.sure the Killiks-or whomever-that our fleet will be leaving within a day."
"Then you"ve completed your search-and-rescue operations?" Leia asked. Her heart was in her throat, for she was thinking of a certain young captain whom she had shot down.
"You would be safe in a.s.suming that," Formbi replied with typical Chiss evasiveness about military matters.
"Would you happen to know if Jagged Fel was recovered alive?" Leia asked. "As you know, in the past, he has been a close personal friend of our family"s."
"I also know that the Falcon was the vessel that shot him down," Formbi replied, a little bitterly.
"So he made it?" Han asked.
"I didn"t say that, Captain Solo."
"You are not telling?" Saba burst out, speaking for the first time. "Jaina Solo will be a shenbit for a month!"
"I don"t see why. It was my impression that their relationship was over long before her parents shot him down." Formbi grew thoughtful for a moment, then finally said, "Unfortunately, Commander Fel has not been recovered yet. His rescue beacon is transmitting from a rift valley inaccessible to recovery craft. We"ve sent in a team to search for him on foot."
"Perhaps the Jedi can help," Luke said. "We might be able to sense-"
"Your help would not be welcome," Formbi interrupted. "It has cost us too much already."
"I"m sorry you feel that way," Luke said. "Please let us know if you change your mind."
"We won"t," Formbi a.s.sured him.
"Be that as it may, Jaina still regards Commander Fel fondly." Leia did not mention Zekk; the Chiss were squeamish enough about Joiners without bringing a mind-mate into the love affair. "Jagged"s status was the first thing she asked about after Han and I rescued her. If you do happen to recover him alive before you depart, please let him know that she and her wingmate are making an excellent recovery from their wounds. They"ll be out of the infirmary tomorrow."
"I really don"t see why Captain Fel would be interested. a.s.suming we do recover him." Formbi turned to Pellaeon. "You may a.s.sure Chief Omas that a diplomatic team will be arriving shortly to formalize the treaty."
With that, Formbi closed the channel and vanished from the vid display, leaving the mood in the briefing room slightly less jovial than before-despite the fact that they had just negotiated a successful end to the war.
After a moment, Han said, "Nice guy." He shook his head in disgust. "No wonder the Chiss get along so well with their neighbors."
"Out here, I"m afraid getting along with your neighbors means keeping them at arm"s length," Pellaeon said.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the cabin-which Saba suddenly broke by s.n.a.t.c.hing the lightsaber off Leia"s utility belt ... breaking the clasp in the process. Well accustomed to her Master"s stern training exercises-and odd timing-Leia simply turned and bowed her head for the stern rap that she knew Saba was going to dispense for allowing her lightsaber to be s.n.a.t.c.hed away.
When it did not come, Leia looked up to find the Barabel studying her lightsaber with a disapproving eye. "Master?"
"Jedi Solo, where did you get this lightsaber?" Saba demanded.
"I built it," Leia said. "Over twenty years ago."
Saba curled her lip in disdain. "This one thought so." She jammed the hilt into her belt, then added, "It is a terrible weapon, unworthy of your current skillz. You will carry it no more."
"What?" Leia gasped. "What am I supposed to do for a lightsaber?"
Saba blinked her slit-pupiled eyes in reptilian exasperation.
"Princesz Leia, you are a fine Jedi, the equal of any Jedi Knight in the order." She pointed a claw at the empty place on Leia"s belt. "What do you think you should do for a lightsaber?"
Leia finally saw what the Barabel was driving at, then felt herself blushing at how long it had taken her to realize the answer. "Build a new one," she said. "A better one."
Saba closed her eyes. "Finally."
Luke laughed, then said, "Congratulations, Leia. I think that means you should consider yourself a full Jedi Knight."
"No kidding? A full Jedi Knight!" Han wrapped his arm around Leia"s shoulders, then added, "But I don"t see what the big deal is. I could"ve told you that a long time ago."
Leia slipped her arm around Han"s waist, then stretched up to kiss him on the lips. "Thanks, flyboy. There"s no one I"d rather hear say that."
Pellaeon cleared his throat and looked at the ceiling, obviously a bit uncomfortable. "That reminds me, Master Skywalker. I"ve had a messenger from Chief Omas. He wishes to convene a meeting of the Advisory Council as soon as we return. If I were Bwua"tu, I"d predict that he"s eager to formalize the Jedi"s new role in the Alliance."
Han groaned, and an empty feeling came to Leia"s stomach. They had told Luke that they suspected Omas of betraying their mission. Unfortunately, they had no hard evidence of the Chief"s treachery, and Luke did not want to damage the delicate relations between the Jedi and the government by making unprovable accusations. Besides, even if Omas had betrayed the Solos, it was not technically a crime, since he had been acting for the benefit of the Galactic Alliance.
Luke merely nodded. "I"ll be happy to discuss that with Chief Omas myself," he said. "But I"m afraid the Jedi will he withdrawing from his Advisory Council."
By the look on the other faces in the cabin, Leia supposed that her brother"s statement had surprised even Admiral Bwua"tu.
Finally, Pellaeon asked, "Why?"
"Because the Jedi should serve, not govern," Luke said. "In the Colony, we"ve seen again how badly matters turn out when Jedi take the reins of state-even with the purest of motives."
"But Jedi advice is important!" Pellaeon objected. "At times, I think you"re the only disinterested representatives in the government!"
Luke raised his hand to calm the admiral. "The Galactic Alliance will have Jedi advice," he said. "I"m going to establish a new Jedi Council to help run the order, and I"ll relay their advice to Chief Omas."
This declaration was received with the stunned silence that Leia would have believed it deserved-had she seen any better way to hold the Jedi order together.
Finally, Pellaeon said, "A workable organization, as long as you"re at the head of it. But what happens if you"re unavailable?"
An unfocused appearance came to Luke"s gaze, and Leia had the impression that he was looking a long distance into the future.
"Good question," Luke said. "I wish I knew the answer."