Leia"s face was sheened with sweat by the time Han let her out of the cabin"s secret armory. "It"s okay," he said, offering her a hand.
"They"ve finished and gone."
"They were certainly thorough enough," she commented, ignoring his hand and stepping out of the cramped s.p.a.ce on her own. "I could hear them walking around in here at least three times."
"They weren"t very happy about the speeder bikes in the cargo bay," Han said as Leia sat down on the bed. She didn"t look very much like a princess right now, he thought, with stray hairs plastered to her neck and her tapcafe server"s covergown still wrapped around her. But underneath it he could still see all that royal dignity stuff. It made for a nice combination, actually. "But I did a little song and sync about military surplus, and they seemed to buy it," he added.
"They"ve probably gone off to run the serial numbers," Leia warned.
"Let "em," Han said with a shrug. "We"ll be long gone before they can track any of that down. Bright.w.a.ter just called-they"re on their way back."
"Bright.w.a.ter being one of these stormtrooper deserters you told me about?"
"Don"t worry, we can trust them," Han a.s.sured her.
"Though we probably don"t need to tell them exactly who you are. Anyway, I"ve got Chewie prepping the engines-a couple of hours out to where we stashed the Falcon, and we"ll be done with them." He c.o.c.ked an eyebrow.
"Unless you want to stick around and see if you can talk LaRone into joining the Rebellion."
"Former stormtroopers?" Leia countered with a wry smile. "I don"t think so." She hesitated. "Especially since I can"t even talk you into joining up."
Han grimaced. So she had noticed. That was a little awkward. Still, it was kind of flattering that she"d taken the time to figure it out. "It"s a pretty big step," he reminded her.
"I know," Leia said. "Especially for someone who"s used to taking orders only from himself. But it was a step we all had to take." Her eyes drifted to the hidden closet and the suits of stormtrooper armor. "And after Alderaan, I don"t think it"s possible to be neutral anymore," she added quietly. "Either you support the Empire"s oppression, or you fight it."
"I suppose I could stick around a little longer," Han hedged. "But I"m not ready to pledge undying loyalty to Mon Mothma and Rieekan and the others."
"Then don"t start with them," Leia said, looking earnestly back at him.
"Start with loyalty to just one person."
Han looked at her, a funny feeling in his stomach. Was she actually saying...?
"Chewbacca wants to join us," Leia went on. "Do it for him, and for what his people have suffered under the Empire."
The funny feeling vanished. "Oh," he said. "Oh what?"
"Just oh," Han said, back on balance again. "Anyway, I"d better go let Luke out of his closet."
Leia"s eyes widened. "You mean you haven"t done that yet? You"ve been standing here talking to me and he"s still stuck in there?" "He"s got a lightsaber," Han said blandly. "He can always cut his way out if he gets bored." "Han-" "See you later, Princess."
But she had a point, Han had to admit as he headed back out into the corridor. Maybe he could start with allegiance to just one person.
Someone like Chewie.
Or maybe even someone else.
Jade listened in silence to LaRone"s story as Quiller drove the speeder truck through Makrin City"s quiet streets. "You should have gone to your unit commander," she said when he"d finished. "There are procedures for dealing with incidents where there"s a strong probability of self-defense."
"Procedures that wouldn"t have involved us being turned over to ISB?"
Grave asked.
"Point," Jade conceded. "But you still should have turned yourselves in.
Now it"s too late."
"Probably," LaRone said, trying to read her face. All of it wasted effort-he had no idea what was going on behind those bright green eyes.
"But to be honest, at this point we don"t really want to go back. After Teardrop ..." He stopped, a lump rising into his throat.
"Yes, and be a.s.sured that I"m going to look into that," Jade promised ominously. "Ordering the slaughter of civilians is against everything the Empire stands for. If it"s true, I promise you someone"s going to suffer for it."
LaRone looked sideways at Marcross. The other grimaced in silent agreement. For all her strength and competence, this Emperor"s Hand had an awfully naive view of what the Empire actually stood for. But she would learn.
"What are you going to do with us?" Quiller asked. For a long moment Jade was silent. "You"re deserters," she said at last. "You swore an oath of allegiance to the Empire, and you broke it. That"s technically as treasonous as Ch.o.a.rd"s own conspiracy."
"We understand," LaRone said. "But with all due respect, our oath was actually to defend the Empire and its citizens." "And you think that"s what you"re doing?" Jade retorted. "Flying around the galaxy like loose laser cannons?"
"We"re certainly doing a better job protecting the citizens now than we did on Teardrop," Grave said. LaRone winced. But Jade didn"t respond.
They were in sight of the Greencliff s.p.a.ceport before she spoke again.
"What name is your ship running under at the moment?" "The Melnor Spear,"
LaRone told her. "I"ll call the Executor and give you clearance," she said. "Get off Shelkonwa and don"t come back."
LaRone glanced at Marcross, then back to Jade. "Thank you," he said. "May I ask why?"
The young woman gazed out the windscreen as they pa.s.sed through the s.p.a.ceport gate. "You helped me identify a traitor and take him into custody." She hesitated. "Besides, a few days ago I was ready to offer a complete pardon to a man who"d done more against the Empire and its citizens than any of you could ever possibly do. He"ll never, get to use it. You might as well have it instead."
"Yes, ma"am," LaRone said, wishing he knew what she was talking about.
"Thank you again."
Quiller drove the speeder truck beneath the Suwantek and came to a stop.
"Just stay out of sight and out of trouble," Jade said, pushing up the door and climbingout. "The next Imperials you run into probably won"t be so generous."
She looked at Marcross, and it seemed to LaRone that her head inclined ever so slightly to him. She started to turn away, then turned back. "Oh, and one more thing. That Hand of Judgment name of yours?" "Yes?" LaRone said, frowning. "Lose it," she ordered. "There"s only one Hand in the Empire, and I"m it." Turning again, she strode away into the night.
Bright.w.a.ter had pulled his mangled speeder bike to the controls and had the Suwantek"s cargo lift on its way down. "What was that all about?" he asked as LaRone climbed stiffly out of the speeder truck.
"Sort of a political conflict, I guess you"d call it," LaRone said.
"Fortunately, it"s one I don"t mind conceding. Let"s make sure Solo and the others are aboard and get out of here."
"Sounds good to me," Bright.w.a.ter said as the lift platform settled onto the permacrete. "So are we actually going to stay out of sight and trouble this time like she said?"
LaRone watched as Quiller drove the truck onto the platform. "I don"t see how we can," he admitted at last. "We swore an oath to defend the people of the Empire. There are a lot of other dangers out there they need defending against."
"Actually, I was kind of hoping you"d say that," Bright.w.a.ter said, resting his hand briefly on LaRone"s shoulder. "For all the b.u.mps and bruises, this hero stuff definitely helps you sleep better at night."
"Agreed," LaRone said. "Let"s get our pa.s.sengers back to the Falcon and get on with our lives." He looked back in the direction of the palace.
"And our duty."
The Emperor leaned back in his throne, his yellow eyes glittering beneath his hood as he coolly regarded the two figures standing before him. "So it would seem Organa has slipped through your fingers," he said, his gravelly voice unreadable.
"So it would seem, my Master," Vader admitted, lowering his head toward his Emperor in contrition. "The search found no one." His helmet turned slightly toward Mara. "But one vehicle was permitted to leave before that search was completed."
"My child?" the Emperor invited. "The freighter was carrying the stormtrooper unit I"d commandeered," Mara said. "There"s absolutely no chance Organa could have stowed away without them finding her. Besides, the Executor"s scanners detected only five life-forms aboard." She looked at Vader. "Actually, I"m not convinced Organa was ever on Shelkonwa in the first place," she added. "I strongly suspect this was a story Chief Administrator Disra cooked up to make sure Lord Vader would come personally to Makrin City." "To what end?"
"According to Disra, he"d been collecting evidence of Ch.o.a.rd"s conspiracy for quite some time," Mara said. "The problem with turning on your superior that way is how to make sure you give the evidence to someone who isn"t one of his friends or fellow conspirators." She gestured to Vader. "Who would be safer than Lord Vader?"
"And who better placed to help Disra in his own ambitions?" the Emperor suggested.
"The man does indeed wish to become governor in Ch.o.a.rd"s place," Vader confirmed.
"I"m certain he does," the Emperor said, and Mara could sense his earlier annoyance fading. "Not now. Perhaps later." He gestured. "At any rate, the war continues. Return to your duties, Lord Vader." He smiled at Mara.
"As for you, my child, your next a.s.signment awaits you in your quarters."
They had left the throne room and were walking down the long corridor before Vader finally spoke. "What is your a.s.sessment of Disra?"
"He"s a con artist and conniver," Mara said flatly. "I wouldn"t trust him any farther than I could see him." "Agreed," Vader said. "I don"t intend to." "Good." Mara hesitated. "I have a favor to ask, Lord Vader."
There was a short pause. "Continue." "It"s about Captain Ozzel," Mara said. "He claims his attack on the Gepparin pirate base had nothing to do with me but was based on intelligence supplied by Colonel Somoril."
"And Somoril supports him in this?" Vader asked contemptuously.
"Of course he does," Mara said in the same tone. For all their differences, she reflected, she and Vader at least had the same opinion of the ISB. "And with their stories welded shut that way, there"s no grounds for any kind of real interrogation."
"What would you like me to do?"
"I"m not really sure," Mara confessed. "Keep an eye on Ozzel, I suppose.
I don"t know if the man"s disloyal, easily manipulated, or just plain stupid. But I think he bears watching."
Vader was silent another few steps. "Leave him to me," he said at last.
"I believe I can arrange something."
"Countess?" a voice called from the cross corridor they were pa.s.sing.
"Countess Claria?"
Mara looked in that direction and saw a familiar person hurrying toward them. "Why, h.e.l.lo, General Deerian," she called back, stopping to wait for him. Vader didn"t even break stride, but continued down the hallway.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as Deerian came up to her. "I have a new position," Deerian said with a touch of pride. "I"ve been a.s.signed to the team in charge of upgrading Imperial Center"s planetary defenses."
"Congratulations," Mara said. "I imagine you"re sorry to leave the glitter of Moff Glovstoak"s palace."
"Hardly," Deerian said, his expression going grim. "I don"t know if you heard, but just after I was transferred, Glovstoak was hauled up on charges of embezzlement and treason."
"No, I hadn"t heard that," Mara said honestly.
"It was a shock to us all," Deerian said, shaking his head. "Imagine a man like that abusing his position and authority."
"Imagine," Mara agreed.
"Well, I"m on my way to a meeting," Deerian said, the gloom fading from his face. "But I saw you and wanted to say h.e.l.lo."
"I"m glad you did," Mara said. "Good luck to you, General.*"
"And to you, Countess." Bowing to her, Deerian headed off again down the corridor.
Mara watched him go, a warm glow spreading through her. LaRone could talk all he wanted about these scattered abuses of power, and certainly those abuses needed to be dealt with. But as long as the Empire could still produce men like General Deerian, it would be worth defending. Worth her energy and her life.
And her allegiance.
Turning again toward Vader"s cloak billowing in the distance, she headed for her quarters, where her next a.s.signment was waiting.