Star Wars, page 13
Mezza stood up, his chair scraping loudly on the floor. The Lasat towered over the Ugnaught. He glared at him with his yellow eyes, lip snarling over a fanglike tooth.
The Ugnaught looked like he was seriously considering his odds in this fight for the honor of his Engineering Room. His hands curled in fists, swallowing the absolutely tiny little wrench he clutched. It was almost comical.
“It’s not worth it,” Han said in a low voice. The Ugnaught flicked his eyes at him, but then stormed off, leaving them alone. Between Mezza’s threat and Lyx’s position on the bridge, he must have realized he couldn’t win.
“We playing?” Lyx asked, reaching over the table and taking the deck of cards from Mezza.
Han glanced at Kelad. That man was no card player. He might be some sort of mechanical genius, but he wasn’t the brightest. There was more here to learn.
“I’m in.”
CHAPTER 18
LEIA
LEIA WAS MORE THAN READY to escape the Atrium when the Pantoran woman assigned as her attaché approached. “May I escort you to your cabin, Princess?” she asked.
“Yes,” Leia said. “And no need for the formalities. Just Leia is fine.”
The other woman smiled. “Let me be just Riyola, then.”
The crowd in the Atrium had thinned enough that Leia and Riyola had the turbolift to themselves. “I’ve uploaded a schedule of various shipboard activities for you to select from,” Riyola said, her own datapad in the crook of her arm. “If there is any programming you’d like to participate in, I can personally arrange for that.”
“Actually,” Leia said, “I wanted to go over the ship’s flight path.”
“Of course.” Riyola swiped at her screen, producing a map of the ship’s course. After several days of scenic cruising, the Halcyon would end up on Synjax.
“Are you looking forward to visiting the resorts?” Riyola asked. She wore a bright smile and seemed genuinely curious about Leia’s opinion.
“Mm,” Leia said, her eyes still on the display. She realized she hadn’t really considered where the ship was going; she’d been so focused on just getting to the ship and thinking about how the feeds would showcase her while on board. Although she knew of Synjax’s reputation for pristine beaches and private cabanas, she had little intention of soaking in the lavender ocean when there was work to do.
Seeing the ship’s route now, though…
“A fundamental principle of flying on the Halcyon is the idea that the journey is more important, often, than the destination,” Riyola said. “I think you’ll find the views—”
“What are these pauses in hyperspace?” Leia asked.
“We cruise slowly in some parts of space in order to showcase the galaxy’s natural beauty.” Riyola’s tone spoke proudly of the ship’s philosophy. Leia could appreciate the sentiment—it was good to slow sometimes, to do nothing but exist among the stars.
“I was just speaking with the captain,” Riyola continued. “Do you think you’d be available tomorrow morning for a brief interview? I was going over the feeds, and it’s a very positive image, having you aboard the ship on our inaugural flight after Imperial control.”
“Sure,” Leia said, her eyes still on the map. The turbolift doors opened, and the two women stepped out into the corridor.
“We’ll be cruising at regular speed for much of tomorrow morning; it would make for a striking image to have you standing on the bridge with the captain. But of course, I do not want to impose upon your time with your new husband!”
“I don’t mind,” Leia said. The ship’s projected path curved through one sector before winding up to Synjax. The current route had the path heading toward the bottom of the chart displayed on Riyola’s screen, but if the route shifted, curving in the other direction…
Riyola tilted the datapad to see what had captured Leia’s attention. “The meteor storms near the Esseveya system,” she said, smiling. “It’s a wonder.”
“Will we be leaving the ship?” Leia asked, her eyes still on the top of the display, calculating.
“No, but the display from the viewports will be astounding. The meteor storms go through a magnetic field that produces a brilliant array of colors.”
“I haven’t heard of it before,” Leia said, “but I have heard—”
Too excited by the flight path and upcoming event, Riyola interrupted. “Chandrila Star Line boasts ships suitable for a variety of species, including one specifically targeting underwater species. That ship almost always goes through the Esseveya meteor storms on its itineraries—while the light waves are amazing to us, some species, such as the Mon Calamari, have additional photoreceptors in their eyes that make the display even more breathtaking, with the ability to see a depth of colors that many other beings cannot.”
Leia blinked. “Oh, that is fascinating,” she said, despite her focus on the display. Although Leia had spent much of her life contemplating how others viewed the galaxy differently based upon their sociological and economic standpoints, she did not always consider how biology might change perception.
A tiny red dot blinked near the point on the display where the path crossed with the meteor storm. “What’s that?” Leia asked, pointing at Riyola’s screen. Behind them, another set of turbolift doors opened, people streaming out, chatting excitedly as they made their way to their cabins. Riyola pulled Leia to the side so they’d be out of the way.
“It’s just a standard warning,” she said in a low voice. “The meteor storm has been particularly active lately, but the Halcyon’s shields are more than up to the job. Don’t worry, Leia; we would never take the ship somewhere dangerous. It’s just standard protocol to note the potential hazards.”
Leia pointed to the top of the display. “What about this area?” she asked. “Any chance the ship will go there? Perhaps after Synjax…?” Her voice trailed off when Riyola shook her head.
“The Lenguin system is lovely, but there are no excursions planned for it, nor are we getting close enough to see the surface of any of their worlds. You should go there one day, though—there’s an ice moon that is quite renowned for its sculptural architecture.”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” Leia muttered, swallowing her disappointment. As soon as she’d seen the Lenguin system on the display, she’d hoped that there would be a chance to visit the Madurs moon—one of the locations Mon Mothma had spoken of in the briefing as a possible source for fuel. A world with which to create an alliance, to break ties with the Empire before the remnants of the Empire formed them. Madurs had been targeted before, but the small moon had protected its carnium and rejected Imperial offers. If Leia could get there now, negotiate a deal with the local government to ensure that, at the very least, no future contracts would be made with the fractured Empire…
But it seemed impossible. The Halcyon would go in the opposite direction, looping through a meteor storm and ending up on a world that was rich in coastlines and of no interest in the supply chain to fuel the galaxy.
“Ah!” Riyola said, looking at her screen. “I see you do know all about Madurs. I’ve been alerted that you have received a holo from the prime minister there, Princess. Shall I send it to your suite?”
“A message?” Leia repeated, heart thumping. “Yes, please. This way?” Riyola nodded, pointing out the cabin for Leia and then tapping on her screen.
Leia’s heart thudded as she headed to her cabin. This was the first response to the missives she’d sent to the leaders of the various worlds she’d contacted, and surely that was significant? If the prime minister of Madurs wanted nothing to do with her or the foundling republic forming in the wake of the Empire, he would have ignored her message, not responded so quickly. Did he need help? Her message to him had been more of a way to open the lines of communication, but if he was already eager to join the Alliance—perhaps due to the celebrations at the defeat of the Death Star—she would certainly welcome that.
Part of her wanted nothing more than to steal a shuttle and zip over to Madurs, but another part of her felt guilty. She was supposed to be on her honeymoon, not an ambassador mission.
But…what if she could do both?
CHAPTER 19
HAN
HAN CONSIDERED HIS ODDS. MEZZA was nearly out of the game, and from the Lasat’s frustrated growls at every hand, he knew it. Lyx was a contender, but it was clear that she was growing impatient. She was steadily driving both Mezza and Kelad out, skillfully weaving the bets so that one or the other had hope before she tossed the cards down and collected the chips. Han half suspected that she had a few cards pilfered away, but her top was sleeveless and she kept her arms on the table, hands in sight. She was good at sabacc, but if she was a cheat, she was better than anyone Han had ever seen.
He’d already gambled more than he really wanted to on his first night. He had no real way of knowing the time, but Han suspected that too much had passed. He junked another hand early, letting the others play the rounds while he stretched his legs. He should go—this was his honeymoon, and he had a princess waiting in the biggest suite of the most luxurious cruise starliner in the galaxy. There was no reason to be in the dregs with this lot, crammed in the corner of a stifling Engineering Room.
Han leaned against a wall that put him out of sight of the players thanks to a large pipe. Hands in his pockets, he jostled some of the credits he’d kept in reserve and felt the sharp edge of the trim pry bar he kept there. Shorter than his finger, the little tool was handy in a pinch, capable of popping a rivet or wedging between sticky panels. He should have left it on the Falcon, he supposed, although Chewie had his own way of dealing with stubborn panels.
On impulse, Han took out the trim pry bar and scraped the sharp edge against the pipe in front of him, quickly carving out first his initials and then Leia’s. He had no doubt that, if she knew he was vandalizing the Halcyon, she’d be furious with him, but that made it all the better to leave his mark on the ship. The Halcyon should be so honored; it wasn’t every day a cruiser carried a princess on her honeymoon, and even rarer that he appreciated any vessel other than the Falcon.
Han smirked at his handiwork. He should go to Leia right this moment, but he also wanted to make sure she was safe. As if on cue, Kelad’s voice drifted over to him. Han strode over, grabbing his chair and entering the game once more. Time to get this over with. He had a princess to get back to.
“It takes innovation to come up with solutions to problems that don’t exist yet,” Kelad said, barely glancing at his cards. He looked to Han the way a drowning man clung to a float.
People gambled for different reasons. Money, desperation, the high of it. But Kelad had apparently come to this makeshift table merely hoping for companionship. There was something sad about that, a different sort of desperation, one that made Han uncomfortable.
“That’s what the Empire paid me for,” Kelad added. He looked down at his little pile of chips, rapidly dwindling with each hand. “Or, they used to.”
“Imperial sympathizer?” Han asked, hoping his voice was neutral. He couldn’t focus on the cards, even though his hand could be decent with a little luck. He needed to concentrate on what really mattered.
“I don’t care so much about the politics,” Kelad said blithely.
“Not all of us are given a choice on whether or not to care,” Mezza growled.
Kelad didn’t seem to notice the Lasat’s discontent. “I made the inventions, I got paid for the inventions. With the Empire fallen…” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but he ran his hand along the short stacks of credits in front of him.
“What are you going to do now?” Han asked.
“Make your bets.” Lyx’s voice was sharp.
Han tossed a credit in, as did the others, and new cards were slung across the table.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Kelad said, sighing dramatically. “I was working on something big. Huge. It was going to make all the difference, really shake things up…” He looked at his cards and threw them on the table, junking already.
Han copied him, and Lyx and Mezza faced off. Han leaned over the table. “Something huge, you say?”
Kelad shrugged again. “Doesn’t matter, unless I can find a buyer.” He shook his head. “That’s the problem. War is good business for tech. No one needs a high-level gravity manipulator if there’s not a war on.”
“How tragic,” Mezza said flatly. He threw his hand on the pot in the middle of the table, sending chips scattering. Lyx raised an eyebrow but silently accepted his defeat, collecting the credits for herself. “I’m done. Next time,” he said, nodding to Lyx. “Pleasure,” he added to Han. The Lasat looked at Kelad and made a noise of disgust in the back of his throat.
Mezza left the room, his feet loud on the metal grating that served as a floor.
“I should call it a night, too,” Kelad said, miserably. “I can’t afford to lose more.” But when Han started dealing, he accepted his hand. “I may have an investor, though. Meeting on Synjax.”
There it was. Kelad was just enough of a rube to tell him who this investor was, Han was sure of it. It could be a shell for the Empire. Han wasn’t much for nobility, despite being a general, but if he could empty a sympathizer’s pockets of credits and get a bead on a potential corporate ally of the Empire by doing nothing more than playing cards, that was exactly the sort of mission he was perfect for.
“This investor going to pay well?” Lyx asked.
Karkarodon in the water.
“If I can entice him!” Kelad laughed, drawing a card and tossing a credit into the game pot.
“This investor…” Han said, distracting Kelad while Lyx made her bet. “Rich, I assume?”
“I assume. Unlike me.” He laughed in a self-deprecating way and junked. He was getting more careful with his credits. “Not entirely sure where the funding is coming from,” Kelad continued. “Could be Imperial, now that I think of it. They may have lost the war, may not. But who else would be interested in gravity manipulation?” He shrugged, but then frowned. “Hey, I heard that Princess Leia was on this ship. When she gets off at Synjax, that may scare away my investor.”
Lyx’s eyes widened, just a fraction, but in that moment, Han knew: She knew who he was, why he was here, his connection to Leia. Han tapped his credits, tossing an extra handful in. Lyx’s lips twitched up, her eyes flicking to the rest of his chips. Han threw in a few more.
When the betting ended, Lyx revealed her hand. She had high numbers, nothing that would normally win the game pot. Han bit the inside of his cheek. He’d had full sabacc, but he tossed his cards facedown on the table. Lyx smirked, pulling the pot closer to her. Her silence had been bought.
“I’m surprised someone like Princess Leia would make such a public appearance,” Kelad mused. It was his turn to deal, but he’d proven inept at shuffling, so Lyx took the cards. Kelad picked up the Huttese flask—he didn’t drink from it, but he looked at it. “Heard there were bounties on her head,” he mused. “Heard someone like her would fetch quite a price. Maybe I don’t even need an investor. You know, when I was looking around, I saw the escape pods. How easy would it be to just grab her, throw her in a pod, and shoot off to the closest planet? Some bounty hunter would pay a lot for me to hand her over.”
Lyx tapped the sabacc cards on the table. “Turns out I’m done playing,” she said.
So am I, Han thought, staring at the oblivious Kelad.
Lyx gathered her winnings and tucked them into a pouch clipped to her belt. She purposefully met neither man’s eyes as she slipped silently away, absolving herself of whatever happened.
Leaving Han to take care of the man who’d threatened his wife.
Kelad glanced at Han but didn’t seem to notice the rage simmering under the surface of his placid face. “I should pack it up while I’m ahead,” Kelad said sadly. “I really shouldn’t have gambled at all, not with my luck. But hey! You look like the sort of person who knows bounty hunters, how to arrange all that.”
“As a matter of fact, I do know some bounty hunters,” Han allowed.
“You think this holds water?” Kelad asked, leaning across the table toward Han. Although they were the only two in the room, he spoke in lowered tones conspiratorially. “I could split the profits with you.”
“You think it’d be that easy?” Han asked.
“Oh sure,” Kelad said confidently. “I could knock her out or something. She seemed pretty little on the holos. Or you could,” he offered. The idea of hitting Leia sickened Han, but the idea of knocking out this incompetent fool had some appeal.
“And then just go to the escape pods?”
Kelad nodded as Han stood up. “This could actually work,” the other man asserted, as if he was convincing himself more than anyone else.
And that was the part that burned Han up inside. A detailed, organized plot to kidnap Leia? They would be on the lookout for that. Han could sense a setup a mile away, and Leia was smart enough to see the warning signs. But the sheer chaotic randomness of some unknown, unaffiliated opportunist? That…that could work. Possibilities rolled through Han’s mind. Kelad had a dopey look about him, not the kind of man to be a reasonable threat. Leia would follow him out of pity if nothing else, and if he turned on her with the element of surprise—
Han could plan for the Empire. He could plan for the Hutts and Leia’s other enemies. He had seen some of the detailed dossiers Mon Mothma kept on known threats.
But he couldn’t plan for someone desperate who knew just enough to be willing to take a chance on hurting the woman he loved. The impulsiveness of it—that was what got to him. Kelad was clearly strapped for cash, and he went from gambling at sabacc to kidnapping for bounties in a flash. How could Han protect Leia from someone like this, someone they couldn’t see coming since the man himself didn’t know what he was doing?
