CHAPTER 11
The following morning, Leia woke up very early. She had slept only a little bit and badly and she looked forwards to the arrival of the day, if it could be called that on that miserable planet, just to get out of her room.
She was surprised to find Jessa already up too, she looked fresh like a daisy and this was another reason of jealousy, since Leia had done everything to cover the black shadows under her eyes, which were obscuring her face.
«Oh Leia, you're up very early! I hope you've slept well, what can I offer you for breakfast?» Jessa's kindness was genuine, but the princess would have preferred to sit with the Mother Queen that morning.
«When I've just waken up, I always eat very little… anything will be fine.» To tell the truth she always had an abundant breakfast, but now she wasn't hungry at all.
She barely drank a cup of coffee, even burning her tongue in the rush, but her attempt to swiftly free herself of the other's company failed when Jessa proposed to do a complete visit of the space base and against her will she had to accept.
While they were walking through the countless corridors and popped in this or that ward they studied each other: Jessa wanted to get an idea of the princess's true intentions and Leia tried to find some clues of the presumed night of love between her guide and Han.
After having walked for hours none of the two had made any meaningful progress in the developing of their secret analysis, so Jessa decided to break the delays: «Forgive me my frankness, but I must know if the real reason of your visit here is the research about your father or if there's something more….»
The princess was waiting for a similar question, she had caught the other's attempts to deepen the topic during their walk around the base, but she hadn't thought that she had the guts to face it directly.
Better this way, it's useless to beat around the bush and make fun of ourselves. Wait a moment… what if she wants to talk about Han?
Leia lowered her gaze and changed different colors on her face while she answered: «What do you mean with 'if there's something more'?»
«You're investigating on the Hapan spies, aren't you?» Jessa stopped in the middle of the panoramic corridor and approached the glass wall so that she could still keep an eye on her guest's reactions using the image's reflection.
The princess breathed a sigh of relief, it was much better to talk about the Hapan spies than about Han!
«Yes, that's right. In theory I should have travelled undercover, for obvious matters of safety. But here it has been impossible… I want to find out where these spies come from and who commands them, I fear the interest of big forces in this affair and I have to know if the kingdom of Hapes is really involved in all this matter.»
This time it was Jessa the one surprised by Leia's direct behavior, finally the princess's true character was starting to come out.
«You're talking about spies, do you mean that there have been more?» She turned to look into her eyes.
«Yes», the princess felt that she could trust her, «one has tried to kill my brother on Orron III, the coincidences are many, don't you think?»
«Could it be the same person?»
«No, it's impossible, the spy who Luke found has committed suicide.»
«Do you fear that there may be an organization behind all this?» Jessa already knew the answer, by what Han had told her, she knew that the people involved where many and high ranking.
«I'm not afraid of the organization itself, I'm mostly afraid of the game of forces which is behind this, especially if the Empire is involved too.»
«So, you've reached our same conclusion.» The blonde commander of the base felt lightened from a heavy weight, she felt relieved to know that Leia and Luke thought in her same way. «Here we've discussed a lot about this issue, but without other proof in our hands, we couldn't do anything else.»
«Well, unfortunately we don't have much to work on either…» Leia was a bit discouraged because of this, since it meant that Han didn't have the information which she was hoping for.
«One thing isn't clear to me though, if you didn't know anything about Chewie what brought you here?»
«Luke's instinct, the Jedi Knights rely a lot on their perceptions», the princess hurried to answer.
«Oh, right», Jessa wasn't totally convinced. «In any case we will have to put together that little information we have to manage to get something useful, don't you think so? Han is the most suitable person to help you.»
«No…» Leia didn't want to be so explicit, but the monosyllabic answer came out of her mouth before she even had the time to think. «No, I don't think it would be a good idea, Captain Solo must still be greatly upset for Chewbacca's death and I wouldn't…», then she adjusted her words once again, «I mean, we wouldn't provoke him ulterior pain by reviewing again such happenings.»
Captain Solo? So Leia doesn't even want to pronounce his name? How strange. Jessa thought.
He neither wants to pronounce her name. Maybe it's the only thing they still have in common.
While she talked though the princess had visibly blushed, in spite of her composure it was as if two forces were fighting within her and Jessa thought that that was the right moment to sink the last hit.
«I understand the embarrassing situation, Han has mentioned your past relationship, but I think that it would be fair, in the name on the New Republic, to forget all this and cooperate to avoid the worst.»
On Leia's face no muscle moved, but her gaze became of ice. It took her a few moments to dominate herself, but in the end she said: «The past is past and doesn't concern me, I only think about the future and the Alliance has always been the first of my thoughts, certainly an ill fate meeting won't stop me. Moreover, I don't want it to influence the relationship between you and I…», now it was her turn to attack.
«What do you mean?» Jessa was confused by that affirmation.
«Well, I realize that Captain Solo is always capable of pulling out my worst side and by offending him, I wouldn't want to bother other people, who are affectionate towards him, as well.»
Jessa didn't have very clear what she meant with 'affectionate towards him', but reassured her by saying: «Don't worry, luckily I have my own head to think with…» Then, laughing she added: «And for nothing in the world I would exchange it with him! The entire universe is in that braincase!»
Leia smiled faintly, she was still a little bit tense, but that joke had been useful to both to lighten a bit the mood, the first step towards a new friendship had been taken.
xxx
Once he had finished the meditation exercises Luke went to look for his sister, but found on his path Captain Solo. At first look he didn't seem in very good shape but he hadn't lost his humor. «Hey kid, you aren't still working with Obi-Wan's training sphere, are you? I hope you have made some progresses in the meantime.»
«I have made some progress and you? You don't look very well this morning…»
«My head is exploding, too much celebration last night!»
«How is that possible, you left right after the toast…» Luke was curious to know if Leia's suspicion was well-founded.
«Well, let's say that I've retired on the Falcon to continue in my own way the party in your honor…», he stopped a moment, thinking, «or better, in your Highness' honor.»
He was smiling, but his eyes were gloomy.
«You know what they say, to drink alone is never a good thing», the Jedi Knight commented.
«But I wasn't alone», now Han's gaze had become malicious. «But I was the only one drunk so, if this is what you want to know, nothing happened between Jessa and I… not last night at least.»
The Jedi Knight suddenly blushed, he hadn't wanted Han to understand his intentions, but unfortunately, about certain things, his friend understood the hidden references very quickly.
«Now tell me kid, was it your beloved sister to ask you to investigate about this?»
Not even the Force would have managed to save Luke from his friend's heated curiosity, he knew all too well that once detected the trace, he wouldn't let the prey go easily.
«Who? Leia? No, no… hmm, our purpose here is another.» But he didn't sound very convincing.
«Oh yes? And so what's the reason for this illustrious visit? It must have been an enormous effort for Her Grace to lower herself to come here! Why did you bring her with you? I'd managed to find peace in this place! Why has she come to ruin my existence again?» Han had started pacing back and forth through the corridor and was visibly upset.
«It was my initiative», confessed the Jedi.
«What?» Captain Solo abruptly stopped to look at him astonished. «You? Why the hell did you do that?»
«A Hapan spy tried to kill me while I was on Orron III making some researches», Luke started to explain, «and I immediately had the suspicion that some dark plots between Hapes and the Empire had been started.»
«But why would the kingdom of Hapes want an alliance with the Empire? Doesn't it have enough of the New Republic?» Han interrupted him.
«Unfortunately I fear not, in the last years the relations between the kingdom of Hapes and the New Republic have deteriorated a little…»
«Do you mean between Her Highness and Prince Isolder?» The smuggler's eyes shone at that thought.
«No, not exactly… The problem is the Mother Queen.»
«And how is that old despot involved? Ah, I got it… she's still holding the power and our little princess doesn't like the fact of being a subordinated, it's this, isn't it?»
«Well, it isn't only this…» It was amazing how Han could catch such aspects of Leia's character, even if they were very different from one another it was like he had an inner instinct to understand everything that passed through her mind. «Their relations have deteriorated because of me as well, since she has found out the intention of the Mother Queen to get rid of me, things have worsened a lot.»
«What? Why did she want to kill you? What do you have to do with this?»
«The Jedi have never been well esteemed in the Kingdom of Hapes, I think that she fears my power on people.»
The pirate remained thoughtful for a bit before asking: «And what side has the prince taken? I certainly wouldn't like to be in his shoes! At one corner a mother greedy of power and at the other a wife… well, it's better if I don't express myself about her!»
Luke couldn't hold his laughter, actually the place of Prince Isolder wasn't envied by anybody.
«He loves both of them and wouldn't want to hurt anyone but clearly this is becoming harder and harder…»
«Poor devil!» Han burst out in laughter. «He has ruined himself with his own hands! You know what? It's what he deserves! He chose to steal my woman and make me appear like a tramp and a poor idiot in front of the entire Galaxy? Well, now it's his turn! You don't know how much I enjoy hearing these things, but please… keep going with your story.»
The captain was extremely euphoric, but Luke knew very well that behind so much enthusiasm there was a deep bitterness, he let him vent his feelings and then continued. «As I was saying I immediately thought that the Hapan spy charged of killing me was connected to the Empire because I soon found out that she was a member of the Intelligence. By then I suspected the possibility of a secret agreement between the Empire and the kingdom of Hapes to eliminate something which in the end had become uncomfortable: the New Republic.»
«But why?» Han was confused. «First they go to any length to draw up this union and now they want to throw it all away?»
«The Queen wants the power and has realized that Leia, instead of giving her the whole authority, is her thorn in the side. But she can't get rid of her alone, she can't get her hands dirty and because of this she relies on the Empire, at least this is what we think, but there isn't any proof.»
«But it's still a dangerous alliance, what gives her the certainty that, once the New Republic will be destroyed, the Empire will step aside to let her free to govern?» The voice of the commander betrayed his bewilderment.
«The Empire is still very weak, even without the support of the New Republic the kingdom of Hapes would be capable to keep it under control.»
«So their true aim is to eliminate Leia?» Han was upset by this prospective and hadn't realized he had called her by her name. Once he noticed the mistake, he lowered his gaze and continued. «But why has she wanted to participate personally to this initiative? Why do you Skywalkers always put yourself in trouble?»
Luke smiled while answering: «In this moment she's safer with me than closed in the Star Home, trust me!»
The other furrowed his brow and said skeptically: «Can I have some doubts? Just yesterday I risked to pulverize you! Anyway you still haven't answered my first question, why did you bring her here?»
Now the captain had returned serious again.
«The Hapan woman who tried to kill me called me Vykk Draygo before killing herself, she told me that I wouldn't have been able to extort information from her like it had happened to the spy which had preceded her and had advised me not to get involved in that matter. Vykk Draygo is a name that you've often used in the past, this is why I thought that you might have more information than us and I hoped in your collaboration. We need help and I'm sure that I can rely on you, because even after everything that has happened, you will never betray Leia.»
Captain Solo took a pause to weigh up those words. It was true, he would never betray her and wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her. But was it possible that there wasn't anyone else to ask?
«You do realize what you're asking me, don't you?»
«Yes.» The Jedi Knight looked at him right in the eyes. «I do realize it but I don't have any other choice.»
«Alright, I'll help you», Han lowered his face again. «Even if God only knows how much all this will cost me. But I want her to ask for my support, it's a matter of pride. Today at lunch I want to see her eyes flashing with rage while she begs me to help you, I will accept only at this condition, tell her.»
«I'll see what can be done…»
Luke was satisfied, at least he had taken some steps forward. The Jedi Knight said goodbye to his friend and left him with other commanders.
Going back he stopped in front of his sister's room, waiting for her to return from the trip around the space base; luckily he had some time to think of a painless way to tell her the smuggler's words… not making her angry was going to be a very difficult quest!