Spirit of the Shifting Sands
Disclaimer - The characters and situations used in this epic are all the property of Lucasfilm. I'm only borrowing them for a while and am making no form of profit.
Chapter 11
Imperial Garrison, Mos Eisley
"The Jedi Master is where?" Admiral Pellaeon lifted his head from the reports he'd been studying all morning.
Vash Ardiff proffered a data pad to his leader. "According to our sources General Cracken thinks that the Jedi Master was on the point of returning to Coruscant or Yavin IV."
Pellaeon pursed his lips as he scanned the document. "What do you think?"
"If you want my opinion, Sir? I think that Skywalker's done nothing of the kind."
The Admiral nodded. "Just keep watch for his whereabouts. If he does return to Yavin, I want to be informed the minute he arrives there."
"Does Skywalker know what's really going on?"
"He knows more than the New Republic thinks he does." Pellaeon sat back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Yet he probably remains here, fully aware of the danger he is in."
"I never said he was a prudent man. However, he is a brave one."
"His last speech pleased the populace but angered certain elements in the New Republic's ruling council."
"He doesn't want to be tied to any one governing body. He serves the Jedi for good."
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Imperial Headquarters - Bestine, Tatooine - 5 days later
The harsh mid-morning sunlight fought its way through windows so dusty it was a wonder that light got through at all. Prefect Eugene Talmont coughed weakly and reached for the carafe of clear water that Jarl Venner brought to his desk.
"Sir, you should really be in the medicentre. You're not fit to be up."
Talmont waved a shaky hand dismissively. "I'm as well as I'm going to be. What have you to report?"
"Nothing concrete for now, Sir. The people are restless but cowed and generally fearful."
"Good. That's how it should be."
"But Sir, it's not us they're afraid of. It's the Twilek and his thugs."
"Unfortunate, but true. He was useful before when the High Command ignored our requests for extra resources to quell the natives but now he is getting annoying and his methods more aggressive. I suppose we'll have to deal with him eventually, before High Command become suspicious and send someone to deal with us. Don't look so sanctimonious, Venner. You've known for some time that I've been," he paused thoughtfully, "…co-operating with some of the local businessmen. It has been most profitable politically and economically."
Venner coughed in acute nervousness. 'He hadn't guessed. Had he?'
He turned away his lip curling in disgust. Talmont sickened him but if something happened to Olan they didn't have the resources or the manpower to deal with the chaos that would undoubtedly ensue. 'There's too much at stake - this could be the beginning of the end of the Empire as we know it and I can't let that happen. I've fought all my life to serve my Emperor and his successors in the best way I can.' The idea crept into his brain. 'I could kill the Prefect.' His blood ran cold at actually committing murder but he stepped back mentally from the idea. Someone would find out if he committed such a deed and Talmont still amazingly commanded loyalty – perhaps not the man himself but his uniform and what it represented – the order of the Imperial life. He was the official head of the Imperial faction on Tatooine and that spoke for a lot - sort of.
He schooled his face back to an expression of worried concern and turned back to face his superior. "I read over reports of the Twilek's most recent activities." He frowned. "There was something peculiar in one of the accounts."
Talmont listlessly nudged a data card into a reader. "What account?"
Venner tried to appear casual. If he could find out why stormtroopers had been sent to Tosche Station this would help the intelligence gatherers no end. He cleared his throat quickly. "I read in one of the reports about a raid on a power and water distribution service station in Anchorhead. There was talk of two humans with glowing swords that came to the help of the owner and the people in the bar. In this instance, Olan's men came off rather the worse in this contest. In fact his current second in command, a Twilek by the name of Bendu'Tal, was killed. The owner and his wife were injured, but claim not to know their rescuers." Venner paused thoughtfully.
Talmont raised bloodshot eyes and gazed dispassionately at the younger man. "I sent a division of Stormtroopers out there, but they saw nothing of any note."
"Yes, Sir. That was several days after the event and the criminals were long gone."
"It wasn't the criminals I was after."
Venner's heart skipped a beat. Talmont did know something. "There have been many witness accounts of this incident. One man told us that the blade could cut through anything and another said that it repelled blaster bolts back to whoever fired them." He looked at Talmont. "Rather much don't you think?"
"Oh no, Major. It confirms exactly what I think and that's why I sent the Stormtroopers. That's the kind of damage a lightsaber can do. These are no ordinary criminals."
"A lightsaber!" Venner knew what that was. He'd heard that Skywalker was from Tatooine but it was unlikely that he'd been raised around here. He'd check up on this too. In his present position he had access to a lot of classified documentation. "Then there were Jedi…"
"Yes - the traditional weapon of a Jedi Knight. The Jedi have returned to Tatooine and if so, it can be none other than the head of the Jedi Order himself - Luke Skywalker. His companion could be anyone of a number of people. Since he set up that confounded school there are quite a few of them. What I would like to know, Major, is why he has returned to Tatooine - if it is indeed Skywalker. If we could somehow capture him and his companion...." His voice trailed off and Talmont gazed limply into the distance.
So the Prefect knew this too. Venner berated himself silently. Of course he would know about the greatest enemy of the Empire. But surely Skywalker was a good man. He'd heard that too. These Jedi - were they holy men or something more mystic? Since the Emperor had tried to wipe out the Jedi and virtually succeeded, their practices had evolved into tall tales to frighten children and old rimworlders.
"Venner – I need you to clear some files. It wouldn't look good for either of us if they were found and I'm expecting a visit from a Captain Ardiff – personal aide to Admiral Pellaeon. You are my most trusted officer, after all?"
Venner stiffened. "Sir?"
"Oh, don't go rancor-faced on me now. Just do it. I'm going to lie down. I have to meet with a local guild representative later on."
********************
Venner fumed silently as Talmont moved his repulsor chair out of the office. 'The bastard'. He bit his tongue with frustration and found the unwelcome taste of his own blood. "Ouch!" That hurt - but he wouldn't destroy the files. He would just move them someplace different. Imperial Intelligence would want a look at these later.
Jedi on Tatooine - definitely possible. Skywalker had been seen on Pii 3 very briefly several months ago, but nothing had been heard about him since. Only this one sighting of a man with a lightsaber, if the eyewitness account was true. Venner grinned smugly. He could get access again to the reports on Bendu'Tal's body. He turned to his data screen and touched it. "Yes," he breathed with anticipation. It was all there and the injuries were consistent with lightsaber cuts. The Prefect was probably correct - Luke Skywalker was the only Jedi fool enough to come to this arid, backwater place. He grabbed a drinking utensil and filled it with caf. Switching on his computer he searched for any Intel on Skywalker - including descriptions. He clicked on the most recent file and noted with shock that it had been sent by the New Republic and recently too. He clicked on a stored holo picture. The holo shimmered in front of him. It showed what the galaxy had known - a man of medium height with tousled fair hair and the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Something about him looked familiar. "I've seen holos of him before, but I get the feeling I've seen him recently," he mumbled to himself. "Where did I see him?"
He accessed his files and came across the one that Admiral Pellaeon and Captain Ardiff had seen from The Lucky Despot. He scanned the footage looking for anything that could be a disguised Jedi Master. He was lucky to get this. Ardiff would probably have obliged, but it was useful to have friends in other divisions. He smiled - friends. That's not exactly what Flin was to him, but if she hadn't passed him the information someone else would have.
"Aah!" He breathed in satisfaction. "There's our man and he's talking to Solo. The small-time smuggler, Gorez Melosh was none other than Luke Skywalker."
So Skywalker had been on Tatooine about a month ago. He could have gone back to Yavin or on to Coruscant as his sister was there. But Han Solo was still on Tatooine. What were the bets that the Jedi Master was still there too. He put down his mug of caf. He'd actually met Han Solo - faced him across a table. Well, he felt he'd been there. Actually he'd been across the street in a run down sandstone structure trying to get a clear picture on his viewscreen. 'Ah! What the hell.' He'd been in disguise in the cantina and Solo had been there the next day. As good as ... He froze as the moment of amusement left him.
If the Jedi was still on Tatooine the NR had broken the terms of the agreement. Admiral Pellaeon had been very specific about the Jedi thing. Jarl Venner picked up his mug and took a long reflective slug of the bitter brew. The war was over. He knew that - sith, they all knew that. But some people couldn't admit it and there were others too ready to cause more chaos and suffering. They had to stop that happening at all costs. Luke Skywalker understood this and had met Admiral Pellaeon over a year before for secret talks. Luke was to be the liaison between the two factions. Not the Generals or the politicians but the Jedi.
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Talmont waited until the tall, strong, healthy Major Jarl Venner had left to do his assigned tasks and closed his fist in an angry impotent gesture. He activated his private line.
"This is the Prefect. I'll meet you in three hours."
Now to convince anyone here that he was going to his rooms to rest for the duration of today. Yes he was ailing, but not quite as badly as everyone thought he was. There was life in him yet. The Twilek had to be caught in his web once he had finished the work he had unknowingly done for Talmont. 'I still have more power than they realise. The admiral himself has come at my bidding and the Jedi Master as well. They were too swift to write me off. I will prove it to them.' His eyes took on a strange feverish glow.
"There's an incoming call for you from Admiral Pellaeon, Sir." The com bleeped rawly at him. The mad glitter faded from his eyes to be replaced by a wary cunning expression.
"All right, I'll take the call. Thank you, Derf." He leaned back in his chair and waited for the Admiral's gravelly voice to sound.
"Prefect Talmont!"
"Admiral."
"Captain Ardiff will be arriving tomorrow to see you."
A faint hint of panic entered the Prefect's voice. "Captain Ardiff. Your Captain Ardiff?"
Pellaeon's voice sounded tired and irritable. "Yes. Don't be smart, Eugene. I'm not in the mood. I did tell you to expect him."
"Things not going well, Admiral?" Talmont's voice sounded oily.
"What can you mean?" The Admiral's voice was dry.
"You've had me under observation of late. I wondered why. Oh, I know it's discreet and distant, but I've been checked out thoroughly."
"Perhaps you might care to tell me why you think you may have been checked out."
"I have absolutely no idea."
"Perhaps you've been interfering in things you shouldn't have been?"
"Now look here, Admiral. I resent the inference. I've been a loyal servant of the Empire and it's ideals for over thirty years. Tatooine is still Imperial isn't it?"
There was a grudging silence at the other end of the line. Pellaeon didn't trust Talmont at all but he almost appreciated his deviousness. "I grant you that much, Eugene. What information do you have for me? I take it you do have something?"
Talmont smiled. "There are Jedi on Tatooine."
"Yes, I know." The admission came as a surprise to Talmont, but he knew Pellaeon was a thorough soldier. If he knew about it, then he should expect the head of the United Imperial worlds to know also.
"Do we know who it is?"
"I can't confirm anything but I have my suspicions."
"Yes. It can only be one man. Youngish with blue eyes."
"That's the general description."
"Well then, it must be the Jedi Master himself. It can only be Luke Skywalker. Of the Jedi on file that's the best match. As for his companion..."
"Companion?"
"He wasn't alone. There were two humans with lightsabers."
"Description."
"It was a woman."
"The Princess - his sister?"
"No. This female was apparently outstandingly beautiful with hair of a shade rarely seen anywhere. Not that Leia Organa Solo isn't impressive in her facial features, but this wasn't her."
"What shade exactly?" The Admiral's voice had altered subtly and taken on a strange tone.
"It was a reddish gold."
There was a strange silence on the other end of the line before Admiral Pellaeon sighed. "It must be one of the newer Jedi. I can find no record of any with that colouring."
"He will be destroyed Admiral. I will see to it. I can have the best assassins ready to take him down at any time. I was sent a rather interesting file with very recent descriptions and possible locations. He will die…"
"No!" The admiral's voice thundered sternly over the com line. "No, I don't want him destroyed - not yet. He's extremely resourceful and could be dangerous. We do not want to approach him until we're ready. Besides..." his voice softened. "He might not be in on this. He may also not even be in the area now. Reports on him indicate that unless he's on Yavin he never stays very long in one place."
"But his sister is the former Chief of State and is still high up in the government."
"Does he do everything she tell him to? Something tells me she wasn't too happy about all of this and she was very quick to agree to non-Jedi involvement. I think we keep watch for Skywalker but don't kill him. Just keep the Twilek occupied for a little while longer, Prefect. But try and curb his murderous impulses. He's beginning to stir up a Sarlacc's nest worth of trouble. We cannot afford to have the people rising against us and the Twilek. They don't see much difference between the two."
The com clicked off with a disdainful snap and Talmont glared broodingly at it. "Oh yes, Admiral. I'll keep the Twilek occupied as I've done for the past five years, but I make no promises about the Jedi - if they are here. And I wonder why you lied to me. You know exactly who Skywalker's companion is."
**************************************************************
Outside the Imperial HQ, Bestine on Tatooine
"Anything?" Venner spoke swiftly into the comlink pinned to the collar of his uniform. He glanced warily round but he was alone in the Speeder Park.
The voice of Kapass echoed over the comlink. "Not even a sand borer. They all packed up and left. I suppose Anchorhead is not one of the galaxy's bright spots."
"No."
"I saw the Wookiee," his voice quickened, excited despite long years of Imperial training. "I saw Chewbacca of Kashyyyk."
"He's still an alien and a wanted one at that." Venner murmured dryly.
"Oh, come on, boss. It's - well."
"I know. I envy you. I'd have liked to have seen him too." He sighed. "How many were there and where did they go?"
"It's difficult to say… a couple of squads, but some headed in the general direction of Mos Eisley and some, by their bearing, were heading towards Mos Elras or Mos Espa. Solo and the Wook headed out into the Dune Sea."
"Towards B'Omarr?"
"Possibly. Did Ardiff say who was heading out there?"
"No, not yet."
"Are you going?" Kapass asked curiously.
"I may be going but I've to await his Prefectness. He's up to something."
"When isn't he?"
"True."
"Leggin and I expect to hear that we can go."
"Who says you nerfs will go?"
"You will."
"Hah." Venner pulled his cloak round his shoulders and eyed the Imperial offices carefully. It wouldn't do to sit here too long. "Where is Leggin?"
"He's headed across to the cantina to see if any Jedi are lurking under tables in sandy corners."
"Funny."
"Nah, he fancied a lomin ale. It's his break. So, to kill two Calamarians with a sojourn on Tatooine, he went across to get his ale and do a little checking. According to the Prefect there are Jedi on Tatooine."
"So he keeps saying," Venner replied wearily wondering how much information he should divulge to his friend. None them held the Prefect in great esteem.
"Leggin will cope and save the galaxy from the evil Jedi."
"Jawa – they're not evil. I'll be along after I've nannydroided the Prefect to bed."
"Lovely. I should have gone for promotion just like you. You get all the best jobs."
"He's falling apart physically, but something's keeping him going and I don't know what it is. See you later. Venner out."
**********************
He clicked off his comlink. Kapass and Leggin had been the year behind him at the Academy. None of them could afford to go to the best schools in the galaxy. That, and they didn't have the marks. But the one they'd attended had turned out many good, reliable Imperial soldiers and, to Venner, they were the fixative in many of the Imperial problems. They kept things together by sheer hard work and devotion to their duty. He cast his mind back to when they'd all been cadets. Once - just once - they'd met Grand Admiral Thrawn. He'd been the guest of honour at their graduation ceremony. They'd sworn that day to serve the Empire with their lives and Venner took that vow with a seriousness he hadn't known he possessed. He had realised early on in his posting on Tatooine that the prefect wasn't serving the Empire. He wasn't looking out for his people and didn't care what he did as long as it served his own ends. Venner hadn't any idea what Talmont's ends were. Greed and lust for power and money probably and a drive to achieve what he'd never be able to attain - respect. Possibly. Right now Venner didn't care what he wanted. The man was a traitor – a seriously ill one but a traitor nonetheless.
His original aim had been to get a posting as a member of the Grand Admiral's staff to work for him in his drive to create order and stability in the galaxy. But only the cadets who had gained the top marks from the best places ever got the chance to serve with the likes of the Grand Admiral. It hadn't put Venner off one little bit. He'd work as hard as he could - he was strong, dedicated and intelligent. He would do his utmost and perhaps if he were very lucky he would be rewarded. Unfortunately, the Grand Admiral had died before he could realise his dream and the Empire had drifted through one military campaign after another, through one inept Admiral after another and through various Warlords thinking they could replace the Empire with something else. Things had stabilised now that Admiral Pellaeon had reluctantly taken charge. Venner had heard a lot of good things about him. He'd been a career soldier, just like Venner wanted to be and was considered, if not brilliant like Thrawn, to be a just and good man.
In Venner's measured opinion Pellaeon wanted what was best for his people. He wanted order and stability just like Thrawn had wanted and he had worked directly with the legendary blue-skinned leader. Nothing he'd seen had made him change his opinion. If all the high brass had been of the Prefect's calibre Venner and the boys might seriously have thought about joining the rebels. 'No,' he told himself with a pained grin. 'Not rebels. They were the New Republic now.' Sure they had the problems of Government but most of the rebels he'd come across had been firm believers in their cause and many had died for that cause. Would he die for his? Yes he would.
Talmont had been cheating the Empire for years and the citizens of Tatooine had suffered under his harsh and often quixotic rule. That was without his barely held control on certain aspects of planetary life - specifically, the criminal parts.
He shifted in the speeder aware that the suns were beginning to descend and thought about Flin. He'd met her in the middle of a big project a few years back where there had been rumours of a secret Hutt weapons cache. She worked for Intel and when he'd wondered what to do about the Prefect he'd spoken to her first. She'd recommended that he contact some of her Intel superiors. He'd ended up eventually speaking to a Captain Vash Ardiff. Flin's grey eyes had widened at the name, which was when he'd known this was important. The Captain had been surprisingly receptive and had continued over the past couple of years to ask for reports. Things had heated up recently and Venner had been taking secret off planet trips investigating Talmont's activities and reporting on them to Ardiff. It wasn't just Tatooine that he'd managed to screw up - he was doing very nicely with the whole Arkanis sector. The young soldier sighed regretfully. He still hadn't made it aboard the Chimaera, but one day…. Flin was on a mission somewhere on the other side of the galaxy – probably mid-rim – but they had arranged time together on their next leave. He regretfully dismissed her from his mind. He normally didn't think of her when he was on duty; he'd conditioned himself to concentrate on the job in hand. To dwell on other thoughts was too dangerous.
He got wearily out of the speeder he'd been huddled in and made his way back to his office. When Talmont contacted him saying he was off to meet his guild representative before taking an early night the Major had his head deep in the contents of several data-pads. When he'd discovered the extent of Talmont's duplicity he'd found that a hefty cut of all shipping profits went to the Prefect and that several of the local crime barons sent him the choicest takings from stolen cargo vessels. Then there had been a particularly brutal murder where a local freighter had been had attacked, the crew butchered and the cargo stolen. Venner was convinced that a particular statuette in Talmont's office had been on the cargo manifest of that ship. The man was immoral. Perhaps that was what was hastening his physical decline. He'd heard it said that evil eats at you from the inside. But Talmont didn't consider himself evil. He was totally self-absorbed and nothing short of death or imprisonment would change that.
Venner was totally matter of fact about his duties. His commanders had placed him on Tatooine – a tenth rate world – without realising how important it could become in their fight for survival. Venner knew that his lucky break had just turned up.
He returned to his office and cleared one or two things before getting ready to leave. He was going to meet Kapass and Leggin at Anchorhead to get as much data as he could. Putting his head into the Prefect's office, he noticed it was deserted. Wandering round the desk he noticed the data pad hadn't been cleared. It was still hooked into the system and there was no sign of the prefect. Venner leant forward and what he saw made his eyes widen. "Oh, damn!"
***********************************************************
Coruscant - 5 days earlier
"Incoming transmission for High Councillor Organa Solo." The aide directed his voice to Lady Winter Celchu.
"I'll take it Mnartynn. The High Councillor isn't feeling well and has gone to her bed. There are cases of Darpan Fever about and I wondered..." Winter let her voice trail off a little - enough for the tech's eyes to widen in fear at the possibility of infection crossed his mind.
"Have you been inoculated against this? You should have. The High Councillor missed it last time. I'm probably wrong. She's been under a lot of strain - we all have." She raised her voice again just enough to make it sound confiding to any one in the office within hearing. "I suggest we close up early tonight. Any incoming transmissions for the High Councillor can be handled by me and I'll see you in the morning."
The Princess's staff smiled thankfully and started to clear their things. A short while later only Winter remained at her desk, her silvery white hair shining in the light of the single lamp. Winter smiled lovingly at a holo of Tycho holding small Corran, before putting away her work. Rising gracefully she cast a careful eye about her before knocking lightly on the door of Leia's office. The white face with the puffy red eyes that met her at the door gave Winter pause for thought. She'd very rarely seen Leia like this.
"Your Highness. Are you feeling any better?"
Leia lifted her dark eyes and sighed wearily. "No."
"There's a message for you."
"Is it from Han?"
Winter shook her head. "No, Leia, it's from General Cracken - audio only."
"Let's hear it. And Winter - stay. You'll need to know as much as I do because you are going to be me for a few days."
Winter acquiesced and the General's voice rang out bringing with it the sound of the sand blowing over the dunes... or it might have been static.
"Leia, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we have hit a hitch with the plans. Life here is pretty much as you would expect under an Imperial Prefect who has been left to his own devices for far too long. We're not sure where the Empire starts and where the Criminal fraternity begin. On Tatooine, it seems to be a symbiotic relationship. The people are generally pretty pathetic looking, but are not complaining. I suspect they're too frightened. I cannot frankly see the point in wasting any more of our thinly stretched resources and are recommending we pull out of the deal. We have gained valuable insight into Imperial manoeuvres in this sector. We will not help them keep order here at this present time. The general feeling amongst the people that I spoke to is that we are not ready to negotiate in this manner with the Empire. There's been no word from Master Skywalker. He was in the area, but hasn't been seen recently. Cracken out."
The message had come heavily encrypted but Winter had the feeling that the words had been grafted upon Airen Cracken by someone else.
"Oh, if only Ghent were here."
"Ghent?" Leia looked up in surprise. She'd listlessly been following the stiffly worded communiqué for the fourth time. There was something unsatisfactory about it.
Winter nodded. "He could sort this out, but I think this has been tampered with. Yes, the quality of this is much poorer than the other messages we've received but we have to take into account the distance this message has travelled. There is also something about the patterns of speech, if it is actually Cracken and this message is on the level. I think I'm listening to Bothan speech patterns."
Leia frowned. "Play it again. Why would someone be telling Cracken what to…?"
"It doesn't that surprise me. This could be an exercise between the NR military Intelligence divisions and a few Bothan political machinations."
Leia flushed a little guiltily. She'd been listening to what the Bothans had been saying and it hadn't seemed so wrong but now… She made up her mind. "I knew this didn't feel right. Luke is there - I know it and the General knows it. But there's something we're missing. Maybe I'll find out what it is when I get there."
Winter narrowed her eyes. "Leia?"
"I'm definitely going. You knew I would. I want to create that holo of me with Darpan Fever, like we discussed, and get to Tatooine but I don't want anyone on Coruscant to know that I've gone. We can programme it with my voice like we did with Threepio once before and I have to be in isolation. So even my children wouldn't know."
"They'd know, Leia. They are Force sensitive."
Leia's face fell. "You're right. I'll have to tell them something. The sad thing is that it won't seem strange to them. What kind of Mother leaves her children so often?"
"A mother who loves her children, but wants them to live in a better world, perhaps?"
"Yes," she smiled sadly. They will understand. But when do they start resenting what I am, what they are?"
"I don't know Leia. Still, if you have to go to Han - you have to go. In the unlikely event that he returns home without going back for your brother, I'll let him into our little ruse."
"Han thinks that Luke and Mara Jade are lovers. Did you know that?"
"No, but its not surprising is it? I've seen the way he's looked at her recently. He probably didn't realise it himself and neither would she. They are alike in ways you and Luke will never be."
Leia stiffened at this, but she knew her long time friend and confidante was right. "It just seems wrong that he's sleeping with a woman who wanted to kill him." She fiddled with the lightsaber attached to her waist. "If he is? Han must be wrong."
"She's not wanted to kill him for a very long time. In fact, she's saved his life many times and he hers. Mara is not the Emperor's hand anymore, Leia. She's much more than that and I think she'd be good for Luke. He needs someone, Leia. You've got Han and the children. Who has Luke got?"
"It may not last... In fact, Han and Chewbacca could be completely wrong about this. I know Luke and Mara are close, they've been through a lot together over the years. Mara has saved me and the children too, but I just don't know if I could accept her with Luke."
"I don't know, but it's Luke's business. If he shares it with you, be thankful. If not - then it is none of your affair. Does Han expect you?"
Leia's face stilled and her eyes watered a little, but she wasn't going to come apart. She'd faced terrors so bad that she still couldn't talk about them and here she was breaking up into little pieces because her husband didn't want to talk to her. Put like that it seemed trivial - stupid even. But theirs had been such a happy partnership. When had things gone so wrong?
"Han is so angry with me. I thought originally the idea was to negotiate in good faith, but then it became an exercise to stall the Imps. I was to go then they decided that Han would go in my place because he wasn't a trained diplomat. Then it began to make some sort of twisted logic. We go in, find out what they are up to. Get troop figures and deployments in the area and if possible bump off a few of the scum that make people's lives such a misery. When Talon Karrde became involved it fitted in so well with our schemes. We even used the poor pilot who had watched his friends and colleagues die in front of his eyes. I had to watch my home die many years ago, but I didn't wake up smelling their blood and seeing them slaughtered. It was a good excuse, nothing more. Then Cracken recruited Mara Jade and Luke disappeared. Mara is a valuable commodity in many ways."
Winter's face paled to the colour of her hair. "She is valuable… especially with Luke!"
"What?"
"There are people who watch Luke and speculate on what he does; from holo-reporters to Imperial and New Republic Intel officers. If we've observed his interest in Mara, then there are others who will also have noticed. Some may want to prevent such a union.
Leia went white. "No!"
Winter moved to her desk pad and began to tap in some instructions. "Come on. We've got a lot to do if you're going."
"I'm going."
