The Legion Renewed

Chapter 17

Han skimmed along the planet surface using the coordinates Leia had given him. "Huh! I don't pick up any landing field on my sensors."

"Paranoia." Leia replied. "They didn't want the Empire to know about it, so they kept it hidden. Just keep following the coordinates. My voice print is on file. By the time we get there, they'll have it matched and open the hangar door for us."

"Hhhmmphh." Han grunted. He took another look at his sensor readouts. "I thought you said this was a mining planet."

"It is."

"I don't pick up any strip-craters on my scanners."

"There aren't any."

"Then how-?"

"You'll see," Leia promised with a smile. "There are other ways of mining a planet than destroying the ecology. Panderaan may only be an off-world colony of Alderaan, but we still retain the old values."

"Doesn't look like there's much down there."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

"Um, Leia? Those coordinates you gave me go straight into the side of that large mountain up there."

"Right," she agreed.

"So? You want to crash?"

"Well, you could slow down a bit."

"What, and spoil all the fun?" Nevertheless, Han reduced his airspeed, wondering at the same time if his wife wasn't a good candidate for one of those mental-health recuperative spas instead of a candidate for political office. "Well, Leia, it looks as though-" He broke off as a hole suddenly opened up in the side of the mountain. "Well I'll be a Wookiee's cousin."

Chewbacca growled.

Han grinned. "Don't worry, Pal. I was speaking in the figurative sense." He recorded the landing instructions and nudged his ship into the opening. Han noted that it was large enough to admit a single ship of any size, but was small enough to give a strategically sound defense against any aerial attack on the landing field itself. Of course, the small opening also meant that escape for anyone inside would be that much more difficult...

He mentioned that observation to Leia, who nodded. "Panderaan is a small mining colony. It was never really strategically important until the destruction of Alderaan. Like Alderaan, it has no weapons. But it does have enough ore and raw materials to warrant some sort of defense. My father was the one who suggested the underground field."

"What's to stop an invasionary fleet from landing on the surface and storming the place?"

"Nothing really," Leia admitted. "We do have a system to protect from small pirate raiders and such, but as for an all-out invasion-I'm afraid there's nothing that we can really do."

"Sounds peachie," Han said with a grimace. "Why in the name of the seven gods do you want to represent Panderaan in the Senate?"

"It's more than just Panderaan, Han. With Alderaan gone, Panderaan becomes the key figure for the Deraan Systems. The Deraan planets are small, but we've always had a very influential position in the Senate."

Han grunted. He didn't care much for politics anyway, and it didn't really matter to him what Leia's proposed constitution looked like. He followed the mountain tunnel downward until it opened out into a wide landing field-underground. He suddenly understood why there were no strip craters. The place was huge. And the smooth walls, ceiling, and floor told Han that it had been mined from the within.

It was hard to believe that a cavern this large could have been cut out from the insides of a mountain. The ventilation problems must have been tremendous. Han whistled softly. Very impressive. The traffic-controller directed him to a landing site, and Han touched down smoothly. Leia spoke into the microphone, giving some sort of clearance code, but Han couldn't hear what she said. As he shut down ship's systems, Han saw, through exterior cameras, a small uniformed armed patrol coming towards the Falcon. There were only three of them, not much of a threat, and Han thought that they were more of an honor guard for the Princess than anything else. They came to a halt just outside the main gangplank and stood at attention. Han ignored them while he finished shutting down. When he was done, he stood up and moved aft, but Leia touched his arm just as he hit the control to lower the gangplank. "Let me go first," she said. "Wait for me to call you."

Normally the captain of a vessel went first. Han shrugged and pretended to do as she asked. But he did not wait for her to call him, and followed her behind her line of vision. "Three passengers," Leia was saying in response to some question. "Myself, my husband, and one noncitizen."

"Armament?" one of the soldiers queried.

"Two manned guns, one belly-turret, one-" she broke off suddenly as Han stepped on her foot.

"Hi, folks!" Han said buoyantly. "How's business?"

The soldier who had been doing the questioning didn't show her annoyance. She just looked at Han and said, "Excuse me, sir. Are you a citizen?"

Han was surprised at the question, but he noticed that the other two soldiers had their hands near their holsters. Stun guns, nothing more. "No," he said.

"Yes," Leia corrected. "Citizen through marriage."

"Of course."

"Now, armament, please?"

Han cut in before Leia could say anything. "Two manned guns, and a belly-turret," he said, listing the guns that Leia had already mentioned, and which were visible from the outside.

"Is that all?"

"No," Leia interjected. Han coughed loudly to stop her or drown her out. It didn't do any good. "A proton bomb dispenser, and personal side-arms."

"Leia-" Han whispered warningly.

"Oh, and a concealed strafing rifle."

Han looked heavenward. As soon as they were alone, he and Leia were going to have a serious talk.

"Acknowledged. Officially, I can't wish you good luck in the coming election, but I can wish you a pleasant stay on Panderaan, Your Highness."

"I understand. Thank you, Captain."

"And congratulations on your marriage. To both of you." The Captain nodded to Han, turned, and marched away, flanked by her two aids.

Han waited until they were out of earshot, and then turned to his wife, pent-up anger rising inside of him. "Now just what," he asked roughly, "was that all about?"

"I'm sorry, Han. But they will do a weapons scan anyway, and withholding weapons information is grounds for exclusion from the City."

"Leia, all my weapons except for the manned guns and belly turret are scanner-blocked."

"I couldn't take the chance that they wouldn't be detected. Besides, you have nothing to worry about. The dismantling is only temporary. The tech crews will have them operational again before you leave as long as you give at least a day-cycle's notice."

'Dismantled!?" Han said in disbelief. "Leia, what the hell are you doing to me?"

"Really, Han," Leia said in mild surprise. "It's standard procedure. I don't see why you're so upset."

"Leia, it's never been standard procedure on any other planet I've ever visited."

"Well…I'm sorry. But this is my world. It's the closest thing to home I've got any more. If you would just…follow my lead while we're here, at least until the debate and elections are over with…"

Han crossed his arms and regarded her. "The same way you followed my lead on Corellia?"

She sighed. "You're right. You're right. I'm sorry."

"Okay, Leia. We'll play it your way. I'll do whatever you want as long as we're here."

"And when we get back to Coruscant?"

"We'll figure it out then."

She smiled and hugged him. "Thank you. We'll leave right after the election, I promise. In the meantime…Come on! I want to show you what Deraan really looks like!"

.

.

.

Leia had invited Chewie to come along on her tour, but the Wookiee indicated that he preferred to stay with the Falcon. She took Han on a tour of the Capital City. From the air, it hadn't looked like much – a few office buildings, a lot of residences – hardly even worth being called a "city," much less a "capital." But what Han hadn't realized – indeed, what any off-worlder didn't know – was that the real cities of Deraan Two were underground. Leia took him through a complex network of wide tunnels busy with foot traffic, to point out this museum, and that concert hall, and this other theatre. There were shops of every kind, selling clothes, jewelry, flowers, food-whatever. He didn't have a clue how she knew where to go, until she pointed out the various color-codings posted at the tunnel intersections.

She seemed to the red color-codes, then stopped at a kiosk, typed something in, and smiled at the information she got back. "We're in luck!" she told Han. "There's a concert featuring Razh'm'bruk's Opus Number Twelve! It's one of my favorites!"

She led Han to a cluster of shops, bought him something to eat, and disappeared into a clothing shop. By the time he finished the sweet whatever-it-was and was trying to wipe his hands clean, she came out wearing a diaphanous gown and carrying two packages. One held her travel clothes. The other she held out to Han. He waved his hand to indicate that he didn't want to change out of his flight-clothes, and she grimaced, but didn't push it.

Then she led him to a tunnel and an entrance to a large natural cavern. They took seats near the front. The musicians took their places. The audience hushed. And the musicians began plucking the strings of their instruments.

Han could see why Leia liked this music. It was very soothing. Han wriggled in his chair, trying to get comfortable. He propped his feet up on the support bar of the chair in front of him.

Yes, indeed, the music was very soothing.

Very soothing.

The next thing he knew, Leia was jabbing him in the ribs, telling him to stop snoring.