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"My lord?"
Alai hesitated for a moment, working past the irrational fear that the Sith apprentice produced in her. While she served the Emperor loyally and faithfully, she deeply resented the ways in which he sought to suppress others' believes. Service to the leader was necessary, but so was freedom of thought. How could a system improve unless questioned?
For all his many faults, Darth Rage allowed Alai to express her opinions. She respected him in a way that she could almost describe as paternal. And that disturbed her. He had, after all, slain her parents in cold blood simply because she could touch the Force. She remembered the smell of scorching flesh and the screams all too well.
But that was in the past. She stepped into the austere room that served as the Sith lord's private sanctum. It was not at all in keeping with how she imagined one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the galaxy would live. Simple and unadorned, it consisted of a Holonet projector, a straight-backed chair, and a polished but inexpensive table. That was all.
Her eyes locked on the two holos situated on the table. One was of a serious boy, the other displayed a bright-eyed, smiling little girl. Of course Alai knew that Rage had children - it was well-known throughout the galaxy - but the idea sent a chill through her. This cold, calculating man had produced a boy whom she knew to be gentle and a girl so full of vibrant life that it seemed she must take her energy from the stars themselves. It still puzzled her how a Sith could have such children - and, more significantly, how he could care for them so much without turning his back on his order's teachings.
He just looked at her from behind the table, watching and waiting. This was it, then.
"We examined the information you were able to extract from Governor Thanas," she said without preamble. She had no sentiment in her for the traitorous young woman rotting in her cell. While Admiral Archimedes had acted in what she believed to be the best interests of the New Order, Thanas had simply worked to undermine it. There was a galaxy-wide difference between those two views and anyone who could not understand that fact was blind and stupid. "There was nothing worthwhile. She held out against your torture droids, apparently."
Rage nodded once. "Obviously." He met her stare levelly. "If you have another suggestion, perhaps I might consider it."
Alai kept a smile from creeping onto her face. "My lord, I have examined some of the high-level records in hopes of finding another solution to the Governor's intractability. I came across a note from the Grand Moff Tarkin. Before he was killed, he threatened to destroy Princess Leia Organa's homeworld unless she revealed the location of the Rebels' base."
Something in Rage's face made her stomach turn. He seemed to withdraw from his own expressions, leaving only hard stone. "That method did not work."
"Yes, but Princess Organa was a Jedi. Governor Thanas is nothing of the kind." She met his inhuman eyes. "Unless you have a better idea, my lord?"
There was a moment when Alai feared that, Hand or no, she would meet her death then and there. Then Rage nodded once. "I will leave you to carry out your threat. Have the Avenger remain in orbit and order the rest of the fleet set course for Bakura."
"As you command, my lord." Alai turned sharply and marched out of the sanctum, glad to be free of the Sith's presence.
***
Even though he knew it made him look like a dumb oaf, Ben could not help but gape at the sprawling mass that was Mos Eisley. He had never seen anything so big in his life. He had never even imagined that anything that big could exist. And even from this vantage point high above the spaceport, he could not see the end of it.
Shay'll love this, he thought happily. A moment later the pain, momentarily numbed after three chronos piloting a landspeeder through empty desert, came back in full force. Or she would if I hadn't had to cremate her, he corrected bitterly. His hand brushed the handle of the lightsaber - the tool he had used to carve a rough marker out of a duracrete chunk. At least it had served some good purpose, anyway. "From the suns we came. To the suns we return." The final farewell, as ancient as the desert itself, brought him a tiny measure of comfort.
"Mos Eisley spaceport," Jessa said softly, her eyes locked on the distant buildings. "Home of the galaxy's lowest forms of life." She glanced up at him. "You watch you back, Ben."
He nodded woodenly. "We should get going."
"Yeah." She patted him on the shoulder and steered him back to the landspeeder. Blue chirped and warbled something that sounded sympathetic. "Come on. I don't know how to pilot this thing."
Maybe she knew, maybe she did not, but the rhythm and feeling of flight soothed him and made some of the ache vanish for a while. He steered the bumpy landspeeder down the rocks and into the city, trying not to gawp at everything. If he took his eyes off the road, he would run someone over.
"What's that?" he asked as they went by a rusting lump of old machinery.
"Some memorial. I'm surprised those scavenger critters haven't stripped it clean." Jessa frowned suddenly. "Uh oh. Don't look now. We've got trouble."
A squadron of stormtroopers waited up ahead, checking everyone who came through. Oh, stars, Ben thought bleakly. This isn't good.
One of the stormtroopers marched up to him and Jessa. "How long have you had this droid?"
"Ten chronos," Ben said automatically. His mouth was working, even if his brain was having problems.
"You want to buy it?" Jessa asked eagerly. "Two hundred credits. Great deal."
The stormtrooper pointed to one of his underlings, who was carrying a sort of portable scanner. "Check it."
"Hey!" Jessa protested. "No examining the merchandise. Credits first!"
"We don't want the droid," the stormtrooper explained, clearly exasperated. "We're scanning for receiver hardware."
Ben was sure his hands were shaking. Jessa shook her head. "I don't buy it. Pay up or you're not scanning my droid."
"Let me see your identifications," the stormtrooper barked.
"You don't need to see our identifications!" Jessa barked. "I don't know who you think you are, but this isn't Imperial Center. This droid isn't the one you're looking for. We've got kriffing business to do. I'll report you to your superiors!" She started to stand up, nearly sending the whole landspeeder toppling sideways. "What's your operating number, huh? You're interfering in private transporation without probable cause, that's what you're doing!"
Ben tried to sink into his seat. She was poking the stormtrooper on the chest with her finger - poking him on the chest! That had to be worse than him hitting an admiral. Oh, man! What if they recognize me? His lightsaber seemed to weigh a ton. He probably had a Jedi sign stuck on his back, the way his luck was going.
Jessa was still at it. He had no idea if the Search and Seizure Act even existed, but she was yelling at the entire squadron about it. Her father supplied them all with the power packs in those oversized blaster rifles of theirs, thank you very much, and unless they wanted to embarrass themselves in front of the Emperor, they had better straighten up and behave. She had friends in high places, if they knew what she meant.
He did not have the heart to point out that the stormtrooper was already scanning Blue.
"Sir?" The scanner-bearer looked over at the stormtrooper in charge, who was looking cornered despite the helmet covering his face. "There's nothing here."
Ben's jaw dropped. So did Jessa's. She stopped mid-bluster.
"There you are!" A man he had never seen before in his life came striding out of the gathering crowd. At this point, Ben would have kissed a bantha if it came to his rescue. But he was not entirely sure about this guy. He had stains on his shirt that probably reeked of alcohol and spice and his stubble was at least a few days old.
On the other hand, Jessa's face lit up when she saw him. "Thanks," she called to the stormtrooper. "You're forgiven." She scooted over enough to let the man climb into the landspeeder. Ben hit the throttle and tried not to look too harried as he sped away.
"What happened back there?" he demanded after a moment. "I thought we were dead!"
"Mini jammer," the scruffy man said. He did indeed smell, and as grateful as Ben was, he did not want the man in his landspeeder. "I activated the one this little droid's carrying around."
"You know Blue?" Ben asked. He looked at Jessa. "Did you know that he knew Blue?"
"I wouldn't be surprised. He's a friend of my father's."
"I thought you weren't talking to your father."
Jessa glared at him for a moment before recovering herself. "Ben Darklighter, this is Han Solo. He helped me get my own ship and get on my feet." She grinned at the man. "We're going to Bakura," she said as if this bit of news what not vitally important. "Want to come with us on the Lady Luck?"
Han Solo shook his head. "Can't. The Lady Luck's been impounded."
Jessa hit the landspeeder's brakes, jerking them all to a stop. "What?"
"Hal and I checked. Someone found out about you double-crossing Durga and decided to take your ship for payment."
"Fraggit!" Jessa pounded the controls with her fist and covered her eyes. "I have to get this droid to Bakura, Solo! I have to!" She looked at him suddenly with the same sort of expression that Sasha used to get when she really wanted something. "Hey, Solo?"
"No. No way. You're not taking the Falcon to Bakura."
"It's important," Jessa snapped.
"I don't care. I'm not in your Rebellion anymore."
Ben leaned around Jessa and glared at him. "My uncle and aunt are dead because of all this," he hissed. "So's my cousin. So's my best friend. The least you can do is help!"
Solo's face seemed to soften and harden at the same time. "Your family died?"
He just nodded.
Solo blew out a sigh. "All right. Fine. We'll get my copilot and see what's going on." He pointed to a twisting street of the main avenue. "Chalmun's. That's where Hal should be."
Jessa smiled faintly. "Thanks."
"Yeah. Sure." He glanced at Ben. "You sure you want to do this, kid? It could be a mistake."
Ben shrugged. "I'll be okay. I'm ready for anything."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Solo muttered.
***
The cockpit of the Chance would have been cramped with a single pilot - namely, Ghent. Melody had managed to squeeze herself into the copilot's seat, but she was afraid that if she moved, some of the ship's key components would fall into her lap.
With an effort, she ignored the control digging into her leg and jabbed a finger at the planet outside the cockpit. "That's where Solo is?"
"Yep." Ghent pointed to the small triangle dark against the planet's surface. "See that Star Destroyer?"
Melody nodded warily.
"It's letting people through, but it's checking their ship codes first. A while back I sold Solo a couple of slicer chips. As far as the Imps are concern, the Falcon's legit. But the codes stay in the system - "
"And you can track them in the databases," Melody finished. "Fine. I bow to your genius." She propped her chin on her hand as best she could. "So the million credit question is, why the frag is Solo on an Imp planet if he's a Rebel?"
"Might have an answer for that." Ghent tapped a button on the complex maze of consoles and brought up data lines on a screen. Even though the old code-cracker had been Melody's guardian for longer than she could remember, she still could not grasp any more than the barest fraction of the information flowing down the screen. "One of the ship's primary missions is to find a transmission made to a Tatooine settlement by a Rebel sometime yesterday. Solo might've dragged Hal here to pick it up."
"Great," Melody muttered. "I'm gonna strangle him with his own tongue and feed him to a Hutt. How do I find Hal?"
"Shouldn't be too hard. I've got a friend in Mos Eisley who'll take you two to the Falcon."
"Right." Melody stopped and glared at Ghent. He looked just a little too innocent to her. "Oh, no. No way in the ten hells am I bringing Goldenrod down there. That droid'll get me and Hal both blown to bits."
Ghent just smiled mildly. "Can you speak Wookie?"
She stopped mid-rant. "What's that have to do with anything?"
"My friend's a Wookie. Tall, hairy, growls, doesn't speak Basic."
"Let me guess," she said flatly. "Goldenrod's a translator."
"Right again." He patted her on the shoulder. "Don't look at me like that. He's a decent droid."
"Ghent, he wouldn't be decent scrap."
Ghent considered for a moment. "True," he conceded. "Don't worry, Mel. You'll be fine."
Melody glared. Not that that did any good. "Just take us down."
***
Even Jedi could not fight the sun. As much as they might like to sometimes, Anakin added sourly as he shaded his eyes against the morning's brilliant rays. Despite the dust from constant Imp bombardment and the partial nightcloak stifling half the planet, the warm light could not be completely blocked.
Corran's taking his sweet time. He pulled his robe's hood over his head and tried to hide anxiety with irritability. But the treacherous thoughts still slipped through. Or he's been shot down. I'd never know unless he had time to send a message. Stars and suns, I hate waiting!
Lucéa's strangely muted presence warned him of her approach before she appeared from inside the duracrete bunker, but even then he had to stop and blink. Her jumpsuit was gone, replaced by a worn, knee-length dress in muted blues and reds. Matching ribbons confined her hair into two intricate - if slightly messy - buns, while haphazard white paint covered most of her face and neck. The dots and split lip were still there, accentuated by the paleness of her face.
"You missed a spot," he said as a greeting.
The Queen of Naboo rubbed her fingers over a bare spot on her cheek, spreading the white makeup more evenly. "You're looking slightly more morose than usual," she answered.
Anakin bit back a retort and did his best to get a grip on himself. Just because he was going to turn to the Dark Side sooner or later did not mean he had to help the process along. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap."
"Apology accepted." She settled herself beside him. "Any sign of your Jedi master?"
"Not a trace." He wanted to add how worried he was, but he did not think Lucéa would understand. "Where did you find the dress?"
"My great aunt was a queen before me. This was her battle uniform." Lucéa smiled tightly. "Although you may not believe it, I do know what it's like to live in another person's shadow. You have your mother, and I have the woman who saved my planet from invasion when she was five years younger than me."
"You don't seem to be doing that badly."
"Fighting stormtroopers with atlatls?" She laughed softly. "You're a terrible liar, Anakin Solo."
He was saved from response by a faint touch at the back of his mind. Abandoning Lucéa for the moment, he hopped off his perch on an upturned stone and pointed to a figure barely noticable in the distance. "It's Corran. He got through the blockade."
"About time." Lucéa wiped her dirty hands on her equally dirty dress. "Lead the way, I suppose. Let's see what our people need to do to save ourselves this time."
Anakin smiled faintly. "As you wish, your majesty."
***
Hal was on his fifth drink by the time he realized that not only was he as sober as ever, but he was also out of the local currency.
Grumbling under his breath, the smuggler heaved himself up and made his way to a more private booth where he could brood in silence. There was something going on that he could not quite put his finger on - something that made him think he should be looking over his shoulder.
"Hey, kid."
Hal looked up. Solo was there, sure enough. With him were two people he did not recognize: a boy about Melody's age and a girl a year or so younger. He decided that the latter of the two could probably outfight him if she really wanted to, but the former probably would have trouble hitting the broad side of a Star Destroyer. Great, he thought irritably. Just wonderful.
"I'm Hal Horn," he offered as he rested one leg on the booth's sticky table. "Copilot of the Millennium Falcon."
"Jessa Calrissian." The girl jabbed her thumb at the boy. "Ben Darklighter. We're going to Bakura."
"If it's a fast ship," the boy added.
Hal looked at Solo and started to grin, but stopped himself. For as long as he had known the older man, Solo had always claimed that the slagheap known as the Millennium Falcon was the best ship in the galaxy. Maybe there was some truth behind that outrageous boast after all.
He settled for eyeing the boy disdainfully. "Fast ship?" he echoed. "You've never heard of the Falcon? It made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs - according to Solo here, anyway."
"We've outrun Imps," Solo added. He had a strange look to him; if Hal had not known any better, he would have said that he was reciting the words from memory. "Not the small local stuff. I'm talking Star Destroyers."
"It's fast enough for you," Hal added. "What's the cargo?"
The girl settled herself opposite him. "Me, Ben, an astromech droid - no questions asked."
Hal grinned. "Local trouble?"
Calrissian gave him what could only be described as an evil eye. "Guess again."
You just want me to fry in frag, don't you, Solo? Hal sighed. He was only the copilot and did not really have veto privileges here. He looked up at his captain and raised an eyebrow. Solo immediately held up a single finger, then a thumb.
Right. "Ten thousand," Hal said. "All in advance."
The boy's jaw dropped. "Ten thousand?! We could buy our own ship for that!"
The girl rounded on Solo angrily. "I thought it was free passage, you lying space slug."
Solo shrugged, probably with a lot more indifference than he actually felt. "We all need to eat."
And buy blasters for the Alliance, Hal added. That was where the money would go, of course. "Who'd fly it?" he asked Darklighter. "You?"
"You bet I could!" the boy snapped. "I'm a good pilot!" He grabbed for the girl's arm. "Come on. We don't have to listen to this."
Hal started to laugh, but stopped himself as something caught his eye. He had seen Darklighter before - or someone who looked like him, anyway. It was the eyes. Maybe the boy had a relative or two running around the Rebellion.
Calrissian shut the boy up by the simple means of hitting him upside the head. "We'll pay fifteen hundred now," she said simply, "plus twenty thousand when we reach Bakura."
Hal's jaw hit the table. "Twenty-one five?" he said weakly. When Calrissian just smiled smugly, he recovered himself and tried to sound suave and smooth. "What do you think, Solo?"
"They've got themselves a ship." Solo raised an eyebrow at Jessa. "Didn't know your father would lend you that much."
"He won't." Calrissian leaned back and glowered at Solo. Hal had the sudden impression of a niece being teased by her favorite uncle - which was crazy, of course. The girl had taken pains to suggest otherwise, but she was obvious wealthy. Solo, on the other hand, probably would not have two credits to rub together if he and Hal ever parted ways.
Maybe Solo's girlfriend knew her father, he mused before pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. "Docking bay ninety-four, half a chrono. Understand?"
Calrissian nodded. "Come on, Ben." The two of them stood out and made their way through the smoky cantina, arguing about something under their breath. Darklighter was still rubbing his abused head.
"Twenty-one five," Hal said slowly. "They must really be desperate. We couldn't get this on a spice run."
"I know, kid." Solo did not look particularly ecstatic. If anything, he seemed to have sunk deeper into whatever pit he was living in. "I'll get the Falcon warmed up. Finish your drink or whatever you're doing."
"Sure." Hal tried a grin. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to go wrong."
"Right." Solo considered for a moment. "Hey, Hal? Keep your blaster handy."
"Why?"
"Just a hunch."
Hal stared after Solo's retreating back and shook his head. As soon as he got home, he was going to have Melody's friends dig through Imp databases. Something was going on here - something that had more to it than a dead girlfriend and a chip on the shoulder - and he intended to find out what it was.
He drained the dregs of whatever it was he was drinking and started to stand up. The best time to ambush Solo was when he was busy with the Falcon. Maybe he could get some answers.
"Going somewhere, Horn?"
Oh, frag. Hal looked up along the business end of a blaster until he saw the scarred, sneering face of a rather familiar Twi'lek. "Zandu," he said with a lot more cheerfulness than he actually felt. "What can I do for you?"
The bounty hunter smiled tightly. "You upset some people today," he explained almost pleasantly. "Slaves run for a lot of money these days."
Hal shrugged. "Can I help it if I'm a humanitarian?" He let one hand drift down slowly, micrometer by micrometer, to his blaster.
"Keep the hands on the table, Horn."
Fraggit.
Zandu leaned over and prodded him in the chest with the blaster. "Thirty thousand credits, Horn. That's what you cost some very important people."
"Thirty thousand?" Hal shook his head. "And I suppose you want to shoot me?"
"Dead or alive. The bounty's the same."
He groaned inwardly. A bounty out that fast meant he was dealing with someone big. "Black Sun?"
"Perhaps." A grin displayed pointed teeth. "Rebel sympathizers don't last long in the Outer Rim. But perhaps if you have the money with you, I can forget I found you."
"I don't have it with me." Hal glanced around. No chance of anyone helping him out. If only he could distract Zandu for just half a second...
The Twi'lek twitched his headtails. "Maybe my employers will just take your ship."
"The Falcon?" Hal shook his head. Distraction. He needed a distraction. "Over my dead body."
"That can be arranged."
He needed a distraction. Someone coming in the doorway, an Imp, anything -
Someone screamed and pointed to the empty door. Zandu turned slightly, leveling his blaster at nothing at all. For a moment Hal did not move, too dumbfounded by this behavior to do much of anything. A few beings were yelling about Imps coming in blasting, but there was a very obvious lack of the Empire's goons here. What the frag's going on?
But he was not one to question good fortune. Before Zandu could turn back, Hal had pulled his blaster and shot him in the back of the head.
That seemed to distract everyone from the nonexistent Imps. They looked at him as if he had sprouted another head.
So much for being inconspicuous. Hal dropped a few Imp credits on the table. "Sorry about the mess," he muttered, hurrying out of the cantina before anyone could decide to shoot him.
***
"Mikel Ismaren Rage, Prince of the Empire, we give to thee our daughter Asaria Chume, Princess of Hapes."
King Isoldur's voice was steady and his face was impassive, but Denilee could feel the anguish radiating off of him. It was more than just a sadness at the loss of an heir, more than just the knowledge that with this inescapable step the Hapan systems lost both their future queen and their autonomy from the Empire. It was a father handing his child to an unknown fate - and, no matter how much he wished to stop it, being completely helpless to do so.
The Emperor knew it too, Denilee realized. He reveled in the pain he was causing and the lives he was destroying.
And suddenly she could take it no longer.
"You can't do this!"
Her furious outcry carried across Emperor Palpatine's court, overpowering the murmurs of the hundreds of bureaucrats and sycophants crowded into the enormous chamber. She squirmed free of the grip her mother tried to place on her shoulder and hurried up the steps of the dais, dropping to her knees. "Please, Your Highness! You can't do this! Look at her!" She jabbed a finger at the veiled princess. "She doesn't want this! It's wrong!"
Denilee! Her brother's mental reprimand was desperate. Denilee, you'll get yourself killed!
I don't care! Mikel was the only one she could speak to with her mind. Now she used that tiny manifestation of the Force to her full advantage. I won't let them hurt you! Shutting her mind to her brother, she glowered up at the Emperor. "He doesn't have to do what he doesn't want to."
Emperor Palpatine looked down at her. The silent scream clawed at the back of her thoughts. "You have something to say, Princess Denilee?" His voice was dangerous. And Denilee realized in that moment that, royalty or no, she was going to die unless she backed down. That was what her mother would want.
But when was the last time she had ever cared what her mother thought? Her father would not apologize for speaking the truth.
"You're going to break people's lives just so you can keep holding on to the galaxy." She kept her voice flat and impassive. "That is something I won't allow."
"Child!" Nanny's soft hands scooped her up, fancy dress and all. The regal, white-haired woman held her close and bowed low to the Emperor. "Forgive her, Your Majesty. She doesn't know what she says."
The Emperor was silent for a moment. Finally he spoke, his voice a low croak. "Remove her."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Nanny carried her out of the throne room through the servants' door, hurrying down the simple hallway until they reached a utility closet. Glancing around as if afraid of being watched, she shoved Denilee inside and sealed the door behind them.
I'm in for it now, Denilee thought bleakly. And, sure enough, the storm came.
"What in the name of all creation did you think you were doing?" Nanny hissed. "You can't stand up to a man like the Emperor - not like that!" She grabbed Denilee's shoulders, brown eyes boring into hers. "You are at his mercy, child. Never forget that."
"I haven't. That's why I wanted to say something." She swallowed around a lump in her throat, determined not to cry again. "Nanny, am I going to die?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Gentle, ever-patient Nanny smiled tightly and touched the Jewel above Denilee's brow. "You think like a queen, even if you don't have the sense the Maker gave seagrass." Suddenly her face was serious again. "You can't go home. I'll bring word to your brother if I can, but until then I want you to stay where I take you. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"I promise." Denilee hugged Nanny around her waist. "Thank you."
She blinked. "For what, child?"
"For being my grandma."
Nanny laughed slightly. "Your grandma? Is that what I am to you?"
"All of my grandmas are dead. I never knew them." She grinned. "And you're too old to be my mommy."
"I'm not sure the Lady Ismaren would like hearing that." Nanny scooped her up. "But you're very welcome, sweetling." The folds of her simple robes felt like a warm blanket - and partially hid her from view, she realized. "Now stay silent. I'm going to take you somewhere safe."
***
The officer fidgeted nervously for a moment, then cleared his throat and finally managed to speak. "Lord Rage, there's a message for you on your private channel."
Rage glanced up from the text transcript of Thanas's interrogation. "Who?"
"An elderly woman."
The children's nanny - the one constantly trying to mother him. "What does she want?"
"She says it's about saving your daughter's life."
***
Ben stared at the pile of credit chits for a moment, hardly daring to believe his eyes. "That's almost fifteen hundred right there," he said in a hushed voice as he followed Jessa through Mos Eisley's crowded streets. "I know the landspeeder wasn't worth that much."
Jessa grinned. "I told you I could out-bargain a Bothan, didn't I?"
He stopped and stared at her. "What did you tell the dealer?"
"Nothing," she said a little too quickly.
Ben narrowed his eyes.
Jessa sighed. "All right. I told him it used to belong to Wynssa Starflare. Happy?"
"He actually believed you?" Ben asked weakly.
"Yep. He had a shrine or five up in his office. Kind of pathetic, actually." He must have had a horrified look on his face, because she flashed him another one of those bright smiles and tilted her head so the ribbons in her braids reflected the suns' light. "Besides, it's not like she'd mind. She owes my father a favor."
Ben could only gape at her. "Your father knows Wynssa Starflare?"
"Not personally. She hates his guts, actually." Jessa patted him on the shoulder. "Don't try to keep up, space waste. You'll get lost." She glanced around her. "So where's this docking bay anyway?"
Ben shrugged. "That way, I guess." He pointed off to a more crowded part of the street. "I thought I saw a ship taking off from there a while ago."
"Sounds good." Whistling some holoprogram's theme song, she steered him in the indicated direction. As he was hauled off, Ben managed to reach over long enough to tap Blue on his domed head and get the little droid's attention.
The three set off into the crowded streets.
***
Few people could look Darth Rage in the eye, even via a holotransmission. It did not surprise the Sith in the least that his children's nanny numbered among that scant number. She was one of the only beings in the universe whom he was unable to fathom. Although he could sense her presence as easily as anyone else's, she had a sort of natural mental barrier that kept him out of her mind.
At least that was what he had told his master. Privately Rage suspected that the enigmatic woman had known a Jedi or two in her long life. That made her all the better for raising Mikel and Denilee. If she knew his master's tricks, she was less likely to fall prey to them.
"You said you needed to speak to me," he said without preamble.
The woman did not incline her head or show any sign of respect. Not that she ever did. She had listed her name as Alis Depai of Rhomamool, but he knew that no such name actually existed. Perhaps she was a Rebel spy. It did not really matter so long as she held his children's lives first and foremost.
As she was doing now. "I believe the Emperor is going to kill Denilee," she said quietly. "I have taken her to a marginally safe place, but I cannot risk disclosing it to you even over this channel." Her perfect, aristocratic speech was clipped with urgency. He had tried to place her accent once or twice, but had never been able to find any match for it. Perhaps she was from Alderaan or Emberlene or another planet with few surviving natives.
In any case, it hardly mattered at the moment. "Why does my master wish to kill my daughter?" he asked softly.
"She called him to task before the Imperial Court and the Hapan delegation," she explained. "Additionally, I have found some incriminating evidence in her rooms. I am transmitting copies to you now. The originals have already been destroyed."
Rage glanced down at the titles of the different documents, his raspy breath catching in his throat. 'A Call to Reason', 'In Support of the Bothan Rebellion' - and most damning of all, the infamous 'Declaration of a New Republic'.
He looked up at Alis Depai's concerned face. "She was researching the Rebellion?" he asked softly.
"More than that. Her particular focus seems to have been on the Battle of Yavin."
Rage's hands curled into fists. Why would Denilee be doing anything as stupid as looking into the Empire's worst defeat? If criticizing the Emperor in public had put her in the assassin's sights, digging into that particular engagement would pull the trigger. "Why was she researching the Battle of Yavin?"
"I believe she was looking for you," Alis Depai said slowly. "You were, after all, the Lord Darth Vader's wingman."
There was a moment when Rage saw something flicker in the woman's eyes - almost as if she was implying more than she said. A moment only, though, and whatever it had been was gone. She knew no more than any other Imperial servant.
He laughed inwardly. He had never believed in lying to himself over matters like that. She knew exactly what she knew and she would reveal it as she chose. There was nothing to be done about that.
"Take care of my children," he said finally. "Do not allow any harm to them. Make it clear that if one of them is so much as bruised, I will personally see that those responsible will wish they were dead. Understood?"
"I will do as you ask." She nodded once and severed the transmission.
Rage frowned at the deactivated holoemitter. His daughter was interested in the Battle of Yavin and the Rebellion and his son was being betrothed to further the Emperor's wishes. This did not sit well at all.
But he had to be patient. Once this nonsense with Thanas was completed, both the Emperor and the Rebellion would be a fading memory. He would rule the galaxy with his children at his side.
He smiled grimly. That time was fast approaching - sooner than his Imperial Majesty might believe.
All he had to do was wait.
***
Hal tried to put the strange events from the cantina out of his mind as he hurried toward the docking bay, but that proved to be impossible. It was not nearly getting blasted that bothered him so much as it was the mass hallucination that had kept that from happening. He had desperately wanted a distraction and everyone had obligingly imagined one for him. It was disturbing.
Then there was more than that. Jessa Calrissian - a girl wealthy enough to promise more than twenty thousand credits without batting an eye - knew Solo somehow. And Hal would have bet a shipment of ryll to a phony decacred that Ben Darklighter looked familiar.
He did not need these complications in his life. He needed to get this run to Bakura finished and hurry back to Melody before things really started getting strange.
The Falcon was exactly where he had left it - in the middle of the filthy docking bay. The cockpit lights were on, so Solo was already inside getting it started. And there, standing in front of the ramp...
He stopped short. "Mel?"
Melody hurried over and threw her arms around his neck, nearly bowling the both of them over. He managed to keep his balance, although it was a near thing with Melody kissing him until he was forced to come up for air.
"Do you know what I had to put up with to find you?" she demanded as soon as he had set her back down on the ground. Besides being three standard years younger than him, she was also small enough to have to stand on tiptoe if she wanted to reach his chin. Not that that particular fact stopped her from prodding him with her finger and talking a millimeter from his face. "I had a walking carpet and Ghent's old droid following me around! And Solo acted like I was the fragging Imps!"
He waited out the tirade as he always did. The louder and more obscene Melody was, the more worried she had been. "Your job didn't go well, did it?"
Melody answered with an eloquent snort. "Take a wild guess. Where's Solo dragging you off to now?"
"Bakura."
"Ba-where?" She shook her head. "Fraggit. What for?"
"Twenty-one five on delivery."
Melody's eyebrows climbed up towards the sweat-stained headband wrapped around her forehead. "Huh," she muttered. "What'd you do, blast the Dark Prince and steal his spice stash?"
"We're flying two passengers and a droid." Hal grinned. "And I don't care what Solo says. These credits are going to a real home on Corellia. A nice house in the capital, right along Treasure Ship Row." Enough wealth would buy anyone safety on Hal's homeworld, even after the crackdowns and the Revolt umpteen standard years ago. As an added bonus, his great-grandfather - still alive and gardening - grew a particular variety of flowers that the local Imp governor swore by. "Wait and see, Mel. We can get that family started."
"It sounds wonderful," Melody said softly. She was not one to get misty-eyed over anything, but that soft smile that came and went all too briefly told him how much she loved the idea. But that gentle light faded from her eyes and when she looked up at him, they were narrowed and worried. "I need to talk to you about Solo." She took a deep breath and visibly braced herself. So, for that matter, did Hal. "He's a Rebel."
Hal blew out a deep, relieved sigh. "Is that all?" When Melody pulled back her hand to club him upside the head, he ducked and retreated. "Okay, okay. Sorry. I always knew he was a Rebel."
"You knew?" Melody echoed.
"Yeah." He grimaced inwardly. So am I, Mel. I just don't know how to tell you that.
She glowered at him. "I risked my rear to kriffing tell you and - " She stopped suddenly as if some knew thought had occurred to her. "Hal, he was at Endor."
Hal blinked. Now it was his turn to echo her. "Endor?"
"Endor. As in Battle of. He was a general or a captain or something. In the whole thing up to his ears." Any other time she would have crowed triumphantly about showing him up. The fact that she did not told him something important. She was not only worried - she was scared. "Ghent told me he was working directly under Ackbar and Mothma."
I knew it. Even as that strange thought flashed through his mind, he shut it away. "Come on," he said weakly. "This is Solo. Drunk and Smelly, remember?"
"I think you need to talk to him," she said gently. "Before he drags you into the Rebellion with him."
"Yeah." Hal looked at her and wondered if she would still care this much about him if he told her the truth. But he had to. He could not keep walking around with this weight on his chest. "Mel," he began.
"What a piece of junk!"
Hal did not know if he wanted to curse Darklighter or fall on his knees and thank the boy for interrupting. He settled for turning his head and glowering. He could complain about the Falcon all he wanted, but no one else had that particular privilege. "She doesn't look like much," he snapped, "but she's got it where it counts."
"She better," Calrissian said as she sauntered in after Darklighter, prodding a little droid with one finger. "She looks like a Hutt sat on her." Her dark eyes locked on Melody. "Who's she?"
"My girlfriend," Hal said bluntly. For now. He glanced around more out of habit than anything else. I wonder if Black Sun found out about Zandu yet.
No time to sit here thinking about it. "We're a little rushed," he said as way of introduction. "So if you'll all just get onboard, we can get off this dustball."
"Not fast enough," Melody muttered. "Come on."
Darklighter hesitated for a moment, looking back as if he was having second thoughts. Hal found himself feeling a little sorry for the boy. This was probably the only home he had ever known.
Then his hand dropped to one of his jumpsuit's pockets. "Jessa," he said softly. "I think someone's here."
Calrissian frowned at him. "What are you talking about?" She took a step forward -
And a blaster bolt scorched through the air a millimeter from her head.
"Imps!" Hal tried to shove Melody behind him - an act slightly hampered by the fact that Melody had already jumped in front of him and was firing at the squad of white-armored troops pouring into the docking bay. He had no choice but to draw his own weapon and support her. "Calrissian! Darklighter! Get into the ship!"
"You first!" Calrissian bellowed back. She pushed Darklighter toward the ship. "Get your droid aboard, space waste! Now!" Even as she shouted, she spun in what Hal vaguely realized was an incredibly fast terãs kãsi move and brought her hand down onto an unfortunate stormtrooper's neck. He had never seen anyone move that fast.
"Hey, kid!" Solo poked his head out of the Falcon long enough to squeeze off a shot. Flanking him was a young Wookie carrying a bowcaster. One of Melody's companions, Hal guessed. "Come on!"
Darklighter shoved the little droid up the ramp, following closely behind. A moment later Calrissian started after him, firing with more accuracy than he would have believed possible under the circumstances. "Move it or lose it!" she shouted as she started up the ramp.
Hal was inclined to agree. With Melody flanking him and providing cover fire, he made his way slowly up the ramp. As soon as both of them had jumped inside, he slammed the hatch shut. "Solo!" he shouted. "Get us out of here!"
"Way ahead of you," Solo's voice echoed from the cockpit. There was a lurch and a rumbling as the engines powered up and the landing gear retracted.
"And you say my job is dangerous," Melody muttered. "Fraggit."
The Falcon blasted out of Mos Eisley.
***
"Your sister must learn to hold her tongue if she ever wishes to be Empress."
Mikel glared across the private meeting room at Princess Asaria. The two of them had been bustled off after Denilee's outburst and were now locked in a room guarded by Noghri and Hapan bodyguards. They were as safe as they could be, considering they were in the custody of a powerful, enraged Sith.
The eleven-year-old princess was hidden beneath layers of gossamer veils and heavy robes, with only her bright eyes visible to the world. She probably believed herself hidden, but Mikel had a tiny fraction of the Force on his side. He sensed her anxiety and her fear - not only of the Emperor, but of him.
Maker and Creation help him, she was actually afraid of him.
"Denilee's never known when to be quiet. She's too brave." He grimaced and looked down at his hands. "Braver than me."
"You don't want to be betrothed?" Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of disbelief in it. "The Empire will gain my family's territory when my father dies."
He snapped his gaze up at her sharply. "Why should I want any of that? I'll never be Emperor. I'm no tyrant." He felt a tiny, bitter smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "Palpatine doesn't want a pacifist on the throne."
"You? A pacifist?" The disbelief rippled off of her now. "When your father is a Sith lord?"
"My father is who he is." Mikel knew he was smiling now, although there was no humor behind it. It was a facade, like so many other things in his life. "I'm not my sister. I don't think he's a good man, but I know that he cares about me. And I think he would rule better than Palpatine."
"You think so?" Asaria nodded slowly. "Yes. I think you do. If my mother had been a woman more warlike than Queen Elian, maybe Hapes would not be doomed. But then my brother Dirrek and I would never have existed." Under the thinnest of her veils, Mikel thought he saw his smile reflected on her face. "Do you think that's funny, Prince?"
"What?"
"That every decision our parents made makes our choices for us. Only brave children have the will to make their own path." Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. "I am not one of those brave ones."
"I don't think I am, either." Mikel sighed. "But Denilee is. I wish I knew where she was."
"You don't know? Aren't you a Sith's son?"
He glared at her. "And what of it? Palpatine is my father's master. If I use the Force to call Denilee, I'd be handing her a glowstick in a dark room." He looked back down at his hands and noticed distantly that they were killed into fists. "Maybe if I was trained better, I could shield her or something. But there's nothing I can do."
There was a long moment of silence. The Hapan princess just watched him quietly, her intense eyes locked on his face. Then she spoke very softly, her voice almost a whisper.
"Prince Mikel, do you want to be a Jedi?"
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