away. “For
us
to go?” he asked pointedly.
“Yes,” Rieekan said, looking him square in the eye. “I’d like you and Skywalker to accompany the Princess.”
Luke felt his heartbeat pick up a little. Another mission for the Rebellion—and he’d get to spend time with Leia, too?
“We want to keep the whole thing as low-profile as possible,” Leia explained. “That means no Alliance ships, and no obvious Alliance personnel.”
“No
obvious
Alliance personnel?” Han echoed.
Luke frowned at him. What was eating Han, anyway? “She just means we don’t have any official rank or status yet,” he explained, trying to be helpful.
It was, apparently, the wrong thing to say. Han flashed him an almost glare, then turned back to Rieekan. “Where exactly would we be going?”
“As the Princess said, we all want to keep it low-key, Chivkyrie included,” the general said. “He lives in Makrin City, the government seat on the capital world of Shelkonwa, but you’ll actually be rendezvousing in an uninhabited system a few hours’ flight time away.”
“We don’t know if the Empire’s monitoring his movements,” Leia added, “but if so, he should be able to sneak away that long without triggering any alerts.”
“Assuming you can sort out the infighting without a week of discussion,” Han said.
“She’ll sort it out,” Mon Mothma said, quietly confident. “Are you willing to accompany her?”
“I am,” Luke said firmly, daring to send a small smile in Leia’s direction. His reward was an equally subtle smile in return.
“Yeah, I suppose,” Han said, his tone far more reluctant. “When do we leave?”
“Not for another few days,” Rieekan said. “We need to get some details arranged first with Chivkyrie and the other leaders.”
“Like what shape the conference table should be?” Han suggested.
Leia and Rieekan exchanged glances. “We’ll let you know the schedule as soon as we have it,” the general said. “Thank you for coming.”
“And once again, the Alliance is in your debt,” Mon Mothma said.
“Right,” Han said. Standing up, he strode out of the room. Luke watched him go, wondering what exactly was going on.
It was, apparently, a universal question. “What’s bothering
him
?” Rieekan asked.
“I don’t know,” Luke said. “He was like this on the way back from Teardrop, too.”
“I’ll go talk to him,” Leia volunteered, standing up. “Thank you for your time, Mon Mothma; General Rieekan.”
“Thank
you
,” Mon Mothma said gravely.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do regarding Solo,” Rieekan said. “We need all the good people we can get.”
“You really think there’s a good person under all that?” Leia asked drily.
“Of course there is.” Rieekan shrugged. “Somewhere.”
Leia caught up with Han at the
Falcon
just as the techs were carting off the last of the Teardrop equipment. “Han,” she greeted him gravely.
“Your Worshipfulness,” he countered, inclining his head to her.
With an effort, she bit down on the retort that wanted to come out. Why did he
do
that? He
knew
she hated that kind of sarcasm.
Or maybe that was why he did it. “You were a little abrupt in there,” she said instead. “
And
disrespectful.”
Han’s lip twitched. “I didn’t mean it that way,” he said. “I
don’t
disrespect them. Well, not Rieekan, anyway—I’ve seen enough bad officers to know a good one when I see him.”
“Well, if it wasn’t disrespect, it was a pretty good imitation,” Leia said.
Han turned his back on her and started fiddling with a piece of equipment on the
Falcon
’s underside. “I just don’t like politics,” he said over his shoulder.
“This isn’t about politics, Han,” she said. “This is about survival against—”
“Of course it’s about politics,” he interrupted, turning back to glare at her. “It’s
always
about politics. OneRebel leader pushes to get what he wants, the other leaders
us
to go?” he asked pointedly.
“Yes,” Rieekan said, looking him square in the eye. “I’d like you and Skywalker to accompany the Princess.”
Luke felt his heartbeat pick up a little. Another mission for the Rebellion—and he’d get to spend time with Leia, too?
“We want to keep the whole thing as low-profile as possible,” Leia explained. “That means no Alliance ships, and no obvious Alliance personnel.”
“No
obvious
Alliance personnel?” Han echoed.
Luke frowned at him. What was eating Han, anyway? “She just means we don’t have any official rank or status yet,” he explained, trying to be helpful.
It was, apparently, the wrong thing to say. Han flashed him an almost glare, then turned back to Rieekan. “Where exactly would we be going?”
“As the Princess said, we all want to keep it low-key, Chivkyrie included,” the general said. “He lives in Makrin City, the government seat on the capital world of Shelkonwa, but you’ll actually be rendezvousing in an uninhabited system a few hours’ flight time away.”
“We don’t know if the Empire’s monitoring his movements,” Leia added, “but if so, he should be able to sneak away that long without triggering any alerts.”
“Assuming you can sort out the infighting without a week of discussion,” Han said.
“She’ll sort it out,” Mon Mothma said, quietly confident. “Are you willing to accompany her?”
“I am,” Luke said firmly, daring to send a small smile in Leia’s direction. His reward was an equally subtle smile in return.
“Yeah, I suppose,” Han said, his tone far more reluctant. “When do we leave?”
“Not for another few days,” Rieekan said. “We need to get some details arranged first with Chivkyrie and the other leaders.”
“Like what shape the conference table should be?” Han suggested.
Leia and Rieekan exchanged glances. “We’ll let you know the schedule as soon as we have it,” the general said. “Thank you for coming.”
“And once again, the Alliance is in your debt,” Mon Mothma said.
“Right,” Han said. Standing up, he strode out of the room. Luke watched him go, wondering what exactly was going on.
It was, apparently, a universal question. “What’s bothering
him
?” Rieekan asked.
“I don’t know,” Luke said. “He was like this on the way back from Teardrop, too.”
“I’ll go talk to him,” Leia volunteered, standing up. “Thank you for your time, Mon Mothma; General Rieekan.”
“Thank
you
,” Mon Mothma said gravely.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do regarding Solo,” Rieekan said. “We need all the good people we can get.”
“You really think there’s a good person under all that?” Leia asked drily.
“Of course there is.” Rieekan shrugged. “Somewhere.”
Leia caught up with Han at the
Falcon
just as the techs were carting off the last of the Teardrop equipment. “Han,” she greeted him gravely.
“Your Worshipfulness,” he countered, inclining his head to her.
With an effort, she bit down on the retort that wanted to come out. Why did he
do
that? He
knew
she hated that kind of sarcasm.
Or maybe that was why he did it. “You were a little abrupt in there,” she said instead. “
And
disrespectful.”
Han’s lip twitched. “I didn’t mean it that way,” he said. “I
don’t
disrespect them. Well, not Rieekan, anyway—I’ve seen enough bad officers to know a good one when I see him.”
“Well, if it wasn’t disrespect, it was a pretty good imitation,” Leia said.
Han turned his back on her and started fiddling with a piece of equipment on the
Falcon
’s underside. “I just don’t like politics,” he said over his shoulder.
“This isn’t about politics, Han,” she said. “This is about survival against—”
“Of course it’s about politics,” he interrupted, turning back to glare at her. “It’s
always
about politics. OneRebel leader pushes to get what he wants, the other leaders
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