the ship needs weapons if we’re going to pull off this mission on Denon, and you heard Admiral Ackbar—this moon might turn out to be a great hiding spot for us.”
“We can send someone else to check out the moon, and wecan find a safer way to get the credits you need to upgrade the ship. You don’t have to take this risk.”
“How is it any riskier than anything else I’ve done? I mean, the Battle of Yavin was pretty risky.”
“You were surrounded by people you could trust then.”
I blinked. “Oh, I see. You think she’s working for the Empire.”
Leia shook her head and huffed in irritation. “No, not exactly. It’s just that she’s an unknown quantity and I don’t trust her yet.”
That was disappointing; I’d need a better reason than that to rethink the mission. On the one hand I wanted to do whatever I could to make Leia happy, but on the other we now had Admiral Ackbar’s orders. We really did need a better place to hide than this orbit. I knew the leadership had some ideas about where to build a new base, but they hadn’t settled on anything yet.
“Come on,” I said, “I can’t scrub the whole trip based on unknowns. How can you ever trust someone if you don’t give them a chance?”
“That’s a very noble attitude, Luke, but not a very safe one.”
“If safety is always the number one priority then we would never talk to anyone.”
“This isn’t about dealing with high-minded blanket statements. When you get betrayed, it’s never by someone who looks like Vader. Betrayal always comes wrapped up in a friendly cloak. It’s one of the first things I learned in the Senate.”
“All right, fair enough. I agree that a certain amount of suspicion of anyone new is warranted, but I don’t want to be paranoid, either. You sound like you have a specific reason to be wary of her. What are you not telling me? What should I be looking for?”
Leia crossed her arms and looked away, annoyed. “I don’t know. Something under her cloak.”
I snorted, she sniggered in response, and then we were both laughing.
Leia covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know. Still funny, though.”
“Usually I’m more careful with how I phrase things.” The smile on her face scurried away, chased off by darker thoughts. “It just shows you I’m worried.” She gestured down the hall to where she had left Admiral Ackbar. “I know we can’t scrap this now that it’s a scouting mission for the Alliance,” she said before letting her hand fall down, “but please don’t think it’s routine. And don’t be so trusting.”
“I won’t.”
“Okay.” She threw her arms around my neck for a quick hug. “Be very careful, Luke. Come back safe.”
“Thanks. I will,” I said, though I wasn’t so anxious to leave anymore. It felt good to see Leia shed her all-business demeanor for a few moments and speak to me on a personal level—especially without Han around. But I could hardly prolong the moment when I had a mission waiting.
An awkward silence stretched between us. Eventually, Leia spoke. “Well. I’d better get back,” she said, giving me a tight grin. “See you soon.”
“Right! Yes. Soon.” I resumed walking to my quarters, and Leia returned the way she had come, leaving me to wonder why my brain had seized up so badly. It must have been the infinite number of things to say and how most of them would have been the wrong thing. I’d just have to hope I did better next time.
In an hour I was showered, dressed, packed, and loaded up on soup and crackers. Having nothing better to do, I headed down to the hangar early, thinking I’d go through some of the weapons in the Rodian catalog to see what might work for the
Desert Jewel
, only to find Nakari already there.
“Turns out I’m pretty anxious to leave, as well,” she said. “Can’t wait to do anything besides sit here and hope the Empire doesn’t find me. There’s something about skulking
“We can send someone else to check out the moon, and wecan find a safer way to get the credits you need to upgrade the ship. You don’t have to take this risk.”
“How is it any riskier than anything else I’ve done? I mean, the Battle of Yavin was pretty risky.”
“You were surrounded by people you could trust then.”
I blinked. “Oh, I see. You think she’s working for the Empire.”
Leia shook her head and huffed in irritation. “No, not exactly. It’s just that she’s an unknown quantity and I don’t trust her yet.”
That was disappointing; I’d need a better reason than that to rethink the mission. On the one hand I wanted to do whatever I could to make Leia happy, but on the other we now had Admiral Ackbar’s orders. We really did need a better place to hide than this orbit. I knew the leadership had some ideas about where to build a new base, but they hadn’t settled on anything yet.
“Come on,” I said, “I can’t scrub the whole trip based on unknowns. How can you ever trust someone if you don’t give them a chance?”
“That’s a very noble attitude, Luke, but not a very safe one.”
“If safety is always the number one priority then we would never talk to anyone.”
“This isn’t about dealing with high-minded blanket statements. When you get betrayed, it’s never by someone who looks like Vader. Betrayal always comes wrapped up in a friendly cloak. It’s one of the first things I learned in the Senate.”
“All right, fair enough. I agree that a certain amount of suspicion of anyone new is warranted, but I don’t want to be paranoid, either. You sound like you have a specific reason to be wary of her. What are you not telling me? What should I be looking for?”
Leia crossed her arms and looked away, annoyed. “I don’t know. Something under her cloak.”
I snorted, she sniggered in response, and then we were both laughing.
Leia covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know. Still funny, though.”
“Usually I’m more careful with how I phrase things.” The smile on her face scurried away, chased off by darker thoughts. “It just shows you I’m worried.” She gestured down the hall to where she had left Admiral Ackbar. “I know we can’t scrap this now that it’s a scouting mission for the Alliance,” she said before letting her hand fall down, “but please don’t think it’s routine. And don’t be so trusting.”
“I won’t.”
“Okay.” She threw her arms around my neck for a quick hug. “Be very careful, Luke. Come back safe.”
“Thanks. I will,” I said, though I wasn’t so anxious to leave anymore. It felt good to see Leia shed her all-business demeanor for a few moments and speak to me on a personal level—especially without Han around. But I could hardly prolong the moment when I had a mission waiting.
An awkward silence stretched between us. Eventually, Leia spoke. “Well. I’d better get back,” she said, giving me a tight grin. “See you soon.”
“Right! Yes. Soon.” I resumed walking to my quarters, and Leia returned the way she had come, leaving me to wonder why my brain had seized up so badly. It must have been the infinite number of things to say and how most of them would have been the wrong thing. I’d just have to hope I did better next time.
In an hour I was showered, dressed, packed, and loaded up on soup and crackers. Having nothing better to do, I headed down to the hangar early, thinking I’d go through some of the weapons in the Rodian catalog to see what might work for the
Desert Jewel
, only to find Nakari already there.
“Turns out I’m pretty anxious to leave, as well,” she said. “Can’t wait to do anything besides sit here and hope the Empire doesn’t find me. There’s something about skulking
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