Razor's Edge: Star Wars (Empire and Rebellion) by Martha Wells Page B

strapped herself in and Kifar sealed the hatch, Leia tapped the small comm board and hailed the
Aegis.
She said, “Captain Metara, I’m about to launch the pod. I have three crew members with me.”
    â€œCopy that,” Metara replied. “We’re waiting for you.”
    Leia acknowledged that and signed off. Sian said, “Ah … did that sound a little creepy to anyone?”
    Checking the controls, Han said, “Yes.” Kifar nodded.
    Leia admitted, “Just a little.” She had no idea what was going on in Metara’s head—not an ideal position to be in when preparing for what would surely be a tense negotiation. She nodded to Han, who hit the launch sequence.
    There was a thump as the pod ejected from the cradle. Leia leaned back against the seat as the brief burst of acceleration pushed them away from the
Gamble.
Once clear of the shelter of the ship, the pod fell into the tractor beam. Watching their approach through the small viewport, Leia saw that they were heading toward the
Aegis
’s shuttle bay. Alderaanian gunships had all been equipped with two shuttles, for use in rescue operations. Her jaw set. Now the pirates probably used them to board captive ships, she thought.
    Han had brought up the pod’s limited sensor suite. “The tractor beam let the
Gamble
go when it picked us up.”
    â€œGood.” Leia took the secure comlink out of her pocket to test it.
    â€œCareful,” Han said. “If they’ve had their systems juiced up, they might be able to break the lock and listen in.”
    â€œI won’t say anything they don’t already know.”
    Leia called the
Gamble
and reached Jerell immediately. “Tell Ilen to take the ship into the station’s defensive perimeter.”
    There was a pause, and Leia knew he was relaying the command to General Willard. Then Jerell replied, “Uh, we were going to wait here for you, Your Highness.”
    â€œYou can wait inside the defensive perimeter. That way you can’t be used against me.” She was giving the
Aegis
what it had asked for; she didn’t want Metara to get the idea to ask for more and threaten the
Gamble
again if Leia didn’t comply.
    There was another pause, then, “Yes, Your Highness.”
    Leia breathed out in relief.
    The pod approached the shuttle bay, and the doors cycled open. A landing tractor caught the pod, drew it forward into the bay, then eased it into a docking cradle. Leia felt the rumble as the bay doors slid closed, and a few moments later the pod signaled that the bay had repressurized.
    Leia nodded toward the hatch. “Open it.” Kifar hesitated, and she added, “If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it before now.” At least, she hoped so.
    Kifar gave her a resigned nod and hit the open sequence for the hatch. As they climbed out, Han caught Leia’s arm to steady her. She didn’t need it, but she appreciated the gesture—not that she’d tell him that.
    The bay wasn’t large, but there was space for more pods on this level. Overhead, two sleek shuttles hung in launch cradles.
    â€œHow many crew?” Han asked in a low voice.
    â€œThe standard was thirty-two crew and officers, but the ships were designed to hold more in case they had to transport evacuees off damaged ships,” Leia whispered back.
    â€œSo they could’ve taken on more once they turned pirate,” Han said.
    The inner bay doors opened and five humans strode in, a woman in the lead. They weren’t wearing Alderaanian uniforms, which was something of a relief to Leia. They wore the utilitarian clothing spacers usually favored: pants, shirts, and vests or jackets in grays or dark colors. If Leia had been planning a pirate career, she would have approved; their outfits wouldn’t get them a second look at any commercial port or station. They were also all wearing sidearms, and they all looked a little