Captain.”
The
Falcon
began to shake beneath the volleys of the frigate’s belly cannons.
“I won’t have time if you don’t hurry.”
Tesar gave him the new coordinates, and Han swung the
Falcon
onto the bearing. He was just about to make the jump to lightspeed when Leia’s voice came over the intercom.
“Han? Han I—”
“I’m sorry, Captain Solo,” C-3PO interrupted. “But she’s just awakened and insists she must speak with you this instant.”
“Han?” Leia’s voice was raspy and weak, and she sounded confused. “Han, I’m so thirsty. Could you bring me some water?”
FIVE
Though contaminants had long since fouled the monitoring electrodes and the bacta had turned so murky and green Eelysa could hardly be seen, Leia knew the Jedi Master had awakened. She could feel Eelysa inside the cramped tank, a strong presence in the Force, isolated from those around her, aware of her danger and curious about it, yet patient and calm and utterly at peace with her helplessness. Leia filled her heart with reassurance and reached out through the Force, and she felt the Barabels—Tesar Sebatyne and the Hara sisters, Bela and Krasov—do the same.
Eelysa held the contact for what might have been seconds or minutes, filling the Force with a sense of gratitude and love, then continued to embrace them as she sank into a Jedi healing trance. Leia and the Barabels remained with her until her thoughts and emotions grew as quiet as a pond on a windless day, then, one by one, gently withdrew.
When they were done, Leia was surprised to find that she herself felt stronger and more at peace than she had in a long time. It was by far the most intimate Force touch she had ever experienced, not because the Barabels were stronger than other Jedi, but because they shared themselves so freely and innocently. She saw now why Eelysa had taken it upon herself to train their Master—Tesar’s mother, Saba Sebatyne—even when doing so had endangered her and her mission on Barab I.
“Leia?” Han asked. “You all right?”
“Fine, Han.” She did not look at him as she answered, though only because he was changing her bandages and the last thing she wanted to see—even to glimpse—was the blackened, oozing mass that was her legs. “But Eelysa … we have to do something.”
“Haven’t I been saying that?” Han grumbled.
They had arrived at the rendezvous point almost a full day earlier, then began a monotonous waiting game that had Han ready to push their passengers out an air lock. Though Izal Waz and the Barabels were at a loss to explain the delay, they kept assuring Han they would know if the meeting were canceled. It did not help matters that when Han asked
how
they would know, Izal always looked to the Barabels, and the Barabels just shrugged and said they would know.
Leia looked to Bela—or maybe it was Krasov—and said, “We need to comm your Master.” Though it was hard to envision ordering a Barabel to do anything, she spoke in the voice of command that she had used to such good effect during her tenure as the New Republic Chief of State. “Give us the transceiver address.”
The two sisters looked from each other to Tesar, then they simply seemed to come to an agreement.
“As you wish,” Krasov—or maybe Bela—said. “But if you use it, the rendezvous will be canceled. Master Saba has learned to be careful about Peace Brigade eavesdropperz.”
Tesar—who was both larger and darker than the females—shrugged. “But do what you think is best. She is already going to be displeased with us.”
“A lot of that going around,” Han said darkly.
Tesar’s shoulders sagged. “This one apologizes for his advice. You may blast him anytime.”
“Don’t tempt—”
Leia laid a silencing hand on her husband’s shoulder. “I’m sure Tesar is as worried about Eelysa as we are. She
is
his mother’s Master.”
The hardness that came to Han’s eyes was as surprising as it was subtle, but he
The
Falcon
began to shake beneath the volleys of the frigate’s belly cannons.
“I won’t have time if you don’t hurry.”
Tesar gave him the new coordinates, and Han swung the
Falcon
onto the bearing. He was just about to make the jump to lightspeed when Leia’s voice came over the intercom.
“Han? Han I—”
“I’m sorry, Captain Solo,” C-3PO interrupted. “But she’s just awakened and insists she must speak with you this instant.”
“Han?” Leia’s voice was raspy and weak, and she sounded confused. “Han, I’m so thirsty. Could you bring me some water?”
FIVE
Though contaminants had long since fouled the monitoring electrodes and the bacta had turned so murky and green Eelysa could hardly be seen, Leia knew the Jedi Master had awakened. She could feel Eelysa inside the cramped tank, a strong presence in the Force, isolated from those around her, aware of her danger and curious about it, yet patient and calm and utterly at peace with her helplessness. Leia filled her heart with reassurance and reached out through the Force, and she felt the Barabels—Tesar Sebatyne and the Hara sisters, Bela and Krasov—do the same.
Eelysa held the contact for what might have been seconds or minutes, filling the Force with a sense of gratitude and love, then continued to embrace them as she sank into a Jedi healing trance. Leia and the Barabels remained with her until her thoughts and emotions grew as quiet as a pond on a windless day, then, one by one, gently withdrew.
When they were done, Leia was surprised to find that she herself felt stronger and more at peace than she had in a long time. It was by far the most intimate Force touch she had ever experienced, not because the Barabels were stronger than other Jedi, but because they shared themselves so freely and innocently. She saw now why Eelysa had taken it upon herself to train their Master—Tesar’s mother, Saba Sebatyne—even when doing so had endangered her and her mission on Barab I.
“Leia?” Han asked. “You all right?”
“Fine, Han.” She did not look at him as she answered, though only because he was changing her bandages and the last thing she wanted to see—even to glimpse—was the blackened, oozing mass that was her legs. “But Eelysa … we have to do something.”
“Haven’t I been saying that?” Han grumbled.
They had arrived at the rendezvous point almost a full day earlier, then began a monotonous waiting game that had Han ready to push their passengers out an air lock. Though Izal Waz and the Barabels were at a loss to explain the delay, they kept assuring Han they would know if the meeting were canceled. It did not help matters that when Han asked
how
they would know, Izal always looked to the Barabels, and the Barabels just shrugged and said they would know.
Leia looked to Bela—or maybe it was Krasov—and said, “We need to comm your Master.” Though it was hard to envision ordering a Barabel to do anything, she spoke in the voice of command that she had used to such good effect during her tenure as the New Republic Chief of State. “Give us the transceiver address.”
The two sisters looked from each other to Tesar, then they simply seemed to come to an agreement.
“As you wish,” Krasov—or maybe Bela—said. “But if you use it, the rendezvous will be canceled. Master Saba has learned to be careful about Peace Brigade eavesdropperz.”
Tesar—who was both larger and darker than the females—shrugged. “But do what you think is best. She is already going to be displeased with us.”
“A lot of that going around,” Han said darkly.
Tesar’s shoulders sagged. “This one apologizes for his advice. You may blast him anytime.”
“Don’t tempt—”
Leia laid a silencing hand on her husband’s shoulder. “I’m sure Tesar is as worried about Eelysa as we are. She
is
his mother’s Master.”
The hardness that came to Han’s eyes was as surprising as it was subtle, but he
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