Force-enhanced. Luke would have to test that theory later.
“What do you think happened?” Luke asked.
“An old buddy of mine surfaced at a convenient time,” Han said. “I was with Jarril in the Crystal Jewel when the explosion happened.”
“A decoy to keep you away?”
“Maybe,” Han said. “Or maybe he was trying to warn me and was too late. I tried to find him afterward, but he was gone.”
“Any idea where he went?” Luke asked.
Han shook his head. “His ship was gone too, and no one saw it leave, which I find odd. Jarril’s ship is distinctive. He took the
Falcon
’s design and crossed it with an A-wing.”
“I saw that ship,” Luke said. “The defenses were up when I got here. It took me a bit of convincing to get in, but when the shields lifted, a ship like that shot out, as if it had been waiting for just a moment like that. I notified Space-Traffic Control but they didn’t even register it as ablip on their equipment. It’s not often I get told things are a figment of my imagination anymore.”
“Some figment,” Han said.
“This means nothing,” Leia said too loudly. Luke wasn’t sure how much she followed. “It was the Imperials.”
“You have less proof than I do,” Han said. “Your people don’t even know what kind of bomb hit the Senate Hall.”
“
My
people?”
Luke put a hand on Leia’s arm. “What makes you think it was the Empire?”
“They have new members in the Senate. It would be just like them to destroy something they had gained.” She had turned her head toward him so that she could see him clearly. “First rule in investigation, Luke. Look for the changes. The answer lies in the changes.”
“You have no proof either,” Luke said. He suppressed a sigh. “Let’s see what the experts turn up. Maybe once we know what hit the Hall, we’ll be better informed.”
“The other thing you look for is money,” Han said. “Jarril told me a lot of smugglers are getting rich, and then dying.”
“But he could have been lying,” Luke said.
Chewie growled. He clearly agreed with Han.
“I’m not dismissing him, Chewie,” Luke said. “I just don’t want us to make suppositions before we have information.”
He hadn’t expected to arrive and be the voice of reason. The stress was taking its toll on the whole family. He had seen it in the children, and now in Han and Leia.
“He said I could find out more at Smuggler’s Run,” Han said.
“It might be another diversion,” Leia said.
“Or it might be unrelated,” Luke said.
“Or it could be something we need to know,” Han said.
Chewie mumbled his agreement.
“You can’t leave now, Han,” Leia said. She clearly knew her husband. “The children need you.”
Han smiled, but he seemed distracted. “They need you too, sweetheart,” he said. “The whole Republic needs you. And we almost lost you.”
Luke cleared his throat. “Let me do a little investigating of my own,” he said. “I may turn up something none of us expects.”
See-Threepio followed Artoo-Detoo’s rounded frame through the permacrete corridors. Ancient oil stains mingled with skid marks and other stains of unknown origins all over the floors and walls. The glow panels flickered, as if they didn’t have the same access to power as the rest of Coruscant. Artoo led with purpose, his silver body tilted back, his wheels outstretched.
“I don’t know how you always get me involved in these things, Artoo,” Threepio said as he hurried, hands raised for balance. “You’ve only been here a few hours and already I feel as if we’re in trouble.”
Artoo whistled, then blatted at him.
“You
did
invite me,” Threepio said. “You said you believed they were doing something to Master Luke’s X-wing and we needed to investigate.”
Artoo tweebled.
“All right, then. You
knew
they were doing something to Master Luke’s X-wing, and you said
you
were going to investigate. But
you
told
me
. That’s like an
“What do you think happened?” Luke asked.
“An old buddy of mine surfaced at a convenient time,” Han said. “I was with Jarril in the Crystal Jewel when the explosion happened.”
“A decoy to keep you away?”
“Maybe,” Han said. “Or maybe he was trying to warn me and was too late. I tried to find him afterward, but he was gone.”
“Any idea where he went?” Luke asked.
Han shook his head. “His ship was gone too, and no one saw it leave, which I find odd. Jarril’s ship is distinctive. He took the
Falcon
’s design and crossed it with an A-wing.”
“I saw that ship,” Luke said. “The defenses were up when I got here. It took me a bit of convincing to get in, but when the shields lifted, a ship like that shot out, as if it had been waiting for just a moment like that. I notified Space-Traffic Control but they didn’t even register it as ablip on their equipment. It’s not often I get told things are a figment of my imagination anymore.”
“Some figment,” Han said.
“This means nothing,” Leia said too loudly. Luke wasn’t sure how much she followed. “It was the Imperials.”
“You have less proof than I do,” Han said. “Your people don’t even know what kind of bomb hit the Senate Hall.”
“
My
people?”
Luke put a hand on Leia’s arm. “What makes you think it was the Empire?”
“They have new members in the Senate. It would be just like them to destroy something they had gained.” She had turned her head toward him so that she could see him clearly. “First rule in investigation, Luke. Look for the changes. The answer lies in the changes.”
“You have no proof either,” Luke said. He suppressed a sigh. “Let’s see what the experts turn up. Maybe once we know what hit the Hall, we’ll be better informed.”
“The other thing you look for is money,” Han said. “Jarril told me a lot of smugglers are getting rich, and then dying.”
“But he could have been lying,” Luke said.
Chewie growled. He clearly agreed with Han.
“I’m not dismissing him, Chewie,” Luke said. “I just don’t want us to make suppositions before we have information.”
He hadn’t expected to arrive and be the voice of reason. The stress was taking its toll on the whole family. He had seen it in the children, and now in Han and Leia.
“He said I could find out more at Smuggler’s Run,” Han said.
“It might be another diversion,” Leia said.
“Or it might be unrelated,” Luke said.
“Or it could be something we need to know,” Han said.
Chewie mumbled his agreement.
“You can’t leave now, Han,” Leia said. She clearly knew her husband. “The children need you.”
Han smiled, but he seemed distracted. “They need you too, sweetheart,” he said. “The whole Republic needs you. And we almost lost you.”
Luke cleared his throat. “Let me do a little investigating of my own,” he said. “I may turn up something none of us expects.”
See-Threepio followed Artoo-Detoo’s rounded frame through the permacrete corridors. Ancient oil stains mingled with skid marks and other stains of unknown origins all over the floors and walls. The glow panels flickered, as if they didn’t have the same access to power as the rest of Coruscant. Artoo led with purpose, his silver body tilted back, his wheels outstretched.
“I don’t know how you always get me involved in these things, Artoo,” Threepio said as he hurried, hands raised for balance. “You’ve only been here a few hours and already I feel as if we’re in trouble.”
Artoo whistled, then blatted at him.
“You
did
invite me,” Threepio said. “You said you believed they were doing something to Master Luke’s X-wing and we needed to investigate.”
Artoo tweebled.
“All right, then. You
knew
they were doing something to Master Luke’s X-wing, and you said
you
were going to investigate. But
you
told
me
. That’s like an
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