Leia backed away from Kiro, who pulled out a blaster of his own, aiming it at the princess. She froze.
"Careful," Kiro said, as Luke, Han, and Chewbacca approached. "I don't want to hurt her."
"Then how 'bout you drop the blaster!" Han shouted.
"Don't upset him," Luke murmured.
"Me?" Han shot back, out of the corner of his mouth. "You're telling me to stay calm, after what you-"
The kid looked more clueless than usual.
"Ah, forget it." Han turned his attention back to Kiro and Leia. She had her hands up, and was glaring at Kiro. Han cocked his blaster, but kept it aimed at the ground.
"You want to protect her?" Kiro asked, sounding almost sorry. "Drop your weapons."
Han caught Leia's eye. She gave him an imperceptible nod. He grinned, his grip tightening on the blaster. I would, but last I heard, Her Highness prefers to protect herself!"
He raised his weapon. Kiro swung around to face Han, firing off a round of laserbolts.
Han ducked the blasts, reluctant to fire back with Leia still in range.
But the princess could take care of herself. Taking advantage of Kiro's distraction, Leia dropped to a crouch. She rolled toward Kiro and knocked his legs out from under him. His blaster clattered to the ground. They lunged for it at the same time.
"Out of the way, Leia!" Han shouted. "I can't get a clear shot."
Leia and Kiro wrestled for the blaster. Kiro's finger brushed the hilt, but Leia grabbed his wrist just in time, twisting it behind his back. He grunted in pain, shrugging her off with surprising strength. She tumbled backward, but managed to kick the blaster out of his reach as she fell. Then she slammed into the ground, hard. Kiro scrabbled forward and snatched the weapon.
"Leia, go!" Han shouted, taking aim. She climbed to her feet and took a few steps, then, collapsed back to the ground, clutching her ankle. Her face twisted in pain.
Han jerked his head at Luke. "Get her out out of there." Luke was already on his way. of there." Luke was already on his way.
Kiro wheeled toward her, his blaster raised, but Chewbacca threw himself in the line of fire. The Wookiee barreled toward Kiro. Grunting with effort, Leia forced herself to her feet and began a limping run. But before Luke could reach her, two figures melted out of the shadow, blasters aimed at his head. He hesitated, giving them the chance they needed to close in on Leia. One of them kept his blaster aimed at Luke, while the other lunged at Leia, jabbing an injector syringe into her shoulder. She lashed out, sinking her fist into his stomach-then sank into his arms with a small sigh.
"Leia!" Han shouted in alarm.
Chewbacca, who had been twisting Kiro into a knot, dropped the man and rushed to help the princess. Using Leia as a shield, the men backed away. One of them raised a comlink to his lips. "Now!" he snapped.
A large speeder truck whooshed down the street, screeching to a halt just long enough for the men to toss Leia inside and hop in after her. They scooped up Kiro's limp body and sped away. Han took aim-but didn't shoot. He couldn't risk causing a crash-not with Leia inside.
The speeder disappeared around a corner.
Luke sank to his knees. "I let her go," he said, sounding dazed. He unclipped the lightsaber from his belt. "If I'd trusted myself enough to use it..."
"Then you'd probably have gotten yourself killed, kid," Han said impatiently. They were wasting time. "At least you're still in one piece. That'll come in handy when we rescue her."
"She trusted me," Luke said, as if Han hadn't spoken. "I was supposed to protect her."
Han ran out of patience. "So do it!" he snapped. "She's out there somewhere, counting on us to find her."
Luke stood up, and retrieved his blaster. "You're right," he said, with renewed determination. "Let's find her."
Chewbacca growled the question that Han had been trying to avoid.
"I don't know know how," Han retorted. "But we how," Han retorted. "But we will will."
He had to.
I was supposed to protect her, Luke had said, blaming himself.
But you weren't, kid, Han thought, watching Luke take a few practice swipes with his lightsaber, as if the weapon were good for anything but party tricks. That was my job. That was my job.
The Alderaanians were running out of patience. As the minutes passed, they gathered around Ferus, clamoring for answers.
"You said she'd be here!"
"What kind of game is this?"
"Is this all a big joke to you?"
But Ferus had nothing to give them beyond empty reassurances. He'd been expecting Han and Luke more than twenty minutes ago. Something had obviously gone wrong. But until he received details, there was nothing he could do.
His comlink signaled an incoming transmission.
"It's me," Halle Dray's voice said. "Where are you?"
Ferus stepped away from the crowd. "In my room," Ferus lied. "Getting ready for tonight." He knew Halle and her group still thought the meeting was going on as planned.
Apparently their leak was less reliable than they'd thought. "What do you need?"
"I just wanted you to hear it from me."
"Hear what?"
There was a pause, a jumble of voices in the background, and then: "What am I supposed to say?" Leia's voice.
"That'll do quite nicely," Halle said.
A poisonous brew of rage and fear began churning in Ferus's gut. "You have the princess," he said, keeping his emotions under tight control. "Congratulations. I thought we weren't moving until tonight."
"And Nahj thought 'we' included you you," Halle said coldly. "I suspected differently. I see that I was right."
"You set me up," Ferus said, the pieces beginning to into place. "You told me about your plans-"
"To see if you'd go running straight to the princess. Which you did." Halle laughed harshly. "Job well done." She broke the connection.
"Was that the princess?" someone asked. "Is she on her way?"
Ferus couldn't answer.
He'd done it yet again-failed the person he most wanted to protect. And it could have been avoided, had he only paid attention. He'd devoted all his energy to the big picture, getting swept up in questions of Luke and Leia's parentage, their future, the fate of the Empire. He'd lost track of the present, and missed crucial details. If he'd been listening to the Force, he would have heard what was approaching.
But he'd listened to nothing but the drumbeat of his fears for Leia, and he'd let that thunder drown out everything else.
Not again, Ferus vowed to himself-to Leia. He'd lost too much.
He wouldn't lose her too.
Ferus has never felt such a moment of perfect fear. He sees the princess at the top of the crane, seeming so much smaller from so far away. She swings herself onto the the crane, seeming so much smaller from so far away. She swings herself onto the catwalk with an easy grace, and he admires the way she fearlessly tiptoes across. Her catwalk with an easy grace, and he admires the way she fearlessly tiptoes across. Her instincts and reflexes are beyond human. She is strong with the Force, even stronger than instincts and reflexes are beyond human. She is strong with the Force, even stronger than he had expected. he had expected.
But she is untrained, and as she scrambles down the scaffolding, he sees her hand slip. Her foot misses its grip. She lets out an alarmed squeal and begins to slide- slip. Her foot misses its grip. She lets out an alarmed squeal and begins to slide- Ferus moves with lightning speed, nearly flying up the side of the scaffolding. He catches her. catches her.
She is angry; she resents his help. But he will not leave her behind, not again. And by the time they are halfway home, she is asleep in his arms. the time they are halfway home, she is asleep in his arms.
He walks slowly, carefully cradling the snoring bundle in his arms. He has not held her like this since she was a toddler. On the day he first came to Bail Organa to explain her like this since she was a toddler. On the day he first came to Bail Organa to explain his mission, Organa had placed Leia in his arms. his mission, Organa had placed Leia in his arms.
Ferus had put her down immediately. How could he remain objective if he let emotions cloud his judgment? The Jedi way repudiated attachments, even to a small emotions cloud his judgment? The Jedi way repudiated attachments, even to a small child-perhaps especially to a small child. He had turned from that way once, and the child-perhaps especially to a small child. He had turned from that way once, and the consequences had been catastrophic. Never again, he thought. consequences had been catastrophic. Never again, he thought.
Now he knows he has been a fool.
He has denied the truth-and this, too, is not the Jedi way.
Leia is not a job. She is a child. And he loves her like she is his own.
He has been arguing with Obi-Wan about whether to begin training the Skywalker children as Jedi. Obi-Wan, as always urges caution. Ferus has his doubts. Shouldn't Luke children as Jedi. Obi-Wan, as always urges caution. Ferus has his doubts. Shouldn't Luke and Leia be given the chance to explore their gift, to protect themselves? and Leia be given the chance to explore their gift, to protect themselves?
Doesn't the galaxy deserve a new generation of champions?
" That's what they have us for, That's what they have us for, " " Obi-Wan always says. Obi-Wan always says. " " Until they're older. Until Until they're older. Until things change. things change. " "
Until the Emperor is not ruthlessly seeking out and murdering all Force-sensitive children, he means. Until teaching them the ways of the Force is not a death sentence. children, he means. Until teaching them the ways of the Force is not a death sentence.
And, the thought that is on both their minds, though neither will speak it aloud: Until we are sure they will not be like their father. Until we are sure they will not be like their father.
Looking down at Leia, Ferus now understands he will argue no more. Leia might be the key to defeating the Empire-but for now, she is a little girl. Ferus knows he will not the key to defeating the Empire-but for now, she is a little girl. Ferus knows he will not risk her safety for anything. Not for the Force, not for the fate of the galaxy. He will save risk her safety for anything. Not for the Force, not for the fate of the galaxy. He will save her from the truth about herself, until he knows she is strong enough to survive it. He will her from the truth about herself, until he knows she is strong enough to survive it. He will always save her. always save her.
Nothing matters more than that.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
She woke up in the back of a large speeder truck, her wrists and ankles bound. J'er Nahj leaned over her, dabbing a drop of blood off her forehead.
"Good," he said softly. "You're all right."
"Hardly," Leia said dryly, struggling into a sitting position.
A man she'd never seen before was at the controls.
Kiro Chen lay on a seat just behind him, his head on Halle Dray's lap, his eyes closed.
Halle chewed on her lower lip and stroked his hair, never taking her eyes off his face.
Leia was on the floor of the speeder, just behind them, propped up against the back door. If she could find a way to open it and slip out...
"Not a good idea," Nahj said. "At the speed we're going, you'd be killed before you hit the ground. Just sit tight, Your Highness. You'll be all right."
"Don't waste your breath," Halle said. "She's not worth it. Look what her friends did to Kiro!"
"They were just defending themselves," Nahj pointed out. "He'll be fine."
Halle whirled around to glare at Leia. "He better be."
"He wouldn't be here right now if he hadn't betrayed me," Leia pointed out. She realized this plan must have been a long time in the making. Had Kiro been planning it from the beginning; when he first contacted General Rieekan? Had it all been a trap, designed to snare her? And she'd walked right into it, blind to the possibility that one of her own people could betray her.
"No, he wouldn't be here right now if you you hadn't betrayed hadn't betrayed us us," Halle snapped. "None of us would. You put these events in motion, Princess. Whatever happens next, just remember that."
"Nothing's going to happen," Nahj said. "We won't harm you."
"Don't act like you feel sorry for her! After all the pain she's caused?"
I've done nothing wrong! But Leia couldn't say the words out loud. But Leia couldn't say the words out loud.
Beside her, Kiro stirred. "Don't," he murmured.
"It's okay," Halle said, in a soft voice that made her sound like a different person. "They can't hurt you anymore."
"No, I mean, don't yell at her like that. She means well."
Halle shook her head. "You're confused. You don't know what you're saying."
Kiro sat up, shooting Leia an apologetic look. "I'm not confused."
"So you're taking her side now?" Halle asked. "You want to call it off?"
Kiro hesitated, then put an arm around Halle. "No, this is the right move. I trust you on that. But there's no reason to make it harder than it has to be."
Leia's heart thudded. "Make what what harder?" harder?"
"Look at it this way," Halle replied. "You claim you'd do anything to help the survivors of Alderaan?"
"It's not a claim claim," Leia shot back. "It's the truth."
"Then you should be happy to sacrifice yourself for the greater good."