Kiro was an ally, and Leia's ready trust in him shouldn't have bothered Luke.
But it did.
"So it's true!" Halle Dray appeared beside them, as if out of nowhere. Beside her was J'er Nahj and Fess Ilee. "You come here claiming to want to help us, but all you really want are more martyrs for your cause."
Leia looked at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"There are rumors, Your Highness," Nahj said. His voice was gentler, but contained no kindness. "And given that you're here with him him-" He glared at Kiro.
"I don't even know you," Kiro said. "Either of you."
"But we know you you," Halle said. "And we know what you've been up to."
Nahj looked sorrowfully at Leia. "It's hard to avoid the conclusion that you're recruiting soldiers for your Alliance."
"It's not my my Alliance," Leia said, a little of the old fire returning to her voice. "It fights for all of us." Alliance," Leia said, a little of the old fire returning to her voice. "It fights for all of us."
"Not for me," Halle snapped. "The Alderaan of my youth rejected fighting. It outlawed weapons, turned away from violence-until the blood-thirsty Organa family sucked it into a war it could never win."
"That's not how it happened!" Luke protested.
Halle turned the full power of her glare on him. "Stay out of things that don't concern you," she said in a low, dangerous voice. "Especially when you don't know what you're talking about."
"I know-"
"Luke!" Leia quieted him with a look. "It's fine."
"Her Highness only wants what is best for us," Kiro said. "We're all on the same side here. She's not your enemy."
"Alderaan had no enemies before her," Halle hissed. "Now we have no Alderaan. Call it what you want, but that's no coincidence."
Leia stayed silent. It was unlike her, refusing to defend herself in the face of such an attack.
"The Empire is an enemy to all of us, including Alderaan," Kiro argued. "And it's our duty to fight back."
"Yes, I've heard that's your line," Halle sneered. "I've been looking forward to meeting this Kiro Chen I've heard so much about, the one who delights in leading our people to the slaughter. There's something I've been wanting to say to you."
She slapped his face. Then walked away.
Kiro rubbed his hand across his cheek, where Halle's hand had left an angry red mark.
"She's upset," he said, almost to himself. "She doesn't know what she's saying."
"We're all upset," Nahj said. He spoke softly, but his eyes were angry. "When you promised to help us in any way you could, Your Highness, I didn't realize that meant sending us off to die at the hands of the Empire."
"Every Rebel is a volunteer volunteer," Leia said. "Every man and woman here is free to choose."
Luke shot her a sharp look. She was coming dangerously close to admitting that Halle and Nahj were right, that she was recruiting for the Rebel Alliance. It was a dangerous slip. And that wasn't like her, either.
"You're their leader," Nahj snapped. "They do as you ask."
Their leader, Luke noted, not leader, Luke noted, not our our.
Leia whipped her gaze toward Fess. "Does he speak for you, too?"
"I speak for myself," Fess said.
It was odd. Luke had heard Leia's stories about Fess's buffoonery and empty-headedness. But the stories didn't match the man.
"You take danger upon yourself so easily," Fess said, "and the fight is all you need to sustain you. So it's understandably difficult for you to understand that these people here don't need a fight: They need food. Bacta. Blankets. You're offering them a war. That's no substitute for a home."
"I'm offering them a reason to live live," Leia shot back. "The Alliance gives me a reason to go forward. Everyone should have that chance."
"Not everyone's like you," Fess pointed out. "Some people just want to live in peace."
Luke flashed back to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's broken bodies. They'd never wanted to fight anyone. But the Empire hadn't cared.
"Not everyone's like you you, either," Leia said, her face white with rage. "Not everyone's so craven and weak. So useless useless."
Fess opened his mouth-then shut it again. He turned to Nahj. "I think it's best if I go."
Nahj nodded. "I'll go with you." He extended a hand to Leia. "You made me a promise, Your Highness. I hope you do not forget it."
"I've promised to defeat the Empire," Leia said. "And nothing's more important than that."
CHAPTER TWELVE.
"You're late," Halle Dray snarled, barring the door. "You're sure no one followed you?"
Ferus nodded. "Why do you think I'm late?"
She stepped aside.
"You never mentioned you were so cozy with the princess," she said, as he followed her into the abandoned house. The others had already arrived. They were assembled in the dusty remains of the living room. Shards of transparisteel littered the floor, and moonlight filtered in through the shattered windows. It was a sad, forgotten place in a sad, forgotten corner of the city. A perfect spot for secrets.
"Cozy isn't the word I would use," Ferus pointed out. "In case you hadn't noticed, she hates me. Even more so, now that she realizes I'm with you."
"That's right." Halle's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Sometimes I forget-you're with us."
It had taken Ferus very little time to get the others to trust him, but Halle Dray remained the lone holdout. He didn't take it personally: She trusted no one.
J'er Nahj had once told Ferus that she'd worked at a wildlife medcenter on Alderaan, tending to injured stalking birds and sick grazers. But that was before before, in what she referred to as her other life. If there was any gentleness left in her now, she hid it well.
"We were right," Halle told the group, as the meeting began. "Leia is here to draft survivors into the Rebellion. She pretends to want to help us, but she's just looking for martyrs to her cause."
"Do you have proof?" Ferus asked.
"Wherever Leia goes, a new crop of Rebel fighters is sure to follow. I don't believe in that kind of coincidence."
Ferus frowned. "Leia's Rebel sympathies are well known. It doesn't mean she's on a recruiting mission."
"Wake up, Fess," Halle snapped. "She's had her minions poking around Delaya for weeks now. And here she is to close the deal. You saw her with Kiro Chen."
There was murmuring at the name. Though none of them knew Kiro personally, it was common knowledge that he'd been working with General Rieekan-and everyone knew that Rieekan spoke for the Alliance.
"I wanted to believe that she was sincere about trying to help us," Nahj said. "But it seems clear that she has other priorities."
The twin brothers Driscoll and Trey Bruhnej muttered to each other in disgust. "She hasn't gotten enough of us killed?" Driscoll said aloud.
"Apparently two billion isn't enough to satisfy her," Halle said. "Which is why this time, we're going to stop her."
"And how exactly will we do that?" Ferus asked dryly, concealing his concern.
"Tomorrow night, she and her allies plan to sneak away from their government 'protectors,'" Halle said. "They've planned a secret meeting with those of our people foolish enough to believe their Rebel lies. That meeting is not not going to happen." going to happen."
Ferus kept his expression blank. So Halle had someone watching Leia. Against his will, his mind jumped instantly to the boys he occasionally paid to run errands. Mazi and his brothers seemed willing to do just about anything for credits. Had it been mere coincidence that they'd attacked Leia in that alley?
Like Halle, Ferus was reluctant to believe in coincidences.
J'er Nahj shook his head. "Disrupting the meeting won't help. If our people are foolish enough to join the princess and her Rebellion, they will do so-tomorrow or the next day."
"They can't join the princess if the princess is no longer asking," Halle said.
"She won't stop," Nahj said. "She doesn't seem to understand that Alderaan has paid enough."
"Why should she?" Halle scoffed. "When she's paid nothing."
It was far from the truth, Ferus knew. But he stayed silent.
"The meeting won't happen because the princess won't be available," Halle added.
"She'll be with us."
"Kidnapping?" Nahj said. "No."
"You disapprove of the methods?" Halle asked wryly. "I admit I'm rather surprised."
"That was a mistake," Nahj protested. "And the boy proved it when he helped us of his own accord."
Ferus suppressed his anger. He'd heard rumors, but this was the first confirmation. So Nahj had taken Luke to the warehouse against his will-and somehow, Luke had turned the situation to his advantage. But if things had gone wrong...
It was terrifying how fragile the situation was. If Obi-Wan was right about Luke, and the future of the galaxy rested on his shoulders, how could it be right to let him blunder around without proper training and protection? What if the unthinkable happened?
"That may have been a mistake," Halle said, "but this isn't. Princess Leia is a valuable commodity-rumor is the Emperor himself wants to get his hands on her. Just imagine what he might be willing to offer us in return."
"You're talking about ransoming off the princess? To the Empire? Empire? " Nahj asked in disbelief. "They'd kill her." " Nahj asked in disbelief. "They'd kill her."
"They'd give us a home," Halle said quietly. "A new planet. A new Alderaan."
"What makes you think that?" Driscoll asked.
"Because they've already agreed."
"You contacted the Empire?" Ferus asked. Nausea swept over him at the thought of Darth Vader's ship hurtling toward the planet, his dark shadow creeping over Leia...
"Halle, how could you?" Nahj asked.
"Look what she's done to us!" Halle cried fiercely. "Alderaan is gone gone and still she longs for more death. Our troubles won't end until someone stops her. And if, in doing so, we gain a new home for ourselves? Can't you see it, J'er? The sacrifice of one-for the good of so many." She slapped her palms flat against the table. "The Empire is only our enemy because the princess and still she longs for more death. Our troubles won't end until someone stops her. And if, in doing so, we gain a new home for ourselves? Can't you see it, J'er? The sacrifice of one-for the good of so many." She slapped her palms flat against the table. "The Empire is only our enemy because the princess made made them our enemy. We were a peaceful people, once, and the Empire understands that we can be peaceful again. They want to help us...if we help them." them our enemy. We were a peaceful people, once, and the Empire understands that we can be peaceful again. They want to help us...if we help them."
"You've been planning this for a while," Nahj guessed.
"We knew Leia would show up eventually," Halle said unashamed. "I intended to be ready."
Driscoll and Trey gave each other a long, intense look, as if exchanging some kind of silent twin communication. They nodded as one. "Yes. We agree."
Halle looked at Nahj. "I don't like it either, J'er," she said quietly. "If there were another way..."
Nahj lowered his eyes. "Yes, if there were another way...but perhaps there is not."
Fess couldn't believe it. Nahj was passionate about what he believed in, but had always seemed kind and reasonable. How could he-how could any of them-convince himself that this was right?
"And you, Fess?" Halle said, turning the name into a hiss. "You're awfully quiet. If you disapprove, feel free to leave right now."
Ferus knew that if he objected, there was a slim chance he might sway them. Explain to them how it felt to compromise yourself to evil, bit by bit, until there was no turning back. On the other hand, if he failed to convince them, they would cut him off. He wouldn't learn the details of their plan; he would lose his chance to save Leia.
From the beginning, he'd sensed that this group could prove dangerous. And Halle's fierce hatred of Leia had concerned him. He'd suspected that if there was trouble, Leia could end up in the middle of it. This was why he'd worked so hard to worm his way in. It seemed foolish to walk away now, just when his efforts were paying off.
He'd made so many wrong decisions in his life.
What was one more?
"I'm in."
Luke was almost relieved when he heard the knock. He'd spent the last hour pacing restlessly, listening to Kiro Chen and Leia strategize. He didn't feel that it was his place to express any opinions-even Han was keeping his mouth shut. But it was more than a little frustrating to stand silent.
Not that Luke disagreed with everything Leia said. The success of the Rebellion was crucial. Beating the Empire mattered mattered. He was just no longer sure it was all all that mattered. that mattered.
But Leia didn't want to hear that, not from him. She'd made that perfectly clear.
Any distraction would be a welcome one.
He opened the door and took a step backward. Fess Ilee stared back at him. Luke didn't know what it was about the man that made him feel comfortable and unnerved, both at the same time. He stepped aside, allowing Fess into the room.