"Your Highness, we have a problem," Fess said abruptly.
Leia arched an eyebrow. "We?"
"Greetings, sir," C-3PO interrupted, eager to finally observe some protocol. "Might I offer you a drink, or perhaps some fresh-baked sweesonberry loaf?"
"He's not staying," Leia said sharply.
"I've come only to bring a message, and then I'll go," Fess said.
"Well? I'm listening."
Fess looked around the crowded room, the suspicion clear in his eyes.
"Everyone in this room has proven their loyalty to the cause," Leia said. "Except you."
Fess looked doubtful, but he gave in. "You can't attend your meeting tomorrow.
You're in danger."
Leia cast a sharp glance at Kiro. "What meeting?" she asked innocently.
Fess shook his head. "There's no time for that now. I know about the meeting you're planning for tomorrow-and so do Halle Dray and J'er Nahj. They're planning to grab you and hand you over to the Empire."
"I've spoken with Nahj, and he seemed like a good man," Leia said skeptically. "I can't believe he would resort to kidnapping."
Luke winced. "I believe he would, Leia." As he told them the truth of how he'd first met J'er Nahj, Luke felt a sharp stab of guilt. His lie to Leia had nearly put her in danger.
Leia was looking at him curiously, like she wanted to ask why he'd kept this a secret until now. But she didn't. Maybe she just thought he'd lie to her all over again.
Instead, she turned to Fess. "Why come to me with this? You've made it very clear that you're against us."
"I'm with anyone who stands up to the Empire," Fess admitted. "Halle and Nahj mean well, but they tend to act rashly. I let them believe I agreed with them because I thought it might be the only way to stop them from doing something they can't take back. I see I was right."
"Except you weren't able to stop them," Leia pointed out. "So you've come here, to stop us, instead. I won't run away. I came here to find reinforcements for the Rebel fight, and that's what I'm going to do."
"Even if it gets you killed?" Han asked sourly. "Last time you messed with the Empire, they weren't exactly rolling out the royal welcome wagon."
Luke hated to agree with him, but...
"You're too important to the Alliance," he said. "We can't risk your safety."
"We can't risk the galaxy galaxy," Leia shot back.
"Might I suggest a compromise, Princess Leia?" Kiro said hesitantly. "Simply move the meeting to a different time and location."
"And what's to stop one of the leaders you're meeting from reporting the new plans back to Nahj?" Fess asked. "You may have got a leak."
"So we give them a false rendezvous point," Kiro said. When they arrive, we'll confiscate their comlinks, then lead them to the princess. That way, they have no chance to report her coordinates to anyone."
"I think you're forgetting our biggest problem," Han cut in. "We can handle this amateur stuff-but the Imperials are on their way. Am I the only one who'd rather be someplace else when they arrive?"
"Sounds like the Empire is expecting Halle and Nahj to do their dirty work for them,"
Kiro argued. "You can spend the night on your ship-it's safer there, anyway. We meet first thing in the morning. You'll be offplanet by the time Nahj and his group know what happened."
"Risky, but it could work," Elad said.
"I don't know," Luke said, watching Kiro closely. It felt wrong to discuss Leia's safety with outsiders in the room. "It sounds dangerous."
"Since when are you you afraid of a little danger?" Leia asked. afraid of a little danger?" Leia asked.
"This is different," Luke said fiercely.
"Why?"
Because this is you. But he knew better than to say it loud. But he knew better than to say it loud.
The night is alive with shadows. Leia can feel them out there watching her, following her. She wants to go home. her. She wants to go home.
But the streets all look the same. She is walking in circles. Lost.
The palace sits on a wide stretch of ground, its towers climbing high into the sky. She should be able to see it in the distance-but the buildings block her view. She needs to get should be able to see it in the distance-but the buildings block her view. She needs to get to high ground. to high ground.
She comes upon a half-finished building, a thin durasteel crane climbing up its stories of scaffolding. This is her answer. She scrambles onto the mast of the crane, stories of scaffolding. This is her answer. She scrambles onto the mast of the crane, propelling herself up its rungs. It's easy, like climbing a ladder, and soon she is ten propelling herself up its rungs. It's easy, like climbing a ladder, and soon she is ten stories above the ground. The arm of the crane overhangs a narrow catwalk that wraps stories above the ground. The arm of the crane overhangs a narrow catwalk that wraps around the unfinished building. She climbs onto it, slowly circling the scaffolding, around the unfinished building. She climbs onto it, slowly circling the scaffolding, staring out at the city. Your city, her father always tells her. Someday, it will be your staring out at the city. Your city, her father always tells her. Someday, it will be your responsibility. responsibility.
The city twinkles beneath her, and she can see the lights of the palace off to the east.
She knows the way home.
Eagerly, she climbs down. Too eagerly.
Her foot skids off a rung.
Her fingers slip.
She is falling.
She reaches out but her hands clutch nothing but air. The rushing wind is icy against her face. For a moment, time seems to stretch out. She notices the moonlight glimmering her face. For a moment, time seems to stretch out. She notices the moonlight glimmering off the durasteel. The stars twinkling overhead. The strange freedom of the fall, her legs off the durasteel. The stars twinkling overhead. The strange freedom of the fall, her legs and arms flailing through empty air, her stomach in her throat. And then the world and arms flailing through empty air, her stomach in her throat. And then the world speeds up again, and the ground, an unforgiving plane of duracrete, once so far away, is speeds up again, and the ground, an unforgiving plane of duracrete, once so far away, is hurtling toward her. She screams, but the wind snatches the shriek out of her mouth and hurtling toward her. She screams, but the wind snatches the shriek out of her mouth and carries it away, and the ground is closer, and she is- carries it away, and the ground is closer, and she is- Caught.
For a moment, she thinks her father has saved her. But it is not her father lowering her to the ground. It is the detestable Fess Ilee. her to the ground. It is the detestable Fess Ilee.
She jerks away from him and dusts herself off.
" What are you doing here? What are you doing here? " " she asks, her heart still pounding. She looks up to the top she asks, her heart still pounding. She looks up to the top of the crane-up and up-wondering what would have happened if he hadn't caught her. of the crane-up and up-wondering what would have happened if he hadn't caught her.
I would have caught myself , she thinks angrily. , she thinks angrily. But he didn't give me the chance. But he didn't give me the chance.
" I've come to take you home Leia, I've come to take you home Leia, " " he says. he says.
She crosses her arms. " " I don't need you, I don't need you, " " she spits out. I can do it myself. I know how she spits out. I can do it myself. I know how to go. to go. " "
He nods. " " Then you lead the way. Then you lead the way. " "
She walks east. She doesn't look back. Fess makes no noise, but she knows he is following. A small piece of her is glad. This only makes her hate him more. following. A small piece of her is glad. This only makes her hate him more.
The walk is long, her legs tired. As night leaks into day, she can barely keep her eyes open. She sits for a moment to rest, and lets her eyes drift shut. Only for a moment. open. She sits for a moment to rest, and lets her eyes drift shut. Only for a moment.
The next thing she knows, someone is carrying her. " " Father? Father? " " she murmurs, still half she murmurs, still half asleep. asleep.
" It's just Fess, It's just Fess, " " he says. he says.
She wants to tell him that she doesn't need him, that she can do it herself. But she is so tired. so tired.
" Don't worry, you're safe with me. Don't worry, you're safe with me. " "
She yawns, and closes her eyes again. " " I know. I know. " "
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
"You sure about this?" Luke asked nervously, glancing at Kiro Chen.
"He's sure," Leia snapped.
Leia had put out the word that the Rebel recruiting meeting had been rescheduled, and would take place in one of the T'iil Blossom Homes. But when the attendees arrived, they would find only Luke and Han, ready to confiscate their comlinks and lead them to the reallocation. Kiro and Leia would be waiting.
"At least let me send Chewie with you," Han said, sounding tense. Luke wondered if he was worried, too.
Kiro shook his head. A thin rivulet of sweat trickled down his neck. "The Wookiee would draw attention. But if you don't trust me to protect you, Your Highness, perhaps you would feel more secure if one of your friends accompanied us."
"No," Leia said fiercely. "How many times do I need to tell you all that I can protect myself."
"I know that," Luke said. "But...
"But what?"
Luke just shook his head in frustration. They'd argued all night long, and Leia hadn't budged. She was holding this meeting, no matter what. And she wanted Kiro Chen by her side when it happened. "He's one of us," she'd told Luke, Han, and Elad.
The unspoken meaning was clear: He's one of us. You're not. He's one of us. You're not.
"Don't worry," Kiro assured Luke. "Everything's going to go as planned. Easy as skinning a nerf."
Luke looked at him for a long moment, once again seized by the certainty that he'd met Kiro somewhere before. The answer dangled almost within reach-and then was gone.
Han, Luke, and Chewbacca traipsed silently through the Delayan streets. They were nearly empty this time of morning, giving the city a sad air of abandonment. A few times, passing a dark window or shadowed entryway, Luke thought he caught a pair of eyes watching him. But whenever he turned to look, they were gone.
"I'll be glad to get off this rock," Han grumbled. Chewbacca barked his agreement.
"So why'd you stick around in the first place?" Luke asked.
Han shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya, kid. It just felt wrong to leave her here alone-"
"She's not alone alone," Luke said indignantly. "I'm here."
"Yeah, and so's that blasted protocol droid of yours, but when the trouble starts, he's not exactly the guy you want in your corner."
"I can protect her just as well as you can," Luke protested. "Better, even."
"Whatever you say, kid." Han shook his head. "Besides, it's not like she wants either one of us to protect her."
"What makes you think we'll have anything to protect her from?" Luke asked. "It's a good plan." But he could feel it, too. Something dark, hovering at the fringes of his mind.
Han groaned. "Where've you been, kid? Something always always goes wrong." He rolled his eyes. "But listen to that Kiro character and you'd think we were taking a trip to the Galactic Fair. 'Easy as skinning a nerf.' Right." goes wrong." He rolled his eyes. "But listen to that Kiro character and you'd think we were taking a trip to the Galactic Fair. 'Easy as skinning a nerf.' Right."
Luke stopped walking so abruptly that Chewbacca slammed into him, nearly knocking him to the ground. Han caught his arm and yanked him upright.
"Say that again," Luke said, as the darkness he'd been sensing began to take shape.
"Say what again? 'Easy as skinning a nerf?'"
Luke gasped. "It's him!"
"Him who?"
Chewbacca roared in confusion.
"I don't know what he's talking about," Han snapped. "That's what I'm trying to find out!"
But there wasn't time to explain. Leia was in danger. He took off running back toward the hotel. "It's Kiro Chen!" he shouted over his shoulder, as Han and Chewbacca raced after him. "He's not who he says he is."
Easy as skinning a nerf.
Now he knew why Kiro had seemed familiar. It wasn't his face-it was his voice. voice. The same voice he'd heard outside J'er Nahj's lean-to the first day they'd met, arguing with Halle Dray about whether the young boy should have to apologize to Luke. The same voice he'd heard outside J'er Nahj's lean-to the first day they'd met, arguing with Halle Dray about whether the young boy should have to apologize to Luke.
Kiro had claimed he didn't know Halle, or Nahj. He'd lied. Who knew what else he'd lied about-or what else he wanted?
And now he was alone with Leia. Exactly as he'd planned.
Han spotted them first, arguing on a street corner. Kiro was tugging at Leia's arm, but she'd planted her feet firmly and crossed her arms. Finally, her stubbornness was coming in handy.
Han pulled Luke to a stop, pointing toward the princess. If they approached calmly, without revealing that they knew something was up, there was still a chance to- "Leia!" Luke shouted, waving his arms at the princess. "Get away from him!"
"Great work, kid," Han muttered under his breath. He pulled out his blaster and started running again. This was about to get messy.