Star Wars_ Millennium Falcon Part 21

"The pilots dropped the ball," Poste said.

"Last we saw," Jadak added, "police units were after them."

The captain nodded once. "That's their problem." He c.o.c.ked his head toward the freighter. "The Colicoid's got an appointment on a world a long way from anywhere." He began to ascend the ramp, then stopped and turned around. "Can we drop you two somewhere?"

"Yeah," Jadak said, tapping Poste into motion. "But the where's going to depend on whether Rej Taunt honors his part of our arrangement."

"He will. Find yourselves a couple of bunks in the common cabin."

They went directly there. After testing all the bunks, Poste set his knapsack on one and began pulling items from it while singing to himself, exactly as Jadak had seen him do on Nar Shaddaa in his hole-in-the-wall crypt the day before they left.

"What's with the song?"

"It's to make sure I have everything." Poste pointed to items while he sang. "Socks and s.h.i.+rts and pants and comb, and boots and hat, and..."

"All right, I get it," Jadak interrupted.

"I was taught to do it by one of the old timers who lived in the canyon my tribe haunted. In the beginning I only owned a few things, but every one of them was important to me, and it hurt went something went missing, either through theft or my own carelessness. I was only five or six at the time. But as 1 got more things I was able to add more lines to the song, and on the day I added a second verse I decided I was rich."

Jadak nodded and smiled. "If things work out, kid, that song of yours is going to take a week to sing."

Poste grinned. "The old-timer who taught it to me called it a mnemonic."

"Your code phrase is 'Restore Republic honor to the galaxy.' Our ally is expecting you. The phrase we've provided you is a mnemonic aid she will need to carry out her part of the mission. The Envoy will handle the rest of it."

Jadak extended his trembling hands to Poste. "You have a datapad in there?"

Chapter twenty-two.

"I'll make a deal with you," Leia said. "you and Muzzle can stay in here for the entire trip to Coruscant. But you have to promise that when we get there you won't shut yourself inside your room."

"Muzzle, too?" Allana said, holding the simian hand puppet up to her shoulder.

Leia nodded. "Muzzle also has to promise."

Allana frowned and turned aside to confer quietly with the toy.

The Millennium Falcon was in hypers.p.a.ce, and Allana was in low spirits. She had been distant ever since Taris, sitting on her bunk in the princ.i.p.al cabin with the puppet, perhaps telling Muzzle all she wouldn't say to Leia or Han.

Leia eased into the cabin and sat down opposite her, putting an arm around Allana's shoulders. "What do you say?"

"Muzzle says he doesn't want to stay in here for the whole trip."

"What about you?"

"I don't want to, either."

Leia smiled. "That's good, because Grandpa and I miss having your company." She took a moment. "You seem a little sad. Is any-thing wrong?"

Allana shook her head.

"We still haven't talked about what happened during the pet show."

She averted Leia's gaze. "It's not that."

"What, then?"

"I'm just sad our adventure is over."

"You mean because we haven't learned who owned the Falcon be-fore Vistal Purn?"

Allana nodded. "Grandpa said it's a dead end."

"He said that he was pretty sure we'd be able to learn something from the Ortolan who owned the circus-Dax Doogun."

Allana looked at her. "That's what he told me. But I heard him tell you it was a dead end."

Leia kept a straight face. Han had said as much. It concerned her that Allana would eavesdrop on a private conversation, but she decided not to make an issue of it.

"It's been a great adventure so far, hasn't it?"

"Sort of."

"You haven't had any fun?"

"I guess."

Leia moved closer to her. "Allana, can we talk a little bit about what happened on Taris? If you don't feel like talking now we can do it some other time, but I think it would help if we discussed it."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, let's start with those beings who tricked you into following the squall."

"I hate them."

Leia fell silent for a moment. "They tricked you and took you because they wanted to force Grandpa to do something."

"What?"

"They wanted him to make Uncle Lando send them some war droids."

"Why?"

"I guess they had some bad plans."

Allana's brows beetled and she lowered her chin.

"Do you remember what you said when you ran away from Seff?" When Allana didn't respond, Leia said: "You said 'Jacen'".

"I know what I said."

"Why do think you said your father's name?"

Allana gave her head a firm shake.

Leia thought for a moment. Could she get to the bottom of this without leading her too much? Should she drop the matter for the time being?

I can't, she told herself.

"When those bad beings took you, did it make you think of when Jacen took you from your mom?"

"No," she snapped. "Seff made me think of Jacen."

Leia had already guessed as much. Still, she said: "Jacen didn't look like Seff, or even sound like him."

"Not like that, Grandma. I felt him in the Force like I felt Jacen."

Leia recalled the storm she felt in the Force before she spied Seff. It troubled her that Allana had picked up on Seff's raw power.

"Jacen made me afraid," Allana said suddenly. "And then Seff made me afraid in the same way."

Leia took hold of Allana's hands. "In what way, honey?"

"That he was going to hurt me."

Leia blinked in consternation. "Jacen would never have hurt you, Allana. He loved you so very much. He would have changed the galaxy for you if he could."

"Why?"

"To protect you from harm-from any evil."

Allana seemed to consider it, "Do you miss him, Allana?"

Allana looked away again. "A little. Sometimes." She turned to face Leia. "Do you wish he was still alive, Grandma?"

A lump formed in Leia's throat. "I'm sorry he had to die."

So very sorry.

"Was he sick?"

Leia nodded. "He was sick. But not like when your stomach hurts. He was... he had a kind of sickness in the Force." Someday Allana would have to he told the full story, in all its gruesome and tragic details, but now wasn't the time. "Can the Force get sick?"

"No. But beings can use the Force in a way that endangers others."

"Is that the dark side?"

"Perhaps. And one path to the dark side is anger. Another is hate. That's why I scolded you when you ran from the room and you wanted to hurl the Force at Seff."

Allana fidgeted. "Was Jacen angry?"

"Jacen was very angry."

"What was he mad at?"

"He was mad at not being able to have his way."

"I get mad sometimes when you tell me to stop doing something," Allana said quietly.

"We all get mad sometimes," Leia said. "But getting mad in that way, getting frustrated or feeling like you should be able to do something, is not the same as filling yourself up with anger and hatred and letting those emotions take control of your thoughts and actions."

"It makes you see red," Allana said, brightening somewhat. "When anger fills you up enough, you can see red, and that's not good for you or for the Force."

Allana linked her arms about Leia's neck. "I'm not mad now. Just a little sad. That's what I was telling Muzzle when you came in."

"What did Muzzle say back?"

"That being sad is stupid."

Leia hugged her. "Muzzle is wrong. It's not stupid. Sometimes we can't help feeling sad."

Han rapped on the jam of the open hatch. "Okay to come in?" Leia whispered: "Is it okay?"

"Come in, Grandpa," Allana said. He stepped into the cabin. "I've reached Luke." Leia let go of Allana and stood up in a rush. She started for the doorway, then stopped. "Do you want to speak to Uncle Luke after I finish speaking with him?"

"Uh-uh."

Han grinned at Allana. "I sure could use some help piloting the s.h.i.+p."

Allana smiled and jumped up.

"What should I do, Captain Solo?" C-3PO asked from the ring corridor.

"I want you to keep searching the comlink nets for Dax Doogun."

"The odds of my locating him..."

"Threepio-please?" Allana said.

"We'll even let you connect to the c.o.c.kpit comm suite," Han said.

C-3PO straightened. "In that case, I'll continue the search."