Fate Of The Jedi: Ascension Part 23

The good-byes, Jag thought, were getting easier. Not because he and Jaina missed each other any less when they were apart, but the new bond that had been forged between them connected them even when they were separated by distance. They did not live in hope that all would be well between them; they lived in certainty of it.

But neither had to actually like saying good-bye.

They had had a more intimate farewell in Jag's quarters an hour earlier. Now Jag stood with Jaina and her parents in the Temple hangar. The place was alive with calm, controlled activity, but even Jag-utterly non-Force-sensitive-could feel the excitement in the air, the mingled joy and regret that the Jedi felt upon their imminent departure.

Jaina hugged her mother tightly. "You'll come join us soon?"

"As soon as we can, I promise," Leia rea.s.sured her. "Dorvan has asked me to stay, and I can't deny him what help and advice I can."

"I know. But I think you'll be the last Jedi on the planet."

Leia chuckled. "There's still the Barabels. But I probably will be the last to leave."

Han held out his arms and his daughter went into them, snuggling up to him. Han squeezed her so hard Jag feared Jaina would have difficulty breathing. "Save a little bit of Abeloth for your mother," Han said. "You know how grumpy she gets when she misses the action."

"That's you, Dad."

"So it is." He grinned and planted a kiss on her forehead.

Allana clung tightly to her aunt. "I want to go, too," she said.

"From what I understand, you've had plenty of adventure already, young lady," Jaina said, tweaking her nose.

"Dealing with Squibs isn't an adventure," Allana protested.

"Oh, yes it is," said Han.

"An adventure I will shortly undertake," Jag said. "Amelia has offered to introduce me."

"Lucky you," said Jaina, slipping into his arms for a final, sweet kiss. For his ears only, she whispered, "Don't you dare let Daala get the jump on you."

"I won't," he whispered back. "I have you to come home to, don't I?"

"Darn right you do," she said, pulling back. "Well, time to go. I'll be in touch."

With a final wave and a grin, Jaina strode off to her StealthX. She didn't look back.

They watched the hatch close on the StealthX. Jag felt a small hand steal into his. He looked down to see Amelia looking up at him earnestly and tugging on him.

"They're waiting in the Falcon," she said.

"Is that safe?" asked Jag.

"As safe as I could make it," Han said. "Don't have anywhere else to put them. Threepio and Artoo stayed aboard to see that they don't get into too much trouble. Personally I'd have drop-kicked them into the next solar system, but you said you wanted to see them."

"Your patience is commendable," Jag said. "By all means, lead on, Amelia."

Smiling happily, she did. They strode up the ramp, and a golden form hastened into view as fast as its servos could carry it.

"Mistress Leia, Master Han-thank goodness you've come to liberate us!" exclaimed 3PO. R2 rolled into view, and even his normally cheerful toodles and tweets had an anxious edge to them.

"See?" said Han.

Three blue heads poked out from the side, and six long, tufted ears swiveled forward. Their eyes were bright with curiosity.

"So this is our boss?" said one.

"About time," said another.

"How exciting to meet the Head of State!" said the third.

Jag strode up the ramp, putting on his best diplomatic demeanor. "So these are the Squibs who have been so helpful to me and the Empire. You must be Emala," he said to the smallest one, bending over and extending his hand. Emala closed long fingers about it and rubbed it on her cheek. Jag took no offense; he was familiar with the habits of this species.

"I'm Grees," said one of the males, emulating Emala.

"And I'm Sligh," said the third.

"I understand you've known the Solo family for quite some time," Jag continued.

"We're old friends," said Sligh. Behind him, Jag heard what might have been a m.u.f.fled snort from Han.

"Old friends who put bounties on their heads?" Jag continued in the same mild tone of voice.

"Well," said Grees, "there were reasons behind it. Very good reasons, actually."

"And now there aren't," said Emala. "So now we're partners again. And in a way, partners with you, too."

"So it would seem," Jag said. "It looks as if the life of adventure suits you all, considering how long you've known the Solos."

Grees's whiskers bristled, but Emala said, "Well, some beings just age better than others."

"That's it!" said Leia. "You're too young!"

"Flatterer," said Emala.

But Leia shook her head. "It's not about flattery, Emala. It's about the simple fact that all three of you are younger than you were when we first met you."

Beside Leia, Han was nodding. "You're right. There was something-wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Clean living," said Sligh.

"Yep!" said Emala. "Helping out partners and doing the right thing."

"That's poodoo," Han said, growling. "Your ears!"

"What about them?" said Emala, looking impossibly innocent.

"They're way too big. And Sligh-take off that coat. Now."

Sligh looked offended and clutched the coat tighter around his frame. "Why should I do that?"

"Sligh, please. Humor Captain Solo. I'd be very appreciative if you would." Jag smiled.

The three exchanged glances, and the overly large ears drooped. "Okay," muttered Sligh.

He removed the coat and stood before them with his blue-furred torso exposed. "See? Nothing wrong with-"

"Turn around, please," said Jag.

Muttering in Squibbal, Sligh turned around. His fur-thick, silky, and s.h.i.+ny with good health-sported small spots of lighter blue all along his back.

Allana said in a delighted tone of voice, "You're like a nexu! One color when you're a baby, another when you're grown up!"

"We're not fuzzlings, Fuzzling," Grees said. "We just ... got younger."

"You don't just get younger." Jag wondered if he heard a trace of resentment in Han's voice.

"Getelles," said Leia. "Oh no ... You didn't ..." She looked at Han, her eyes wide.

"The drochs," Han said. "Did that sleemo manage to smuggle drochs out?"

Jag felt a punch of cold apprehension in his gut. Of course he knew about the Death Seed plague, carried by the insects of Nam Chorios known as the drochs. He imagined that nearly everyone in the galaxy knew about the horrific creatures. They drained the life energy of their victims, causing necrosis and finally death. Ever since this discovery there had been a strictly enforced policy that under no circ.u.mstances were drochs permitted to leave Nam Chorios.

Several years ago, Getelles had been working with a company on Antemeridias to take over the Meridian sector. Part of the plan involved releasing the drochs on anyone who wasn't on his side. He'd been sitting quietly for many years, rebuked, fined, and penalized, but still keeping his seat.

But Jag didn't understand how Leia had made the jump from the Death Seed plague to eternal youth.

"From my understanding," said Jag, "the drochs siphoned life energy. They didn't give it back."

"They did if you ate them," Han said.

The Squibs were doing their best to put on sabacc faces throughout this conversation, but apparently they weren't fooling the Jedi Knight present. Leia glowered at the rodents, who unconsciously pressed in closer to one another.

Han closed the distance between himself and Grees in two strides, grabbed the Squib by his coat lapels, and lifted him up. "Does Getelles have drochs?"

"Dad! Put him down, please!"

The voice was young and earnest. Han paused, glanced down at his adopted daughter, then put Grees down. He didn't let go of the collar, though, and he repeated his question in a deceptively calm and measured voice.

"Does Getelles have drochs?"

"Well, not in the way that you're thinking," said Emala, casting a quick glance at Allana. "He isn't breeding them."

"So he's got dead ones?" Allana asked.

Sligh sighed and scratched one of his overly large ears, which, presumably, he would grow into, as Anji was starting to do with her enormous paws. "Sort of."

"Genetic material?" Jag pressed.

Grees eyed him. "I'm not saying any more until I get paid for the information. You want it, it's worth something to you, so we make a deal."

"Not on your-"

Jag held up a hand, and Han fell silent. "I believe you were working for the Imperial Remnant. Which means me. Is that correct?"

They looked at one another and nodded.

"And did you officially terminate your employment? Or were you otherwise formally released from that contract?"

He knew he had them when they looked up, down, at something in some distant part of the s.h.i.+p, anywhere but at him.

"I see. So then you're still working for me, and as part of that already-arranged deal, you need to tell me what you know. Because if you don't, then I might have to do something very unpleasant to you. All simply as part of honoring the deal, of course."

Sligh let out a pained sigh. Emala patted him. "All right," Grees said. "Getelles has a few scientists working for him who also worked on that nanovirus that killed the little Hapan Chume'da-Allana, I think her name was."

Jag heard the Solos gasp softly. Allana had gone very still.

"Go on," Han said in a cold voice.

"Getelles is apparently all kinds of excited about the thought of doing something with drochs to prolong life."

"And rejuvenate older beings," said Emala.

"And rejuvenate older beings," Grees added. "So we volunteered to be test subjects." Seeing Han's glower, he said, "Hey, don't look at me like that. It was an excellent opportunity to gather information to give to the Head of State. Once we got the information, we escaped. To tell him everything we knew via our good former partners, like we're doing right now."

"That's not all," pressed Jag. "You wouldn't want to renege on your deal, now, would you?"

Grees scowled.

Emala sighed. "Better tell him, Grees," she said.

Grees's scowl deepened, and he fished in the pockets of his jacket. He pulled out a small, tightly sealed vial approximately as long as his finger. "As you can tell, the experiments were a rousing success. We've gotten the chance to live our lives all over again. We wanted the same for our people."

"For the right fee," said Han.

"Well of course," said Sligh, puzzled at Han's tone. "We'll be able to spend our lives all over again in a very comfortable fas.h.i.+on."

"And we want to do the same for our children," said Grees. "They're getting on in years, as well. We didn't want to outlive them. Who wants that?"

It was uttered in a very nonchalant tone, and Jag was certain that Grees didn't realize the impact those words had on Han and Leia. He couldn't feel them in the Force, but he didn't need to. The slight tensing of Leia's slender frame, the sudden softness in Han's eyes as he looked off to the right-these gestures told him that the Squibs' words, spoken offhandedly, had struck deep.

The Solos had outlived two of their three children. And they would never have the chance to watch Anakin or Jacen live their too-brief lives over again.

Jag cleared his throat and extended his hand. The three Squibs stared at it as if it were an appendage they had never seen before. "The serum," he said. "Give it to me, please."

Grees clutched it to his chest. "Why? It's ours! We went through a great deal to bring you that information, and this has nothing to do with you!"

"The Empire greatly appreciates your efforts, and you will be amply compensated. But that serum was developed in an Imperial laboratory, by Imperial citizens, for use of the Empire. I'm afraid it's stolen property."