“I really wasn’t designed for this,” C-3PO said, for something to the power of a hundredth time. “The waiting is really the worst of all.”
Han checked the console, saw nothing again, laced his hands behind his head, and leaned back. “That so, Goldenrod,” he said. “Personally, I think it would be worse to have our hull blown open by proton torpedoes.”
“Well, yes,” C-3PO admitted, “that might be—”
“Or lose power and life support and drift forever in the cold dark of space.”
“Oh, how horribly vivid. That certainly doesn’t appeal—”
“Or worse yet, what if we’re captured? They’ll give us to the Yuuzhan Vong for sacrifice. Just think what the Vong would do to you, Threepio. They wouldn’t do it fast, not given how much they hate droids. They’d do it slow, keep you aware for every second of the terrible—”
“Captain Solo?” C-3PO interrupted plaintively.
“Yeah, Threepio?”
“I’ve reconsidered. Waiting isn’t so bad after all. Why, for all I care, we can wait forever.”
“Don’t let him get to you,” Leia said from the copilot’s chair, her eyes closed. “Everything will be fine.”
“Oh, thank you, Princess,” C-3PO said. “It is nice to be reassured, from time to time.”
“You’re welcome, Threepio. It’s the least I can do, considering we’ll probably be vaporized in this next exchange. I’d rather you went comfortably.”
“Vaporized?” C-3PO gasped. “I—I believe I’ll see if Master Jacen needs some help with—with whatever he’s doing.”
“You do that, Goldenrod,” Han replied. C-3PO clanked off, making worried noises.
“That was mean, Princess,” Han remarked. “I like this side of you.”
“I was trying to sleep.”
“Well, I can be quiet.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m awake, now. What’s going on?”
“Not much. Karrde showed up a while back, with four ships. Should be more than enough, given the size of the convoy Shalo described.”
“When do we expect them?”
“Any time now. An hour from now or ten.”
She nodded and sat up sleepily. “You got my son a little banged up down on Tatooine,” she accused.
“Well, he’s not the first and he won’t be the last to take a bruise or two on that forsaken planet.” His cocky tone relented a little. “I didn’t think I was putting him in real danger.”
“No, I understand,” Leia said softly. “Being a mother creeps up on me sometimes. It’s a shame it didn’t creep up on me more often when they were little.”
Han took her hand. “We didn’t have the luxury to be perfect parents,” he told her. “Whatever that is. The thing is—they turned out okay.”
“I know. That isn’t the issue. Han, they won’t ever be little again. It’s over. Even Anakin is almost grown, and I missed so much of it. And Jaina—”
“There’s nothing wrong with Jaina she won’t outgrow.”
Leia shook her head. “I don’t know. She can be so bitter sometimes, and I really can’t blame her. For all of her toughness, she’s also fragile.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Like someone else I know.”
“Ah, carbon sluff,” Han said. “I ain’t breakable. You ought to know that by now.”
“We’re all breakable, Han.”
“Huh.”
“But I digress. I don’t think it was a bad thing to take Jacen down there. You two seem … better for it.”
Han shrugged. “What you said—about missing so much time when they were little. Maybe I, uh … feel a little of that. Maybe I sort of like having him around, working with him. When he’s not going all moral on me, at least.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Like someone else I know.”
Leia shot him a fond smile disguised as a sarcastic smirk. She quickly let it relax. “Have you told him that, Han?”
“Nah. It might go to his head. I figure with that Force stuff he sort of knows anyway.”
“You above all people should know that sometimes those most sensitive to the Force can be the most clueless about people.”
“Well, you have a good point there,” Han replied. “Sometimes I think—”
Suddenly ships began reverting to sublight.
“Heavy freighters,” Han said, sitting up. “There’s our convoy. Get ready, Princess of Blood.”
“You’ve always known how to flatter a girl, Han.”
“That escort,” Han muttered after a little more study. “Two capital ships. I don’t like it.”
“You don’t think a heavy escort makes sense?” Leia asked. “They know we’ve been intercepting their shipping. They don’t know about Karrde. Two capital ships and the starfighters they can carry would be plenty to deal with the Falcon.”
Han shot her a hurt look.
“Hey, I’m just being realistic,” Leia said.
“So am I. You’re right. Two capital ships seems like overkill.”
“Let’s back off, then,” Leia said. “There’ll be other convoys.”
“The freighters. Scan them.”
“Ouch,” Leia said. “Nasty thought.”
“Yeah. I have lots of those.”
“Well, they look clean. I don’t think they’re hiding a fleet. There is an odd radiation signature from that last cargo pod. Looks incidental, though.”
“What’s going on up there?” Jacen called from the laser turret.
“Your father is having second thoughts,” Leia called back down.
“Huh? I’m just being a little cautious,” Han said.
Leia frowned. “Seriously, Han. If you have misgivings, let’s get out of here.”
Han sighed. “I just don’t like it. Maybe I’m getting old.” He leaned forward and tapped on the comm unit. He and Karrde had a limited-range tight-beam system set up that was unlikely to attract attention.
Karrde appeared a few seconds later.
“Doesn’t smell good, does it?” Karrde said.
“You read my mind. It’s like they’re trying too hard to look well prepared. If that makes any sense.”
“It doesn’t, but I know what you mean. Maybe we should let this one pass.”
“Han—” Leia interrupted.
“Just a minute,” he said. “Okay, Karrde, maybe—”
“Han!”
“Hello!” Karrde said. “Well, at least we haven’t completely lost it. Yet.”
“Huh?” Han stared where Leia’s finger was pointed. A Yuuzhan Vong frigate had just dropped out of hyperspace, along with an interdictor like the one they had run into earlier. As he watched, coralskippers were already detaching.
“Well,” Han remarked. “Things get more interesting all the time, don’t they?”