Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 02_ Omen - Christie Golden [53]
“She does. But with all that’s going on right now, I can’t help but think back to my own childhood. What made me feel happy, safe, and loved.”
“Oh, yeah, you had a very ordinary life. Forgot about that, Princess and Senator.”
Although he was being sarcastic, Han knew that he was also correct, and Leia, who was usually fair about these things, did not reprimand him by tugging again on his chest hair.
“No, I absolutely did not have an ordinary life. But I never felt unsettled. And I’m afraid that’s what’s happening with Allana.”
The faint light from the never-dark Coruscant skies fell upon her features, still beautiful to him—and others—after over forty years. Her eyes, that rich, liquid brown that always made him kinda quivery, glinted slightly in the multicolored glow as she peered up at him, and Han Solo fell in love all over again, as he did pretty much at least once a week. He’d been lucky to have found such an amazing woman. Life would never, ever be dull with her.
“I had a very happy, stable childhood,” Leia continued. “Two parents who were very much in love with each other. I was raised on politics, but it never harmed the family. Resisting the Empire never seemed to conflict with storytime, or trips together as a family, or …”
Her brown eyes bored into his. Han knew that the reason for the conversation was about to be made manifest, and he braced himself.
“Or wonderful, sunlit afternoons spent riding my thranta.”
Han waited. But apparently that was it.
“I don’t get it. I must be too sleepy to be having this conversation,” Han said.
“The Coruscant Livestock Exchange and Exhibition just started. We have the credits and the property to buy Allana something special. Something she can spend wonderful, sunlit afternoons riding.”
Han’s own eyes widened. “You’re not serious.”
“Oh, very, I’m afraid.”
“You want to go to the Livestock Exchange and Exhibition.”
She nodded. Rivers of dark brown hair shot with gray that only made her look more gorgeous gleamed with the movement. Han frowned. It wasn’t fair, sometimes.
“Let’s get her a thranta just like the one you had and we’ll call it good,” Han said. “I think Lando had a couple on Bespin. Bet he could find us a nice one.”
“Han … thrantas can’t live on Coruscant. There’s too much pollution for them here.”
Han groaned quietly. “Livestock Exchange. I bet you’re going to say we can’t just send her along with Artoo and Threepio and a couple of Jedi guards.”
Leia shook her head, her brown eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled. “We need to go with her.” She reached out a small hand and cupped his cheek. “Sweetheart, that’s what is going to make it special to her when she remembers the day years from now. Not that she got to go, not that she found a mount, a pet—but that we took her.”
“Yeah. We took her … to the smelliest place on the planet. Don’t you think that little button nose of hers will have enough after the first three minutes? Mine will.”
“You don’t mind things like that when you’re her age. I certainly didn’t. My thranta was one of the smelliest creatures I’ve ever met, and I adored her. To Allana, it’s all part of the fun and excitement.”
Han thought about the various creatures he’d had to ride during the course of his life. Grondas, rontos, banthas, and, most memorably, tauntauns. Even now, years later, his nose wrinkled at the memory of the stench of the creature’s entrails, spilling out steaming onto the snow as he cut the fallen beast open with Luke’s lightsaber in a desperate bid to save the young Jedi’s life.
Leia squeezed his arm. “Come on, it’ll be fun. And educational. A day out, looking at all the exotic animals, not having to worry about Seff or … Allana will be beside herself with delight.”
Han grumbled to himself. The thought of his little granddaughter, her eyes shining, laughing and clapping her hands, with no shadow of fear upon her bright little life for a change—yeah, it was a pretty appealing